It's a pity...
No matter how high a caster's level rose, there were still only ten tiers of magic. Anything beyond that belonged to the realm of super-tier magic, something entirely separate from conventional spell progression.
No amount of accumulated caster levels could bridge that gap.
Snapping back to reality, Sakeer turned his gaze toward the Papermaking Technique but chose not to invest any skill points in upgrading it.
He had no intention of enhancing the spell until he fully understood the properties of the paper it produced — particularly how its alchemy material trait functioned.
Seeing the mana cost required for Fourth-Tier Magic, Sakeer couldn't help but feel a twinge of frustration — and a slight headache.
With his current mana pool, he couldn't cast Fourth-Tier spells at all.
His original build had been designed with a warrior-focused core, supported by magic as a secondary path.
While this unexpected discovery didn't completely disrupt his plans, it left Sakeer with far more considerations than he initially anticipated.
"In any case, obtaining a 'special class' is the top priority. Everything else can wait."
He muttered this to himself, refocusing his thoughts.
As Sakeer examined the updated information on his [Ability Table], he noticed something interesting — life magic spells that could be leveled up differed significantly from standard rank magic.
For example, despite Heat Up now being a Fourth-Tier spell, he could still choose to reduce its mana consumption and cast it as a First-Tier version if desired.
This flexibility was something true rank magic couldn't achieve.
"In terms of practicality, life magic is surprisingly cost-effective."
Sakeer rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
He glanced at his experience panel:
『Experience Slot: 5893/9500』
Just over 4,000 experience points stood between him and Level 10 in the Genius class.
However, Sakeer wasn't particularly anxious. He decided to take a well-deserved day off to adjust his mindset and gather his thoughts.
Initially, he had estimated that reaching Level 20 overall would take roughly two months. He had prepared enough supplies to last him about a month before planning to return to Carne Village to restock.
Yet, thanks to the guidance of the Hobgoblin Muguo, his progress had accelerated far beyond expectations.
With time to spare, Sakeer shifted his focus toward something else that had been on his mind —
Alchemy and Pharmaceuticals.
Both of these productive professions scaled with his overall rank.
When his Genius class had been at Level 1, his alchemy and pharmaceutical abilities had been too weak to make much impact.
But now, with his class level increased, these skills were finally starting to show their true potential.
Sakeer reached into his inventory and retrieved a dark green plant. A small, woody yellow flower bloomed at its center, no larger than a thumb.
At first glance, it looked no different from a common weed.
This herb, however, was called Hot Leaf — a plant known for its anti-inflammatory and healing properties.
Sakeer's knowledge of herbs was limited. While he had learned a few things from Nfirea, he still struggled to distinguish useful plants from ordinary forest weeds.
In fact, the only reason he knew about Hot Leaf's properties was thanks to information he'd gathered from the Hobgoblin Muguo.
The Great Forest of Tob was rich in natural resources. Many herbs considered precious in human society were far more common in the forest's inner regions.
Because humans rarely ventured that deep into the forest, gathering these herbs was relatively simple for the Hobgoblins who called the jungle home.
"Pharmaceutical."
Sakeer activated his skill, focusing on the Hot Leaf in his palm.
The herb was immediately enveloped in a soft, emerald-green glow. Within moments, the plant withered away, transforming into a small pinch of fine, wood-yellow powder that rested in Sakeer's hand.
Swish!
Without warning, Sakeer drew his iron sword and slashed the back of his own hand.
A thin gash, four to five centimeters long, appeared, and blood began to trickle from the fresh wound.
Sakeer paid no mind to the bleeding wound. He calmly sprinkled the entire pinch of medicinal powder onto the gash.
A cool sensation spread across the injury, seeping deep into his skin.
In just a few breaths, the bleeding had stopped.
"The Pharmaceutical 'Medicine Making' ability doesn't just refine herbs into powder — it seems to enhance their effectiveness as well."
Sakeer muttered thoughtfully, eyeing his now-closed wound.
In the Muguo tribe where he'd learned about Hot Leaf, there were no professional apothecaries.
The Hobgoblins' method of using the herb was far simpler — and cruder — than his. They would typically crush or chew the leaves before applying the pulp directly to wounds.
Naturally, the results were far less effective than properly prepared medicinal powder.
With this in mind, Sakeer recalled the method Nfirea had used to craft an alchemical solution.
Taking out another Hot Leaf, he repeated the process, refining it into powder once again.
This time, he grabbed a water skin filled with fresh water, poured the powder inside, and activated "Alchemy".
Moments later —
The once-clear water now had a faint, pale-green hue.
Sakeer took his iron sword and, without hesitation, made a second cut on the back of his hand. Blood trickled from the new wound.
He then poured the alchemical solution over it.
...Yet the results were disappointing.
The alchemical solution's healing effect was noticeably weaker — even less effective than the powdered herb alone.
Sakeer frowned.
"Strange... The alchemical solution should have performed better than this."
From what he'd seen of Nfirea's earlier results, the solution should have shown a significant improvement.
Could it be that his current Alchemy skill was still too low?
No.
Sakeer shook his head.
He wasn't certain what level Nfirea's Alchemist and Apothecary skills had reached at that point in time.
But one thing was clear: Sakeer's own life profession levels were already much higher.
He understood why.
The way players advanced was fundamentally different from how people in this world improved.
Players could rapidly raise any class to its maximum level as long as they accumulated enough experience points.
Conversely, people of this world had to study their profession diligently, spending years — even decades — to advance.
It was almost unimaginable for someone from this world to push a life profession to its maximum level in a short period.
It was like trying to master an entire scientific field or technology in just a few years — an impossible feat without extraordinary talent.
In fact, even after four years, when Nfirea successfully developed the Blood of the Gods potion, his Apothecary and Alchemist skills had only reached Level 4.
Of course...
Both of Nfirea's professions carried the "Genius" talent, allowing him to perform above his actual skill level.
In reality, the Blood of the Gods potion had existed long before Nfirea's research — the Slane Theocracy had already mastered its creation.
The difference was that the Church's version of the potion required far more expensive materials, making it impractical for widespread use.
Snapping back to the present, Sakeer glanced at the remaining alchemical solution in his water bag.
If the issue wasn't his skill level...
"Could it be the dosage?"
Unfortunately, his mana reserves were nearly empty.
For now, all Sakeer could do was wait for his magic to recover before continuing his experiments.
(End of Chapter)