My lessons in Water magic continued, but now I also spend every evening practicing my Teleportation spell. Soon I understood, why Doranius usually brought a book or some other school related papers with him, that he needed to attend to, and paid no attention to me.
Four weeks later I did not even manage to fill god dammed circle with mana. Only at the end of week five I started to manage to slowly fill it with my mana. Another three weeks and I was able to fill ninety percent of magic circle before losing my concentration. I could do it around ten times in two hours, and Doranius did not even needed to share his mana.
- How do other students learn? - I sighed after another failure.
- Usually it is advised to have basic levels in Wisdom, Water magic and Intelligence skills, and also experience in mastering at least ten spells, out of them at least three level two spells. And even such mages need at least four weeks of complete dedication to learn that spell.
- Why didn't you tell me that earlier?
- Would it change anything?
- No, - I grumpily agreed.
Two more weeks later I finally felt something. I managed to fill magic circle with mana and my body started to disappear, but then I fell on the ground, on the same spot.
- You didn't even try to imagine moving from one circle to another, - said professor, without even taking his eyes away from a book, that he read.
I wanted to say something rude to him, but stayed quiet. Of course he was right. I spend weeks trying to fill circle with mana, and completely forgot about the other part. Two more weeks and my body disappeared and then appeared in second circle. I jumped around and loudly shouted:
- Success! Success!- Good, - nodded Doranius you needed less than five month to finally achieve first step. Now you need to successfully activate the spell ten out of ten times. I talked to principal and explained him everything. You are allowed to use this training ground after dinner, until sundown. Let me know when you succeed successfully casting spell ten times out of ten inside the circles. And do not use it outside them. Do you understand?
- Yes.
- Good then you can continue on your own tomorrow.
One week later I was successful four times out of ten. I was definitely getting closer.
During next rest days Myne and Trevor were busy and we decided to cancel our scheduled dungeon visit. I got nothing to do, and after exiting academy ended up in Adventurer guild. I did not plan to go there, but I was deep in thought, about Intelligence skill, and how much I needed that skill, since it assisted mages in spellcasting. But that useless Butchery skill completely ruined all may plans. Even six month later I was still angry at it. Deep in thought I somehow let my legs guide me and was completely lost in my thoughts, after going inside guild hall. I went to quest board, pretending that it was exactly why I came.
During first year in capitol we checked quest board regularly, but after increasing our party's rank to C, we forgot about it, preoccupied with our lessons in academies. I lazily read the job offers and requests. Guarding merchants, guarding merchants, herd gathering, herb gathering, request for monster parts. Boring, boring, boring, then I saw word dragon. That was interesting, there were no dragons in Grimsburg, as far as I knew, and true dragons did not appear in dungeons. Dragon slaying request. It was posted under other pamphlets, and looked like it had been there for a while. Interested, I read the description.
"Offer to any adventurer party or individual adventurer. Job requirement - kill the dragon who took residence in mountains near capitol. B rank job. Reward - skill orb for the skill of adventurer's choosing."
Skill orb for the skill of adventurer's choosing - I swallowed and just in case read these words four more times. Skill orbs were magical orbs that can be used only one time. They allowed anyone to acquire the specific skill, without any necessity for learning or leveling up. There were several such skill orbs sold in the auctions, but they costed several hundreds of gold coins. It was way cheaper to go to one of the academies, and I also could not afford them.
But skill orb, for any skill of my choosing. What about Double skill slot skill. That would solve all my problems. I grabbed the request and went to one of receptionists.
- Could you tell me about this job, - I put the parchment on the table.
- Gladly, - she smiled, but her smile disappeared, after seeing the request: - Miss Avone right. As C rank adventurer you can take this request, but you see...
- What is there some kind of a problem? Did someone already took the job? - my heart starter loudly beating. What if someone took the job? Was I too late? Did I miss the opportunity of a lifetime?
- No. Two adventurer parties took the job in the past and were completely annihilated.
That sounded bad, but not as bad as I feared.
- And?
- You see, this is what we call o low priority job. And also you will not get any assistance from the guild, if you take it. Also usually kingdom provides help in dealing with high ranking monsters, but it won't this time.
I did not really care about that.
- So I can take the job right. And can you tell me about the reward more.
- You can take the job, yes. But I am afraid, that I cannot tell you more about the offered reward. You will need to talk directly with the client about it.
That sounded annoying.
- Who is he? And how can I talk to him?
- It is sage Norris. You can visit him if you want.
- I want, - I wanted to scream that I definitely want that, and barely managed to keep my voice calm: - Can you tell me how can I find him?
Receptionist described me the house were sage lived, and how to find it. I took request paper with me. Could not risk anyone else taking the job.
