Merely fortunate? Could the system truly believe he was just lucky to defeat that monster? Ignoring the bravery it took to follow the system's advice in such a critical moment, the skill required to strike precisely at the monster's core was not something any ordinary warrior could achieve.
Vyn had to acknowledge that, despite his inability to harness this world's energy, he was exceptionally adept in combat. He had refined his battle skills to such an extent that he could compensate for his lack of innate power, making him capable enough to participate in a D rank dungeon raid.
This level of proficiency wasn't achieved overnight. It was the result of immense effort and practice over the two years he had spent on this battlefield. Yet, this dismissive system had the audacity to label his hard-earned skills as mere luck? It was unheard of for a D ranker to slay an A rank monster, but the system failed to give him any credit.
At this point, Vyn's opinion of the system was rock bottom.
"Tsk!"
He clicked his tongue in annoyance, pushing away the bitter thoughts and refocusing on his stats. The system had mentioned he could enhance them using stat points, so there was no reason to hesitate. He was eager to become stronger, even if it was just a slight improvement.
Vyn checked his level at the top of the stat display. He had received a notification about gaining a new level immediately after defeating the dungeon monster. While the level-up didn't specify additional benefits, Vyn instinctively felt it was part of his stats that couldn't be increased with stat points, so he didn't attempt to add any there. He would have to wait and see how the leveling system truly worked.
His gaze moved to the attributes listed under his stats. He was certain these could be enhanced with stat points—otherwise, what was their purpose?
After some thought, Vyn decided to first invest in his strength. Compared to the average ranker, he was weak. He had always attributed this to his physique. Generally, Vyn had an average build, though he was slightly thinner than most; yet, he found it tough to boost his strength through physical training alone. He had often dreamed of the heights he could reach with a more robust physique. Thus, increasing his strength was his top priority now.
Without delay, he allocated 5 stat points to strength. He watched as the numbers increased from nine to fourteen. However, after waiting a brief moment, he realized there were no changes to his physical body, much to his dismay. He had hoped for noticeable improvements, like denser muscles or more defined abs, but visibly, nothing had changed.
'Did this system deceive me?'
This thought inevitably crossed Vyn's mind. Yet, there was no real way for him to confirm if the stat points were genuine until he conducted some physical tests.
Just then, Vyn clicked on Mana to allocate some points. He had previously noticed that the system pegged his Mana at zero. Born without the ability to harness this world's Mana, this likely explained the dismal figure. Nevertheless, Mana was of utmost importance to him. Harnessing it as an energy source would undoubtedly strengthen him significantly.
'Hm…?' Vyn's reaction was one of surprise as he struggled in vain to increase his Mana. Despite his efforts, the points he added stubbornly returned to the stat pool, leaving the Mana tally untouched, resolutely at zero.
[Host does not have the capacity to possess this world's Mana.] The system's prompt flashed ominously.
Vyn was thoroughly baffled. He knew from birth he lacked the ability to wield any form of this world's energy, but if the system could grant him a divine ability without the need to worship any deity, why couldn't it assist him with Mana? If it truly couldn't help, why was Mana even listed among his stats? Was the system merely reminding him of his inability, taunting him with a constant zero?
[The world's will has denied the Host access to the Mana. Mana stat cannot be increased, regardless of the Host's efforts.]
Vyn pondered deeply. What was this "world's will" the system kept referring to? Common knowledge suggested it wasn't a complete consciousness, yet it wielded supreme authority. The way the system portrayed it made it seem like a sentient being, almost godlike, that had deliberately marked him for reasons unknown and decided he wouldn't enjoy the special privileges afforded to others born in this world.
Was there any greater injustice? For what reason...
Shifting his focus, Vyn clicked on the Skill tab displayed in the system window.
[Finger of Light: Conjure a burst of light from your fingertips.
- This attack carries the properties of speed and power due to the nature of light.
- This attack consumes 5 Spiritual Energy per use.
- The effectiveness of this attack is low compared to the Spiritual Energy consumption. Host can try upgrading or modifying this skill.]
Vyn sank into deep contemplation after reviewing the system's explanation for his newly acquired skill. He could vividly recall the swiftness of his attack in the dungeon—a speed so great that the formidable monster, which had lightning-fast reflexes, had failed to react in time. This skill had made a difference, yet it was also clear that without the prior attack from the girl, which had opened a wound on the monster, his own strike might not have broken through the beast's defenses.
He grudgingly acknowledged the system's advice: the skill's effectiveness was disappointingly low in comparison to its consumption of spiritual energy. It was now clear that he needed to either upgrade or modify the skill to enhance its effectiveness. But the term 'spiritual energy' baffled him. Was this mysterious force meant to compensate for his lack of Mana?
Prompted by his curiosity, Vyn focused his mind, and the system window obediently displayed the information on Spiritual Energy:
[Spiritual Energy: This is an innate energy of the Host. It shares properties similar to Mana, making it a suitable alternative.]
The explanation was succinct, almost terse. Vyn, though perplexed about possessing such an energy, felt indifferent; as long as it functioned akin to Mana and aided his quest for strength, he had no complaints.
His thoughts then shifted to mastering this newfound power. He remembered his attempts to use the Boundless Light for healing, and the system's suggestion that he deepen his understanding of the world's skill concepts and boost his intelligence to effectively harness the Boundless Light's healing properties.
Previously, Vyn had not focused on learning magical skills or the principles governing them, given his lack of affinity for this world's energies. But now, with his circumstances changed, his first step was to acquire a few battle-relevant skills.
With these plans in mind, Vyn quickly allocated his remaining stat points before stepping out of his room, ready to face whatever challenges awaited him with renewed determination and a clearer sense of purpose.