…
Approximately one year later
Warm sweat dripped from Peter’s forehead, sliding into his eyebrows as he swung the duelling sword in practised arcs, shifting his centre of gravity from his left leg to his right. He inhaled deeply, drawing fresh air into his lungs before exhaling a breath of turbid air. His arms and legs ached from the repeated motions, lactic acid spreading through his body, leaving him sore all over.
For nearly an hour, he had been practising sword forms—this, after completing ten laps around the village. It was safe to say he was completely spent. Without a second thought, he plopped down onto the ground.
"Fine, you can rest for five minutes," Joseph, the devil, spoke without the slightest hint of guilt in his voice.
Peter didn’t complain. Though he felt as if his ancestors were waving at him from the other side of the river, five minutes would be enough. His Skills were already at work, aiding his recovery with every breath. Joseph did not know the full extent of their capabilities, but he understood enough to push Peter to his limits every day during training.
Unfortunately, those Skills couldn’t restore his enthusiasm. He looked back at his past self, the naïve boy who had once thought training would be easy, with a mixture of amusement and regret.
Sitting on the porch, Joseph watched, likely waiting for his son to whine or voice a complaint. But Peter had his pride as a man. He would not give his father the satisfaction.
Whining to his mother last week didn’t count. Peter sighed and decided to check his progress, hoping for some encouragement to continue training.



Status...


Name:
Peter
Race:
Human


Class:
None




Title:
Trailblazer: Skills, Skill Creator
Age:
6


Health:
80
Mana:
2800


Stats...


Constitution:
8
Spirit:
280


Strength:
7
Agility:
8


Intelligence:
12




Luck:
18
Charisma:
35


Skills:
IDE, Status Camouflage, Mana sense Lv. 22, Mana Manipulation Lv. 9, Weapons Mastery Lv.9, Undying Vitality lv.3



 
He hadn’t yet gotten the opportunity to experiment with Weapons Mastery, having only used a sword so far. However, creating Undying Vitality right after gaining Weapons Mastery had been the best decision he had made. From the moment he obtained it, fatigue had become a thing of the past.



Undying Vitality Lv.3



A powerful regeneration skill that passively restores health, stamina, mana, mental resilience, and soul integrity over time. In active mode, it accelerates recovery at the cost of mana, allowing the user to heal rapidly in critical situations.
Active: Faster recovery based on mana invested.



Rank:
Rare



 
Levelling up Undying Vitality was slow, as it was primarily a recovery skill. So far, Peter had only used it to remove fatigue and soreness from his body. Maybe a few minor bruises at most.
"Come on, get up now. Your five minutes are over," Joseph rushed, standing up with his real sword in hand.
Peter regretted ever telling his father that he had chosen a physical recovery skill for his second slot. Still, he forced himself to stand.
"Continue swinging your sword until your mother calls for breakfast," Joseph instructed, putting some distance between them before beginning his practice. He moved through the same sword katas Peter was trying to memorise, but with an effortless grace. His cherished blade flowed fluidly through the air, looking more like a dance than a series of attacks.
Peter picked up his fallen wooden sword and resumed his practice, following his father’s example. After all, this was what he had asked for.
Mariah had made it clear that if he wanted to choose a different profession, they would support him. She had been very insistent on it. Thankfully, she hadn’t forced him to change his mind.
His training schedule had increased compared to a year ago. Mornings started with running, followed by swordsmanship practice under Joseph’s instruction until breakfast. After that, he was left alone until lunch.
Not that he spent that time lazing around. Instead, he meditated and practised Mana Sense and Mana Manipulation.
Lunch was followed by work on his IDE. His study sessions with Mariah had already been completed, and she had other responsibilities to take care of now, especially after the passing of Elder Minerva.
Evenings were either spent with David or going through sword katas once more.
The practice was obnoxiously boring. As an amateur, Peter’s training consisted of repeating the same kata motions over and over until he could perform them fluidly without thinking.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
So far, he had only been taught the foundational moves: Slash, Thrust, Parry, Block, Feint, Riposte, Overhead Strike, and Side Swipe. They were the very basics, yet there was a vast difference between how Joseph executed them compared to Peter.
One day, unable to hold back his curiosity, Peter asked about it.
Joseph’s response was calm and straightforward. "A sword does not require many moves. The eight basic moves, while simple, become complex when transitioning from one to another during a confrontation."
He insisted, "I am better at it because I can transition from one form to another much better than you. You will understand once you start sparring."



Status...


Weapons Mastery {Two-handed sword} has levelled up to 10.



