Weeks passed in the blink of an eye and Braun was out in the fields with his magic teacher, Eira Green. Her magical prowess had improved over the weeks and her Elemental Magic had gone from C Rank to B Rank, adding another precious skill to her repertoire.

Violent winds swirled around her body as she waved her ordinary wooden wand.

“Wind Spear.” The winds solidified and took the form of an airy green lance. Its tip spun in a vortex and shot forward, leaving behind a rotating trail of wind in its path.

Akin to a bullet shot out of a sniper rifle, the spear impaled itself into a tree, piercing through its trunk and leaving behind a large hole in the middle. If the spell had targeted a normal human instead of a tree, they would have died in one shot, displaying the terrifying might of Rare Class spells empowered by numerous B-rank magic skills.

It really is like the power level of a Level 2 Super. Braun glanced at the hole and felt more assured of his general assessments. While not perfect, his familiarity with the Level rankings of Earth still proved some use even in another world.

The boy was deeply fascinated by the depth of this world’s power system. His own Wind Spear, a spell that he had already mastered, is far weaker than the one Eira had cast, despite her only using a bit more mana than his.

His spear could only puncture through the trunk of the tree, while hers blew straight through it. The difference in strength was so large despite the minor increase in mana consumption, which is also counteracted by her deeper mana reserves that she acquired from being a rare rank magic class.

Essentially, Braun can fire ten rounds from his magnum, while she can shoot out twenty shots from her sniper rifle.

“What’s the rank of your magic skills by the way?” Eira asked after finishing her demonstration.

“My magic is already at S, along with mana control, runes, and enchantment magic. My wind and elemental magic are both at B rank.” Braun listed out his skills without hiding anything.

“Damn.” She whistled enviously. “The synergy between S rank Learning and your unique skill Prodigy is just downright terrifying. Although you should be glad that I have a C rank Teaching skill.”

“I’ve been practicing my magic every day for the past six months, you can’t just dismiss my hard work for talent.” Braun rolled his eyes. And that was true. It took him over three months to finally raise Wind and Elemental Magic to S Rank.

During that period of time, he also dissected a bit more about the secrets behind skills and their progress. Skill ranks are essentially milestones that one can achieve. If one wanted to brute force their mastery, they could just swing a sword a million times mindlessly and eventually achieve S Rank Swordsmanship, but that’s only possible for lower class ranks.

At higher classes, the actual development of mastery and understanding is going to be a requirement, just like back on Earth with the Super Crystal power system. At lower levels, the powers granted by super crystals were nothing more than mere tricks—-minor abilities—but the higher one goes and the deeper their comprehension became, the closer they got to breaching the source of creation and the divinity of gods.

So, skills can progress by doing numerous things and through comprehensive means. From actual, non-system skill mastery, knowledge of the skill itself, and the similarities of the skill with other skills, almost everything is accounted for by the system.

Since he already had reached Z rank in a lot of his magic skills, every other magic-related skill he would acquire had an easier time being raised, which was a delight to uncover. Moreover, because of his previous godly talent back on Earth, his other, normal human skills like archery or sneaking have skyrocketed and already reached S rank.

Of course, if he was in a rush and really wanted those skills raised, he would have activated his forbidden cheat code—Rapid Skill Progression, a unique skill he had only activated once since his rebirth.

Without that skill, I’m just basically your run-off-the-mill genius, a step behind the likes of those heroes.

“Yes, yes.” Eira agreed with Braun’s sentiments and then started to walk, much to the boy’s confusion.

“Where are we going?” Braun asked as they delved deeper into the woods. The trees grew higher and the trunks turned thicker. The mana ambiance was marginally denser the further they got from the city with no other humans to absorb them.

“We’re going to do something fun.” Eira eerily grinned and found that they were deep enough into the forest. She had already prepared this place a few days ago and had planned for this fun little test.

Gathering her breath, a dark green light glowed from the tip of her wand as she casted her newly learned spell, “Wolf Call.”

Wolf Call is a type of spell that emits an ear-piercingly loud and high-pitched sound that only those with sharper senses, like wolves, could pick up. Add in some magical mumbo jumbo stuff and that’s how the spell wolf call was made. It’s basically a magical dog whistle.

“Wolf Call?!” Braun recognized the spell and feigned shock.

