"Fine then. I have decided to take on... the Mage class!"
"Finally!" Janet shouted as she sprang up from beside the pillar, her earlier exhaustion disappearing as if it had never existed.
Paulina’s ears also rose, while Julia straightened from her resting position and fixed Damian with renewed interest.
Eunice smiled approvingly, unsurprised by the decision after hearing his reasons.
Selene appeared especially pleased.
The mature Mage rested both hands over the head of her staff and gave Damian a warm smile, though the amused light within her crimson eyes suggested that she was already imagining the trouble an Otherworlder Mage might cause.
Roland released a satisfied chuckle.
"A wise choice, young man. While it’s not necessarily the safest choice, those are rarely the same thing," the Guildmaster remarked with a playful tone.
He placed the teaching slate against the World Stone Tablet and entered several commands. The pale blue display shifted, presenting Damian’s name, race and selected Class before requesting confirmation.
[Class Advancement Request.]
[Individual: Damian Baines.]
[Current Class: Wanderer.]
[Selected Class: Mage.]
[Confirm Advancement?]
"Yes," Damian answered without hesitation.
Roland pressed one claw against the slate and the six pillars surrounding the hall briefly ignited, but only the violet pillar bearing the Mage emblem remained lit. The symbol carved into its surface - a many-pointed star surrounded by three rotating rings - separated from the stone and floated through the air.
Compared to his earlier character sheet awakening, the process was almost banal.
There was no vast awareness examining his existence, nor did the entire hall erupt with blinding light.
The violet symbol simply stopped above Damian’s head and released a gentle stream of arcane radiance that flowed into him like warm rain.
The Mage pillar pulsed once, the World Stone Tablet answered, and the light vanished into his body.
Damian closed his eyes, his first instinct to search for physical changes, but there were none.
His limbs had not become stronger, his breathing remained unchanged, and his body felt just as heavy and physically unimpressive as it had a moment earlier.
Well... he had expected that much.
Not to mention his Intelligence, Wisdom and Spirit had already exceeded the minimum requirements for a Mage, so Valoria had no reason to raise any of his Attributes.
No, what changed was something deeper.
Damian suddenly became... ’aware’... of the space around him.
It was not merely feeling the temperature, airflow or pressure, but rather the ethereal energy woven through everything within the hall.
It drifted through the air, rested within the stone and gathered more densely around every living person present.
The World Stone Tablet contained enough to resemble a silent ocean, while Selene’s body stood out like a violet sun barely restrained beneath human skin.
Mana.
Damian did not merely recognize the word... he understood the energy itself.
Mana existed everywhere, uniformly spread across Valoria while gathering in greater concentrations around magical locations, objects and living beings.
It was neither matter nor ordinary energy, but something that could interact with both when directed through thought, soul and technique.
He had walked through it since awakening without possessing the senses needed to notice it.
Now, feeling mana was as natural as feeling sunlight against his skin.
Damian opened his eyes, noting that the violet glow surrounding him had faded, but the world no longer looked quite the same.
Nothing had visibly changed, yet he could sense a hidden layer beneath everything before him.
His Character Sheet suddenly unfurled before him.
[Name: Damian Baines.]
[Race: Human (Otherworlder)]
[Overall Level: 1]
[Main Class: Mage (Lv.1)]
[Subclass: None]
[Experience Points: 0/10]
[Attributes: STR: 3, DEX: 4, AGI: 2, CON: 3, INT: 7, WIS: 8, SPI: 10]
[Feats: Mage Initiate (Origin).]
[Skills: None.]
[Specializations: Valorian Overworld Language (Master), Arcane Knowledge (Novice).]
[Titles: None]
At the same moment, new information unfolded within his mind without any pain or disorientation. The knowledge appeared naturally, settling into place like memories he had forgotten and suddenly recalled.
Arcane Knowledge was far broader than Damian expected as well, because it did not merely give him a collection of spells.
Instead, it gave him the foundation necessary to understand magic itself!
He knew the basic history behind Valorian spellcraft, the symbols used to record magical formulas and the mathematical principles used to calculate mana movement.
