I'll Become a Cursor Mage

There was a famous saying in the hunter world: "To become a mage, you need overflowing luck or parental fortune."

Melee positions generally shared strength, agility, and stamina to some degree, compensating for physical limits. But mages were different. Their damage output, defense, and skill effects all hinged on a single stat: intelligence.

Moreover, intelligence wasn't just essential—it boosted max MP and recovery speed as it increased. To become a mage, your stats had to skew heavily toward intelligence, and you needed magic-related skills to keep ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠popping up one after another. Otherwise, you'd have to drown yourself in astronomically expensive skillbooks and intelligence-boosting items. Mages were money pits, plain and simple.

But I was different. I could put whatever stats I wanted wherever I wanted, and snag any skills I pleased.

Nothing's as efficient as a mage. No job beats spreading your stats evenly.

I dumped all 3 points into intelligence without hesitation.

Next, I poked around the status window to allocate my skill points. When I tapped the skill points indicator, a list popped up like a shopping catalog.

What others had to leave to luck on level-up, I could pick and choose like online shopping.

The list had basics like "Petit Fire" and "Petit Ice," but I coolly tapped my mental calculator. From endless gallery grinding and big data, basic magic focused more on elemental side effects than raw damage. Right now, those were dead weight to me.

Scanning the skill window, I picked the optimal choice.

Now I had a proper magic skill despite my mediocre specs, meeting the bare minimum for hunting.

Best to head to the Hunter Association, update my ID, and find a party. I went to hail a taxi, but...

Wait, I'm short on cab fare...

My phone pinged right then. The party leader had sent my daily wage on the dot—cab fare secured.

I swung by the Hunter Association, updated my Awakener ID Card, and applied for an 8 a.m. Slime Gate raid party the next day. My first step as Hunter Kim Jihoon, not porter Kim Jihoon.

At the rendezvous, party leader and remote dealer Oh Seokhyeon and tanker Park Jongsu were already there.

"Hi. Kim Jihoon, here for remote dealer."

"Oh Seokhyeon. This is Park Jongsu. Intelligence 4... Well, Slime Gate should be fine with three. Let's go."

"Man, Jihoon, you're lucky. Skill right at level 2..."

"Haha... yeah..."

Oh Seokhyeon skimmed my ID, disappointment flickering in his eyes, but it faded when he saw the skill. We stepped into the gate.

The air inside was damp and musty. Soon, green slime blobs wriggled from the passage ahead—F-rank gate staples, slimes.

"Jongsu, hold the front! Jihoon, support from behind!"

"Got it!"

Park Jongsu raised his shield. As the slimes swelled and charged, I focused mana in my fingertips. A hot surge I'd never felt raced through my veins to my fingers.

Target: lead slime.

Mana Bullet.

[Shooo—!]

A bluish mana orb sliced through the air.

[Boom—!]

"...Huh?"

Oh Seokhyeon, sword mid-swing, gaped. Mana Bullets were infamous for low damage, mere pokes. But mine pierced the slime dead center, splattering goo everywhere and vaporizing it in one shot.

"What was that? Mana Bullet?"

"Uh... yeah. Got lucky, hit a weak spot."

I brushed it off, but inside, I cheered. Intelligence 4—a bit below average. Damage like that could only mean one thing.

Luck 9. Nearly double the average 5 for awakeners. The system was juicing my crit rate.

[Boom! Pop!]

Slimes burst like leaves in the wind every 1-2 shots. No work for the tanker or melee dealer. I just flicked from afar, melting them.

"Whoa, Jihoon, this is no joke. Damage impossible for Int 4?"

"Ahaha... yeah, luck's with me today. Lotsa crits..."

Memories of porter days—chasing heels, muscle agony—flashed by.

This is it. This is a real hunter.

Amid the slime slaughter, a welcome message blinked.

I'd hogged most of the EXP from near-solo clears.

"Hold up, need to regen MP."

"Sure."

I paused for the team, feigning fatigue. But my mind raced.

Pump intelligence now, and Mana Bullet's power jumps.

I slammed all 3 new points into intelligence.

Mana surged thicker through me. Nearly doubled intelligence brought an omnipotent rush.

Then, I pulled up the skill window for my last skill point. Debating new skills, I checked Mana Bullet.

Mana Bullet (Points to next level: 2) ...??

I'd heard in hunter galleries about skills upgrading. Rare phenomenon—no one knew the trigger, just envy. Turns out, it needed accumulated skill points from level-ups...

New skill or save for Mana Bullet upgrade? Gate interior—not the time. Better hunt fast. I closed the window, focused ahead.

"...Jihoon, your casts feel faster. Imagination?"

"Ah, got the hang after leveling."

I smoothly dodged Oh Seokhyeon's suspicion as we pushed deeper.

There, surrounded by slimes, loomed a massive, eerie-glowing blob.

Not squishy jelly—this variant had a gem-hard shell.

"Damn, of all things..."

Oh Seokhyeon's face darkened.

"Jihoon, Jongsu! Boss: Emerald Slime. Attacks like regulars, but reduces most damage by 90%+. Grind it down—it'll be tedious!"

Park Jongsu charged with shield—thud, no budge. Oh Seokhyeon's strikes just scratched ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and bounced.

"Shit! 1 ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠damage?!"

Insane resistance—normie attacks useless. But gallery-hardened me knew: it poured everything into defense, zero crit resistance.

Plus, my Int's at 7 now.

I extended a finger silently. Full Int 7-powered Mana Bullet hurtled at the bluish slime.

[Boom! Crack...]

One shot. Overwhelming luck landed meaningful damage on the tough boss.

"Whoa..."

I hid my grin, kept firing past the stunned teammates.

[Boom boom!]

Cracks widened; it shattered like glass, shards flying. Gate clear confirmed.