The next several hours are spent testing various spell forms. The list of known spells in my era was exhaustive, to say the least, and Andras Gregori certainly never learned all of them. However, even among the spells I learned as a mage, I want to focus primarily on the most versatile or immediately valuable spells. Obviously, some spells have already been invented or discovered at this point in history, and casting them has no noticeable side effects. Some spells, however, are definitively too advanced for this time.

Just like Acid Shot became [Acid Bolt], several other Tier 2 and Tier 3 have strange resonance when I cast them from memory. [Tail Wind] and [Fog] are the two largest outliers, both of them Tier 2 spells. Neither spell gets renamed by the system at first, but the first several attempts at parsing the spellforms are horribly wrong.

Instead of making me lighter, [Tail Wind] is cast at an angle and knocks me into the dirt. Likewise, [Fog]’s area of effect appears six feet higher than I originally intended when casting the spell. Both issues are rectified by casting the spells a few more times, making minor corrections after each issue. The end result is similar enough to the original, and I receive no prompts, but needing to correct system interpretation is a rare phenomena.

Among the Tier 3 spells that I test for system recognition, the most promising is by far [Aura of Dread]. I’ve noticed the Tier 3 spell frameworks often have larger reactions to the system errors, an exponential increase in deviation actually. The original spell [Aura of Dread] is an unseen influence on the mind, creeping from the caster into the psyche of every enemy within range. Andras Gregori actually invented the spell blending his natural affinity for dark necromantic magics with the principles of emotion magic.

After casting it several times in this life, the system has rewritten its methodology but not the effect. The spell framework still should produce a feeling of terror, but it’s more closely aligned with necromancy magic than emomancy now. Casting the spell produces a deep grey mist that hangs low to the ground around me. What few forrest creatures and small animals that got caught in those initial castings always began fleeing after breathing the mist. The spell resembles an inhaled poison more than unseen magic. Though visually striking spells can incite fear on their own.

So many spells are created for combat though, that I won’t have a chance to test them to their full capacity without casting them on enemies. I would never ask Leigh to stand in for something like that, and even with my increased levels I may not be able to fully effect Mom or Dad.

I have no other choices remaining then. I need to leave this tiny village, and I need to leave soon.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

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I’m not naive enough to leave the village with no preparations though. I have a good traveling pack for everything that won’t fit in my storage ring, and the cloak Mom made for me, an extra set of boots, and good durable traveling clothes. I’m sure dad would give me the bedroll and tarp we used when camping previously, but that still leaves much to be desired.

I plan to travel from here to Alberack, and get the rest of the supplies I need there. If I’m away from cities for too long, dry rations won’t cut it and I’ll eventually have to hunt and forage for food. That means I’ll need a mess kit for cooking and field dressing game.

Thankfully, spells can step in to do a lot of heavy lifting. [Glimmer] provides roughly the same amount of light as a well lit torch or small lamp, so I won’t need either of those. [Spark] can be used to light a fire if aimed properly, and [Create Water] will make sure I never get too dehydrated. Though I probably will still want a water skin to make full use of the spell.

The only other thing I could think of needing is a good sturdy rope. Even that is a temporary measure however, as eventually a high leveled mage can travel safely with nothing but the robes on their back. I plan to get back to that level as quickly as I can. When you get used to convenience, even simple work feels excruciating.

My shopping list for Alberack is small, and anything that can be prepared ahead of time I will have to do. The last hurdle is money. Namely that I have none. I would never stoop low enough to beg from Neia and Daniel no matter the situation. So I need to come with something to sell or trade for the items I need.

[Blessing of Mana] makes the crafting of items even easier than it was when I was still using [Mana Crafting] and now that the skill has catapulted upwards to level 38, the ease of use is beyond anything I could have hoped for. A single enchanted item should be more than enough to sell or barter for the few supplies I need. The question is then, what item? The key to a good enchanted item should always be ubiquity, something that can be useful to as many people as possible. Unless of course you’re crafting with a specific person in mind.

In a rural area like my village, and to a lesser extend Alberack, the first enchantment that comes to mind would be [Mend]. Mend is a simple spell for most spell casters, but few people in the rural lands have spells in the first place. The vast majority are [Farmers] or [Homesteaders], and in rare cases craftsman like a [Smith]. None of them would have spells.

[Mend] is a Tier 1 spell, simple to build, and simple to activate. Cheap and effective, it can repair mundane damage to most objects. There are limits obviously, it can’t create mass that has been lost, but a cracked piece of wood or bent metal can be easily undone.

I decide to carve the item out of wood like I did for Leigh’s pendant, keeping it as a flat coin this time rather than a worn pendant. The process is far faster, and over the course of roughing out the circular shape my [Tool Proficiency] skill increases to level 33.

It takes me the greater part of a day to finish the item, weave mana into it, and charge it up. With the rest of my time spent trying anything I can think of to try and grind out the last two levels on my third class. Alas, there’s no great danger in this rural town to give me the xp needed to level, and I eventually resign myself to level after traveling to Alberack.

With my ‘money’ prepared, and a list of supplies to gather, all that is left is to talk with Mom and Dad for their help with my supplies, and to say goodbye to my home town. To say goodbye to Leigh.

She hasn’t talked to me in days.