Clover approached the designated Mana Bolt practice area. It was a good distance away from where he had gotten his food – almost on the opposite side of the factory.

Six large targets had been set up next to the wall. The area was moderately filled with people practicing their aim, though, at the moment, everyone’s attention was focused on a tall man with a baseball cap. As he stepped forward a hush fell over the crowd - all activity stopped.

“You know, there’s still time to back out,” a man holding a wad of dollar bills in his fist said.

Mr. Baseball cap said nothing.

A few people passed crisp green bills to the man, placing last-minute bets.

With a smile, the center of attention held out his hand. Four [Mana Bolt]’s flew forward, curving through the air. They swerved, spiraling around each other, and then at the last moment, they shot in different directions, correcting their course. Each [Mana Bolt] hit the center of a different target at the same time.

A grumble went through the crowd, and money exchanged hands.

“Wow, that was awesome. How did you do that?” Clover asked with barely contained excitement. Normally, the magic attack could only travel in a straight line. What secret had the man discovered to allow him to bend the System’s rules?

“Don’t even bother asking; his explanation doesn’t make a lick of sense,” the man grumped, the wad of dollar bills now missing from his fist.

“No, no, it makes perfect sense; listen to this,” the man with the baseball cap said, eager to share.

After a short introduction, Paul explained how he had made his [Mana Bolt]’s curve through the air. “Well, it all started when I was a child. Back then, I used to play baseball – I was pretty good too. I learned how to throw: a curveball, a knuckleball, all the basics. So, now when I use [Mana Bolt] it feels like I’m throwing a baseball. In my mind, I’m moving through the motion.” Paul scratched his head. “Does that make sense? Basically, all you need to do is go BING, BONG, BANG, and it will work.”

Clover blinked; BING BONG BANG, huh. Was that the secret? He fired off a [Mana Bolt], repeating the magic words to himself. The bolt of blue Mana didn’t curve.

Congratulations! Mana Bolt has reached Level 14.

“See, I told you it didn’t make any sense.”

Paul shrugged.

Seeing that there was no more betting to be had, the crowd slowly dissipated, returning to their practice.

Clover wasn’t discouraged by his failure. He hadn’t expected to figure it out on his first try. Except for [Golem Creation], he didn’t have much talent for things of a magical nature.

He tried again. This time utilizing the more practical part of the advice Paul had given. Most likely the random words weren’t the important part of making the attack curve. If he had to guess, the process of imagining himself throwing the baseball was the key component of the process.

The only problem was that he wasn’t good at baseball. He had no idea how to throw a curveball. He was good at cornhole, but that was different – underhand vs overhand made a big difference.

Still, Clover gave it a shot. A [Mana Bolt] shot forward. It didn’t curve, but it did twitch a bit on its flight to the target.

“That was better than the last one,” Paul said. To the side he practiced his aim, carefully measuring out his shots.

“Thanks.”

Before he continued, Clover opened his Paths Screen.

Animalistic Golem (0/10), Mana Bolt 2 (0/5), Sculpting 2 (0/5), Track (0/5).

Seeing as how he had 14 Skill Points and the Mana Bolt 2 Path only cost 5 Points, he bought it. Plus, it was his primary way of dealing damage. It couldn’t hurt to improve it.

The pages begin to fill with words, but they are meaningless without purpose. What is the purpose of Mana Bolt?

Choose one: Increased Range or Increased Speed.

Unlike the others, the Path he had unlocked for pushing Mana Bolt to Level 10 didn’t offer a choice between Sub-Skills. Instead, it displayed a choice between two flat upgrades. Both were substantial, but in his mind, he valued speed more. If he selected the range upgrade, sure, he could attack from further away, but that would conversely mean that his enemies would have more time to dodge. [Mana Bolt] wasn’t exactly incognito. On the other hand, if he made Mana Bolt faster, it would be easier to hit his targets.

Besides, he already had a possible way of increasing [Mana Bolt]’s range. Eventually, he’d figure out how to shoot [Mana Bolt]s out from his golems without making them explode. He knew it was possible. He’d figure it out at some point.

The fastest bird gets the worm, but what will you do when speed is not enough? +3 Magic, +2 Mana. +50% Mana Bolt Speed.

