Fireball array

[Holy shit! A miniature gasoline bomb!]

[Aren't skill books for class skills like Fireball unusable? Did the OP change classes?]

[This is the first fucking time I've seen the system panel use so many words to describe a skill. Is this what an unlearnable class skill looks like? Terrifying!]

[First teach yourself the basics of Fireball, then use an Exemption Stone to lift the restriction and Skill Experience Stones to grind its level!]

[I'm drooling, slurp, slurp. Its mob-clearing ability is maxed out.]

[This makes me so happy! I want to learn it toooo—!]

[I couldn't even understand the beginning of the Fireball post...]

[The big shot Su Luo the OP mentioned posted a tutorial. You can go learn from that.]

[Come to think of it, he posted a video in the channel before. That Fireball's power was nothing like level 1... He doesn't have an Exemption Stone either. Did he level it up entirely through self-study?!]

[Are there tutorials for any other class skills...? I don't think I'm cut out to be a mage...]

The top players stared at the post, their eyes practically turning red. Gaining access to class abilities ahead of time meant a massive snowballing advantage. Reaching the top of the rankings and monopolizing resources would no longer be a dream.

(Song Shige: Hey, hey! Here I come!)

The top ten on the rankings in particular received an Exemption Stone in each daily settlement. They all had a chance to follow the same path!

Meanwhile.

[Song Shige: I can't sense the Fire Element.]

[Su Luo: Your Spirit attribute is so high, there's no way you can't sense it.]

[Song Shige: But I... I'm a materialist. This is a little outside my framework of understanding.]

[Su Luo: You're a fake materialist. Since "elements" are objectively existing natural phenomena in this world, a true materialist should seek to understand, use, and transform them, and use them to change the world. First, you have to acknowledge their objective existence.]

[Song Shige: ...That makes sense. I'll try again.]

After sending Song Shige, who was lost in philosophical reflection, on his way, Su Luo noticed dozens of people spamming the channel with mentions of him.

[@Su Luo Accept Ye Xu's friend request! There's a generous reward!]

[@Su Luo The big shot Ye Xu is looking for you! He's offering an astronomical reward!]

[...]

What the heck?!

Su Luo scrolled through the earlier messages and figured out what was going on.

For some reason, Ye Xu wanted to add him as a friend. But Su Luo had disabled private messages and didn't accept friend requests from strangers, so Ye Xu couldn't add him at all.

Ye Xu could only spend resources to hire dozens of people to keep mentioning him in the channel.

The Mutual Aid Association liked using the same method. Whenever they updated an important guide or announcement post, they would have people spam the regional channel to direct survivors to the post.

Su Luo ignored it.

"Fuck! Why hasn't he accepted yet?!"

Ye Xu was losing it. He wanted to learn Fireball, but studying the post himself was too slow. Hiring a tutor was the proper path for a pay-to-win player!

Such was the calm confidence of a pay-to-win player!

He'd heard that Su Luo had raised Fireball to a high level entirely through self-study. Wouldn't teaching him the basics be a piece of cake?

The problem was that Su Luo was doing who knew what and still hadn't accepted his friend request.

Fall behind once, fall behind at every step!

The Mutual Aid Association must have found out ages ago! If that Song Shige learned it first, his leveling speed would jump by another huge margin!

"Hmph, you're deliberately ignoring my request, aren't you? I, Ye Xu, will remember this grudge!"

With no other choice, Ye Xu settled for the next best thing and hired a survivor who had learned Fireball to teach him, offering a hefty salary.

"Achoo!"

Su Luo suddenly sneezed, not knowing why.

"Did I catch a chill? But it isn't cold here." Muttering to himself, Su Luo went and put on some clothes, no longer naked.

More than half of the sixth day had passed. Song Shige had finally reached the last step, only to get stuck at (49/50).

[Song Shige: It's like... the flame just starts to appear, then poof, it goes out.]

[Su Luo: Your shaping is unstable. Either your attention is wavering or your mana output pulses are unstable. Try again using this energy structure model I simplified.]

A few minutes later, an excited message arrived from Song Shige.

[Song Shige: I did it!!! Hahaha!!!]

[Song Shige: Thank you, Consultant Su! ๑•́₃•̀๑]

[Song Shige: (Sent an image)]

It was the skill panel for [Flame Attachment].

[Flame Attachment, level 15 (500/1500)]

[You can cover your weapon and the surface of your body with a layer of flame, with the effects "Ignite," "Ember Recovery," "Flame Burst," and "Flowing Fire."

Ignite: Each attack on a target produces an additional small cluster of sparks, dealing moderate instantaneous damage.

Ember Recovery: While the skill is active, killing an ignited target converts a small amount of flame into mana and stamina.

Flame Burst: You can actively channel mana to cause the attached flames to explode over a small area, knocking back nearby enemies and dealing damage based on Flame Attachment's level. Consumes a large amount of mana.

Flowing Fire: You can actively channel mana to rapidly spread the flames, creating an area of sustained fire. Enemies within the area continuously take high fire damage.]

Terrifying.

Skill Experience Stones were so useful! Even Su Luo was tempted.

[Su Luo: Mm.]

"Fuck, that's strong..."

Ding! [Flame Attachment] has been added to the learning list!

Su Luo slowly stood up and gazed calmly at the open ground in the distance. He raised his right arm level, holding his palm open, and his will cut into the source of mana like a precise scalpel.

Not one, but ten dark red fireballs, each the size of a pigeon's egg, appeared in an instant. They slowly revolved around his palm like a miniature galaxy, giving off steady heat.

But this was only the beginning.

Mana flowed like a trickling stream and surged like a river, pouring out continuously according to the entirely new spell model he had constructed in his mind.

The eleventh, the twelfth... The number of fireballs increased at a steady rate. Rather than forming a chaotic jumble, they followed complex energy paths, maintaining precise distances from one another as they formed a three-dimensional array above his palm that steadily refined itself.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Su Luo's forehead, but his eyes grew brighter, filled with the focus and fervor of a researcher. His fine control over mana and the strain on his mental power were approaching their limits.

At last, sixty-four small fireballs formed a stable, efficient spell matrix based on eight times eight, or sixty-four, hexagrams, floating seamlessly as one before him.

They were no longer the dark red of before. Instead, they shone with a restrained orange-red luster like molten glass. Vast amounts of energy were forcibly contained within the tiny spheres, which trembled slightly, causing the surrounding air to ripple.

Holding his breath, Su Luo focused and performed one final check on the intricate creation made of pure flame.

Perfect.

A faint, satisfied smile curved his lips. He brought the fingers of his right hand together like a sword and pointed gently forward.

"Go."

The floating fireball array wasn't "thrown." As though it had gained life and a mission, it glided silently and smoothly forward, picking up speed.

Its color shifted sharply from orange-red to blazing white. Finally, all the fireballs became dozens of dazzling little white suns, too bright to look at directly. The energy bound within them had reached its critical point!

A brief, suffocating silence.

The next moment—

Rumble—!!!

A massive pillar of fire shot into the sky, mixed with earth and a shock wave! Only then came the delayed, deafening roar of the explosion, carrying a current of scorching air. Even from far away, it made Su Luo's clothes flap wildly.

Su Luo slowly lowered his hand. Feeling the mana in his body depleted by more than half and a slight stinging in his mind, he smiled.

Then, his mind as still as water, he began to study.