The Glitched Mage-Chapter 43: New Skills

Ember led Riven through the bustling market district, weaving between the clusters of students and staff browsing the various stalls and shops. The sheer variety of goods available was overwhelming—weapon shops displayed an arsenal of swords, staffs, and exotic weaponry Riven had never seen before, their enchanted edges gleaming under the light. Various potion stores lined the streets, shelves stacked to the ceiling with elixirs of every color, their labels boasting effects ranging from enhanced mana regeneration to temporary elemental resistance.

Raw materials were also plentiful—ingredients for alchemy, blacksmithing, and enchantment were neatly arranged in glass cases, available to those with the right amount of merits or mana cores.

And that was exactly what Riven lacked.

He had wealth—gold stored away thanks to the Count—but here, it was useless. The only currency that mattered in the second year was merits and mana cores, and he needed a lot of them.

"Alright," Ember said after a while, stretching her arms. "That's enough window shopping. Let's head back."

She guided him back through a teleportation gate, and within moments, they reappeared inside the academy. Instead of heading toward the dormitories, however, Ember turned sharply and led him through a set of corridors toward an imposing structure at the side of the campus.

Riven recognized it immediately—the library.

They approached a towering set of doors at the end of the hallway, guarded by two mages clad in deep-blue robes. Their gazes remained unreadable as Riven and Ember stepped forward.

Without hesitation, Ember retrieved her talisman, flashing it for the guards to see. Riven followed suit, holding up his own. A faint shimmer passed over them as the sentries activated the barrier, confirming their authorization.

Then, with a quiet hum of mana, the massive doors parted, granting them entry.

The first time Riven had visited the library, he had been limited to the first floor, where general knowledge and theoretical studies were kept.

But the second floor?

This was different.

The moment they ascended the stairs, Riven's eyes widened.

The space stretched high into the ceiling, with multiple floors spiraling upward like a tower. Unlike the rigid organization of the first level, the second-year archives were expansive and layered, creating an almost labyrinthine effect. Floating platforms hovered in midair, shifting to grant access to the upper tiers where restricted skills were stored.

Rows of countless doors lined the inner walls, leading to private study training rooms. The air was thick with mana, the entire place buzzing with knowledge waiting to be claimed.

Students moved between the shelves with purpose—some had their noses buried in thick tomes, others skimmed the bookshelves, their eyes scanning for the correct spell or technique. A few disappeared behind the enchanted doors, likely renting private spaces to train.

"Wow," Riven murmured, his gaze sweeping across the sheer number of skill books stored here. "That's… a lot."

Ember grinned. "It's said that this library holds a copy of every known spell and technique in existence."

Riven exhaled, a slow smirk curling at his lips.

This was exactly what he needed.

While his shadows were his strongest asset, he still couldn't use them openly at the academy—at least, not yet. And while his fireballs were potent, they weren't enough to push him to dominate the rankings.

He needed more.

More skills. More techniques. More power.

His eyes gleamed as he stepped deeper into the library, already planning his next move.

Riven moved through the towering shelves of the second-floor library, his eyes scanning the countless tomes stacked from floor to ceiling. Each book radiated mana, their covers etched with intricate runes—evidence of their powerful contents.

Fire magic had always been House Drakar's legacy. It was in their blood, their bones, their very existence.

"Are you looking for something specific?" Ember asked, walking beside him. Her fingers traced the spines of the books absentmindedly, her tone casual but curious.

"Advanced fire spells," Riven muttered, stopping at a section labeled Elemental Mastery: Pyromancy. His fingers hovered over the tomes before pulling out one at random.

[[ You have obtained a Set Skill Book!]]

[[ Set Skill Book: Fireborne Ascendance ]]

He flipped it open, scanning the contents.

[[ Skill 1: Flame Spears ]] … too straightforward.

[[ Skill 2: Ignition Burst ]]… destructive but inefficient.

[[ Skill 3: Lava Rend ]]… not bad, but too stationary.

[[ Skill 4: Meteor Drop ]] … interesting, but required too much casting time.

"Too slow," he muttered, shoving the book back into place.

Ember smirked. "Picky, aren't you?"

"I need something that fits me," Riven replied absently, already reaching for another book.

[[ You have obtained a Set Skill Book! ]]

[[ Skill Book: Wrathful Flame ]]

[[ Skill 1: Scorching Chain ]] … a binding technique that wrapped the enemy in burning links.

[[ Skill 2: Ember Cloak ]] … an armor spell that boosted speed and attack power.

[[ Skill 3: Crimson Mirage ]] … a fire illusion technique meant to deceive opponents.

[[ Skill 4: Infernal Burst ]] … an explosive, long-range attack fueled by condensed mana.

Riven's brows lifted slightly.

Now these were more his style.

He pulled the book fully from the shelf, his gaze flickering across the incantations.

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"Found something?" Ember peered over his shoulder, her curiosity evident as she leaned in.

