Lucas stared at the message on his screen, figuring out how to fully evolve his Mana Surge ability.
"If the first 50% progress came from absorbing fire and ice, maybe I need wind and earth for the remaining half," he thought, piecing it together as he remembered that the elemental paths in most mage professions often emphasized wind and earth right after fire and ice.
"All I need now is a dungeon with both wind and earth elements!" Excited, he opened up the game map and scanned his surroundings.
He had once wandered the city unlocking dungeons nearby, so now he quickly scrolled through the options, knowing that some of these dungeons would overpower him right away—like, "I'd get stomped by even the smallest monster."
"Alright, let's see… Sky Veil Behemoth, Eternal Snow Mountain, Dark City, Gloomy Forest…" his eyes skimmed the list, mumbling as he went.
"Sky Tower!" he finally exclaimed, "With a name like that, it's gotta have wind!" Lucas also recalled hearing about Sky Tower's unique environment—packed with wind energy, plus earth-powered creatures like stone giants.
Without hesitation, Lucas geared up and headed to Sky Tower.
The Sky Tower rose high above, a relic suspended mid-air by ancient enchantments, once a marvel of a forgotten yet glorious civilization. Stepping inside, Lucas was immediately immersed in a thick sense of history, as though the air itself carried tales of ancient sorcerers.
Around him stood structures of raw grandeur, where every stone column, statue, and wall seemed engraved with faded, timeworn runes. These inscriptions, though dulled by ages past, still emitted a faint, mysterious glow. Across the floating city stretched ruins and staircases spiraling upward, while narrow bridges connected scattered segments, forming a layered, drifting world hanging in the sky.
"What a mysterious place," Lucas whispered, feeling both nervous and excited.
The ruins were hauntingly silent, with only the occasional crackle of distant thunder as if nature's forces still guarded this forgotten place.
"Better get moving before the monsters find me," Lucas muttered, crouching in a hidden spot and beginning to draw in elemental energy.
[Ding! Character is absorbing wind element, progress: 1%]
[Ding! Character is absorbing earth element, progress: 1%]
A smile crept onto Lucas's face. This was definitely the right choice. As the progress bars inched upward, he felt a thrill of anticipation. But before he could celebrate, a powerful gust suddenly blew from his left.
"Uh-oh, I think I've been spotted!" he thought, snapping his head up.
Sure enough, a large, dark gray wyvern was swooping down, talons glinting and scales glistening like steel. It came at him like a silent missile, eyes locked on him.
Reacting quickly, Lucas cast Fire Blast, shooting flames straight at the wyvern's belly. But when the fire cleared, the wyvern's scales were untouched, and Lucas barely had time to flinch before the creature swatted him aside. His vision went dark, and he was booted from the dungeon.
Sighing, Lucas sat up and chuckled. "Alright, so it won't be easy. But hey, let's try again!" Years of trial and error in gaming had turned dying into nothing more than a brief inconvenience. Back when he had no skills, he'd leveled up simply by dodging goblins. Compared to that, this was a piece of cake.
He jumped back into the Sky Tower dungeon with renewed determination.
After dying a few more times, his plan started to pay off. Carefully dodging monsters and sticking to shadows, he slowly absorbed more and more elemental energy, pushing wind and earth up to 25% each.
[Ding! Wind element at 25% - continue absorbing to become a Wind Mage?]
[Ding! Earth element at 25% - continue absorbing to become an Earth Mage?]
Lucas paused, knowing his goal. Being a regular mage wasn't his endgame. He needed a fully powered Elemental Heart. He continued to absorb, watching the progress bar steadily rise.
[Mana Surge has met the evolution requirements. Evolving to The Elemental Heart]
"It's working!" Lucas held his breath, reading the long-awaited message. A moment later, the system pinged again:
[Ding! Congratulations, you've unlocked the new passive skill: The Elemental Heart]
[Ding! You meet the requirements to become an Elemental Summoner. Would you like to proceed with the job change?]
Lucas stared at the screen in amazement. Not only did he have the **Elemental Heart** now, but he'd also unlocked an entirely new class—the Elemental Summoner. This wasn't just rare; this was elite-level stuff.
"Looks like this one's definitely worth it," Lucas murmured, grinning.
He could practically see his future as a master of multiple elements, ready to control any battlefield.
In his mind, he pictured himself summoning storms, fire, ice, and earth, weaving them into an unstoppable force. His enemies wouldn't stand a chance!
After a deep breath, he hit the "job change" button with a sense of triumph.