I Figured There'd Be At Least One
Skillbooks were originally dropped by monsters during hunts. But now that the game had become reality, monsters dropped nothing at all.
In this situation, the only way to obtain a skillbook was to find one that already existed.
For reasons unknown, some of the grimoires in this world had the effects of skillbooks.
Yoahim had found exactly that—a skillbook—on Vincent's bookshelf.
Lucky me that it's a skill I can actually learn.
Yoahim could use magic, but his class wasn't mage. He could handle basic spells and mid-tier ones depending on the situation, but advanced magic was beyond his capabilities.
If this skillbook had contained something like Hellfire or Teleport, it would've been nothing more than a pretty paperweight.
The spell I'm learning this time is Shield.
Shield—as the name implied, it created a protective barrier around the caster. A basic spell with simple effects, but that very simplicity made it incredibly versatile.
Especially for Yoahim, who favored close-quarters combat. Gaining a skill that could block even a single attack was as good as gaining an extra life.
I can just steal advanced spells with Ha Meks Han. I couldn't learn them anyway.
The ancient grimoire Ha Meks Han that stole enemy magic skills. He could cover high-damage advanced spells with that.
The problem was that it required the skill to kill or subdue a mage capable of casting advanced spells in the first place.
I'll worry about that later.
Yoahim shook his head to clear the stray thoughts. He picked up the Shield skillbook and said to Vincent,
"I'll take this one."
"Huh? That one? Hold on, isn't that just a basic magic grimoire?"
"Yes, a basic one."
Vincent's face twisted in confusion. It made no sense to him. Why pass on that precious artifact for a basic grimoire? Was this guy an idiot? You could find basic grimoires anywhere, even outside the tower if you looked hard enough. What the hell?
Vincent stared at Yoahim's face for a long moment before shouting,
"You sly bastard! You picked something worthless on purpose to make me feel touched, didn't you? Trying to squeeze more out of me, huh?!"
What the hell is this old man on about?
Yoahim let out a disbelieving huff. What an absurd misunderstanding.
"No, that's not it. I just wanted to learn the basics of magic from scratch..."
"Don't lie to me! A basic grimoire just explains how to sense and control mana, plus a few simple spells! You, a genius like that, taking it to learn the basics? Even a stray dog would laugh!"
Yoahim, caught off guard by the reaction, just stood there with his mouth agape.
What the actual fuck?
Vincent swung his hand, and empty space split open, revealing the entrance to a sub-dimensional storage. He pulled something out and tossed it at Yoahim.
"You damn brat! Take this too! I just recruited a valuable talent—I can't send you off with just some crappy basic grimoire! No refusing—take it!"
Yoahim reflexively caught the flying object. Up close, it was a gold ring embedded with a blue gem. Clearly expensive at a glance.
An unexpected bonus. Let's check the item info first.
◈ A ring brimming with overflowing vitality.
◈ Increases mana regeneration when equipped.
◈ +15 Vitality stat.
Mana regeneration boost and +15 Vitality. Simple, but powerful effects. This kind of item would cost a fortune.
Yoahim slipped the ring onto his finger right away.
At this rate, all ten fingers will be covered in rings.
With the Waterlight Ring already on, his right hand now sparkled under the light.
In the game, you could equip only two rings at once, but there were no such limits here. If he wanted, he could fill every finger. Though he'd look like a tacky nouveau riche to others.
"You didn't have to give me something like this..."
"Says the guy who slipped it on the second he got it. Just take it! And hold on a sec. I'll issue your Class 3 mage certification right now."
Vincent reached into the still-open sub-space and pulled out a necklace with a bronze nameplate attached.
The nameplate, about two finger-widths in size, was blank. But when Vincent covered it with two fingers, white smoke rose, and letters engraved themselves onto it.
"There, all set. Take this too."
Yoahim snatched the flying necklace out of the air. It clinked as the chain draped down.
Tolstone Mage Tower
Class 3 Mage Yoahim
"Don't lose it. Reissues cost money."
"Thank you."
Yoahim bowed slightly and hung the necklace around his neck. From this moment, he was officially a Class 3 mage of the Tolstone Mage Tower.
Stings my conscience a bit since I know jack about magic.
Yoahim shoved down the guilt and bowed to Vincent once more.
