Chapter 32: Skill

“This damn headache just doesn’t seem to go away…”

Or maybe it was because he was inside the swaying carriage.

“Ugh…”

Jun pulled back the curtain of the carriage and looked outside.

Unlike the Black Forest, the desolate land with barely a blade of grass caught his eye.

“At least the view is wide open.”

The distant rocky mountains and the endless sky seemed to showcase the grandeur of nature’s vast resources.

The barren rock zone.

For the next month, this would be the field where Jun and Aiden would stay.

***

Jun wet his dry mouth with water before speaking.

“There are three ways to get stronger in Blackout.”

Aiden listened intently.

“The first is experience.”

The saying “knowledge is power” was a common one, but it was also a saying that contained a lot of truth.

“The most representative example is Maya, whom you met recently.”

By now, Maya was likely learning to speak properly under Bradden’s guidance.

She had been raised by the Outer Tribe since she was a newborn.

Even when Blackout seasons ended and the reset occurred, they stayed at the [Checkpoint] and never left Blackout.

Moreover, they did not receive any support from outside and lived solely on their own.

In such a place, Maya had spent her entire life in a fierce struggle for survival.

“It’s obviously not the kind of experience you, who have never held a sword in the Imperial Palace, can compare to.”

Of course, Jun didn’t fully understand the extent of Maya’s remarkable skills.

After all, he was a mage, not a warrior.

Instead, he had heard something from Bradden.

“Bradden described Maya’s movements as ‘a harmony with nature’. That’s how much her movements blend into the surrounding environment. It’s the result of her survival experiences.”

This was precisely why Aiden, even after reading Maya’s movements, failed to perceive them as attacks.

Natural.

Every movement of Maya blends into the surrounding objects, making it impossible to define them as attacks.

“The second is talent. This one applies mainly to your case.”

Though Aiden was dispirited after losing to Maya, unlike her, Aiden hadn’t been holding a sword for more than three years.

“You’ve only been wielding magic for just three years, and yet you’ve reached your current level. Based purely on skill, you’re at a level that would be competitive even among Level 3s.”

With those words, Aiden acknowledged his own arrogance.

Only three years.

Unlike Maya, who had wielded a sword her entire life just to survive in Blackout, Aiden had reached his current position in a mere three years.

So in a way, it was only natural for him to fall short against Maya.

“And finally, the third is skill.”

Skill.

Though he realized it later, Aiden had managed to land a hit on Maya.

It wasn’t a proper attack, but during the final [Charge], his swinging sword had left a mark on Maya’s blade.

If Aiden hadn’t crashed into the wall, he might have broken her sword altogether.

“Skill, you say.”

Aiden’s expression momentarily hardened at that.

Though the humiliating feeling of crashing into the wall was intense, what bothered Aiden more was that his first use of an active skill hadn’t brought him the joy he had expected.

“Judging by your expression, I can tell what you’re thinking. Feels like it wasn’t you who landed the hit, but rather the skill, right?”

“…Yes.”

The moment Aiden decided to use [Charge], he lost control of himself.

It was as if someone had pulled his strings and manipulated him to decide the outcome as they pleased.

So Aiden couldn’t fully accept the result produced by [Charge] as his own.

“But you’re right. It was thanks to the skill.”

“….…”

“But is that really a bad thing?”

“Huh?”

“If you get caught up in the process, no result will ever be satisfying.”

“Caught up…”

“Shall I give you an example? The reason Maya possesses her skills is because of the process of being picked up by the Outer Tribe.”

“….…”

“And the reason you grow so much faster than others is because you inherited imperial blood.”

Aiden didn’t deny those words.

He was indeed born with talent, and he knew that better than anyone.

“But do you really think that the only factor in who you’ve become today is your imperial lineage? No. There’s a process you chose and shaped yourself.”

As a discarded member of the imperial family, Aiden had endured countless looks of disgust and hatred.

Historically, many discarded members of the imperial family, like Aiden, succumbed to those looks and lived according to the fate assigned to them.

