“Where am I, and what is this place,” Caster questioned as he rose from the ground, dusting his clothes.Caster looked at the vast land before him, he could see some buildings far ahead that were made of bricks and some large place up ahead of him.He felt maybe the palace was where the city rulers dwelt. This place was looking like a city out of a classical game. 'Am I in Persia?’ Caster thought as he continued walking and paying attention to the new location he had found himself in.The houses around here were wooden structures and a few of them were decked with muddy blocks and the finer ones were built with rocks.Caster kept his pace as he moved further, this place wasn't that big. When comparing where he had just come from, it was like comparing a farm to a forest.This place was more of a small city. A large wall was surrounding the city and the buildings were closely knitted one to the other. The city was built in such a manner to protect it from the invasion of demons.Thes
“I can't believe it, there are more coming!” Caster realized he had made a mistake by letting the last demon he killed make a loud noise.He could see a barrage of demons coming from the far end and he knew he could not remain here. At least not in this state.These demons were tribal. When one of their kind was killed, others of the same kind would show up to avenge the death of their comrade and Caster never knew.If he stayed here, he could be killed, well, he did not know if they could kill him and he didn't want to give them the satisfaction of a trial.'I better run from here and save my life. Today's troubles are sufficient in itself,’ Caster said as he laced his boots and began to run as fast as his speed could go.Well, he could outpace the demons as they were too slow and were so big.‘'Should I see if I can gain more points by killing some more of these?’ He thought.As Caster checked his stat, he saw his mana level was lower than 50 and his healing pool was too low to hea
Many small, red, demon-like creatures were shouting at each other. One held a large piece of meat resembling the leg of an ox. They eyed each other warily before a larger monster appeared, roaring and revealing sharp, black teeth.Before the monster could feast, a peculiar whizzing sound sliced through the air. A glowing blue arrow shot out from the trees, embedding itself in the larger monster's neck and piercing through to the other side. The blue arrow vanished immediately. The monster gurgled in confusion, flailing its arms as it bled out, soon collapsing and dying. Chaos erupted among the smaller demons as they panicked, not understanding why their leader had perished so suddenly.Caster, hidden atop a tree seventy miles away, chanted a new spell while pointing at the next demon."Espectra tu druiel appear Mana Arrow!"A longer blue arrow materialized, flying towards the demon gathering. Caster had discovered this location after a meticulous hunt. The next mana arrow struck an
Mana Bolt Level 7: A focused bolt of mana energy that deals mana damage to one target, depending on the user's intelligence.Mana Arrow Level 5: An arrow made purely from mana, with increased speed and penetrative power compared to Mana Bolt.Mana Shield Level 3: A mana shield that protects the caster or their allies.Ember Level 6: Creates a small fire by causing friction with mana.Mana Hands Level 5: Creates hands made from mana, with weight and distance dependent on the intelligence stat.Caster had acquired the ability to cast these spells as he leveled up. His Mage-God System would give him a prompt when he reached a certain level, and the knowledge of how to cast the spell would be inserted into his brain.This made him aware of the process of forming the spell with his mana in an instant.This wasn't the only way to learn spells. Some could be learned independently, and some people could even create them. Classes offered a limited array of spells. If he wanted more, he would
Caster waited for the next day before he stepped out. Although he had slayed many monsters and demons, he didn’t get much of a reward at that. His armor was even getting cut to a hit. And his sword was broken. He didn’t want to use the Nether Iron as a weapon to avoid getting noticed again.As he was angry, Caster moved towards the signpost, his eyes glancing through for any search party or mission to complete so he could make some income in this realm.'What’s going on? There’s not even a single Monster notice. Did I get them all? Maybe they ran away deeper into the forest?'Caster was known as the Monster Slayer for a reason; he had cleared out a good number of monster hideouts in the past three months. He mostly used hit-and-run tactics to lure a small group out for slaughter. He used some of the taller trees as coy and also used some dark forests to his advantage. Caster also used the points he had gotten from killing the monsters and demons to level up some of his basic skills
A giant snake lingered in a dimly lit stone corridor, snacking on some rotten meat. It seemed like a dead pig. In an instant, the giant snake got up as it felt something had intruded into its space.Suddenly, the snake lifted its head and let out a high-pitched wail, sensing something in the distance."Mana arrow!"Before the creature could react, a blue arrow of energy pierced it, exiting through the other side and dissipating into the wall. A group of four adventurers approached.Leading the way was a large, muscular man with brownish skin, his body resembling a chiseled marble statue. Despite his minimal armor, his prominent muscles, especially his abs, were striking.Beside him, a white-haired man with pointy wolf ears and a bushy tail wielded two long daggers. He was much shorter than the muscular man, making him stand out.Following them was a redhead in brown leather armor with a bow slung over his shoulder, along with the shortest member, a young boy named Caster, who had brown
