Richard dismissed the system panel and remained in the forest, continuing his training while waiting for his magic to regenerate. At present, he possessed eight X-Gene abilities. Five of them—Plunder, Super Strength, Super Physique, Super Self-Healing, and Mind Isolation—were passive or self-sustaining by nature and required no structured practice.
That left Flash, Mind Charm, and Bounce.
Mind Charm required live targets to refine properly, and he had no suitable candidates. More importantly, it wasn't ideal for direct combat scenarios. Flash was already integrated into his movement patterns; he had used it repeatedly in battle and adapted quickly. Even without focused drilling, his control over it was solid.
Bounce, however, was new and unexplored.
He decided to begin there.
He started small.
An egg-sized stone lifted from the ground and shot toward him. He activated Bounce, redirecting it mid-flight. The stone reversed trajectory and cracked against a tree. He increased the size next—a fist-sized rock—then a larger slab weighing several dozen kilograms.
Each object was deflected cleanly.
He expanded the scope beyond solid matter. River water from a nearby stream was compressed and redirected, splashing violently against exposed roots. Leaves were launched and scattered. Even air itself became a tool.
After more than thirty minutes of experimentation, he concluded something important.
Compressing air was the most efficient application.
Air was everywhere. It required no retrieval, no preparation. He could gather it, compact it, and redirect it instantly. The output force could be adjusted precisely, allowing for either subtle displacement or concussive shock.
Time slipped by unnoticed.
When he finally looked up, the sun had begun dipping toward the horizon. He opened the system panel again.
[Magic: 19]
Five points per hour.
The regeneration rate aligned with his earlier estimate.
Satisfied, he immediately summoned the authentic sword again and resumed training Eight Blades Flash despite not being fully recovered.
"Eight Blades Flash proficiency +1."
"Eight Blades Flash proficiency +1."
…
Nineteen activations later, his magic was depleted once more.
[Eight Blades Flash – Level 1 (55/100)]
Over halfway to upgrade.
He allowed himself a brief nod.
Returning the blade to the system space, he used Flash several times to reappear near the RV. After a quick shower in the compact bathroom, he prepared dinner—steak and pasta.
The taste was average at best, but acceptable. For someone with limited cooking experience, producing edible food was already satisfactory.
After resting and allowing his magic to fully recover, he returned to the forest that night and continued grinding Eight Blades Flash.
—
The following day at noon, the familiar notification echoed in his mind.
"Eight Blades Flash proficiency +1."
Then—
[Eight Blades Flash upgraded.]
[Eight Blades Flash – Level 2 (0/500)]
He exhaled slowly.
Finally.
He activated the newly upgraded skill immediately.
The difference was obvious.
Faster. Sharper. Heavier.
The air itself seemed to split more violently under the blade's passage.
But the cost was equally noticeable.
Three points of magic drained instantly.
He checked the updated panel.
[Magic: 18/50 — Regeneration: 8 per hour]
His maximum capacity had increased from thirty to fifty. Regeneration rose from five per hour to eight. The growth was significant.
However, the efficiency ratio changed. At Level 1, he could execute Eight Blades Flash thirty times. At Level 2, only sixteen.
In combat, he could choose which version to deploy. But proficiency advancement required using the corresponding level. Performing Level 1 repeatedly would not raise Level 2 progress.
He made a strategic decision.
Rather than pouring all magic into pushing Eight Blades Flash toward Level 3 immediately, he would upgrade his other Level 1 skills first. Each Level 2 upgrade increased total magic capacity and regeneration.
More total magic meant stronger sustained combat output.
He shifted focus.
"Residual Heart proficiency +1."
"Residual Heart proficiency +1."
…
Days passed in disciplined repetition.
For three consecutive days, his routine remained constant—train Sephiroth's sword techniques, refine Bounce, recover, repeat.
By the end of the third day, the changes were substantial.
[Skills: Eight Blades Flash (Level 2, 1/500), Earth-Shaking (Level 2, 1/500), Sky-Shock (Level 1, 0/100), Residual Heart (Level 2, 1/500), Iai Slash (Level 1, 86/100), Thunderbolt (Level 2, 1/500), Blizzard (Level 2, 1/500)]
[Magic: 54/150 — Regeneration: 25 per hour]
Five skills had reached Level 2.
His total magic capacity had quintupled compared to his arrival in this world. Regeneration speed increased dramatically as well.
There were physical changes, too.
His short silver hair had grown noticeably longer in just three days. It now fell past his shoulders, not yet at Sephiroth's iconic length, but unmistakably long for a man.
He examined another metric.
[Sephiroth Template Fusion: 10%]
It had doubled from five percent to ten percent.
Skill advancement and magic growth clearly contributed to template synchronization. The progression speed was acceptable—steady, not explosive.
"Iai Slash proficiency +1."
Moments later—
[Iai Slash upgraded.]
[Iai Slash – Level 2 (0/500)]
He had now elevated every skill to Level 2 except Sky-Shock.
For someone who had entered this world mere days ago, the progress was extraordinary.
He prepared to test the upgraded Iai Slash.
Before he could draw the blade, a new notification materialized.
[Mission: Son of the Devil (I)]
[Objective: Eliminate all mutant agents in the RV camp.]
[Reward: Dimensional Slash.]
[Time Limit: 1 hour.]
.....
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