After mastering the magic scrolls, Sakeer opened his attribute panel to check his progress:
[Ability Table]
Innate Ability: [Player]
Comprehensive Level: Lv5
Experience Slot: 830/400
Class:
Basic Class: Genius Lv1 (Warrior, Priest, Apothecary, Alchemist, Magician, Rogue)Intermediate Class: Sword Master Lv4
Skill Points: 3
Passive Skills:
Item BoxSlash Increase (4%)
Active Skills:
Warrior Skills: Instant Reflex, Fourfold Slash of Light, Quick Slash, StealthMagic Skills: Papermaking (Zero Tier), Heating (Zero Tier), Minor Injury Heal (Tier 1), Magic Arrow (Tier 1), Odorless (Tier 1)Career Skills: Pharmaceutical, Alchemy
The recent battle with the duo from Eight Fingers syndicate had earned Sakeer a significant chunk of experience. Without hesitation, he allocated his points to level up.
Genius Lv1 → Sword Master 5Lv → Comprehensive Level Lv6
Among the new skills, Sakeer noticed he'd gained the thief's Stealth ability and unlocked the Thief's basic class as well.
New Skill: Stealth
Cost: None (Cooldown: 1 minute)
Description: In dark or shadowy environments, reduces your presence and increases agility by 10% for 30 seconds.
New Magic Skills:
Papermaking (Zero Tier) ↑
Cost: 1MP
Description: Creates 1,000 sheets of low-quality paper. For every additional 1MP spent, 500 more sheets are produced. No upper limit.
Heating (Zero Tier) ↑
Cost: 1MP
Description: Heats an object to 100°C within 1 minute.
Sakeer scanned through the details and noted that Zero-Tier Magic had surprisingly low mana costs — though that wasn't particularly exciting.
Zero Tier life magic... no wonder most magic casters in this world don't bother learning it.
Unlike in YGGDRASIL, where skill points were tightly capped, magic in this world required time, effort, and innate talent. Worse yet, there seemed to be a limit to how many spells a caster could master.
Given those restrictions, few would waste time on Zero Tier spells.
"This…"
Suddenly!
Sakeer's eyes caught something: a small upward arrow (↑) beside his Zero Tier spells.
"Wait... could it be...?"
His heart raced. When browsing magic scrolls at the Magician's' Guild, Sakeer had noticed that Papermaking existed as both a Zero Tier and 1st Tier spell. That anomaly had sparked his curiosity — and now, it seemed his theory was correct.
"Magic in this world can evolve!"
This discovery confirmed that magic developed by the locals followed a different system from the structured hierarchy of YGGDRASIL.
"Upgrade!"
With determination, Sakeer focused on his Zero Tier spells.
Spending 1 skill point on each, he triggered their advancement.
(New) Magic Skills:
Papermaking (1st Tier)
Cost: 5MP
Description: Creates 800 sheets of high-quality paper. For every additional 5MP spent, 400 more sheets are produced. No upper limit.
Heating (1st Tier)
Cost: 5MP
Description: Heats an object to 150°C within 1 minute.
"..."
Sakeer studied the improved descriptions, his excitement dimming slightly.
The changes... aren't that impressive.
The spells had improved, but not drastically. Furthermore, the (↑) symbols had vanished, meaning he couldn't enhance them further — at least not yet.
"So magic advancement is tied to level progression...?"
Based on his knowledge of YGGDRASIL's tier system, First-Tier Magic could be learned between levels 1 to 7, while Second-Tier Magic required levels 8 to 14.
"I'll probably need to level up more before I can enhance these spells again."
Another thought struck him.
If I keep upgrading these spells... could they eventually reach tenth-Tier Magic?
The idea was thrilling — Zero Tier spells, designed for mundane tasks, potentially evolving into powerful abilities rivaling endgame magic.
But... would they even be useful at that stage?
And more importantly — was it worth the investment? Skill points were limited, and spending too many on non-combat spells might weaken his overall growth.
"I'll think about that later... For now, I need to focus on leveling up."
Despite the uncertainty, Sakeer couldn't hide his excitement. The potential discovery of a new path to powerful magic was invaluable — especially since tenth-Tier Magic was rare, even in this world.
If no one else had explored this... I might be the first.
He massaged his temples, easing his tired mind.
"I'll figure it out later... For now, I need rest."
The Next Morning
As the sun rose, Sakeer was already awake. He left the inn early, moving through the streets with purpose.
His goal for the day was simple: stock up on food and essential supplies.
Thanks to the convenience of his Item Box, Sakeer didn't need to worry much about food storage or spoilage. With its ample space and time-freezing properties, he could carry supplies for weeks without concern.
To avoid drawing attention by purchasing too much food from a single vendor, Sakeer visited multiple stores, buying supplies in small batches throughout the morning. By the time he was finished, he'd secured nearly a month's worth of rations — all for the cost of two gold coins.
After a casual lunch, Sakeer shifted his focus to weapons. His short sword — now riddled with cracks and chips — was no longer reliable in combat.
For one silver coin, he purchased ten ordinary iron swords as replacements. Additionally, he picked up a set of lightweight soft armor for protection, costing another gold coin.
Next, Sakeer made his way to the Magician's' Guild.
Unfortunately, they had no intention of selling him second-tier magic scrolls without additional verification. Left with no choice, Sakeer revealed his identity as a magic chanter.
At the cost of three gold coins, he purchased a scroll for Item Identification — a second-tier spell used to analyze magical properties.
Despite being second-tier magic, Item Identification wasn't classified as either an offensive or support spell. As a result, it was priced similarly to a first-tier attack scroll.
With that settled, Sakeer visited the Adventurers' Guild to gather intelligence on the Great Forest of Tob.
The information cost him another two gold coins, leaving his funds noticeably depleted.
By the end of the day, Sakeer had spent a total of eight gold coins, leaving him with just six gold and seven silver.
Two Days Later — June 1 (Fire Month)
Clad in a black robe, Sakeer stood at the northern gate of E-Rantel. An iron sword hung at his waist, while a water pouch dangled from his right hip.
With his preparations complete, he set off toward the Great Forest of Tob.
The Great Forest of Tob was a sprawling, untamed wilderness that encircled the Azerlisia Mountains to the north of E-Rantel.
It was notorious for its dense vegetation, treacherous terrain, and the countless demonic beasts and subhuman races that roamed within. Even elite adventurers rarely dared to venture beyond its outermost edges.
For most humans, the forest was considered a forbidden zone — a place best left undisturbed.
(End of Chapter)