Kieran practically flew down to the ground floor lounge, his heart pounding with a mix of anticipation and a desperate need for a skill. The idea of facing otherworldly creatures without any combat abilities, even with his improved physical state, was terrifying. He found a row of computer terminals designated for Hunter services and quickly logged into the Association's website.
The interface was clean and intuitive. He navigated to the 'Skill Crystal Loan Application' section, and a list of available skills, along with their descriptions and repayment costs, appeared on the screen.
Available Skill Crystals for Loan:
Chop
Description: A basic melee skill that focuses mana into a single, powerful strike, increasing the force and penetration of a physical attack. Requires a sword.
Mana Cost: 1
Repayment Cost: 3 Bronze Rank Missions
Block
Description: A defensive skill that allows the user to block an enemies attack with mana, significantly reducing incoming physical damage from an attack. Requires a shield.
Mana Cost: 2
Repayment Cost: 4 Bronze Rank Missions
Lesser Heal
Description: A minor healing skill that uses mana to accelerate the body's natural recovery, mending small wounds, alleviating minor pain, and stopping minor bleeding.
Mana Cost: 4
Repayment Cost: 5 Bronze Rank Missions
Dash
Description: A movement skill that allows the user to expend mana for a sudden burst of speed, covering short distances quickly. Useful for evasion, repositioning, or closing gaps.
Mana Cost: 5
Repayment Cost: 6 Bronze Rank Missions
Strengthen
Description: A supportive skill that temporarily enhances the user's physical strength and durability by infusing mana directly into their muscles and bones.
Mana Cost: 4
Duration: 15 seconds
Repayment Cost: 7 Bronze Rank Missions
Magic Missile
Description: A simple, reliable ranged attack spell that conjures a small, fast-moving projectile of pure mana. It homes in on a single target with perfect accuracy.
Range: 10 meters
Mana Cost: 2
Repayment Cost: 8 Bronze Rank Missions
Fireball
Description: A classic offensive spell that hurls a volatile orb of concentrated flame at an enemy. It deals small area-of-effect (AoE) damage (1 meter square) upon impact and requires proper aiming.
Range: 8 meters
Mana Cost: 3
Repayment Cost: 10 Bronze Rank Missions
True Shot
Description: An archery-focused skill that imbues an arrow or other projectile with mana, greatly increasing its accuracy, speed, and piercing power. Requires a projectile weapon.
Mana Cost: 2
Repayment Cost: 12 Bronze Rank Missions
Kieran scrolled through the list, his brow furrowed in concentration. He could only choose one.
This is it, he thought, his mental voice buzzing with a mix of excitement and anxiety. My first real choice as a Hunter. And it's a big one. I need something that will help me survive my first Gate and complete that daily quest.
He immediately dismissed Chop and Block. "System," he thought, "these melee skills require weapons. I don't have a sword or a shield. And even if I did, my Strength and Agility are barely existent. Getting into close combat with my current physical stats is suicide, even with your 'instant mastery' and the promise of no cooldown."
"Indeed," the System replied, its voice a little smug. "Your assessment is correct. While I could modify these skills to offer increased damage or defense, your base physical attributes are simply too low to make them viable for direct engagement against anything but the weakest of creatures. Even with no cooldown, you'd be a punching bag."
Kieran nodded mentally. "Same goes for True Shot then. Ranged is good, but I don't have a bow or crossbow. And it's the most expensive anyway."
"Affirmative," the System chirped. "A projectile weapon is a prerequisite for that skill. And yes, its base cost is higher due to its inherent precision."
Okay, that narrows it down significantly. Kieran's gaze lingered on Lesser Heal. "System, this is tempting. Being able to heal myself would be a huge comfort, especially after years of illness. But it costs 4 mana, and my goal right now is to kill 10 creatures, not just survive eternally. And if I choose it, it will have no cooldown, but my mana capacity is only 11. I can only cast it twice before I'm almost empty."
"While Lesser Heal is invaluable for sustainability in prolonged engagements, it offers no direct offensive capability," the System confirmed. "Its mana cost is relatively high, as you noted, meaning even with no cooldown, you'd quickly exhaust your mana for non-offensive purposes. It would be more suited for a support role in a group, or for a Hunter with a much larger mana pool."
Next was Dash. "Mobility is always good," Kieran mused. "Being able to escape or reposition quickly could save my life. But again, it doesn't help me kill. And 5 mana for a single dash is quite a bit, even with no cooldown."
