A Skill Maker: Reincarnation

These past few days had been brutal. The number of examinees still left in the trial had steadily gone down, their bodies either torn apart by the monsters prowling the forest or left unconscious — or worse — after facing other participants. It was clear now that this wasn't a test of fairness or balance. It was survival of the fittest. Only the strong, the smart, or the cowards were still clinging on. And yes, that included Matthew.

His survival wasn't built on flashy moves or overwhelming strength. It came from the kind of cunning which people tend to look down on. Ambushes from the shadows. Cheap but effective surprise attacks. Baiting enemies by putting himself in danger, only to lead them into a planned slaughter. None of it was pretty. None of it heroic. But it worked. And it got results.

Because of that — and the fact that he had lasted longer than expected — one of the many invisible drones monitoring the battlefield had started paying attention to him. Unit N3113, a silent observer among hundreds, had locked onto him early. And surprisingly, the footage it collected started gaining traction among viewers. Somehow, despite not being flashy or likable, Matthew had pulled in a decent crowd of watchers. Enough for the community to give him a name: Wraith.

It started with curiosity. People saw a lone player moving in odd patterns, using what appeared to be a basic wind-based ability. The assumption was that he had unlocked [Wind Blade (E)] from the [Air Nomad (D)] class — common, nothing special. He looked like just another no-name trying to cheese his way through the trial with one trick.

But the more they watched, the more it became obvious that something didn't add up.

His version of the "wind blade" skill was far too clean, too precise, and most importantly — too lethal. Where others would need multiple hits, he only needed one. Sometimes entire groups of monsters would fall with a single cast, sliced in one clean motion as if a transparent guillotine passed through them. People started noticing the difference. This wasn't just a variation of a normal skill — it was something else. Something deadlier. And once that realization spread, people started tuning in more. The mystery around his ability, combined with the reckless and borderline suicidal way he fought, made for addicting content.

But with that intrigue came a darker observation. Every time Matthew used that powerful skill, something changed in him. He would grow paler, his movements would slow, and his eyes started to dull — as though the very act of using that blade drained more than just energy. It drained life.

Theories started pouring in across forums and stream chats. Some believed the skill burned through his mana at a terrifying rate. Others suggested it cost life force, stamina, or even blood. Whatever it was, people agreed on one thing: it was killing him, one cast at a time.

As day one ended, a lot of viewers placed their bets — he wasn't going to make it through day two. His condition had visibly worsened, and while he had pulled off some incredible kills, it was clear that he was burning out fast. Everyone could tell. And then came the moment they were all waiting for — the expected collapse.

But what happened instead turned everything on its head.

On the morning of the second day, while Matthew was still clearly suffering from the side effects of overusing his skill, someone found him. And not just anyone. It was Kingsly Rivergate, better known by his nickname in the audience and community: The Wind Hound.

Kingsly wasn't just a name thrown around lightly. He came from a renowned bloodline — a long lineage of wind-skill users that prided themselves on their strength and heritage. But Kingsly himself? He was something else. A bully, plain and simple. The kind who loved to pick on the weak just for the fun of it. Even outside of the arena, his name was surrounded by rumors and reports — harassment, unprovoked attacks, even a few borderline criminal incidents. Of course, none of them ever stuck. His family's influence made sure of that.

So when Kingsly encountered Matthew, barely standing, body shaking, covered in dried blood and sweat, most of the audience assumed it was the end. This was what they had expected all along. A powerful player crushing a fading one. Some even laughed. Some turned off the feed. Even a few of Matthew's newly gained supporters started abandoning his side, convinced it was over.

And then… the unexpected happened.

Matthew survived. No — he did more than that. In one swift, brutal motion, he decapitated the Wind Hound.

It was clean. It was decisive. And it was devastating.

That single moment changed everything. All of a sudden, Wraith wasn't just a meme. He became a phenomenon.

People started replaying the footage in disbelief. A near-dead guy, in worse condition than most could stand, had just taken out a high-tier, healthy, and confident opponent in one strike. It wasn't luck. It was timing, calculation, and maybe a bit of sheer, pissed-off determination.

That was when the nickname "Wraith" truly solidified.

Because when people saw him standing there after the kill, hunched over and swaying like a corpse held up by pure spite, they didn't see a man anymore. They saw something else. Something ghostly. His pale skin, the haunted look in his eyes, the eerie calm he carried even while soaked in blood — it all made him seem like a spirit that refused to pass on until he had dragged someone to hell with him.

The internet, of course, did what it always does.

Memes exploded across every forum and platform.

The most viral one? A screenshot taken mid-fight, when Kingsly had used his wind ability to lift Matthew into the air and slam him down into the dirt. The image was brutal — Matthew looked like a pile of broken bones and regret.

With a caption: "Finding bro after his date with a 6ft Hello Cutie goth girl with tattoos."

They watched as Matthew took Kingsley's bag and used the potion on his self in a safe place. It's as if he doesn't care that the Rivergate family might be watching the feed. Then Matthew — no Wraith stood up. All recovered, and once again went on for another hunt. 

He went on to hunt multiple monster that day, taking out an entire group in a single cast again. Left to right, he gained score more and more. Then came the fight with the Elite Lizard man near the river.

