Michael stared at the System windows in front of him with a pensive look. Eight of them were superimposed over one another, creating a messy scene. He touched them and dragged his finger to move them around. Once they were orderly, he read each one carefully.

I only have five Skill Points. I should save up two or so for urgent acquisitions, which leads me to being able to select only three of these.

After reaching Level 10, he had been granted another opportunity to acquire Skills. Most would only be able to get a single one, but that limitation didn’t apply to him. He also already had his Dragonheart, so he didn’t need to pick a Mana Heart Skill. The list of eight Skills covered different aspects and abilities. After some thought, he narrowed down his choices to four of them.

[Passive Skill

Mana Empowerment (E): the wonders of mana elude even the wisest sages. It ebbs and flows through nothing but its own will. To be loved by mana is to receive its blessing in all things. Only granted to those who have a close relationship with mana.

Marginally increases the effects of all mana-related Active Skills and Passive Skills. Marginally increases mana absorption speed. Higher proficiency and higher Intelligence and Wisdom stats result in greater effects.]

This Skill was Michael’s highest priority. Not only did it boost all of his Skills, since they were all related to mana, but it also increased the speed at which he could form a Circle. Tairy had explained to him over the past few days the difference between mana recovery speed and mana absorption speed. While recovery speed referred solely to the rate at which his mana regenerated, absorption speed was related to increasing his maximum mana capacity and making progress to a new Circle. Both were useful; recovery speed was more crucial in battle, but mana absorption speed increased his power.

This is a must-get. No way around it.

It was a Skill that would improve him in every aspect, which was why he was a bit skeptical. Why had he been granted the opportunity to learn this Skill with Skill Points? He didn’t feel like he had a particularly close relationship with mana itself. As the Skill description aptly put it, its mysteries eluded even him. He wasn’t as experienced as Tairy or some sort of otherworldly genius who could easily grasp mana’s workings. Yes, Tairy had said that he was talented, but that was it. There was only one characteristic that put him on a different level compared to others.

Dragon blood.

In fiction, Dragons were entities that were one with mana, being the greatest spellcasters in the realm, apart from all of their other traits and abilities. In this new reality, Michael hadn’t found anything that made him believe this notion was incorrect. In fact, his Young Draconic Human Race explicitly increased his proficiency in wielding magic. He frowned. The idea of being granted something just because of his bloodline irked him, but in this new reality he found himself in, he would take whatever advantage he could get.

He moved on to the other Skills.

[Passive Skill

Alacrity (E): speed is one of the most valuable traits for a Mage. To be fast is to ensure that one will be able to cast before the enemy’s attack arrives. It can save one’s life. Only granted to those who pursue greater heights.

Marginally increases casting speed. Higher proficiency and a higher Intelligence stat result in greater effects.]

This particular Skill was the second and last E-ranked Skill in his selection. He had already realized just how important casting speed was and had even almost gotten himself killed because of it. While his speed would still be limited by the chanting and motioning, he believed that this Skill would help with both. At the very least, it would ensure that the Skill would be cast the moment he finished the necessary steps. Since the Skill also scaled with Intelligence, which was his second-highest stat, the effects would surely be significant. This one, too, was something he needed.

Having decided that one of his Skill points would be going into that Skill, he moved on to the next.

[Passive Skill

Clarity (F): being capable of choosing the best course of action is more important than anything else. Clarity of mind is a necessity, not an option.

Marginally increases mana regeneration rate. Grants assistance in maintaining a clear mind in desperate situations. Higher proficiency and a higher Wisdom stat result in greater effects.]

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This one was a close contender for second place. Michael agreed that being able to think clearly was one of the most important things in a fight. The choices regarding what Skill to use, where to go, when to fight, and when to run. For all of those, he needed a mind that wasn’t clouded. It was only an F-ranked Skill, so the effects wouldn’t be too great, but he wasn’t too concerned. At this point in time, he didn’t need too much mana regeneration, as his mana reserves had grown to the point where sequentially casting his Skills wasn’t a burden, unlike before his awakening as a Draconic Human. He was more interested in the second effect.

Even if the effects are small, anything that helps me stay calm is valuable.

This Skill was also something he should get, but he didn’t make a decision just yet. There was still one more Skill to consider.

[Active Skill

Mana Arrow (F): An improvement over Mana Sphere, it focuses on piercing power. To be a Mage does not mean that one has no weapons.

