《How to Survive as a Mage Inside a Game》 Chapter 1: Fake Mage Fwoosh! As the woman murmured a spell, a small flame bloomed in the center of her palm. Gasps of amazement echoed from those around her. ¡°Wow... That¡¯s real magic.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing it in person.¡± Basking in the admiration-filled stares, the woman gave a casual shrug. ¡°This much is nothing. I can cast over twenty different kinds of magic.¡± ¡°Really? Then... could you show us something else too?¡± ¡°Uh... well, it¡¯s a bit cramped inside the carriage. I¡¯ll show you next time if there¡¯s a chance.¡± It was a vague reply, but in any case, everyone¡¯s attention remained fixed on her. A boy, who had been watching with his mouth hanging open, suddenly turned to the side. Because there was a man staring out the window as if he didn¡¯t care about magic at all. ¡°Mister, aren¡¯t you impressed?¡± Only then did the man turn his head to look at the boy. The woman glanced over as well, then opened her mouth. ¡°Are you amazed by the fire?¡± ¡°Well, yeah! It¡¯s not just any fire. She made it out of thin air with magic!¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s made from wood or magic, fire is still fire... Well, sure. I suppose it depends how you look at it.¡± At the man¡¯s lukewarm attitude, the boy pouted a little. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s amazing. She said she can cast over twenty different spells too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lie.¡± ¡°...Huh? A lie? Why?¡± ¡°With the kind of skill that takes that long just to conjure a flame the size of a candle, there¡¯s no way. At best, she might¡¯ve barely scraped together a few other elemental spells. Real mages can fire off flames hundreds of times bigger than that without even breaking a sweat...¡± The man abruptly cut off and closed his mouth. Because the woman, who clearly heard everything, was now glaring at him, her face red. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my skill, exactly?¡± ¡°My apologies. I suppose my voice was a bit loud.¡± And then, with complete shamelessness, the man turned his head back away. Stunned speechless, the woman let out a hollow laugh and hurriedly spoke to those nearby. ¡°What he said isn¡¯t true. Magic naturally takes time to cast, and besides, we¡¯re inside a carriage, so I had to keep the flame small.¡± She was clearly annoyed and about to snap at the man again. ¡°Hey, you. What would you know about magic to run your mouth li¡ª¡± Neighhh! The carriage shook violently and came to a halt. Startled cries broke out among the passengers. ¡°W-What was that? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Did the wheel get caught on something?¡± They quickly looked outside, hoping it was nothing serious¡ªbut soon, everyone¡¯s faces turned pale. ¡°B-Bandits!¡± The carriage was already surrounded on all sides by a dense ring of armed raiders. Several mercenaries had already been struck by arrows and were lying dead. One of the mercenaries approached the carriage with a grim face. ¡°They¡¯re demanding we come out. I¡¯m afraid everyone will need to disembark.¡± ¡°W-What? But we paid you to protect us!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but there¡¯s nothing we can do. We¡¯re outnumbered so badly, we¡¯d be wiped out if we fought.¡± Left with no other choice, the people began to get off the carriages one by one. There were three wagons in the convoy, and just as many mercenaries¡ªbut at a glance, the number of bandits was easily double that. ¡°Keh, we really hit the jackpot this time. We¡¯re gonna loot them clean.¡± The one who looked like the leader of the bandits chuckled as he looked over the trembling passengers. The mercenary captain stepped forward and spoke calmly. ¡°We don¡¯t want to fight either. If what you want is valuables, we¡¯re willing to part with some...¡± ¡°Gahaha! What? Don¡¯t wanna fight? If you¡¯ve got eyes, you should know better than to spew bullshit right now!¡± ¡°......¡± ¡°Shut up and hand everything over. If you do, we might show some mercy and let you live.¡± Just then, one of the passengers shouted loudly. ¡°Y-You bastards! Do you even know who you¡¯re messing with?!¡± All the bandits turned their eyes toward him at once. A look like: Is this guy trying to die? But the man, unfazed, pointed toward the woman beside him and shouted. ¡°You idiots made a big mistake! There¡¯s a mage right here!¡± ¡°...What? A mage?¡± ¡°O great Mage! Please, sweep away these filthy bandits!¡± All eyes turned to the woman. Flustered, she stammered. ¡°M-Me?¡± ¡°Yes! With that magic you showed us earlier, you could burn those bandits to ashes in an instant, couldn¡¯t you?!¡± ¡°A-Actually, I...¡± Merchants, travelers, mercenaries¡ªall staring at her with hopeful eyes. Even the bandits, for a moment, glanced at her with wary expressions. With no other choice, she clasped her hands together and tried to focus. A moment later, fire bloomed in her palm once more. Everyone stared blankly at the sight. ¡°...What the hell is that?¡± This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight. Someone finally broke the silence with a scoff. The flame was pitifully small. Granted, it was bigger than before¡ªmaybe the size of a finger now instead of a candle¡ªbut still. ¡°E-Everyone back off! If I really wanted to, I could¡ªKyaa!¡± An arrow whizzed past her face and she collapsed to the ground with a scream. Laughter erupted from the bandits. ¡°Bwahaha! A mage, she says!¡± ¡°That¡¯s magic? Hell, she¡¯d have trouble lighting a damn campfire with that! Puhaha!¡± ¡°She¡¯s kinda cute, though. Think we should take her with us? Have some fun before we sell her off?¡± The color drained from her face. The expressions on the other passengers¡¯ faces were no better¡ªjust deep disappointment. Especially the boy who had shared the carriage with her. His face was full of shock. ¡°T-That can¡¯t be...¡± In the boy¡¯s imagination, mages weren¡¯t supposed to be this pathetic. Then a calm voice rang out beside him, strangely unfitting for the situation. ¡°Don¡¯t be too disappointed, kid.¡± It was the man from earlier¡ªthe one who¡¯d said her magic was garbage. ¡°I told you, real mages are on a whole different level.¡± And with that, the man stepped forward. The boy stared blankly at his back as the bandits stopped laughing and turned toward him. ¡°And what the hell are you supposed to be? Why the hell are you stepping forward all of a sudden?¡± The man replied in a flat tone. ¡°I¡¯m a mage.¡± S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°...What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll count to five. Anyone who runs during that time, I¡¯ll let live. If you stay, you die. Try not to hold a grudge.¡± The bandits burst into laughter again. ¡°What a riot. What¡¯s next, is he gonna make some pebbles float?¡± ¡°Hey, shoot that guy in the forehead. He clearly doesn¡¯t understand the situation.¡± One of the bandits let out a chuckle and fired an arrow. Thunk! But the arrow never reached the man. It hit an invisible barrier that now surrounded him. ¡°...Huh?¡± The bandits¡¯ faces flickered with confusion. The man clicked his tongue. ¡°You idiots. I already counted to five.¡± Crackle! Sparks began to coil around his hand. The last thought in the bandits¡¯ heads was that something had gone terribly wrong. BOOOOM!! A deafening blast shook the air, a blinding blue light engulfing the surroundings. A few travelers dropped to the ground screaming. When the light faded, no bandit was left standing. Only scorched corpses¡ªdozens of them¡ªblackened into ash. ¡°How far to the destination?