The First Archmage

We fall into a rhythm over the few days after Michael begins training with us, waking up and just wandering the town or chatting in the inn before breakfast and for a little bit after, then we go to the Dungeon, battle it for twenty or so minutes, then eat lunch, then train for a few hours in martial arts before dinner.

On the second day of this, I master Firebolt and bring Fireball up to Level 4. On the third day, my Species and both of my Classes go up a Level, and Fireball reaches Level 6, and Michael gained a Beastborn Level.

On the third day of this, I brought Fireball up to Level 8, and Michael gained a Squire Level. Michael began to teach Warren and I knife combat, and Warren started off at Level 2, surprisingly. Michael told us, when Warren asked why, that it was because of the training with unarmed combat – a lot of it crosses over into other forms of melee fighting. I started off with Level 6, and wasn’t surprised in the slightest.

On the fourth day, I get Fireball up to Level 9, and Fire Manipulation to Level 3.

On the fifth day, I bring Scout to Level 9.

On the sixth day, I bring Human to Level 9, Wizard to Level 12, and Fireball to Level 10. We also found a restaurant for 12 silver per plate that serves a decent amount of food for us, but I think it’s mostly because word got around that the powerful young Wizard was looking for a new place to eat at, and they wanted to impress me. Everyone else’s plates had a little bit less food than ours.

“Mastered,” I tell Professor Temp, earning a ‘hmph!’ from Blake, who stubbornly insists on being here every day, trying to increase his Firebolt Level to new heights. “Though I’m low on Mana.”

“That’s fine,” she says, picking up a piece of paper and holding it out as runes form on it. “These are the runes for the Tier III spell from the Grimoire, as promised.”

I take the paper and begin to read it, realizing just how powerful this Tier III spell that costs 40 Mana to start really is. Professor Temp explains to me the purpose of each rune I don’t understand, and instructs me on how they interact with the others, how all of the runes come together to form the final spell.

Firebolt Chain. A single Firebolt which, instead of exploding once it penetrates the hide, continues to move, striking more targets. At Level 1, it will only strike three targets, which is far fewer than the equivalent Mana from a Level 1 Firebolt, but it’s so much more than that. It doesn’t weaken as it travels – the increased Mana cost enables it to leap from target to target, reaching even further than a regular Firebolt could. At Level 10, it’ll hit up to fifteen targets for only 35 Mana – less if I can get my Mana Manipulation and Fire Manipulation to a better Level.

This is a spell that acts at full effect, and learning its runes granted me a second Level to Dekami Runic Language. It also requires more than me simply saying its name – I have to perform an actual chant. Tiered Magics are so much different than a regular spell or Skill in that respect.

Tomorrow, I will attempt to use it for the first time. The most powerful spell in my arsenal… I can’t wait for the 30 Wizard Experience I’ll gain for mastering it.

With the remaining 50 Mana I have, I blast the targets with Magic Missiles, gaining two Levels to it. Since I wasn’t going to be using it for Firebolt Chain, I could use it to get to work on that spell, since I’ll eventually need it at Level 10 anyway, so that Professor Temp will allow me to learn a Tier II regular magic spell.

It isn’t until after I did that that I think about the fact that I could have used it to work on improving Fire Manipulation, to further decrease the cost of my fire magics and improve their kick. Oh, well.

We return to the inn, and I pay for another week’s stay at only twenty silver a night.

We run the Dungeon as normal, and gain another Bare-handed Fighting Level during the session with Michael and Warren.

When we go to meet Professor Temp for our next training session, we find thirty boys in her classroom, some of them practicing in the back of the room, others practicing at their desks. Professor Temp looks a little bit amused.

Blake is still working on summoning and manipulating Firebolts, stubbornly refusing to believe that he’ll never catch up to me.

“Are you ready?” Professor Temp asks me, and I nod. “Good. There is a large chance that the spell will backfire on you,” she picks up an amulet off her desk. “This is a fire ward. Wear it while attempting to cast the spell. Once you have the Skill for it, you won’t need this amulet anymore. The amulet will drawn in the chaotic fire energies that result from a backfire, even if they originate within you. With my healing powers and your CON, you’ll survive if there is damage.”

“And if there isn’t?” I ask.

