Creation system
Chapter 24: A new spell

Chapter 24: A new spell

Mitch’s eyes fluttered open to the gentle caress of dawn light filtering through the inn’s weathered curtains.

A deep sense of vitality coursed through his veins, not the hollow exhaustion he’d expected after last night’s brutal encounter, but a profound renewal that seemed to emanate from his very core.

Rolling onto his back, Mitch allowed himself a moment to savor this unexpected gift. For the first time since arriving in this world, no immediate danger pressed against his consciousness.

No monsters prowled just beyond his perception, no life-or-death decisions loomed on the horizon.

He summoned his notification panel with a casual thought, watching the familiar blue text materialize in his vision.

[21 x Your efforts get rewarded! +5xp]

That’s only 105 experience points, Mitch thought with mild irritation. The system really is stingy with its rewards. He’d grown accustomed to the system’s seemingly arbitrary reward structure, but it still angered him how little recognition his life-threatening battles received.

"Status,"

The familiar display unfurled before him in crystalline clarity:

Name: Mitch (human)

Level: 10 [993 / 3000xp] (tier 2)

Class: Mage

Divine blessing: Creation system ★★★★★★★★★★

Body: 15 + 6

Mind: 19 + 18

Mana: 730

Mana storage: 11 + 24

Mana regeneration: 10 + 12

Achievements: [Otherworlder ★★★] ‚[Divine luck ★★★★★★★★]

Skills: [Gather], [Inspect], [Create common weapon], [Create element], [Medium pocket space], [Mana ball], [Mana blade], [Fire blade aura]

Passives: [Apprentice mana manipulation],[Attuned with mana], [Apprentice space manipulation]

Rising from bed, he reached into his dimensional pocket space and withdrew one of the monster cores he’d purchased from the guild marketplace.

He had nearly 300 of these cores stockpiled, a small fortune that represented his path to greater strength.

The absorption process had become almost meditative. Mitch settled into a cross-legged position on the bed, cradling the between his palms.

He closed his eyes and extended his consciousness into the crystal, feeling for the threads of condensed mana within. With practiced ease, he began drawing the energy into his own channels, letting it flow through his body.

Five minutes later, the core crumbled to ash in his hands.

[Tier 2 Fire fox core converted into 50 xp]

He only needed another 40 cores to achieve the next level.

He reached for another core, then another, falling into a rhythm of absorption and conversion. The warm energy flowed through him..

After absorbing his fifteenth core in rapid succession, however, Mitch encountered an unexpected obstacle. His body began to feel bloated with magical energy, as if his very cells were oversaturated with mana.

The sensation was deeply uncomfortable, imagine drinking water when desperately thirsty, then continuing long past the point of satisfaction until your stomach felt ready to burst.

But instead of water, this was raw magical power pressing against the boundaries of his flesh.

Tendrils of excess mana began to leak from his skin like luminous steam, creating a faint aura around his body.

His carefully maintained mana channels, normally invisible pathways that guided magical energy throughout his form, now pulsed visibly beneath his skin like glowing rivers.

The sensation was alarming, he could feel the pressure building, as if his entire circulatory system might rupture if he absorbed even one more core.

This can’t be normal, Mitch thought, pressing his palms against his temples as waves of magical pressure washed through him. I need to let this energy settle before I continue.

Based on the intensity of the sensation and his body’s apparent need to process the absorbed mana, he estimated it would take perhaps a day for his body to fully integrate the new energy.

Still, even with this setback, his absorption speed was remarkable. Leya had mentioned that her own talent was considered above average, yet she required nearly a full day to absorb a single mid-tier 2 core.

At his current pace, Mitch was already considered gifted.

The discrepancy made him wonder about the true extent of his abilities. Leya hadn’t mentioned experiencing mana oversaturation like this, which suggested it might be a unique consequence of his accelerated absorption rate.

Curious about alternatives, Mitch withdrew another core and focused on converting it into system points rather than direct experience.

