Gerhard thought about the fight just now and what went wrong. A lot of things went wrong, a lot of things. Most of all, Gerhard could have used [Energy Drain] during the fight. But he didn't. Why is that?
The answer is rather simple, and just as stupid.
He hadn't thought about it. He had focused on other things, trained other things, and created weapons and armour. He hadn't spent a single moment developing the Energy Drain skill further, and that was a big mistake. Because if he had, he could have used it during the fight to heal. But because he wasn't proficient in using it, he had forgotten about it.
Big mistake on his part.
That Sanctus just now, the assassins of the Genestealer Cult, almost killed him because of his mistake. Then there was a severe lack of defence, Gerhard noticed. The singular Mana Shield was as useless as a fart, and it took three to block a single attack from the Purestrain. Those were disgusting numbers, and it was fucking concerning!
Also, his weapons were still too weak and underdeveloped to really give him much of an advantage. Dealing with Scavvies and Mutants might be one thing, but now that Gerhard knew there was a war between the remaining Gangs and the local Genestealer Cult, he had to up his game considerably. Like a lot.
At least, the story also had good news. Gerhard managed to loot a lot of stuff. Bodies, weapons, and equipment were in his inventory, awaiting use. All Gerhard had to do was use them and finally power level his [Creation] and [Dismantle] skills. There was a lot to do.
.
Gerhard finally looked at all the different system messages he had ignored up till now. And there were a lot of them. The first was a skill which had been unlocked right at the beginning of the battle.
[A new skill has been created through a special action.]
[A skill to detect bloodlust towards the user has been created.]
Detect Bloodlust (Passive) Lv. 1
| Detects bloodlust within 30 meters from the user's location. It also alerts the user of its origin.
-
But that wasn't all. The skill had also levelled up several times and was now at level 7, giving it a reach of 90 meters. It wasn't a bad skill, as it allowed Gerhard to be alerted if someone was targeting him or wished to kill him. Not that this was really that useful yet, since everything wanted to kill him.
But if it reached a high enough level, it would surely be useful for being aware if a Vindicare was far out, looking at him through a small scope and about to pull the trigger. Or if a Callidus Assassin was close, impersonating someone else and waiting for the best chance to strike. The Evesor and Culexus you would usually notice...
[Firearms mastery lv.17]
Firearms Mastery (Passive) Lv. 17
| A skill that allows the user to freely handle firearms.
Effects:
| + 36% increase in attack damage with firearms
| + 26% increase in accuracy when using firearms
| Improved recoil control
-
[Sword mastery lv.15]
Sword Mastery (Passive) Lv. 15
| A skill that allows the user to freely handle swords. Sword Mastery is obtained through continuous sword training.
Effect:
| +38% increase in attack damage with swords
-
[Mana shield lv.33]
Mana Shield (Active) Lv. 33
| EXP: 2.93%
| MP: 27 initial cost ('Mana Control')
| One of the most basic defence skills using Mana. Handling the energy called Mana has existed for a long time, and Mana Shield is one among many.
Effects:
|Blocks a portion of the impact
| 4.5 MP per minute upkeep ('Mana Control')
-
And finally, danger sense had reached level 15. It seemed that he had been in constant danger during the battle. Who would have thought? That was good news, but not as good as the hundreds of messages about his kills and the EXP he gained.
In total, Gerhard had killed a whopping 42 Neophyte Hybrids and 38 Acolyte Hybrids. Neophyte Hybrids were about 25,000 EXP each, and Acolyte Hybrids were about 60,000 EXP each. He also killed two Purestrain Genestealers and one Aberrant. All of which gave around 120 thousand EXP.
In total, that amounted to almost 4 million EXP and catapulted Gerhard to level 23, being right on the edge of level 24.
------------------
|Name: Gerhard
|Class: The Gamer
|Level: LV23
------------------
|HP: 860/860
|MP: 525/525
------------------
STR: 35
VIT: 25
DEX: 24
INT: 50
WIS: 18
LUK: 2
------------------
|Points: 70
|Money: 0
------------------
Seeing the 70 status points made Gerhard happy. Not because he was going to use them, but because having them meant a lot. It showed his progress and the potential for the future. He knew that he probably wouldn't spend a single SP on his physical stats for a long time, since he could level up and train with various techniques.
