Forgemind: I Can Create Any Skill

Ashveil was a city long consumed by ruin, but in the early morning light, it looked... dormant.

Not peaceful.

Not safe.

Just still.

Auther moved through the broken streets like a shadow, his senses sharper than ever. The world didn't look different after his evolution—but it felt different. The air was no longer thick with resistance. His mana didn't just flow; it obeyed.

A broken rusted bus lay overturned in the intersection ahead. He crouched behind it, scanning the crumbled buildings on either side. His target was nearby.

The mutant pack.

He had been tracking them for over an hour—faint claw marks on stone, smeared blood trails, and a strange rhythmic sound he hadn't heard from wild beasts before. Footsteps.

Coordinated ones.

It was rare for low-level mutants to work in packs, let alone with strategy.

But these weren't just any beasts.

They were Awakened leftovers—mutants who had devoured cores and evolved into E2 or even E3 threats.

Auther had counted at least four from a distance. If he was lucky, none would exceed E3. If unlucky…

Well, he'd already risked worse.

He needed the points.

His mind flashed to the Mana Flow Optimization skill idea—small, efficient, and low cost—but likely to save him energy over long battles. A perfect passive for someone who had to fight frequently.

He needed at least 10 Skill Points.

Which meant killing two E2s, or one E3 and an E1.

Quietly, he drew Mana Edge from his back and whispered, "Let's see what you can do now."

The blade responded like it was alive.

Mana poured into it effortlessly, coating the edge in a pale-blue shimmer. There was no flicker, no struggle—just smooth, silent harmony.

He was ready.

He activated Phantom Echo and sent a mana illusion darting to the left, letting it sprint across the collapsed street with heavy, purposeful footsteps.

A moment later, a howl echoed back.

Then another.

And another.

Four shadows burst out from behind cracked walls—humanoid beasts with elongated arms, sharpened claws, and glowing green eyes. Two had protruding spinal bones that twitched like antennae.

They weren't mindless.

They were hunting.

Perfect.

Auther moved.

Burst Step activated, and he vanished from behind the bus, reappearing above the nearest mutant. His blade came down in a sharp arc, cleaving through its upper spine in a single strike.

Blood sprayed, dark and thick.

The body dropped mid-turn.

The others didn't hesitate.

Two lunged. One held back.

Smart.

But not smart enough.

Auther spun midair and activated Disrupting Pulse. A shockwave of mana burst from his skin, stunning both attackers mid-leap. He twisted between them, slashing across the gut of the first and landing a crushing kick into the jaw of the second.

He felt the difference now.

The raw speed. The balance. The stability of his footing even after impact.

He wasn't just stronger—he was more complete.

The second mutant recovered faster than expected and swept its claw toward his neck.

Too slow.

Auther ducked, jammed his blade into its chest, and released a mana burst into the wound.

The body convulsed, then fell.

Another down.

That left two.

The third—larger and more agile—backflipped away, leapt onto a ruined signpost, and shrieked something guttural to the remaining one.

The fourth bolted.

"Sending for help?" Auther muttered.

Not happening.

He launched a condensed mana blade from Mana Edge's tip—something he hadn't tried before. The technique wasn't even formalized yet. Just instinct.

But it worked.

The energy dart whistled through the air and struck the escaping mutant through the leg. It tumbled, shrieking.

Auther gave chase, closing the distance in seconds. He didn't waste time—just drove his blade through the skull and twisted.

Three down.

He turned.

The last one stood tall—taller than the rest. It had a hardened carapace covering most of its body and a flickering barrier of reddish mana coating its shoulders.

This one… was definitely E3.

And smart enough to know it was alone.

It didn't scream.

Didn't charge.

It waited.

"Good," Auther whispered, spinning the blade in his hand. "Me too."

They clashed midair.

The mutant's claws were like axes, each strike heavy and fast. Auther blocked one, dodged the second, and landed a knee into its gut.

The creature roared and struck him across the chest with a backhand that sent him flying.

Pain flared across his ribs—but they didn't break.

Internal Fortification was doing its job.

He recovered mid-roll, slid beneath a fallen beam, and circled around for a flank.

The mutant slashed wildly toward the spot he'd landed—but he was already behind it.

Phantom Echo again—this time used tactically.

The clone distracted it long enough for Auther to leap and land a clean vertical slash down its spine.

Not enough.

Its carapace cracked, but held.

It whirled and slammed both fists into the ground, unleashing a shockwave.

Auther was tossed backward, barely keeping his blade.

His vision spun.

His breathing hitched.

But he didn't stop.

He blinked the blood from his eyes, activated Burst Step, and charged.

He baited the mutant into overcommitting—then used its momentum against it.

He flipped over its shoulder and jammed his blade into the cracked spine again—this time pumping mana straight into the wound.

The carapace exploded in a burst of black shards.

The mutant screamed, staggered, and reached for him—

But Auther ended it with one final stab through the heart.

It fell without another sound.

He stood, panting, soaked in blood.

His heart hammered in his chest.

Then—finally—the system responded.

---

[Enemy Defeated – Rank: E2] – Skill Points Gained: +10

[Enemy Defeated – Rank: E3] – Skill Points Gained: +15

[Total Skill Points: 27]

---

More than enough.

He dropped to one knee beside the E3's body, pressing a hand to its chest and extracting its mana core. Dense. Heavy. Useful.

He stored it in his pouch and pulled out a water flask, taking slow sips.

Even with all his new power, even with the clarity and calm E-rank had given him… battles were still close.

He didn't want to imagine how strong E5 or higher enemies would be.

This was the low-level stuff.

He couldn't afford arrogance.

But… he could afford progress.

He opened his system and navigated to Skill Creation.

He didn't hesitate this time.

---

> Name: Mana Flow Optimization

Description: "A passive technique that reduces internal mana leakage and improves precision control. Reduces mana cost of all F-rank and E-rank skills by 2%."

Rank: F3

Cost: 10 SP

---

[Skill Created: Mana Flow Optimization (F3)]

[Remaining SP: 17]

He immediately felt the change.

His body didn't feel stronger—but smoother. More efficient. His mana didn't bleed out of his circuits the way it used to.

The difference would add up in long fights.

He bookmarked several other passive optimization ideas and closed the system.

Ashveil's skyline still loomed like a corpse—but for the first time, he felt taller than it.

This city had almost killed him when he first arrived.

Now?

He was becoming something it couldn't cage.

He tightened his grip on Mana Edge and turned north.

There were rumors of a collapsed Awakeners Association outpost—deep in the ruins, half-buried beneath a crumbled mall.

If the mutant activity around it was anything to go by…

There might be something valuable inside.

And Auther Finn was strong enough to try.