Chapter 66: Chapter 66: The Importance of Magic Mastery, Level Up! Mage Apprentice LV.5

To verify this theory, he went on to experiment with the other three modes of Elemental Arrow: fire, wind, and earth.

Then, following the principle of controlling variables, he spent 500 Experience Points to level up both [Magic Mastery (Apprentice)] and [Elemental Arrow] by one level each, to test which of the two Skills was the dominant factor in controlling Magic.

The final conclusion was perfectly clear!

[Magic Mastery], the seemingly unremarkable skill he had learned upon becoming a Mage Apprentice, was actually the very foundation of controlling Magic!

When Elemental Arrow went from level 1 to level 2, the only changes were to its Magic Power cost and damage. However, after leveling up Magic Mastery from 1 to 2, in addition to an increased consumption cap and bonus damage, Jon could clearly feel his control over Elemental Arrow getting stronger when he cast it!

He could even make it undergo simple changes in shape!

’This is getting interesting!’

Jon maintained a Fire Elemental Arrow, letting it twist and spiral in his palm. One moment it formed an "S," the next it bent into an "L." As for a "B," that was a bit too complex; he couldn’t manage it yet.

But even such simple changes were something countless Mage players could only dream of and never achieve.

Players could cast any Magic they learned, but they couldn’t freely control its shape. They could only rely on equipment or items to perform a few limited, fixed variations.

After a moment of thought, Jon figured out why.

’A game is a game, after all. It can’t be completely realistic, or everything would descend into chaos.’

’But it’s different in a real world. For a Mage, Magic is their sword, and [Magic Mastery] is the hand that wields it!’

’The principle is the same as a Warrior wielding a sword, freely using all sorts of Swordsmanship!’

’When the power is your own, you can naturally use it however you wish!’

’If that’s the case, what about the two higher-level spells?’

Jon rubbed his fingers together, dispelling the spiraling Fire Elemental Arrow. He reopened his [Tivira Academy Apprentice Notes] and flipped past the section on Elemental Arrow.

But this time, the experience was different—he didn’t get that same feeling of the Magic Runes and magical knowledge mutually reinforcing each other, which he’d felt when reading about Elemental Arrow.

’Is my level too low?’

He checked his experience reserves.

After his sparring match with Evans at dawn, he had an experience balance of 6,900 points. After completing the knowledge exchange quest with Esra this morning, he gained another 2,400 points, bringing the total to 9,300.

He had just spent 1,000 experience points experimenting with the two Skills.

He now had 8,300 experience points left, and raising Mage Apprentice from level 1 to level 5 required exactly 8,000.

This made Jon scratch his head.

’All that experience, and I’ll only have 300 points left?’

Experience really was like water. It seemed like a lot, but the moment you went to use it, it would quietly slip through your fingers.

But he had long since grown accustomed to this from his days as a player.

’Oh well, out with the old, in with the new...’

’Let’s do it. Level up!’

He selected Mage Apprentice and allocated 8,000 Experience Points!

[Mage Apprentice LV.1 (800/800) → LV.5 (0/4000)]

[You have leveled up. Intelligence +4, Spirit +4]

[Free Attribute Points +4, Skill Points +4]

As his level increased, the sense of clarity he had felt when first becoming a Mage Apprentice returned, even stronger than before.

When he actively focused his mind, he could clearly feel time "slowing" around him.

Of course, this wasn’t because he had awakened a Time Ability. Rather, as his Intelligence and Spirit rose, his thought processes and perception had quickened, allowing him to observe more subtle details in his surroundings.

This naturally created the illusion of "time slowing down."

’This is... power beyond the mundane....’

Jon savored the wonderful sensation. He tried to hold it in, but in the end, he couldn’t help but let out a long sigh of relief.

"Haaaah—Amazing!!"

As for the four Free Attribute Points he gained from leveling up, it went without saying: all of them went into Constitution.

[Attribute Point Allocation: Constitution 17 → 22]!

A familiar warm current instantly flooded his body, but this time, unlike when he had dumped a large number of points during the fight with the Scorpion Mother, his heart didn’t start racing, nor did his blood begin to surge.

After all, with a higher base value, the impact of each additional point was somewhat diminished.

And with this upgrade, his power received another significant boost.

——

[Nickname: Joe Nide]

[Race: Human Race - Havia Northern Species]

[Life Value: 764/810, Magic Power Value: 360/360, Qi Value: 185/185, Willpower: 125/125]

[Attributes: Power: 10, Constitution: 22+5, Agility: 5, Intelligence: 11+1, Spirit: 12+1]

[Professions: Warrior Apprentice LV.5 (0/4000), Mage Apprentice LV.5 (0/4000), Sword and Shield Warrior (Locked), Dragon Blood Warrior (Locked), Immortal Venerable Master (Locked)]

[Sub-professions: Artisan LV.1 (600/1000), Alchemist LV.1 (320/1000)]

[Talents: Tenacity, Rugged Physique...]

——

Except for Agility, all his Attributes were over 10 points.

And his Constitution, boosted by extra Attribute Points from his Dual Professions and a blessing called "Blood of the Earth," was a staggering 27—nearly at the threshold for an ordinary Official Level Professional!

At this point, Jon could very well be called a mini-superman.

As for his Life Value not being full after leveling up, that was due to his earlier experiments with Magic.

Since his Life Value was now far higher than his Magic Power Value, whenever his Magic Power Value dropped, his [Heart of Balance] would consume Life Value to replenish it.

This also allowed him to control his own health, letting him decide when to unleash [Adversity Strike] without having to drink body-wrecking burst toxins like the Blood Exhaustion Potion.

Those items were powerful, to be sure, but they were ultimately toxic. Players in the game could chug them like water because it was just a game. In this real world, however, he had no desire to find out the limits of his poison tolerance.

’Survival comes first, before anything else.’

As for the imbalance between his Life Value and Magic Power Value, as well as the "gimpy legs" problem from neglecting Agility, he probably wouldn’t be able to solve those completely until he reached the Official Level.

’With the double Attribute Point bonus, I’ll be able to patch up a lot of my weaknesses once I get that talent. I also need to think carefully about the Mage’s Official Level talent...’

Jon mused, his gaze lingering for a moment on his Warrior’s Official Level talent, [Power Harmony]. Then he closed his character information and reopened the Spellbook.

Leveling up brought higher Attributes and a stronger foundation.

But to truly convert those Basic Attributes into combat power, it all came down to Skills.

This time, when he looked at the sections on [Flame Enchantment] and [Spirit Contract], he was once again enveloped in that same subtle sensation he’d felt while reading about [Elemental Arrow].

He hadn’t felt this at all when he’d looked at these sections before reaching level 5.

’This system... so strict about the weirdest things...’

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