Precedence System: I Take My Rewards In Advance

Thin arcs of pale blue electricity appeared over the back of his hand and moved between his fingers before disappearing into his skin.

He stared at his hand.

Another spark snapped across his knuckles.

[Lightning Mana Affinity Acquired]

Zishan slowly raised both hands in front of his face.

He could feel it.

There was another kind of Mana inside him now, different from Wind, Fire, Shadow, and Life. Lightning Mana moved through him with a sharper feeling than the others, and even though he had only just acquired the affinity, the sensation was distinct enough that he had no trouble recognizing it.

His eyes moved toward Elinox’s distant position beyond the western defenses.

A smile appeared on his face.

’Five.’

The System said nothing.

’I have five Mana Affinities now,’ he thought before remembering High General Holmes. ’She also has five.’

[High General Elinox Holmes is Level 1,510.]

Zishan lowered his hands. ’Why do you always have to ruin my happiness?!’

[The Host must not become complacent over minor achievements.]

’Minor?! I didn’t ask for your perspective or your input!’

He cursed the System several more times inside his head before forcing himself to look at the next reward.

[Skill Acquired: Ember Malediction]

[Tier: Grandform]

[Required Mana Affinity: Fire]

[Type: Single-Target / Persistent / Anti-Recovery]

Zishan began reading the information that entered his mind along with the Skill.

Ember Malediction allowed him to place a concentrated ember curse inside the Mana circulation of one target. Once established, the ember would continue burning from within, and any attempt to heal, regenerate, or circulate Mana through the affected body could cause it to flare and inflict more damage.

It was not impossible to remove. Someone with enough Fire Resistance, superior Mana control, a large enough Level advantage, or a suitable cleansing Skill could suppress or destroy it.

Even with those limitations, Zishan liked what he was seeing.

Wildfire Requiem worked best when there were many enemies around him because the flames could spread from one target to another. Ember Malediction was much more useful if he encountered one powerful bastard who kept healing every time Zishan managed to injure him.

’So if some bastard keeps healing, I can put this inside them and make the healing hurt them instead?’

[That is one possible application.]

Zishan nodded. ’That’s fucking evil.’

[The Host sounds pleased.]

’I am.’

The next Skill appeared.

[Skill Acquired: Thunderwake]

[Tier: Grandform]

[Required Mana Affinity: Lightning]

[Type: Enhancement / Movement / Offensive Support]

Thunderwake flooded his nerves and muscles with Lightning Mana to increase his reaction speed, acceleration, and short-burst movement. The more aggressively he moved, the more electrical wakes he could leave behind, and those traces could discharge against enemies who crossed them or whenever Zishan deliberately triggered them.

The Skill also warned him that maintaining too many wakes would increase both Mana consumption and physical strain.

Zishan read through everything while thinking about Rift Steps.

Rift Steps already allowed him to burst through short distances in ways ordinary movement could not easily follow. Thunderwake could accelerate him before or after those movements while leaving electrical trails behind.

He imagined using Thunderwake to rush past someone, leaving a wake across the ground, then using Rift Steps to change direction and force the same person to chase him through it.

Zishan smiled. ’Oh, I can do some really annoying shit with this.’

[The Dumb Host is advised not to test Lightning Skills near anything explosive.]

Zishan looked to his right. Several reinforced ammunition crates were stacked beside the nearest wagon.

He slowly took a few steps away from them. ’I already noticed those.’

[Of course.]

Zishan pretended he had not almost tested Thunderwake there.

The last reward remained.

[Beasts Nurturing Space Unlocked]

Unlike the two Skills, the name alone did not tell him enough about what the new section could actually do. His Tamed Beast Space already held the three Ridgefang Hounds, the injured Ironback Razorboar, and the Dragon Egg, so Zishan wanted to open the new section and find out whether it could help the Razorboar recover or do something useful for the rest of his beasts.

He had just raised one hand toward the panel when the ground beneath his feet trembled.

The movement was not strong enough to knock anyone down, yet almost everyone near the barricades noticed it.

Zishan looked toward the western field.

A huge amount of Mana had erupted far ahead of the station.

High General Holmes had already reached the enemy High General.

Elinox had expected the Kingdom of Degenerates to answer for what she had done to their military station.

She had crossed into their territory, destroyed one of their defensive positions, ruined supplies that would have supported the attack against Olmost, and returned before they could stop her. Even if the Kingdom of Degenerates had chosen not to send another army right away, someone would have come looking for her eventually.

What she despised was seeing the enemy High General gather Mana while looking past her toward the western station.

His army was still behind him.

He had moved ahead of the main force and was preparing something large enough that the Mana alone disturbed the ground around his feet. At first, Elinox thought he intended to attack her from a distance.

Then, she followed his line of sight.

The western station was behind her. Elinox understood what he wanted. He was trying to return the favor.

The station had already suffered enough from the Stampede. Some sections had only recently been repaired, wounded soldiers were still inside, and the people stationed there had barely gotten enough time to prepare before another army appeared in front of them.

If the man wanted revenge because Elinox had destroyed one of their stations, then he could take that revenge against her.

She had no intention of allowing him to bury everyone behind her just to prove a point.

The enemy High General released his attack.

Elinox raised one hand as Gravity Mana spread across the field.