But Aiden alone refused that fate and picked up a sword before he made his way to Blackout.

“All the efforts you’ve made so far are also one of the results. So, how did you obtain [Charge]?”

“It was thanks to my achievements in the raid…”

“That’s right. It’s the result of overcoming the fear of death and striking the Forest Guardian.”

The skill he received as a reward was also a result Aiden had created.

“Just as Maya’s survival efforts led to her own results, the skill you possess is both a process you’ve built and a result you’ve achieved.”

So from now on, let’s create a new path.

“What you need to do here is make that skill truly your own.”

Aiden nodded vigorously as Jun’s words continued. He lifted his previously bowed head.

***

Cockatrice.

Much like the “Goblins of the Black Forest” the field monsters in this barren rock zone were mostly Cockatrices.

“Wow, it really looks like a chicken with a lizard’s tail.”

“That’s right, that’s its defining feature.”

“I heard that if you make eye contact, you get cursed with petrification…”

“Haha, you’ve been reading too many novels.”

“Oh, was that not true?”

Embarrassed, Aiden lowered his head at Jun’s words.

Jun patted Aiden on the shoulder and told him that it was okay.

“It’s not entirely wrong, though. That creature’s eyes have the ability to inflict paralysis, and irregular variants can actually cast a petrification curse.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, that’s why it’s such a tricky one.”

Jun regarded the Cockatrice as quite troublesome.

It’s a monster that doesn’t quite match the strength of a level 1. Just making eye contact can cause paralysis, which is annoying.

In the game, the evasion rate was set extremely high because of this.

Unless you were an agile warrior or a ranged class, you wouldn’t even bother with it. The only reason people hunted it was because the loot could be sold for a decent amount…

Still, not many players aimed to take on the Cockatrice from the early stages because of its traits.

But for Aiden, that creature should be manageable.

The paralysis effect wouldn’t work on Aiden.

Thanks to his [Beast Body], he had a general resistance to status ailments.

He could even escape the [Forest’s Cycle] status effect of the Fairy Queen on his own, so there was no way he’d succumb to the Cockatrice’s paralysis.

Jun looked at Aiden with a sense of hope.

Aiden’s eyes sparkled as usual, perhaps thanks to the encouragement he had received earlier.

Of course, he won’t be able to master [Charge] right away.

But there might be something different this time.

There was that sense of anticipation.

“Hup!”

As if to answer Jun’s expectations, Aiden activated [Charge].

Just like before, some of his magical power leaked out and his stance shifted uncontrollably.

And then.

– Cluck?!

Boom!

Thud!

Aiden who had crashed into a rock like a cannonball collapsed onto the ground.

“…….”

“…….”

– Cluck, cluck…

It seemed it was still too early to be hopeful.

***

A heavy silence settled over them.

However, it didn’t last long.

Cluck, cluck, cluck!!

The Cockatrice, which had been standing idly after Aiden’s surprise attack, let out a roar filled with hostility.

[Shield]

Just before the Cockatrice’s claws which were sharp enough to split rock could reach Aiden, Jun’s [Shield] enveloped him.

Having reached the fourth circle, the strengthened [Shield] was sturdy enough to block its claws.

Cluck, cluck!!

Yet the Cockatrice didn’t retreat and kept pounding on the [Shield].

Jun replenished the mana of the seemingly fragile [Shield] for a moment. About five seconds passed before Aiden got back on his feet.

“Ugh…”

Still not fully out of the [Groggy] state, Aiden staggered briefly but soon regained his stance.

Jun who saw this withdrew the [Shield].

The Cockatrice charged at Aiden with renewed momentum.

Swish—!

But it was cut down by Aiden’s sword. Its head and body were separated in one swift motion.

A few of its feathers floated in the air, and then the Cockatrice disintegrated into dust on the ground.

Jun who confirmed that the area was safe approached and asked.

“You okay?”

“Ah, haha… Yes, y-yes. I’m fine.”

Aiden blushed and lowered his head as if he was embarrassed by his actions.

