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“I apologize! I’m really sorry! I got ahead of myself. I honestly did think that maybe I’d try clearing the Raid alone, seeing as how OP I’d gotten in this dream. I really did get way too cocky! I honestly had no idea that I was this strong! I’m beyond human understanding right now! Even if it’s inside of a dream, there’s just something wrong with destroying a whole damn mountain range! It’s like I went on a rampage in my dream. Do I really have that much stress built up? There are a lot of things that piss me off at work, but still. Do I really have that much pent-up frustration? Didn’t I already let out a ton of it already? Is there really that much? Do I need to let out even more?! Well, screw it! If I have to let out more, I will! Besides, it’s fun! I’ll go wild!! Hurray to obscenity! Screw it all!!!”

I was in a strange state of mind.

“Alright, alright! Remember, this is a dream! A dream! It’s supposed to be a dream! So it’s okay, I’m okay! Don’t worry. Hang in there!” I said, trying to convince myself and come to terms with it.

I was currently going down the mountain.

I’d decided to take a walk and enjoy the beautiful scenery to try and calm myself down, but it just wasn’t working. The area was devoid of its usual tranquility; all the trees around me had been cut down.

My cheeks twitched involuntarily.

Still, after a long time of mumbling to myself, I seemed to have finally calmed down.
Before I knew it, the surrounding area had transformed into a forest with a decent number of trees.

There were definitely a ton of trees here. Just seeing the trees upright brought a surprising sense of relief. But not all of the trees were in good shape. Some had scorched branches, and many were bent or knocked over by flying debris.

Regardless, I chose to ignore those. As long as I couldn’t see the damage, the calming effect of the forest remained perfect.

While doing that, I eventually reached an area where the forest seemed untouched. Even Mobs began appearing all around me.

The commotion must have disrupted a significant number of Mobs, likely altering their habitats. But no matter the situation, those of them who had decided to attack would do so. Even now, I shot down a massive bat that had been flying toward me.

I’d downgraded my gear to the D Rank one, yet my strikes still packed a lot of punch.

As I looked at the Mob I had just taken down and then at the sword in my hand, a thought crossed my mind.

(I wonder where this impact comes from. Am I releasing sword energy? Sword energy probably comes from Chi, right? Up until now, I was just using it constantly without realizing it, like I would in a game, but now I can actually control it?! I can probably make it weaker or stronger, no? If it’s the Chi I’m familiar with, then it should be possible!)

Recalling the old days, I spun the sword in my right hand as if I were juggling it.

(It’s been quite some time since he taught me this…)

“I believe it was something like this…”

(Place the tip of the tongue at the base of the upper front teeth, relax, and exhale slowly. Like releasing a long-long thread through your lips.)

I breathed out quietly.

(Now, with that image in mind, I just need to imagine the Chi flowing into the sword as if I were exhaling through my palm.)

My arm hung loosely, and I gripped the sword lightly, just enough to keep it from falling.

I could clearly feel the weight of my arm and the sword. A warmth began to spread from the back of my chest, traveling down my arm and into the sword like a slow, dripping liquid.

I took a long breath, huffing slightly, and lifted the sword, checking its condition.

“White? No… It’s sparkling a bit, so I guess silver-white. A silver-white Chi. It’s almost like the sword is coated in syrup.” I pointed the tip of the sword up and down, watching to see if the sticky, slippery substance would drip off. “It seems like it’s stuck nicely.”

After confirming it wasn’t dripping, I let my hands drop down once more.

“Now to retract it.” I focused on inhaling the Chi, pulling it back toward me. Gradually, the silver-white glow that enveloped the sword faded away, finally disappearing completely.

“I did it!” I muttered in satisfaction. “I did think I could do it, but I didn’t think it’d go this smoothly. I even got to see my Chi. I wasn’t even able to see it before, so I’m quite impressed! Though it’s not like I’m seeing it with the naked eye, but more like just knowing that it’s there and being aware of it.”

Of course, I reminded myself that this was only possible because it was just a dream.

I then started experimenting with manipulating the thickness, thinness, density, and volume of the Chi. How thin could I make it? How much could I pour in? I tried different weapon ranks and different methods.

“The higher the rank, the easier it is to make precise adjustments. I can also make it thicker. And with G rank, there’s no limit—I can pour in as much as I want.”

I noted, and a thought suddenly crossed my mind.

“Could I maybe manipulate Mana in the same way? It will probably be a bit different than Chi, though. Whenever I use Magic, I feel quite drained, like I’m just exhausted. I wonder if I can control the output of Mana just like with Chi? I definitely need to test this out.” I muttered to myself. “First things first, let’s give it a try.”

I began searching for Mobs in the area to test my Chi control.

“I thought as much. There aren’t any towards the north and in the mountains. I guess I’ll have to head south now.”

A bit further south, I found a giant bat, the same Mob I had encountered earlier. It was flying about two or three meters above the ground, gliding over an area littered with fallen trees.

“Senior Vampire Black Bat. So it’s like an old vampire then? That name just sounds dangerous… But it seems only about 50 meters away. It’s right within my range.
Let me give it a try. First, breathe out slowly, like passing a needle through my lips… then… Release!”

With my left leg pulled back and my right side forward, I thrust my right arm ahead, aiming the tip of the sword at the target. A white line shot from the tip of the sword, piercing the bat in an instant.

“Yes! It didn’t explode!”

I exclaimed in surprise.