Riven tilted the book slightly, his fingers drumming lightly against its aged cover. "I think so." A sharp grin tugged at his lips before he tucked it under his arm.

She nodded toward the far end of the room, where a desk was stationed with a staff member processing rentals. "You'll need a training room to practice it. They're available for rent if you have the merits or mana cores."

Riven clicked his tongue. Right. That problem again.

He was broke.

Ember must have noticed his hesitation because she let out a small sigh, then smiled. "Consider it a gift," she said lightly. "For making it into the second year."

His smile was bright and utterly fake as he turned towards her. "Thank you, sister." he said smoothly.

A faint flush dusted Ember's cheeks, and she quickly looked away, grabbing his wrist and dragging him toward the desk.

As they approached, the staff member barely glanced up, flipping through a thick ledger. "Name?" he asked, bored.

"Riven Drakar," Ember answered on his behalf.

The staff member hummed and slid a plaque across the desk, placing his palm over it. The runes on its surface glowed faintly before text appeared.

"This set skill book costs 40 merits, 25 common mana cores or 5 uncommon mana cores."

Riven's brows lifted slightly. He wasn't entirely sure of the conversion rates between merits and mana cores, but he could already tell—this skill wasn't cheap.

"I'd also like to rent a training room for a week," Ember added. "I'll pay in merits."

The staff member's expression didn't change. "That'll be 8 merits per day. Total comes to 96 merits for the week including the skill."

Without hesitation, Ember lifted her talisman. The staff member retrieved a small, rune-engraved plaque, pressing it against the talisman's surface.

A low hum of mana filled the air, and the glow of Ember's talisman pulsed faintly before dimming.

"Thank you for your transaction," the staff member said, handing over a small enchanted stone and the skill book.

Ember turned and placed both into Riven's hands.

Riven's face ached from forcing the bright, grateful expression. "Thank you, sister," he said smoothly. "I won't forget your kindness."

She waved him off, giving a small, genuine smile. "It's fine. I have to report to my Elder anyway. I'll let you get started."

With a final wave, she disappeared into the crowd of students.

The moment she was gone, Riven let the smile drop from his face.

He rubbed his aching face, glancing down at the skill book and the enchanted stone in his hand. A week-long private training room and a high-level skill book—for free.

His smirk curled at the edges. This was exactly why playing along was worth it.

Bleeding House Drakar dry before he tore them apart would make the final victory so much sweeter.

Turning on his heel, he made his way toward his assigned training room.

—x—

Riven strode down the long hallway of the library's second floor, his grip tightening around the enchanted stone that served as his key. The corridors were quieter here, lined with numbered training rooms, their doors sealed with shimmering runes.

A faint hum of mana pulsed through the walls, a constant reminder of the sheer density of magic that saturated this place. Even without activating his own mana, he could feel it—thick, charged, alive. It coiled in the air, pressing against his skin like an unseen force, waiting to be harnessed.

This place is built for growth.

Riven's smirk deepened as he reached his assigned room.

He placed the enchanted stone against the runes engraved on the door's surface. The markings flickered before a quiet click echoed, and the door slid open.

Inside, the chamber was vast.

Larger than he expected.

A training ground, reinforced with dark obsidian walls etched with containment runes. The ceiling arched high above, embedded with floating mana crystals that pulsed softly, illuminating the room in a dim golden light.

At the far end of the room, an artificial mana spring bubbled softly, releasing streams of energy into the air, replenishing the space with constant mana flow.

Riven stepped forward, his hands tightening around the skill book. Perfect.

This was exactly what he needed.

A space free from prying eyes. A place to hone his magic, to sharpen his fire into something lethal.

He placed the skill book on a small obsidian pedestal at the center of the room. The runes inscribed into the stand activated, allowing the book to hover slightly as pages flipped open on their own.

Riven read through the skills more thoroughly.

[[ You have obtained a Set Skill Book! ]]

[[ Set Skill Book: Wrathful Flame ]]

[[ The first skill: Scorching Chain.

A binding spell that wove chains of fire around an enemy, restricting movement while searing their flesh. ]]

[[ The second skill: Ember Cloak.

A defensive enhancement—fire-infused armor that increased speed, attack power, and resistance. ]]

[[ The third skill: Crimson Mirage.

An illusion technique—creating afterimages with bursts of heat distortion, making it nearly impossible for opponents to track real movements. ]]

[[ The Fourth Skill: Infernal Burst.

A long-distance, high-precision beam of concentrated mana-infused flame. By compressing fire mana into a single, razor-thin point, the caster unleashes a searing beam capable of piercing through defenses and incinerating targets with pinpoint accuracy. ]]

[[ Do you wish to start learning these skills? ]]

[[ Will take five days to learn ]]

[[ Yes/No ]]

His fingers curled, fire flickering between them as his mana stirred in response.

Riven took a slow breath, letting the raw power of the room's mana-rich air settle into his veins.

Then, without hesitation, he selected 'yes'.