Stifling another sigh, Arlo turned his attention to the optimal allocation of his newfound stat points. He needed to prioritize based on his most pressing needs before tackling the red cards.

'If what Vielle said is true, her family is among the most influential in all of Jarha. I talked a big game about facing whatever challenges they throw our way, but realistically, my current stats aren't going to cut it,' he admitted to himself.

The grimoire was his ace in the hole, providing a wellspring of magic to draw upon. But even that came with limitations - at his present level, Advanced Class spells were the extent of his reach.

'I've already got a hefty mana pool thanks to the book. Is it worth dumping more points into it? It's not as if that'll increase the tome's capacity, and without it I probably couldn't even cast a single advanced spell. Might be a waste to go all in on mana right now,' he reasoned.

When it came right down to it, his most glaring deficiency was in raw physical prowess. The way that butler had seemingly lopped his head clean off in an eye blink served as a sobering reminder of just how outclassed he was in terms of speed and agility.

As a mage, Arlo didn't rely much on brute strength, so investing in that stat held little appeal. The same could be said for stamina. And while he suspected heightening his senses could potentially improve his reaction time and situational awareness, the path forward crystallized as he contemplated his options.

With a few decisive taps, he poured the entirety of his stat points into his agility score, reasoning it would yield the greatest returns in terms of his survivability.

[You've applied 7 stat points into Agility.]

The moment he confirmed his selection, a torrential surge of energy flooded through him, imparting a thrilling sense of lightness and ease of motion that lingered for a few exhilarating breaths before subsiding.

[Strength: 15]

[Agility: 24]

[Stamina: 12]

[Sense: 12]

[Mana: 5]

Arlo admired his updated stats with a smirk of satisfaction, then turned his attention to the waiting red cards. Unconsciously holding his breath, he studied their cryptic designs, suddenly apprehensive about choosing rashly.

Where the blue cards were but a pale echo, the crimson cards clearly operated on another level entirely when it came to the caliber of rewards they offered. He couldn't afford to bungle this selection.

'That evolution essence I pulled last time really juiced my stats...please, let me score another huge win here,' he prayed fervently, tentatively extending a hand to tap the card on the far left.

The instant his fingertip made contact, the remaining four cards winked out of existence, leaving him grasping the only one that mattered. Just as before, its face remained enticingly blank, betraying no hint of the secrets locked within.

"Here it comes - "

Before Arlo could finish his thought, a chest-crushing throb rocked him to his core, forcing the air from his lungs in a startled gasp. The grimoire bound to his arm trembled in tandem, its pages suffused with a wild, seething light that painted the room in fevered hues.

"Come on...give me something good here.” Arlo grit out through clenched teeth, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on the quivering card as if he could wrest its knowledge free by sheer force of will.

The book shuddered and pulsed, its uncanny brightness approaching a blinding crescendo - only to gutter out an instant later like a snuffed candle flame, the lurid glow clinging to the card in his hand sputtering into cold ash to reveal the text now scribed upon its surface.

"This...what even is this?" Arlo breathed, his bafflement plain as he stared at the perplexing contents with wide, uncomprehending eyes.

[+1 Sorcerer’s Catalyst.]

"A Sorcerer's Catalyst?" Arlo murmured, his brow furrowing as he studied the cryptic text scrawled beneath the newly revealed title. The words seemed to shimmer and dance before his eyes, their meaning tantalizingly just out of reach.

[Sorcerer's Catalyst, designed to store and concentrate magic power. When absorbed, the Catalyst's magic power initiates a profound transformation, causing the mage's abilities to evolve and adapt. The extent of this change depends on the amount of magic stored within, with greater power leading to more significant enhancements.]

As the import of the message sank in, Arlo's eyes widened, his heart stuttering in his chest. But before he could fully process the implications, the card began to change, its edges blurring and warping as it crackled with magic energy.

In a dazzling burst of light, the card transformed into a pulsing hexagonal gem, its facets glinting with a blue radiance. It tumbled into Arlo's outstretched palms, its surface pulsing with power.

[The Sorcerer's Catalyst resonates with your mana core.]

[Would you like to absorb the Mana stored in the Sorcerer's Catalyst?]

Arlo stared at the gem nestled in his hands, transfixed by the sheer volume of Mana radiating from its compact form. He couldn’t believe that such a tiny object could hold so much raw power.

"A Sorcerer's Catalyst," he breathed, his voice tinged with equal parts awe and trepidation. "I wonder just how much stronger I'll become if I absorb all this Mana..."

