An hour passed, and soon Jonn reached two hours in a state of constant physical and mental transformation. The sensation felt like ants crawling under his skin, while his bones itched in a way that bordered on torture.
His mind seemed to detach from his body, experiencing strange flashes and even hallucinations about the surroundings of Count Francus’ magical cave. He perceived the reliefs on the walls as moving, while his essence seemed to have entered a colorful and extremely agitated world.
He felt at some times as if he were falling from great heights, while at others he felt as if he were being torn in half, all while remaining conscious.
The two hours, which wouldn’t seem long to someone accustomed to working in the desolate Barren Hills of Deepshadow, felt like an eternity. At some point, Jonn nearly forgot what he was experiencing until system messages brought him back to where he was still sitting.
He felt like vomiting the entire contents of his stomach, ignoring the puddle of sweat around him. Unable to bear the nauseating sensation within, he opened his mouth and expelled a dark green liquid.
He coughed as he moved, feeling every fiber of his abdomen contract as he forced out what was not good for him. This continued for almost two minutes, with him constantly spitting and trying to rid himself of the disgusting feeling inside.
“What the fuck!” he complained in a weakened tone, disgusted by the sight before him as he kneeled on the ground.
But as his involuntary movements to expel the fetid contents slowed, he noticed the mana from the area entering his body at a greater rate than before, becoming more integrated with him rather than returning to the external environment.
{Congratulations on advancing to level 2!}
{Distributing promotion bonuses...}
{50% increase in all your attributes!}
{Level 1 resistance to Fire element achieved!}
{Skill boost by 100%!}
...
{Ding!}
{+1 progress point in the mission [Save the Eternal Village].}
...
[Save the Eternal Village]
[Progress: 5/20]
Such progress did not surprise Jonn. But the improvements coming from his advancement made him open his mouth in shock.
{Name: Jonn Irondoom}
{Age: 17}
{Level: 2 (30%)}
{Reputation: Level 4 “Elder of the Eternal Village!”}
{Stats:
[Health: 262] [Mana: 300 (330)] [Stamina: 232]}
{Attributes:
[Strength: 22.8] [Agility: 21.6] [Dexterity: 21.3 (**)]
[Constitution: 26.2] [Endurance: 23.2] [Intelligence: 30 (33)]
[Wisdom: 23.9 (26.9)] [Charisma: 15.8 (18.8)] [Luck: 15 (17)]}
{Resistances: Fire (level 1)}
{Skill: [Analysis]; [Essence of Life]; [Projection].}
{Artifacts: [Wildheart Talisman]; [Mysterious Magic Dagger].}
{Spells: [Air Palm].}
Seeing his new {Stats} and {Attributes} values, Jonn analyzed his situation.
As expected. A level 2 mage is much stronger than a level 1 mage close to progression.
Jonn had anticipated that the difference between the peak of level 1—199 mana—and level 2 wouldn’t be just 1 unit of mana. It didn’t make sense when comparing the abilities of someone who hadn’t yet progressed in level to someone who had.
Progress comes with a strengthening bonus. As soon as we advance, we grow quickly compared to our previous versions.
Jonn concluded this to himself before focusing on his other improvements.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
{Resistance} to the Fire element… Where did that come from? Is it just because of the system?
He had no idea where this bonus originated, but he sensed its implications.
It’s better to have inexplicable resistance than none!
It seems I now have a certain ability to ignore negative effects when I come into contact with fire… Not only that, but my thermal resistance is stronger. I could probably put my hands in a pan of boiling water without hurting myself. I could also learn Fire-based {Spells} more easily than other types of elements.
These were the major advantages he felt at the moment.
As he stood up, Jonn felt his body and surroundings peculiarly. He could notice details of the cave walls even from a distance, and his body felt lighter. Picking up the [Mysterious Magic Dagger], he sensed greater mastery over the artifact, moving it with increased ease and dexterity.
Out of curiosity, Jonn tested the movements he had learned from Petyr with the spear he had with him. Observing his movements with a curious expression, he adjusted his body positioning and how he held the weapon.
My body awareness and artifact handling skills have increased significantly.
Interesting!
The improvements in {Attributes} are more immediate than I previously thought. Not only that, they’re more significant than the numbers might show.
Jonn felt like a new person. He had more energy, was thinking faster, and perceiving the surrounding reality in greater detail.
When he summoned the Celestial Magnifying Glass, it did not surprise him to see the object slightly larger than before. The miniature magnifying glass no longer seemed so small. Moreover, when Jonn attempted to analyze the last of the cave traps he needed to examine, he opened his eyes in surprise, seeing more in-depth results than he had earlier with the other traps.
