36. Skill Reflection 2

Increasing maximum mana capacity—and maximum stamina capacity—had become routine for Shiro.

"Still can't get used to the pain... Maybe draining mana entirely would be better?"

Enduring the agony day after day, Shiro's confidence slowly eroded.

"Shiro, this method is far more efficient. It doubles as training in mana control, and you can do it! Keep going!"

Mitoka always cheered with a smile, and just seeing that smile was enough to steel Shiro’s resolve.

Incidentally, the only way to increase stamina capacity was through depletion and recovery. So all he had to do was activate stamina defense daily and keep using it until it ran dry—slightly less painful than mana training.

"Actually," Shiro mused mid-training in stamina weave, "maybe I should learn the mana weave skill too?"

"Ah, yes," Mitoka replied, "I'd forgotten. It's essential as part of defensive magic."

Mana weave was a spell that wrapped raw mana around the entire body, used for defense or enhancement.

Where stamina weave strengthened from within, boosting physical ability, mana weave was like a powered suit—supporting from outside. Beyond defense, it could also provide powerful muscle augmentation.

After asking Mitoka for the method, Shiro immediately set to practice.

First, he’d wrap mana around himself and start smashing rocks at random—just destroy things for about an hour, aimlessly smashing...

Then, he’d have Mitoka attack him while imagining deflecting with the weave. Just take the hits. Do it for about an hour. After that,

——『【Magic Aura】Level 1 acquired』

And so, he’d successfully obtained it.

“Good. Now I’ll practice keeping the Magic Aura active at all times. I’ll need to learn how to adjust its strength too,” Shiro said, energized.

Next up, he thought, would be binding magic. So far, he’d been hunting only for training and leveling up, but given that he’d come here for investigation, he’d likely need to capture targets alive—checking their information, that kind of thing.

“What’s the most reliable method for binding, though?”

He asked himself.

“Standard options are light-based binding spells, or paralyzing them with lightning strikes?” he asked Mitoka.

“Lightning Needle, no—Lightning Shock, a shock-based attack magic. It looks like a bolt of light piercing through, but deals almost no damage. Still, it’ll paralyze the target right where they stand.”

“Huh. That sounds promising.”

“Then there’s wall or shield-based containment. Physically, use Stone Wall or Glass Wall. Magically, enclose them with a shield.”

“Yeah. But then—what happens after you’ve enclosed them?”

“It depends on what you want to do. Fire a spell inside. Set up a secondary barrier inside, then release gas or vacuum. Heat up the interior… you get the idea.”

“…That sounds kinda brutal.”

“Indeed. So, it’s all about adapting on the fly, depending on your goal.”

Ah, right, Shiro thought, filing that away for later.

“Shiro, by the way, wind magic can also be used for striking attacks—like Air Balls, where you adjust the power on the fly. Since it’s air, it’s easier to modulate the force so it doesn’t go fatal. Might come in handy, depending on the situation. Pretty low-risk method, really.”

Mitoka added, offering that extra suggestion with a considerate (if slightly ironic) tone.

＝＝Status Check＝＝

Shiro, Human (?) Male, 17

Level: 231

Class: SA

Vitality: 62,913 / 62,913

Mana: 311 / 800

Stamina: 941 / 1,800

Physical Attack: 20,069

Physical Defense: 12,215

Magic Attack: 15,606

Magic Defense: 8,288

Dexterity: 19,639

Agility: 26,633

Luck: 100

Status: Super Healthy

Attribute: None

Title: [Disciple of the Goddess Firumia]

Plugin: [Basic Magic Spirit]

Unique Skills: [Idea] Level 1, [Mitoka] Level 2, [Instant Death Resistance] MAX Level

Skill: 【Magic】 Level 3, 【Magic Perception】 Level 3, 【Magic Manipulation】 Level 3, 【Hyper Memory】 Level 4, 【Concept Language】, 【Materialization】 Level 2, 【Scouting】 Level 1, 【Identification】 Level 1, 【Inventory】 Level 1, 【Invisibility】 MAX Level, 【Stealth】 MAX Level, 【Magic Control】 Level 1, 【Earth Magic】 Level 3, 【Water Magic】 Level 3, 【Ice Magic】 Level 3, 【Wind Magic】 Level 3, 【Fire Magic】 Level 3, 【Thunder Magic】 Level 3, 【Barrier】 Level 1, 【Intuition】 Level 1, 【Premonition】 Level 1, 【3D Mobility】 Level 1, 【Alchemy】 Level 1, 【Formation】 Level 1, 【Precision Magic Operation】 Level 1, 【Manifestation】 Level 1, 【Heating】 Level 1, 【Qi Skill】 Level 1, 【Spirit Perception】 Level 1, 【Spirit Manipulation】 Level 1, 【Body Enhancement】 Level 1, 【Body Control】 Level 1, 【Combat Arts】 Level 1, 【Spirit Aura】 Level 1, 【Swordsmanship】 Level 1, 【Polearm】 Level 1, 【Staff】 Level 1, 【Barrier Sphere】 Level 1, 【Psychokinesis】 Level 1, 【Spirit Defense】 Level 1, 【Concentration】 Level 1, 【Meditation】 Level 1, 【Spirit Bolt】 Level 1, 【Precision Surface Manifestation】 Level 1, 【Multiple Activation】 Level 1, 【Target】, 【Memory Enhancement】 Level 1, 【Photographic Memory】 Level 1, 【Light Magic】 Level 3, 【Lock On】, 【Pain Relief】 Level 1, 【Analysis】 Level 1, 【Diagnosis】 Level 1, 【Heal】 Level 1, 【Cure】 Level 1, 【Magic Aura】 Level 1, 【Stone Wall】 Level 1, 【Glass Wall】 Level 1

If you found this interesting, please consider rating and bookmarking it—it really helps!