Following instructions, I easily found sage's house. He lived in a big house surrounded by two meters high wall. House had glass windows, which was a sign of wealthy owner. At least he used to be. Through the bars of the gate I saw an overgrown park. Judging from the condition of a house, previously someone took good care of it, but now it starter to look like some abandoned mansion. I opened the gate and it creaked. Road that led to house was in good condition, but overgrown grass was already approaching it.
I knocked at the door, but received no answer. I knocked louder, and again after a while. Finally someone opened the door, and unshaven man in dirty rob unpleasantly looked at me.
- What is it? I don't accept any requests, - he said in high pitched voice.
- Are you sage Norris? I came to talk about this, - I showed him job request. He squeezed his eyes and stepped aside.
- Fine, come in, - he sighed. He seemed like a man, who lost all hope.
I came inside and he waved towards one of chairs, located in living room. Room was dirty, and light barely came inside it from unwashed windows.
I sat down and sage took a seat in front of me.
- So, you want to become a dragon slayer, ha?
- No. I have some questions about the job, and reward. I have no interest in becoming a dragon slayer, and have no intension of risking my life, and lives of my party members. If I decide, that it is not worth it. And actually even if we do succeed, I would prefer if amount of people, who knew about it would be small.
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- Oh. So you don't want to be famous? Aren't you here to become famous dragon slayer?
- The only reason why I am here is reward. Nothing more, nothing less.
- I see. Very well. I will answer your questions, - somehow he seemed more interested in conversation than in the beginning.
- First. Tell me more about the circumstances. Guild receptionist told me, that two adventurer parties already died, trying to kill that dragon. But she also told me, that it is low priority job, and that kingdom and Adventurer guild won't provide any support. Explain what she meant.
- You don't now, ha! Very well. You may not be aware of it, but dragons are intelligent creatures. They are officially considered to be one of the intelligent races, that can be negotiated with. This dragon lives near mountains, east of the capitol. Almost a year ago he attacked merchant caravan and killed everyone, including adventurers that guarded it. Among the adventurers was my daughter. Later when king send his men to negotiate with the dragon, he said that those people attacked him first, and that it was self defense. What nonsense! No sane human will attack the dragon. He probably provoked them, or just attacked. But king decided to accept that story and since dragon only hunts in the mountains and forest, were are no human settlements nearby, he decided to leave dragon alone.
- Why would he leave alone such dangerous creature?
- Because of what happened in the past. Around twenty years ago different dragon decided to make a nest in the same area. King send his men to kill him, but dragon escaped. He retaliated by burning down several villages, and then just flew away. Our kingdom, has no means to hunt down such powerful creature if it decides to fly around and burn down villages, instead of fighting.
- Then why were you allowed to post this quest?
- Because he killed my daughter. Kind warned the dragon, that some individuals will want revenge, and that he cannot stop every adventurer that decides to become a dragon slayer. He also declared, that not all merchants were guilty and that not receiving help from kingdom will be dragon's punishment. I heard that dragon just laughed at these words. King highly values my skills, in artifact making, and after I begged him to avenge my daughter, that was, what he came up with, to appease all sides.
- I see. So until dragon poses no threat, no one wants to antagonize him, and king closes his eyes, as long as dragon doesn't go too far. But he lets you trying to deal with him, pretending that it is dispute between two kingdom's citizens.
- Yes, you can say it that way.
- What kind of dragon is it?
- It's the red dragon.
Red, blue, indigo and black dragons were considered servants of evil gods. Red ones were some of weakest ones among them. That was at least something. It also meant that it did not evolve and was not an ancient dragon.
- So low ranking one, at least that is good. You mentioned that reward is any skill orb of my choosing?
- Yes. I am known as sage, and have a unique Skill orb creating skill, and also Artifact creation skill. As someone who has master level skill, I am of great value to king. That is the only reason I received this "special treatment", - he grimaced.
- Sadly I am a member of a party. In order to have at least a chance of killing this dragon, and since we won't have any support and could get in trouble, if things go bad, I will need the minimum of two skill orbs, of my choosing.
- You seem sure, that you have a chance. Aren't you afraid that your party will be wiped out, just like the last two.
- If things go bad, we will do everything possible to run away. Besides I have a plan.
- Really. My I ask what is it?
I took out two vials from my magic bag and passed one of them to sage.
- Can you tell what this is, and will it help?
He opened the vial and smelled it. Then he let one drop to fall on the table. Wood turned black and smoke rose up from it.
- Death spider venom?
- Yes, getting it wasn't easy. Will it work against the dragon?
- One of the strongest venoms, that I know. Yes it will help, but it may not be enough to kill the dragon.
- As long as it weakens him, it should be all the advantage that we need.
- Fine. At least you are not planning to attack dragon blindly, like any ordinary monster, the way previous adventurers did. Boasting about their strength and fame. Agreed, you will get your two skill orbs. But only after the job. And I also can make only one skill orb in a year. I stopped working, so I could pay adventurer, who would succeed in killing the dragon, and returned advance payments for the orbs. That's why I am experiencing money shortage, but it is temporary. Still you will need to wait, to get your second skill orb.
