Michael recognized the green energy as the healing mana he could now also channel, while the white one should also be a different type of mana. The woman had her eyes closed, muttering incantations to herself. A faint glow escaped the gap of her eyelids. Eventually, she opened her eyes, and the energy around him dispersed.

“You’ve got a few microfractures and minor damage to many organs, but both seem to be healing quite well. Your muscles and skin showed a few signs of damage, but different; it was as if you had already undergone healing, but it hadn’t been enough. I patched up those for you. Who healed you before you came here?”

Michael replied.

“I healed myself.”

“Oh? But you’re with Tairy… That means…”

She looked at the dark elf. Michael swore that he had a smug expression. The lady scoffed once more and spoke.

“Count your lucky stars, old man. Looks like you’ve found a good one.”

Tairy laughed heartily.

“Yeah, that’s right. What about you?”

“Nobody noteworthy yet.”

Michael’s glance alternated between them. He couldn’t contain his curiosity and asked.

“Why does it matter? Finding someone talented, I mean.”

Tairy looked at him.

“Well, that’s because-”

A string of red System windows came in between them, all bearing “!!!” as the message. Tairy stopped talking and then cursed.

“Shit, alright, fine, I won’t say anything. Suffice it to say that we don’t partake in the Tutorial Zone solely out of the goodness in our hearts. Of course, that matters too, but it isn’t the only factor.”

Michael nodded, noticing that he would have to be satisfied with the information he was given. His teacher turned to the woman.

“Thank you, Hyla.”

She nodded at him.

“Yeah, no problem. You know where to find me if you need something.”

With that, she nodded at Michael and strode out of the courtyard and into the streets and paths of Bluestone Village. Michael turned to Tairy.

“Who is she?”

The dark elf laughed.

“Hyla is a very old friend from long ago. She’s also the “designated NPC” for Healers, just like me and Mages. There’s nobody better at healing than her in this Village. She said you’re fine and patched up the things that weren’t so now we can focus on what matters again.”

“And what would that be?”

“Power.”

Tairy had a wild grin. He continued to speak.

“First things first, your Skills. I don’t know how you managed to beat a Boss that was over Level 25 without acquiring a new Skill, but here we are. Check out your selection for Level 20. Let’s see what the good ones are.”

“Sure, but just so you know, I didn’t beat the Boss in any fancy way. It certainly could barely be called a battle. I just kept throwing twin Mana Arrows at it until it died, withstanding damage and healing myself as I could.”

Tairy looked at him with narrowed eyes and a suspicious look.

“Twin Mana Arrows? Mana Arrow is a spell that we would have to learn soon, but not quite yet. And why do you refer to them as ‘twins?’”

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

“Because of the Skill I acquired while doing it. It’s called Twin Casting.”

Silence ensued. Both men stared at each other, but only one of them had an expression of disbelief.

“You learned Mana Arrow and Twin Casting? Just like that?”

“Is that really so surprising?”

Tairy grunted and muttered something. Michael could hear him cursing about “damned prodigies.” After a few seconds, the dark elf spoke with a sigh.

“Listen. Mana Arrow is a spell; as I said before, all spells are classified as Skills too. It is much more advanced compared to the basic Mana Sphere. The altered shape gives it penetrative power, while the mana it is composed of is much denser. For all intents and purposes, it is a higher-tier spell, which has a longer cast time as its only failing. However, it can be learned rather easily, either through Skill Points or through one’s own experience. Twin Casting is different.”

He raised his finger.

“The Skill can’t be considered to be anything less than ‘rare.’ The ability to cast the same spell or magic Skill twice at the same time can be a lifesaver in plenty of situations. The doubled mana cost does not matter if one needs to cast a powerful Mana Shield before a blade reaches one’s throat. It also means double the attack power when necessary. Many people try to have it show up in their Skill selections, only to be disappointed.”

Michael raised his hand and interrupted the elf.

“Wait, hold up. What do you mean by trying to make it appear?”

“I was going to talk about it once we got to picking your Skill. Every single thing that one does influences one’s Skill selection. In this case, plenty of Mages train their ability to create copies of spells even if they keep failing. That way, Twin Casting might show up eventually.”

“So that means that my attempts at dual casting and chantless casting haven’t been fruitless? Even though I’m far from learning them on my own?”

“I’ve told you before, kid. If either one of those appears in your Skill selection, pick it without looking back. Training is never wasted time. Even if you don’t learn what you’re aiming for, your mana control will still improve, as well as other parameters. Hard work isn’t in vain.”

Michael let out a sigh of relief. The reassurance that he wasn’t training for nothing was significant. It took a weight off his shoulders that he didn’t even know existed.

“Alright. I’m glad.”

“Since we’re now talking about your Skills, let’s move on to them. Basking in your greatness for having learned Twin Casting on your own isn’t productive, anyway. How many Skill Points did you get for clearing the Dungeon?”

“Two. Do Dungeons always give out Skill Points as rewards?”

“Not always, but that one and other higher-level ones do. So we have three Skill Points to work with. Go ahead and start your selection.”

Michael nodded. He saw no need to tell the dark elf that he possessed a much greater amount of Skill Points. They weren’t that close yet. He wasn’t sure if that was information that could or should be shared. He wished for the process to begin. After a notification, a list appeared in front of him. It was a total of six Skills, which was less than he expected. Three of them had white names, as all Skills usually did, but the three at the top glowed with golden light. As he read their descriptions, he had no doubt that he needed to acquire them. The first one was the most simple.

[Heritage

Blessing of Light – Illumination: there is no darkness that cannot be illuminated by a Dragon. There is no veil that cannot be seen through, nor anything that can smother your light.

Effects: creates a ring of light around your figure, dispelling all kinds of illusions or darkness, and empowering yourself and your allies. Increases resistance to shadow-affinity attacks. Increases resistance against Illusions.]

He wasn’t sure why Skills related to his Heritage were showing up on his Skill selection window. Was that a limitation imposed by the System in order to restrain the effects of the Blessing? It didn’t really matter, as he had plenty of Skill Points. This Heritage Skill seemed like it would be useful in the future. He was reminded of Rose’s disappearing figure when she attacked him. Would Illumination also allow him to deal with that? If it was illusion-based, anyway. Apart from dispelling illusions and lighting up his surroundings when activated, it even granted a buff that extended beyond just himself. It also had the passive effect of helping him against illusions. It was a must-get Skill, Heritage or not.

The second Skill was different.

[Heritage

Blessing of Light – Lightspeed: the Light Dragons’ most powerful trait is the draconic magic that grants them untold speed. While there are heavy restrictions even for Dragons, it is their most powerful movement Skill.

Effects: increases your movement speed to its very maximum limit, placing a heavy burden on your body. Increases your agility and mobility. Higher proficiency and a higher Constitution stat result in greater effects.]

It was the first Skill that scaled with Constitution that he’d seen. Its upper limits weren’t described, but if the Skill’s name was anything to go by, it was extremely powerful. Nevertheless, the Skill description itself stated that there were heavy restrictions on its usage even for True Dragons. A fledgling like him shouldn’t be able to achieve much with it. This Skill’s potential would be unveiled as time passed, but it was also a must-get; it would be best to work on perfecting it as soon as possible. Speed was one of a fighter’s most important traits.

Wait.

An idea crossed his mind. Was casting speed included in the movement speed buff? Casting came down to chanting and movements. If he could speak and move faster, couldn’t this also act as a casting speed buff? Michael’s eyes shone. It was something he definitely needed to test.

Lastly, he looked at the third Heritage Skill.