Skill Maker In A New World: Start By Creating A 10x SP Skill-Chapter 76: Versatile Knight

Darien walked up to the female warrior just as she lifted her war hammer to begin training.

His presence halted her swing.

The girl turned toward him with a brief spark in her eyes before lowering the massive weapon in front of her.

Her name was Rutha, one of the knights from the academy.

Darien could recognize her anywhere with her mighty stance, stern face, and that same ironclad war hammer she wielded like an extension of her arm.

Rutha had reached Rank 2 Apprentice. It seemed she'd been traveling the plains, leveling up. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

She recognized "Jakob" swiftly as well.

Apparently, Jakob had left a clever impression back at the academy, so none of his peers could forget him that easily.

"You haven't been taking knighthood seriously, dear friend!" Rutha said once she noticed the current status of her fellow knight.

She couldn't help but wonder how he'd managed to be considered for the Honored Spire Guild at all.

Darien, on the other hand, realized he'd have to keep adjusting his false status to make it believable.

After all, the real Jakob would never still be a Rank 1 Intermediate at this point.

"Hopefully, I won't get paired against you," Rutha said with a smirk, lifting and resting her hammer on her shoulder. "It'd be a pity!"

Darien's expression remained unimpressed as he regarded the giant.

He wondered what gave a Berserker such bold confidence toward a Spearman.

Was it because she'd advanced to Rank 2 Mortal now? Perhaps Rutha had truly grown much stronger along her journey.

"Did you awaken an element?" Darien asked curiously.

He could feel the surge of Energy she was channeling into her hammer. All duds were incapable of doing that.

Sparks began dancing from Rutha's palms, weaving along the hilt and wrapping the dense metal head in streaks of light.

With a deep huff, the girl leapt forward and swung.

A violent burst of lightning erupted, striking three training dummies and reducing them to ash.

"Yes. Lightning," Rutha answered, turning around as her eyes turned back to normal.

Rutha expected "Jakob" to be awed, stunned, wide-eyed, and bursting with praise at her display.

But the boy wasn't even looking at her anymore.

His gaze had dropped to the grass, his mind seemingly elsewhere, analyzing rather than admiring.

From what he knew from the general library, Darien understood that some warriors could awaken their elemental talents without the aid of an Awakening Orb.

It was the same idea Vysnera had when she first saw him.

But unlike Darien, who wasn't normal, Rutha was a genuine false dormant.

She awakened Lightning without the conventional means.

Darien could only wonder what kind of trial she endured or if it had simply struck her as a gift one morning.

Whatever it was, it was impressive, and he was genuinely glad for her, especially since Lightning would be the final basic element he would master.

"Aren't you impressed?!" Rutha asked.

"Oh, I am," Darien replied evenly. "But not frightened. This is nothing I can't handle. I'd actually like us to get paired, so I can eliminate you personally."

Rutha was left speechless. No words came out of her mouth as she tried to bite back.

Smirking competitively, she swallowed, dropped her hammer, and folded her arms across her swollen chest.

"We'll see," she said as Darien walked away with a casual wave.

He entered his room to get comfortable.

His inn room was far better. This provided chamber was smaller, poorly lit, and felt more like a primitive prison than an accommodation.

Lying on the creaky bed, Darien thought again about Rutha and her lightning affinity, hearing her grunts echo from the courtyard as she continued training.

False Dormants were incredibly rare, but on the scale, he could compare them to Dual-Elementalists, since some false dormants might never even realize what they truly were.

Hopefully, it wasn't a sign of more imbalance, the boy mused.

He had been noticing how many new dungeons had begun manifesting on his magical map.

He hadn't been around this world for a long time, so he didn't know the average rate, but his gut told him more bridges were opening—even if slightly.

Darien lay staring at the ceiling, lost in thoughts of world-ending Armageddon, divine order, good and evil, so much so that he nearly forgot the smaller hurdle awaiting him tomorrow.

What could the trial be? Would they fight against one another or face a summoned test?

Whatever it was, Darien had to be ready.

And he had to be ready as Jakob.

But there was one problem—he was a Spearman without a spear.

Rising from the bed, he left his room immediately to request one.

The receptionist was willing to show him the guild's armory, but she made it clear that possession of any weapon wouldn't come without a price.

Darien assured her he wasn't short on money and could afford whatever met his needs.

After a short walk that doubled as an informal tour through the guild's inner halls and sectors, they arrived at the armory.