¡± The man asked the mercenary captain, who was still frozen in shock. He jolted like he¡¯d seen a ghost. ¡°Th-Three days! Just three more days to go!¡± ¡°I¡¯m out of jerky, by the way. If you could share a bit tonight, I¡¯d appreciate it. I¡¯ll pay, of course¡ª¡± ¡°N-No, please! We¡¯ll give you as much as you want, no charge!¡± ¡°You¡¯re very generous. Now that the road¡¯s clear, let¡¯s get moving.¡± And just like that, he turned and headed back to the carriage as if nothing ¡ô N§àv§Öl?g?t ¡ô (Only on N§àv§Öl?g?t) had happened. Everyone could only stare in silence. ¡°Whoa... Mister, you¡¯re a real mage!¡± The boy had somehow ended up beside him again, eyes full of awe. Did it not scare him that this man had just incinerated dozens of people? The man looked at the boy for a long moment¡ªthen suddenly let out a chuckle. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not a real mage either.¡± ¡°...Huh? No way! You just used that insane magic and you¡¯re saying you¡¯re not a real mage?¡± ¡°No, I mean...¡± It wasn¡¯t magic. It was a skill. But the man swallowed the rest of his words¡ªwords the boy wouldn¡¯t understand anyway¡ªand simply smiled as he climbed back into the carriage. Chapter 2: Real Mage Glorious Soul. A generic RPG set in a medieval fantasy world¡ªjust another game, the kind you could find anywhere. It had started as a simple time-killer, but it turned out to be surprisingly my style. I got hooked enough to aim for a full completion with every class route. That was my mistake. Warrior, priest, ranger, shaman¡ªI cleared them all. The only one I¡¯d left for last was the mage... If you asked why I left the mage for last, I wouldn¡¯t have a real answer. Maybe it was because the character¡¯s overly pretty face rubbed me the wrong way on some subconscious level. [Creating mage character.] [Syncing with character for final scenario.] That message that popped up right after creating the character still stuck in my mind, clear as day. Because the one who began the adventure in this fantasy continent wasn¡¯t the avatar inside the monitor¡ªit was me, the one who¡¯d been clicking the mouse and typing on the keyboard on the other side of the screen. What an utter shitshow. If I¡¯d known it was the kind of depraved game that literally sucks the user in, I never would¡¯ve touched it in the first place. ¡°Fuck this. I played diligently for five damn years, and this is what I get in return...?¡± Maybe it was the oversized full moon hanging in the sky, but I felt weirdly melancholic that night. I was sitting around the campfire, gnawing on some cheap jerky the mercenaries had handed out, staring blankly into the flames when¡ª ¡°Ahem, ahem...¡± An intentionally loud fake cough made me turn my head. A woman was standing nearby. The same woman who¡¯d stayed silent the entire way since being humiliated by the bandits. I¡¯d noticed her approaching long before, but it looked like she had something to say. ¡°Do you need something?¡± ¡°Uh? No, not really...¡± She looked a little awkward, then sat down a short distance away. I spoke again. ¡°If you¡¯ve got something to say, just say it. You¡¯ve been glancing this way over and over. It¡¯s annoying.¡± ¡°......¡± With a slightly wounded expression, she finally spoke up. ¡°I... just wanted to say thank you. For what happened earlier...¡± ¡°If you¡¯re talking about the bandits, don¡¯t. They got in my way, so I took care of them. That¡¯s all. I didn¡¯t do it for anyone¡¯s sake.¡± ¡°......¡± She fell silent again, sniffled quietly, then stood up. Shoulders drooped, heading back toward the carriage. Her crushed self-esteem practically radiated from her back. I let out a deep sigh and called out to her. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡°You can sit down again. If it¡¯s conversation you¡¯re after, I¡¯ll indulge you for a bit.¡± She hesitantly turned around and came back. ¡°I... I¡¯m Rasha.¡± ¡°Karl.¡± ¡°Oh... That¡¯s a cool name.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a new kind of compliment. It¡¯s about as plain and boring a name as they come.¡± Even she seemed a bit embarrassed after saying it. ¡°Anyway, really... thank you. If the bandits had taken me, who knows what would¡¯ve happened.¡± ¡°Yeah, well.¡± ¡°And also, I want to apologize for what happened earlier. In the carriage.¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡°I was rude. Saying you didn¡¯t know anything about magic... Ha. Just thinking about it makes my face burn. Spouting nonsense like that to someone leagues beyond a half-rate like me...¡± She looked genuinely ashamed, like she couldn¡¯t even meet my eyes. I tilted my head slightly. Now that I looked closer, she seemed like the type with chronically low self-esteem. Maybe lighting that little flame and showing off in front of the travelers had just been a cry for validation, born of that deficiency. ¡°I was the one who ran my mouth first and caused that whole situation. There¡¯s nothing for you to apologize for.¡± ¡°N-No. That¡¯s not it. I just...¡± She trailed off, then awkwardly changed the subject. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen someone so young use such powerful magic before. And they say lightning-type spells are especially hard to control... You¡¯re amazing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that amazing.¡± It might¡¯ve sounded like modesty, but I was being honest. Because what I used wasn¡¯t magic¡ªit was a skill. No need for mana control, no need for ritual formations, no understanding of theory¡ªjust the will to use it, and it activated. That¡¯s all. Strictly speaking, my actual magic ability was worse than Rasha¡¯s. ¡°Would it be rude to ask what school you belong to?¡± ¡°None, yet. But my master did belong to the Altius School.¡± That was just the default background of the mage character. I didn¡¯t bother mentioning that I was on my way to the school¡¯s main campus right now. Rasha¡¯s mouth dropped open. Then she gave a faint, wistful smile and murmured, ¡°The Altius School... You must¡¯ve had an incredible master.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°...You wouldn¡¯t know it even if I told you. It¡¯s a low-tier school with barely thirty members. They don¡¯t really teach anything. The master just keeps the apprentices in check and works them to death.¡± A textbook example of a bottom-tier school. Once she started talking, her complaints came pouring out. ¡°...Even after leaving the school, I thought I could stand on my own. But nope. I holed up in a dark little room for years, and then when I finally stepped out into the world, I realized just how worthless I really was. I thought being a mage would mean someone out there would need me, but...¡± ¡°No one needs a mage just to light firewood.¡± I muttered it without thinking and immediately regretted it. Her face froze, eyes wide with shock, and tears started to gather at the corners. ¡°T-That was a joke.¡± ¡°No... it¡¯s okay. You¡¯re right. You hit the nail on the head. Too perfectly...¡± ¡°......¡± ¡°Fire and light magic¡ªthat¡¯s all I can do. You saw it earlier. My mana¡¯s pathetic. I¡¯ve been wandering around without purpose, and now I¡¯m almost broke. At this rate, I really might have to join a damn circus troupe.¡± So that¡¯s the fate of a mediocre, half-rate mage. At least I didn¡¯t say it out loud. I just nodded quietly and went back to chewing on my jerky, staring at the fire. ¡®There¡¯s nothing I can say that¡¯ll help.