- [3]- Preparation Part 1
After returning the books to their rightful places, Alex made his way to the reception desk with a thick notepad in hand.
“Thank you for the help, sir,” Alex said, putting the notepad on the table. He had wanted to jot down some important notes for future reference but hadn’t brought his own notepad. Fortunately, the librarian had been kind enough to lend him a few pages.
The balding man looked up from his book, and accepted the notepad, putting it away. “No problem,” he said, nodding his head.
“Wait!”
When Alex was about to leave, the librarian called out to him. He stopped mid-stride and turned around, his brow arching in curiosity. “Yes?”
“Did you, perhaps, get the Wizard class today?” The librarian asked, putting the thick book from his lap on the table.
“Sadly, yeah,” Alex affirmed, eying the title of the book the librarian put. It read Theories of Entropy.
What’s an entropy? He wondered distractingly.
“I see. You must have been a good student throughout your academic career.” The man praised. There was a smile on his lips as he did so.
“How can you tell?” Alex wondered, surprise coloring his facial features.
The man laughed, the sound echoing lightly in the nearly empty library. “You don’t think the Akashic Records just randomly hands out classes now, do you?” he said, his tone teasing yet knowing.
“It’s not?” Alex asked.
The librarian shook his head. “Not at all. The Akashic Records don’t just choose at random. What class you're suited for? That’s decided after it reviews your entire eighteen years of life.”
Alex furrowed his brows as he digested the words. "So… you’re saying it picked [Wizard] for me because I’m meant to be one?"
The man nodded, tapping the desk lightly. “Exactly. There’s something in you, something it recognized. Maybe you don’t see it yet, but the Records don’t make mistakes.”
Alex remained silent, letting the librarian’s words sink in. He had never heard anything like this while in school. The common belief was that Classes were granted at random, with the stronger ones reserved for the chosen few, the lucky ones born under a brighter star.
He furrowed his brow, still unsure. “If that’s true… why give me something I can’t even afford to use?”
The librarian chuckled softly. “The Records isn’t known for one to consider people’s financial backgrounds. Anyway-” He leaned over, his brows pulled up in seriousness. “The reason I stopped you is to give you a piece of advice. You should make it a habit to visit libraries from now on. It's beneficial to your Class.”
There was a brief pause as the man took in a deep inhale of air.
“Try to read challenging books—ones that make your head spin,” the librarian continued. “Struggle through them, make sense of what they say. Doing that will help you gain experience points faster. It’s not just about spells. Knowledge is a resource wizards thrive on.”
Alex frowned, pondering the thought of spending hours buried in books. Not exactly the action-packed path he envisioned. But the advice made sense. If this was a way to grow stronger without wasting money on expensive potions, it was worth considering.
“I’ll… keep that in mind,” Alex said hesitantly.
-~X~-
On his way back from the temple, Alex noticed the crowd of eager aspirants still gathered outside the altar room, waiting for their turn. But Priest Noah was nowhere to be seen. Normally, the priest would be standing at the entrance, guiding the next person in line. Perhaps someone else like Alex had sought his help, dragging him inside for advice.
Alex shook his head, his mind still heavy from the events of the day. He had walked into the Temple of Akasha with hopes of becoming a [Swordsman]—a path he thought was set. Yet here he was, burdened with the uncertainties of a [Wizard] Class.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
The road back to Morse Town felt far longer than he’d expected. When Alex finally walked through the town's entrance gate, the mouthwatering scent of freshly baked meat pies hit him, and his stomach growled in response. He hadn’t eaten anything since morning, and the aroma reminded him just how hungry he was.
Without a second thought, he followed the scent, hoping to ease at least one of his problems with a warm meal.
After a hearty meal, he beelined to the only place in town that could provide him everything he needed to get started on his Blessed career— The McCathy’s Collections.
Like always, the item shop was bustling with a steady stream of customers. Alex noticed a range of patrons, from beginners like himself to seasoned veterans, their armor glinting under the midday sun, proudly displaying the marks of countless battles. The polished steel of their gear caught the light, nearly blinding him as he approached the counter.
I’ll be like them someday. Alex promised to himself as he approached a man in the shop’s uniform.
“Excuse me,” he called respectfully.
“Anything I can help you with, sir?” The man replied, showing a business smile.
Alex didn’t care if it was genuine or not. He stated his intention: “Beginner spells,” he said, and then added, “Cheap ones.”