He understood how chants stabilized intent, how gestures created temporary pathways through ambient mana and how material components could substitute for difficult magical conditions.
A normal spellcaster might learn to activate a spell and reproduce its effects, but Arcane Knowledge allowed a Mage to understand why the spell worked.
Mages were not merely users, they were developers!
With enough knowledge and mastery, they could read, calculate, modify and eventually create spells of their own.
The newly bestowed information also corrected several assumptions Damian had formed from his father’s tabletop games.
Valoria possessed Spell Slots, but they were not an absolute restriction on how many spells a Mage could cast.
A Mage could perform magic for as long as they possessed sufficient Mental Energy. That energy functioned as the closest equivalent to an MP bar, allowing the Mage’s mind and soul to seize, shape and direct the mana surrounding them.
However, natural spellcasting was inconvenient because some spells required physical materials that possessed useful magical characteristics. Others needed long chants, complicated gestures or several seconds of uninterrupted concentration.
A Mage also consumed more Mental Energy when forcing a spell into existence without preparation, but Spell Slots solved those problems.
Preparing a spell within a Slot allowed the Mage to establish most of the spell’s structure beforehand. The prepared spell could then be released at nearly ninety percent of its normal Mental Energy cost, without its ordinary material or chanting requirements, only its core gestures remained necessary.
Obviously, such a difference in combat was enormous.
<Burning Hands>, a Level 1 spell, normally required a Mage with Novice mastery to fling a handful of volcanic ash forward after chanting for almost five seconds.
Five seconds was not long during peaceful practice, but was an eternity when something was trying to tear out the Mage’s throat.
When <Burning Hands> was prepared within a Spell Slot, the volcanic ash became unnecessary and the casting time fell to roughly one second.
It was not that Spell Slots allowed magic to exist... they just made magic practical.
Damian also realized that Mages did not store large amounts of mana inside their bodies as he had initially assumed.
Their actual internal reserves were comparatively small.
Instead, they used the power of their minds and souls to interact with the endless mana present within the environment, shaping it on the spot according to their intentions.
Intelligence affected how much Mental Energy they could command and how complex their magical calculations could become. Wisdom affected control, efficiency and recovery, while Spirit formed the foundation linking mind, soul and mana together.
Damian’s naturally high Attributes were almost perfectly suited to the Class.
His attention then shifted toward his Origin Feat, <Mage Initiate>.
The Feat granted him two Level 1 Spell Slots and Novice mastery over one Level 1 spell of his choice. That chosen spell would also remain permanently prepared within one of the two Slots, ensuring he could always cast it quickly.
Damian barely finished processing that information before a cascade of colorless panels appeared.
Unlike the enthusiastic blue screens of the Dual-Realm Exchange System, Valoria’s interface was cold and direct.
[Class Advancement Successful.]
[Origin Feat Acquired: Mage Initiate.]
[Select Three Mage Cantrips.]
[Select One Level 1 Spell for Mage Initiate.]
[Select One Level 1 Spell as the Mage Starting Boon.]
[Holy Pantheon Otherworlder Benefit Detected.]
[Select One Additional Level 1 Spell.]
[Select Two Cross-Class Specializations.]
"So many..." Damian murmured.
Janet immediately leaned forward. "Now you understand why we wanted to attack you."
"Do not rush, darling. Bestowed knowledge cannot easily be improved, but it will become part of you immediately, so choose abilities that remain useful even at low mastery," Selene advised gently.
The first selection panel opened.
[Available Cantrips:]
[Acid Splash.]
[Blade Ward.]
[Bone Chill.]
[Dancing Lights.]
[Eldritch Blast.]
[Firebolt.]
[Friends.]
[Guidance.]
[Light.]
[Mage Hand.]
[Minor Illusion.]
[Poison Spray.]
[Produce Flame.]
[Frost Ray.]
[Shocking Grasp.]
[True Strike.]
Sixteen choices appeared before Damian.
Cantrips were simple spells that did not require Spell Slots and consumed very little Mental Energy, making them the ordinary tools of a Mage.