“I-I showed you something shameful.”

“That’s just how it is.”

“Ugh. I had a rough idea, but it’s really amazing.”

Just by recalling the skill, his body moved on its own.

It was only his second experience, but it still felt utterly foreign.

Even so…

Aiden’s expression was much better than before.

Maybe it’s thanks to senior, but now it doesn’t feel entirely like it is someone else who is moving.

Unlike when he first used it on Maya, he now regarded this skill as his own, which changed his mindset.

Yes, it was like… an unconscious reflex.

Like when your leg kicks up on its own when your knee is tapped.

And the movement of those muscles could be suppressed to some extent by his own will.

Naturally, the skill should be the same.

Jun’s advice followed in perfect timing.

“The proficiency of a skill starts with understanding it.”

Jun had never used an active skill before, but for him, magic was similar to an active skill.

When he first entered this body, knowledge of magic had been forcefully implanted into him.

So, the first magic he cast was no different from an active skill.

For Jun, the first step to controlling magic was “understanding”.

Understanding which magical knowledge stirred when he used it.

And how much mana moved, and in what way, through the magic circuits.

Understanding the entire process was necessary.

“Understand the mechanical habits, attitudes, actions, and instincts. Then you control those processes.”

Taking in Jun’s advice, Aiden closed his eyes and fell into thought.

He tried to recall the skill he had just used.

The memory of that moment, which had felt so overwhelming, came back to him.

First, my legs moved.

And then?

I pushed off the ground.

His posture had locked in low.

Magical power burst from his toes.

And when he opened his eyes, he had already collided with the rock.

“Control…”

When he mumbled to himself alone, Jun spoke as if in passing.

“If someone swung their fist at you, how would you move?”

With that, Jun raised his fist and swung it toward Aiden’s face.

Aiden reflexively dodged the attack.

“…Ah!”

“Do you get it now?”

“Yes!”

A fist came toward him and Aiden turned his head to evade it.

Why?

Because the fist was aimed at his face.

How?

By moving his shoulder muscles starting from his spine.

What?

He dodged the fist.

A single action contained various meanings.

Aiden quickly realized what Jun was trying to say.

The first time I moved my legs.

It was a preparatory action to propel himself forward.

Why? Because it was the most effective.

Next, his body bent down.

Why? To minimize air resistance.

The moment he pushed off the ground, magical power burst from his toes.

Why? To gain acceleration.

“Wow…”

Aiden was a warrior. A warrior with great talent.

He dissected the purpose of every posture derived from the [Charge] skill.

And he redefined it once more.

But why do I exert this much force at this moment?

Why is the gap between my feet this much?

Is the angle I bend at when I leap forward right for my body?

The magical output? Isn’t it too excessive?

And of course, he adjusted it to suit his own body.

He added what was necessary and excluded what was excessive.

Like a composer, he created harmonies that matched the melody.

Eventually.

“How is it? Are you getting the hang of it?”

“……”

Aiden didn’t respond to Jun’s question.

Instead, he turned his body in a different direction.

What caught his eye was a rock, exactly the size of a person.

He lowered his stance.

His knees bent, and his back remained straight.

Magical power gathered at his toes.

And then.

[Charge]

He shot forward.

Just like before, Aiden’s body sliced through the wind.

But this time, his speed was slightly slower than before.

However, it was smoother.

His arm that extended in a thrusting motion swept to the opposite side of his waist. The sword in his hand sliced through even the wind with precise timing.

In its path stood the rock.

Saaaak!

A sound that was hard to believe hit Aiden’s ears.

He cut through the rock.

At that moment, Aiden felt it.

The change that had occurred inside him.

It wasn’t a drastic change.

But if this were a game instead of reality,

An interface like this would have appeared before him.

– [Charge] skill acquired!

“What the… hell.”

And Jun who was watching the scene unfold,

One month? Isn’t that too long?

He furrowed his brows as a throbbing headache set in.

If he had known it would be like this, he wouldn’t have bothered coming all the way here!