A Double-Edged Sword

The message from the system was quite surprising for Vyn.

Up until now, each time he acquired a new skill, the system had always taken the initiative to name the skill itself. It never asked for his permission or cared about the original name of the skill.

The system seemed to enjoy having full control.

Vyn had so many questions about this. He had wanted to bring the matter up before but ultimately gave up. He thought the reason might be because of the nature of the Boundless Light, which kind of mutated the nature and power of each skill he learned.

It made sense in a strange way. But now, what was this? Why was the system being considerate all of a sudden?

He couldn't help but stare at the system screen with suspicion.

From all he knew about the system, it had a very shitty and unpredictable personality. Giving him the opportunity to name the skill would definitely come with some catch. It was like a sneaky trick, and he knew better than to trust it completely.

With that, he clicked on the system pop-up, and the screen immediately changed to display the skill information.

[Skill Name: Revolves and compresses your spiritual energy to an extreme level, producing a bursting output of boundless light with a critical intensity and power that is five times your attack power. There is a very high chance of facing spiritual energy rebound or backlash.]

[This skill consumes over seventy percent of available spiritual energy. It has a very high fatality rate due to its toll on the user's body.]

[System advises host not to use this skill unless in dire situations.]

Vyn looked at the skill information, quite shocked and amazed. He had been in the training room of the skill library, intending to test his limits. After increasing the training difficulty to the extreme, he faced a formidable barrier that didn't even budge from his earlier attacks.

This situation pushed him to try something desperate.

In the process of gathering all his strength and squeezing his spiritual energy, he had actually created a powerful skill. This skill was so strong that even the training room, adorned with several protective runes, couldn't handle it.

No, this wasn't even a mere skill. It was more like a destructive force! This wasn't something he could use casually.

As a ranker and adventurer in Ravencrest, Vyn had experienced a fair share of things in the past two years he had been there. He had seen several battles, and there was one thing in common which people viewed as a necessity.

'A trump card!'

This was something that could make the difference between life and death in dire situations. It was something that could enable a person to wield or produce power far above their usual ability. It was a last resort, a hidden ace.

This new skill he had created by mistake was definitely a trump card, and not just an ordinary one. It was extraordinary. In fact, Vyn didn't even know how to describe it.

It was like holding a wild, uncontrollable force in his hands. The power was immense, but the danger was equally great. Never before had anyone seen an innate ability that could enable someone to produce five times their attack power.

If it was an artifact, Vyn would have understood. Artifacts with powerful enhancements were common in his world. But this was a skill, an ability that came from within! This meant there was room for growth, which was the most terrifying aspect.

Just imagine as he got stronger and his spiritual energy and attack power increased, wouldn't the power of this skill increase as well since its strength was relative to his attack power?

This meant it would get more powerful endlessly as long as he continued to grow in strength. It was like an infinite loop of power-ups. What sort of cheat-like ability was this?

But of course, nothing good came without a price. The toll and backlash of the skill were just too much. Using it would mean a gamble with death, with a fifty-fifty chance of survival. It was like a skill that came from the pit of hell, and it felt like making a deal with the devil each time he used it.

He could still remember the state of his hand before he passed out. He could vividly see it disintegrating into pieces because it couldn't contain the sheer power of the attack.

The memory was etched in his mind, a horrifying reminder of the cost of using such power. It was really a miracle that he survived. And now that he thought about it, how had his hand, which disintegrated, healed back?

Vyn couldn't help but ponder the situation. Was it the work of the new healing skill, Radiant Recovery? This was his only logical conclusion. Could the skill perform to the extent of recovering his disintegrated arm? Was it that impressive? The thought seemed almost too good to be true.

Moreover, if it was indeed the work of Radiant Recovery, it meant the system must have activated it automatically or something because he passed out from exhaustion as soon as he unleashed the attack. This raised even more questions in his mind. The system was more mysterious and powerful than he had imagined.

A system popup appeared, interrupting his thoughts.

[What would you name this skill?]

The system urged Vyn to give the skill a name. Vyn was quite hesitant because it was strange that the system was giving him an opportunity to name the skill. Naming it felt like claiming ownership over this terrifying power.

As if reading his mind, the system responded.

[Host has the authority to name skills he solely created. Already established skills cannot be named by the host. The system will automatically generate a suitable name depending on the nature of such skills.]

Vyn found all his doubts cleared by this answer, but he couldn't shake off the feeling of having his mind read. It was an uncomfortable sensation, like he was a book laid open for the system to read every single page.

He felt exposed, as if all his thoughts were being examined and judged.

Shifting his focus, he quickly pondered what sort of name he would give this new skill. This skill, with its high intensity and immense potential, deserved a name that matched its power.

Vyn didn't want to give it a mediocre name. He wanted something that would be well-known and revered in the future. He was certain that he would soon be ascending to greater heights, and this skill would play a crucial role in his rise.

From what he could remember, right before the attack struck the barrier in the training room of the skill library, it had transformed into something incredible. It became like the maw of a giant beast, ready to devour everything in its path. It was as if it could swallow the very heavens themselves!

Vyn racked his brain intensely, thinking about all the characteristics of the attack as he had witnessed it in the training room. He wanted a name that captured its essence perfectly.

"Lightfang Annihilation!"

The idea struck him like a hammer. Vyn thought the name was grand and fitting for such a powerful skill. He couldn't think of anything better.

[Skill name updated.]

[Lightfang Annihilation (Unique): Revolves and compresses your spiritual energy to an extreme level, producing a bursting output of boundless light with a critical intensity and power that is five times your attack power. There is a very high chance of facing spiritual energy rebound or backlash.]

The system notified him of the update.

Seeing the display on the system window with the skill name and information, Vyn couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. This was a skill he created, his very own.

The signs in the skies were clear, things seemed to be setting up well for him. If he still couldn't make it to the top at this point, it would mean his existence was nothing but an utter joke.

For now, he had no intention of using the skill anytime soon. At least, not until he could reduce the backlash significantly. The only way he could possibly reduce the backlash of this skill was by increasing his physical ability and vitality stats. That way, he could enhance the chances of his body withstanding the toll of the skill.

It wasn't wise to gamble with death since he wasn't some main character in a fantasy novel, protected by tons of plot armor.

Vyn knew he had to be careful and strategic in his approach. The path to greatness required not just power, but also wisdom and caution.