<Firebolt> created a projectile of flame with good range and reliable destructive force.
<Frost Ray> dealt less immediate damage but chilled its target and reduced mobility.
<Shocking Grasp> was designed for close combat, allowing a threatened Mage to shock an enemy and create an opportunity to retreat.
<Acid Splash> could affect several closely grouped enemies, while <Mage Hand> created a floating hand capable of manipulating objects from a safe distance.
Selene explained the less obvious options while Damian compared them.
"<Blade Ward> helps resist physical harm for a short period, while <Minor Illusion> creates a false sound or image that can distract weaker minds. <Friends> temporarily makes social interaction easier, though people may resent the manipulation afterward. As for <True Strike>, it helps guide your next attack, but many young Mages find the preparation too slow for an active battle," Selene explained.
"Take Firebolt! If something wants to eat you, set it on fire!" Paulina urged without hesitation.
"Subtle as ever," Julia muttered.
Paulina snorted and wagged her tail in defiance. "Subtlety is what Rogues use when they cannot burn things!"
Damian considered his future in both Valoria and Shengyuan.
He needed combat abilities, but he also required utility. <Mage Hand> could manipulate dangerous objects, retrieve distant items and assist with delicate work without risking his body.
<Firebolt> gave him a reliable source of ranged damage.
For his final choice, he hesitated between <Shocking Grasp> and <Frost Ray>. The former provided protection at close range, but Damian had no intention of allowing enemies to approach him if he could help it.
<Frost Ray> offered distance, control and elemental variety.
"I choose <Mage Hand>, <Firebolt> and <Frost Ray>," Damian decided.
[Selections Confirmed.]
Knowledge flowed into his mind and Damian suddenly understood the small gestures and mental patterns behind all three Cantrips. He could feel how his will should reach into the surrounding mana, how each spell differed and how little energy was required to activate them.
He resisted the temptation to test them immediately as the Level 1 spell list appeared.
[Available Level 1 Spells:]
[Burning Hands.]
[Charm Person.]
[Chromatic Orb.]
[Color Spray.]
[Create or Destroy Water.]
[Disguise Self.]
[Enhance Leap.]
[Expeditious Retreat.]
[False Life.]
[Feather Fall.]
[Find Familiar.]
[Fog Cloud.]
[Grease.]
[Ice Knife.]
[Longstrider.]
[Mage Armor.]
[Magic Missile.]
[Protection from Evil and Good.]
[Ray of Sickness.]
[Shield.]
[Sleep.]
[Thunderwave.]
[Vicious Mockery.]
Twenty-three choices, and the offensive spells alone created several tempting paths.
<Burning Hands> released a cone of fire capable of striking several nearby targets. <Magic Missile> created multiple projectiles of pure force that pursued their targets with frightening reliability. <Chromatic Orb> allowed the caster to select an element, offering flexibility against different weaknesses.
<Grease> covered an area in a slippery and flammable substance, making it valuable for control and ambushes. <Mage Armor> formed a lasting protective layer around an unarmored Mage, while <Shield> created a powerful but brief defense against an incoming attack.
<Vicious Mockery> was perhaps the strangest option.
It infused an insult with hostile magic, directly wounding the target’s mind while disrupting their next action.
Janet immediately pointed at it.
"Take that one! You could defeat people by telling them they’re ugly!" the halfling recommended excitedly.
"That is not how the spell works," Selene corrected her.
Janet puffed her cheeks. "It works better when the insult is true!"
Damian ignored Janet and focused on survival.
If his life followed the kind of pattern suggested by the Dual-Realm Exchange System, battle was inevitable. Combat would also provide one of the most direct methods of gaining Experience as a Mage.
Shengyuan was even more concerning.
Damian knew little about cultivation worlds beyond the novels, games and scattered conversations he had encountered on Earth, but they were rarely peaceful places.
Strength decided status, resources attracted violence and a weak outsider carrying valuable goods would be treated as prey.
He needed dependable offense.
