Chapter 40: The Power Unleashed and the Path Forward
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As Gabriel walked away, leaving behind the chaos he had unwittingly caused, the remaining students stood in stunned silence. They were in disbelief, unable to comprehend what had just transpired. How could Gabriel leave as if nothing had happened? Their confusion deepened as they processed the scene: Dave and the others lying unconscious, felled by a force they never even saw coming.
The moment Gabriel's shadow faded from view, the students glanced nervously at Dave and the others who had been near him. In an instant, Gabriel had defeated Dave without even engaging in a physical battle, leaving the onlookers who had anticipated an exciting showdown dumbfounded. Dave, along with several other students who had been nearby, lay on the ground, having passed out without so much as lifting a finger in response.
The silence that followed was deafening, as if the very air had been sucked out of the room. It was broken only by a commanding voice that jolted everyone into action.
"Why are you all just standing around? Get everyone who passed out to the infirmary! Now!" The urgency in the voice snapped the students out of their daze.
With the command ringing in their ears, the students quickly set to work, lifting the unconscious bodies one by one and carrying them to safety. The eerie calm of the aftermath hung over them like a fog, thick and disorienting.
"Damn it! What happened here?" a student shouted, suddenly flying towards the spot where Dave and the others lay.
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Meanwhile, as Gabriel made his way home, his thoughts were elsewhere. He was busy fiddling with his status window, his mind racing with possibilities. The moment he had unleashed a fraction of the anime-inspired ability, a notification had appeared, surprising him.
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[Congratulations on creating your skill!]
[Name: Unknown]
[Type: Mental]
[Grade: White]
[Description: A unique skill that allows the user to control others by infusing their own mana into their willpower. This ability is so potent that it can render weaker targets unconscious almost instantly, merely through its presence. However, stronger opponents may resist its basic effects and might require a greater infusion of mana to be influenced.]
Area of Effect: 20-meter radius from the caster
Mana Cost: 1000
Cooldown: 1 second]
[When a person creates a skill, it has the potential to become something truly great. As the creator hones their abilities and gains a deeper understanding of their craft, the skill will continue to evolve and improve, eventually reaching its full potential.]
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"Wow, I did it! This is incredible," Gabriel thought, a grin spreading across his face.
"Even though I know I still have a long way to go to be like him, this small step is exhilarating. It motivates me to keep pushing forward!"
A rush of excitement coursed through him—he had just successfully replicated a skill he had seen in his favorite anime. But his mind quickly expanded to the possibilities. What if he could reproduce other skills from different anime shows he had watched? The thought made his heart race even faster. The possibilities seemed endless. Could he really do it? He started to imagine all the things he could achieve.
However, after a few seconds, he caught himself before his imagination ran too wild.
Returning to the task at hand, he glanced at the notification still hovering in front of him.
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[Prompt! Provide a name for the skill created]
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"Should I just copy the name from the anime?" Gabriel pondered. "This skill is based on that anime, but instead of using Haki, I used mana."
He thought for a moment, and after a few seconds, he typed in the name of the skill.
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"Conqueror's Haki"
[Prompt! Do you want to set "Conqueror's Haki" as the skill name? Y/N?]
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After clicking "Yes," the name of the skill changed, and it immediately appeared in his skill tab under the self-created skills category.
Once satisfied, Gabriel turned his attention to the shield that Principal Dalhmer had given him earlier.
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[Can be mutated, use 10,000 Harmony Essence: Y/N?]
[Can be upgraded, use 100,000 Harmony Essence: Y/N?]
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"Huh? Two options?" Gabriel asked himself, intrigued. He pressed the notification to get more information.
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[Mutate: Convert the equipment into a different but higher-grade item, instead of merely increasing its grade while keeping the original equipment. Note: When mutated, the set/existing item will change into a different piece of equipment of the same type. Cost: 10,000 Harmony Essence points]
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He also clicked on the other notification for more details.
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[Upgrade: Increase the equipment's grade without changing it into a different item. Cost: 100,000 Harmony Essence points]
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After contemplating for a while, Gabriel carefully weighed his options. The equipment's description mentioned that he could unlock the first rune by sacrificing ten Iron rank shields, which would automatically trigger the shield's evolution once the criteria were met. He wondered whether upgrading it with Harmony Essence would affect the requirement for unlocking the rune.
Gabriel was especially concerned about upgrading the shield to the green rank. If he did so, would the requirement for unlocking the first rune remain the same? If he successfully unlocked the first rune, would the shield then upgrade to the blue rank? If that were the case, he might not be able to wield the shield immediately unless he reached level 20.
As Gabriel approached his house, he noticed that the car that had been blocking his parking lot yesterday was gone. But he was too preoccupied with his thoughts to care. "Damn! It's so hard to choose," he muttered, lost in contemplation as he entered the gate of his house.