But his intelligence was a stat that was hard to train... or so he initially thought. Having INT of 50 was good, as it gave the Mana Affinity passive, but having INT of 100 actually was just as amazing. And he might have used these points to get there.
"Nah, there's a better way to get there," Gerhard said to no one.
He was all alone, so talking to himself was normal. But he was right. There was a better way. And the secret technique to increase his INT stat was... GRINDING.
Well, obviously. But a different kind of grinding. So what grinding was he talking about?
Back in his days, the 21st Century, there was this Comic adaptation called Iron Man. What good times those were. Good ol' Tony Stark, who was a weapons manufacturer and a scientific genius, was captured by a terrorist organisation and then forced to work in a cave by them. There, he created the prototype of his iconic Iron Man Suits.
Thinking back on it now, Gerhard wondered whether that was truly possible. Could he, who had not even finished university and was rather subpar in physics and mathematics, replicate something like that? He was no genius; he was smarter now, thanks to his INT of 50, but that wasn't anywhere near Tony Stark's levels of genius.
The answer to those questions was: Fuck Yes! He was the Gamer! He could cheat the system and, through sheer perseverance, grind his way to genius levels of intelligence and create marvels of similar brilliance to Tony Stark.
...
It would take a while, but he had time, or rather, he would have time, as soon as he finished levelling his [Instant Dungeon - Create] skill.
[ID Create]
[ID Escape]
[ID Create]
[ID Escape]
[ID Create]
[ID Escape]
.
.
.
[Instant Dungeon - Create has levelled up by 1]
[ID Create - Lv. 11]
Instant Dungeon Creation (Active) Lv. 11
| EXP: 2.12%
| A skill that creates an instant dungeon barrier.
Available IDs:
| 1. Empty ID
| 2. Zombie ID
| 3. Ghost ID
| 4. Combined ID - Zombie and Ghosts
| 5. Ogre ID
| 6. Assorted Mix ID - Any combination of angry Ogres, Ghosts or Zombies
| 7. Training ID - No monsters
| 8. Time-warping ID - Dilation: 2:1
-
"I always wondered why fanfics don't make the main character grind the Instant dungeon skill. There are almost endless possibilities there."
That was true. The skill was at level 11 and could already create a 2:1 time dilation. And this would only increase as the level increased.
"Alright, let's get this started."
.
.
[Creation has levelled up by 1]
Gerhard stood over the pile of Tyranid corpses, chitin cracked, and whitish-blueish-light purple flesh had been exposed where the bullets had penetrated. The blood-like fluids had half-coagulated into a tar-like substance. Even dead, they didn't look natural. They looked engineered.
Which, in a way, they were.
"Well, at least you'll serve a greater purpose for now."
The Gamer did not waste resources. His gaze shifted from the corpses to the small pile of empty power packs beside his workbench. Those were the ones he got from the many weapons he picked up and placed in his inventory.
Then, his gaze shifted to the crude furnace he had been building. Then back to the corpses. He had been thinking about a way to start a 'fire'. And a thought clicked into place.
"Organic mass, energy conversion, heat, pressure... yeah, those are all words."
He crouched, pressing a hand into the exposed flesh of a Neophyte Hybrid. It was dense and hard. He wouldn't eat it; he wasn't that far gone yet, but it was useful, and since it was confirmed to be biomass, that's what they were all about; it had to burn, right?
The furnace wasn't much to look at. A reinforced metal drum, with scavenged plating welded unevenly around it. Vent holes punched in with a spike and hammer, Gerhard had created. And a crude grate inside to separate fuel from what he was working on on the top.
Besides the furnace, the damaged power packs were his real gamble. He turned one in his hands. Knowing what he knew about how they worked and the skill he had, it just might do.
