Chapter 9: Sorcerer

He stared at it blankly for a few seconds before he snapped back into reality with his jaw hanging in disbelief. Feeling the fine dust escaping his palm, he despaired as to how he's gonna learn magic with no book.

Just as hopelessness was consuming him, a green bar appeared out of thin air, stunning him in place. He began to read the words, and felt confused as to what it meant.

[Assistant Feature Activated]

Ding!

A sound like that of a small bell echoed around him, prompting him to look around to find where it came. He found nothing. His gaze went back to the bar, and it got replaced by another when he wasn't looking.

[Choose one of the Assistant: (Gimlo) (Vivi) (Demel)]

He understood what the words meant, but he was still perplexed as to why he was given choices out of nowhere. He simply went with it and looked at the choices. He spotted a familiar name, and did not hesitate to choose it.

"I choose Vivi."

[Assistant Vivi Activated]

Ding!

The bell sounded again, but this time, his attention wasn't drawn to it. He stared at the bar, anticipating what would happen next that he had selected Vivi. The answer came in something unexpected.

[I am glad you kept your words, Hunter Valier]

Her indifferent voice sounded all around him. And at the same time, her words were shown in green bars.

"Vivi!?" His gaze reflexively darted around, trying to find where she was. However, no matter where he looked, he caught no sight of her frozen figure.

[Do not bother. As I exist only in your mind]

"You're in my mind!?" He was startled by her claim. It was absurd to think about.

[Yes. But do not fear, as neither I nor the Guide mean you harm]

"What do you mean? Guide? What is happening?" He asked questions successively, thirsting for an explanation as to what was happening to him. His mind was all jumbled up, and he couldn't think straight until he got an answer.

[I and the Guide cannot directly harm you. You can only be harmed by your own actions. As for the Guide, it is the book my master created and left behind]

[The Guide will guide your path as a Sorcerer. And I am only here to provide assistance]

Valier froze in shock at her response. He had expected the reward he got was something magical and would turn him into a Mage, like a book of magic, but not this kind of thing. He couldn't even wrap his head around how he's seeing all these green things while Galleon can't.

"Wait. Hold Up!" That was when he noticed something that caught his focus. It has been repeated over and over, yet it completely flew out of his mind. But not this time. Instantly, his gaze became fixed on the words written in the bar.

Be rubbed his eyes in doubt, however, no matter how he looked at it, it's still the same. His heart skipped a beat, realizing the knife held against his throat. "Y-You're kidding… right? Please tell me, you are. I want to be a Mage… not a Sorcerer."

Unlike Mages that are held high and mighty, Sorcerers are not. They are seen as monsters that were once human, and are hunted down like rats, just like Witches. Becoming one of these two was not in his dreams at all!

Unfortunately, the answer wasn't in his favor.

[I apologize, but I am not. I am incapable of doing so. And what you have become cannot be changed]

"WHAT!?" He couldn't help but cry out his disbelief and reluctance to accept. He didn't want to die while branded as a monster. And he didn't want to live like a rat under a house!

[The Guide decides if you are going to be a Mage, Sorcerer, or Witch. Its decision is made by considering your mana]

"No… can't it be changed?" He asked desperately.

[As I have said, it cannot. For proof, say Status]

"Status!" He yelled almost immediately. And a green screen appeared in front of him. It was far wider than any screen that had popped up, and it covered all his front view.

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Name/s: Valier

Title/s:

Occupation/s: Hunter / Rank Apprentice Sorcerer

Mana Point/s: 1.7

Physical Status: (Click to expand) Strength / Agility / Endurance / Power

Mental Status [Guide Not Permitted]

Skill/s: (Click to Expand) Tracking / Aiming / Skinning / Stalking / Archery / Running / Skill Absorption

Spell/s: (Click to Expand) Above Limit

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He read the contents thoroughly, and couldn't understand why he did not become a Mage. Sure, 1.7 looks to be a very little number, but he didn't believe one thing would decide the next course of his life. He refuses to accept it so easily.

[To become a Mage, a person has to have at least 3 Mana Points. To be a Witch, at least 2 Mana Points are needed. For a Sorcerer, at least 1 Mana Point is needed. You only have 1.7 Mana Point, which you have naturally absorbed throughout your whole life]

She explained, but Valier still doesn't want to accept reality. "If… I get more Mana Points, can I change to being a Mage?"

[You cannot. Your are already a Sorcerer]

His fists began to bleed as he clenched them tightly, completely ignoring the pain. In fact, the pain provided him a bit of relief from his messy thoughts as it replaced them for a short time.

