Traveling through the game world, starting out as a third-rate villain

Looking at my hands, I muttered to myself, "Sure enough, learning from her is the best choice I have ever made."

call--

Looking at the mana line in my hand, it was as if I could finally feel the mana around me without having to rely on my [Moon] attribute.

Of course, this is just the basics, but even so, it is a good improvement over the previous Morse.

I come from a world without mana, and even Morse, who was an awakener before, had never felt mana. So, for now, it's pretty good.

"Well, I should continue training."

With this thought in mind, I picked up the bow and started training again.

"Start phase two."

＜Okay.＞

I raised my bow as the training room's AI responded.

Whoosh

I started.

......

Emily sat in her dimly lit room, her chestnut hair hanging messily around her shoulders.

Her tired sapphire eyes stared at the laptop screen in front of her, the soft glow of the screen casting a brief shadow in the simple, empty space.

She was looking at the notice she had posted on the bulletin board.

"Still no reply?"

She murmured to herself. She also knew how bad their situation was, and from the notice everything seemed hopeless. But she had no choice.

Ring

Just then, her watch rang. She opened it and saw that it was her father calling.

She sighed tiredly and answered the phone, her father's anxious voice came out of the device. She knew he might have called after reading the message she left yesterday. She also knew he was busy, so she didn't say anything.

＜Emily, how's it going? Have you found a suitable hunter?＞

"Yes, father. I asked a friend at the academy, and he agreed to my request."

＜How is he?＞

"He's not ranked high, but I've seen his talent firsthand. I think if I fought him now, I would lose."

＜Is he so awesome?＞

"Yes. He is a Hartley."

＜Hartley? The Hartleys? Emily! Are you crazy?＞

"What's wrong?"

\u003cDon't you know how dangerous it is for a small guild like ours to have a Hartley? What if something happens to him there?\u003e

"Father, of course I know that. But do you think I can find someone like him? He has a small reputation, and he's a good man. I'm sure he won't cause any trouble."

＜Emily, you have to know that there are no good people in this world.＞

"I know. But we are desperate, as you know. The dungeons we are challenging now are almost impossible for us to complete because of you..."

＜......＞

"Since that time. So we need to do everything in our power, otherwise we will lose the right to own this last dungeon. You also know that other local guilds are already putting pressure on us. This is our last chance. You know that the money we got from selling our stocks has been spent on equipment for our guild members."

＜You're right... I really want to know who this person is. They suddenly bought half of our shares and invested in our guild, which is on the verge of collapse.＞

"I don't know who he is, but I am very grateful to them for giving us this last chance. Even if we can't succeed, I will drop out of school to repay them."

＜Ah…I’m sorry that you have to shoulder this responsibility. I’m really…＞

"Don't say that, father. This is not your fault. It's all that traitor's fault."

＜......＞

"I swear, if I catch him, I will kill him."

\u003cOkay, okay, calm down, kid.\u003e

“…..I’m calm…..Anyway, take care, Dad.”

＜You should take a break.＞

"I'll rest after this is all over."

＜Then take care of yourself.＞

\u003cDing. Ding. Ding.\u003e

Emily hung up the phone, turned off her watch, and lay down on the bed.

"This is my last chance. I have to make sure everything goes well."

She opened her notebook with a determined look and began to concentrate on the plans for the dungeon.

This was her last chance with her father's guild and she wasn't going to miss it.

......

"Junior, you have improved a lot compared to yesterday."

I was standing in the Elements Room, looking at the senior who had become my mentor.

"Yes," I answered. Indeed, after training with the bow and dagger without using the special features, I can say that my mana control has improved.

Yesterday, I realized something else: why firearms are not well regarded in the hunting community.

While training with the bow, I also tried using my gun. Since my bracelet is undetectable, I can carry my gun with me, even though it is usually forbidden.

I tried to cover the gun and bullets with mana, hoping to increase their efficiency this way, just like when using the Moon.

As a result, I found that this was impossible.

Whether I applied mana to the gun or to the bullets, I was unable to increase their effectiveness. Once the bullet was fired, the mana enhancement disappeared and the gun's effectiveness returned to normal.

This is the difference between [Moon] and ordinary mana, and it also shows the importance of [Characteristics].

"Your mana control has reached a certain standard. Now, you have met the basic requirements to become a hunter."

These words are a bit harsh, but they are also true. I am now on the same starting line as everyone else.

But I saw a faint smile on Maya's face, as if she was enjoying the fact that I was being guided by her. However, it could be my misunderstanding, I'm not sure.

"However, the important thing is that you are on the right track now, fellow apprentice. Remember, simple mana control is not the only important thing for us hunters."

After that, she guided me into the next stage of 'training'. "We can now begin training in one of the most important things for us - manipulating elemental properties." She paused and looked me straight in the eye.