¡¯ Some clich¨¦d ¡°hang in there¡± line wouldn¡¯t do her any good. She was just a passerby. It was her life, not mine. I had no way to help her, and no reason to. A couple of magic books in my inventory did cross my mind¡ªbut in the end, I leaned away from any act of charity. No point in playing the do-gooder. That was how I¡¯d survived in this crazy fantasy world until now. And that was when something popped into my head. [A sudden quest has occurred.] Rasha Rosariel. A fallen noble from a once-great family, she actually possesses considerable magical talent. Her poor skills are the result of having an awful master and receiving no proper training. Extend her a small act of kindness. A fleeting connection may one day return to you as unexpected help. Of course, the choice is yours. Quest Reward: None ¡°...?¡± It had been a while since I got a sudden quest. The contents were... unexpectedly fresh, and I couldn¡¯t help the faint smile creeping across my face. ¡°Investment for the future,¡± huh. No immediate reward. But apparently, helping this girl might benefit me later. And I trusted that. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. At the very least, none of the quests so far had ever led me into outright harm. Sure, the process was often a complete pain in the ass¡ªbut the results had always been worthwhile. ¡®Well. That changes the story, doesn¡¯t it?¡¯ What would¡¯ve been pointless meddling was now something directly tied to me¡ªbecause it was a quest. This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight. Normally, it would¡¯ve just been pointless meddling. But now that a quest had triggered, it was officially his business too. Karl turned and pulled a magic book from his inventory. An introductory spellbook for the Fleric-type magic branch. He¡¯d never had a reason to use it as a skillbook, and had only kept it around like dead weight, figuring he might pawn it off someday. Though technically an ¡°intro book,¡± it was in a whole different league from the sloppy knockoff junk you¡¯d find being hawked all over the place. If she could properly study it, her magic skills would improve dramatically¡ªbeyond comparison with what she was now. ¡°So, are you giving up?¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking if you¡¯re going to give up on the path of a mage. Well, I mean, if you''re lacking in talent, I guess it can''t be helped.¡± Rasha¡¯s face tightened in frustration at that. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you say... I don¡¯t know... something even slightly encouraging?¡± ¡°That wouldn¡¯t change reality.¡± ¡°...I shouldn¡¯t have said anything. Of course I must look utterly pathetic to someone as impressive as you.¡± ¡°......¡± ¡°But I do have a goal to live for, you know. It may be out of reach right now, but I have a clear purpose. And you just casually stomped all over it like it¡¯s nothing. That circus comment wasn¡¯t even serious...¡± Voice trembling, Rasha rattled off her words all at once and stood up. Karl replied in a flat voice. ¡°Calm down and sit.¡± ¡°What now? Not finished belittling me yet?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I¡¯ve never thought you were pathetic, nor have I disrespected your life. I just wanted to see where your attitude stood.¡± ¡°......¡± ¡°Would you like to take a chance? There¡¯s something much more valuable here than meaningless comfort.¡± Rasha¡¯s eyes went wide. Because she had finally noticed the book in Karl¡¯s hand. It might¡¯ve looked humble, but she was a mage herself¡ªinstinctively, she understood. That wasn¡¯t just some ordinary book. ¡°It¡¯s a decent introductory spellbook. Everything you need to know is in there.¡± ¡°...A s-spellbook?!¡± ¡°Shh. Even at beginner level, it¡¯ll teach you proper circling and formation deployment. It¡¯ll be a big help to you.¡± Without hesitation, Karl handed the book over. It was worth at least a few dozen gold coins if sold anywhere, but he wasn¡¯t hurting for cash¡ªso he had no regrets. ¡°......¡± Rasha sat there stunned, glancing back and forth between the book and Karl. She stammered. ¡°Wh-Why... why would you give something like this to me...?¡± It was only natural to ask. To a mage, magic itself was far more valuable than gold. Especially to someone like Rasha, who¡¯d been exploited by a cruel master and never properly trained¡ªKarl¡¯s gesture felt more like confusion than kindness. ¡°...Do you want something from me?¡± ¡°What could you possibly give me?¡± ¡°......¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got nothing to offer, and yet you¡¯re asking that? Just take it. Or what, are you afraid I want to enslave you or something?¡± Karl chuckled softly at the still-stupefied Rasha. ¡°Think of it as an investment.¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the type to show kindness without reason. But you... hmm, you struck me as someone with potential. I¡¯m trusting my gut and investing in that.¡± Of course, that was bullshit. He was just following the quest. Rasha spoke in a trembling voice. ¡°I-I don¡¯t think I have any special talent...¡± ¡°I believe in my gut. That¡¯s all. And I¡¯m not saying this to put pressure on you. Just... take it however you want. But I¡¯d like it if, someday, when we meet again, you remember this moment.¡± As he finished speaking, Karl pulled something else from his coat. A pouch full of silver coins, which he also handed her. ¡°You said you¡¯re almost out of money. This should cover your living expenses for a while.¡± Then, as if the conversation was over, Karl stood up. Still frozen, Rasha jumped up and shouted urgently, ¡°Th-Thank you! Really... truly, thank you!¡± ¡°......¡± ¡°I won¡¯t forget this kindness. How could I? I swear it¡ªon my name and everything I have left.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± A fallen noble from a once-great house, was it? If she had a goal, maybe it was to restore her family¡¯s name. And since she swore on that name, she¡¯d likely keep her promise. Of course, who knew what the future would bring. ¡°But... do you ? N§àv§Öl?§Ôht ? (Don¡¯t copy, read here) really mean it?¡± She asked with a trembling voice. ¡°Do you really think I have potential? Even though I¡¯ve been studying magic for years and can barely manage two basic spells...¡± ¡°You can believe it.¡± ¡°......¡± ¡°Because someone far greater than you think just said it with absolute certainty. So yes¡ªbelieve it.¡± She probably thought Karl was talking about himself. But he¡¯d meant the one who dragged him into this world in the first place. After a moment of silence, Karl returned to the carriage. Left alone, Rasha stood for a long while, staring blankly at the spot where he¡¯d been. Flap. The sound of bugs chirping, firewood crackling. And soon, the soft rustle of pages turning joined in. * * * Three days later, the carriage arrived at its destination as planned. The merchants, mercenaries, and other travelers each offered Karl a thank-you before heading off on their separate ways. After exchanging a few final words with Rasha, Karl finally turned and walked away. ¡°Phew. I should really make time to learn horseback riding. Hitching a ride on every trade caravan is getting old.¡± Rubenne. The Free City. The closest city to the capital of the Empire. A free city, independent of the crown, situated right next to the capital. It sounded strange on paper¡ªbut anyone who knew which group was based here would understand. ¡°Altius, huh...