Chapter 10: Becoming a Mage Apprentice
Chapter 10: Chapter 10: Becoming a Mage Apprentice
Jon lived in an abandoned Hunter’s Cottage on the edge of Nomu Village, near the Birch Forest.
The previous owner had died in a plague, so the villagers considered the place unlucky and refused to go near it. As it happened, Jon, the "Calamity Star," had nowhere else to go, so he took shelter here.
The drafty wooden door let out a grating CREAK— as he pushed it open.
The young hunter surveyed the room and let out a long sigh.
"Goddammit, I’m so poor my underwear is probably full of holes..."
A chipped clay pot, a small pile of firewood with a pathetic handful of rations hidden inside, and a few tattered pelts giving off a strange odor—that was the sum total of his "worldly possessions."
The very definition of "four bare walls"!
No wonder his predecessor never bothered to lock the door. There was absolutely nothing worth stealing!
But Jon wasn’t too bothered.
There was one good thing about playing "Yino," though. The game’s extreme realism trained players to endure harsh environments.
Environments as scorching as a bottomless purgatory or as frigid as a snow god’s palace. The simulations in the game pod gave players’ minds an immersive experience.
It didn’t affect them physically, but the stimulation was real.
’He’d survived places like that, so what was a shabby little shack? He could handle it.’
Jon set down his knife, picked up some kindling and a fire drill, and squatted in the middle of the cottage to start making a fire.
It wasn’t easy work in this frigid climate, but Jon was patient.
He spun it a few times, added some wood shavings, then spun it again.
Before long, a faint wisp of smoke began to rise.
He quickly leaned in and blew gently, feeding the smoldering shavings with oxygen.
Finally, a weak flame flickered to life.
He carefully transferred the precious flame to the earthen fire pit in the center of the room and began to add firewood.
The small flame licked at the dry wood, which began to crackle and pop.
Jon nodded in satisfaction, then set the chipped pot over the fire and went outside to get some snow.
Being in a snowy region had its conveniences; at least he didn’t have to find a way to fetch water.
By the time he returned, carrying two large snowballs, the fire was burning steadily.
The young man hurried over, broke off chunks of snow, and added them to the pot piece by piece.
The cold snow melted in the heat of the fire, turning into clear water.
"*Phew*... That’s finally done..."
Jon sighed and sat cross-legged by the fire, staring blankly as the flames danced and licked at the clay pot.
And so, the emotions he had suppressed amidst the whirlwind of recent events came rushing back.
’I’m really in an Otherworld,’ he thought.
Everything that had happened, everything he had experienced today, confirmed this fact.
Just a day ago, he had been eating with his parents, laughing and talking about their lives.
A day later, he was here, all alone in a cold little cottage, a solitary figure.
’Did my body in that other world die? Or did it just disappear?’
He didn’t know. A whole world away, he knew nothing at all.
He wished so badly that everything that had happened today was just a dream. That he would wake up and see his parents’ faces, and hang out with his good-for-nothing friends again.
But unfortunately, it wasn’t a dream. Night had already fallen.
Sorrow, longing, grief, melancholy—all these emotions washed over him with the encroaching darkness, finally coalescing into a single phrase in the young man’s heart.
"I want to go home."
And so, Jon opened the system menu, his eyes falling on the prompt.
[Please select your initial class]
’How should I choose?’
In truth, he already had an answer. He’d just been waiting for a quiet moment alone to finalize his decision.
’There’s only one path that can touch both time and Spatial Power—’
The Master of Arcane Magic!
From the Apprentice Level’s Mage Apprentice, to the Official Level’s Mage: Arcane School, then the Advanced Level’s Arcane Tutor, and finally, after the ultimate Ascension and self-realization, one could achieve the rank of Master of Arcane Magic!
In the game, it was just a class with a lot of control skills and strong PvP capabilities. Plenty of people played it, but it wasn’t considered top-tier. In fact, because its skills burned through mana so quickly, it was often mocked as the "quick-drain" class.
’But what about in reality? Does something like ’class balance’ even exist here?’
’Could a being described in the game’s lore as having mastery over the grand powers of time and space really be that simple?’
Jon didn’t know.
He could only take a gamble.
A gamble that the game was just a game, and reality was something else entirely.
A gamble that the badass-sounding Ascension Level class, the Master of Arcane Magic, wasn’t actually a "quick-drain" in real life!
With a mental touch, the icons for several Apprentice Level classes appeared.
He ignored the other icons, his gaze locking onto the one depicting a staff that shone with a blue radiance.
’I choose... Mage Apprentice!’
[You have selected "Mage Apprentice." Confirm?]
’Is there even a question!?’
The young man’s expression was firm, without a trace of hesitation or doubt.
’Confirm!’
Then, accompanied by a soft, pleasant chime, a series of system notifications appeared.
[Initial profession selected: Mage Apprentice]
[Class Bonus: Intelligence +2, Spirit +2]
[Skill Learned: Magic Mastery · Apprentice LV.1]
[Congratulations. The path to endless Mystery has been opened. May truth be with you.]
A strange sense of clarity washed over Jon. His thoughts cleared, and some of the exhaustion left his body.
And when he looked at the fire in front of him, he was startled to find that the dancing flames seemed to have slowed.
’This...?’
’No, the flames haven’t slowed down. My Spirit is stronger!’
’The bonus for becoming a Mage Apprentice was instantly reflected in my body!’
He immediately understood why when he looked at his character panel again.
—
[Nickname: Joe Nide]
[Race: Human Race - Havia Northern Species]
[Life Value: 117/210, Magic Power Value: 117/210, Qi Value: 65/65, Willpower Value: 75/75]
[Attributes: Power: 6, Constitution: 7, Agility: 5, Intelligence: 7, Spirit: 8]
[Profession: Warrior Apprentice LV.1 (0/800), Mage Apprentice LV.1 (0/800), Sword and Shield Warrior (Locked), Dragon Blood Warrior (Locked), Immortal Venerable Master (Locked)]
[Sub-profession: ...]
[Talent: ...]
—
Right after "Warrior Apprentice," there it was: "Mage Apprentice"!
Jon let out a long sigh of relief.
For him, the fact that his Dual Professions could coexist without causing some kind of "bug" was the best news he could have hoped for.
This meant his future path would only grow wider and wider!
The full-Constitution Warrior path, known for high Life, and the Mage: Arcane School path, notorious for high mana consumption, would now complement each other under the effect of the "Heart of Balance." This would vastly improve his survivability and combat effectiveness!
’Maybe I can try to clear some of the Dungeons and quests that solo players can’t handle...’
’At least in the stages before the Advanced Level, there aren’t any mechanics that counter the ’Heart of Balance.’ I can definitely try some unconventional tactics...’
After incorporating this idea into his development plan, Jon began to relish the strange sensation he’d felt when his Intelligence and Spirit had increased.