World Awakening: The Legendary Player
Chapter 30: Use Mana

Chapter 30: Use Mana

A new blue screen popped up right in his face. It had info about his mana core, the thing that had just caused him so much damn pain.

[Mana Core Established: Grade C (Upgradeable)]

[Current Capacity: 50/50 MP]

[Mana Regeneration: 1 MP per 5 minutes (Increases with Endurance & Core Grade)]

[Elemental Affinity: None (Neutral Core)]

Nox read it over. ’Grade C, huh? So, not the best, but it says upgradeable. That’s something, I guess.’ He saw that his mana would come back, but slowly. ’One point every five minutes? That’s slow as hell. Better than nothing, though.’

He was super tired. His whole body just wanted to quit, to pass out and forget everything. But he wasn’t done. Not by a long shot. ’Got this new mana thing, might as well see what it does. Can’t just sit here.’

He tried to use that Lesser Mana Weaving skill he’d gotten from Auraelia. He focused, trying to pull in the mana he could now feel in the air around him. It felt weird, like trying to breathe underwater but not actually drowning. He tried to get it to go into his new core, to fill it up or something.

Just when he thought he was maybe getting the hang of it, he felt something else. Or, more like, he heard something. Footsteps. Close. And getting closer. They weren’t trying to be quiet.

’Crap, someone’s coming,’ he thought. ’Probably heard the gunshot from earlier when I shot my leg. Took them long enough to find me.’

The footsteps were in the building now, heavy. Sounded like more than one person. He tried to push himself up, to get ready for whatever. But his leg, the one he’d blasted a hole in, just screamed at him with a fresh wave of pain. The world tilted sideways for a second, and he went down again, landing hard on his side with a grunt.

’Damn it, not now,’ he thought, his head spinning. The floor felt cold. ’This is a really bad time to be taking a nap on the floor.’

The door to the room he was in, or what was left of it, creaked open wider. Three guys walked in. They were big, looked like trouble, and they saw him on the floor right away, all messed up and bloody. Their eyes lit up, not in a friendly way.

"Well, well, what have we here?" one of them said. He was the biggest of the three, with a nasty grin. "Looks like someone had a rough night."

The other two snickered. They spread out a bit, like they were cornering an animal. It was a small room, not much space to move.

’Great,’ he thought. His hand instinctively went to where the gun had been, but he’d dropped it when he fell. ’Just what I needed. More assholes.’

The big guy walked closer, his boots crunching on debris. "Whatcha got there, buddy? Anything good on ya?" He didn’t wait for an answer. He and his friends started searching Nox, patting him down rough. Nox just lay there, too weak and too surprised to fight back right then. His body still felt like it had been run over.

They didn’t find much. His pockets were mostly empty except for those monster cores he’d grabbed from the gym. The goons looked at the cores, then at each other, then just tossed them aside like they were rocks. ’Idiots,’ he thought. ’They don’t even know what those are worth.’

One of them found the Old Model Revolver Nox had dropped when he fell.

"Ooh, a piece," the guy said, picking it up and checking the cylinder. "Still got a few shots. Nice."

Then the big one spotted the Sunstone Blade, which Nox had managed to mostly hide under himself. He yanked it free with a grunt. "And a sword? Fancy." He gave it a clumsy swing.

The big guy licked his lips, looking Nox up and down with a look that made Nox’s skin crawl. "You look like you’re about to pass out, friend. Maybe we can... help you relax a bit." His voice was oily and suggestive.

This whole thing was really pissing Nox off. He was hurt, yeah, but he wasn’t helpless. Not anymore. He took a small breath, then another, trying to feel that mana in the air again, trying to connect with that new energy inside him. It was a faint feeling, but it was definitely there, like a tiny battery in his chest.

’Okay, screw this,’ he decided. He focused on his core, trying to pull that mana into himself, trying to get it to move, to do something.

The big guy leaned down, his gross, unshaven face way too close. Nox could smell his bad breath. He reached out a hand, like he was going to grab Nox’s shirt or maybe something worse.

Just as his dirty fingers were about to touch him, Nox moved. It wasn’t a stumble or a desperate flail. He spun, his body way more fluid and controlled than it should have been, given how wrecked he felt. It was like he was a dancer for a split second, all grace and speed he didn’t know he had. His good leg came around in a perfectly aimed kick.

