Ascending Endlessly: I Copy Skills

I dashed through our defensive line and out towards the golem. As I ran, I heard several voices shouting behind me.

"Are you crazy?!"

"Kid, get the hell back here!"

Of course they would think I'm crazy or suicidal. In their perspective, I'm just a lone B-Rank hunter without any means to survive out on the battlefield. And, to an extent, it was true- I could easily be killed out here.

But this needed to be done. Everyone was getting tired, and the commissioner was injured. If he didn't recover in time, and our defenses were slaughtered, then even he wouldn't be able to save the stragglers. Our full force was required to eliminate the threat of the boss.

Twelve mana batteries floated around my body as I ran towards the golem. I'd gotten much more efficient at producing them. Since I needed to constantly check on them to ensure the mana flow was stable and that they weren't filling up too fast, I had previously relegated myself to making five or fewer at a time.

Now, though, as my need for mana had increased, I'd gradually increased that number. I could comfortably produce twenty at a time now. Last time I used my mana bomb, how many did I have? Was it four? Yes, that's right. With twelve, the amount of mana would be tripled.

And that didn't mean it would be three times as strong. With the mana compressing and layering, an increase in mana output would become an exponential increase in strength, rather than being additive. 

I kept sprinting until I reached the halfway point between our last line of defense and the golem. Fortunately, a few small teams of rangers were still successfully distracting the golem, but they wouldn't be able to hold on for long. 

A team of defensive mages and healers had also been deployed to assist the commissioner, but none of us could afford to wait for him to recover. It was the time for action. I started siphoning mana out of the cards. There was a great risk being taken here- I was susceptible to being hit by stray attacks from the golem.

My hope, however, was that the hunters in the back line would recognize that I was trying to use a powerful skill and would help protect me. It was a risk I had to take. I didn't hesitate for a moment as I started focusing all of my attention into the mana bomb.

Within just a few moments, I was able to fully engage with my manipulation of the mana I was drawing from the cards. My obsession was certainly a strength in a time like this. The euphoric feeling of my knowledge and experimentation coming into use, combined with the sheer pleasure of power coursing through my body allowed me to quickly divert all of my attention to the bomb. 

The sound of the battlefield, orders being shouted, and attacks being hurled back and forth all faded away as I ended a quiet world of concentration. The mana became clear to me, each minute motion and vibration becoming a great wave. I formed the point. I was working quickly, so there was certainly more mana in my body that it could handle. However, whatever damage I sustain would be a necessary sacrifice.

I poured mana into that point, making it more and more dense until another layer formed. A mana battery was exhausted. Every fiber of my being was engrossed in every action, every movement of power. I had to be efficient, I had to be fast, I had to be precise.

It was an addicting feeling.

Four mana batteries extinguished. Now, I was reaching a greater capacity than the last time I'd attempted this. The ball was fully formed, ripples echoing across its surface. It felt like a ball of water suspended in space. The thought came into my head that I should practice this attack more. As expensive as it is, isn't it much stronger than any skill I might receive?

I kept focusing. It was getting less and less stable as more mana entered it. However, I couldn't stop. The small ripples were turning into waves, but I only had two mana batteries left. I poured every last drop of mana I could into the ball. It was getting hard to control, shaking in place, barely holding together. 

It fortunately seemed that I'd just barely reached the limit of what I could control for now. I opened my eyes, locked my vision onto the golem's core, and fired. It launched explosively, whizzing through the air at an incredible speed. 

Before I could even react, it had struck the golem, right in the core. There was a delay for half a second. And then, an explosion. A shockwave swept across the entire plateau, knocking me to my feet and forcing me to roll a couple of times. As my focus returned, I could see five mages around me, each knocked onto their feet as well.

"What the hell was that attack?!"

One of them cried out loudly. I grinned with wide eyes as I looked towards the golem, waiting for the dust to clear to witness the result of my attack. As it came back into view, I was amazed at the power I had just displayed. The golem was halfway destroyed. Its stone body had crumbled, leaving one barely functioning leg and half of what the size of its torso had been. Most importantly, the cube protecting its core was cracked. I tried to stand. Unfortunately, I had forgotten about the damage done to my body.

"Don't move. You're injured,"

A mage said, standing above me. Two of them propped me up and threw my arms over their shoulders, carrying me back to the defensive line, while the other three ensured we were protected.

"That was incredible... are you a ranker?"

One of the ones carrying me asked. I tried to reply, but I coughed up blood instead.

"Don't make him speak, dumbass! Stay quiet, man. We'll get you to a healer."

After a few minutes, we did in fact manage to make it to the back of our formation. Several healers rushed towards me, laying me on the ground and casting skills across my body. Damn... just how hurt was I? The healing skills were barely diminishing the pain.

I tilted my head towards the golem. Thank god... it looks like the commissioner is back on his feet. I could see him on his hoverboard flying towards the golem. It looks like we're going to be okay. With the comfort of safety washing over me, I blacked out.

When I woke up, we had already exited the dungeon and were on the train. I rose, rubbing my eyes, and checked over my body. Wow, the healers did a great job. I seemed to have made a full recovery. How many of them had worked on me?

"Good, you're awake,"

A voice said next to me. I looked over and saw the commissioner.

"This is yours,"

He continued, tossing a large sack towards me. I caught it and looked inside. It was full of gloam crystals. 

"Your cut. The boss kill was mostly your doing, so it's fair."

He sat down next to me as I adjusted to a normal sitting position.

"I knew you looked familiar. You're that kid that betrayed The Order,"

He remarked with a low voice. I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists.

"However, you saved us. I performed poorly, and almost got us killed. You may be a bad guy, but as a favor for covering my ass, I'll at least leave you be about your past."

He patted me shoulder, stood up, and started walking away. I looked at his back as he left with surprise. That was kind. I guess he's just a good guy. Plus, the people in the parties seemed to like him.

Of course, the moment he left, a couple of other people walked up to me.

"Hey, man! What the hell! That was amazing!"

"What was that attack? It was cool as hell..."

A small crowd of hunters were forming around me.

"You totally saved us. That was impressive."

Ha... it felt good. These people were all appreciating me. It had been a long time since I'd received anyone's thanks, let alone this many strangers. I knew it wouldn't last; if they discovered my identity, their pleasant remarks would likely turn resentful. However, for now, I wanted to enjoy it.

Even if it was fleeting, peaceful moments like this didn't come frequently for me. So, I indulged myself in pleasant conversation, the sweet air and joyful atmosphere sinking deep into my skin. All things considered, this was a good day. I beat an A-Rank dungeon. I learned my limit for controlling a mana bomb. And I also realized it was a skill I had to practice more. If I could increase the limit even more, with a larger number of batteries, the power I could utilize would be immense. 

Let's go find a place to sleep. Then, tomorrow, I can come back and do it all again.