Tier Three!
Lucian's eyes snapped open, light flickering in their depths. Without delay, he began copying and analyzing spells.
[Blastfire Orb: Tier Three fire magic. Condenses an explosive orb of fire, deals directional damage.]
[Water Whip: Tier Three water magic. Forms a whip of water that lashes with each swing of the arm.]
[Stone Spike: Tier Three earth magic. Summons earth spikes in a fan-shaped area to inflict damage.]
[…]
From Tier Three onward, spells were no longer labeled with a fixed power rating. As Lysera had explained, their potency now depended entirely on the amount and quality of mana channeled by the user.
For instance, the same Blastfire Orb cast by a Tier Three mage and a Sacred Rank mage would produce vastly different effects. In essence, the higher the caster's strength, the more devastating the spell.
The duration for copying Tier Three spells remained fifteen minutes, but the analysis process now took a full two hours.
For Lucian, any spell matching his current tier could only be retained for fifteen minutes, but spells below his tier could be copied for longer. However, to maximize efficiency and quickly build a powerful arsenal, Lucian focused solely on spells at his own level. He had no interest in wasting time analyzing basic Tier Zero magic.
Starting from Tier Two, most spells already had real combat effectiveness. For instance, Greater Fireball could kill if it hit a vital point. And Blastfire Orb—once Lucian completed its analysis—could blow a tree trunk the size of a man's thigh into flaming splinters. If it hit a human directly, death was certain.
Better yet, Lucian's perfect control allowed him to cast spells simultaneously and instantly. With sufficient mana, he could unleash ten or more Blastfire Orbs at once!
A barrage like that—dozens of Tier Three spells hitting a target—could potentially slay even a Tier Four beast. Lucian felt he was finally strong enough to start hunting monsters and leveling up.
Still, to play it safe, he spent extra time analyzing every Tier Three spell Elvira Sol possessed. After that, he meditated through the night, enhancing his mana pool and its quality.
By the next morning, everything was ready.
Lucian was eager. But before setting out to hunt, he brewed a pot of soup and gently fed it to Elvira Sol.
Today's goal: monsters below Tier Three.
Though Lucian's magic far outmatched most mages at the same level—and his perfect control allowed for seamless multi-casting—he had zero real combat experience. So, to sharpen his instincts, he decided to warm up against lower-tier beasts.
Before leaving, he used [Stone Wall], a Tier Three spell, to seal the cave entrance. Only after making sure Elvira Sol would be safe did Lucian and Nobu head into the forest.
"Where would monsters be hiding?" Lucian scanned the woods.
Perhaps due to Elvira Sol's magic aura, he hadn't seen a single beast nearby.
Though Lucian had reached Tier Three, he couldn't sense her mana. Lysera explained that it was due to the vast difference in their tiers. Elvira's aura specifically targeted magical creatures, and Lucian—unlike monsters—lacked the primal sensitivity to detect it.
So, he had no choice but to travel farther.
As he walked, Lucian left traces of mana along the path, allowing him to track his way back. Mastering mana control was still a work in progress—after all, perfect magic control didn't mean perfect mana manipulation.
Fortunately, by reversing the principles of perfect spellcasting, Lucian could slowly deduce how to refine his own mana control. With time, he believed he could reach "perfect" control over mana as well.
Thanks to his rank-up, his physical constitution had also improved. Even after walking several kilometers through the forest, Lucian wasn't tired at all—he felt invigorated.
Finally, roughly four kilometers from the cave, he encountered his first magical beast.
Arcane Hare.
The very same species Lysera once said he couldn't beat.
It looked much like a rabbit, though it had two pairs of long ears and was roughly the size of a medium dog. Two sharp fangs protruded from its mouth.
[Arcane Hare: Tier One, water-type magical beast.]
Despite its appearance, Arcane Hares were omnivores—if there was meat, they'd eat meat.
As it locked eyes on Lucian, it didn't flee. Instead, it licked its lips, as if deciding whether this two-legged creature would make a nice meal.
Lucian's eye twitched. Seriously? I haven't even started eating you yet, and you're already thinking of eating me?
"Fine then. Today's special: grilled rabbit."
Just as Lucian was about to cast a spell, the Arcane Hare beat him to the punch. It opened its mouth and fired a Water Arrow straight at his face.
Startled, Lucian dove to the side, barely dodging it. He rolled to his feet, brushing dust from his hair.
"Fuck…"
Yep. Novels had lied. Even fighting basic animals was hard—magical beasts? Way harder.
These creatures had faster reflexes than humans and came equipped with innate spells. The Arcane Hare, for instance, had Water Arrow as a racial ability. It wasn't very powerful, but for someone new to combat like Lucian, it was more than enough to throw him off.
After all, this was his first real fight.
Unless you were a special forces agent or an assassin in your previous life, no one just shows up in a fantasy world and becomes a cold-blooded killer. That's just delusional.
Snapping back to reality, Lucian cast his spell.
[Earthen Shell]!
A magic circle appeared behind him, and a suit of stone armor materialized around his body, encasing him like a medieval knight.
As expected of a Tier Three defensive spell, Earthen Shell completely absorbed the incoming Water Arrow—leaving not even a scratch, just a damp mark.
Lucian grinned.
The Arcane Hare, however, panicked.
Even with its low intelligence, it realized this two-legged creature was out of its league. It spun and bolted.
A normal rabbit could sprint at 60-70 kilometers per hour. This was a magical beast—Lucian barely blinked before it vanished into the woods.
"Shit!" he shouted, about to chase—only to forget he was still wearing the heavy Earthen Shell.
WHAM.
The armor tripped him, and Lucian faceplanted into the dirt.
"Wtf…"
He dispelled the armor, rubbing his ribs as he got back up.
This fight? A total mess.
He'd been completely outmaneuvered by a Tier One Arcane Hare.
But strangely enough, he wasn't discouraged. In fact, he found it kind of exhilarating.
He wasn't strong yet. He didn't have battle experience.
But that was fine—because he'd earn it.
He would enjoy the process of becoming strong.
"Alright," he said, dusting himself off. "I'm not going back until I've eaten rabbit."
Lysera's voice rang in his mind. "How does one eat rabbit… while upside down?"
Lucian answered, dead serious: "Take off my pants, then pee while handstanding."
Lysera: "…"