Mage

After resting enough and returning to peak condition, Su Ran turned his gaze to the pale purple crystal cylinder.

[Black Iron-grade class scroll: Mage].

It was the largest single investment he had made so far, and a crucial step in his plan to move from the support-oriented [Scholar] to the more proactive [Mage], a core spellcasting class with greater growth potential.

He picked up the crystal cylinder. It was slightly heavy in his hand, and beneath its icy surface, he could feel the active, orderly energy structure within. Unlike the gentle, accommodating energy of the [Scholar] scroll, it felt sharper and more precise.

Without hesitation, Su Ran gripped both ends of the cylinder and sent his mental power inside, activating the inheritance imprint at its core.

"Use."

The crystal cylinder suddenly blazed with deep purple light. Then, like ice melting in spring, it rapidly dissolved from where his hands gripped it, turning into a concentrated stream of purple light made up of countless intricate arcane runes.

Unlike the gentle influx from the Scholar scroll, this stream of light surged forcefully and purposefully into the center of his brow!

"Urgh!"

Su Ran let out a short, muffled groan, his body shuddering violently.

This time, the sensation was different from the violent impact of taking the [Tear of Blood]. It was more like a precise operation or reconstruction targeting the very origin of his soul and mind.

The pain was sharp and concentrated, as though countless tiny carving knives were precisely etching and branding entirely new rules and knowledge modules into the area deep within his consciousness connected to the origin of his class.

The existing [Scholar] class framework was not erased. Instead, this powerful force forcibly expanded, overlaid, and upgraded it,

shifting its core focus from recording knowledge and assisting in its application to understanding, manipulating, and shaping energy for attacks.

A flood of entirely new, systematic information poured into him:

Basic elemental theory: the elementary structures and differing properties of arcane, fire, frost, lightning...

Models for fine control of mental power, used to shape spells.

The principles of constructing and stabilizing basic spell models.

And the two most essential starting skills, directly bestowed upon him: [Meditation] and [Energy Missile].

The entire process lasted about ten seconds.

The purple stream of light disappeared completely into Su Ran's body, and the crystal cylinder vanished.

It worked!

He had succeeded on the first try with the class that had the highest failure rate for class advancement. His mental power, far surpassing others of the same level, had surely played a part.

Su Ran swayed and had to brace himself against the edge of the table to steady himself. His head felt swollen, as though an entire library's worth of new books had been stuffed inside, but stronger still was a sense of fulfillment, as if everything had suddenly become clear.

He could clearly feel a subtle change in the nature of his mental power. It had become more active,

more responsive to energy particles, and better suited to channeling and shaping them for attacks.

He immediately focused inward and checked his updated personal panel.

A pale blue screen unfolded, displaying information that had taken on an entirely new look:

[Level: LV.3.]

[Experience: 130/300.]

[Class: Mage.]

[Constitution: 8.]

[Strength: 7.]

[Agility: 7.]

[Spirit: 16.]

[Mana: 160.]

[Skills: Knowledge Insight Lv.3, Scroll Crafting Lv.2, Light Spell Lv.2, Lesser Healing Spell Lv.1, Berserk Lv.1, Meditation Lv.1, Energy Missile Lv.1.]

[Equipped: Skeleton Summoning Token, rabbit-hide boots (fine) Mind-Calming Jade Pendant (fine), cloth robe (fine), rabbit-hide boots (fine), oak staff (fine)...]

The panel clearly showed the changes he had undergone.

His class had successfully changed to [Mage]. As for his attributes, the 160 mana provided by his 16 spirit had become the absolute core.

With mana as the core, he could cast spells faster and keep going longer.

Two crucial new skills had appeared in his skill list. [Meditation] provided continuous recovery and support for growth, forming the foundation of a mage's endurance and potential.

[Energy Missile], meanwhile, was his first truly controllable ranged attack with considerable potential. It completely changed his predicament of lacking a direct means of dealing damage.

His existing Scholar skills had not disappeared, but had been integrated and retained in some form, especially [Knowledge Insight] and [Scroll Crafting].

On the mage's path, with its greater demands for energy and knowledge, they might prove even more useful than they had during his time as a Scholar.

Su Ran raised his hand and, with a slight thought, tried to channel his newly active mental power—or perhaps it should now be called the rudiment of mana.

The air before his fingertip rippled slightly as tiny specks of extremely faint, pale purple arcane energy gathered together.

They quickly took the shape of a fist-sized, slightly rotating and somewhat unstable pale purple sphere of energy—the rudiment of an [Energy Missile].

Although he was still unpracticed, slow to gather it, and poor at keeping it stable, this was unquestionably a controllable attack spell of his very own!

He dispersed the energy sphere, his eyes gleaming.

His investment had been transformed into strength. His path had already changed.

He was now a Lv.3 Mage with 16 spirit, a grasp of basic meditation and attack spells, and valuable support and crafting skills he had retained. His equipment, too, had been largely replaced with better gear.

It was time to plan his next moves anew.

Su Ran's gaze fell on the seven [Skeleton Summoning Tokens] in his 1.5-cubic-meter personal space.

Having seven tokens was certainly a good trump card, but right now, he needed money.

His earlier spending had nearly cleaned him out. The two silver coins he had left were not enough to support his next moves, whether he wanted to buy spell model scrolls or replenish other consumables.

Selling the tokens was unavoidable.

Before, as a [Scholar], bringing out a rare item with undead-summoning properties would have easily aroused suspicion and might even have invited unnecessary trouble.

Why would a low-level support class holder have something like that? Had he taken some evil path? Or was he hiding a secret?

But now, he was a [Mage].

A Lv.4 Mage with a spirit attribute as high as 16, wearing a [Mind-Calming Jade Pendant] that could steady his mind and a full set of fine equipment.

In others' eyes, he might simply be a young spellcaster with a little talent, or one who had stumbled upon some opportunity and begun walking the orthodox path of magic.

Though mages studying necromancy and summoning undead creatures were not part of the mainstream, they were by no means rare. It was an obscure branch of the mage's vast body of knowledge.

A mage possessing an undead-summoning item was much easier to explain: it might be a family heirloom, something he had obtained on an adventure, or even a byproduct of his own research.

Though the last was unlikely at his current level, how would outsiders know whether he had a mentor or a fortuitous encounter behind him?

The change in identity was itself a layer of protective coloration. Who knew what strange spells this young mage might have up his sleeve?

Pr ying into a spellcaster's affairs without caution, especially those of a spellcaster whose background was unknown, came with risks.