"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down, damn. What do you mean I'm now a mana reaver?!"
[You Know What Mana Us, Right?]
"Not entirely sure, but I guess I do. The concept was in one of the games by FlutterVision. They explained it as life's essence or something similar."
[I'll Leave It At That, For Your Small Mind]
[...And You Also Know What A Reaver Is, Right?]
"Yes," he was slightly confused, dragging his reply with uncertainty at the edge of his voice. "I definitely know what a Reaver is, and I'm not one. I don't steal!"
[Well, There You Have It!]
[Mana Reaver]
Eric sat down by the bodies, staring at the system's screen, wondering how or why exactly he was selected for this. In the space of a few moment since he woke up, he'd grown to like the system for it's attractive concept. But at the same time, he hated the way it already had everything preprogrammed for him, and how he jad little choice in the decisions he's taken and will likely take in future.
'Like, what the heck does a mana reaver even mean?'
'How do I steal mana?'
[Questions For The Timeline]
[Here Are Your Stats Like You Requested]
*Chime!*
[DISPLAYING STATS]
NAME: Eric Abyss
RACE: Human
RANK: Mana Slave
TIER: 1 — (Mana Unit Consumed: 0/3)
AWAKENING: None — (Mana Unit Consumed: 0/100)
HP: 10/10
EP: 8/15
MP: 1/5
STR: 10 (+10) => 20
AGI: 10 (+30) => 40
EDR: 5
DEX: 10
WILL: 2
LUCK: 100
MAGIC: (LOCKED)
EQUIPMENT: NONE
SKILLS: Killer Dash (Rank E)
[!HUNGER LEVEL: 89%]
[!YOUR HUNGER GROWS!]
...
[CONSUME MANA BEFORE LIFE FORCE DRAINS AWAY]
[YOUR HUNGER GROWS]
"Can you f--king slow down for a second?"
[Host Wants Explanation...]
[Mana Must Be Consumed Before Host Can Proceed With Anything]
[HUNGER LEVEL: 100%]
[!YOU ARE NOW VERY HUNGRY!]
[HP: 8/10 (Reducing Drastically)]
[!CONSUME MANA OR YOU DIE!]
Eric swallowed a lump in his throat. The system he was once amazed with has suddenly become overwhelming and he doesn't seem to be getting the hang of anything going on right now. It was obvious the system was trying to break him and then force him to do this queer things it's requesting.
'How am I supposed to consume Mana from dead people?'
'Is this really a fictional world I'm in now?'
'All I know about mana was from comics and animations, but even then it's nothing compared to what the system was putting me into.'
'Consume mana?'
[Yes. Consume Mana. In Other Words, Consume Life Force...Or Your Life Will Be Forced Out]
[Host Must Consume 3/3 Mana To Increase Their Tier]
[Stats Upgrade Too Is Imminent, As The Mana Reaver System Deem Fit]
"Huh? An upgrade?"
'Interesting.'
Eric's gamer curiosity kicked in as he realized this was an only way to receive an "awakening." And he knows he really needed that as it stands. The stats he was looking at right now was not so impressive to him and even so, his Health Point (HP) is reducing by the minute followed by his Energy Point (EP). His head was becoming light and even his arms are becoming too heavy to carry on his own.
'I guess I have no other option but to consume whatever mana the system is referring to.'
"How...Do I consume this—this—uhm, mana?"
[Bend Close To The Dead And Draw A Long Breath]
[Their Life Force Will Be Absorbed By You]
"Huhhh. Where's it coming from when I do that?"
[Host Must Do As Instructed]
[Host's Health Critically Low]
[HP: 3/10]
Eric flopped down, dizzy and lightheaded beside the bodies of the three dead hunters. With his bloody hands, he dragged the body closer and raised it up a little so he doesn't have to bend all the way.
'Now, I get to even suck the life force from these filthy scums.'
'I hope I'm not allergic to scum energy.'
And without haste he took a very deep, sharp breath a total of three seconds before dropping the body down with a disgusted shove, putting on his best cringe face. He waited, waiting for what never came.
"Now what?"
Suddenly, something otherwise invisible started to move right in front of him as the space between him and the dead hunter warped with some strange aura. A long wave of mist flowed out of from the the body of the dead hunter though the mouth, straight at Eric in his kneeled position. Unwillingly, Eric opened his own mouth and took it all in and immediately he did that, his head jerked backwards and his face was looking straight up at the twilight sky. He closed his eyes in inexplicable pleasure, a sweet sensation spreading out from his chest down to the rest of his body. A low hum escaped his lips as a testament to this strange but enjoyable pleasure he was feeling with the whole of his being. He stayed that way for a couple of minutes before snapping out of his mana-induced cloud nine. His pupils blazed red for a short moment as soon as he opened his eyes again.
Instantly, he bounced up with renewed strength and jumped on the other two hunters, repeating the same process as with the other hunter. A quick deep breath, a short feeling of tingling sensation and he was on to the next. He stayed to enjoy every bit of it when he was done with the third body.
'What is this? What is this?'
'This feeling...'
'Can there be anything sweeter?'
'What is this feeling?!!!!'
*Chime!*
[Mana Consumed: 3/3]
[TIER: 1 — (Mana Unit Consumed: 3/3)]
[AWAKENING: None — (Mana Unit Consumed: 3/100]
"Hell no. Stop right there, system. What do you mean 3/100 mana consumed? You mean I can't awaken until I've consumed a hundred mana?"
[Host Is High-key Stating Facts]
"Huh, nice. So...what you mean is I have to kill a hundred people before I awaken?"
[Not Necessarily]
"Okay then. Hit me up with how it's possible to consume mana without killing people. I remember you telling me I'll awaken once I consume the mana from those filthy three. What's happening now? Are you lying to me?"
[You Clearly Saw The Bar Displaying 0/100 For Awakening. Your Gamer Knowledge Escaped At That Moment Or What?]
"Huhhh... Hehe," he scratched a non-existent itch on his head while smiling foolishly.
[There Are Other Ways To Consume Mana But I Will Explain In Due Time]