He held the power pack and used [Charge] with wild abandon. Mana flowed slowly at first and then faster, making the pack vibrate. It grew warmer and warmer.
|Power Pack Integrity: 43% → 27% → 12%
|Charge Stability: CRITICAL
Gerhard grinned.
"Good."
He shoved it into the base of the furnace and slammed the reinforced hatch shut. Then he dragged one of the Tyranid corpses forward and cut off chunks with one of the Heavy Rock Saw, which he had salvaged from an Acolyte Hybrid.
The chitin resisted, but only for a moment, and the flesh didn't. Wet, fibrous chunks dropped, and Gerhard threw them into the furnace chamber. He stepped back a bit and once again, used [Charge] on the power pack.
The explosion wasn't large, which was good, as it would have destroyed the furnace, but it was still rather violent. A sharp CRACK, followed by a deep, throbbing whoomph as heat and pressure hit the metal walls, then flushed upward, instantly heating the air.
Flames, which were blue at the base and orange above, licked through the vent holes. The smell became unbearable. Burning protein, whatever they had for blood and chemicals... alien.
But it worked. And that was all that mattered.
[A new skill has been created through a special action.]
Fuel Conversion (Passive) Lv.1
| The ability to extract usable energy from unconventional organic and synthetic materials.
Effects:
| +10% efficiency when burning biomass
| Slight increase in heat stability
| Reduced chance of furnace failure
-
Gerhard laughed.
"Hahahaha, I made fire! I made fire!! Now I know what Tom Hanks felt during Cast Away."
He didn't stop, though. He cut down more hybrid corpses and fed them into the furnace. He adjusted the airflow and watched how the flames behaved. He watched how quickly it burned and what didn't burn.
Chitin lasted longer, but it took more heat to get it started, while the softer tissue burned hotter but for a shorter time. Certain internal sacs exploded.
[INT has gone up by 1]
[A new skill has been created through a special action.]
[Material Analysis has been created.]
Material Analysis (Active) Lv.1
| The ability to identify properties of materials through interaction and observation.
Effects:
| Basic identification of density, durability, and composition
| +5% efficiency when selecting materials for crafting
| Slight insight into structural weaknesses
-
Gerhard wiped sweat from his forehead.
"Good. Very good."
Now he wasn't just burning things, but learning from them and lo and behold, his INT rose by one. He was doing it.
.
The furnace roared behind him as he returned to his workbench. Heat filled the room he was in now. For the first time, he had somewhat reliable energy he could work with, unlike the limited power packs.
He picked up an autogun receiver and used the skill.
[Disassemble]
The weapon was in poor condition. Things were misaligned, and some parts were old, which caused the weapon to jam. It was one of the ones Gerhard had taken from the hybrids.
He had taken an autogun apart before and put it back together using the system, but now he did it differently. He had never taken it apart to the fundamental pieces that made up the weapon and always used [Creation] to assemble all the parts.
So he had taken the easy road until now.
He laid out the parts one by one. Bolt, Spring, Pin, Housing, Trigger group... and used [Observe] on them to see the state they were in. Then he reassembled it without actively using the skill. It took much longer, but eventually he made it.
[Creation has levelled up]
If Gerhard performed a skill and learned it without using the cheating way of a skill, he would gain more EXP for it. But not just that. He also learned something and would gain INT stat points.
Afterwards, Gerhard took the autogun apart again. This time, he noticed something new. The way the spring sat slightly off-centre, the wear on the pin and the roughness inside the housing. All factors that reduced the weapon's performance.
He grabbed a piece of metal and went over to the furnace, heating it. He had crafted a pair of pliers to help him with the heat, as well as a basic version of an anvil. He watched the flames heat the piece of metal, then placed it on the anvil.
He used the large power hammer, which he hadn't turned on, to hit the metal and flatten it. Then he used the knife he had taken from the acolytes and carved thin lines into the metal until he was left with a crude file.
[Creation has levelled up]
After cooling the hot metal in the cool bucket of Tyranid blood, he returned to the workbench, where he had the various pieces of the autogun, and began smoothing the inner surface.