¡± One of the Three Great Mage Schools on the continent¡ªwidely considered the greatest in terms of scale and prestige. Their headquarters was located right here. Even the Emperor wouldn¡¯t dare covet this city. That was the reason why. ¡°Well... it¡¯s a main quest, so I don¡¯t have a choice.¡± Karl normally avoided getting tangled with massive factions like this. But in the end, he had no choice but to come here. Because of that damned quest. If he wanted to get stronger for the calamity looming over this world¡ªor find a way back to Earth¡ªhe had to keep completing quests. Beyond the low rooftops in the distance, the towering spires came into view. Karl let out a long sigh, then resumed walking toward them. Chapter 3: Altius (1) The towers of the Altius main campus were tall. There were many of them¡ªand they were disgustingly tall. And for some reason, a massive crowd had gathered around him, so Karl had no choice but to come to a halt. ¡°What the hell... I mean, I know this is the main Altius campus, but why the hell are there so many people here?¡± And they were all mages. His confusion only deepened. There was, however, one thing Karl didn¡¯t know. Today was the first day of the official entrance exam for the Altius School¡ªthe one that only came once a year. Mages from across the continent had flocked to Rubenne, hoping to be accepted into the most prestigious school of all. To put it in Earth terms, it was the classic case of ¡°hitting market day on your travel day.¡± ¡°Excuse me¡ªwhy are there so many mages here?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He grabbed a passerby and asked. The man replied kindly. ¡°You must be from far away. Today¡¯s the start of the Altius entrance exams, that¡¯s why.¡± Now that he mentioned it, Karl vaguely remembered hearing some merchants chatting about it along the way. Sweating bullets, Karl pushed his way through the crowd and finally made it to the gates. ¡°Hey! You¡¯re not allowed through yet!¡± This time, a mage stepped forward, blocking him with a staff. Judging by the emblem stitched into his robe, this guy was a proper Altius mage. It looked like they were personally managing the crowd. Then again, with this many mages all in one place, it made sense for high-ranking personnel to step ? N§àv§Öl?g?§ä ? (Continue reading) in just in case. Karl forced a smile and spoke to him. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not here to take the exam. I¡¯m looking for someone¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Back off. If you¡¯re here as a guest, you should¡¯ve sent word and come through another gate. What are you doing here?¡± Because the person I¡¯m supposed to meet is a complete stranger, you bastard. Karl held back his irritation and spoke again, calmly. ¡°The person I need to see¡ªthis will be our first time meeting. Could you at least pass along a message for me?¡± ¡°...Who exactly are you trying to meet?¡± ¡°A man named Seindal. My master said he was his old friend...¡± Karl trailed off mid-sentence. The mage who had asked him stiffened, eyes widening in visible shock. ¡°Se-Seindal? You mean the Seindal of the Council of Elders?!¡± ¡°Uh... I¡¯m not sure. I just came to deliver something to him.¡± The mage seemed to snap out of it and carefully asked, ¡°May I ask your master¡¯s name? I¡¯ll inform him right away.¡± ¡°Ah, thank you. Just tell him a student of Master Jeron has come.¡± The mage immediately ran off in a panic. Karl stood awkwardly, waiting for his return. He hadn¡¯t been waiting long when someone suddenly struck up a conversation from the side. ¡°Insane how many people there are, huh? But you know, by tomorrow, half of them will be gone. Most are just trash-tier wannabes.¡± Karl turned. A blond man was grinning as he looked Karl up and down. ¡°You look pretty young. And from your clothes, and the fact that you¡¯re here alone... you¡¯re not some noble brat. Hmm. No school crest on your robe, either. Don¡¯t tell me you picked up a few scraps of magic here and there and came to take the exam? Ha!¡± ¡°......¡± ¡°Ah, right, let me introduce myself. I¡¯m Lorand, from the Aster School. Don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t heard of it? It¡¯s one of the subordinate schools under Altius. Not to brag, but I¡¯m a Second Circle mage.¡± He puffed up proudly and pointed to the emblem on his robe. Karl was speechless. What the hell is this idiot¡¯s deal? Was he seriously picking a fight? Regardless of Karl¡¯s silence, Lorand kept babbling. ¡°Just saying¡ªI¡¯ve seen kids like you before. With skills that sloppy, you¡¯re not even gonna make it past the basic tests today. It¡¯s good to dream big, but Altius? Bit too far-fetched, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°......¡± ¡°So, what I¡¯m saying is, don¡¯t let it get you too down when you fail. Knowing your place early on is important if you want to get anywhere in life.¡± Karl briefly debated whether to engage this clown, then decided it wasn¡¯t worth the effort and just ignored him. That reaction made Lorand¡¯s brow twitch. ¡°What, not even a word? I¡¯m trying to give you some friendly advice here! Typical¡ªno talent, just a bloated ego...¡± ¡°There he is!¡± Just then, a group emerged from the gates. Lorand''s eyes went wide in alarm. And not just him¡ªthe surrounding mages all began murmuring, their attention snapping toward the new arrivals. And no wonder. A living legend had appeared. A flowing white robe trimmed with gold. The mark of the Council of Elders, the highest authority within Altius. ¡°Is it that boy?¡± A white-haired elder approached the crowd, flanked by other mages. It was Seindal, one of the Elders of Altius. As he drew nearer, the murmurs died down. By the time he reached the front of the crowd, there was complete silence. He came to a stop directly in front of one young man. Karl. ¡°......¡± Seindal studied Karl for a moment, his eyes glinting with interest. ¡°So you¡¯re... Jeron¡¯s disciple?¡± With every gaze fixed on him, Karl nodded stiffly. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Judging by the reaction, it seemed this character¡¯s backstory placed his master as someone with some heavy connections. That... wasn¡¯t great for Karl. This entire situation was uncomfortable. ¡°Goddamn it. Way too much attention...¡± In this dangerous world, attention was the last thing you wanted. Cursing Seindal internally for making such a public entrance, Karl handed him a ring. ¡°My master said showing you this would be enough.¡± ¡°...!!¡± Karl didn¡¯t even know what the thing was. He¡¯d just received it alongside the quest as a proof of identity. ¡°...It¡¯s real. No doubt about it¡ªthis belonged to my old friend.¡± Seindal smiled, nodding as he returned the ring. ¡°Welcome to the Altius main campus. Let¡¯s not keep standing here¡ªcome inside.¡± As Karl began to follow him, he paused and glanced back. He caught a perfect view of Lorand, frozen in place with his jaw hanging open. ¡°Hey, thanks for the advice. But maybe you should try applying it to yourself sometime. You know¡ªthe part about knowing your place?¡± ¡°......