Keeping [Manima Senses] on for this long wasn’t easy, but I pushed through the pain, and it finally happened…
A yellow Mana string sprang from the ground behind Soman’s neck; they had waited for him to fall asleep before choosing to attack.
I reacted. Using [Primus Will], I dismantled the string.
Looking at Somani’s dream… it was normal.
It can’t be that easy, right?
It wasn’t.
More Mana strings came, some fast, others in bundles.
I dismantled them all, and just as Somani was about to awake, I got a level up for my efforts.
Primus Will has reached Lv. 2
‘No bad dreams?’ I asked Somani as he rubbed his eyes awake.
‘…yeah.’
***
A week passed.
Somani spent most of his time training his skills, and he managed to get some levels.
Primus Will Lv. 3
Primus Manipulation Lv. 3
Multi Casting Lv. 5
The kid would create multiple Mana weaves before untangling them using [Primus Will].
Every day, we were sent to fight a different monster, but thankfully, none were as strong as the cyclops.
I spent most of the time enduring the agonising pain, which had lessened a lot, but persisted as a constant ache. When Somani slept, I focused on dismantling the dream attacks; they never ceased.
Thankfully, after a week, I finally regained sufficient control over my manipulation skills to control my new clone.
‘Are you ready?’
The plan was simple: make Somani detonate his brain, creating a fissure in the room that’d allow me to escape.
‘As ready as it gets!’
‘Do it!’
BOOOOV!
Somani detonated himself, filling the room with white energy.
The Mana coating and protecting the wall sprang to life.
I scanned it, looking for a lapse in its…
Aha!
My soul clone exploded from Somani’s body, heading for the gap, but before I reached it, it mended.
I need to be faster!
Mana film is leaking. Approximately thirty seconds until all mana is lost.
30
Another gap appeared.
I created a bone in the fissure, trying to hinder it enough for me to pass through.
The bone was cleanly cut.
29
Somani’s explosion began to subside, breaking the destructive energy’s contact with the barrier.
No, you won’t!
I controlled the white Mana, increasing the burden on my paining soul.
Shaping the Mana into a spear, I failed, but the Mana still took a conal shape; it gushed at the barrier in a smaller area.
I swam through the Mana towards the contact area, and finally…
Freedom!
I couldn’t miss the small tear that appeared right in front of me.
Once outside, I didn’t stop, fully knowing that I had little time before my naked soul dissipated.
I shot in a random direction with incredible speed; my mind was working hard to process everything I was seeing.
…Impossible
Countless rooms passed by me. Some were halls that contained large creatures; others were tiny compared to our cell and held small beings.
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I also passed arenas where fights were ongoing.
I didn’t know how I was able to see through the walls when they had previously blocked my vision, but I didn’t dwell on it.
Maybe they can only block my senses from the inside.
I navigated through the rooms without touching their walls, aiming my trajectory downwards.
Silver Back, Lv. ???
A bear with grey spikes shooting out of its back.
Orbital Amobina, Lv. ????
A floating eyeball with leathery purple wings and small, squirmy digits.
It stared back, sending shivers through me.
Squomous Equaliser, Lv. ??
A pyramid-shaped skin bundle with yellow pimples. It lay in the middle without moving.
Deep Squid, Lv. ???
A bulbous form connected to a dozen or so limbs. Its room was special, being filled with water.
Rooms after rooms; they seemed endless.
Identify has reached Lv. 7
They have either imprisoned me at the top, or this place is just too large.
I finally reached something different.
A huge black hall.
My vision didn’t fully encompass the room, so I had to scan it from the outside as much as possible.
Isn’t that… Shraider?
In front of the detective lay a huge window that showcased… my room?
A human walked into my sphere and stood next to the fat man.
“The kid is still playing with Mana. Doesn’t he get bored because I surely am.”
“Playing? Hmph… unprofessional. This is white Mana. Controlling it at this level of finesse, while being sleep deprived, signifies that the kid is not only a prodigy, but a genius even among prodigies.”