"Magic is infinite… There has to be a way, right?" He asked hopefully, holding onto his last string of composure before he would absolutely lose himself.

[There is a way. And that is to become a Rank Legendary Sorcerer and obtain the skill Morphing, which is an natural ability of the Sorcerers, which lets the Sorcerer transform into anyone and anything they desire]

A spark of hope ignited a surge of determination. Valier did not want to think about the power gap he had to bridge to become Rank Legendary, as he knew that would make him lose his mind. For now, small steps.

[Wise choice. You are currently a Rank Apprentice in the Sorcery Ladder of Ranks. Five Ranks below Legendary. To reach it, you have go through Rank Practitioner, Elite, Master, Grandmaster, and Epic]

[I strongly advise to focus on reaching Rank Practitioner first. As that is where Spells are practiced. Above that is Elite, where you can practice Advance Spells like Regeneration Touch to heal your wound]

Having been reminded, he touched his chest while nodding in understanding.

[However, there is another way to heal yourself. And that comes from the natural ability of Sorcerers, Skill Absorption]

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Skill: Skill Absorption

Description: The natural ability unique to Sorcerers. Gives the Sorcerer the ability to obtain a single skill from consuming the Beast Crystal of the beast containing the skill.

Warning 1: There is only a 50% chance to obtain the skill of Beast.

Warning 2: If the skill exceeds the capabilities of the Sorcerer to handle, the skill will be nerfed to match the capabilities of the Sorcerer.

Warning 3: Upon absorbing the skill, the Sorcerer may obtain a feature of the Beast e.i. additional legs, scales, wings, etc.

Warning 4: It is strongly advised that before the Sorcerer absorbs a Beast Crystal, they have to be in a place they deem safe as they will fall into a state of intense pain, with the high possibility of fainting.

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"You mean… I can just absorb the healing skill of Beasts?" He asked for confirmation after reading the description.

[Correct]

He felt relieved, but at the same time, afraid. Reading more of the warnings, he understood why Sorcerers were branded as monsters. And one day, he would become just like them. He gulped as he imagined himself having an additional eye, a tail, and hoves of a horse.

He shivered while cursing his wild imagination. Shaking his head side to side, he dissolved those thoughts and focused more on the positive side of things.

'I just have to find a Beast with a healing skill that can fix this.' He thought, caressing the ice. Releasing a heavy sigh, he mumbled to himself, trying to calm down. "Besides, Sorcerer Hunts aren't that popular in this Kingdom. Glad I'm not a Witch, or else… I'll be Trialed before I know it."

[Sorcerer Hunts? I apologize, but may I ask, what Continental Year is it?]

Valier's head tilted in confusion. He had no idea what Continental Year was. "Huh? If you're asking for the current year, it's 8999 of the Year of Magic."

[How much time has passed since the war between Magic and Blessings?]

There was a noticeable change in her tone as she spoke. She seemed worried. "The War of Mythics? Precisely 8999 years."

[Such a long time has passed… We might have a problem, Hunter Valier] She once again erased emotions from her voice.

At her words, Valier felt a surge of worry. "What is it? What's the problem?"

[I was left to guard the Guide precisely at the end of the war. My master has never returned to update the Guide since then]

His brows slowly knitted together as he understood the meaning of her words. He remembered how animals change behavior over time depending on their environment. So a lot must have changed. "8999 years…is a lot of time. The Guide's information might be behind."

[Unfortunately. However, in terms of the spells and magical techniques, it should still be adequate in the standards of today]

[For the information, that is where the problem arises. Animals and plants, terrains, and borders might have changed since then. An animal that survives solely on land back then may have grown fins by now]

"So the Guide cannot help much when it comes to that…" Valier felt a prick of pain as the quest to become stronger while being in constant look-out for being hunted had just become harder than it is already.

[I will try my best to assist]

"Thanks, Vivi." Valier felt more at ease by her words. Inhaling deeply with his eyes closed, his anxiety began to die down. He became more calm as seconds passed and he could now organize his thoughts.

After a moment of stillness and peace, he opened his eyes which had now become much calmer. "Vivi, how do I reach Rank Practitioner?"

[To reach Rank Practitioner, the Mana Point has to be 3. This can be done through absorbing mana from Beasts Crystals]

A question popped up in his mind. "Is there a difference between consumption and absorption?"

[If you want to advance to the next rank, you have to absorb the mana from the crystal instead of consuming the crystal. However, if you want to take the chance and obtain a skill, then you can choose to consume. There is no in-between. You have to choose either one]

"Once I eat the crystal, I cannot absorb it? And if I absorb the mana from the crystal, I cannot eat it and obtain skills?"