Almost of its own accord, a fierce grin stole across Arlo's face as he contemplated the gem. This was exactly the kind of edge he'd been hoping for – a way to level the playing field.

And yet, even through the haze of excitement, a glimmer of hard-won caution stayed his hand. His reckless haste in absorbing the Evolution Essence had nearly gotten him killed; he'd be a fool to make the same mistake twice.

"This thing is packing way more Mana than I can safely handle right now. Mana might be different than Evolution Energy, but I'd be an idiot to assume chugging it down will end any better," Arlo mused, his desire for power warring with the specter of past missteps.

The realization brought with it a moment of clarity. While the Evolution Essence had provided a boost to his core via Evolution Energy, it stood to reason that the Sorcerer's Catalyst would similarly enhance his Mana Core.

And though he couldn't be certain, Arlo had a sinking suspicion that the consequences of overloading his Mana reserves would be every bit as catastrophic as what he'd suffered with the Evolution Energy.

"I should probably run this by Vielle, get her take on it," he muttered, turning the gem over and over in his restless fingers. "But then she'd want to know where I got it, and it’d become a pain trying to come up with a believable lie..."

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

With a sigh of frustration, Arlo tore his gaze away from the mesmerizing glow of the catalyst, his eyes slipping closed as he fought to center himself.

Unbidden, the memory of his earlier encounter with the butler rose up like bile in the back of his throat – the crushing aura of bloodlust, the cold certainty that he could’ve died any second. In that moment, he'd been forced to confront the bitter truth: for all the progress he'd made, he was still weak.

"The Grimoire's been carrying me this whole time, but I can't rely on it forever," Arlo gritted out, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "If I want to stand a chance, I need to get stronger. I have to."

Blowing out a shaky breath, Arlo opened his eyes, his resolve hardening to a diamond-sharp edge.

"I don't have a choice. I'll just have to take it slow, be smart about it. Last time I rushed in like an idiot and nearly died. Not this time."

With that, Arlo turned his attention inward, focusing on the wellspring of power that pulsed in time with his heartbeat.

[MP: 4%]

Hours of spell practice had reduced his reserves to a mere trickle. He knew from hard-won experience that if he pushed himself any further, he'd run the risk of collapsing and potentially blacking out from sheer exhaustion

But with the Sorcerer's Catalyst acting as an external battery, the possibilities for extending his training time increased exponentially. The thought sent a thrill of anticipation skittering down his spine.

"Okay, here goes nothing," Arlo muttered, his voice barely above a whisper in the stillness of his room. "If it gets too dangerous I’ll stop absorbing it."

With that final affirmation, Arlo placed the tome down, carefully disengaging from his connection to the Grimoire. Almost immediately, he felt his innate mana stores increase.

[MP: 4% -> 100%]

Even at its maximum capacity, his natural mana pool was a mere drop in the bucket compared to what the Grimoire could provide. But for this experiment, it was crucial that he work with his own power, free from any outside influences.

Settling into a cross-legged position atop his bed, Arlo cradled the Sorcerer's Catalyst in his cupped palms, his eyes drifting closed as he centered himself.

"System, slowly absorb the mana."

At his command, the gem flared to life, wisps of cerulean light rising from its surface to twine around Arlo's fingers in gossamer strands. He shivered at the contact, the hair on his arms standing on end as the power began to seep into his skin.

[You are absorbing the Mana from the Sorcerer's Catalyst.]

Unlike the overwhelming flood of Evolution Energy, the Mana transfer was a controlled trickle, a gradual suffusion of power that felt almost soothing as it permeated his cells. Arlo's hair stirred in an unseen breeze, his aura pulsing in time with the influx of energy.

He could feel it pooling at his core, a warm weight that seemed to resonate with something deep inside him. Carefully, painstakingly, he guided the flow of Mana toward his heart, the locus of his power.

There, a single ring of light spun in a slow, mesmerizing orbit – the mark of his Tier 1 Mage status. As Arlo fed more and more energy into that revolving band, he could feel it growing brighter, stronger, thrumming with barely contained potential.

Lost in the trance of the transfer, Arlo almost missed the minute changes manifesting in his Status screen:

[Strength: 19] (+4)

[Agility: 28] (+4)

[Stamina: 16] (+4)

[Sense: 16] (+4)

[Mana: 13] (+8)

With each passing moment, each infinitesimal increase in the flow of Mana, Arlo could feel his attributes ticking upward, his body growing stronger, faster, more attuned to the currents of magic all around him.