“You’ve trained enough and know the basics, now it’s time to test out your spell on live subjects, right?” Eira grinned playfully as she utilized her wind magic to carry her into the air. She landed on a random tree’s branch and sat with her legs dangling, and she grinned at the distant forest.

“Awoo!” Numerous howls echoed from a distance, and Braun could pick out the faint footsteps rapidly approaching his way, his draconic senses pinpointing their location.

“Just fight!” She encouraged from above. “It’s not like you would die anyway. I know a bit of healing magic since I’m an adventurer.”

Braun ignored her words as he rapidly adapted to the situation. He retreated by a few steps as he vividly remembered one of the clearings they had passed on the way, while he wagged his fingers, writing runes in the air.

His pupils turned vertically reptilian, and minutes away, the wolves were hounding the source of the magical call with bloodlust in their eyes.

He probably had a minute or two before they arrived, which was plenty enough for him to set up a sufficiently strong trap.

Explosion. Conceal. Gather.

Multiple runes were planted to the ground, concealed by leaves and magical illusions. Then, finding it sufficiently hidden, he applied a lightweight rune on his body and hopped onto the bark of a nearby tree. He dug his fingers into the tree and hoisted himself up, landing on top of a sturdy branch.

Forty seconds left.

“Burn bright like solar flares, gather and concentrate to burn my enemy to cinders, fireball.” In normal combat, mages would usually shorten their chants to a few short words, a single word, or even no words at all, resorting to vivid mental imagery and strong mental chanting to initiate spellcasting. However, since he had enough time, Braun resorted to chanting the whole spell so he could unleash a little more firepower.

“From aimless to guided, listen to my hand like sheep to a shepherd, gust.” The winds gathered to his side, forming into a sphere of green air.

The preparations were done.

Right on cue, a pack of hungry wolves came running from the north. Their eyes were a dark yellow and their fur a dary gray. They ran on all fours, their fangs barred; whatever had called them, they would hunt them, eating their prey to the last bits of their flesh and chewing on their bones.

Unfortunately, Braun, a far wiser human, had successfully led them to his trap.

Runes abruptly glowed brightly from the ground, some glowing red, some glowing orange, some glowing yellow. Up above, the sphere of wind and sphere of fire gathered into one, and manipulating the raw winds with magic, he transformed the two simple spells into one greater whole—fire vortex!

As the fiery vortex crashed to the ground, an audible explosion erupted from within, burning the wolves from the outside and destroying them from the inside.

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BOOM!

The fiery vortex destabilized, with burnt meat and ashy fur flying uncontrollably everywhere. A plume of smoke rose from the ground, revealing the empty pit within.

“Oh wow…” Eira appeared flying, glancing at the destruction beneath with some level of surprise. “That was… brutal.”

Braun wiped the sweat on his forehead as he leaned back on the tree atop the branch. His arms felt weak having to support the heavy strain of spellcasting and writing runes, but the end result was a satisfying eruption of magical prowess.

“It was creative and practical though.” Eira sat on the branch beside Braun. “Explosive runes with a combination spell is a remarkable concept to execute. The pillar would contain the explosion within, concentrating the power fully inside the affected area, bringing out its full destructive prowess.”

“It could even one-shot uncommon class monsters, and significantly harm rare class monsters.” Eira admired the work. “Kind of unexpected to see you use traps rather than direct confrontation. I kind of thought you would panic and fight them head-on, like most mages,” she said the last part with contempt.

[New skills: Trap (F), Sneak Attack (F), Slaughter (F)]

My skills are making me look more like a rogue with every passing day. Braun silently chuckled as he dismissed the screen, and said, “Of course I would use traps, only a dumbass wouldn’t use their magic to do so. Fools would fight bitterly with direct confrontation, wise men would fight when everything is to their favor.”

“Spoken like a true mage!” Eira laughed. “If only other mages were like you, but no, they’d rather chuck a fireball at monsters or cast a powerful thunderbolt rather than just pushing them off cliffs with a mere gust of wind or trapping them with a casual hole spell.” She sighed as if she was reliving bad memories.

“A true mage is one that doesn’t overpower enemies with strength, but through intellect and skill!” She continued.

“Is that your maxim?” Braun curiously asked his tutor.

“I suppose so,” Eira mumbled. “It’s the principle I followed back when I was still an Uncommon Class Mage, which should be the reason why I advanced so fast back then.”

