Natural Talent
I decided to write this post for a simple reason.
Imagine if I just wrote, "[Registered as an adventurer.]" Do you think people would actually click on it?
In this other world where countless people die every day, most wouldn't find a post like that worth their time.
That's why I need to make the title as exciting as possible, like a forum post.
I need to sound like an adventurer who knows nothing about the dangers and only sees the romance.
That's the only way to get people's sympathy and the information I need.
Of course, I could ask for help in person, but... that's a bit awkward.
I'm not exactly the most articulate person in real life.
“Hmm.”
While waiting for replies, I headed to the inn to extend my stay for another week.
Which meant dipping into my funds a bit more.
Creak-
The old door groaned as I entered my room.
Just in case, I had set up alarm and defense magic in my room. Thankfully, there were no signs of them being triggered.
Of course, a mage stronger than me could disable them and perfectly restore them without a trace... but there was no reason for a mage of that caliber to be in Baruk Sector 3.
‘There better not be.’
I might not say it out loud, but I'm a pretty competent mage.
Good enough to land an important position in the Imperial Palace, maybe even.
Lost in thought, I lay down on the bed and checked the replies.
[Author: ReallyDirtPoor]
[Title: Just Registered as an Adventurer lol]
[Content: (Picture) Just registered as an adventurer today, any tips would be appreciated!]
The title was designed to grab attention, while the content was polite and humble.
Act tough upfront, then be nice – a surefire way to get what you want.
L: No way, you registered today and you're already Silver Badge? You call yourself broke, you lying sack of—
ㄴ: What a load of BS
L: I swear, if I ever meet you, you're dead meat fr
L:Kutulu: As a fellow martial artist, watch out for the Hoin tribe. Those guys go crazy for martial artists, it's a pain.
ㄴ: Subtly bragging about being a martial artist? I bet you're the type to get your arm broken punching an enemy with your bare fists while you have a perfectly good sword and bow, then whine in a corner until your team finishes the boss and you can scavenge for loot tsk tsk.
ㄴKutulu: What's that supposed to mean, you little—
ㄴ: Stop crying, martial artist.
ㄴ: Anyone who plays a martial artist deserves to suffer.
L: Ferus: Mind if an old adventurer gives you some advice?
“Oh.”
That last comment promised valuable information. I quickly typed a reply.
ㄴReallyDirtPoor: Please do!
A moment later, a very long reply appeared.
ㄴ: Ferus: First things first, if you're going to be an adventurer, deposit your money with the Adventurers' Guild. They're pretty much guaranteed not to go bankrupt. That way, you can withdraw what you need, when you need it. Saves money and hassle. And like the guy above said, be careful of the Hoin tribe. They love to... "take advantage" of mages and martial artists with a lot of mana, like yourself. Something about absorbing your life force to get stronger. Lastly, and most importantly, watch out for other adventurers. Those backstabbing weasels are always looking for an opportunity. There are systems in place to prevent that kind of thing, but better safe than sorry.
“Wow… What a wall of text.”
I was grateful for the advice, but couldn't they have broken it down into multiple comments?
Still, I didn't complain.
I was lucky to get any advice at all.
With that in mind, I searched for posts by the user "HiddenExplosion."
I was curious to see if they had written anything.
I was also curious about how my master was doing.
But there wasn't a single post to be found.
“Tsk.”
It was incredibly disappointing.
If there had been any posts, I might have been able to figure out what she was up to.
Of course, I could try contacting her directly.
But if she wasn't active on the forum, there was no way to send her a notification.
That's why I haven't been able to contact her.
“Hmm.”
As I was thinking, I continued browsing through the posts.
After a while, I started to feel tired.
I decided to check just one more post before going to sleep.
[Author: DieIllegally]
[Title: Today's Research...jpg]
[Content: (Picture) How's my research looking today?]
L: HiddenExplosion: Get out here if you don't want to die. We're all waiting.
ㄴDieIllegally: Almost done, hold on ㄱㄷㄱㄷ
ㄴHiddenExplosion: You do realize you've said that five times already, right?
ㄴDieIllegally: ㅎㅎ.. Just a little longer, please.
ㄴHiddenExplosion: You're seriously testing my patience.
ㄴDieIllegally: （╹3╹）
ㄴHiddenExplosion: If you're not out here in 10 minutes, I'm posting your coordinates everywhere ㅅㄱ
“Huh?”
I stumbled upon my master in the most unexpected place.
She sounded completely different from when she was talking to me.
‘Come to think of it, she did use that kind of language on the forum.’
Silvia seemed to separate her online persona from her real-life self.
A very wise approach.
There was no need to get too invested in a forum.
It was best to treat it as just "entertainment."
In that sense, Silvia's attitude towards the forum was very commendable.
I had seen people get executed in real life for taking things too far online.
It was especially common among soldiers.
They would enlist out of desperation, then foolishly leak military secrets.
Not that the leaks were ever anything serious, but even so, a picture of the forum user who leaked the information, beheaded, would surface on the forum as a warning.
‘So yeah, the military is a bit…’
As I was thinking about that, I almost left a comment myself—
“Gulp.”
But I stopped myself.
I hadn't heard Silvia's reply yet.
If I commented now, Silvia would get a notification, but so would "DieIllegally."
That's why I couldn't comment.
I didn't want to risk any unforeseen consequences by revealing that she had a student.
Not that I thought anything would happen, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
Silvia was far too skilled to meet an untimely end.
With that in mind, I took out a book from my subspace pouch.
Advanced Magic I
The title was simple.
But I knew it wouldn't be as simple as the title suggested.
After all, it was called "Advanced" Magic for a reason.
It was bound to be difficult.
“Well… I should've started this a while ago.”
I was skilled enough to have started on advanced magic earlier, but for some reason, Silvia insisted I keep reviewing the basics.
Not that I had any objections back then.
I wasn't really in the mood to study.
Of course, I still wasn't in the mood to study, but…
With that in mind, I began reading the first volume of Advanced Magic.
“Oh… I see.”
The content of Advanced Magic I was quite straightforward.
Simple, yet difficult.
While basic magic relied on natural talent, advanced magic demanded pure memorization.
They say you need an incredible mind to use high-level magic.
Now I understood why Silvia always said that.
“Hmm… So this is how you do it.”
I constructed a two-page-long inscription and channeled mana into it.
The scratch I got on my arm from the tree branch earlier healed instantly.
I guess this inscription was for “Heal.”
Priests were those who specialized in researching and studying these kinds of inscriptions.
In theory, a mage with a brilliant mind could also fulfill the role of a priest.
Though they were fundamentally different.
I spent the entire night immersed in the study of magic.
*
“Ah, I pulled an all-nighter.”
To be honest, I wasn't particularly interested in magic.
For a simple reason.
This much was enough for me to survive.
But things were different now.
The Demon King had been resurrected. I had to be prepared.
And that meant mastering these two books Silvia left me.
“…Shouldn't be too difficult.”
Others might call it arrogance, but I didn't find it that difficult.
If anything, the basics were harder.
The basics were vague, while advanced magic felt like it was drilling specific information into my head.
With that in mind, I holed up in my room for three days straight, eating and sleeping regularly, and finally mastered Advanced Magic I.
I could feel myself reaching a new level of power.
At this rate, I'd only be a hair's breadth away from an Archmage.
With that thought, I stepped outside.
It was time for a long overdue shower.
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