"Then, until we meet again, Tower Master."
"Hmph! Get out already! Be careful out there! You're one of our tower's mages now—don't get hurt!"
Yoahim nodded with a smile. Clutching the skillbook in one hand, he left Vincent's room.
He took the inter-floor lift down to the first floor, exited the tower, and headed back to the inn.
...
"You're back, Apostle. Nothing happened, right?"
As soon as he entered the room at the inn, Sasha's worried voice greeted him. Her room was elsewhere, but she'd waited here out of concern for him. A faithful follower indeed.
As he felt a swell of satisfaction, Leon shot up from his seat.
"Apostle, you okay? Did those tower bastards try something? Damn it! I can't hold back my rage! I'll go kill that short old geezer right now!"
Crazy bastard...
Yoahim calmed Leon down and spoke.
"Nothing happened. They just tried to recruit me, saying I had talent for magic."
"That's weird. You're not that impressive."
"...Hey, do you even respect me?"
"Even if it's you, Apostle, I can't tolerate you doubting my respect for you. Duel me, Apostle! Draw your sword!"
Proving respect for the apostle by dueling the apostle—what kind of logic is that?
Yoahim sighed and said,
"Keep acting up and I'll ditch you here."
"My apologies, Apostle."
With that serious face and businesslike tone for such nonsense—he really was insane. Yoahim wondered if he should keep dragging this guy around.
"So, what happened, Apostle? Did you accept?"
Yoahim nodded at Sasha's question.
"Yeah, for now. No downside for me. Got a grimoire and a ring as payment."
He showed them the skillbook and the ring on his finger.
"Oh, what a beautiful ring."
Sasha didn't know what an "item" was, so she focused on its appearance rather than effects.
Come to think of it, do these two get item effects too?
Of course they did. They just couldn't see numerical stats like he could. If Sasha wore the Vitality Ring, she'd get the same benefits.
She might not notice the mana regen or Vitality boost specifically, but she'd feel some change in her body.
In game terms, they're like sub-characters. The stronger Leon and Sasha get, the easier it is for me.
No game let you solo everything. And considering this wasn't a game where you could respawn endlessly—this was reality, one death and done—making Leon and Sasha stronger was crucial.
I'll give them spare items later.
It was an investment and insurance. With lives on the line, it wasn't wasteful at all.
"I'm beat anyway, so let's sleep. We're leaving Tolstone tomorrow."
"Apostle, where to next?"
"Haven't decided. Thinking east for now."
"Understood. Then I'll take my leave."
Sasha bowed and left the room. Yoahim stripped off his gear, changed into something comfortable, and lay on the bed. Leon finished his preparations, lay down, and extinguished the lamp.
Darkness filled the room.
"Sweet dreams, Apostle."
"Yeah, you too."
After exchanging goodnights, Yoahim and Leon drifted off to sleep.
...
"Mm..."
Yoahim realized he was in a dream. It had been a while since he'd felt this sensation.
In the empty darkness, this was the space Kakalli used to summon her apostle.
Being called here meant Kakalli would appear today.
No offering, and she shows up out of nowhere? Is there something hidden in the skillbook I brought?
Kakalli had once revealed the true nature of Ha Meks Han. Based on that, she might be about to give more useful info.
"My child, my knight."
Kakalli appeared only as a silhouette. Her voice and figure marked her as female, but her true appearance remained hidden.
Come to think of it, even in the game, I never knew what she looked like.
No description or illustration on the homepage's character section. In-game, just a few lines of text.
"Watch your back."
My back? Suddenly?
Yoahim spun around reflexively. But there was only endless darkness.
"Child, will you be a wise coward? Or a fearless warrior? Dodge the rolling boulder? Or shatter it? The choice is yours alone."
Fuck, what the hell is she rambling about now? Speak plainly, Goddess.
"The answer isn't set. But if you would shatter the rolling boulder, prove it! Your strength! Your worth! And declare it! Who you are! Whose apostle you are!"
See? Rambling in her own cryptic bullshit again. If she weren't a god, I'd smack her.
"Choose, child!"
With Kakalli's shout, Yoahim was ejected from the dream.
"..."
He sat up in bed, a nagging unease lingering as morning sunlight filtered into the room.