The kick connected right with the side of the big guy’s head. There was a solid, wet thwack. The guy’s eyes went wide with surprise, then rolled back in his head. He went flying sideways, crashing hard into the already crumbling wall. Dust and bits of plaster rained down. He slid down the wall in a heap and didn’t get back up.

He was out cold.

The other two guys just froze, staring at their boss on the floor, then back at Nox who was now, somehow, on his feet. He was a bit shaky, yeah, but he was standing.

"What the—?" one of them stammered, taking a step back.

Nox let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. His leg was screaming, but the kick had felt... good. Like he’d finally let off some steam. That mana, whatever it was, had definitely given him a boost.

He looked at the two remaining goons, a nasty, cold smirk spreading across his face. It wasn’t his usual bored look. This was different. This was pissed off.

"Alright, you pieces of shit," he drawled, his voice low and dangerous. "Who’s next? Or are you just gonna stand there looking stupid?"

The guy who’d taken his gun fumbled with it, trying to aim, but his hands were shaking. "You... you broke his jaw, man! He’s out cold!"

"Yeah, and?" He took a step towards them. It was a limping step, but it had a certain kind of menace to it. "He was asking for it. Touching people without permission? Bad manners." He let out a harsh laugh. "Guess you two need a lesson in etiquette as well, huh?"

"Stay back, freak!" the other guy squeaked, grabbing the Sunstone Blade, though he held it like it was a live snake.

Nox just kept coming, slow and deliberate. "Freak? Oh, I’ll show you a freak." He could feel that mana inside him, still just a little bit, but it was there, humming. It felt... dark. Like it was listening to him. "You liked patting me down so much? How about I return the favor?"

He feinted to the left, and the guy with the sword flinched, swinging wildly. Nox just sidestepped it easy, then his hand shot out and grabbed the guy’s wrist, the one holding the sword. He twisted, hard. There was a sharp crack, and the guy screamed, dropping the Sunstone Blade. It clattered on the floor.

"Oops," he said, his smirk widening. "Butterfingers." He kicked the sword away. "Now, where were we? Ah, yes. Lessons."

The guy whose wrist he’d just snapped was clutching it, his face white with pain. The other one, the one with the gun, finally managed to point it at him.

"I’ll shoot you! I swear I will!" he yelled, but his voice was cracking.

Nox just looked at him, his eyes like ice. "Go ahead. Pull the trigger. See what happens." He took another step. "Or are you too chicken shit? You look like the type. All bark, no bite, just like your boss over there." He gestured with his head towards the unconscious guy. "Pathetic."

The guy with the gun was sweating now. He glanced at his friend who was whimpering on the floor, then back at Nox. Nox could practically see the fear rolling off him.

"You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?" the gunman whispered, his eyes wide. "You’re sick."

Nox laughed again, a cold, empty sound. "Sick? Maybe. Or maybe I’m just tired of assholes like you thinking you can push everyone around." He was close now, right in the guy’s face. "You wanted to find something good on me? Well, guess what? You found trouble. Big trouble."

He didn’t even wait for the guy to react. He punched him, a quick, brutal shot to the gut. The air whooshed out of the guy, and he doubled over, gagging. The gun clattered to the floor next to the sword.

Nox nudged the weapons with his foot, then looked down at the two conscious goons, both of them now either hurt or terrified.

"Now, get the hell out of my sight before I change my mind and decide to use you two for target practice," he growled. "And take your trash with you." He nodded at their boss.

The guy with the broken wrist scrambled back, his eyes darting between Nox and the exit. The one he had punched was still wheezing, but he managed to nod frantically. They dragged their unconscious leader towards the door, not looking back.

As they were about to disappear, the one he had punched, stopped at the doorway. He turned, his face contorted with a mixture of fear and bravado.

"You... you’ll pay for this!" he shouted, his voice still shaky but full of venom. "Our real boss... he’ll hunt you down! He’ll make you wish you were never born!"

Nox just watched him, that cold smirk still playing on his lips. He could feel that new mana swirling inside him, faint but potent. It felt... responsive. As the guy spoke, Nox imagined that mana, dark and cool, wrapping around him, unseen. It felt like living shadows clinging to him, empowering him.

He let out a low chuckle, his eyes glinting. "Let him try."

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