Creation system

Mitch scrolled through the class prompts displayed before him, his eyes scanning each option with growing anticipation.

The warrior class spoke of strength and endurance, but there was something about the mage class that called to him, a resonance that seemed to vibrate through his very soul. Without hesitation, he made his choice.

You've chosen the mage class.

The system's notification appeared in golden letters that seemed to burn themselves into his vision. Then came the cascade of updates:

New stats are unlocked in the status window!

New spell - Mana ball

New passive – Attuned with mana (+10 mana)

+1 allocable status point

+1 mind

+1 mana storage

Brace yourself!

"Brace yourself? What is it talking..." Mitch's confusion was cut short as an indescribable agony erupted throughout his entire being. "URGHHH!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!!"

He collapsed to his knees, his hands clawing at the cave floor as waves of excruciating pain crashed over him.

This wasn't merely discomfort. It was as if every cell in his body was being torn apart and reconstructed.

His bones felt like they were dissolving and reforming, his muscles twitching and spasming as they were rewritten at a fundamental level.

Blood began to seep from every pore, creating a crimson sheen across his skin. The mana within his body, once a gentle current, now raged like a hurricane, threatening to tear him apart from the inside.

He writhed on the cold stone floor, his vision blurring as consciousness began to slip away. Hours passed in a haze of torment before darkness finally claimed him.

When Mitch's eyes fluttered open, he was astonished to find himself feeling... incredible.

The pain had vanished completely, replaced by a sense of vitality and power that surged through his veins like liquid lightning.

His body was covered in a grotesque layer of black and red substances, the red he recognized as his own blood, but the black material was alien and viscous, clinging to his skin like tar.

[Tier 2 acquired! Your body impurities were forcefully expelled! Your body quality increased!]

"This stinks!" Mitch gasped, the putrid odor of the expelled impurities making his eyes water.

The smell was beyond rancid, a mixture of decay and something far more unpleasant that seemed to assault his senses.

He stumbled toward the small pool of water he'd discovered earlier in the cave, desperate to cleanse himself.

As he scrubbed away the foul residue, he noticed remarkable changes in his body. His skin had become smoother than silk, old scars had vanished without a trace, and even the small imperfections he'd carried since childhood had been erased.

His muscles felt denser, more responsive, and there was an underlying strength that hadn't been there before.

"Status," he commanded, curious to see the extent of his transformation.

The familiar blue window materialized before him:

Name: Mitch (human)

Level: 10 [8 / 3000xp] (tier 2)

Class: Mage

Divine blessing: Creation system ★★★★★★★★★★

Body: 15

Mind: 19

Mana: 250

Mana storage: 11

Mana regeneration: 10

Allocable points: 1

Achievements: Otherworlder ★★★‚ Divine luck ★★★★★★★★

Skills: [Gather], [Inspect], [Create common weapon], [Create element], [Small pocket space], [Mana ball]

Passives: [Apprentice mana manipulation],[Attuned with mana]

Mitch studied the numbers carefully, his enhanced mind processing the information with newfound clarity.

He should have had only 125 mana based on his previous calculations, but his mana storage contributed 110 additional points, and his passives added another 15. The only logical explanation was that achieving tier 2 had doubled his total mana capacity.

Looking back at his progression, he realized that each level-up had been secretly increasing all his stats, even those that weren't visible in his status window.

That explained why he'd been gaining 10 mana per level, his mana storage had been increasing by one point each time, and he'd started with 10 mana regeneration from the very beginning.

"I wonder what other hidden stats are waiting to be discovered," he mused, stepping out of the cave into the dim light of the chamber beyond.

The cavern felt different now, smaller somehow, less intimidating. His enhanced senses picked up details he'd missed before: the subtle variations in the stone walls, the faint currents of air that suggested hidden passages, the lingering traces of mana that permeated the environment.

"Mana ball," he said, extending his palm toward a gnarled tree root that had somehow found purchase in the rocky soil.

The sensation was extraordinary. He could feel the mana responding to his will, gathering in front of his palm like liquid starlight.

The energy coalesced into a perfect sphere, roughly the size of his fist, its surface rippling with contained power. The sphere pulsed with an inner light, and he could sense the chaotic energies swirling within, held in check by his will alone.