 
Peter faltered mid-swing, his gaze shifting to the notification once more. When he turned to his father, he found Joseph watching him with a mixture of fatherly pride and something else, something he couldn’t quite place.
“Seems like you finally levelled it up based on your expression,” Joseph chuckled, stopping his training.
Peter nodded back, unable to contain his excitement. At last, he would be able to participate in the evening sparring sessions. David had been attending them for a while now, which had left Peter more than a little irritated.
But rules were rules. Mariah had strictly forbidden him from joining until he raised his Swordsmanship {Two-Handed Sword} to level 10.
Any weapon skill had to reach level 10 before it began guiding using mana to coat the weapon. Mana Manipulation could already assist with that, but his parents didn’t know. A choice Peter made with a guilty heart.
The way weapon skills functioned fascinated him. Each level acted like a permission key, granting access to a vast database of collective insights on the weapon type associated with the skill.
The higher the level, the more knowledge, guidance, and insights the skill provided in wielding the weapon. After level 10, the skill would finally start offering insights on how to infuse mana into the weapon. The information wouldn’t need to be studied or learned, as it would simply appear in the user’s mind, like a natural thought.
“I guess we can end it early today,” Joseph said, shrugging before sliding his sword back into its scabbard.
…
The greatest increase in Peter’s stats over the past year had been in Intelligence. He had managed to raise it to 12, a significant improvement. Mariah had been visibly surprised when he completed three years’ worth of academics in just a single year.
Most of the subjects he studied included history, geography, herbology, and knowledge about common monsters, along with other essential information.
There were lessons on proper etiquette when dealing with a servant of god, the various types of sentient races in the world, noble hierarchy, debt slaves, and other societal structures. However, there were undoubtedly gaps in his education… things Mariah herself, as a commoner, had never learned.
Peter sighed, pushing away the unnecessary thoughts cluttering his mind.
At the moment, he sat cross-legged on his bed in his room, eyes closed. Mana Sense spread outward as he surveyed his surroundings. Now functioning as a spherical domain with himself at the centre, the skill allowed him to perceive a four-meter radius in every direction at level 22.
If his assessment was correct, the reasons behind his Intelligence stat’s steady increase were his work within IDE, constant use of Mana Sense, and his daily study sessions with Mariah. With these advantages, he could now keep Mana Sense active for as long as he was awake, without any strain on his mind, unlike before.
Peter could, of course, try to increase the radius of his Mana Sense, but doing so would also increase the amount of raw information flooding his mind.
Mana Sense wasn’t designed as a clairvoyance skill; it didn’t filter information at all. A true clairvoyance skill, by contrast, would automatically discard unnecessary details before presenting only relevant data to the mind, allowing for a vastly greater range.
For instance, he didn’t need to perceive the exact size of each hair on an animal’s body to recognise that it was a rabbit.
Maintaining his meditation, he carefully expanded the sphere of Mana Sense. Most of the time, he kept it active within a two-meter radius around himself. It was only during his afternoon training that he attempted to push its boundaries to level it up.
While keeping a skill active at all times provided a steady stream of experience, deliberately pushing it beyond its comfort zone accelerated its growth significantly.
He halted his efforts the moment he felt strain on his mind. Almost immediately, Undying Vitality activated, working to soothe the pressure on his brain. Under the influence of Mana Sense, Peter observed the mana in his surroundings.
It moved randomly, shifting unpredictably, sometimes adopting an elemental property, only to discard it moments later and return to its natural state. It was like a willful child, acting purely on instinct, doing whatever it pleased.
In stark contrast, the mana within him was disciplined, like an obedient daughter caring for her parents in their old age.
Peter frowned at his thoughts. What kind of analogy was that?
Shaking his head, he sighed and cleared his mind of unnecessary distractions. Turning his focus back to the mana outside his body, he activated Mana Manipulation. Several months ago, he had stumbled upon an interesting discovery.
While the mana within him was exceptionally obedient, he possessed far too much of it for someone at their first advancement. Its sheer density made it highly saturated… and consequently, much harder to manipulate.
In contrast, atmospheric mana, despite its free-spirited nature, was significantly easier to control. Realising this, Peter had begun training Mana Sense and Mana Manipulation together, using the surrounding mana as his medium.
…
"…and then he told me to clean it all up," David complained, exhaling deeply while kicking a pebble with his left leg.
Peter nodded along as they walked toward the garrison area, listening to David vent about the work his father had assigned him that day. Both carried their weapons. David had his trusty axe, wooden though it was, yet still hefty.
Judging by the position of the sun, they had a few hours to train before nightfall.
David kept talking, but Peter was only half-listening at this point. His attention had been drawn to the distant shouts coming from ahead. His heart rate increased due to his excitement.
As they passed a group of older guards engaged in candid conversation, they stepped into the courtyard.
The training yard, reserved for the guards in the morning, was open to the children in the evening. No one in their right mind would train under the harsh daylight. By now, several older kids had already gathered.
In the far east of the yard, a pair of teen archers took turns aiming at distant targets across from them. The rest of the children had clustered in the centre, watching an ongoing sparring match between two girls.
One of them, a short-haired tomboy, wielded a spear with practised ease, expertly deflecting a downward strike from Noelle, who fought with a sword with a frown on her face.
The instructor noticed their arrival but quickly refocused on the fight.
Peter exchanged a look with David, who grinned back at him. Without hesitation, they joined the crowd. Now that he was close, Peter expanded his Mana Sense to observe the spar more carefully.
Both fighters had coated their weapons in mana. Of course, simply flooding an object with mana wouldn’t change anything on its own. They were doing something more… guiding the mana with intent, shaping it under their influence.
That was the key difference between atmospheric mana and a person’s mana. Atmospheric mana was free, untethered. Mana controlled by a sentient will, however, could allow someone to cut stone with nothing more than a wooden sword.