POV Maya Jones

I slip into [Focus], and everything goes too quiet for comfort. My senses go into overdrive, picking up details that make my head pound. Unsettling feelings, like fear, weaken. Yet I hate it, every time I use this skill, it feels like I'm leaving a piece of myself behind.

I notice the monster's left leg twitch and I dart to the left, quick and instinctive. The monster mirrors me, springing my way with its left leg as the launch pad.

The world around me dulls down, and all sounds not needed for my focus just quiet down.

I'm face-to-face with the monster now. Its ugly mug is all snarls and drool, revealing jagged teeth. I can hear its harsh breaths, and then its blood spills as I drive my spear into it.

My [Armament] flickers around my chest, but I just [Focus] more to keep it up.

[Focus - lvl 6 > Focus - lvl 7]

I lash out with my spear again as the monster's claw scrapes against my armor, and it finally drops.

[You have defeated a goblin - lvl 22]

When I check my notifications and see a level up for [Focus], my mood sours. I don't want to level up this skill anymore. Unlike some of my other skills, it's extremely difficult to level up, and I dislike it despite its usefulness. It's scary.

I let out a breath as I exit [Focus] and survey the area. We're nearly done here. A mana signal from one of our leaders reads "Get back" and I start back towards our camp.

Halfway there, Tess joins me, greeting me with a small smile which I return.

"You look off, something happen?" she asks.

I sigh. Damn, she's good at reading people. Been that way since we hit this floor. She's got a knack for it, not unlike Nathaniel. But she's different, she doesn't mind getting up close and personal after reading them.

"This goddamn skill creeps me out."

"Oh, the [Focus]?"

"What else? Why the hell did I even get it?"

"Don't you like our theory that everyone got two starting skills that fit them best? One rare skill and one a bit more common and easier to level? I still think your skill suits you."

The young blonde nimbly jumps over a log in her way and lands so softly that I suspect she used her skill to soften the impact.

Great, now I'm being comforted by someone six years younger.

"Forget about it, Tess. I'll deal with it on my own."

"Sure! You can ask me for help if you feel like it," she smiles. "I'll at least listen to you if not anything else."

She's so different from how she was at the end of the first floor, so different from when she was around Nathaniel. Tess is friendly, smiling, and helpful. It's unnerving.

Nathaniel, at least, didn't pretend. He just continued to walk around with his emotionless face, avoiding people as much as he could while carefully watching everything with eyes that made you feel like an interesting animal he was observing.

But Tess? She's like a cat toying with a mouse. She can act, pretend, smile, and charm with her innocent face. Like a chameleon, she adapts her behavior to survive different situations.

With Nathaniel, she mirrored his demeanor, handling annoying people on his behalf while showing them a different side. Now, she does the same with me.

And I can't help but be drawn in by her flawless performance, how easy it would be to forget. Swiftly and without hesitation, she changes her expressions and behavior to gain the upper hand.

She plays her part so well that I don't even know who the real Tess is.

Is she the cheerful, innocent girl beside me, or the formidable young woman who never left Nathaniel's side?

She's scary.

A week passed, and I finally did it! An arm made out of translucent light blue mana is attached to my body, but damn, it's difficult to move it. I even have to use a large part of my [Focus] to maneuver it and use it to grab stuff.

All while Biscuit looks at me with his cheeky eyes.

(Lazy) I hear.

"No food for you."

For a moment, he stops breathing, and even his tongue seems to be stuck out. He seems lost, and his usually cheeky face changes.

Yeah, what are you going to do now, you little twerp?

He just turns around and runs away, towards the place where Ruby is staying. From his shoulders, two tentacles made out of mana reach out and immediately turn into human arms, even the fingers move nimbly, all as if he is making fun of me.

Then he adds two more arms and uses them all to move faster.

God damn it.

You will pay for this, Biscuit!

Anyway, enough about future archmages. My [Mana Manipulation] has improved a lot.

Active skills:Focus (Dual Focus) - Lvl 16Mana Manipulation (Advanced Mana Manipulation) - Lvl 18Mana Perception - Lvl 15Oscillation - Lvl 11Kinetic Redistribution - Lvl 11Armament - Lvl 12Mana Surge - Lvl 7Disruption - Lvl 7

Right now, I can only laugh at my past self who thought creating an arm made out of mana would be easy.

Such a dumbass. I want to hit him.

I detect a presence with my [Mana Perception], and immediately an orb made out of mana forms near me. It starts growing until it's as big as my fist, then begins to orbit around me. It spins faster and faster until it lets out a whistling noise as it cuts through the air, circling around me at a dizzying speed.

I check the mana signature and sling it in that direction.

The mana orb has a firm texture and is a darker shade of blue than before. As it's released from my orbit, it flies terrifyingly fast, traversing a distance well over several football fields long.

Then I get the notification.

[You have defeated a Razorwing - lvl 56]

[Lvl 44 > Lvl 45]

As many times before, it almost feels like cheating. The birds don't have too much defense, so my projectile practically obliterates them, flying at them too fast for them to react. At the start, they were able to react, but then I took some inspiration from the sniper who tried to kill me.

I made the projectiles as dense as possible and tried to reduce their mana signature as well. Throwing them just by boosting them with mana doesn't make them travel that fast, but after orbiting them around myself a bit and then slinging?

So much faster.

I like it even though the preparation takes longer.

I detect another three presences, and this time they're flying right towards me after a detection washes over me.

Oh, it's these guys.

Five orbs made out of mana appear around me and start emitting a humming noise as I begin spinning them around my body.

The first monster dies before it can try to dodge.

[You have defeated an Ironbeak - lvl 53]

The second one dodges my orb and charges at me. The bird, larger than me with a massive beak that's glowing and covered in mana, hurls some mental skill at me, trying to stun me. But I [Focus] more and push against its mana.

I absorb the kinetic energy of one of the orbs orbiting around me and use it to propel myself away. The orb, now devoid of kinetic energy, hovers in the air, and as the monster reaches the spot where I was, it expands. Tens of thin threads made out of mana reach out towards the monster and entangle it, causing it to halt. Immediately they start tearing even without the monster using much force.

Before it has a chance to break free, another orb flies in and explodes its head.

[You have defeated an Ironbeak - lvl 52]

The last one just flies in the air and caws at me, so I make my projectiles spin around me even faster. The two remaining projectiles start emitting a whistling noise as they tear through the air, and I boost them with [Mana Surge], immediately making them smaller and denser, and release one at the monster.

It barely dodges it, but while doing so, I absorb kinetic energy and propel myself high in the air, right towards the monster.

Is it reckless? Yep.

Is it fun? Totally.

I reach it in a split second and slap the poor monster, probably making me the first human to ever do that.

The consciousness disappears from its eyes, and I grab its neck with my arm made of mana, and both of us fall down. Before we hit the ground, I absorb the kinetic energy of both of our bodies, and we slowly land. The excess energy explodes into the surroundings.

"That was so freaking fabulous," I immediately hear from Ruby, even before I can congratulate myself, "Another one for your testing?"

"Yes. Lately, they barely show up, so I'm glad I was able to get this one."

I pull the bird behind me while boosting my body with a bit of mana.

"Yo, did you do something to make Biscuit come and complain to me?"

Who? Me? No way!

"Don't look at me like that, Nat, he's only copying your behavior and learning from you," the redheaded woman just sighs.

"Anyway, Master is here, and she wants to talk to you."