“Well, what about now? Now that you’re a wind mage?” Braun rubbed his arms, took in deep breaths, and gradually recovered his mana.

“I think freedom should be the core principle of this class.” Eira pondered. “A drifting wind, a mage who takes flight into the skies, untethered from the ground.”

“Winds are also powerful, granting oneself the strength to oppose anyone who dare strip them of their freedom.”

A creative person indeed. Braun praised. She’s already gotten the underlying principles of her class. With time, she would reach Epic Class, and become a powerful force to be reckoned with.

“What about you?” Eira looked at the young boy curiously. “I think you’ve already mastered your class, so what could you say about being a Generalist?”

“A Generalist… It’s basically being a curious kid who wants to explore every avenue they find fun or are curious about. An indecisive munchkin given the ability to explore every possibility.” Basically, a class fit for Braun.

“An indecisive munchkin.” Eira laughed at the self-conscious remark. “Is that why you haven’t advanced yet?”

“Come on, teach.” Braun rolled his eyes. “There’s a difference between being indecisive and being patient.”

“True.” Eira agreed. “But you’re only patient if you already have a choice in mind; you’re just waiting if a better option would appear.”

“True.” Braun agreed, not denying the remark.

“So, do you already have a choice in mind?” Eira asked.

“I…” Braun sighed. “I have one, but it’s stupid.”

“We’ve been student and teacher for months already, you have nothing to hide from me.” Eira rolled her eyes.

“Fine, but you have to treat me to food first before I tell you!” Braun pleaded.

“WOW!” Eira gawked at the suggestion. “You glutton.”

“Please!” Braun quickly hugged Eira. “Pretty please!” he looked up at her face with the cuteness of a child.

“You little…” Eira struggled to hold back the words she was about to say in her mind. In the end, she relented. Sure, you win.” Eira groaned and lifted herself, along with Braun, into the air. “But you’re only getting ten silver coins!”

“Yes ma’am!” Braun nodded his head.

…

The two mages walked across the crowded and lively streets of Limen, a prosperous town in the southern regions of the Pendragon Empire. The weather had slowly turned into a chilly orange; autumn, as this world called it, which was too suspiciously similar to the English word autumn.

In fact, the more he became fluent in this world’s language, the more he realized just how similar it was to olden English mixed with Greek and Latin influences. He could tell because Braun had long mastered the linguistics of Earth.

Perhaps this mystery would lead to a fun journey of unraveling this world’s past, but for now, that wasn’t his problem.

“Urk…” Braun hesitated. “Do I go with meat skewers… Or do I go with something sweet? Wait, what about drinks?”

“Truly a generalist.” Eira mocked. “An indecisive munchkin indeed. You embody the essence of your class without fail.”

“Shut up, windy!” Braun clicked his tongue. “Don’t think I don’t know why you chose Wind Mage, it’s because you run away from your problems most of the time, just like how you dumped all of your menial tasks on me as an excuse for training!”

“Excuse me?!” Eira feigned a pained look. She then cracked a smile and perched her hands on her waist. “What about it, shortie? You still did it like the cute little pushover you are.”

“Shhhh!” Braun hushed the older woman. “I’m making an important choice here!”

“Just get a drink.” Eira sighed. “It’s almost dinner time, so you don’t want to eat on a full stomach. A drink would do just fine.”

“Fine, fine.” Braun relented and quickly made his order. “Ice Banana shake please, with one Plump Pig meat skewer.” He then gave the man ten silver coins, and added, “Keep the change.”

“You runt!” Eira attempted to kick the young boy on the leg, but he dodged like an agile goblin. Rare Class as she may, she was a mage and lacked enhancements to her physical stats, unlike Braun who had a ridiculously developed body.

“You said ten silver coins, so I’m just getting my money’s worth!” Braun taunted the young woman.

“You annoying bi- Ugh…” Eira decided to become the bigger woman and stopped herself from cursing aloud unless she became a worse influence on the young child.

Quickly receiving his order and bidding the man farewell, the two returned to the streets, wandering aimlessly as the sun settled.

Carriages passed by, carrying goods on their backs. Adventurers walked around in groups, some having just finished their journey while others embarking on another. The air smelled of vibrancy and magic, a fantasy world unlike no other.