10
9
8
I continued scanning the room, seeing a guy who resembled the Dream Weaver, but I didn’t use [Identify] on him to confirm.
Unfortunately, the room didn’t have any humans who were at a low enough level for me to possess, so I decided to try my luck with other rooms.
Before going, I debated whether to enter one of the many floating single cells I had recently noticed after zooming into thin air, but decided against it. My soul was too valuable to waste on such basic life forms, plus I didn’t know if it’d even work. Those single cells might not even have a soul.
Maybe I’ll try if I don’t find a suitable host.
7
6
5
This time, I decided to go upwards.
Room after room passed me, but none of them had anything below ??.
4
3
2
My time was running out, so…
I increased my speed, forfeiting any previous caution towards the walls, and that was when I impacted one’s Mana protection before recoshiningq into another and another.
Woah… Ooof!
I didn’t mind. I continued raising my speed, shooting from wall to wall as my vision blurred from the pace.
Aqua Slime, Lv. 34
I halted my motion with some difficulty before heading back towards the slime.
I had rejected you before, but you're my best option today.
I entered the slime.
***
Wollom’s POV:
This was the first time I had felt pressure from the Republic’s forces.
They, somehow, had managed to convince the notoriously prideful Ogres to join their ranks.
Orges had the height of a man and a half, with bulging and thick brown skin.
From the slit of his visor, the beady black eyes showed no sign of emotion.
I ducked.
Woov
The Ogre’s mace passed above me by a hair’s breadth.
I stepped into its guard, stabbing it in the joint of its arm before moving into its flank for another strike.
Contrary to its size, the Orge was swift, and it managed to shoo me away with a swipe of its shield arm.
Huff!
The Orge’s pig-like snout shook as it faced me with its tall shield raised, mace raised higher.
I decided to try my new skill, [Primal Slash].
Taking the stance, I launched at the beast.
It swept its shield for a parry, but my sword cut its shield before severing the arm holding it.
I saw it… fear.
I did a taboo, but with [Perfect Instincts], I knew it was no big deal.
I momentarily gave the enemy my back, as I swirled on my heel and with the momentum of the severing attack, I beheaded the creature, slicing through metal like it was butter.
Foot Soldier, Lv. 67
Primal Hunter has reached Lv. 33
My [Perfect Instincts] screamed at me.
I jumped before ducking behind a confused Orge.
BOOV!
The projectile’s flames licked at me, but thankfully, the Orge had taken the brunt of the attack, and I couldn’t spot any burns on me, although the explosion had my ears ringing.
Orges were ruthless, and soon, a new one was on me.
I didn’t immediately use [Primal Slash] as it would quickly deplete my small Mana reserves, and because there was no fun in ending the fight quickly.
I slashed, dodged, hacked, and severed, moving through the Orges’ ranks like an omen of death.
The once fearless beasts started to give me space, but somehow, I still ended up fighting two or three foes at the same time.
An Orge overextended. I locked my sword with his guard before pulling, felling the creature.
I jumped on its back, becoming level with its friend.
I emptied the contents of my mouth—sand, blinding the beast before turning to meet the huge sword of the third on mine’s flat side.
My legs shook from the impact as my hands trembled.
Ssszz
I slid the sword along the length of mine, directing it towards the ground.
An overhead slash, but although the best’s sword was two-handed, it still had a shield.
I activated [Primal Slash], but the beast seemed to have noticed how I had sliced its companions, so it didn’t block with its shield.
Instead, it disarmed me by deflecting with the shield. Then, it dropped its long sword and choked my neck.
I kicked air, as it lifted me off the ground.
“Daie Hummam,” The beast gurgled; its accent thick.
For some reason, in this deathly situation, I remembered [Primal Slash]’s description.
Primal Slash: When the Primal slashed, everything got severed, even reality itself didn’t survive. This skill will allow the user to cut anything as long as they have the Mana for it, and as long as it’s composed of a material below or at the same level as the skill’s tier.
No mention of sword…
I activated the skill, and instead of charging it through my sword, I made the white Mana flow through my teeth.
I bit.
