"I really would be spoiled for choice in there..."

Just hearing Marvin talk about it, Zelir could barely contain his thoughts.

He could almost picture himself pushing open the doors to the Secret Storage Room and picking out treasures.

’So many treasures...’

"And that’s just a small fraction of it."

Marvin smiled.

"The day you truly become a Middle Level Mage and enter the Secret Storage Room, you’ll understand the true depth of the Mage’s Guild."

"I’ll definitely work hard on my training!" Zelir said, his voice firm.

"I believe in you."

Marvin placed a hand on Zelir’s shoulder and gave it a light, encouraging squeeze.

"Keep up the good work. If you run into any problems with your Magic, you can come to me anytime."

"Yes, thank you, Instructor Marvin."

...

Before he knew it, night had quietly fallen.

A bright, full moon slowly rose from the eastern horizon. The clamor of the day had long since faded, and the entire Mage’s Guild was enveloped in tranquility.

Zelir was alone, strolling by the man-made lake in the center of the Guild.

A gentle evening breeze carried a slight autumn chill. The Fluorescent Stone Lamps along the path cast a soft glow, making the trail look ethereal and dreamlike.

The excitement from the day gradually faded. Zelir leaned against the stone railing by the lake, his gaze wandering as he began to contemplate his next steps.

The training path Instructor Marvin had outlined this time was different from his promotion from Magic Apprentice to Junior Mage; he could no longer focus solely on Intelligence.

’Whether it’s meeting the Magic Power requirement on the Crystal Pillar or mastering a Four Level Multi-layered Spell Structure Magic, I’ll need to advance my Spirit and Intelligence in tandem. Neither can fall behind...’

"I just wonder what the Attribute threshold for advancing to Middle Level Mage will be..."

Zelir sighed softly.

His gaze continued to drift, from the hazy spires of the ancient towers to the reflection of the moon and stars on the lake’s surface. Zelir’s mind grew clear and calm.

The path forward was clear, but long and arduous.

He stopped thinking about such distant matters, his gaze becoming focused and determined once more.

’I’ll just keep moving at my own pace, one step at a time.’

...

「Gray Wood Forest.」

In a ravaged clearing in the woods, a bloody scene was unfolding.

A deer that had stepped into a trap lay in a pool of blood. It wasn’t quite dead yet, its body twitching uncontrollably from pain and terror, letting out a faint, whimpering cry.

The green-skinned mongrels surrounding it found the noise too annoying, so one simply raised a wooden club and—BAM!—smashed it on the fawn’s head.

A spray of red and white splattered everywhere, and the whimpering stopped abruptly.

The goblins let out excited, greedy "GAK GAK" cackles, dancing on the spot.

Just as they were about to swarm forward and devour their hard-won prey, a huge Beastman Goblin swaggered over.

The smaller goblins around it fell silent at the sight, immediately clearing a path like scattered flies, their expressions full of fear.

The Beastman Goblin walked to the deer carcass and, ignoring the drooling gazes of its kin, ripped off the meatiest hind leg and shoved it into its mouth, chewing it raw.

Blood dripped from the corners of its mouth. It ate with great satisfaction, continuously stuffing torn pieces of fresh venison and warm entrails into its maw as it feasted.

The ordinary goblins could only stare, the sound of them swallowing their drool—GULP—audible.

Finally, the Beastman Goblin had eaten its fill. It tossed aside the bone it had picked clean, let out a loud burp, and left, satisfied.

The remaining little goblins had been waiting for a long time. They couldn’t wait to push their way to the mangled deer carcass and start fighting over the food.

But they didn’t notice that a deadly killing intent had quietly locked onto its target.

The Beastman Goblin lay lazily on the ground, digesting its meal while basking in the sun, feeling drowsy.

At that very moment, a brilliant blue light shot out, erupting without warning from a bush a dozen meters away!

Arcane Missile!

The blue light moved with extreme speed. Before the Beastman Goblin could react, it was struck squarely in the chest!

DOOOM!!!

A violent explosion rang out. The Beastman Goblin didn’t even have time to scream before its chest was torn apart by the rampaging Arcane Energy.

Chunks of flesh, shredded organs, and charred bone fragments flew in all directions like fireworks!

"Excellent!"

Zelir, hidden in the bushes, pumped his fist in celebration.

The ambush was a success.

The goblins still fighting over their meal were stunned into place by the sudden turn of events.

Their primitive brains couldn’t comprehend what had just happened. The strongest Beastman Goblin in the clan had been insta-killed by a single spell?!

’Did a group of humans come to wipe us out?!’

Fear was their first reaction, and the goblins instinctively turned to run.

However, when they got a clear look at their attacker, they stopped.

Only a single human emerged from the bushes, with no companions in sight.

’A Mage... and a lone Mage at that!’

The goblins’ savage nature immediately took over their minds.

"Gah! Warra warra!"

(Only one human!)

"Jee gaga, huru!"

(Kill him! Eat his flesh!)

The nine goblins instantly reached a consensus. They let out hoarse cries, brandished their crude weapons, and charged at Zelir!

"Hah..."

Zelir gave a cold smile. "Instead of running, you choose to approach me."

He raised the White Wax Wood Base Material in his hand.

Wind Blade Technique!

Invisible sharp blades flashed into existence one after another. Zelir cast his Magic at an extremely high frequency, turning the short distance of a dozen meters into a line between life and death.

As they sprinted, the five goblins at the front were sliced in half at the waist by Wind Blades, one after another. They collapsed with wretched screams, not even managing to touch the hem of Zelir’s clothes!

The remaining four goblins finally reached Zelir, closing the distance to just a few feet!

The savage light in their eyes grew even more cruel!

’There are four of us... and he’s a Mage, who are weak up close...’

’We can win!’

One of the craftiest goblins quietly circled around behind Zelir.

It leaped up suddenly, raising its studded club high and bringing it down with all its might toward the back of Zelir’s head.

But in that exact instant, a layer of flowing, misty light suddenly appeared around Zelir.

CLANG!

The goblin’s swing felt as if it had struck a ball of cotton. It couldn’t put any force into the blow, and the immense power was strangely deflected by a soft, yielding energy.

Fog Flowing Gauze!

"The effect isn’t bad at all..."

Zelir chuckled softly.

He stuck the White Wax Wood Base Material into his belt, then drew the foil from his left hip, spun around, and executed a Vortex Slash!