Finally, after much thought, Gabriel made his decision. As he stood in front of the door, his hand poised on the handle, he resolved to test the upgrade later. With his mind made up, he wrapped his fingers around the cool metal and turned it, hearing the satisfying click as the latch disengaged. The door swung open, revealing the familiar warmth of his home.
...
As soon as he stepped inside, Gabriel immediately noticed his parents bustling around the kitchen, preparing dinner.
However, his uncle was conspicuously absent.
Gabriel walked into the dining room and called out to his parents. "Is Uncle Jonathan still here? Or did he leave already?" he asked, his voice tinged with worry. Knowing his uncle's unpredictable schedule, he was anxious to find out if he had missed him.
"You're home already?" Harold said, turning to face his son. "Your uncle left for his mission earlier this morning, but he wanted you to know that he'll be back once his work is done. So don't worry too much."
Despite his father's reassurances, Gabriel couldn't shake his concern. He knew how serious his uncle's mission was. If it had been a simple task, his uncle wouldn't have taken the time to come home and inform the family—he would have just gone and done it.
However, yesterday, his uncle had done the opposite, coming home specifically to inform Gabriel's father about the mission.
As Harold finished setting the table for dinner, he noticed his son's worried expression. He called out to him with a curious tone and asked, "Gabriel, how did your assessment go today? I hope everything went well."
Hearing his father's question, Gabriel snapped out of his thoughts, his worried expression softening as he looked at his father.
Knowing his father's habitual technique of diverting one conversation to another, Gabriel confidently replied, "It went pretty well. Although some parts were challenging, I gave it my all, and I'm proud to say that I secured the top spot." He couldn't resist teasing his father with a playful smile.
Noticing the mischievous glint in his son's eyes, Harold smiled back. They shared a moment of silent understanding, and Harold patted Gabriel on the back, expressing his pride in his son's achievements.
Helena, who had been watching the playful exchange between her husband and son, smiled sweetly. But she quickly interrupted their banter, reminding them to start eating their meal before it got cold.
As they sat down to eat, Helena turned to Gabriel with a curious expression. She wanted to know what his future plans were now that he had graduated. With a gentle tone, she asked if he had given any thought to joining a guild or perhaps becoming a member of Orion's society.
Gabriel paused for a moment before responding, "Right now, Mom, my priority is to level up in my class. My plan is to enter the mysterious realm tomorrow and farm until I reach level 15, which will enable me to advance my class."
Hearing her son's words, Helena let out a sigh of relief. As long as Gabriel didn't head to the frontline immediately, she would support whatever path he chose. Though she admired front-liners who fought for humanity's sake, she didn't want Gabriel to join the fray just yet; he was still too young. She knew it might sound selfish, but she couldn't bear the thought of him risking his life so soon, even if it was for humanity's sake.
With the conversation concluded, they focused on enjoying their meal.
...
After dinner, Gabriel completed his household chores, including washing the dishes. Once finished, he returned to his room and resumed the task he had postponed earlier in the day.
Retrieving the shield from his magic bag, Gabriel inspected it carefully, ensuring it was still in pristine condition. After deliberating for a moment, he decided to spend 100,000 Harmony Essence points to upgrade the Crimson Shield's rank.
He chose not to mutate the shield, preferring to retain its original form.
As he activated the upgrade, the shield was enveloped in a mystical aura, radiating a combination of white and dark light that seemed to penetrate every inch of the equipment in the room. After a few minutes, the light gradually faded, revealing the shield in all its upgraded glory. The intricate details of its design were now more pronounced, every curve and line etched into its surface with meticulous precision. It was a sight to behold, leaving a lasting impression on anyone who witnessed it.
Gabriel then checked the status of the upgraded shield.
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[Name: Crimson Shield]
[Type: Shield]
[Defense: 80]
[Grade: Green]
[Description: A magnificent shield that protects its wielder. Vague runes are etched into this shield, providing an additional layer of protective grace. With so much time passed, this shield gradually regressed, locking out most of its abilities. In order to use the rune again, the wielder must offer certain items as a sacrifice to this shield. Doing so will automatically unlock this shield's evolution.
Additional Attributes:
+100 VIT
+60 Defense
+10% HP
Special Effect: +25% Damage Reduction
First Rune: 0/10, Green Rank Shield
Durability: 300/300]
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As Gabriel's eyes scanned the new information, his heart began to race. He felt as if he had just been struck by a bolt of lightning—the enormity of the information provided by the upgraded equipment left him stunned.
His heartbeat quickened as he realized the potential power now in his possession. The possibilities seemed endless, and the journey ahead suddenly seemed even more thrilling.