Mind World

Three hours had passed since the massacre. Jenny, Cynthia, and a small group had managed to fend off the remaining gang members who had not been there at that moment.

They also had to clean up the blood and bodies before the smell became unbearable.

Alexa had been cleaned up, and with Jon's silent yet obvious care for her, even the temporary leaders that had been formed kept their distance. No one dared approach her now.

People frequently glanced toward the door Jon had disappeared through, murmuring and wondering what would happen next. The main enemies were gone, and Joe had bled to death. His death was a horrible one, a huge karma, he had to carry.

...

During those three hours, Jon had cleaned himself up and spent an hour in silence, mourning his lost friend. But if there was a strange thing about his mourning, it was that his facial expression didn't change.

He didn't feel as he was meant to feel, he wanted to be sad, more angry, however his trait numbed everything. He could only say he lost someone, he couldn't express it with his feelings.

After the 'mourning' and with nothing else to do, he picked up the book he'd found earlier from an orb—'Blacksmithing for Dummies' by Mervil. Opening it, he read the first page:

"If you're reading this, first I'll say: blacksmithing is NOT for everyone, so don't force yourself down a path that isn't yours.

Secondly, I'll say this, blacksmithing is not just about creating or building—it is all about the mind."

This immediately caught Jon's attention. He already had a skill that related to the mind, so maybe this would be easier for him. The book continued:

"If you have a skill related to the mind, then it just got 10% easier for you. Thirdly, you should already know the rankings of the items one can craft: unranked, black, bronze, silver… Well, I'll stop at silver, and if you ever reach that level, well, good luck." Jon found the introduction short but, intriguing. The book was in such a way that, even if someone who didn't have a mind skill read it. They would be so curious about the next page, and he flipped it,

The book went on to describe blacksmithing—as the act of creating something from nothing. Blacksmiths, it explained, were named for their work with forges, but crafters for works done with their hands. And a text emphasized two things necessary for all beginners: imagination and skilled hands.

After reading for an hour, Jon felt eager to try what he'd learned. The book described the concept of a "Mind World"—a mental space where crafters could store their ideas and create blueprints for their work. It was basically the foundation of any blacksmith or crafter.

Forming this world required extreme mental focus, and he had the perfect skill for it, his let his 'Composure' trait to calm himself and then closed his eyes.

Since he was sitting, he rested his hands on his lap, and focused on connecting with the moon. Immediately, he felt the connection weaken though, he realized the problem, It was day.

He was beginning to understand that, 'Moon' was more like a night time skill. So when he unlocked the sun series, he'd dominate both day and night. For now, the weak connection to the moon would have to suffice.

One had to ask, how do you form a mind world? And the answer was you have to will it. Anything that had to do with the mind had to be willed. Maybe he didn't know yet, but when he stopped the movements of monsters, he subconsciously willed it.

So with intense focus, he formed a connection with 'Moon' and willed his Mind World into existence. It didn't take time and he found a response,

Suddenly, he found himself standing in a vast, fog-filled space. His body felt ethereal, his form barely there.

"This is it?" he said excitedly, he was amazed at how quickly he'd managed to create this place. But before he could fully appreciate the moment, the ground shook beneath him, sending pain searing through his mind.

"What was that?" he muttered, holding his head in his hands. As the pain subsided, the fog around him cleared slightly, allowing him to see a small area—about ten meters in every direction. The floor and sky were still white, but at least now he could see them. He tried to move but found his body unresponsive.

Realizing that, like everything in this space, movement had to be willed, he commanded himself forward. And it worked, it was surprising as to how it worked.

And after a few hesitant steps, he hit an invisible barrier. He suddenly found himself unable to move beyond the ten-meter radius. Still, Jon smiled. The book stated, most people failed to form a Mind World on their first attempt, but he had done it in his first.

Now came the fun part. Jon willed the space to store everything he knew—skills, memories, and ideas. Then, like magic, the white void began to fill with floating orbs of varying colors.

Each represented a piece of his knowledge: a light blue orb flickering with shades of white was clearly his moon skill; another orb, surrounded by complex arrays, represented his Instant Calculation ability.

Even his memories, long forgotten, floated here. This 'Mind world's worked in a way that he could relive any moment of his life.

However, he chose not to—especially the memories involving his parents. He wasn't ready for that yet.

Satisfied, Jon placed his memories at the top of his mental storage and kept his skills within reach. "I should read more," he thought, eager to explore further. Then, with a simple command, he left the Mind World.

Back in the real world, as his eyes fluttered open, a series of notifications greeted him:

[YOU HAVE OBTAINED THE 'MIND WORLD']

[YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF SKILL 'MOON' HAS INCREASED]

[YOUR LEVEL IS TOO LOW TO INCREASE LEVEL OF SKILL 'MOON']

[YOUR ***** LEVEL HAS INCREASED]

[YOU HAVE RAISED YOUR FOUNDATION]

"My what—?" Jon began, but was interrupted by the presence of two figures: Jenny and Cynthia. They had come to check on him after three hours of cleaning up.

He had spent what felt like only minutes in the Mind World, unaware that time had passed differently. When they saw him, Jenny and Cynthia both looked relieved yet cautious, as if unsure of how he would react.

"H-Hey, how are you feeling?" Jenny asked, her voice thick with concern.

It was when she asked that everything that had happened came back to him. "Well… I feel betrayed and lost." His expression darkened as the memory of Alex's death hit him again. But just as quickly, his trait took over, calming him. "So, what's up?"

Cynthia, more composed, spoke next. "We're trying to decide what to do after the storm outside passes."

Jon furrowed his brow. "I thought you already had a plan. Why do you need me for that?"

The two women exchanged glances, then looked back at him, dumbfounded. After what he'd done, there was only one possible outcome.

"After showing that kind of strength, it seems you're the new leader."