“Then your CON is probably a lot higher than the forty-three you claim it is, and your Fire Resistance is higher than Level 2.”

“Got it,” I take the amulet and move to the back of the room, Professor Temp following me.

When I hold my hands up, I notice everyone else has stopped practicing and are watching me, even Blake.

They… all stayed to watch me attempt Firebolt Chain, didn’t they?

Taking a deep breath, I begin the chant.

“Burn long and strong, burn through all foes which come for me, blaze a path right through my enemies, Firebolt Chain.”

I lose 20 Mana, but nothing happens, other than my body feeling a little bit hotter for a few moments.

Fire Resistance is now Level 3!

Heat Resistance is now Level 3!

Backfire, huh? I tried weakening the spell, just in case, and I’m betting that if I’d let it run at full power, it would’ve burn through me.

“Burn long and strong, burn through all foes which come for me, blaze a path right through my enemies, Firebolt Chain.”

I feel stupid with that chant, but it’s needed to guide the energies, for now. I lose another 20 Mana, and feel the heat in my body again, but not as strong.

“You’re suffering a blacklash, aren’t you?” Professor Temp asks, and I look at her, nodding. That movement caused me to wince. “I figured, considering how red your skin’s turning.”

She waves a hand over me, chanting a spell three times, and the pain fades away.

“There,” she says. “Next time, tell me so I can heal you.”

“Got it,” I turn back to the targets, focusing on the three I want to strike again.

“Burn long and strong, burn through all foes which come for me, blaze a path right through my enemies, Firebolt Chain.”

This time, a Firebolt explodes from my hands, striking into the first target, passing through it, hitting the second one, then zipping across to the third, vanishing after entering the dummy’s chest.

Skill Gained!

(III) Firebolt Chain 1/10: Creates a Firebolt that blasts through multiple targets. Current target hits: 3. Cost: 45 Mana

I cast it two more times, then decide to wait a few minutes for the four points of Mana I’m missing to cast it a third time.

Once I can, I cast it again, then sit down by my teammates, who have completely ignored me, knowing I’d get it. As they work on making the runes perfectly and learning what each one does, I focus on using the Mana I restore to work on Fire Manipulation, and by the time we’re done with our usual hour-session, I have brought it up to Level 4.

Then we return to our routine, with me working on either manipulating Mana or Fire after the four casts of Firebolt Chain I can perform at full Mana.

On the first day in the new pattern, I bring Scout to Level 10. After that, I keep track of things by the Level of Firebolt Chain, because of how many of those I’ll likely need to cast for each Level.

At only four a day, it will probably take me two or three weeks for a single Level of it. Professor Temp offers to let me learn the Tier I light magics, but I refuse. I will learn those after I master Firebolt Chain. I also start working on increasing my Mana Pool again, using the Expansion Skill Professor Temp taught me.

At Day Eleven, I gain two things. The first, and probably the most important in this respect, is a point of Mana from the expansion. The second is Wizard reaching Level 15, allowing me to gain another Secondary Class. There are two that I’m debating between.

Novice: +1 INT, MNA every fifth Level, +5% to learning new magic.

Archer: +2 AGI every fifth Level, +5% to Leveling archery Skills.

Michael and Warren both tell me I should pick Novice, but after my session, I talk with Profession Temp about it, and she tells me the same thing as Collind id.

“The INT and MNA,” she says. “Will be useful to you, as a Wizard, but with the mission you have, you’ll need something that doesn’t grant: agility. The boost to Agility from Archer and its related Classes when it goes up a Tier will be beneficial to you. Taking on Scout before was a smart choice, and I recommend adding Archer to your list. Take on Novice as your second Primary Class, once you master Wizard and advance it to the next Tier.”

I take on Archer, and then we call it a day.

Day Twelve, I increase Firebolt Chain to Level 2, and Archer went up to Level 2.

Day Twenty-Three, Firebolt Chain goes up to Level 3, and Fire Manipulation goes up to Level 5.

Day Thirty-One, Firebolt Chain goes up to Level 4.

They insist I should train in other magics, but I’m determined to master this one first. I will spend however many more months it takes me for me to master it.

Mastered, it will be powerful against those who would dare to tear Jozan apart. With it, I will leave nothing behind.