¡± Lorand stood there, beet red and speechless. Karl smirked and turned away. This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight. * * * The mage tower I followed Seindal into was nothing like what I had imagined. I¡¯d expected something darker, gloomier¡ªbut the interior was just as bright as the sunny outdoors. There was even someone at the entrance who looked like a receptionist behind a counter. "Come now, make yourself comfortable." We had arrived at a spacious room on the upper floors, following Seindal¡¯s lead. I sat down, glancing around awkwardly. "What kind of tea would you like?" "Anything¡¯s fine." "Haha, Jeron said the same thing every time I tried to offer him something. ¡®Anything¡¯s fine,¡¯ he¡¯d say." Seindal had the look of someone momentarily lost in memory. Though really, isn¡¯t that just the kind of generic answer you give when it¡¯s your first time in a place like this? As he set down the tea and took the seat across from me, he suddenly looked at me and let out a hearty laugh. "But really, it¡¯s all quite astonishing. That man, with his personality, actually took on a disciple. And you, at your level¡ª4-circle, and barely twenty¡ªyou¡¯re quite something. Hoho..." "......" Had he seen right through me? Well, even if he looked ordinary, the guy was a veteran mage of Altius. Probably a monster at the 6-circle level or higher, which meant he could likely read my actual level at a glance. "How is Jeron doing? If he raised such a fine disciple, he should have come along to boast. Why did he send only you?" I stayed silent. I needed a moment to gather my thoughts before answering. First off, the character¡¯s master, Jeron, was dead. That had been part of the game¡¯s setting from the very beginning, ever since I got swallowed into this damn world. So I knew absolutely nothing about Jeron as a person. All I¡¯d done so far was follow quest markers and gather his scattered research notes from all over the continent.
Deliver Jeron¡¯s research notes to his only friend, Seindal. You may find Seindal at the headquarters of the Altius School. Quest Reward: 50,000 SP And then came the new main quest. This damn quest only told me to deliver the notes¡ªit didn¡¯t say a single thing about how to handle Seindal asking questions about Jeron. So from here on out, improvisation was key. Putting on a slightly somber expression, I spoke. "My master has passed away." "...!!" Seindal¡¯s face was struck with visible shock. I didn¡¯t say anything more and waited. After a long moment of silence, Seindal nodded with a face that somehow looked even older. "I see... So that¡¯s what happened." "......" "With his stubbornness, he probably worked himself to death. I can¡¯t say I¡¯m too surprised." He rubbed his brow tightly, then asked me, "What did you do with Jeron¡¯s body?" "...I buried him in a sunny place, together with his staff." Of course, that never actually happened. Jeron¡¯s staff is currently tucked safely inside my inventory. I was starting to feel a twinge of guilt when Seindal asked another question. "Did Jeron ever speak of me?" "He said you were his one and only true friend. That¡¯s actually why I came looking for you." A hint of doubt flickered across Seindal¡¯s face. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I reached into my robes and pulled out a notebook along with a few scrolls. Seindal¡¯s eyes widened, as if he already knew what they were. "That can¡¯t be..." "Yes. These are the research notes Master compiled while traveling the continent. He said that if anyone could understand them, it would be you, Seindal." "......!!" From my perspective, it just looked like pages of nonsense symbols and bizarre diagrams scribbled everywhere. Seindal read through them with a grim expression. "...This is astonishing." It was only after quite some time that he finally muttered those words in awe. And at the same moment, a message popped into my head. [You have completed the main quest: ¡®Research Delivery.¡¯] [Quest Reward: You have received 50,000 SP.] [You have completed the first scenario.] Yes! I cheered internally. Fifty thousand SP¡ªthat was more than you¡¯d get from dozens of normal quests. Guess the reward scales with the size of the scenario. Seindal¡¯s tone had noticeably softened as he spoke to me again. "Truly, thank you. For bringing me something this important." "It¡¯s nothing. It was my master¡¯s final wish, so of course I had to see it through." Seindal smiled and shook his head. "I¡¯ve seen many people rise through the ranks to get to where I am now. I know all too well how corrupt a mage¡¯s ambition can become." "......" "I¡¯m sure you understand what this research is about, and just how significant it is. Yet you resisted the temptation and brought it here, honoring your role as a disciple. That couldn¡¯t have been easy. You¡¯re more than worthy of my gratitude." I just gave a light smile at that. ¡®What the hell¡¯s he talking about? I didn¡¯t understand a single word of it.¡¯ To a fake mage like me, those scribbles meant nothing. The only thing that mattered was the 50,000 SP I¡¯d just scored to level up my skills. Chapter 4: Altius (2) After that, we talked more about Seindal and Jeron¡ªhow I met Jeron, how long I stayed by his side learning magic, and so on. It was a draining conversation, but I barely managed to steer through it thanks to the rough story I¡¯d already made up in my head on the way here. "So, what are your plans now?" "I..." I hadn¡¯t gotten a new quest yet, so I hadn¡¯t actually decided on anything. At that moment, Seindal smiled gently and said: "How about joining Altius?" "......" "I''m not suggesting this just because you''re my old friend¡¯s disciple. At your age, being at the 4th Circle¡ªyou''re basically a genius. I''m sure you''d learn a great deal here. Just like your master did long ago." I kept my mouth shut for a moment, pretending to be deep in thought. Truth was, I¡¯d already decided. ¡®...Absolutely not. Stay here? No way.¡¯ The quest issue was secondary. With my magic ability basically at zero, if I stuck around here, I¡¯d get exposed in no time. So I racked my brain for a reasonable way to refuse. "I appreciate the offer, but I don''t think I can accept it." Seindal looked a little surprised, clearly expecting me to agree right away. "Hmm, why is that?" "Because of my master¡¯s final words. For now, I plan to travel across the continent." A will. Once I threw that in, it became vague enough that he wouldn¡¯t push further. I mean, who¡¯s going to argue against a dead master¡¯s dying wish? Fortunately, Seindal seemed to take the hint and nodded with a soft smile. "Haha, that does sound like Jeron." "......" "Magical power, spells, and all the knowledge gained through research¡ªthose are all important, but the essence of magic is willpower. Roaming the world and gaining experience will help deepen your understanding of magic. That¡¯s something you can¡¯t get from locking yourself in a room. Once you¡¯re old like me, even wandering becomes hard, so I¡¯d say it¡¯s not a bad choice at all." I have no idea what he¡¯s going on about. For now, just nod along. Seindal looked at me with a satisfied face and continued. "Then how about this?" "......?" "You don¡¯t have to stay here, but what if you at least became affiliated with Altius? No matter where you travel across the continent, it¡¯ll give you a solid identity. It won¡¯t hurt to have that¡ªonly help." My eyes widened. What he was saying was basically: I could receive all the benefits, without any of the responsibilities of actually being a member. "Is... is that really okay?" "It¡¯s no problem. I¡¯ll vouch for you myself." Well. If a Council elder steps in personally, who¡¯s going to kick up a fuss over some nominal mage membership? ¡®Man, having connections is seriously OP.