Sofia sighed as she retrieved her staff from the ground.

"You don't rely on chant sequences… I can't even feel your Mana Circulation, so I can't predict your next move like others. That's not how normal Mages cast."

Rayven smiled faintly. "Normal Mages don't have to pay per spell either."

Sofia blinked, unsure if he was joking. "Pay?"

"Nothing…" Rayven said with a cough… "Just a little… side effect of my training method."

"Hmph… I really wanted to know what artifact you're using to hide your mana like that…" She replied.

Of course, there was no way Rayven would explain that.

"I can't reveal that."

"So it's a secret technique then. That makes sense."

They stood in silence for a few seconds as the observers dispersed at this moment. The heat of the battle was gone. It was now replaced by a quiet, mutual respect.

"You could've gone for the win earlier…" Sofia said suddenly. "When I used my second fusion. I'm sure that you read the wind flow perfectly. Why didn't you end it there?"

Rayven shrugged. "Not really… It's not easy for me either."

Sofia arched an eyebrow. "Really?"

He chuckled softly. "Yes… I also don't want to end it like that. You're an Adept Mage. I wanted to see how far I could push an Initiate's limit before advancing."

"…You're insane," Sofia muttered, though she still smiled at that. She liked Rayven's boldness. "Still, I'll admit it. You got me good."

"Guess I'll take that as a compliment."

"It is," she said. "Don't let it go to your head though. There's a Spell I'm planning to imprint that could deal with your fast Spellcasting... Once you advance, I'll be expecting a rematch."

"Deal…" Rayven replied with a grin.

He had no idea what Spell it was, but he would like to see it. He also wanted to know how others would deal with his swift Spellcasting.

Sofia then turned and began walking away, but halfway through, she paused and turned back.

"Oh, and Rayven," she said.

"Yeah?"

"The next time you fight someone like me… don't hold your punch back at the end. I don't like mercy in duels."

Rayven tilted his head, remembering the Fireball he withheld at point-blank range. "…Noted."

Satisfied, Sofia smiled faintly and left the arena.

***

When everything finally calmed down, Rayven let out a long breath and sat on the edge of the dueling platform. His clothes were still damp from the mist during the battle.

Finally, he turned his attention to his System's message.

[ Mission Progress Updated. ]

"Nice…"

[ Tier Advancement Mission: Path of the Mystic Explorer ]

[ Mission 1: Trial of Power - Surpass an Adept Mage ]

Objective Complete: Defeat a verified Tier 2 (Adept) Mage in a sanctioned duel.

Condition Met: Victory achieved using more than 5 Registered Spells.

[ Reward Unlocked: Tier Advancement Qualification +1 ]

[ Bonus Reward: 200 Gold ]

[ Evaluation: Exceptional Result ]

Rayven smiled faintly. "Exceptional, huh…"

Then, another prompt appeared…

[ Optional Path Reward Options: ]

[ Unlimited Skill (1x) ]

Description: Temporarily removes Gold Coin consumption and cooldown restrictions for all Skills and Spells for 90 seconds.

Effect: Allows limitless casting within the time limit.

[ 100% Spell Discount Voucher (1x) ]

Description: A single-use voucher allowing free acquisition of any Spell from the Skill Market, regardless of rarity or tier.

[ Spell Efficiency Module (Passive) ]

Description: A permanent upgrade to the Coinbound System.

Effect: Refunds 10% of all Gold Coins spent on Spell casting every month.

[ Please select one Optional Path Reward. ]

"Unlimited Skill… This is too good!" Rayven was shocked as he read the line again.

He didn't misread it!

For ninety seconds, he could unleash everything. No cooldowns. No coin drain. Just raw destruction. He could drown a city in fireballs if he wanted.

Although it was a one-time use, it was definitely cool!

Then, he turned to the voucher.

"Free Spell Voucher…"

He also liked this. After all, now that he considered it carefully, a 90 Second Free Spell casting would at most save him a thousand or even two thousand gold if he obtained expensive spells.

The 90-second unlimited Spell might not be the best option if his Skill Market started selling Rare or even Unique Spells that might cost 2,000 gold or more.

Then came the third...

"Spell Efficiency Module… cashback every month, huh? That's… insane."

He almost laughed. A permanent refund for all his future spell casts meant infinite long-term value.

Each reward different focus... Power. Wealth. Stability.

Rayven rubbed his chin as he considered this carefully…

"Now… What should I choose from here?"

This wasn't an easy matter to decide.

The Unlimited Skill was incredible since it was a dream for a battle maniac. But for him? Ninety seconds of godhood wouldn't solve the real problem. Once it was over, he'd still be broke.

The Free Spell Voucher was tempting too. A free Rare-tier or Unique-tier Spell could easily change his entire combat style. But a single Spell, no matter how valuable, wasn't enough to sustain him long-term.

He looked at the third one again.

The Spell Efficiency Module.

A passive upgrade. Permanent. Ten percent wasn't a lot. If he used only 100 Spells per month, he'd only get back 10 gold coins. That would be just a few crates of mayonnaise.

Still, a refund every month. Even ten percent meant that every Gold Coin he used would come back… again and again forever…

That meant the more he fought, the more he earned.

It rewarded people who planned ahead… like him.

Rayven exhaled softly, his decision was made.

"Short-term glory or long-term gain, huh?" He smirked. "Sorry, Unlimited Skill… but I'm playing the long game."

He then tapped the third option.

[ You have selected: Spell Efficiency Module (Passive) ]

[ Confirming installation… ]

[ Success. ]

[ All future Spell expenditures will now generate a 10% monthly refund. ]

"It's done? Just like that?" Rayven muttered as he didn't sense any changes within his body.

However, he knew that the system had definitely worked.

'I hope that the second mission also had an optional reward.' Rayven helplessly muttered as he recalled the reward of the second mission.

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