Weapons of Mass Destruction

Also, soon I might be able to upgrade one of my skills after finishing one of the side quests:

Focus (Dual Focus) - Lvl 13

Mana Manipulation - Lvl 14

Mana Perception - Lvl 12

Oscillation - Lvl 9

Kinetic Redistribution - Lvl 9

Armament - Lvl 8

Mana Surge - Lvl 4

Disruption - Lvl 4

Three skills are close to level 10. Sure, there will most likely be some bottleneck, but I can do it. But which one should I upgrade after that?

The skill Iʼm considering upgrading the most is [Mana Manipulation], but if I get some enticing options for [Mana Perception], I might change it up. Lately, I rely on it a lot to learn new skills by watching other peopleʼs usage of mana, so even if it hurts me in my current situation, it might be a good option.

Heck, even [Kinetic Redistribution] could get amazing options for an upgrade.

Darn, it already makes my head hurt. Iʼll get what, 20 options to pick from? Nice.

”Nathaniel?” I hear.

Oh, darn it, not again. Lately, itʼs easy for me to get lost in my thoughts even as I keep running Perception to check for danger.

”Sorry, Iʼm coming.”

I quickly rejoin the group. This time, I am careful to stay with the group and train my [Kinetic Redistribution]

for fun.
Iʼve found a new way to practice it. I try to absorb energy from a single raindrop out of the hundreds of them that are around me.

I donʼt even have to explain how crazily difficult that is.

A few minutes later, one of our group members dies.

His head explodes as a mana arrow hits it, also evaporating half of his chest due to the speed of the projectile. The remaining half of the body falls, and panic sets in.

No one felt anything, not even our scouts, who are most likely well over 50, and their area of Perception is much bigger than mine.

The arrow just came flying so fast and from so far away that they were unable to sense it forming.

We continue to look around, with a few stronger and faster members rushing towards the direction the arrow came from, but even they come back empty-handed.

”I say we get out of here and go back!” one of the men screams, a tall bald man.

”Thereʼs no need to be so rash. We made a mistake, and we know how to counter it now. Eamon can create a web of mana far around us with his gift. It can slightly change the direction of a projectile if it enters his area,” says the leader of our group, looking around. Heʼs a skilled hunter seemingly around Hadwinʼs age.

”Simon and Ivar will continue to run their [Detection] at full power, and we will have our vanguards nearby so they can block any attacks.”

His voice is calming, and even I almost start believing him.

”We know what weʼre up against now, and we will be ready.”

It sounds so easy.

Maybe it wasnʼt such a good idea to join this expedition.

A few hours later, and after a few fights with a normal weredeer, the leader dies.

This time itʼs not a ranged attack; itʼs something much more amazing.

An idle mana projectile was hovering in the air in the crown of a tree.

No one was able to sense it; thatʼs how firm it was and how little mana leakage the projectile had.

We were only able to detect it as we passed under it.

Someone crossed a hair-thin thread of mana, which triggered the mana arrow, sending some impulse, and then, as if it were a homing missile, it flew right at the leader.

The vanguard didnʼt even have enough time to try to stop it.

The mana around the leader flared up, and in front of him, a barrier made of mana appeared at incredible speed, followed by another and another. The man was amazing, able to create a five-layered barrier in a split second.

Yet the projectile tore through them all of them.

Half of the manʼs chest disappeared in an explosion of innards, blood, and bones.

He died instantly.

Thatʼs when I decided it was time to leave, and I wasnʼt alone.

We immediately started moving back the way we came, but what awaited us made it all seem hopeless.

Dozens, probably well over fifty weredeer, were blocking our way back, with more of them around us. Even I could feel their mana.

So we just stood there in the rain, which continued to strengthen, and in the strong wind that kept hitting our bodies.

Threatened by mana projectiles and surrounded by monsters that we could hear roaring even through the wind, rain, and thunderstorm.