Slow and careful at first, not wanting to damage the small part.
[A new skill has been created through a special action.]
['Toolmaking' has been created.]
Toolmaking (Active) Lv.1
| The ability to create and improve tools for crafting and assembly.
Effects:
| +5% tool durability
| Slight increase in crafting precision when using self-made tools
-
[A new skill has been created through a special action.]
[Through repeated forging, shaping, heating and refining metal, the skill 'Smithing' has been created.]
Smithing (Active) Lv. 1
| EXP: 0.00%
| A specialised manufacturing skill focused on forging and refining metal into weapons, armour, tools, structural parts and mechanical components.
| The higher the mastery, the better the forged product and the lower the material loss.
| Smithing is the art of turning raw metal into something stronger, sharper and more useful.
Effects:
| Registered forging blueprints: 1
| Forging success rate: 50%
| Material impurity reduction: 5%
| Durability of forged metal items: +5%
| Quality bonus when creating metal weapons, armour, tools or machine parts
-
Seeing this, Gerhard set the autogun parts aside and picked up raw scrap instead. It was time to create better tools for himself.
[Workshop Hammer – Rank: Uncommon]
A reinforced hammer crafted by Gerhard the Gamer. Designed for both metal shaping and combat utility.
Durability: 120/120
Damage: 18
Attack Speed: Medium
Required STR: 8
Effects:
1. Reinforced Head
+15% efficiency when shaping or forging metal
2. Balanced Grip
+5% accuracy when striking objects or enemies
3. Crafting Tool
+10% success rate when using [Creation] on metal-based items
Description:
A reliable multipurpose tool. While not designed as a primary weapon, its weight and balance make it effective in close combat and essential for early-stage manufacturing.
-
[Precision Metal File – Rank: Uncommon]
A refined shaping tool used to smooth, sharpen, and fine-tune crafted components.
Durability: 80/80
Effects:
1. Fine Adjustment
+15% quality when refining crafted items
2. Edge Control
+10% sharpness when finishing blades or mechanical parts
3. Material Preservation
-10% material loss when using [Dismantle] on small components
Description:
An essential finishing tool. Allows for greater precision in crafting, improving overall item quality and reducing imperfections.
-
[Industrial Clamp – Rank: Uncommon]
A heavy-duty clamp, used to stabilise materials during crafting and assembly.
Durability: 150/150
Effects:
1. Stabilisation
+15% success rate when crafting complex or multi-part items
2. Structural Alignment
+10% durability on crafted items
3. Secure Hold
Reduces crafting interruption chance to 0% while active
Description:
A simple but invaluable tool. Ensures materials remain fixed in place, greatly improving precision and reliability during manufacturing processes.
-
[Toolmaking has levelled up by 3]
[Smithing has levelled up by 3]
[A new skill has been created through a special action.]
[Mechanical Assembly has been created.]
Mechanical Assembly (Passive) Lv.1
| The ability to correctly assemble multi-part mechanical systems.
Effects:
| +5% assembly success rate
| Reduced chance of structural failure
-
Gerhard leaned back, breathing heavily now. This had been hard work, and he had totally forgotten the time. But seeing the skills and the tools he made, he was happy. It was hot, but he didn't care.
He picked the autogun back up and went back at it. He went over each part, used [Observe] to check for damage or weaknesses, improved them, and then rebuilt the weapon.
Again.
[Dismantle]
[Creation]
Repeat.
But this time, he used his own tools. The grips were better, he had better control and didn't damage the parts he worked on. And as time passed, the skills levelled up.
Behind Gerhard, the furnace continued to burn as he kept feeding it with Tyranid corpses, steady and reliable at this stage.
He adjusted airflow using the crude sliding plate, further stabilising the flames. He had gotten so much better at this in the process. It was like he knew what to do and when to do it, and as time passed, he learned more and got even better.
[Fuel Conversion levelled up]
The efficiency increased, the heat stabilised, and Gerhard knew what to do to keep it stabilised and useful for his purposes.