Just as Alex obtained the skill, the fatigue settled in, and he sat down with a wide grin stretching across his face.

His right fist was swollen and full of bruises, but he was happy with the progress.

"It was much easier and faster than I thought," he mumbled and tightened and unclenched his right fist a few times.

Here in the Glemora cell, Alex wasn’t worried about the fatigue because, unlike in Zyandra or Earth, he didn’t need to eat or drink here — his body would simply regain the lost energy within an hour of rest.

Crisp steps resounded behind him.

Alex ignored them for a moment.

Status.

[Host: Alex Blade (Anomaly)]

[Race: Human]

[Talent: Hall of Great Evils (SSS), Perfect Shield (B)]

[Level: 1 (20/200) (F)]

[Rank: Bronze V]

[Combat Value: 12.1]

[Evo Points: 250]

[Mana Pool: Initial]

[Skills: Mark of Subservience (S), Monarch’s Gluttony (S), Seed Of Evolution (S), Mana Punch Right (F)]

Alex’s eyes brightened, and he remarked inwardly.

My Combat Value dropped to 5 because of Julian, then it rose to 7 from the level up, and obtaining a F-Rank skill provides 0.1 CV, so I got 5 from body reformation. That’s crazy.

Just as he finished his thoughts, a shadow dwarfed him, and he raised his head to look at Cedric.

"Do I also have to teach you manners?" Cedric asked flatly.

Although the comment struck him like an arrow, Alex was in too good a mood to care.

He offered Cedric a wide, foolish grin and muttered, "I got the skill."

Cedric furrowed his brows.

"I do not think our concept of the term ’skill’ is the same. Elaborate."

"Ahh..." Alex let out a confused sound and rubbed his chin in thought.

A few moments passed by, and the warm orange glow of evening blanketed the boundless sky.

Alex rose to his feet and walked over to the pillar.

He was still very much tired, but he believed that if he told Cedric about how the skills worked, he could gain more than what he had initially planned for. His main goal was still his Mana Amplification skill, though.

"You see, skills allow us Players to do an action without having to manually foresee the whole process."

"Like..." Alex took his stance and continued, "if I use my Mana Punch Right skill, I can throw a mana-strengthened punch without having to move my mana on my own. It would simply happen by itself."

He activated the skill by thinking about it and exactly what he said happened.

Mana flowed through his mana channels on its own, and Alex slammed his fist into the stone pillar with a loud bam.

The punch was cleaner and faster because Alex no longer had to control his mana by himself.

Witnessing the mind-blowing scene, Cedric’s eyes gleamed with surprise and greed.

He stepped closer to Alex and remarked, "Your mana flow was faster and much smoother. Your body also fixed your posture on its own... It’s marvelous, however, that would mean if someday you are unable to use those skills, you’d be left completely crippled."

Alex’s excitement vanished instantly, and he mumbled gravely, "You are right..."

Cedric waved his hand and added, "But you don’t have to worry about it yet."

His lips lifted into a creepy smile, and he asked, "If you can do it for the right punch, can’t you do it for all of your limbs and in different ways?"

Alex felt a bad premonition, which he ignored entirely.

"I can." He nodded.

Cedric’s smile spread even further, turning eerie.

"Good, good," he mumbled and declared, "Then from tomorrow you will learn each one of them."

Wondering if he had heard him right, Alex cleaned his ears and asked, "Did you just say that I would learn each one of them?"

Cedric nodded. "Indeed."

"I..." Alex’s lips parted, but instead of saying anything, he just closed them and expected his fate with a nod.

"All right."

Cedric patted Alex’s shoulder. "Haha! When did you become such a good disciple?"

Alex looked at him from the corners of his eyes and thought.

This old man... he just wants to experiment with my body.

He inwardly prayed for himself, and the two of them left the chamber.

The next day, Alex followed Cedric’s instructions and punched with his left hand.

But because it wasn’t his dominant hand, his punches weren’t as smooth as yesterday. Even then, in the evening on his two hundred eleventh try, the system’s monotonous voice echoed in his head.

[System: Host Alex, you have acquired a skill — Mana Punch Left (F)!]

[System: Host Alex, you have two similar skills.]

[System: Host Alex, the similar skills have been unified.]

[System: Host Alex, you have acquired a skill — Mana Punch (E)!]

Even though Cedric was a mage, he was well-versed in close combat, mainly in kickboxing, so instead of teaching him magic, which required intensive study, he decided to use simpler and more rewarding methods.

A week passed by as he trained for jabs, crosses, and uppercuts.

[System: Host Alex, the similar skills have been unified.]

[System: Host Alex, you have acquired a skill — Mana Boxing (D)!]

Another ten days passed as he trained various types of kicks.

[System: Host Alex, the similar skills have been unified.]

[System: Host Alex, you have acquired a skill — Mana Kick Boxing (C)!]

Alex lay on the ground, breathing heavily.

A few steps away from him, Cedric was seated in a wooden chair that looked no less regal than everything else except Alex’s attire.

"Huff... Huff..."

Cedric watched his disciple with a thoughtful gaze and said, "I’ve taught you everything I could about close combat."

Alex turned his head toward Cedric and asked hoarsely, "Then why are you still pushing me down with your monstrous mana!"

"Hmm..." Cedric gave his answer some thought. "You can call it weight lifting, I guess?"

"Dammit!" Alex gritted his teeth and tried to stand up, but no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t.

"You damned old man!"

Suddenly, the mana weighing on him disappeared.

Alex’s face darkened, and his body trembled, remembering the beating he had received in the past few days.

"I am s-sor—"

However, Cedric ignored his stuttering and asked, "Which skill did you come to learn from me?"