Caster noticed several coins scattered on the table. A quick calculation told him they added up to more than 150, which was more than the value of a large silver coin.He then watched the bartender swiftly pocket the coins, leaving behind three large pitchers filled with a mysterious brew. The table was already cluttered with various half-empty bottles."What’s the holdup, Caster? Start drinking!"Elvis shouted, seizing one of the pitchers and drinking straight from it. Caster, unsure about the contents of the drink, observed as the robust woman took a swig, the liquid spilling down her chin onto the table. Despite spending several weeks with these men, he was still amazed by their drinking habits. They were celebrating his successful trial period and gearing up for a deeper dungeon expedition."Isn’t it inappropriate to bring a minor here?"Caster's eyes narrowed as he looked at the group. Although he possessed the wisdom of someone older, he appeared to be only seventeen. His comp
Caster’s spell hit a boar, wounding it. Despite his aim being off, the group quickly defeated the creature. Feeling confident, they moved to the second level, greeted by a large gate and wide stairs.“Want to hear something interesting, Caster?”Caster nodded at Salvador while they descended. The movement seemed to ease his discomfort.“For some reason, monsters can’t enter these stairs. If you ever need to escape, head here and wait for us.”Caster nodded, noting the corridor lit by seemingly magical torches. The second level resembled the first but had a higher chance of encountering multiple monsters at once.“This floor is like the first, but with more frequent monster appearances.”Caster noticed Andem raising his hand, signaling the party to stop and ready their weapons. Andem sniffed the air, pointing to a tree.“Two, one there... and one over there…”Caleb nodded and directed Caster to the left. Caster chanted his spell, targeting the right-side enemy. He saw something green a
Caster was mature enough to see the world as it was. He understood that most younger folk saw it through a lens of hope and ambition, their dreams of treasure and fame setting them apart from his more grounded approach. Some were from humble beginnings: sons and daughters of farmers; young people from families that were better off but that had fallen on hard times and now were boy or girl determined to claw back some of that perceived lost respect, no matter the price."My jaw twisted into a small smirk as I imagined their wide eyes and wide, baseless plans and all they think is, ‘Get some gold, a shiny sword, you’ll be a hero.’" It was the same story, time and again: things that were often only dreams, rarely aligning with reality.Lowfield had been a deliberate choice despite what she had become. Knowing full well it wouldn’t be clear, he took the fast route but he took the fast route. The road taught him about its steep hills, its rocky passages and on occasion, the unfriendly tra
The early morning breeze bit into the cloak and the underdress at Caster’s shoulders as he walked the narrow cobblestone path into Lowfield. Today he had gotten rid of his imposing helmet and heavy armor. Dawn's fresh smell of its own earth together mingling with the familiar taste of his workshop on his clothes. He wasn’t hiding his identity, or painful silence had been left behind, today. Today was about remembering the life that kept breathing after his magesmith-tools stopped.The caravan had added liveliness to the town which reminded me of festival time, the town was waking up. Some of the faces settling onboard Caster recognised—newcomers amongst the adventurers. With fresh ambitions and none of the resolve yet tested, they walked on their own journey wide eyed and reminded him of the person he used to be. He watched the newcomers with a kind of quiet amusement, catching snippets of eager chatter about dungeons and imagined battles, bravado thick in the air.A young man, prob
Casting his small treaty of provisions, a load of stale bread crusts, some wrinkled fruits, and a hard wedge of cheese that once lived on a more hospitable broke surviving clunk to clunk. He made a gagging noise as he peered at the dried meat again and poked it with distaste. "Wouldn't it kill the fates to give me a real meal?" Just once. Something hot, even." He sneaked a look over at where a stove should be, the ones that made his mouth water when a hearty stew bubbled away. For a moment he smirked, "No stove yet … maybe I could conjure a magical pan up." "Oil might be asking for a miracle."Peering out the window he squinted at the city in the early light. Carts creaked along cobbled paths and vendors hawked fresh fish and newly baked bread in the place I had walked into, even now. He’d done a lot with the house in the week that he’d been there, turning it into something livable, barely. "What the hell?' he murmured, 'Doors actually close now' he concluded feeling a bit more proud