The efficiency of the {Skills} has increased. All of them now cost me half as much as they did before. Also, their results come faster and are more detailed!
While he understood his situation better, [Essence of Life] was already working on his previous knowledge. Before finishing the analysis of the last trap in that area, some of his previous understandings deepened, allowing him to perceive relevant subtleties about facts he had already observed. He also reached new conclusions he thought would require more information before advancing his knowledge.
This {Resistance} to the element of Fire came not from the Celestial Magnifying Glass.
He looked around before moving on to the crypt, taking Count Francus’ diary with him and flipping through its pages.
As soon as he reached the place where the red mana crystals were, Jonn smiled as he used the Celestial Magnifying Glass.
“You gave me that {Resistance}, Count Francus. The Aether Tears originating from your blood have the element of Fire in them.
My advance lasted longer than my body could handle in this place, and I was, to a small degree, poisoned by the fiery mana of your cave… It boosted my {Resistance}.”
He cut the pointed crystal and took some of the red essence back to the cave’s entrance hall, where the area’s four traps were.
There he placed the mana crystal, the size of an adult human head, connected to one of the four traps. After connecting small electrodes from the item to the red Aether Tear, the device activated, emitting a cracking sound that momentarily startled the white-haired young man.
Jonn had already cleared the traps and understood more or less how they worked. However, there were still a few things he needed to do to correct the faulty mechanisms of the traps that had stood idle for decades in this cave.
The first trap he activated wouldn’t work as intended. He quickly realized that the item’s gears were dried out, requiring some kind of lubricant or new parts.
Of the four magical devices, two could function as they were with just the mana supply and cleaning that Jonn had provided. One could set fire to the area where the bust of Count Francus stood if someone passed through the cave entrance without unlocking it, while the other released poison into the air if one tried to enter the weapons room the wrong way.
“That’s enough for now.”
Jonn had finished his principal work in this place for the day. But he wasn’t satisfied. Now, with a stronger level of magical cultivation, he went to Count Francus’ armory.
[Scorching Spear]
[Characteristics: Forged under intense volcanic heat, this weapon has a Pure Fire Aether Tear embedded in its center. The bearer’s [Strength] attributes are improved by 4 points while in use. {Spells} and {Skills} based on the element of Fire can be stronger and more efficient if combined with the weapon. The spear’s blade can become scalding if enriched with mana.]
[Durability: 99/120]
[Item Class: Unusual]
[Quality: Well Crafted]
[Weight: 6.8 kg.]
Jonn picked up the weapon that suited him best at the moment, setting aside the other artifacts, as well as the armor he still didn’t think he could wear.
Count Francus was at least a level 4 mage, possibly a level 5. These artifacts are useful to mages of levels 2 and 3, but they are likely just items he collected from enemies on the battlefield. Like [Air Palm], they probably weren’t his combat items… mostly. The armor and that sword were probably his.
Jonn looked at the two items he considered the best but couldn’t take with him, items he couldn’t analyze even after his evolution.
However, he could discern the details of the black and red spear in his hands, as well as the attributes of the mysterious dagger. The dagger increased [Dexterity] by 3 points when used and could also cause mana poisoning in those injured by its blade, as long as they were as strong as or weaker than its user.
“Sigh! That was good progress. That was a good morning!” He sighed with satisfaction as he surveyed the armory one last time before leaving.
I will study these weapons and try to learn from them for forging with Tim. For now, most of these weapons are too heavy for me to pass on to the village guards. I definitely have to solve the village’s malnutrition problem first before I let my companions use the most basic of Count Francus’ weapons.
As for the Aether Tears, I’ll use them to protect this place. They contain the element of Fire, and I’m resistant to it. But it’s not that simple. They still seem poisonous to me. I’m only at level 2, and my {Resistance} is level 1. Meanwhile, they came from a mage much stronger than me… I’d better be careful.
However, I might use them as long-range weapons.
Jonn cut off a small piece of this mana in the form of a thorn, something that, if hurled on the ground, would explode, spreading flames up to a few meters away.
My wish is to take you to the village. But that would attract trouble. I’ll have you ready for withdrawal in case I need something quick to deal with enemies.
{Ding!}
{+2 progress points on the [Magic Cave] quest.}
…
[Magic Cave]
[Progress: 5/11]
Jonn quickly distributed the 2 attribute points in his status as he left Count Francus’ cave behind.