With a thought, he released the spell. The mana ball shot forward with incredible speed, crossing the distance to the tree in the blink of an eye. Upon impact, it exploded in a brilliant flash of blue-white light, leaving a perfectly circular hole in the trunk.

"WOW!" The word escaped his lips in a breathless whisper of amazement.

The spell had consumed 50 mana, but the devastation it had wrought was impressive.

The knowledge imparted by the spell suddenly crystallized in his mind, and he now understood how to propel his magical creations.

The secret lay in maintaining a mana link while simultaneously pushing the energy forward, like extending an invisible tether.

Eager to test this new understanding, he activated his create element skill, focusing on fire.

A small flame danced to life in his palm, and he carefully extended a thread of mana through it while pushing it forward.

The fireball sailed through the air in a graceful arc, striking another tree with a satisfying whoosh.

The damage was disappointing, barely a scorch mark on the bark.

He experimented with the other elements, finding that water and air were even less effective, while earth created a small projectile with enough mass to leave a dent.

Each throw cost an additional 10 mana, but the versatility was worth the expense.

With his newfound power coursing through him, Mitch felt ready to tackle larger groups of slimes. But first, he wanted to revisit his weapon creation skill.

With 250 mana at his disposal, surely he could create something more substantial than dust.

"Create common weapon," he said, focusing his mind on the image of a perfectly balanced iron dagger.

The skill activated, drawing every point of mana from his reserves.

For a moment, he felt the familiar sensation of creation beginning, but when the light faded, only a small pile of metallic dust remained floating in the air before him.

He reached out tentatively and touched the particles. They felt dense and cool, definitely iron, but far from a functional weapon.

Disappointed but not discouraged, he settled down to wait for his mana to regenerate.

When his reserves were full again, he activated the skill once more. The new dust combined with the remnants of his previous attempt, creating a slightly larger pile, but still nowhere near enough for a complete weapon.

An idea struck him. He retrieved a straight wooden branch from his pocket space and waited for his mana to regenerate.

This time, when he activated the skill, he focused on creating a wooden dagger.

The result was barely better, a small wooden splinter materialized, but the branch itself remained unchanged. Frustrated, he extended his magical senses toward the iron dust and discovered something interesting: it still contained traces of his mana signature.

Experimenting further, he tried infusing the wooden branch with his mana, coating it in a thin layer of magical energy.

The mana dissipated slowly over time, but it seemed to soak into the wood's fibers, creating a temporary bond.

"Create common weapon!" he commanded, focusing intently on the mana-infused branch.

The transformation was mesmerizing. The wooden branch began to dissolve, its particles lifting into the air and swirling around his palm like a miniature tornado.

Slowly, methodically, the wood reformed itself into the shape of a dagger, its edges sharp and clean despite the humble material.

The process took several minutes, but when it was complete, Mitch held a perfectly crafted wooden dagger in his hands.

"Inspect," he said, examining his creation.

[Tier 1 Wooden dagger - A wooden dagger created through magical means. Despite its humble origins, it possesses a sharp edge uncharacteristic of wooden weapons and demonstrates exceptional mana conductivity.]

"Mana conductivity?" he wondered aloud, running his finger along the blade's edge. It was sharp enough to be dangerous, though not quite capable of cutting skin without significant pressure.

He retrieved another branch and began testing the dagger's cutting ability. The wood carved easily at first, but the blade grew dull with use, a reminder that wood, regardless of magical enhancement, had its limitations.

Curious about the mana conductivity property, he began channeling his energy into the dagger.

The process was surprisingly smooth, far easier than his initial attempts with the raw branch.

He managed to push 100 mana into the weapon before feeling resistance, and the change was immediate and dramatic.

The wooden dagger felt heavier in his hand, more substantial, despite its unchanged appearance.

When he tested it against the branch again, it cut cleanly through the wood without dulling.

The mana dissipated slowly over the next ten minutes, and as it did, the dagger's performance gradually returned to its baseline state.