¡¯ I was honestly impressed. Anyway, it wasn¡¯t something I had any reason to refuse. As I nodded obediently, Seindal smiled and got to his feet. "Well then, let¡¯s leave it at that for today. Since you¡¯re registering without going through the formal process, we¡¯ll need to do a simple evaluation¡ªthat can wait until tomorrow. Just spend the rest of the day here. You won¡¯t get bored walking around." * * * That¡¯s how I ended up with a spacious, antique-style room to stay in for a bit¡ªand after finishing a decent meal¡ª I headed straight to where I had planned to go. The Central Library. Normally, when you think of a library, you picture a place packed full of books. But if that library is located inside a magic faction, and that faction just so happens to be Altius¡ª Then it¡¯s not just a library. It might as well be called a treasure trove of magic. Especially for me. Because unlike everyone else, to me, a magic book was a kind of item¡ªspecifically, a ¡®skillbook¡¯. Understanding the principles, memorizing the incantation, combining it with mana control¡ªothers spend forever tearing their hair out learning spells. But me? I just pay SP and get it instantly. "Damn, this one¡¯s huge too." Most of the buildings in the main campus were tower-shaped. The library was no different. I walked toward the Central Library up ahead, recalling what Seindal told me. ¡®Books are organized by Circle level starting from the first floor.¡¯ First floor: 1st Circle spellbooks. Second floor: 2nd Circle spellbooks. And so on. Everything was arranged in a way that made it easy for mages to find things according to their level. "Please show your identification." As I approached the first-floor entrance, a guard asked for ID. I didn¡¯t have a proper ID yet, but Seindal had given me a separate permit. When I showed it, the guard flinched in surprise and quickly stepped aside. Destination: 4th floor. There was a guard on every floor, so I had to repeat that three more times before I finally reached my goal. "Oh." Books filled the place from wall to wall. All of them related to 4th Circle magic. I had plenty of SP saved up from finishing the Main Quest. While I was here, I planned to grab as many usable spells as I could. Sure, this was a public library, so there wouldn¡¯t be any super-secret forbidden spells¡ªbut even so, there were more than enough decent ones to pick through. After all, this was the Altius main library. I grinned and started walking. [Reinforcing Pressure (6000SP)] [Earth Sphere (8000SP)] [Poison Mist (7000SP)] [Frozen Boom (7000SP)] Lost in a blissful dilemma, I browsed through the titles one by one¡ª "......?" Suddenly, I felt a gaze. I turned my head. Someone was staring at me from across the room. A woman with long black hair and violet eyes. She strode toward me and asked: "Who are you?" S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Completely random question. I didn¡¯t answer. She just barged in and started interrogating me¡ªI had no idea what her angle was. "I said, who are you?" She repeated herself, this time sounding a little annoyed. Since she was interrupting what I was doing and spouting nonsense, I answered back just as bluntly. "And who are you supposed to be?" "I asked first. You answer." "...If you want to know who someone is, shouldn''t you start by saying who you are? What is this, some kind of first-come-first-serve game?" At that, she frowned. But then, she nodded like it made sense and said: "Sharon Rachel. Disciple of Elder Hurst." "..." "Now talk. Who are you?" Disciple of an Elder? This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight. Karl kept his surprise hidden as he replied. "Karl." "......" "...I¡¯m acquainted with Elder Seindal. But I¡¯m not his disciple or anything like you." Her eyes lit with a flicker of curiosity. "First time." "...?" "First time I¡¯ve seen another 4th Circle my age. Other than me, I mean. I was just curious." With that, she suddenly turned and walked off in another direction. Karl stared at her back, completely dumbfounded. "What the hell was that?" He shook it off and went right back to browsing spellbooks. * * * Council Hall of the Altius Main Branch "So... why did you call this meeting, Seindal?" One of the elders seated around the massive round table asked the question with a curious look. Seindal got straight to the point. "There¡¯s a talent I¡¯d like to personally recommend for the faction." Another elder tilted his head slightly. "Can¡¯t you handle that on your own? As an elder, you can appoint as many apprentice faction members as you like¡ª" The elder abruptly stopped speaking. His eyes widened. "...Wait, are you saying you want to recommend someone as a full faction member?" Seindal nodded, prompting a few gasps of disbelief from the other elders. A full faction member. That was something entirely different from an apprentice. Even after joining, most mages had to spend years proving their ability and qualifications before receiving that title. Which meant even the Elder Council couldn¡¯t simply grant it on a whim. "So, you really mean to induct an outsider directly as a full member?" "That¡¯s right." The elders were once again stunned. It was the first time Seindal had ever used his authority to personally recommend someone. And not just for any role¡ªfor the position of a full member. No wonder everyone was so surprised. But most importantly... "Seindal, we all know you¡¯re not the type to speak rashly..." The Council Chair cast a glance toward a particular elder¡ªHurst¡ªwho had his arms crossed and looked deeply displeased from the moment this topic started. "...But you also know there¡¯s only one slot left." "Yes." "And you know that slot was supposed to go to Hurst¡¯s granddaughter." "Of course. I¡¯m fully aware." The Elder Council was permitted to appoint ten full faction members per year. Nine spots had already been filled. The last remaining one was, by mutual understanding, meant for Hurst¡¯s granddaughter and disciple, Sharon. And now, out of nowhere, Seindal had stepped in with a new candidate. Of course they were surprised¡ªof course there was confusion. "And yet you¡¯re willing to spark conflict over this. Who exactly is this person you want to recommend? You don¡¯t even have a disciple of your own, do you?" Seindal paused for a moment. All eyes turned toward him. Then, calmly, he spoke. "Jeron has passed away." "......!!" "And earlier today, his disciple came to see me. He¡¯s the one I want to recommend." The elders murmured among themselves. They were all of the same generation, all old enough to remember. There was no one at that table who didn¡¯t know the name Jeron. A genius among geniuses. And a total eccentric. He¡¯d refused a position on the Elder Council and abandoned the faction entirely to pursue his personal research. "So Jeron¡¯s really gone..." "Just disappeared one day, cut off all contact... not even a final goodbye..." The name stirred memories. Several elders who had once been close with him let out heavy sighs. "He seriously raised a disciple?" "Yes." "I know you wouldn''t make that kind of claim without being sure... but still, with his personality? Though I suppose even someone like him could¡¯ve changed with age..." "So you want to bring Jeron¡¯s disciple in as a full member. Does he qualify?" The minimum qualification for a full faction member of Altius was the 3rd Circle. It was absurdly high compared to other schools. Seindal smiled faintly. "He¡¯s actually a step above." "4th Circle? Hmm. Then I assume he¡¯s not that young?" "Don¡¯t be shocked¡ªhe¡¯s twenty." "......!!" The elders¡¯ eyes widened in astonishment. "Twenty...? Are you telling me he¡¯s only twenty and already 4th Circle?" "He¡¯s a genius, just like Sharon. So now, do you all agree there¡¯s nothing wrong with my recommendation?" Jeron¡¯s disciple. 