There were two other items with a yellow background in his inventory. Matthew quickly inspected them.

[Item: Skillbook - Sword Aura]
A skillbook that contains knowledge on the Sword aura skill.

- Additional option -
Consumable. Using this book will provide the person holding it with the Sword aura skill. Destroyed after use.

[Item: Skillbook - Mana application]
A skillbook that contains knowledge of mana.

- Additional option -
Consumable. Using this book will provide the person holding it knowledge of mana. Destroyed after use.

“Whoa! How do I use them?!” he exclaimed excitedly, pulling them both out of his inventory. 

He kept the sword aura skill book in his hands and put the other one next to him. He opened it with great anticipation. 

The pages were blank.

"Huh?"

He turned the pages one by one, then dozens at a time until he arrived at the end. All the pages were blank. 

"What?! Where's the text? How can I learn a skill if the book is empty? Oh wait! It said to 'use' it, not that it was its content. Is it a magic book or something then? How do I use it…" he calmed himself, reflecting. 

'Right! Mana!' he thought after a moment. 

He started to focus his energy on the open book in his hands when the white pages emitted a flash of light. 

Voom. Ring.

The next instant, the book had disappeared from his hands and he heard the ringing sound of the system. He opened the notification, his vision unimpacted by the seemingly blinding light.

[You have unlocked a new skill: Sword aura.]

[Skill: Sword aura (Lv.1)]
The weapons wielded are imbued with higher density mana.

"It worked!" he exclaimed, enthusiastic. 

He opened his status window to check. 

[Status window]
Name: Matthew Carter
Level: 20
Achievements: 10

- Stats -
STR: 55
AGI: 50
END: 60
INT: 48
LCK: 3
KAR: 2
ATK: 215 [+2]
DEF: 175 [+28]
MGK: 153
RES: 156
(Available stat points: 17)

- Skills -
Mana pulse (Lv.1)
Mental strength (Lv.2)
Poison resistance (Lv.1)
Set traps (Lv.3)
Sword aura (Lv.1)
Vampirism (Lv.1)
Weapon throw (Lv.2)

"Yes yes yes! I can learn skills in another way!" he rejoiced, before quickly closing the system window. “Now, the other one!”

He turned and picked up the second book he had laid next to him earlier, and reiterated the process. 

 Voom. Ring.

"Ugh!" 

He held his head, feeling knowledge he never had appear in his mind. 

'So that's what it feels like to have knowledge forcefully crammed into your brain. It's like a magic super migraine.' he complained inwardly. 

The pain quickly subsided. 

'Hm? It feels like that time with the magician. Is it the effect of the mental strength skill again? It has more than one use it seems.' he figured, before checking the new system message.

[You have unlocked a new skill: Mana application.]

[Skill: Mana application (Lv.1)]
Knowledge of mana.

He pulled his notepad to document his status window and summarize his newly acquired knowledge.

‘So Mana overlaps with matter, and is also much, much denser, so it acts like reinforcement. That must be why only players can fight the monsters, since only something mana-powered can damage entities that possess mana. Monsters must also possess mana. That makes sense.’ he summed up.

‘Mana diffuses inside weapons when held by a mana-awakened individual, or through skills in case they are not in contact with the individual. So that’s why the traps didn’t work against the wolf the first time!’ he figured.

‘Then… Sword aura simulates a higher level of mana in my weapons? It’s a passive weapon reinforcement skill then. I should test it out.’ he thought.

He got up and equipped the longsword. It was too heavy to wield it with only one hand but he had no problems swinging it around when grasping it with both hands.

“It’s a passive skill, but it looks like I can toggle it on and off.” he realized.

He focused his senses and toggled the skill on and off and tried to figure out the process behind the skill.

‘Whenever I activate the skill, the particles of mana inside the sword gather on the external surface. It’s like a coating but from within. Okay, I think I get it.’ he thought.

He put the sword back into the inventory, sat back down and started reflecting, focused.

‘I feel like I have a clearer grasp of the energy inside of me as well, now that I have the Mana application skill. I feel like the energy is not spread throughout my whole body but rather resides somewhere in my chest. Maybe I can implement that knowledge somehow?’

As he thought that, he was reminded of the first skill he developed, in this very forest. 

‘Right! Mana pulse! If I try to concentrate the mana as I expel it, it might have an actual effect!’

As he came up with the idea, he got back up, focused his senses on the energy inside of him and tried to compress it as he activated the skill.

He felt a small portion of energy detach from the bundle he had compressed, and leave his body.

Nothing else.

In deep thought, Matthew remained calm and thought a bit more.

After a while, he reiterated, but this time, concentrated on compressing the energy after it started moving from somewhere in his chest toward his skin.

Ring.

[Your skill Mana pulse has gained a level.]

[Skill: Mana pulse (Lv.2)]
Release a small amount of mana in a low density short ranged wave.

“I did it! It doesn’t seem transcendent, but I upgraded it! I improved my useless skill!” he celebrated, both hands high up in fists.

He checked the time on the mechanical watch he had put on when he got dressed in the morning.

“So it still works even here, good to know. It’s already past noon. Let’s take a break and eat.” he said.

He opened his inventory to select his lunch when he noticed something. The spare watches he threw in there had a green background, like the items he could equip in the equipment window.

“Oh?”