The process flowed smoothly without any of the uncomfortable pressure he’d experienced with direct absorption. The core dissolved into pure system currency, ready to be spent on new abilities.

For now, though, he resisted the temptation to browse the system shop. Levels provided more fundamental improvements than individual skills. Each level increase enhanced his base attributes and unlocked new potential.

Turning his attention to more immediate concerns, Mitch retrieved the [Mana Shield Tome] from his dimensional storage.

He’d been anticipating some grand spell book, perhaps bound in exotic leather with glowing runes and mystical symbols. Instead, he found himself holding what looked like a basic instructional manual.

The cover was simple brown leather, with the title embossed in plain lettering.

The book was relatively thin, perhaps fifty pages in total .The text was written in a big font and accompanied by detailed diagrams that illustrated hand positions, mana flow patterns, and visualization techniques.

The morning hours slipped away as Mitch absorbed the book’s contents. The fundamental principle behind mana shields was elegant in its simplicity: project your internal mana beyond your body’s boundaries, then shape that energy into a protective barrier. The execution, however, proved considerably more complex.

According to the text, successful shield casting required three coordinated actions. First, the caster had to visualize the desired barrier with perfect clarity, its shape, density, and coverage area.

Second, mana had to be expelled from multiple points across the body simultaneously, creating an even field of energy around the caster.

Finally, the expelled mana had to be "willed" into its protective form through focused intention and, typically, spoken incantations.

The book emphasized that verbal components weren’t strictly necessary for spellcasting, but they served as powerful focusing tools.

Speaking the spell’s name or key phrases helped align the caster’s mental state with their magical intent. Mitch realized he’d been unconsciously using this principle when activating his Create Element skill, though he’d never considered its broader implications.

It seemed that saying the name of the spell helped in manifesting it. You could do without, but it was better and stronger if you spelled it out.

After finishing his reading, Mitch spent the next several hours attempting to put theory into practice.

He stood in the center of his room, closed his eyes, and began the visualization process. In his mind’s eye, he constructed a translucent dome of energy surrounding his body, roughly eight feet in diameter, extending around his body.

The first challenge was expelling mana from multiple body points simultaneously. His passives helped significantly, allowing him to direct magical energy with more precision than a complete novice.

Even so, maintaining multiple streams of mana while keeping them balanced and stable required intense concentration.

"Mana shield," he spoke aloud, trying to inject his voice with authority and intention.

A flickering, translucent barrier shimmered into existence around him for perhaps three seconds before collapsing into wisps of dispersing energy.

The failure was almost anticlimactic.

Magic is hard, Mitch admitted to himself, wiping perspiration from his brow.

He tried again. And again. Each attempt lasted slightly longer than the previous one, and the barriers became marginally more stable. By the fourth hour of practice, he could maintain a basic shield for nearly ten seconds, still far from practical, but measurable progress.

His concentration was finally broken by a loud, insistent growling from his stomach. Glancing at the window, Mitch realized the sun had moved considerably since he’d begun his magical studies. He’d been so absorbed in learning that he’d forgotten to eat anything since waking up.

Descending the inn’s worn wooden stairs, Mitch approached the front desk.

"Ah, Master Mitch!" The inkeeper beamed, looking up from his ledgers. "I was wondering when you’d emerge from your room."

„Would you like something to eat? On the house, of course."

The innkeeper presented him with a lavish spread that exceeded Mitch’s expectations. The wooden platter groaned under the weight of three different roasted meats: something that looked like venison, what might have been chicken, and a third variety he couldn’t identify but smelled delicious.

Accompanying the meats were roasted root vegetables, fresh bread still warm from the oven, and a tankard of ale, apparently a local brew designed to help restore stamina.

After his meal, Mitch decided to visit Leya.

The walk through town provided a welcome change of pace after his morning of intense study and practice.

The afternoon sun cast long shadows between the buildings, and the streets bustled with the familiar rhythm of daily commerce. Vendors called out their wares, children played in the squares, and awakeners moved with purpose toward whatever quests awaited them.