4th Circle at twenty. Aside from being an outsider, he had no faults compared to Sharon. And Altius didn¡¯t operate on seniority or bloodlines. Titles and positions were granted solely based on merit and achievement. "But even so, isn¡¯t this going a bit far? Sharon¡¯s been here as a faction member all this time¡ª" "...Faction member? Let¡¯s be honest. She¡¯s had the title, but has she ever actually done the work apprentices are expected to do?" "Still, he¡¯s an outsider¡ª" "Being Jeron¡¯s disciple means he¡¯s not entirely an outsider. His master¡¯s name hasn¡¯t even been formally removed from the faction¡¯s records." A minor debate broke out among the elders. Those closer to Seindal, and those who hadn¡¯t looked favorably upon Sharon¡¯s behavior over the years, began to side with him. The room¡¯s atmosphere grew increasingly tense. The Council Chair let out a long sigh. "Haa... Seindal. There¡¯s no changing your mind, is there?" "I¡¯m sorry to Hurst, but no. This is the only thing I can still do for a ? N§àv§Öl?§Ôht ? (Don¡¯t copy, read here) friend who left without a word." "Then we have no choice but to follow protocol." The Chair¡¯s voice turned solemn, clearly preparing to settle the matter. "Jeron¡¯s disciple and Sharon¡ªboth meet the qualifications of a full faction member, and their levels are comparable. Therefore, as per the rules, under the observation of the Council, the two will compete in a suitable magic trial to determine..." Chapter 5: Altius (3) It was late at night when Karl, having left the library earlier, was summoned once again by Seindal. "A duel...?" Karl repeated the word with a confused look. "I¡ªI thought you said it was just a simple evaluation?" "Things took a turn," Seindal replied with a laugh. "But thinking about it now, this might actually work out better for you." He chuckled warmly. "You don¡¯t need to worry too much about winning or losing. Even if the outcome isn¡¯t great, it won¡¯t affect your acceptance." "Then what¡¯s the point?" "It¡¯s part of the process to bring you in as a full member. Might as well skip straight past the apprentice stage, right?" After hearing the full explanation, Karl wore a thoroughly unamused expression. ¡®Apprentice, full member¡ªwhatever. Doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡¯ All he really needed was the fancy label of ¡°Altius¡± on his name. That alone was enough. But from the way Seindal explained it, things were already in motion. Too late to pull back now. And besides, it was a stage Seindal had set up for his sake. Refusing now would just embarrass the guy. Not that Karl cared much either way. It was a bit of a hassle, sure¡ªbut if it was just a duel, he could deal with it. And if it came with a higher rank, well, that wasn¡¯t a bad bonus. He nodded, choosing to look on the bright side. "Alright. So how¡¯s the duel going to work?" "It¡¯ll be in the format of a one-on-one magic match... though the details haven¡¯t been decided yet. The elders will meet a few hours before the duel tomorrow to finalize everything." Then, as if remembering something, Seindal added: "Oh, and your opponent will be Sharon Rachel¡ªElder Hurst¡¯s granddaughter and disciple. She¡¯s considered a genius around the main branch here. Not that the name would mean much to you, I suppose." At that, Karl tilted his head slightly. ¡®Sharon Rachel? That sounds familiar...¡¯ And then it clicked. She was that weird girl he ran into earlier in the library. What a coincidence. * * * The next day at noon. As planned, Karl followed Seindal to the lower floors of one of the magic towers. Several elders were already gathered in one area, waiting. "That¡¯s the boy." "Hmm, let¡¯s see..." They murmured one after another as they observed Karl. On the other side stood Elder Hurst and Sharon. Karl glanced briefly in their direction. But Elder Hurst was glaring daggers at him, so Karl quickly turned away. ¡®Man, he¡¯s seriously pissed.¡¯ Well, fair enough. Karl was basically swooping in and snatching the spot meant for his granddaughter. No way that would go over well. "Since everyone¡¯s here, let¡¯s get started. The two of you¡ªtake your positions." At the Elder Council Chair¡¯s command, Karl and Sharon stepped forward. Wuuuung... A magical circle lit up beneath their feet, and a hemisphere-shaped barrier rose around them, enclosing the space. The Elder Council Chair then began explaining the rules. It wouldn¡¯t be a no-holds-barred magic battle. They weren¡¯t going to let two people throw lethal spells at each other just for the sake of deciding a rank. This wasn¡¯t a duel to the death¡ªjust a test to gauge magical superiority. "You¡¯re limited to three spells: Magic Missile, Force, and Shield." Magic Missile, Force, and Shield. The absolute basics¡ªspells every mage should be able to use freely. "And the win condition is..." He handed each of them a bracelet. Karl raised an eyebrow, wondering why, but the explanation followed. "It¡¯s a magic tool with a single-use defensive spell. It activates only when a direct hit is taken." Whoever lands a clean strike and activates the opponent¡¯s bracelet first¡ªwins. Both Karl and Sharon nodded. ¡®Not a bad setup. No risk of getting hurt.¡¯ Then, it happened. [A Sudden Quest has appeared.] Defeat Sharon Rachel completely in this duel to prove your abilities to the Elders. Reward: 10,000 SP ¡®Hmm.¡¯ A quest, again? And the reward was solid¡ª10,000 SP. Karl felt his motivation spike slightly as he glanced over at Sharon. Then, out of nowhere, she spoke. "You can¡¯t beat me." "..." What now? A provocation? But the look on her face didn¡¯t suggest anything like that. No tension, no edge¡ªjust total confidence. Like the outcome was already decided in her favor. Karl raised an eyebrow. "Pretty confident, huh?" "My grandfather told me about you. I¡¯ve got experience. You don¡¯t." "...?" "You helped your master with research, didn¡¯t you? I bet you¡¯ve never even been in a real mage duel. Just because our Circles match doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re equals." Karl suppressed a laugh. "Mind if I ask you something?" "...?" "Have you ever left the main branch and fought in actual combat? I¡¯m not talking about mock duels with the other mages here, waving your hands around pretending it¡¯s serious." Sharon¡¯s brow twitched slightly. "...You¡¯re arrogant." "You¡¯ll see." Karl shrugged and grinned. Did she even know? What it meant to start from zero-circle and claw your way up in this screwed-up world just to survive? He might be a fake mage¡ªbut in battle, he was anything but fake. "Prepare yourselves. The match begins when the mana orb in the air bursts." The Elder Council Chair stretched out his hand, and a small mana orb formed between the two of them. A moment of silence. Meanwhile, among the elders, predictions were already flying. "Of course Sharon will win. Isn¡¯t it obvious?" Most of them nodded at Elder Hurst¡¯s firm declaration. "Probably. Didn¡¯t they say that boy Karl just lived with his master, never faced any real battle? Hard to imagine he¡¯d have any duel experience." "Their mana levels are said to be close, but beyond that... I doubt Jeron¡¯s disciple can actually win this." Hurst, satisfied by their agreement, nodded with a smug look. He turned to glance at Seindal with a hint of scorn. "Well, Seindal? What¡¯s your take? You did set this all up, didn¡¯t you?" Seindal, who had been listening quietly, shook his head. "Honestly, I don¡¯t know." "...Hmm?" "Logically speaking, yes¡ªyour granddaughter should win." "Hah. And yet you went through all this trouble? What for?" Seindal gave a faint smile. "Just a feeling." "...?" "I sensed something strange from that boy, Karl. Nothing more. That¡¯s it." "Tch. Feelings? What kind of mage relies on that crap..." Hurst clicked his tongue and turned his head. In his field of vision was Karl¡ªthe thorn in his eye. ¡®If that brat pulls any underhanded tricks, I won¡¯t stand for it.