Back on the feeds, thousands of eyes stayed locked onto the screen, watching the figure of Matthew — no, Wraith now — as he climbed into the branches, body drenched in sweat and blood again, chest heaving with exhaustion. Then he drank a bottle of potion

For a few seconds, there was just silence.

And then the chat exploded.

"HE KILLED IT— DID YOU SEE THAT???"

"WHAT EVEN WAS THAT ATTACK???"

"SOMEONE CLIP THAT NOW."

"Bro just sliced a lizard-tank in HALF and passed out like nothing happened 💀💀💀"

"Yo what skill is that?? That ain't Wind Blade."

"Wait... is that even a skill?? Why the hand signs???"

"Nobody had answers — only theories.

Dozens of people were flipping through skill libraries. Some were already arguing.

"It has to be a modified [Wind Blade (E)] from Air Nomad, right?"

"Nah. It's too strong. That lizard had scaled armor. Normal Wind Blade wouldn't even leave a scratch."

"You're missing the point. He used it twice. Back to back. And it cut through the thing's NECK."

"That's gotta be a secret class. Or a hidden skill."

Still, no one had a real clue what had just happened.

All they saw was a blood-soaked boy moving like a ghost, making weird hand signs, muttering something they couldn't quite hear — and then monsters died. Every time. Just one slash. Then silence.

No flashes. No explosions. No glowing swords or fancy special effects.

Just wind.

Wind and death.

Someone in the chat joked:

"Dude's skill has no animation budget 💀"

Another replied:

"That's because death doesn't need VFX."

Meanwhile, several streamers were replaying the footage in slow motion, frame by frame, trying to decipher what was going on.

"Okay, he does this sign first — Horse, I think? Then Rooster? Then...Serpent? Then boom — that soundless cut thing again. That hand signs too originated from the ancient times!"

"But here's another weird part — notice his face every time? He's always getting pale. Like, the skill takes something from him."

But nobody knew what.

Some thought it was mana burn. Others said he was using a sacrificial artifact. A few cracked jokes that he was paying with his lifespan or trading chunks of his soul. But they were all guessing.

Because all they could do was guess.

No skill name ever showed up even after a lot of searches. Even in the National Public Skill Archives.

Just a kid looking like he's on death's doorstep one second — and the next, everything around him is dead.

And now that people had seen it up close, really seen it?

They were terrified.

Excited, sure. Intrigued. But mostly?

Terrified.

Because Wraith wasn't flashy.

He wasn't shouting skill names, he wasn't charging in with a sword, and he wasn't playing fair.

He was something else entirely.

Something quiet. Something cold. Something... wrong.

And when they looked back to the screen just for a moment — showing his face in the tree, pale and tired but he was quickly getting better because of the potion he drank after stealing it from Kingsley's corpse, looking out toward a sky filled with gathering storm clouds — the chat fell quiet again.

They saw him mouth a name.

"...Hans?"

.

.

.

.

.

Back within the exam. Matthew was unaware of what was happening outside. He didn't even know about all the speculations they were brewing. For him he was just running around and many times almost shat and pissed his pants. He didn't even know that he now looked like some mysterious genius.

Because to be honest, he was just lucky... Really lucky.. 'It's almost as if Im one of those novel protagonist I used to read on earth.' he thought while looking up and smiling. 

'Well.. If I am one of them, I hope my story will be fun... and YOU... I hope you enjoy my suffering you bastard' With that thought he turned his attention back in the far. He was using his skill zoom to observe his final target.

He was still not sure if he was really observing Hans. Because he couldn't really find a picture of him, even online. 

But since he knew Hans also join the entrance exam through James' word he just had to find someone with a skill related to light night. Because if his memory serves him right Hans have a skill based around thunderbolt or something. He couldn't really check anymore since his phone is FUCKING BUSTED. 

He realized it only recently. His guess was it happened back when the wind guy slammed him into the ground earlier that day. By now, the sun had gone dark. The remaining examinees were starting to search for a place to camp for the night and to prepare for the monsters that will come out for the night.

The sun slowly descends, hanging low just above the horizon. The sky was being painted by a reddish hue as the sun slowly sets. The flowers began closing up, birds retreated into their nest, and monsters that were active that day slowly went back into their lair. 

Only Matthew remained to where he was currently. Observing, watching a guy from afar. The things he currently know were that, Hans wasn't alone. He was with a beautiful girl, Matthew had seen him let her finish off a few monster too. He was pretty much carrying that girl through the entrance exam. 

His guess was that was probably Angeline? was that her name? he wasn't sure.. and he doesn't really care. Anyway, Matthew have found that, that guy — Hans, could spam that skill. Its maybe because he have a lot of mana energy, or that skill have a low mana cost. 

What's more, he seems to be quite proficient at combat. Something Matthew was not... although he's very good at rolling around...'Maybe I should do a surprise attack?' considering a few options he kept watching. It was until the sun fully set, and soon the night envelopes the entire forest.

The world became even more quiet, colder, and eerie. But within the shadow's Matthew was silently walking. Using only the moons light to guide himself through the woods. Currently he's just walking in a straight direction where he saw them set camp. 

But throughout the trek. There's one thing that kept bugging him.. 

'Can I really do it though?....' Clenching his fist, he moved.