His parents had painstakingly saved for years, managing to scrape together a single gold coin. That coin was supposed to be his key to a solid start in life—his initial plan had been to use it for a full set of gear suited to the [Swordsman] class, along with a Sword Skill. Unfortunately, [Wizard] class threw a monkey wrench into everything.
The attendant’s eyes gleamed over him, and the smile on his face became less enthusiastic. “The cheapest Spell we have here, which is also not pure combat oriented, is priced at 766 silver coins.”
Alex’s face lit up. “Really? Can I see them?”
“Of course. Please follow me.”
The attendant led Alex to the back of the busy establishment, into a relatively emptier section. The young wizard had his eyes wander over the opulent décor that lined the walls.
I wonder if they are original or replicas. He thought eying those glittering equipment displayed behind encased cabinets.
After a few twists and turns through the maze of people, the attendant finally led Alex to a relatively empty desk tucked into a corner. The man gestured for Alex to stand at the edge of the table while he moved around to the other side, taking his place behind it.
“Please have a look at this,” The attendant said as he handed out a thin booklet. “For safety reasons, we cannot display the original Skillbook until you make the purchase, so please forgive me.”
“No worries,” Alex said with an understanding nod. His eyes skimmed over the contents of the book—a brief introduction to the spell.
Scalding Touch
Gather fire elemental particles on your palm to increase its surface temperature. The range of the heat can vary from 60 centigrade to 200 centigrade. Every added level to the Spell will increase the maximum temperature, capped at level 5.
The booklet only had a few pages and Alex finished them in one go. Of course, it was only a brief description of the spell and its possible usage range. The original spell book would be a little thicker since it’d contain the visualization diagram for the mana manipulation with detailed descriptions of every step.
As the attendant said, this was not a spell a Wizard could use in battle. Coming under the auxiliary category; spells like this were meant to be used by craftsmen, especially alchemists. After all, at its maximum level, one could handle temperature at a precise scale.
“Do you have a water elemental spell of this kind?” Alex asked, putting the booklet down.
“We most definitely do,” the attendant said, ducking under the table. A few seconds later, he emerged with four booklets in his hands, each of them worn but neatly bound. He set them down on the desk with a soft thud and spread them out for Alex to see. “Gentle Touch, Water Bubble, Splash and Puddle.”
“Are all of them priced the same as the Scalding Hand?” Alex asked as he picked up the booklet named Splash.
“Not at all, sir.” The attendant shook his head. “Water and earth elemental auxiliary spells come a bit cheaper due to their lack of potential uses during critical times.”
“I see.”
Alex read through all four books, and he had no choice but to agree with the attendant’s evaluation. Those spells were simply too weak even when compared to Scalding Touch.
Gentle Touch, a glorified moisturizer with healing properties so negligible it barely deserved to be called a healing spell. Water Bubble? A spell that created a water ball the size of a fist—and even at its peak, only as big as a watermelon. Splash wasn’t much better; it was a downgraded projectile version of Water Bubble and Puddle. Well, it was just a puddle.
“How much is one of these?” Alex wondered, tapping at the booklet named Splash.
“210 silver coins, sir.”
Alex stared at the man’s face dully. “You think I’ll fall for that? I’ve worked at Jade Willow’s Nursery before. I know the availability and price for this book. I’ll give you 100 silver coins for it and I know you are still making a considerable profit at this price.”
“That’s too much, sir.” The attendant gasped and desperately shook his head. “I can’t sell it at such a low price. 150 silvers. Please, this is our shop’s set price.”
“125 coins. Not a penny more.” Alex said firmly, adding, “I got more things to buy too.”
“Okay, fine.” The attendant brought a small notepad and jotted down Alex’s order. Then, he looked over. “What else can I get for you, sir?”
“HP-focused accessories or equipment. Preferably one with added HP and regeneration rate.” Alex listed.
In the library, he’d already finished mapping out a plan for his growth, factoring in his limitations and strengths. His first goal was simple: farm low-level monsters and grind levels. He needed to increase his MP pool and gather enough money to buy a decent spell. The auxiliary water spells wouldn’t take him far, but they were enough to get him started.
Spells. Items. Potions. Charms. Information… everything costs money. Being a Blessed was no easy task, especially for a Wizard Class without an affluent family background.
Since he could not depend on his family, he’d have to pave his own path.