Clover returned to his practice, adjusting to the increased speed. In the end, he didn’t figure out how to make the balls of Mana curve – the most he accomplished was a twitch along its flight path, but his accuracy definitely improved.

Congratulations! Mana Bolt has reached Level 15.

Congratulations! Mana Bolt has reached Level 16.

Shooting around bolts of magic was fun – he could do it all night, but he had to conserve Mana for his other projects, so with a heavy heart, he ended his practice session. Tomorrow he’d figure out the secrets of the trick.

Before Clover left, he debated where to put his Stat Points. All the options seemed good, but he didn’t have enough information to make the perfect choice. Of course, he realized he’d never be able to make an optimal build; he was spreading his points in too many directions. Perfect was off the table, but he wanted to get as close to it as possible.

Paul crashed another [Mana Bolt] into the center of the target. As weird as he was, Paul seemed like he knew what he was doing.

“What’s the difference between Recovery and Regeneration or Mana and Magic? They sound like the same thing.”

“Ah, I was confused about that too, until Linda figured it out. Apparently, they’re conducting tests to see how much of a difference a single point of Strength makes.”

“Who’s Linda?” Clover asked.

“Linda Lee, the head nurse, the lady making sure someone doesn’t accidentally blow up the place. Anyways, back on topic, Regeneration increases Health Point regen, and Recovery increases Stamina Point recovery. The other Stats do a similar thing; Magic increases your maximum Magic Point Pool, and Mana increases Mana Point recovery. It’s all a bit confusing. If you want more information, they’re posting it right below the signs with all the rules as they discover more.”

It seemed that there was a method to the man’s madness. He hadn’t lucked his way into his accomplishments.

Clover thanked Paul and then wheeled over to the signs. Ms. Lee had added quite a few below the original, “Only use Mana Bolt while in the factory in designated areas.” Some of the ones that stood out to him the most were: “Do not eat the furniture”, “Do not handle explosive materials in the factory”, and “Please keep your clothes on while in public areas”.

Below that, Clover read through what Ms. Lee had discovered about the System. It wasn’t much, but a good deal of it was new to him. Using this new information, he distributed his Stat Points. He put seven Points into Regeneration, three into Dexterity, and four into Mana. His cells burned as changes washed over him. Clover wasn’t sure if Regeneration would prove to be more impactful on his condition than Vitality, but he figured a balanced approach was best.

The other Stats he put Points into were geared towards helping him [Mana Bolt] monsters to death. Dexterity for better aim, and Mana so he wouldn't run out of juice early.

He stretched his back as the changes settled in.

After committing the information on the signs to memory, he returned to his bed. It was time to get started on his golems.

For 10 Points, Clover completed the Animalistic Golem Path. The Sculpted Animal Path he had taken earlier had proved to be a major help in making an Uncommon Quality sculpture; he hoped this would provide a similar benefit.

Distinct animals poke out from the tall grass – no longer a faceless mass. A favorite has appeared. +5 Intelligence, +2 Magic. Any golem that is recognizably an animal receives a flat 25% boost.

The boost was nice, but he didn’t like how it pigeonholed him into making animal golems. Really, it was the principle of the matter; Clover had never intended to make a non-animal golem. He just liked his freedom. Maybe, he also liked to complain.

He reigned in his disappointment. Who’s to say he couldn’t complete a similar Path for some other type of golem?

Clover activated [Golem Creation], once again watching as the System worked. Within the tether, images were layered in a 3-dimensional manner, kind of like a steak kebab. The steak was the picture, and the stick was the thread connecting them all. At least, it was kind of like that. Clover didn’t have the specifics down.

The structure compressed itself and then raced down the connection. Clover's last sculpture came to life.

Congratulations! Golem Creation has reached Level 8.

The difference his newest Path made wasn’t clear. The dog-golem looked the same as the last one, so he activated [Golem Status Screen] to gain more information.

Congratulations! Golem Status Screen has reached Level 1.

Name: Dog-Golem 1

Quality: Common

Size: Small

Durability: 50/50

SP: ?/?

MP: 10/10

Strength: 2

Endurance: ?

Recovery: ?

Vitality: 4

Regeneration: ?

Dexterity: ?

Agility: 3

Perception: ?

Intelligence: 0

Mana: ?