- Very well, I can wait, - I nodded.
- What skills do you wish to learn? Must be something special, if you want to risk a fight with a dragon, and possible wrath of the king, instead of going to Adventurers or Magic academy?
- Double skill slots skill and that is not negotiable, and also Primordial magic skill.
Sage sighed: - That is not possible.
- If you can't make them, then I am sorry to waste your time, - I thought about getting up and leaving, but his next words stopped me.
- I can create them, at a great cost. But I CAN NOT. First of all, I can make any skill orb that can help you get any skill that gods created. But the problem is that Double skill slot is, what I call, additional special circumstances skill. And Primordial magic skill is special circumstances skill.
- What does that mean? And didn't you just say, that you can make skill orb for all skills?
- How should I explain. Do you know how many skill it is possible to obtain?
- Ten?
- Yes and no. Those with Commoners job can get only ten skills, no matter what. But people or creatures with specialized jobs can get eleven skills. For example even if someone has ten skills, after receiving a blessing from the goddess of light he can get Light magic skill, which will be number eleven. Skills like Light, Black and Chaos magic are what I call an additional special circumstances skills. Since they cannot be normally received and people can get them as number eleven skill. I currently have seven normal skills, but my Skill orb creation skill is additional skill. I received it as a gift from a god. There is also one more important difference. Ordinarily your skills cannot level up to master level, until you have all ten skill at advanced level. But additional skills can be increased to master level without that limitation. That is how I achieved master rank skill, while I have only seven skills, some of which are at basic level. Do you understand what I mean?
- Yes.
- Good. Now let's use the skill classification, that Magic academy and other academies use. They classify skill as ordinary, that you can learn in six month, advanced that you can learn in one year, and exceptional, that you can learn in two years. Are you familiar with that classification.
- Yes. I am a student in Magic academy. To use your example, it would be Fire magic, Wisdom and Weapons master.
- That's right. In order to make a fire magic skill orb I need five hundred magic stones, in order to make Wisdom skill orb, I need three thousand magic stones, and in order to make Weapons master skill orb I need ten thousand magic stones. But in order to make special circumstances skill I need a special materials. More than that, when I received my Skill orb creation skill, god who granted it to me, warned me that creating additional skill orb, can only be done at a great cost, for mortals. I am allowed to make only one such skill orb. Once I do that my Skill orb skill will stop being additional skill, and become an ordinary one. Its level also will decrease as advanced, and I will lose my ability to ever get a different additional skill. Also in order to make a Double skill slot orb, I will need two magic gems from different dungeons. And almost all magic gems end up as property of the king. I would gladly pay the price, for making additional skill orb, but I simple don't have necessary materials. The same is with Primordial magic skill orb. It can be made only from materials that are primordial in nature. There is only one such material that I know. Dungeon core, but it is nearly impossible to get one, because they are located in the deepest floor of the dungeon, inhabited by dungeon's strongest monsters.
- Does that mean, that someone with Double skill slot skill, can actually have twenty two skills. Twenty ordinary, Double skill slot skill as additional one and one more additional skill?
- Yes.
- That's great. I took out two of my magic gems and put them on table. They are from different dungeons. Are these the materials that you need?
Sage touched them with trembling hands, and carefully examined both magic gems: - Yes. They are exactly what I need. Using them I can make you Double skill orb.
- And if I get you dungeon core, you will be able to make me Primordial magic skill orb, since it is not an additional skill?
- Yes. Even if my Skill orb creation skill will be at advanced level, using dungeon core, it will be possible.
- Good. Then we have an agreement. We will need at least month to prepare, and two or three weeks after that. I will come back after we kill the dragon. Will that be fine?
- I waited almost a year to avenge the death of my child. I can wait two month. And I have no doubt, that anyone who is strong enough to kill two floor guardians in two different dungeons, and do that not for the fame or money, will be able to kill that dragon. My daughter's blood cries for vengeance. I will get to work on creating the Double skill slot orb right away. It will be ready, by the time you return.
I nodded. We still had one month until the end of semester, and technically we could use that time to prepare. Now, all that was left was convincing my party members to kill a dragon.
- Also, do you know dragons exact location?
- Yes. I managed to acquire that information, - sage went to one of the shells and gave me a map. I took a look at it. Location was near a mountain, around three days journey to east. Just like sage said.
- Thank you. I will do my best.
- My the goddess of light bless you, and stay by you during this quest.I returned to the guild and told receptionist, that I will take the job.
- Are you sure? - she asked hesitantly.
- Yes, - I will take the job, even if I have to kill that dragon myself: - I talked to client, and we agreed, that I will complete the job in two month time. Will that be a problem?
- No, I will register you, and make a note about the time.
- Thank you.