Norman had now fully established a routine, hunting mana beasts daily and steadily accumulating points. On school days, he could only hunt for half the day, usually earning half the points he might on a full-day hunt. But during the weekends, especially on Saturdays and Sundays, he began hunting from early morning until sunset without pause.
His daily schedule had become mechanical, almost ritualistic: attend academic classes until noon, grab a quick lunch—usually just bread from a nearby vendor—then catch the bus to the hunting zone just outside the city. He would hunt until just before sunset and return home to refine mana crystals late into the evening. Rinse and repeat.
His targets were always first-tier mana beasts. Though he could theoretically challenge stronger creatures, the risk-to-reward ratio didn't appeal to him. Efficiency and safety were his top priorities. The first-tier beasts posed no serious threat to his life, and with his mana compass guiding him, locating them had become incredibly efficient.
By the third Sunday in March, after a full week of focused hunting, Norman decided it was time to upgrade his mana compass. The F-ranked version had served him well, but he could tell its sensitivity was limited. It occasionally missed mana sources if they were too weak or too far away.
He opened his system interface, revealing his current point balance: 2,207.
"Upgrade mana compass to rank E," he commanded mentally.
[Deducting 250 points. Mana Compass upgraded to E-rank.]
The improved compass activated almost instinctively, like an extension of his senses. He could now feel mana sources with far greater precision and at slightly increased range. Even weak mana fluctuations didn't escape his detection anymore.
Curious, Norman decided to check his status:
Name: Norman
Rank: Mana Adept
Talents:
Mana Affinity (S)
Mana Cloak (D)
Manaforged Flesh (E)
Arcane Pulse (E)
Aegis Mind (E)
Mana Compass (E)
He realized he can expand his "Mana Adept" status. When he tapped it, more detailed statistics appeared:
Physical: 19.6%
Energy Manipulation: 19.3%
Mental: 20%
He raised an eyebrow in interest. So he could monitor not just his overall progress, but also the development of individual mana aspects. Even more interesting, he realized he can convert points directly into refinement progress. But he immediately dismissed the idea.
In this world, talent is all that matters. But with clear power disparities, even a second-tier Mana Adept wielding an S-grade talent would lose to a fourth-tier Mana Knight with only a D-grade talent.
Yet, what happens when two opponents duel under equal conditions, same tier, same footing? Strategy and tactics matter, but in a truly fair fight, the one with superior talent will always prevail.
Norman, with his rare ability to stack multiple talents, could become an exception, a fighter capable of challenging those above his tier. If he amasses enough high-grade talents, of course.
But for now, his combat talents hover at a measly E-rank. To rise, he has no choice but to grind for points for better talent.
By the fourth week of March, Norman continued his daily hunt without fail. One Saturday night, after finishing a mana refinement session aided by low mana crystals, a new thought occurred to him.
His Roman persona—used at Marlowe Hunter Company in the southern region—was beginning to draw too much attention. People already regarded him as a gifted mental-type mana user from a top university. That kind of recognition could become a problem. He needed to diversify.
"There are dozens of hunting companies scattered around the city," he mused. "Let's start building a few alternate identities."
He chuckled to himself like an excited child.
"Roman is the mental-type, a flying dagger user based in the south. For the east, I'll be Ramon, a brute-force physical-type user. In the west, I'll go by Rowan, a skilled energy-manipulation type."
It was a ridiculous plan, full of flair and drama—but it thrilled Norman. After all, in his past life, he'd been a 30-year-old shut-in. Crippled, jaded, and cynical. This world gave him the chance to be someone else—or several someone elses.
He smirked. "Roman gets the black outfit. Ramon, as the brawler, gets red. And Rowan? Let's go with blue."
His color-coded personas were starting to resemble a team of magical heroes—or Power Rangers. He didn't mind. It amused him. Besides, it gave him a way to safely access different regions without drawing attention to his true identity. For now, he excluded the northern sector. It was too far from home to be practical.
The next morning—Sunday—he donned a red hooded sweatshirt and matching mask, embracing his Ramon persona. He visited a different hunting company, this one operating in the eastern low-tier hunting grounds. After registering, he received a new hunter bracelet and began his usual routine: tracking beasts, exchanging their corpses for points, and occasionally harvesting trees.
By afternoon, Norman checked his status once again:
Physical: 39.8%
Energy Manipulation: 40.3%
Mental: 46%
Points: 4,560
His progress was significant. Now came the hard part—choosing which talent to upgrade next. He had enough points to improve multiple talents. Should he enhance his physical, energy, and mental talents equally? Or should he focus on improving Mana Cloak, allowing him to better hide his presence?
He hesitated. "If a high-level user with perception talents crosses paths with me, they might detect my aura—even if I'm trying to stay hidden."
He glanced around the forested area, making sure no one was nearby, then whispered, "Let's head back home first."
Once home, he completed another mana refinement session. The crystals hummed with energy as he absorbed their essence. As the night deepened, he sat cross-legged on his bed, reviewing his priorities.
"Let's not get cocky. Stay hidden, stay smart," he muttered. "No relying on luck or plot armor. In my last life, I was destined to end up a cripple."
With that sobering thought, he made his decision.
[Upgrading Mana Cloak to C-rank. Deducting 2,500 points.]
His points dropped to 2,060, but he felt safer. Stronger. Smarter.
Satisfied, Norman closed the system screen and lay back on his bed. For once, he allowed himself the luxury of rest.
Tomorrow would be another day.
Another hunt.
Another mask.
Another identity.
And the grind would continue.