Magic: 1

Myth: 0

Skills:

Attributes:

From what he could see, the Golem’s Stats were low, but he guessed they counted for a lot more than usual when they only had to move a couple of pounds. Additionally, the inclusion of the “Skills”, and “Attributes” tabs made him hopeful for the future. If he could figure out how to give his Golems even the most basic of Skills, they would be super-duper strong.

Feeling slightly scientific, he put on his metaphorical lab coat and used [Golem Link] and then [Hardening]. This way Clover could precisely measure how much he increased the sculpture's durability.

A thread of earthen Mana weaved its way down the tether, reaching the dog-golem. Sparked by the foreign energy, the internal Mana structure of the sculpture shifted. He watched closely using the weird touch-sense the Skill provided. It was hard to catch everything; [Golem Link] had yet to reach a high level of clarity – what he saw was still blurry.

Energy gathered along its exterior layer in discrete units, densely packing together like bricks in a wall. The internal lines of Mana vibrated then branched off, creating small tendrils that connected to the newly hardened exterior.

A slight gust of wind blew over the Golem then [Hardening]’s effects ended.

Congratulations! Hardening has reached Level 4.

Congratulations! Hardening has reached Level 5.

Congratulations! Golem Link has reached Level 5.

Clover opened his eyes. To think he had missed all of that the first time he had used the Skill. It was fascinating even if he knew a large part of the process probably still went over his head.

Eager to see the results of his “experiment”, he used [Golem Status Screen] again.

Congratulations! Golem Status Screen has reached Level 2.

Name: Dog-Golem 1

Quality: Common

Size: Small

Durability: 65/65

SP: ?/?

MP: 10/10

Strength: 2

Endurance: ?

Recovery: ?

Vitality: 4

Regeneration: ?

Dexterity: ?

Agility: 3

Perception: ?

Intelligence: 0

Mana: ?

Magic: 1

Myth: 0

Skills:

Attributes: [Hardened Skin].

A 30% increase in Durability – pretty good for a Level 5 Skill.

With his experiment concluded, Clover grabbed a chunk of clay. There was a ton of the stuff laying around – he wasn’t in danger of running out anytime soon.

It was time to remake Mr. Cat.

He got to work, shaping the material. Cat facts filled his head in bits and pieces courtesy of the Sculpted Animal Path, guiding his hands. He took his time as he worked, doing his best to correct all the flaws in the cat-golem’s previous design.

Last time Mr. Cat’s claws had been too small while also being too unwieldy. He corrected that mistake by making them a more curved shape.

An hour later, he finished. With his hands stained with clay, he examined the sculpture. It was good – almost on the same level as Bob the Elephant. He wouldn’t be surprised if Mr. Cat the Second reached the Uncommon Quality threshold.

Congratulations! Sculpting has reached Level 11.

Congratulations! Sculpting has reached Level 12.

He decided to not use [Hardening] on the sculpture. The cat-golem’s main advantage was its mobility – using the Skill would nullify that trait, making it slower and clumsier.

After watching the System use [Golem Creation] twice, he felt he was ready to take a stab at it again. Using what he learned, he activated the Skill.

He closed his eyes and watched as a blue thread stretched off into the dark distance. It connected to the chunk of clay, growing fatter. Immediately, he constructed a picture of a cat in the tether – the same one as last time. His neck tingled as he idly noted that the images were like computer code, inscribing his intent upon the golem.

With the initial image complete, Clover began forming a second layer. It was a confusing and awkward process – like using a muscle he never had before, but eventually, he managed. In the end, remembering his steak kebab theory helped him greatly. All he had to do was poke a hole through the steak with a kebab.

It was strange, but it worked. Clover was starting to understand Paul’s Bing-Bong-Bang explanation more; it was hard to put these things into words.

Branching off from the cat’s paw, a giant wooden pole led to another layer – ready for him to paint upon. He dropped down the immense wooden length.

Down here, his immersion in the mental link was greater. Equal parts of his consciousness were in the link and the factory. Clover brought his focus back to the task at hand. He didn’t have unlimited time; already he could feel cold sheets of ice pressing against the edges of the image, chomping at the bit to destroy it.

Clover built a blueprint – a collection of images showing in excruciating detail how the cat’s claws were able to retract and extend from its paws.

