Varocia : From Gamer to Mentor

"This book..." Olgan murmured, his brow furrowing as he checked the description and its implications.

The negative effect was far worse than that semi-redeemed cursed armor!

While a passive ability that reduced all incoming attacks by 50 was undeniably impressive, the downside was utterly intolerable. Not only was the effect permanent, but it was also unpredictable! Who knew when he might be forced to endure an impromptu concert held by this book? What if he received five concert tickets in a single day? That would translate to a staggering 5% decrease in all his stats!

As if she could sense his thought, Duchess Frida smiled slyly and remarked, "The permanent decreases will only affect those with low SPR Potential."

Right... He recalled the book's effect that it would directly whisper to its holder's soul, but he still felt unconvinced.

"Then how can you be sure I can bear the burden?"

Duchess Frida winked playfully, her grin teasing. "I don't."

Oi... Be more responsible! He fought the impulse to throw the book at her mischievous face.

"Here, take these too." The duchess offered him a leather book belt carrier and a ring.

The leather book belt was a standard equipment, devoid of any special effects, while the ring pulsed with enchantment, casting a soft white glow against its dark surface.

"Inspect," he murmured, his curiosity piqued.

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Name: Ring of Filth (Mass-produced)
Grade: Uncommon

Description: A ring crafted by a craftsman named Maxie, a failed attempt to counter an outbreak of plague long ago.

Effect: While wearing the ring, it will substitute any negative effect from affecting the wearer. This ring will break after it successfully blocks one negative effect.

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The duchess explained, "By wearing this ring, you can block at least one whisper from the book. You'll still hear its voice, but you won't suffer from the permanent negative effect."

He contemplated this for a moment before responding thoughtfully, "So, if the ring doesn't break, that means my SPR Potential is high enough to suppress its negative effects on my own, right?"

"Correct." She nodded, a smile playing on her lips.

Nodding his head, Olgan equipped the ring, fastened the leather belt, and secured the cursed book to it. According to the description, the book would only unleash its effects when held, so keeping it strapped in would be more safe than holding it in his hand and more convenient than stowing it away in his Inventory—especially in case of an emergency.

Still feeling uneasy, he asked again, "You've tested the ring's effect on this cursed book before, right?"

"No. But in theory, it should work!" she replied with a teasing tone.

Oi... Be more responsible! He fought the second impulse to throw both the book and the ring at her mischievous face.

Edith chimed in, "Even if it doesn't work, I can ask my dear father to use his Guild Master's Authority to cleanse you. It can remove one permanent negative effect from a guild member."

The duke, who had been listening quietly, interjected, "Wait, my beloved daughter, that Guild Skill is precious. Its cooldown is one year!"

"Hmph, you can try not to cure him," she pouted, turning her head away defiantly.

"Ugh…" Pain colored his voice as he turned to his lovely wife for support, but she simply patted Edith's head affectionately, clearly siding with her daughter.

Olgan felt a pang of sympathy for the duke, but this was about his own well-being. He had no reason to refuse such a generous offer.

With a satisfied smile, he accepted the equipment. "Thank you for these gifts. I will do my best to guide Edith in her training," he promised.

The duke, recovering from his emotional turmoil, smiled warmly. "They're not gifts; they're rewards you've earned. Now, it's time for a gift for joining the Magect Guild."

There's more? His eyes lit up, realizing it was indeed the dream of many new players to join a long-established Guild. What a smooth bus ride!

"This gift serves as identification that you are an important member of our family." The duke handed him another ring, engraved with the Magect Dukedom's emblem—twin swords entwined with the elemental symbols. The inscription read "Private Instructor" along the side.

"Inspect," he said, feeling a thrill as he connected more fully with the Voice of the World. It wouldn't be long before he could issue commands without uttering a word.

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Name: Magect's Private Instructor Ring (Mass-produced)
Grade: Uncommon
Condition: Private Instructor of Magect Guild

Description: Crafted by an artisan of Magect Guild, this ring is given to the Private Instructor of the Magect Family.

Effect: While wearing the ring, PER is increased by 10

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Good ring! his smile widened as he put the ring onto his finger.

Now, he wore three rings: the Priasia Magic Ring, the Ring of Filth, and the Magect's Private Instructor Ring. A pang of dejection washed over him as he glanced at his other seven empty fingers, a stark reminder that he could wear only seven more rings at most!

Actually, he had already stored the Ring of Filth inside in his Inventory. There was no need to wear it for now; the risk of it breaking due to some other minor negative effect was too great. He would only take it out when using or testing the book—unless he truly needed it to block some fatal negative effect on himself.

As for wearing two rings on the same finger? He had tried that the moment he acquired the Ring of Filth, but it refused to be with Priasia Magic Ring on the same finger.

Speaking of Priasia Magic Ring, he still hadn't had the chance to explore Ancient Magic. For now, he relied on Circle Magic to cast his [Fire Ball] Skill. However, mastering Ancient Magic wasn't his main focus at the moment; he needed to prioritize learning offensive abilities for other elements. Expanding his magic arsenal was a must, especially if he wanted to be a qualify Mentor for his students.

He had already secretly mastered [Basic Ice Control] at night, quickly bringing it to Level 5, just like his other skills. Meanwhile, he struggled with [Basic Earth Control] and [Basic Nature Control], though he knew it wouldn't be long before he made some progress.

There were also other uncommon elements he needed to research as well.

As a Mentor, versatility was crucial; he wanted to meet all of his students' needs, even if Edith was his sole student for now.

Suddenly, the duke spoke up, "I heard my beloved daughter mention that you want to search for your parents, correct?"

Olgan paused, contemplating his response for a moment. "Yes, if possible, I'd like to know who and where I came from."

The duke nodded thoughtfully. "We will assist you in searching for your family. If they reside within our territory, we should have results within a day."

"Thank you, Duke Magect." He stood up and bowed deeply, silently praying that his family would be ordinary.

He didn't want a complicated backstory involving a hidden powerful family or a lineage like some main characters in fiction.

That would only lead to a tremendous headache!

After some light-hearted conversation, they each retreated to their respective bed chambers to rest for the night.

Though they masked it with cheerfulness, Duke Laynart and Duchess Frida were visibly exhausted from their time on the frontline. They clearly needed their rest.

As Olgan walked back to his room, Aqualia followed closely behind.

He waved at Edith and Lenna as they entered their own chambers, ready to retire for the evening.

Once inside his room, he paused for a moment and opened his Friend List.

Friend List... His eyes lit up. Finally! He could use commands mentally!

After a brief moment of celebration in his mind, he clicked on Lenna's name and began typing with an imaginary keyboard.

Olgan: [Good work today.]

Olgan: [We'll continue the grind tomorrow to max out Edith's [Berserk Cleave]]

Olgan: [Rest well tonight.]

He waited a moment before receiving a message from Lenna.

Lenna: [Thank you, you too ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶]

A smile crept across his face as he typed:

Olgan: [I saw you're wearing the Ring of Filth too. At that time in the forest, couldn't it block the sever of connection between you and Edith?]

Lenna: [No, the severity affected the whole area. The ring I wore before did block it and broke. But the effect returned immediately since I never left that area during the fight.]

Olgan: [I see.]

That was unfortunate. Perhaps the attackers had anticipated the ring's effects so they devised a method to counter it beforehand.

Olgan: [I won't bother you anymore; good night.]

Lenna: [Good night. Zzzz]

They used "Zzzz" here too? He was a little surprised but not by much.

Lenna knew emoticons, so what was odd about knowing "Zzzz"?

As he contemplated sending a "Good work today" message to Edith as well, she beat him to it.

Edith: [Uhm, can we talk?]