[Strength: 20] (+5)

[Agility: 29] (+5)

[Stamina: 17] (+5)

[Sense: 17] (+5)

[Mana: 14] (+9)

He knew the gains were only temporary – a transient boost granted by the surplus of power flooding his system. But he also knew that after it was done, some of that progress would remain since it did before.

The thought brought a fierce smile to his lips even as he refocused on the task at hand, pouring all his concentration into maintaining the slow, steady rhythm of the energy transfer.

Time seemed to lose all meaning as he sat there, motionless save for the rise and fall of his chest, his entire being narrowed down to the circuit of power thrumming between his core and the catalyst cradled in his hands.

Minutes bled into hours, the room growing darker around him as the clouds covered the moons, but still Arlo persisted, his focus unwavering.

Little by little, bit by painstaking bit, he could feel his Mana ring swelling with power, growing more substantial, more real, until it felt like a second heartbeat pulsing in his chest.

And still he pressed on, the Mana flowing into him in a ceaseless tide until he felt fit to bursting with it, his skin stretched drumhead-tight over the maelstrom raging within...

[Your Mana Ring has reached the current limit for Mana absorption. Further intake risks destabilizing your Mana Core.]

The words penetrated the haze of concentration like a splash of ice water, jolting Arlo back to full awareness. His eyes snapped open, his breath coming in sharp, shallow pants as he fought to center himself.

He'd been so caught up in the rush of power, so consumed by the need to push himself to the limit, that he'd lost all sense of perspective. If he'd kept going, if he'd tried to force his body to accept more Mana than it could handle...

Arlo shuddered, a cold sweat breaking out across his brow at the thought.

"That was close," he muttered, his voice rough with self-recrimination. "This is going far more smoothly than it did with the Evolution Essence."

And yet, even as he acknowledged his own recklessness, a spark of inspiration kindled to life in the back of his mind.

"I wonder..." he mused, worrying at his lower lip as he turned the idea over and over. "What if I tried to use the excess Mana to form a second ring? If I could achieve Tier 2..."

The thought trailed off, a frisson of excitement warring with trepidation in the pit of his stomach. It was a dizzying prospect – a chance to leapfrog his way to greater power, to shore up his defenses against the threats he knew were coming.

But it was also a risk – a gamble with potentially big consequences. Vielle had warned him against pushing himself too hard, against trying to force his advancement before he was ready.

Did he dare ignore her advice? Did he dare tempt fate on the off chance that this time, his reach might not exceed his grasp?

Arlo closed his eyes, letting out a sigh. "Nah. Let's stop here for now," he thought to himself. "It's only been a short while since I've become a Tier 1 mage. It's good that I want to get stronger, but I need self-control."

He decided to wait for Vielle and get her advice on the matter. He didn't really have much of a plan to hide the origin of the Sorcerer's Catalyst other than telling her that he couldn't tell her. She was similar to him in a way; she wouldn't pry if he made it clear that it was something he didn't want to talk about.

Turning his attention back to the screen displaying the temporary stat boosts, Arlo read:

[Strength: 31] (+16)

[Agility: 40] (+16)

[Stamina: 28] (+16)

[Sense: 28] (+16)

[Mana: 30] (+25)

"Oh~! It's gone up by quite a lot compared to where it started," Arlo muttered, a hint of surprise in his voice. "Looks like absorbing slowly really is the way."

He glanced down at the gem, which still seemed to be overflowing with energy. Just how fortunate could he have been to acquire it? Arlo's mood was so good that he found himself giggling, his gaze constantly flickering between the gem and the screen.

"For now, I guess I'll wait for Vielle—"

As if on cue, the door to his room opened, and Vielle emerged, stretching her arms over her head as she let out a yawn. Upon meeting Arlo's gaze, she smiled. "Looks like I was right. You were training," she said. "No wonder I kept feeling a dense surge of Mana leaking from your room while I was teaching them."

Arlo raised a brow. "Teaching them?"

"Yeah, I started teaching magic," she responded.

"Already? That was fast, but the sooner the better, I guess. So, how did the first session go?"

Vielle sank onto her bed with a dejected sigh, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "It's hopeless. They're just like you - no innate talent for magic. But I suppose that's to be expected from a world without mana. Unlike you, they don't have a grimoire or any other mana source to draw from."