Free Web NovelChapter 19: How To Distribute Stats 101
[Your Species Level has increased. Level 2 → Level 3]
[2 stat points gained]
The change passed through his body quickly. Alex checked the notification once, then immediately crouched beside the Ironclaw Badger’s corpse. Time was running out, and they could not afford to stay here for long.
"What are you doing?" Emma asked.
"Taking its claws before we leave. They’re sharp and could come in use later," Alex said while examining one of the paws.
He would have liked to take the fur as well. The hide was far tougher than ordinary cloth and would probably make better clothes than anything he currently owned. Unfortunately, he had no idea how to skin an animal.
"Let’s take the fur too. I know how to skin it, so I can tell you what to do. You can cut the skin, right? I can’t," Emma said.
"You know how to skin monsters?" Alex looked up.
"Animals," Emma corrected. Then she smiled slightly. "I like trekking, and hunting."
Alex nodded. He activated Mana Thread spell and extended it from his fingertip. He hardened the thread until it could function like a blade, then began following Emma’s instructions. She guided him through the process while he carefully cut along the hide.
The spell felt easier to use than before. After leveling up, the concentration required to maintain it had decreased again.
The thread could now extend nearly three and a half inches without becoming unstable.
As he worked, Alex decided to use the opportunity to train. He compressed mana and pushed it into his brain.
The familiar sharpening effect returned almost immediately.
He repeated the process several times until his focus approached the level he had reached during the battle. Mana drained rapidly from his reserves, but he ignored it. Instead, he focused on increasing the size of Mana Thread.
With his concentration enhanced, the thread slowly grew longer. Three and a half inches became four. It was a noticeable improvement, but Alex was not satisfied yet.
Four inches was already large compared to where he had started. Even so, he wanted it to be bigger. A stronger spell would mean more options during combat.
Alex tried compressing even more mana before directing it into his brain. That would boost his focus, giving him better mana control.
Better Mana control would allow him to increase the size of the Mana Thread. The attempt failed. He tried compressing mana again several times, but each attempt produced the same result.
He had reached his current limit.
There seemed to be only two solutions.
He could increase his Mind stat to improve mana control, or he could improve his focus through training. Both would likely help him push the spell further.
Alex currently had four unassigned stat points. Investing them into Mind would probably provide an immediate improvement in mana control. The temptation was certainly there.
However, something about that option bothered him. If he started dividing his growth between Mind and Mana, he risked becoming average at both. He would gain some control, but his mana reserves would grow more slowly.
More importantly, this world kept reminding him how dangerous it was. The Ironclaw Badger had only been one species rank higher than him, yet defeating it had required teamwork, enormous risks, and a fair amount of luck.
What would happen if he encountered a creature with a higher level and a higher species rank? The answer was obvious. He would die.
The only way to avoid that outcome was to push one strength so far beyond the others that it could compensate for everything he lacked. A balanced path sounded sensible, but Alex was beginning to suspect that true strength came from specialization. He needed one area where he could outperform others so much that they would have no hopes of catching up to him, instead of him being merely decent at everything.
That was why he wanted to focus on Mana whenever possible. However, his current problem still remained. He could not boost his brain any further without improving his mana control first.
If he did not want to increase Mind, then he needed another solution. After thinking for a moment, his attention settled on Body Reinforcement Spell.
If the spell became stronger, the quality of reinforcement would improve as well. Better reinforcement meant a stronger enhancement to his brain.
A stronger enhancement would improve his focus, which would then improve his mana control.
The logic made sense to him.
Alex activated Body Reinforcement Spell. The skill had reached Level 7 during the battle with the Ironclaw Badger.
Since obtaining it, he had already discovered several unusual ways to use it and had removed most of the inefficiencies from his method.
The question was how to push it further.
Alex focused carefully. He already had an idea in mind, and he immediately began testing it. He compressed mana into his arm, but instead of directing it into the muscles, he guided it toward the skin.
Then he started compressing the mana even further.
The process was difficult. Alex maintained the pressure until he reached his limit and could not compress the mana any more. When he finally stopped, he immediately noticed a difference in his forearm.
It felt as though he was wearing some kind of protective guard. The sensation was strange, but not unpleasant. Curious, Alex flicked the reinforced area with his finger.
A dull sound followed.
His skin felt hard. Not completely like stone, but close enough that the comparison came naturally. If an attack landed there, it would likely provide a considerable amount of protection.
The moment the experiment ended, exhaustion washed over him. Alex immediately stopped using mana and took a slow breath. Dark spots briefly appeared in his vision, a clear sign that he had nearly exhausted his reserves.
Then notifications appeared before him.
[Body Reinforcement Spell has leveled up. Level 7 → Level 8]
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