Xiaoping's eyes were glued to the glowing blue screen. "Basic Skill Pack, huh?" he muttered, a strange mix of disbelief and a flicker of hope. His lightning still hummed under his skin, a faint echo of the power that had failed him against that monstrous statue. What could this "System" offer that Headmaster Lin couldn't?
As if reading his thoughts, the screen flickered, and the text shifted.
[BASIC SKILL PACK CONTENTS:]
* ⚡️ Lightning Dash (Active Skill)
* Cost: 5 Mana
* Effect: Instantly teleport a short distance in a chosen direction, leaving behind a burst of residual lightning. Perfect for evasion or closing gaps.
* ⚡️ Static Shield (Active Skill)
* Cost: 10 Mana
* Effect: Generate a temporary, crackling shield of raw lightning energy. Absorbs a set amount of damage. Can briefly stun melee attackers.
* ⚡️ Thunderclap (Active Skill)
* Cost: 15 Mana
* Effect: Unleash a focused burst of sound and shockwave from stored lightning. Briefly disorients enemies in a small area.
Xiaoping blinked. Mana? Skills? This was like something out of those old online games Kai used to play. But this was real. He felt a weird, new energy stirring within him, separate from his usual lightning, yet intricately linked. He instinctively understood "Mana" was the fuel for these new tricks.
He tried Lightning Dash first. A thought, a surge, and whoosh! He was three feet to his left, a faint blue afterimage lingering where he'd been. It felt effortless, a sudden, almost instinctual burst of speed. The cave walls, once just damp stone, now seemed like potential escape routes.
Next, Static Shield. He focused, and a shimmering, electric barrier shimmered around him. It pulsed with light, strong enough that he felt a weird vibration, a protective hum. He imagined the statue's fist impacting it, and a grim satisfaction settled over him. This wasn't the brute force he'd tried before; this was tactical, a new layer to his combat style.
Finally, Thunderclap. He let a small amount of lightning build in his palm, and with a focused push, a sharp CRACK! echoed through the cave, making the crystals on the walls momentarily shimmer brighter. It wouldn't outright destroy something like the statue, but it could definitely buy him time, disorienting a pack of shadowy creatures if he ran into them.
These skills weren't just about raw power; they were about utility, control, and strategy. His lightning was still his core, but now he had tools to apply it in smarter, more precise ways. The System wasn't just giving him strength; it was giving him a game plan.
He looked back at the screen, then around the cold, silent cave. He was dead, then revived, now equipped with what felt like cheat codes. Headmaster Lin and his friends were probably worried sick, assuming he was gone for good. But this... this felt like a new beginning.
"Okay, System," Xiaoping whispered, a dangerous grin spreading across his face. "Let's see what else you got. Survival Protocol: Initiated."