In the end, it takes me nearly four months after Level 4 to reach Level 10 in Firebolt Chain, with Mana Manipulation sitting at Level 7 and Fire Manipulation sitting at Level 8.

Firebolt Chain is now Level 10!

Firebolt Chain has reached Maximum Level of its First Tier!

+30 Wizard Experience!

Firebolt Chain is now Firebolt Chain (II) Level 1/10!

I didn’t get a fucking Title for that? I spent five fucking months working to master that spell’s first Tier, and I didn’t get a fucking Title for it? I have four fire spells mastered and Fire Manipulation almost mastered, and there isn’t a fucking Title that awaited me?

What the actual fuck?

“It’s okay,” Warren says, and I look over to see him somewhat worried. “You’ll break through Level 9 and hit Level 10 soon, I have trust in you, even I do think you’re wasting time focusing on this one spell.”

“I got it,” I say. “I’m pissed because I put in four months of effort to master this spell, past the time already spent mastering the other three, and it should’ve taken me several years, but didn’t because of my high Mana Pool and regeneration. I was hoping I’d get a Title, but there’s no fucking Title awarded.”

“That’s even worse,” Michael nods. “That’s deserving of at least a Tier IV Title.”

“Ha-ha,” I roll my eyes, then look at Professor Temp. “No Title?”

“Master of Flames,” she says. “Tier I. You need five spells from the School of Fire mastered, as well as Fire Manipulation, with at least two of the spells at Tier II or above. And I do believe it best if we move on to magic or light, rather than you learning another fire spell.”

“I’m almost to Level 24 Wizard,” I say. “Tomorrow, after we finish our routine in the first room, I should be able to take on the advancement Quest. I’d rather wait to gain another spell until after, so I don’t master it and waste the Experience.”

“With how rare the Class is,” Michael, who hasn’t taken on a Secondary Class, despite Squire being at Level 18, says. “You can expect it to be a dangerous, difficult Quest.”

“I know,” I say. “We’ll see what it requires once I reach Level 25. There’s something I’ll get, once I reach Archwizard, that I’m looking forward to.”

“What?” He asks.

“My Bloodline,” I smile at him. “It seems to be very, very powerful, and the source of my power-Leveling. Once I unlock it, I’m sure that Leveling it will make me much, much more powerful. Far more so than I could be without it.

“Professor Temp,” I look at her. “I’d like to think I’ve matured a lot in the last six months, but that doesn’t change that I have a Blood Quest with around four and a half years left on it. Had I not been too exhausted at the end of each day, I could’ve attempted to increase my Mana Pool some more. Yes, the technique would’ve added only twenty before it became incapable of granting more more, but 20 Mana can make a world of difference. So would any Mana gained from condensing it, which probably would’ve been over three hundred, with me only going for one or two a day, had I been able to actually risk the mental cloud and pain from that.

“And so,” I continue. “I will be ending my time here. Tomorrow, I will be gaining the last 125 Wizard Experience needed to gain the Quest, and then, if it is doable, I will be working on it. Thank you for your time, and I’m going to decline further studies, though I may come back sometime and train some more, if you’ll have me. I need to get to work on other things, and return to my homeland.”

“I understand,” she says. “Good luck, boys.”

We leave and head back to the inn, and once we’re in the room, I look at the other two.

“Sorry for making the decision without you guys,” I say. “But this is my quest, and I won’t force you to join me on it. If you want to join me on where I go next, I won’t have an issue with that, but if you do, then be aware that the Blood Quest is difficult enough that my party members are recommended to have the third Tier of a Class, it is that difficult.”

“We already told you,” Michael claps his fist to his chest. “We’re with you all the way, Gavin. Warren owes you, and I have a duty to my tribe to see this through.”

I nod, then lie down, closing my eyes and letting sleep overtake me. In the morning, I go into the Dungeon alone, clearing out the cavern as soon as the monsters spawn, leaving the moment I reach Level 25 Wizard.

“What’s the Quest?” Michael asks me when I step out.

“I have to kill a wyvern,” I say. “And clear a Dungeon by myself. I came out to let the two of you know. It looks like all Experience is halted for me, until I advance Wizard, which means my other Classes won’t gain Experience.”