Inspired by his success, Mitch decided to create a small arsenal. He spent the next few hours crafting a wooden sword, three wooden bats, and several additional knives. Each weapon shared the same remarkable properties, enhanced durability, and effectiveness when infused with mana.

The inspection results were equally encouraging:

[Tier 1 Wooden sword - A wooden sword created through magical means. It possesses a sharp edge uncharacteristic of wooden weapons and demonstrates exceptional mana conductivity.]

[Tier 1 Wooden bat - A wooden bat created through magical means. It possesses unusual weight and density uncharacteristic of wooden weapons, along with exceptional mana conductivity.]

He tested the bat against a tree, first in its normal state, then infused with mana.

The difference was staggering. The normal bat cracked after a few solid hits, but the mana-enhanced version not only remained intact, it gouged deep chunks from the tree's bark with each swing.

He attempted to create a shield, but the skill refused to activate. Apparently, there were limits to what constituted a "weapon" in the system's classification.

Almost as an afterthought, he remembered his divine blessing and opened the creation system's skill window:

Tier 1 skills: Gather (cost 1 point), Inspect (cost 3 points), Small pocket space (30 points), Create common weapon (10 points), Create element (20 points)

Tier 2 skills: Create furniture (6000 points), Create common armor (8000 points), Create uncommon weapon (10000 points), Medium pocket space (10000 points)

Tier 3 skills (locked): Large pocket space (? points) ???????????????????????

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"6000 points for furniture? Are you insane, System?!" he exclaimed, staring at the astronomical costs.

The gather and inspect skills hadn't received upgrades like the pocket space and weapon creation abilities. He wondered what "uncommon weapon" might entail.

Would it simply enhance his wooden weapons' stats, or would it unlock access to superior materials?

With his arsenal complete and his confidence restored, Mitch made his way toward the main chamber, ready to test his newfound power against the slimes that had given him so much trouble before.

The first earth slime he encountered didn't stand a chance. His mana-infused bat connected with crushing force, pulverizing the creature in a single devastating blow.

The poor creature didn't even have time to conjure its signature earth spike before it was reduced to glowing essence.

Mitch stood there, mouth agape, staring at the spot where the slime had been. The transformation was incredible. He was faster, stronger, more powerful than he'd ever imagined possible.

Even the earth slimes, which had been the most challenging opponents, now felt like fragile glass beneath his enhanced strength.

"Mana ball," he said, targeting a cluster of slimes in the distance.

The spell streaked across the chamber like a comet, striking an earth slime dead center.

The creature exploded in a shower of green essence, and the subsequent mana detonation caught two electric slimes in its radius, disintegrating them instantly while severely wounding a nearby nature slime.

"Incredible!" he breathed, watching the display of destruction with fascination and a touch of concern. This level of power was intoxicating.

Over the following days, Mitch systematically eliminated nearly every slime in the chamber, his efficiency and power growing with each encounter.

By the time he'd finished, he'd accumulated a staggering 2500 experience points. The chamber, once teeming with hostile creatures, now felt almost empty.

"This is the last one," he said with casual confidence, approaching a lone electric slime that had been hiding behind a rocky outcropping.

The creature sparked feebly as his bat connected, ending its existence in a flash of dispersing energy. But as the final slime fell, something unexpected happened.

The entire chamber began to shake violently, forcing Mitch to brace himself against the nearest wall. The tremors intensified, and he could hear the groaning of stressed stone echoing through the cavern.

In the exact center of the chamber, a small green array materialized, its intricate patterns glowing with an otherworldly light.

The array pulsed rhythmically, drawing mana from the surrounding atmosphere with audible intensity. Above it, a green orb began to form, starting as a tiny point of light and expanding rapidly.

The orb grew larger and larger, its surface rippling with contained power. Three meters, four meters, five meters, it continued expanding until it towered above him, a massive sphere of translucent green energy.

Within its depths, Mitch could see a core the size of his head floating like a malevolent eye, pulsing with concentrated malice.

Behind him, the chamber entrance sealed itself with a grinding finality that echoed through the cavern like a death knell.

"Fuck!" Mitch breathed, his enhanced confidence evaporating as he realized he was trapped with what could only be described as a boss-level creature.

The real battle was about to begin.