Caster adjusted his grip and took a close look at his work, scrutinizing every line and angle of the newly crafted weapon handle. The wood was tough but carefully sanded, bearing faint, meticulous patterns he had engraved over hours of work. "Alright," he muttered, almost to himself. "Let's see if this holds up."He lowered his gaze to the small, rough-edged mana stone beside him. Its surface shimmered faintly, a testament to the raw energy that pulsed within it. With precision, he made a tiny opening at the base of the handle, using one of his tools to keep the gap just wide enough for the stone to fit snugly. Holding his breath, Caster slid the stone into place, his hand steady even as he felt the twinge of nervousness in his gut. One wrong move, one crack, and the handle would split, and the entire effort would be wasted. He exhaled, the pressure off his shoulders as the stone was secure. He picked up a little hammer and taps the opening closed, sealing the stone.Caster was co
Caster’s gaze shifted between his rough tools and the iron-cast walls around him. The dim, flickering light from a lone torch cast dancing shadows on his workbench, where the worn mace lay, waiting. Each scuff and nick in the wood handle held a tale of its own; it wasn’t just a tool but a companion, a weapon that had been through as much as he had. And here he was, weighing its life and usefulness like a weary healer judging the last pulse of an old patient.He ran his hand over the handle one last time, tracing the grains and grooves with a practiced eye. “Adding a stone’s one thing,” he muttered. “But what it needs is stability.” His fingers slid to a small crack, an old fracture that hadn’t yet spread but threatened to. “If that widens… this thing’s done.”His hands worked without thought, reaching into the assortment of stones, metals, and powders he had scavenged over time. His fingers found a small, rough mana stone, and he rolled it between his fingers, feeling its faint warm
Caster knocked metal hard on metal, the sound reverberating in the almost pitch black workshop. With every hook an aura of magical energy was discharged providing brief glimpses of light on the roughly completed stone walls. It smelled of hot metal and a low, tense buzz, which seemed to say that the room itself had tensed to watch him.Caster, still young but hardened by the trials of his craft, stood poised over his latest project: a shield, its shape still raw but which is already starting to look graceful. Though not tall and still somewhat thin, he seemed to possess good illating strength, every punch he landed being calculated. Each movement was accompanied by complex magical ripples, which Indragni had seen on the surface of the shield before a layer of runes he more or less sketched with great detail. In addition to a frown a look of intense concentration took over his face only to be interrupted the occasional lean back to examine the painting.After several more strikes, he
Caster climbed the winding stone stairs leading upward from the basement of Lamba fortress as the red rays of the morning sun spread across Lowfield. He sighed as he breathed in the crisp morning air and hours spent wading through dim and damp caverns had taken a toll on him. The bustle outside was a stark contrast to the quiet gloom below. Merchants, hawkers, and small-time dealers filled the open area, all eager to cater to the steady stream of adventurers drawn to the dungeon.“Potion for mana, sir?” called a nearby merchant, brandishing a small flask that shimmered faintly in the sunlight. Clearly, the man wasn’t going to miss any opportunity to sell.He gave her the distinct pleasure of a faint smile and a polite shake of his head. “Not today, but thanks.” The merchant glanced up as he passed saying “As he passed his gaze fell on a young boy standing beside the merchant with his hands outstretched each palm held small stones of different colors.”“Lucky charms,” the boy put out
Caster climbed the winding stairs stone leading upward from the basement of Lamba fortress as the red rays of the morning sun spread across Lowfield. He sighed as he breathed in the crisp morning air and hours spent wading through dim and damp caverns has taken a toll on him. The bustle outside was a stark contrast to the quiet gloom below. Merchants, hawkers, and small-time dealers filled the open area, all eager to cater to the steady stream of adventurers drawn to the dungeon.“Potion for mana, sir?” called a nearby merchant, brandishing a small flask that shimmered faintly in the sunlight. Clearly, the man wasn’t going to miss any opportunity to sell.He gave her the distinct pleasure of a faint smile and a polite shake of his head. “Not today, but thanks.” The merchant glanced up as he passed saying “As he passed his gaze fell on a young boy standing beside the merchant with his hands outstretched each palm held small stones of different colors.”“Lucky charms,” the boy put out
Caster met them along the way quite often, which slowed down his progress. As he fought, he had to wait for them to finish before he could move on. “Hey, Caster! Need a hand?” one adventurer called out, swinging a sword at a monster.“No thanks! I’m good,” Caster replied, keeping his eyes on the battle ahead. He knew he could be accused of stealing if he forced his way through. Caster wished to avoid conflict with others, at least for now. He didn’t want to risk incurring their wrath or losing potential allies. “Once I get a silver-grade card, things will be different,” he thought. With higher levels, prestige wouldn’t be far behind, and the dynamics of encounters would shift dramatically.The level wasn’t that large; if someone knew the way, they could stroll past most dangers and quickly descend to the second level. Caster recalled hearing about hidden paths that only seasoned adventurers were aware of. These shortcuts could be the difference between life and death, especially dee