Just as he finished, the image-structure began to shake, ready to begin its journey. With no reason to fight the pressure, he let the images travel down the connection. His surroundings in the factory faded from view as he fought off the corrupting frost falling from the sky.

His increased Stats were a great boon, allowing him to monitor a larger area at once and split his attention. However, the distance between the two images proved to be a challenge. While navigating back and forth between them, small parts of the pictures were destroyed.

Congratulations! Golem Creation has reached Level 9.

Congratulations! Golem Creation has reached Level 10.

The transformation finished, and he used [Golem Status Screen] to inspect the results.

Congratulations! Golem Status Screen has reached Level 3.

Name: Mr. Cat the Second.

Quality: Common

Size: Small

Durability: 50/50

SP: ?/?

MP: 10/10

Strength: 3

Endurance: ?

Recovery: ?

Vitality: 4

Regeneration: ?

Dexterity: ?

Agility: 5

Perception: ?

Intelligence: 0

Mana: ?

Magic: 1

Myth: 0

Skills:

Attributes: [Hidden Claw].

By all accounts, Mr. Cat, the Second was better than the original – it was even larger too. Before the cat-golem could fit in the palm of his hand, Now, the golem was around 1-foot tall and 1-foot long. He didn’t have a tape measure, but he felt that his assessment was fairly accurate.

He tested out the golem’s Attribute: [Hidden Claws]. With a mental tug, clay descended from the cat’s cute paws, sharper and larger than they were a few short minutes ago.

He scratched his chin. The golem creation process had changed the physical structure of the sculpture. He’d never seen that happen before.

Noted. He’d be on the lookout for it in the future.

After testing Mr. Cat, the Second’s capabilities, he got to work remaking Bob the Elephant. Before he started, he knew this sculpture would take much longer to create. Not only did he plan to incorporate the jagged Bone Rat horn he had looted and the elephant-golem’s old tusk, but he also planned to make it much larger than before.

To aid in the crafting process, Clover opened the Path Screen and put 5 Points into the Sculpting 2 Path. The Golem Creation Path was also available, but he figured he could finish it soon enough. It made more sense to him to complete the Paths in this order.

Sculpting. Sculpting. Sculpting. As you repeat the same motions for the hundredth time, you begin to find a hidden depth in their simplicity. What trick have you learned?

Choose one: Increased Golem Quality or Increased Crafting Speed.

Both sounded useful. The increase in sculpting speed upgrade would allow him to spend less of his limited time on crafting. Additionally, it would also allow him to level up the Skill faster.

On the other hand, the Quality upgrade could help push more of his sculptures over to the Uncommon Quality Level. He wasn’t exactly sure what that did, but it sounded important. It was common sense: Uncommon was better than Common.

Slow and steady wins the race, but with your approach, will you even make it to the starting line before it's too late? Sculpture Quality increased. +3 Dexterity, +1 Strength, +1 Myth.

Clover smiled and began sculpting, pushing his limits, forcing himself to make the clay creation as large as possible while still maintaining a degree of detail. Hours passed as Clover worked diligently. He only took a break for a few short moments when someone accidentally lit a chair on fire.

As the first rays of light shined down, he finished.

Congratulations! Sculpting has reached Level 13.

…

Congratulations! Sculpting has reached Level 20.

Bob the Elephant, still inanimate, stood two and a half feet tall and more than that wide. Realistically, it was as big of a sculpture as he could make. Without the System’s help, the thing would have collapsed hours ago.

After a quick System led use of [Hardening], he was ready to use [Golem Creation].

Congratulations! Hardening has reached Level 6.

After crossing his fingers, he activated the Skill. A faint white mist sparked around the sculpture as the clay writhed, shifting about in white waves. Clover watched closely as the elephant ballooned outward, slightly increasing in size.

A red light tinting the white mist around the Bone Rat horn made tusk. On the other side of its face, the tusk from the previous iteration of the elephant golem emanated a deep black haze, sucking all the magical forces toward it – distorting them in the process.

Partly to his surprise, the sculpture didn’t explode.

Congratulations! Golem Creation has reached Level 11.

Congratulations! Golem Creation has reached Level 12.

Congratulations! Golem Creation has reached Level 13.

Congratulations! Golem Creation has reached Level 14.

Now armed with three golems, Clover was ready to fight.

The monsters wouldn’t know what hit them.