For <Mage Initiate>, Damian selected <Burning Handss>. The spell offered strong close-range damage against multiple enemies, and permanently preparing it meant he would always possess an emergency response if surrounded.
For his normal Mage boon, Selene recommended <Mage Armor>.
"You possess no armor training, and your body is painfully frail. <Mage Armor> will not make you invincible, but it may prevent your first mistake from becoming your last," Selene advised.
Her reasoning was impossible to dispute.
Finally, Damian selected <Magic Missile> as his additional Otherworlder spell.
The ability to strike targets reliably had obvious value. Fast enemies, hidden weak points and unfamiliar Shengyuan cultivators might evade ordinary projectiles, but Magic Missile would give him an attack that could pursue its target.
[Level 1 Selections Confirmed.]
[Permanent Mage Initiate Spell: Burning Hands.]
[Mage Starting Boon: Mage Armor.]
[Holy Pantheon Additional Spell: Magic Missile.]
More knowledge entered Damian’s mind.
This time, the difference was overwhelming.
He understood how to release a wave of fire from his hands, how to weave ambient mana into a protective second skin and how to create three shining bolts of force before assigning them targets.
He had never cast a spell in his life, yet if asked to perform any of the three, he knew exactly how to begin.
The final selection concerned Specializations.
The list was vast, covering disciplines associated with countless Classes, races and professions.
The primary choices included Athletics, Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Perception, Survival, Deception, Intimidation, Performance, Persuasion, History, Investigation, Nature and Religion.
Each Specialization bestowed practical knowledge, instinct and experience related to its field.
Athletics improved understanding of physical movement and exertion, while Stealth covered concealment, silent movement and avoiding attention.
Medicine granted diagnostic and treatment knowledge, while Investigation sharpened the process of examining evidence and drawing conclusions.
"Would Survival actually help someone who has never camped before?" Damian asked Julia.
"It would stop you from eating the first brightly colored mushroom you find and shitting your stomach out from your ass while screaming," Janet interrupted with wiggling eyebrows.
Julia glanced at the halfling askance before answering Damian’s question. "At Novice mastery, you would still be inexperienced, but you would understand shelter, water, basic tracking and common wilderness dangers."
That settled the first choice.
Damian had lived his entire life inside cities and industrial districts. If the four ladies had not found him, the forest outside Rosewood might have killed him without requiring a single monster.
For his second choice, he considered Investigation, Insight and Perception before remembering the purpose of his system.
He was a Dual-Realm Exchange Specialist.
His future would depend upon negotiation, trade and convincing people from completely different civilizations to trust him.
"What exactly does Persuasion grant?" Damian questioned.
"It will not control anyone’s mind, but it teaches you how to present an argument, read a conversation and make your intentions easier to accept. Your actual success will still depend upon your words, reputation and what the other person wants," Eunice explained.
"I choose <Survival> and <Persuasion>," Damian confirmed.
[Cross-Class Specializations Confirmed.]
The knowledge arrived, and Damian suddenly understood how to search for clean water, recognize signs of animal activity as well as choose safer ground for a temporary camp.
At the same time, he gained an instinctive awareness of tone, posture and conversational pressure that made his years of handling coworkers and supervisors feel newly organized.
None of it transformed him into a master, but it did give him a foundation.
Damian opened his eyes and exhaled slowly, marveling at how much had changed within a few minutes.
Then the familiar blue light of the Dual-Realm Exchange System appeared.
[Tutorial Quest Complete!]
[The First Step Of Many - Tutorial Quest]
[Objective Completed: Head to the local Adventurers Guild and activate your character sheet to gain your class!]
[Reward: Special Power: One Feat Per Level!]
[Reward Granted.]
[Host’s Current Overall Level: 1.]
[One Additional Feat Selection Available.]
Damian’s heart accelerated.
He focused on the final notification.
[Opening Available Feat List...]
A new panel unfolded, then another appeared beneath it... and another!
The list continued expanding until it filled Damian’s vision with possibilities that made the twenty-three Level 1 spells seem pitifully small by comparison.
Damian stared at it with stupefaction, his mind going blank!
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