It was a massive armory, bigger than the average arsenal, as expected of a 7-star guild.

The receptionist kept the young man within the permitted sectors, making sure he saw only what was necessary for his rank and occupation.

He had no business meddling with enchanted blades or sophisticated magical weapons resting deeper inside.

Darien's section was lined with spear-related weapons only, though he could feel the presence of far deadlier tools beyond the walls.

He also sensed the receptionist's smug gaze, as though waiting for him to panic or admit that a Spearman was indeed useless.

But Darien knew better. If he was to get a spear, he would get the best spear.

(Item Name: Greythorn Spike)

(Type: Weapon/ Spear)

(Rank: Uncommon)

"Is this your choice?" the receptionist asked as the boy returned, holding a spear.

The weapon was of Uncommon rank, proof that he wasn't foolish enough to settle for Common.

Even so, the receptionist believed there were still finer options he could've chosen.

The Greythorn Pike had a twisted wooden shaft reinforced with streaks of metal that held its spiral frame together.

It was light, sleek, and aerodynamic, crafted to spin through the air like a drill.

The deadly part about it was its head. It was serrated like a thorn, meant for very deep injuries that would be difficult to heal.

They were impressive qualities, yet the woman still felt it wasn't the best spear in the arsenal.

"Yes, it's my pick," Darien replied firmly.

She had no choice but to respect his decision.

Returning to the main hall, she sold the weapon to Darien for seventy gold pieces.

As soon as the transaction was over, Darien made his way back to his room.

Rutha was still training, showing how dedicated she was.

She saw his new spear, but even though her face remained flat, Darien was sure he saw a laughing smile almost peek through.

He understood why they would see his spear as incompetent despite its lethal appearance.

Durability was crucial in fights. Even though the wood was bound around with slim metal, it was no match for a thick, dense spear made entirely of steel.

But Darien hadn't chosen the spear for its looks. He had a more mischievous reason.

He knew he wouldn't succeed in the trial by relying solely as a Spearman.

Look at Rutha—she had lightning!

So Darien intended to use magic, but subtly, in a way that would appear as refined spear mastery rather than sorcery.

He thought that by mastering the Wood element, he could create a connection with the spear.

If successful, he might be able to manipulate its trajectory mid-flight, giving him greater precision and control in combat.

And as a Swordsman rather than a true Spearman, Darien couldn't blame himself for finding clever shortcuts.

This was why he chose to train in the Cosmic Realm.

Since he had no true skills as a Spearman, he didn't want to embarrass himself outside, especially not in front of Rutha, who would no doubt enjoy the sight.

The Cosmic Realm offered him complete privacy and freedom to experiment.

Once he used the golden sphere to get in, Darien summoned the creation panel.

He wanted to create a skill that could generate personal enemies for him to train against, since the Cosmic Realm had no training dummies.

His cloning skill only produced three shadowy duplicates, and while useful, they lacked the substance and unpredictability of real monsters or humans.

Darien needed something that his spear could actually pierce through, puncturing flesh and blood.

For such a skill, one thought surfaced in his mind: Death.

Apparently, Death was an element of its own. It was mystic, not basic, forbidden and ancient.

That meant Darien could, in theory, manipulate the powers of both death… and life.

But just like the other farther basic elements he had yet to master, his understanding of the mystic ones was almost zero, leaving him more fearful of harnessing them than ready.

Still, Darien summoned the courage to pursue necromancy.

[Skill: Basic Summon]

[Level: (1-star)]

[Description: Calls forth up to seven scavenge deer, minimal intelligence, and moderate agility. Capable of charging, trampling, and distracting enemies. 60 secs duration.]

Costing 950 skill points, Darien created the skill.

He absorbed the skill book, and immediately, the dark energy pulsed through his veins as he gained his first Death Skill.

A moment later, the gaunt undead deer corrupted to life within the Cosmic Realm.

Seven of them in total, their hollow eyes burned faintly blue, their ribs pushing through shriveled flesh.

Snarling and growling, they pawed at the ground, confused and restless, seeking a purpose, unaware that the true threat was their summoner.

Darien gripped his spear firmly.

With a sharp huff, he launched the weapon.

It spun through the air and pierced three of the creatures clean through, scattering black ichor across the luminous void.

–250! ×3

[You get 100 EXP!] ×3

'Haha… the experience points might be small,' Darien smirked, retrieving his spear, 'but I actually gain XP from slaying my own summons!'