"As you know, not everyone can use every element. It depends on a person's aptitude and affinity. It's like a talent. For example, some people are good at swords, some are good at bows, and so on. The same goes for elemental mana, some people are born to be able to sense and manipulate fire, while others may not be able to do it at all."

She explained.

This is exactly what is explained in the game. Although there is no restriction on which elements can be used, in the game, unless you increase your affinity for certain elements, the skills you can use will be limited.

For example, at that time, senior sister Ilela used a bow to train and shot an ice arrow. This is a basic skill for archers, but if you are not good at using ice mana, you will not be able to quickly add mana to the arrow, and this skill will not work.

"For me, as a nature mage, I can manipulate all elements, but you may have a natural affinity for one or two." She paused, then continued, "Let's start with the basics and look at them carefully."

squeak--

Maya held out her hand, and her palm radiated a warm earthy glow. Slowly, the mana in the room seemed to respond, and began to gather around her hand. The mana took on the texture of earth, like lumps of rich soil.

Bang--

She hadn't been using earth magic for long, and it seemed to come naturally to her. That was the idea behind affinity.

"See this? This is earth mana," she explained, gently throwing a small ball of mana into the air. It floated in the air for a moment before dissipating.

Maya continued her demonstration, demonstrating her mastery of each element in turn. With fluid grace, she manipulated the mana around her, causing it to take on the properties of each element.

call--

"This is fire magic," she said, and the flames danced at her fingertips, emitting a warm and fiery glow. The flames flickered and crackled, and the heat they emitted could be felt even from a distance.

Whoosh——

Wind mana came next, she summoned a gentle breeze that ruffled her hair and caused the mana around her to sway.

flutter--

Then came the water mana, she formed an exquisite ball of liquid mana that shimmered and glowed like a perfect drop of water.

After each demonstration, Maya encouraged me to give it a try. However, no matter how hard I tried to imitate her techniques, nothing happened.

My mana remained formless and indistinguishable. It was clear that I lacked a natural affinity for the elements.

"I see..." I saw her nod. "Junior, we have to repeat what we did yesterday."

After saying these words, she walked up to me and took my arm again.

Suddenly, I shuddered. Her speed was very fast for a mage, and this alone was enough to show the gap between her and me.

"Ah... I still don't feel well."

I would feel uncomfortable if someone touched me, but since Maya-senpai didn’t mind and it was for my own good, I didn’t pay any attention to it and endured the feeling.

"Now, try to feel it."

Maya's touch brought immediate change. As she infused her elemental mana into me, I could feel a palpable shift in the mana around me. It was a subtle inner shift, the likes of which I had never experienced before.

When she did it for the first time yesterday, I was able to feel the power myself, which really helped me. Mana cannot be controlled simply by watching someone do it. I first needed to know how to feel it.

It's like watching someone play soccer but not knowing how to move your own legs. To learn it, you first need to feel your own legs, and your brain needs to register those neural responses so you can mimic the player's movements.

It's the same principle.

"I'll start with earth mana."

First up was the earth mana, and I felt a sense of being rooted, like I was connected to the solid foundation of the world.

“Can you feel the difference between yesterday and now?”

"able."

"very good."

Next came the fire mana, and I felt a surge of warmth and energy inside me, as if there was a dancing flame deep inside me.

Then came the water mana, and I experienced a sense of flow and at the same time a sense of balance.

Next came the Wind Mana. My mana became light and ethereal. Like the element of air, I could control it effortlessly. It was swift, light, and elusive, just like the wind.

Finally, it was a strange feeling.

“This must be your special power, Senior,” I said, feeling the soothing yet destructive power within me.

"That's right. But how do you know?" she asked in surprise.

"Senior, everyone in the academy knows you. A genius nature mage." Considering Maya's reputation and her special affinity, I knew this from the game, so it was not difficult to guess.

"This is... a little embarrassing."

"I see. I won't say any more, then."

"No...that's not what I meant."

"What is that?"

"Just...don't say it too often."

"OK."

"Anyway, junior! Don't be distracted." Maya let go of me and distanced herself from me.

"Now, try to replicate the power you felt yesterday," she said, her eyes full of anticipation.

"clear."

I closed my eyes and focused on the feeling I had just had. First, I tried to recreate the feeling of the fire mana in my body, and I could feel my mana changing.

"Hmm? Is this it?"

It feels familiar.

Opening my eyes, I could see a faint red thread of mana releasing from my fingers.

"this?"

"Wait a minute, Maya-senpai."

Then, I switched the feeling of fire mana to water mana and repeated the same action again.

This time, the color changed from red to green...

'So this is how I can change the color of my mana...'

That was when I finally understood how to use different colors…