Rivyn was done now with all the quests but making his first circle. He checked the system points.
[Current System Points: 40]
It was now time to take it to the next level; although it displayed his stats in an extremely peculiar way, Rivyn still wanted to increase his rank to E-rank one day.
He felt so sure that with it, he would be even stronger than S-ranks because his strength was already impressive for F-rank. He did not really mind buying F-rank skills for now; the system showed him that later, one could upgrade the skills with points.
Having gone through them, one of the skills drew his attention.
Basic Circle: The first circle of the basic creation; establishment of a magical pathway. This skill would enable him to create a complete magical circuit in his body for the control of mana and the usage of basic magic spells. Stronger connection with the internal mana rises the general magical potential of a human. In the organism, mana pathways firm up, and the body becomes more adapted for carrying magical energy.
[Would you like to purchase Basic Circle (F)? Yes/No]
Rivyn clicked Yes, and instantly all manner of information bombarded his mind; his body involuntarily began acting as if it was preparing for some sort of long-awaited procedure, crossing his legs in the lotus position, allowing the knowledge to wash over him as he breathed shallowly, focusing and pushing his mana into himself. His veins, not used to the flow of mana in the world of sorcery, were shining with a soft glow.
Slowly, gradually but surely, it was as his veins slowly widened and hardened to accommodate the magical energy inside them. He could feel the heat surging inside him, ever so stronger with each passing minute. A stabbing pain-Rivyn was used to it, after all he had been through.
And with that, the process went on, while Rivyn started to feel his pressure increase-the mana coagulated within his body, forming a solid base, his first magic circle. The circle expanded in and then contracted, compressing into a small spinning ring of light inside him; his veins and muscles throbbed to accommodate this new form of power. Many hours later, Rivyn rose fresh and attuned with his magic.
Nothing had changed, but he felt it inside. He could feel his mana flow with much more clarity, and he could control it without stress. He finally created his first circle; his body was in line much more with magic, and the ways inside him that the mana would go down had been solidified into him.
Warmth still coursed through his veins, yet it became comforting heat now-assurance that his body had taken its first step toward turning into the body of a fully-fledged mage.
Pleased, Rivyn reached for and grasped the A-rank Fireball skill book he had made earlier, ready to learn his first spell.
[Would you like to learn Fireball (F)? Yes/No]
It automatically downgraded it to F-rank, as by now he had expected, though the original skill had been A-rank. He chose Yes, and like a well-oiled machine, another prompt appeared.
[Main Quest Completed]
[Main Quest]
[Conditions for Success:]
Achieve F Rank – 20 System Points (Completed)
Create 1 Circle – 20 System Points (Completed)
Create and sell 10 skill books – 5 System Points (Completed)
Create and sell 20 accessories – 5 System Points (Completed)
Create and sell 10 potions – 5 System Points (Completed)
[You have earned 20 system points.]
[Due to Main Quest Remake, host will gain additional 10 system points.]
[Host has unlocked Appraisal.]
[Host has completed the tutorial phase. $$&-%'s legacy will be given.]
[Host will begin memory retrieval.]
With the suddenness of it, Rivyn's senses began to twist wildly; his vision blurred, his struggling form tried to stay upright, though unconsciousness claimed him in an unforgiving clasp.
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Coming to, Rivyn was groggy and disoriented. Everything was hazy around him, and it took time for the scene to come to some semblance of focus. It was like a dream, yet unnervingly familiar, a memory of another life.
He was in a small, dimly lit room, sat beside an older man with a weak body; he looked to him like his father-or perhaps his grandfather; he was that old, at least. It was from his childhood, yet he remembered it as something not that well. How he and the man-younger versions-oftentimes did have very earthly conversations concerning books or the weather; the older man spent most of his time reading, rarely speaking. At times, young Rivyn would ask him questions about what he was reading, and he would, in turn, reply in yeses and noes with incomplete phrases or mere short sentences. Yet, though the conversations were casual, the child Rivyn would have this impression more often than not that behind each of these words lay a weight which his ears did not or could not catch. Rivyn watched as these memories started to feel like all of this was somehow important. Why was he now being shown these memories since he had unlocked his first circle? Was there something, somewhere in the past, that involved his new power?
Rivyn couldn't make much sense of the memory; there was nothing especially extraordinary about it, but there was a weight to it nonetheless. It was more than just a random memory; it was for a reason, even if he couldn't tell what that was.
He mused on it, trying to catch something from the flashes of conversation and silences, but it eluded him. After a while, he surrendered and let the present absorb him.
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Rivyn looked at his new skill.
Appraisal: this ability lets the user perceive and learn the details of items and objects; it will full appraise items of equal or lower rank, partial information in case of items one rank higher, and for items that are two ranks or higher above it, only vague descriptions will be given.
It wasn't an offensive or defensive skill, but it was incredibly useful. Now he could accurately gauge the value of items he encountered—no more guessing or relying on merchants' assessments. He smiled, thinking of the potential applications. Rivyn had 50 system points earned and sat contemplating in his mind the options available to him. He wanted the crafting skill upgraded, but that took 100 system points. So he would save the points for the time being. There was no hurry; he was well ahead of where he'd ever thought he would be. He then turned to the legacy given to him.
In his stock was a small stone-nothing special to a naked eye. This suddenly caught his interest as he applied his newfound Appraisal skill.
[$$&-%'s Legacy: A mysterious stone of unknown origin. Unable to appraise. Progress: 1/5.]
Thus, it was higher than F-rank, possibly rare or even legendary. The "1/5" interested him-if it meant there were four other pieces? He had no idea what the stone did, but the very fact that it couldn't be appraised meant it was far more valuable than it appeared. Rivyn put the stone back into his inventory, highly pleased with himself now that it was done. Although he could not yet use it, he knew later on it would be imperative.
Now he needed to think about acquiring a weapon-he had used makeshift weapons far too long; he needed something that would fit him. A great sword, he thought, would suffice, especially since he had learned Orc Swordsmanship during his time in the tower.