[Yes, you cannot]

Value sighed as he went over the chest and grabbed the crystals given to him. There are two Beast Crystals, with one reserved for purchasing his needs, and the other one reserved for emergency situations. Both are shining on his palm.

He stared at them, battling his inner self whether he should absorb one and eat the other. But after a few moments, he put the other back where he got it and settled the one left behind. Now, he had to choose whether to absorb or to eat.

[Scanning Activated]

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Item: Immature Winged Panther Beast Crystal

Mana Point: 5

Description: A Mana Crystal from an immature Second-Tier Winged Panther Beast.

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Seeing the green bar that suddenly appeared, and reading the contents, he immediately decided what to do with the crystal. There's a half chance that he would get a skill from the Beasts, however, there's a certain chance that he would get to advance to the next rank.

"I'll absorb it. Vivi, how do I absorb this?" He asked, since he was absolutely clueless. Fortunately, the assistant was fast to answer.

[Before that, you have to choose an Absorption Technique to further take advantage of the mana you will absorb. The most recommended by the Guide are Mana-Body Technique, and Ring Technique]

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Name: Mana-Body Technique

Description: An Absorption Technique passed down for several tens of thousands of years. Instead of storing all the mana into the crystal, 20% of the mana will be stored throughout the body, providing additional physical capabilities.

Name: Mana Ring Technique

Description: An Absorption Technique passed down for several tens of thousands of years. The mana is gathered around the crystal and turned into a ring. This ring will gather mana at a much faster rate than the crystal by 25%. The Sorcerer can decide to absorb the ring at any time. However, the longer it is in a ring form, the better.

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After weighing the two, and considering his situation, his choice went to the Muscle-Mana Technique. The Mana Ring Technique wouldn't make him stronger immediately, which is something he needed. If he chose the Mana Ring Technique, he would have to wait for a long time before he could reach Rank Practitioner.

Although he can just absorb the ring, wouldn't that make the whole technique useless? The technique was surely for those that are not in a rush, or don't have to worry about being hunted around.

"I chose the Mana-Body Technique." He muttered, and Vivi responded without wasting any time.

[Hold the crystal with both hands and bring it closer to your own crystal]

Valier followed the instructions. He held the crystal close to the crystal inside his body.

[Afterwards, close your eyes and try to feel its warmth. That warmth will naturally head to your crystal. The Guide will help you divert 20% of it, but you still have to put in the effort]

He focused on the crystal in his hand, and felt warmth radiating from it. The warmth got transferred into his chest. Valier released a warm breath as he felt his chest burning hot, as if a ball of fire was inside.

[By now, the mana must have gathered into a sphere near your crystal. Carefully break it into two pieces by gently pulling a small part of it. To do so, simply think of doing so]

Ding!

[Do you want the Guide to assist? (Yes) (No)]

Almost breaking his focus was the green screen appearing in front of him despite having his eyes closed. He no longer asked questions as to how it could do that, and just picked 'Yes'.

"Yes."

In a heartbeat, the sphere broke into two, forming two spheres with one much bigger than the other. He felt the other disappearing, as if being sucked into something. His crystal must be absorbing it. On the other hand, the other sphere remained.

[Break it into smaller pieces]

He followed and tore it apart, which was surprisingly easy with the Guide's help.

[Piece after piece, pull it towards the heart. Do so slowly, since you do not want to heat up your heart too much]

Valier did as he was told. After a few moments, he was covered in sweat, but not cold sweats like before. His whole body was getting hotter. When a few minutes passed, his eyes finally opened. His exhaustion is nowhere to be found, and he felt like he had slept peacefully for a whole night.

Looking down at his hands, the crystal was turning into fine gray sand, slipping through his fingers. In just seconds, it was reduced to a pile of dust.

Ding!

[You have reached Rank Practitioner]

[You have unlocked (Guide Library)]

[Mana Point +4]

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Mana Point: 5.7↑

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[Strength +0.25 / Agility +0.25/ Endurance +0.25/ Power +0.25]

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Physical Status

Strength: 5.4 ↑

Agility: 6.5 ↑

Endurance: 6.9 ↑

Power: 5.0 ↑

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[Congratulations on reaching the threshold, Hunter Valier. I do not want to spoil this moment, but I must point out something alarming]

Valier did not need her to point it out. He already knew as he touched his chest. The smooth surface of the ice is slightly wet. It was melting.

"I get it. I have to rank up, fast."