"Dash provides excellent tactical flexibility," the System agreed. "With no cooldown, you could chain dashes together, making you incredibly elusive. However, it is purely a movement skill and contributes nothing to your damage output for your daily quest. Its high mana cost means you'd be trading offensive potential for evasion."
Then came Strengthen. "This one's interesting," Kieran thought. "It directly boosts my physical stats. If I used this, maybe those melee skills wouldn't be so useless. But it only lasts 15 seconds, and even with no cooldown, its mana cost of 4 is high for a temporary buff."
"Strengthen would indeed temporarily alleviate your physical deficiencies," the System explained. "With no cooldown, you could theoretically maintain the buff constantly, but it would rapidly deplete your mana pool, leaving you unable to cast offensive spells. It would be more effective if you had a strong physical attack skill to pair it with, which you do not."
Kieran sighed. "So, it all comes down to Magic Missile and Fireball." He reread their descriptions, paying close attention to the mana costs and ranges. Both would have no cooldown if he chose them, thanks to the System's modification. This was the crucial factor. He wouldn't be limited by waiting for a skill to come off cooldown; he'd only be limited by his mana.
"Magic Missile: 2 mana, 10-meter range, homing. System, what are the modification om this skill of I choose it?"
"My modification would imbue Magic Missile with a brief stun effect on hit. This would allow you to interrupt enemy attacks, create distance, or chain attacks for sustained damage, especially against single, tougher targets. The homing effect ensures perfect accuracy, making it highly reliable, and with no cooldown, you could fire a continuous stream as fast as your mana allows."
"And Fireball: 3 mana, 8-meter range, 1-meter square AoE, needs aiming. And what are the modification of this skill?"
"My modification for Fireball would add a short-range knock-back effect to the explosion, disrupting enemy formations and pushing them away from you, which is invaluable for crowd control. Additionally, affected enemies would suffer continuous low-level burning damage for a few seconds. While it requires aiming, its area-of-effect and crowd control capabilities are superior for dealing with multiple threats. And, of course, with no cooldown, you could unleash a barrage of explosions as quickly as you can manage your mana."
Kieran closed his eyes, picturing both scenarios. He also considered the "Release State" – the temporary burst of a massive mana pool from the System's stored essence. This meant that for a short duration, he could cast either spell almost infinitely, regardless of its mana cost, until the Release State ended. After that, he'd be back to relying on his base mana pool and regeneration.
Magic Missile: I could spam it, hitting targets with perfect accuracy, stunning them, and keeping them from reaching me. It's safe, reliable, and mana-efficient for single targets. Two mana per shot. With no cooldown, I could fire it as fast as my fingers could twitch, assuming I have the mana. And in a Release State, I could just hold down the button and unleash a constant stream of homing, stunning projectiles. That's incredible for sustained damage against a single powerful enemy.
Fireball: It costs more mana, 3 per shot, has a shorter range, and I'd have to aim. But the AoE, knock-back, and burning damage... that's amazing for clearing multiple weaker enemies, or pushing back a stronger one. If I get swarmed, Fireball would be a lifesaver. And in a Release State, I could just blanket an area with explosions, knocking back everything in sight and setting them on fire. That's pure chaos and crowd control.
He needed to kill 10 creatures for his daily quest. He didn't know what kind of creatures he'd face. Small, numerous ones? Or a few larger, tougher ones?
If I go solo, which I probably will for my first few Gates to keep my System a secret, I need to be self-sufficient. I need both offense and defense, or at least a way to keep enemies from reaching me.
Magic Missile's stun would be great for single, tough enemies, allowing me to chip away at them safely. Its homing means I won't miss, which is crucial for mana efficiency, especially outside a Release State.
Fireball's AoE and knock-back would be fantastic for clearing groups of weaker enemies quickly, which is often how low-level Gates are populated. The knock-back is a defensive measure too, pushing threats away. The burning damage would help ensure kills even if the initial blast isn't lethal.
He considered the possibility of joining a group. If he were in a group, his role might change. With Magic Missile, he could be a reliable single-target damage dealer or a dedicated crowd controller for specific threats. With Fireball, he could be a powerful AoE clearer, thinning out enemy numbers for his teammates. Given his low physical stats, a ranged role was essential, whether solo or in a group.
He took a deep breath. He needed to be effective, and he needed to be safe. "Alright, I've decided for my first skill," Kieran said, his mental voice firm and resolute. "I choose..."