Entry Fee

Su Ran, meanwhile, was already a Lv. 3 Mage with a Spirit attribute as high as 16 points. He also had a direct attack spell like Energy Missile and a useful piece of equipment like the Mana Ring.

The gap in their strength was rapidly widening.

A dungeon like [Crouching Tiger Slope (Easy)], which required Shield Guard and the others to give it their all but offered rich rewards, might, for Su Ran...

...no longer count as much of a challenge, and be more of a chance to obtain a steady supply of resources and... well, open treasure chests.

After a few more runs of simple dungeons like this, the gap between him and them would probably grow too wide for them to work together effectively. He might even end up being the one held back.

That was not because they were holding him back. On the contrary, it was quite possible that his presence would cause the difficulty of the entire dungeon to increase in a way that was not apparent.

After all, some special mechanics might adjust according to the highest level in the party!

Or perhaps the things he now sought—more profound and mysterious spell experiments, certain exceptionally rare materials, and so on—had long since diverged completely from what the others wanted, taking him in the opposite direction?

If so, it seemed inevitable and only natural that the two sides would eventually go their separate ways...

Su Ran sighed softly. In the world of professionals, parties formed and broke apart all the time.

Resources, strength, goals, and even luck could all play a part.

He and Shield Guard's group were merely random teammates in a temporary party. The fact that they had worked well together and had some trust in one another was rare enough.

He felt neither guilt nor reluctance over it. Everyone had their own path to walk.

All he could do was cooperate to the best of his ability and look out for one another while their paths still aligned, then leave a relatively friendly impression and perhaps a connection when they parted.

Let's work together a few more times.

Su Ran repeated the words to himself. Once his level was a little higher, or he found a more suitable party—perhaps other spellcasters, or a fixed party in need of a Mage's support—it might be time to part ways.

He turned his attention back to the present.

Tomorrow, he would set out for Crouching Tiger Slope. Before then, he needed to make a few preparations to ensure everything went smoothly.

First, he had to carefully check the scrolls he carried: he needed to make sure he had both Light Spell and Lesser Healing Spell ready. The incredibly powerful Berserk scroll was absolutely not to be forgotten, either.

It was a trump card for defeating enemies at a critical moment, and it could also save his life in an emergency. In addition, he had to carry several bottles of the newly acquired Small Mana Recovery Potion with him, just in case.

As for a weapon... one sturdy, thick Oak Staff was enough. But if he took the opportunity to practice Energy Missile diligently in actual combat, it would surely help a great deal with improving his accuracy and the speed at which he fired it in succession!

His thoughts were clear, and his goal was set.

Su Ran thought no more about it and began making his final preparations for tomorrow's dungeon run.

The city lights outside the window illuminated his calm, focused profile.

Early the next morning, at the gathering point in the dungeon Wilderness.

Su Ran arrived on time. From a distance, he spotted Shield Guard's burly figure with a massive shield over his shoulder, as well as the two Spearmen beside him, their faces equally full of anticipation.

They were huddled together, pointing at the light screen of a Personal Terminal, clearly making a final check of the guide information for [Crouching Tiger Slope (Easy)].

"Shield Guard," Su Ran called out as he approached.

The three immediately turned around. When they saw Su Ran clearly, their gazes all froze for a moment.

The Su Ran before them looked noticeably different from the somewhat slight young man in a plain Scholar's robe a week ago.

He wore a dark Cloth Robe of visibly finer quality, with traces of energy patterns flowing along its edges. The Oak Staff hanging at his waist was still a wooden staff, but its material and workmanship were clearly superior;

On his feet were supple, well-fitting leather boots. Most striking of all were the ring on his right index finger, set with a pale blue crystal and radiating gentle energy fluctuations, and the jade pendant of excellent quality around his neck.

More importantly, his whole bearing was calm and restrained. His eyes were clear and sharp, and he faintly radiated an indescribable pressure that belonged to a spellcaster.

"Sch... Brother Su Ran?" Shield Guard instinctively changed how he addressed him, his voice tinged with surprise and a barely perceptible awkwardness. "Your outfit's changed so much!"

"I made some gains."

Su Ran nodded without saying much about where the equipment had come from. Instead, he went straight to the important news. "Also, I used a Class Change Scroll. My class is now [Black Iron Tier Mage]."

"A Mage?!"

"You changed class to Mage?!"

Shield Guard and the two Spearmen cried out almost simultaneously, shock and disbelief written all over their faces.

A Mage! That was a conventional magic class that required a massive investment of resources and had a difficult early stage, but possessed enormous potential! It was far more powerful than the support-oriented [Scholar]!

"That's right."

Su Ran's tone remained calm as he dropped another bombshell. "I've learned a basic attack spell, Energy Missile."

He raised his hand and, with a slight movement of his will, the air in front of his fingertip rapidly twisted. A fist-sized, pale purple sphere of unstable energy instantly took shape, spinning slowly.

Though it was not large, its pure energy fluctuations and the faint sense of threat were unmistakable.

Shield Guard and the other two stared wide-eyed at the floating energy sphere, unconsciously holding their breath.

This was a real ranged spell attack, cast by a teammate!

For them, accustomed as they were to fighting hand-to-hand and thrusting with spears, the sight was immensely striking.

Su Ran then dispersed the Energy Missile and added, "I also know Berserk. I can use it when necessary."

Berserk! Although they had never used it, they had heard of the famed low-level god-tier melee skill!

Surprise and delight washed over Shield Guard and the other two like a tide. They had originally invited Su Ran because they valued his tactical mind as a Scholar and his scrolls.

They had never expected that in just a few days, he would trade his old musket for a cannon and become a Mage who had mastered an attack spell and had an explosive trump card!

What did that mean? It meant their party's damage output would undergo a qualitative leap!

It meant they had a better chance of clearing Crouching Tiger Slope, might suffer fewer losses, and could count on their rewards with greater certainty!

"That's great! That's great!"

Shield Guard excitedly slapped his shield, making it clang. "Brother Su Ran—no, Mage Su Ran! With you here, we're sure to reap a bumper harvest in Crouching Tiger Slope this time!"

The two Spearmen were also beaming and nodding repeatedly. With a real Mage added to the party, their sense of security was practically overflowing.

Once the excitement had passed, Shield Guard rubbed his hands, a slightly embarrassed expression appearing on his face. "Well, Mage Su Ran, Crouching Tiger Slope is a resource dungeon,

and you have to pay a resource-gathering permit fee to enter: two silver coins per person. About that..."