Crunch!
Fingers were severed, as bones were cleanly cut.
Ahh!
Hot blood squirted on me as the beast released me.
I took a deep breath, then made the skill channel Mana through my straight fingers, turning my hand into a sword.
I swiped, decapitating the thing’s head before ducking under the blinded beast’s attack.
I kicked, swiped with my palms, even spat…
Everything I did cut easily.
Ha…haha…HAHAHA!
Looking around me… I was the only one left standing in a field of death.
Neither comrade nor foe was alive. Bodies covered the ground, as the air was filled with the scent of death.
Thankfully, the fight had ended at the right time as my Mana was depleted, and my stamina spent.
I returned to the camp, expecting to meet the rebukes of the Sergeant, but no one bothered me as I did my after-battle routine, until I went to get food.
Sitting on the ground, next to my comrades, with my portions served, a familiar face approached me.
All men around me stood up, saluting the Captain.
I hurriedly followed.
“Soldiers!”
“SOO!” We shouted in union.
“At ease. I’m not here for an inspection, although your attire needs some cleaning. Soldier Wollom. Have you seen him?”
All faces turned toward me.
“Sir, it’s me, Sir!”
“Follow me, boy. HQ is requesting your immediate presence.”
My heart beat increased.
This could be either terribly horrible or extremely good.
The Captain led me to the heart of the camp, where a large tent was set with many flags flying close to it.
Some flags represented the Ministry of War, others had the Noblesse crest on them with the famous three words, but most had the three stripes representing the Empire: White above, representing the Emperor; Blue in the middle, representing the Noblesse’s blood; Red at the bottom, signifying the general class.
The Captain went to the guards standing next to the tent flap. Saluting them, he asked for permission to enter.
The spears were uncrossed, and we stepped inside.
Unlike the cold atmosphere outside, the tent was warm, but I couldn’t see a hearth anywhere, so it had to be wards.
The tent was centred on a huge wooden column; next to it was a round table with a map on it and surrounded by three figures.
They were all decked in enchanted armour, and I recognised the one with the black moustache: High General Masoud. He was the highest rank on this side of the southern frontier. He was also the one who had welcomed my branch when we first came with a captivating speech.
I hit the ground with my feet while throwing a fist against my heart.
I tried to keep a calm facade in front of these high officers.
“Sir!”
“Where have you been, Soldier?” The General spoke, his voice oozing manliness.
“I returned late from the battlefield, Sir! I promise it won’t happen again!”
The General smiled, his lips partially hidden because of his moustache.
“So the Sergeant was right.”
What did that bastard say?!
“Why do you think I called you here, Soldier?”
I answered truthfully as it was indoctrinated into us. Plus, some high-tiered skills could sense lies.
“I don’t know, Sir!”
“While flipping through the reports, your… suicidal acts caught my eye, so I decided to meet you in person and ask this: Why? Why jump into death's embrace when standing next to your comrades should suffice? Is it a sense of heroism, failed suicidal attempts, or craze for battle?”
It wasn’t the first time I had been asked this question, so I answered immediately and without hesitation.
“Since childhood, I have gone with my father to hunt, and from the moment I held the blood-dripping rabbit in my hand as dirt and twigs marred my body… I knew I loved it.
I die for the thrill of combat, Sir! The village no longer satisfies my desires as the biggest game there are wolves. I want a stronger challenge… something that’d remind me of my first hunt!”
The General’s smile widened.
As he slowly approached me, I felt my heart beat shoot through the roof as a crazy thought entered my mind.
Can I beat him?
The High General was probably a tier 4, so with my current skills, there was no chance, but in the future…
The General stood a short distance in front of me, towering above by a head and a half.
Suddenly, the air grew heavy as the man’s smile disappeared.
“Why do you have a status-hiding necklace?”
Oh, no
The man was lightning fast. His hand reached for my necklace and broke it.
I stood still, hoping for the best. Escape wasn’t an option, even I knew that.
The man’s eyes widened as his hand that was holding the necklance trembled.
“…Primal Hunter.”