¡¯ S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And so, with everyone watching intently¡ªespecially Hurst, whose glare could probably bore a hole through stone¡ª BOOM! The mana orb burst. The duel began. This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight. As soon as the match began, Sharon immediately gathered her mana. Shushushuk! More than ten Magic Missiles burst forward, all aimed straight at Karl. He quickly raised a Shield. Kwaaaang!! The missiles crashed into the barrier but failed to pierce it, disappearing on impact. A light exchange of offense and defense to open the match. ¡®Her casting speed¡¯s impressive.¡¯ Karl was mildly surprised¡ªand so was Sharon. ¡®...His casting speed is on par with mine?¡¯ She had planned to end the match quickly and show him the difference in level. But now she found herself slightly revising her evaluation. His casting ability was comparable to hers. ¡®That¡¯s all he¡¯s got, though.¡¯ In terms of mana control and battle experience, she was sure she had the upper hand. With that confidence, Sharon raised a Shield of her own. Karl, in the meantime, launched a counterattack with Magic Missiles. Kwagwagwang!! After deflecting his barrage¡ª ¡®Let¡¯s see how you handle more this time.¡¯ She began concentrating an even larger number of missiles. And then¡ª Crack! ¡°...?!¡± Her Shield suddenly shattered. Feeling something at her feet, Sharon quickly looked down. A Force spell had slipped through beneath her defenses and snared her ankles. Kwadang! She fell flat onto the floor. ¡°...!!¡± Gasps spread among the watching elders. They had seen exactly what happened. Karl had bombarded her with Magic Missiles, waited for the Shield to weaken, then slipped in a sharpened Force spell right through the gap. The tactic itself wasn¡¯t unusual. That wasn¡¯t what had shocked the elders. In magic, spells are typically cast through ritual structuring and proper mana flow. Casting rituals consume mental energy, and once mana direction is fixed, it takes time to switch to another spell form. So naturally, there¡¯s always a delay between spells¡ªespecially for high-level mages. If you rush it, you risk magical backlash, either mentally or within your own mana flow. But that last move... ¡°...There was no delay between his Magic Missile and Force spell!¡± ¡°To chain spells that quickly¡ªcan a 4th Circle even do that?¡± Even though Magic Missile and Force were lower-tier spells, that kind of seamless chaining was beyond 4th Circle¡ªit bordered on divine. The elders were astonished. But for Karl, it was easy. He didn¡¯t need to construct spells manually or manage his mana flow. The system did all of that for him. There was no backlash, and as long as he had the mana, he could chain spells indefinitely without pause. To the others, it looked like a superhuman feat. Karl, unbothered, stood there calmly and looked down at the fallen Sharon. He didn¡¯t even follow up with another spell. Sharon got up, staggering slightly, and glared at him like she wanted to kill him. ¡°...Are you messing with me?¡± Karl answered nonchalantly. ¡°What?¡± ¡°That Force spell! You could¡¯ve won right there if you aimed to hit instead of just knock me down!¡± ¡°Oh, is that so? But I figured if I ended it that way, you wouldn¡¯t be satisfied.¡± Defeat Sharon Rachel completely in this duel to prove your abilities to the Elders. Quest Complete Reward: 10,000 SP The quest¡¯s condition was a ¡°complete defeat.¡± Karl had seen this kind of trick before. Just winning wouldn¡¯t fulfill the ¡°complete¡± part. ¡®I have to make her acknowledge the difference.¡¯ Shwaaak!! Visibly pissed, Sharon shot a straight-line Force spell. Karl responded instantly. The two Force spells clashed midair with a thunderous boom, locking in a power struggle. Grrrrnnngg... Karl glanced across the gap at Sharon. She was pouring all her strength into trying to push back his Force. "Why are you pushing so hard?" He suddenly curved the shape of his Force spell into a concave arc. ¡°You¡¯ve gotta maintain your mana center at all times.¡± Twisting the flow mid-cast, he redirected her spell entirely. Sharon¡¯s Force shot flew harmlessly off course due to its own inertia. The elders gasped again at the precision of Karl¡¯s mana manipulation. Kwadang! Another Force spell in whip form struck her down again. That was the second knockdown. Still, Karl didn¡¯t press the attack. Sharon staggered to her feet, now clearly shaken. Her belief that she had superior mana control had proven to be just another illusion. ¡°...Ugh!!¡± A flurry of Magic Missiles rained from her hands. Karl responded in kind. Kwagwagwagwaaaang! Their missiles collided midair, creating chaotic explosions. Even if Magic Missile was just a 1st Circle spell, the two who wielded it were 4th Circle mages. The shockwaves from the clashes rippled across the arena, violently shaking the air. It became a chaotic battle lasting far longer than expected. But over time, Sharon¡¯s casting speed began to drop. Mental fatigue was taking its toll. Meanwhile, Karl hadn¡¯t shown a hint of exhaustion. ¡®This should be enough.¡¯ He decided it was time ¡ã? N ???? v ???? l i g h t ?¡ã to end it. Boom! A Magic Missile struck Sharon cleanly. The magical bracelet on her wrist activated, shielding her body. She stared blankly down at it, stunned. A complete loss, without a single moment of superiority. "This duel is concluded. The winner is..." The Elder Council Chair stepped forward to announce the result. Naturally, it was a flawless victory for Karl. [Sudden Quest: Prove Your Skill ¡ª Completed.] [Quest Reward: 10,000 SP acquired.] Chapter 6: Altius (4) And just like that, the full faction member position returned to Karl. Sharon, apparently too shaken by her defeat, burst into tears without warning, and Elder Hurst shot Karl a murderous glare. Other elders, now suddenly far too interested, started bombarding him with annoying questions, but all the formalities were completed smoothly. His registration as a full member of the faction was finalized immediately, and, as Seindal had said, it would take a few days for the official ID to be issued. In the meantime, Karl spent his days exactly as planned¡ªholed up in the library, combing through spellbooks. Two days later, he finally selected the two spells he would learn. ¡®Shame. I¡¯d learn everything here if I could.¡¯ Of course, without several million SP lying around, that was out of the question. Now, with two new spells learned, he had about 30,000 SP left. Better to keep some in reserve just in case. No point in wasting it on impulse buys. He needed to stick to spells he actually needed. "Hmm." With a sigh of regret, Karl looked around the room one more time. He was just about to leave the library when¡ª [A Sudden Quest has appeared.]