Braun happily enjoyed his Ice Banana shake, a blue-yellow drink naturally infused with the ice magic properties of Ice Bananas. A stream of mesmerizing icy energy went down his throat and into his stomach, cooling down his warm insides. Biting into the skewer of Plumpy Pig pork was a delight to his tastebuds; it was a nice mixture of meat, fat, and sauces that complemented well with the charred taste of the skewer.

“So.” Eira walked beside the young boy, her hands behind her head. Her wand carelessly floated around her as she displayed a high level of control over her mana and wind in general, a result of her years of practice. “Ready to reveal it now?”

“Oh, yeah.” Braun finished the last bite of his plump pig skewer and tossed the stick into a nearby garbage can. “It’s nothing special, really. The class I have in mind is just like Generalist, but I suppose more… I guess I’ll have an easier time becoming an explorer of all paths.”

“Just like a generalist? So you don’t plan on becoming an Uncommon Class Generalist?” Eira asked, now more curious than before.

“I think an Uncommon Class Generalist doesn’t exist.” Braun rubbed the back of his head. “Well, as far I know, I think it doesn’t. I haven’t unlocked that class since forever.”

“Oh, really?” Eira wore a surprised look but soon began to understand why. “Well, considering Uncommon Class is the start where one becomes more than just man, I suppose it’s normal. I mean, it’s quite broken if you could still learn all the skills of all classes and replicate a hundred percent of their power!”

“You can cut through stone with a metal sword, shoot through trees with normal bows, have the same magical proficiency as mages, be as proficient as martial artists… Now that would be a broken class.” Eira whistled.

“So I picked the next best class, which according to my research, would be able to replicate a portion of the power of all classes’ skills.” Braun grinned.

“Wait…” Eira raised her eyebrow. She recognized those set of poers, heck, she had even encountered many of them during her many travels out in the country. “A jack?”

“Yep.” Braun chuckled. “I plan on becoming a Jack of all Trades!”

“Really, Braun?” Eira looked at the boy incredulously. “A Jack of all Trades, while it sounds nice, is also a Master of None, you know?”

“But a Master of None is better than a Master of One!” Braun retorted. “Besides, it’s just Uncommon Class, you know? I plan on specializing once I reach Rare Class, which should be doable by the time I reach fifteen years old and start studying at the royal academy.”

“You also plan on studying there?” Eira was surprised.

“Duh.” Braun rolled his eyes as if he were talking to a fool. “It’s basically a cheat code to ensure a bright future! The prestige, the fame, the merit. It’s like having a badge that says, “Hire me, I’m great!””

“Wow, you’re already thinking about job prospects at your age?” Eira murmured with a subtle grin.

“What can I say?” Braun shrugged his shoulders. “I’m a genius, just one step behind those heroes, right?”

“Heh, I wouldn’t be surprised if one day, you become a hero yourself.” Eira grinned. “Maybe the Indecisive Munchkin Hero?”

“And you’re the Lazy Hero.” Braun snorted, before grinning. “Thanks for the treat today.”

“You’re welcome.” Eira chuckled and slung her arm around the young boy. “Same time as tomorrow, okay?”

“Same time as tomorrow.” Braun nuzzled closer to his teacher and enjoyed the moment.

Besides being his dear teacher and mentor in magic, Braun had grown close to this woman over the months. Not just her, but his Uncle Dwobug, his father, his mother, and even his sister; they were all people that he had gotten close to in this fantasy world, a familiar warmth that he had long lost back on Earth.

It doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things though. If I had to, I would kill them without much hesitation. Let’s just hope that hesitation isn’t a second too long though. Braun finished the last bit of his Ice Banana shake.

Braun is, and will always be, a ruthless monster, no matter how innocent and easygoing he may be. Everything may be peaceful now, but if someone dare to oppose him in his path to achieving his dreams, then a sea of blood shall follow.

And the possibility of that happening? Pretty high, if Braun’s sixth sense was right. Even though it was pretty vague now and far from the clarity he had in his time as an all-powerful God and Weaver of Destiny, he can still perceive destiny.

In fact, now that he thought about it, this was the first time he actively tried to perceive destiny-

[Unique Skill acquired: Destiny Perception]

Neat. Braun smiled and tried to perceive his own destiny.

Danger. A whole lot of danger, misfortune, blood, tragedy, hardship. A bright light overwhelmed his path to the heavens, with many more of those ominous illusions obstructing his progress.

Not neat.