The next day.
Reve subtlety opened his eyes and smiled like the morning sun.
"I guessed correctly," he started to himself.
It might have been a result of a magician's intuition or his innate intuition but that didn't matter. All that mattered was that his magic was advanced.
[Notice: [Energy Sense] has leveled up. Energy Sense(Lv.2) -> Energy Sense(Lv.3)]
As he took a whiff of the cool air, Reve's passive [Magic Eyes] activated and showed him a brand new world.
It was a world different from the blue world he was familiar with. In this world, multiple colourful blobs of energy freely roamed about….happily, unconcerned.
His [Energy Sense] activated and his understanding of this world deepened. It was just as he expected.....
When studying magic, there were two things to take note of: One's progression in their chosen school of magic and one's general magic development.
In Reve's case, he had to study magic circles and also general magic skills that would increase his raw power. That was the relationship between one's path and title.
Over the course of half a year, Reve had come to understand that one of the qualifications to attain the [Apprentice title], which was just after his [Initiate title] was to get in contact with a form of mana called Elemental Mana.
Up till this time, he had always been using natural mana, without any elemental inclination, albeit it was refined. This was generally termed [Zero Magic] or, better yet, [Neutral Magic]
However, his foes were more adept at attacks with elemental properties; Fireball, Poison Spit, Water ball, Freeze, etc.
This inadequacy was holding him back from releasing his utmost strength.
But now, the status quo had changed.
Reve smiled as he observed the different elemental mana that floated around him, "According to the books, the ones that are attracted to me are the ones I can manipulate. The ones I have an affinity for."
He willed all elemental mana to come to him and waited for the result patiently, "Hmmm….let's see. This is sad; only green blobs and blue blobs. Hmmmm…..the books said green blobs represent nature elemental mana and blue blobs varied based on it's intensity. This type of chill intensity generated by it speaks clearly enough. It is ice elemental mana."
He was a little downcast that he was only a double-elemental mage, but it didn't matter in the long run.
If he couldn't be the five-elemental mages of legends, then he just had to hone the two elements he had with him.
"But the issue is the magic spells. I don't have any," sighed Reve.
Creating basic mana spells was easy, but going further was incredibly impossible without sufficient experience.
This was evident as he had not evolved his [Basic Mana Shot] even after half a year of maxing it. He had no idea of what directions to take.
Reve played around with his newly found elements. He tried to freeze the cave and make it warm with nature mana, but all he ended up doing was freezing himself.
"Damn, I'm never going to improve at this rate," cursed Reve as he took a look at the books on the shelves.
They served no purpose now. He had read and absorbed everything. Most of them were just historical books and very few contained knowledge on magic. As expected, a mage could not just leave valuable knowledge laying around. They treasured their knowledge with their lives.
The only clue he had on improving was the next abode, which was coincidentally the last one, according to Mr.O's map.
It was his last chance and he hoped it would be worth it.
Reve closed his eyes. After a while, he slowly revealed it.
He had made up his mind.
He would travel to the last abode and along the way, he would develop a few basic elemental spells.
After preparing himself and wearing the right mindset, Reve left the cave. He never looked back, not even once.
"The show must go on. ...…..."
....
Five minutes after his departure, Reve met back with the Riverside and followed it upwards as he planned.
He had once tried to swim in it, but the water current was too strong. He would have to sacrifice his body control to it and who knew what bloody aquatic creature was hiding in the river?
He had calculated the pros and cons and it wasn't worth it.
Reve relied on his senses as he experimented with his elemental mana. He had already replaced his mana reserves with elemental mana and was in the process of converting his [Basic Mana Shot] to an elemental archetype…..maybe that will help evolve it.
He stopped and faced the river.
Instantly, a bluish magic circle appeared, this time it was icy.
It coagulated blobs of elemental mana that solidified to form a crystal blue ice shard.
With a thought from Reve, the ice shard wheezed through the air. It's sharp edges stirred it finely until it found itself dissolving in the river.
Reve watched this patiently. His sharp eyes, observing it from different angles.
After he had reached a conclusion, he continued to fire more similar attacks.
A while passed and Reve was now tired, but his face showed otherwise. He was calculating...
"Casting speed. Eventual dissolution. Ice density. Ice edges. The factors are numerous," observed Reve.
Out of his hundred tries, only a handful left a mark on the river. The rest dissolved quickly like butter in a hot pot.
He made up his mind. He would focus on that and that only.
Days in Days out, Reve worked like a soldier ant as he trekked the path of the river.
He was never content. He wanted a skill he could have confidence in.
As he kept following the path, Reve noticed that it had been about a week since he started his journey for the last abode.
He had not improved a lot but at least he was stronger now. Also, he had surpassed the Level 20 hallmark.
[ Name: Reve
Race: White Arcadian Cat(Neophyte)
Level(exp): 20 (30/100)
Path: 1st Circle Arcanist (Magic), Mystic Wanderer(Path of Secrets)
Titles: Kin of Amethyst, Deviant, First Kind, Forest Killer, Magic User(Initiate), Enigma
AP: 44
[Attributes]:
[Skills]: ]
[ Attributes' Nixy Window
Strength: 15
Speed: 21
Constitution: 10
Intelligence: 22
Mana: 19
Psi-Force: 12 ]
[ Skills:
Trinity Candidate(Max). Supernatural Sense(Lv.1) Seventh Sense(Lv.1). Energy Sense(Lv.3). Magic Eyes(Max). Ice Bullet(Lv.3). Blind Magic(Lv.1). Telekinesis(Lv.1). Appraisal(Lv.1)
]
It was all good and jolly. Everything was working out well.
Nothing could threaten him on this island.
*Roar!*
"Bullocks, I spoke too soon," cursed Reve.
His senses told him the danger was behind him. Hence, he looked back to assess it.
Lo and behold, he saw it. He wished he hadn't though.
It shined like an angel of death, beckoning him to move closer.
As [appraisal] began to work, he caught glimpses of the creature's true strength.
[Terror Lizard (Lv.44)]