NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 3: Chapter 3 – Designing Power
The warehouse was silent except for the rain dripping through cracks in the roof.
Auther Finn sat cross-legged in the center of the floor, surrounded by dust and the faint hum of ambient mana. His eyes glowed with quiet fire as he stared at the floating System window.
[Skill Creation Menu Opened]
Skill Points: 100
For the first time since arriving in this world, he felt like he had control — not just over his future, but over power itself. This ability... it was more than rare. It was dangerous. A forge of infinite possibilities.
And he had no idea what he was doing.
Still, how hard could it be?
He smirked and stretched his fingers.
"Alright, let's test some boundaries."
He focused, and the menu shifted into creation mode.
[Create New Skill]
Name: Absolute Devourer's Pulse
Type: Active
Description: "An ultimate-grade cultivation technique that forcefully absorbs mana from everything in a 200-meter radius, including monsters, cores, crystals, ambient air, and even enemy bodies. Converts all mana into raw energy, allowing instant rank progression. Immune to backlash or corruption."
Additional Tags: Auto-refining. Passive adaptation. No limit on intake speed. Works in mana-dead zones.
He grinned.
It was absurd. Ridiculous. Completely broken.
He hit "Estimate Cost."
The screen blinked.
[Skill Estimate: Rank – SSS+]
[Cost: 197,000 Skill Points]
"...Huh."
His grin twitched.
He hit cancel, and leaned back, blinking.
"Okay. Little ambitious. Fair."
He took a breath, tapped the air again.
Second attempt.
Name: Primordial Star Engine
Type: Passive/Active Hybrid
Description: "A cultivation skill that draws mana directly from dimensional space. Grows stronger with time. Converts emotional intent into energy. Unlocks hidden bloodline potential. Can evolve into higher energy systems automatically."
Auto-repair. No burn-out. Resistance to mental fatigue.
[Estimated Cost: 45,600 Skill Points]
"…Why is everything cool so expensive?"
He sighed, rubbing his forehead.
Clearly, the system wasn't going to let him cheat his way into godhood on day one. Every line of functionality, every passive enhancement, every bypass — it all drove the cost up. The more impossible it sounded, the more the system demanded in return.
It wasn't a dream machine.
It was a transaction system.
Auther opened a fresh creation window. This time, he thought practically.
"I need a cultivation technique. Something simple. Focused on absorbing mana from the environment and monster cores. Something that grows with me. No shortcuts. Just potential."
He began shaping the idea.
A breathing rhythm for syncing with ambient mana.
Circulation loops anchored in the chest and spine.
Slow, controlled absorption rate that could be intensified manually.
No immunity boosts. No cosmic absorption nonsense.
Just structure. Flow. Efficiency.
Name: Silent Star Breathing
Type: Passive/Active Hybrid
Description: "A foundational energy activation skill that allows the user to absorb mana from the air or monster cores through rhythmic breathing and internal circulation. Scales slowly with practice. Can be upgraded or evolved. Compatible with all affinities."
Notes: High stability. Low risk. Long-term growth potential. No mana wastage.
He hesitated.
Then confirmed.
[Skill Created: Silent Star Breathing (Rank: F5)]
[Cost: 25 Skill Points]
[Remaining Points: 75]
[Note: This skill will passively gather mana when idle. Active breathing patterns enhance absorption. Evolvable.]
The moment the skill locked into place, he felt it.
A faint vibration in his chest — as if a muscle had just come alive. He took a slow breath in. The mana in the warehouse, faint as it was, responded. Moved. Flowed toward him.
It wasn't strong.
But it was there.
He smiled.
"Now we're getting somewhere."