Chapter 79: Leo Vane [2]

But against stronger Awakeners, ordinary bullets often lacked the penetration needed to overcome their defenses.

And even when his shots were powerful enough, experienced opponents could evade them.

Phantom Bullet could address both problems.

It’s would allow him to threaten opponents at multiple ranges while making it more difficult for them to predict his attacks.

More importantly, the \[Hitman\] trait would complement the weapon art perfectly.

This is exactly what I need.

Professor Vale watched his expression with interest.

"You understand why this weapon art is so valuable now?"

"Yes, Professor."

"Good. What I introduced was just 1st part, there’s 2nd part as well."

’2nd part?’

Looking at his confused expression, Professor Vale chuckle.

"Instead of explanation, it’s better if I decided to show you raw power of the 2nd part that I’m taking about. Stand by my side and look at what I do. Try to learn as much as you can. Focus on how I’m controlling my mana."

Leo picked up his sniper weapon again, pointing it at a tree in the distance.

Lorenzo focused all his attention on the man.

He noticed how his mana started to fill the gun and charge it slowly.

It kept on getting concentrated till it became so heavy that even the mana present in air started to get sucked towards it.

"... Phantom Bullet."

And then it was released, like privious time it hit target that had been positioned behind a barrier by changing it’s trajectory in mid air but somthing was different this time.

"Boom!"

It raw power was far greater then before.

"..."

"Did you see that kid?"

Leo turned towards Lorenzo to see his stupid face, feeling a bit proud.

"... Yeah. When you released that bullet. It started to attract more and more Mana from the air and became more powerful by the time it reached the target. It became at least 10 times more powerful."

"... Right. You managed to see that? Not bad. My bullet’s speed is even faster than normal. What you saw was only the most simple application of my art. If I were to put levels to my art, then it is level 1."

He paused before saying.

"Tell me, Lorenzo," he said calmly, "what happens to Mana once it leaves the body?"

Lorenzo answered without hesitation. "It disperses. Unless anchored by technique."

Leo nodded.

"Correct. Once mana leaves the body, it naturally disperses into the environment. The stronger the user’s control, the longer they can maintain its structure, but even the most skilled Awakeners have their limits."

He raised the sniper rifle again and pointed it toward the distant target.

"However, Phantom Bullet allows me to exploit that very phenomenon."

Lorenzo narrowed his eyes.

"Exploit it?"

"Think carefully about what you just witnessed. I didn’t simply reinforce the bullet with my mana. I created a connection between the projectile and the mana in its surroundings. As the bullet traveled, it absorbed the scattered mana around it, continuously increasing its power."

Leo tapped the side of his rifle.

"That’s the first level of the second application of Phantom Bullet. Mana Attraction."

Lorenzo fell silent.

He replayed the scene in his mind, paying particular attention to the moment the bullet left the barrel.

At first, he had assumed the professor was simply releasing a tremendous amount of mana into the projectile.

But now that he thought about it, something else had happened.

The mana surrounding the bullet had begun moving toward it, as though an invisible vortex had formed around the projectile.

And the longer it traveled, the more mana it accumulated.

’So the bullet doesn’t need to carry all its destructive power from the beginning.’

That was an incredible advantage.

An ordinary bullet lost energy as it traveled through the air. Even a mana-reinforced projectile would eventually encounter limitations, particularly when the user couldn’t continuously supply it with additional energy.

But if the bullet could absorb mana from its surroundings, those limitations would change considerably.

The farther it traveled, the stronger it could become.

Of course, that depended on the density of mana in the environment and the user’s ability to maintain control.

Still, the possibilities were frightening.

Lorenzo looked at the professor.

"How many levels are there?" Lorenzo asked.

"Five recognized levels," Leo Vale replied. "Most users never progress beyond the second."

He raised one finger.

"Level One — Phantom Seed. The user reinforces a bullet with mana and attracts a small amount of ambient mana in nature to increase its destructive power."

He raised a second finger.

"Level Two — Phantom Convergence. The bullet continuously absorbs ambient mana as it travels, becoming more powerful over distance."

A third finger followed.

"Level Three — Phantom Trajectory. The user can influence the bullet’s trajectory after firing, allowing it to change direction and strike from unexpected angles."

Leo raised his fourth finger.

"Level Four — Phantom Singularity. The bullet forms a rotating shell of compressed mana that absorbs and disrupts incoming energy, helping it penetrate defensive techniques."

Finally, he raised his fifth finger.

"Level Five — True Phantom Bullet. The bullet combines mana absorption, trajectory manipulation, and concentrated destructive power to create an attack that’s extraordinarily difficult to evade or defend against."

Lorenzo watched him silently.

"Has anyone reached the fifth level?" he asked.

"No. It’s only a theory of mine." Leo smiled faintly. "Anyone who masters it could become a walking disaster on the battlefield."

He slid his sniper rifle across the table toward Lorenzo.

"It would also help if you acquired an eye skill that allowed you to see over long distances. Otherwise, you’ll have to depend on scopes."

He paused before continuing.

"You should also learn a movement art. A sniper’s biggest weakness is allowing enemies to get close, so you’ll need to keep moving during battle to maintain your distance."

Lorenzo listened carefully, committing every piece of advice to memory.

"Understood, Professor."

"Good. You can get back to your other activities now. I’ve already sent the details of Phantom Bullet to your smartwatch. Study the material, practice regularly, and come to me whenever you need guidance."

"Thank you, Professor."

Lorenzo collected the information on his smartwatch and left the room, already thinking about how he could incorporate Phantom Bullet into his fighting style.