Focuses one’s mana in the shape of an arrow, then fires it towards a target. Higher proficiency and a higher Intelligence stat result in greater effects.]

It was clear that this Skill wasn’t on the level of the other three, but it would grant him the biggest offensive boost. While Mana Sphere still worked fine, there was no way for him to know for how long that would be the case. If he met an enemy that could resist his Mana Spheres, he would be powerless to hurt it. Running away would be his only option. As such, obtaining a new offensive Skill was relevant.

But what if Mana Empowerment can strengthen the Mana Spheres enough for them to continue to be effective?

It was a gamble. The Skill description didn’t express how big the increase in power was. Given its rank, it should be significant, but there was no way to know. Of course, he could acquire all four Skills if he so wished, but he had decided to save two Skill Points for emergencies. As his thoughts reached this point, however, his brow furrowed.

Is there really a point to saving up Skill Points?

The answer was simple: “No.” Skills couldn’t be selected at any point in time; they could only be acquired through a time window at specific Levels. It meant that even if he only spent one Skill Point and saved up all the others, he would only be able to choose new Skills at Level 20.

“Fuck.”

This realization had almost escaped him. By the time he reached the next Skill selection window, he would already have almost twice his current number of Skill Points. There was no need to follow this thinking. With a relieved expression, Michael picked all four Skills. He sighed.

“That was close.”

He dusted off his new robe, grabbed his wand, and stepped out of his hiding place. Around him were walls of solid stone with columns stretching to high above. Glowing mushrooms of different sizes and colors lit up his surroundings. His current location was inside the expansive maze that was the underground, some distance away from Bluestone Village. After spending a few days trying to learn Meditation with his teacher, he left to complete a “quest” from Sullivan. The quest was to kill five different beasts in the surrounding area. He had completed it with ease.

Now, to test my new Active Skill.

Just like when he had acquired Mana Wave, he needed to know the limits and capabilities of Mana Arrow. It was the only way of becoming familiar with the ways it could be used in battle. First, he needed to know how long it took him to cast it and its offensive prowess. Using his wand, he drew three symbols in the air as fast as he could. Blue mana coalesced into the shape of a large arrow. He finished his chanting, taking note of how long it took him.

It's a bit too slow.

He allowed the spell to shoot towards the nearby wall. Once the Arrow collided with the stone, it didn’t even take a second for it to burrow into the wall, creating a deep hole. It kept going until it fizzled out of existence. Michael evaluated the damage.

At the same time, it’s very powerful.

The hole wasn’t wide, but it was much deeper than he expected. In terms of offensive power alone, Mana Arrow was decidedly above Mana Sphere. He nodded to himself. Testing the Skill had been worth it.

I’ll cast it a few more times on my way back to the Village.

He needed to find a live enemy; testing the spell’s effectiveness in battle was crucial. There wouldn’t be any merit to its offensive prowess if the Arrow could be easily avoided. He decided to defeat more animals before returning to the Village.

Michael pulled the dagger from his belt. It had been a recommendation and gift from Tairy. A Mage shouldn’t go around as unprepared as Michael was, he had said. If there was no time to cast a Skill or spell, he would have been forced to fight his enemies bare-handed. For those desperate scenarios where casting wasn’t viable, he needed a weapon. Michael had readily agreed with the dark elf’s advice.

It also makes it easier to cut off the animals’ heads.

By this point in time, the sight of blood no longer fazed Michael, nor did it make him recoil in disgust. Even the killing had become more palatable. Humans could adapt to almost anything, and this hunting lifestyle wasn’t different. He had already internalized that this was for his survival. Overall, he was slowly getting over it.

After cutting off the five heads and storing them in a large bag, he slung it over his shoulders and surveyed his immediate surroundings. There were no signs of enemies, in spite of the scent of blood from the carcasses. He wasn’t sure why that was the case. He narrowed his eyes.

It’s suspiciously quiet.

His battle against the five beasts had been loud, which should have attracted other animals to his location. Instead, there were none. Michael slowly spun in place, trying to detect anything unusual. That was when he noticed something that had escaped him during the battle.

A path?

In the middle of the maze’s twists and turns, there was a clear, straight path. Because of the lighting, he couldn’t see what awaited at its end. It made him curious. It was possible that it would lead him to a powerful enemy – like a boss fight in video games – but it was also likely to lead him to a new area.

Shouldn’t hurt to check it out.

With his wand in one hand and the dagger in the other, he made his way down the path.