NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 34: Conflict (1)
Even at first glance, the Skill was more than just useful. Michael grinned. It was the kind of Skill that benefitted people like him – people with a huge mana pool – the most. The ordinary Mage would be busy trying to manage their mana costs, but would still be able to rely on Twin Casting for a decisive moment. He, however, enjoyed only the pros of the Skill. The doubled mana cost didn’t affect him much, allowing him to take full advantage of it. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that pretty much every Skill cast from now on would rely on this Skill. He even felt that its ranking should be higher.
It's probably only classified as an E-rank because the average Mage can’t use it too much.
It was different from dual casting and chantless casting, which could be effective in the hands of virtually every caster. The ability to cast two spells or Skills at the same time and cut out the required chanting was too valuable. Even though he had been trying to learn them on his own, Michael didn’t expect to reach them for a while. He wouldn’t stop training, but it was better to keep his expectations in check. He had already learned Minor Heal and Twin Casting; it was better not to get greedy.
Content with his new Skill, Michael looked over the next few System notifications.
[All enemies have been slain. The goal has been reached.]
[You can now leave Mushroom Grotto.]
[There are no optional or side areas to this Dungeon.]
He blinked at the last notification. He hadn’t really considered it, but given how game-like the System and this Tutorial were, he shouldn’t be surprised. The idea that some Dungeons possessed optional objectives for greater rewards wasn’t unthinkable. He continued to read.
[You have been rewarded for clearing the Dungeon.]
[You have acquired the Mushroom Hunter Title, two Skill Points, and fifteen Free Stat Points.]
[Title
Mushroom Hunter: after a series of gruesome battles, you can be considered to be the very scourge of fungi. Your hunt didn’t go unnoticed.
Effects: marginally boosts damage against any fungi-type creatures. Increases poison resistance.]
Michael scratched his chin. The rewards didn’t seem to match the difficulty of the Dungeon, but maybe he was seeing this from a skewed point of view. Two Skill Points and fifteen Free Stat Points would be a considerable boon to any other contestant, especially the Skill Points. If he considered that this Dungeon had been meant to be tackled as a Party and that this reward was given to every member, it made more sense. He was the one who had insisted on barging in alone and nearly getting himself killed in the process.
All is well that ends well.
He shrugged. He read the last notification. Instantly, he froze. All of his senses sharpened as he read it over and over, making sure that he hadn’t made a mistake.
[You have reached Level 25.]
[Class Evolution is now available.]
They were simple words that carried significant weight. Michael wasn’t too surprised by them; he had already expected he wouldn’t remain a Mage forever based on his knowledge of fiction and games. What mattered was that he was now capable of changing his Class into a better version. He spoke to himself in a low voice.
“I’ll need to talk to the old man about this.”
It also explained why the Great Mushroom was so deadly in spite of being only two Levels higher than the Mushroom Warriors and Mushroom Casters he had encountered while clearing the Dungeon. If, as he previously theorized, monsters had access to the System just like humans, then the creature had undergone a powerful change at Level 25.
I haven’t acquired the Meditation Skill.
Tairy had mentioned that it was automatically given to all casters at Level 25, and Michael hadn’t inquired further, but now that he had reached it, the Skill was nowhere to be seen.
Did he mean I would get it after Class Evolution?
It was possible. Either way, he would only know for sure once he returned to Bluestone Village and talked to his teacher. With a deep breath, Michael turned around and spoke to the air.
“I want to leave the Dungeon.”
He felt the space around him tremble. Sudden and unstoppable, a burst of light enveloped his frame. Once he came to, he was outside the Dungeon, in front of the stone circle that first led to it. He shook his head, trying to get his bearings. He hadn’t even been able to react to the System’s teleportation and that sort of bothered him. He was still so weak compared to the great architect of this scenario. Then again, it wasn’t as if he had planned to surpass the System itself any time soon. He narrowed his eyes.
It might be a nice objective, though.
Now that he had found a safe place to stay in and done everything he could to look for his loved ones, he had discovered that he greatly enjoyed the process of becoming more powerful. Every time the numbers on his Status Window got higher, every time he felt as if he could do something that he previously wasn’t able to, every time he dove deep into the wonders of mana and its workings, he felt joy. He was still worried sick over his mother and friends, but he had done what he could. He was now focusing on what he could still do. Leveling up and becoming more powerful was part of it.
To become powerful enough to carve us a place in this new world.
That had been his goal from the start. Steeling his heart and having focused on the root of his determination, Michael started walking back to the Village. Just like before, it was eerily quiet around the Dungeon’s entrance. As he walked, however, his improved senses picked up some noise and the acrid scent of blood. He momentarily wondered what exact stats affected his five senses before waving his ruined wand.
“Mana Shield.”
Two layers of mana formed right above his skin, then instantly expanded into a circle that had him at the center. It was a simple matter to use Twin Casting for this. He stopped in place and looked at his wand with a pensive expression. It had been given to him as starter equipment by the System, and he had never bothered to think too much about it. He used Analyze on it.
[Equipment
Oak Wand (Ruined): a novice Mage’s most reliable and trustworthy ally. It has suffered enough damage to be rendered nearly ineffective.
Effects: helps with casting spells and Skills. ]
He read the description carefully. Simply put, the wand served as a crutch, allowing spellcasting for those who couldn’t do without it. However, apart from its appearance, even its description stated that it was now destroyed. It should be providing next to no assistance, which meant that his dependence on it existed only in his mind. With a thoughtful look, Michael dropped the wand on the ground next to him and extended his hands. He attempted to cast a twinned Mana Arrow, using his index finger as a wand of sorts.
The Skill came into being and shot into the nearby wall of the maze that was the underground, drilling through it in an instant. After it had penetrated rather deeply, Michael willed for it to detonate. The explosion shook the wall and nearby ground. There had been virtually no loss of power compared to what he had done against the Great Mushroom. It was possible that it was because of his higher Level, but either way, it showed that he was capable of casting without needing to rely on the wand.
He picked it up it up from the ground and spoke.
“Thank you for your service.”
Then, he wished for his mana to fill it entirely. As he poured more and more mana into it, blue light escaped from its many cracks. Eventually, it was too much. The wand shattered and crumbled into dust. Without a medium, the inserted mana dispersed peacefully. He felt better about destroying it than leaving it in a random place to be forgotten.
Either way, if it couldn’t handle that much mana, it was bound not to be enough for the road ahead.
Michael resumed his walk, casting his twinned Mana Shields once more. There was no wind or even a breeze this deep underground, but he still felt uncomfortable with the state of his appearance. As he thought of what his return to the Village would be like, a realization struck him. He nearly slapped himself. How could he have forgotten? He raised his hand. The symbols were that of the most complex spell in his arsenal, and also the only one. At first, it was difficult to quickly execute them, but a thought sprouted in his mind.
What if I used multiple fingers to make symbols simultaneously?
It was worth a shot. He had nothing to lose. He raised his left hand. Naturally, the difficulty multiplied. Keeping track of all of his ten fingers was too much. Time passed by quickly, but Michael remained focused on his task. If anything, he had verified that it was possible to do this. Eventually, he relented and used his index finger to create the necessary symbols for the Whisper spell. The other party answered immediately.