Sasaki took a deep breath and reviewed the details of his past encounters over few points like he needed to be more strategic about where and when to place his traps.
If he could find a way to set traps more quickly and efficiently, he could catch more hobgoblins at once.
A magic spell that increased his stealth would make it harder for the hobgoblins to detect him. This could be crucial for avoiding their scouts and ambushes.
Having a defensive spell could protect him from attacks, giving him more time to plan and execute his strategies.
As Sasaki pondered these points, he felt a sense of clarity. He realized that enhancing his hit-and-run strategy with the right magic could be the key to overcoming his current challenges. He decided to focus on decoding magic that would improve his stealth.
"Let's start with spells that make me faster and harder to detect," Sasaki said to himself.
But there was a question in his mind. As he understood various classes and skills, he realized that stealth skills were typically associated with the assassin class.
He wondered if he could successfully learn such a skill or if it would create a new class for him. In the beginning, the system guide had told him that any skill not related to his current class would indeed create a new class, and he would need to switch classes to use the skill.
A new class would start from level one, and every skill in that class would also start from level one.
This presented a challenge for Sasaki. While the stealth skill would be useful for hiding and reconnaissance, it wouldn't be practical for direct combat.
He understood that using stealth only helped in evading detection, but as soon as he attacked, his presence would be revealed. He could re-enter stealth, but it wasn't a foolproof strategy in his current situation.
Sasaki sighed, realizing that learning an assassin skill would be a waste of time for now. He decided to explore this area later when he had a better understanding of assassin skills.
For now, he needed something that would directly enhance his current combat abilities.
"A defensive skill, something like a shield that can cover my whole body and protect me," Sasaki thought aloud.
He focused on the idea of creating a skill through his 'Magic Decode.' A defensive skill could give him the edge he needed in battle, especially against the brute force of the hobgoblins. He closed his eyes, concentrated, and started to imagine the form of the shield, something like a sphere.
"Yes, a sphere-shaped shield can protect me from all directions," he muttered to himself.
"Let's imagine more, concentrate, Sasaki, how to create such a thing from mana."
Mana started to flow from his heart through his veins, channeling and gathering at the tips of his fingers. Sasaki, using his mind, began to direct the mana from his fingertips, spreading it outward to cover his whole body. Soon, it formed a sphere-like shape of mana.
Sasaki controlled the mana in the air like how the brain controls other parts of the body, just as you think and move your hands or walk.
The brain controls all functional activities of body parts and internal organs in the same way Sasaki controlled the flow of mana from inside to outside.
"Still not enough, need to make it like solid, so it can protect from attack," he thought.
Sasaki successfully created the sphere of mana, but it was like an invisible energy gathering around him, more like an aura.
This was still insufficient to call it a mana shield. So Sasaki began to imagine it as compressing it. Just as water turns into ice under negative temperature, changing its properties, Sasaki applied the same principle to the mana around him.
He compressed it, making it thinner, controlling the mana to form a wall of the sphere. He continued compressing it until the properties of mana changed, forming a protective shield that could deflect attacks when they hit the shield made from mana energy.
He visualized the mana becoming denser and harder, imagining each particle locking together to form a solid barrier.
His mind focused on every detail, ensuring the shield would be strong enough to withstand powerful strikes.
The process was intense, requiring all his concentration and willpower. Finally, after what felt like hours but was only minutes, he felt the transformation take place.
[Ding!]
[Acquired new skill: 'Shield']
[Skill Level: 1]
[Description: A defensive barrier that absorbs damage from both physical and magical attacks.]
[Level 1 Effects]
[Effect 1: 100% attack deflection if enemy below your level else shield will break while protecting the caster one time]
[Effect 2: Upon breaking, deals 5% damage to all nearby enemies within a 10-meter radius.]
[Cooldown: 1 seconds.]
[Mana Cost: 100 mana per activation.]
['Magic Decode' Cool down countdown : '168:00:00' ]
Sasaki opened his eyes, now surrounded by a translucent, greenish shimmering sphere of mana. He smiled, feeling a sense of accomplishment.
This new skill would be invaluable in his upcoming battles. With the 'Mana Shield' protecting him, he could focus on his offensive strategies without worrying about getting overwhelmed by the hobgoblins' attacks.
"Alright, let's put this to the test," Sasaki said, standing up and feeling more confident than ever. He was ready to continue his hit-and-run strategy, but now with an added layer of defense.
For the next seven days, Sasaki hunted the hobgoblins in the east, using the same hit-and-run strategy. He was more confident now, with the extra protection of his mana shield.
This shield let him face danger directly. Even if he was hit by an attack stronger than his level, the shield would protect him and deal damage to nearby enemies when it broke.
With his higher level, Sasaki's attacks were stronger, dealing double the damage. It only took him half an hour to defeat the hobgoblins, saving him 30 minutes each time. He used this extra time to hunt more hobgoblins.