[Arcane Focus Bracer (Fine)]
Su Ran's gaze fell on the silver chest, and his fingers rested on its rough edge.
"First opening."
The lid flipped open.
There was no expected burst of white or green light. Two things lay quietly inside: a small pile of silver coins and a sheathed longsword.
He counted five silver coins. That was already far better than the copper coins or one or two silver coins he had expected—a direct financial gain.
He picked up the longsword. It felt slightly heavy in his hand. The scabbard was plain leather, and when he drew the blade, a cold gleam flashed.
The blade was longer and straighter than an ordinary iron sword. Its edge had been repeatedly forged and quenched, giving it a faint blue-gray sheen. A simple tower emblem was engraved near the guard.
[Quenched Longsword (Fine)] Attack +3–5, damage against undead +5%
It was a standard fine-grade melee weapon, with a bonus against undead and solid stats. It was one of the green equipment pieces the guide had mentioned, with an 8% drop rate.
Unfortunately, for Su Ran, a mage, it had no use beyond being sold for money.
"Not bad luck."
That was Su Ran's assessment. Five silver coins and a green longsword on the first opening put the rewards above the chest's average.
He sheathed the longsword and set it aside along with the silver coins. Then he looked at the wooden chest, which had automatically closed and reset.
Second opening.
He concentrated. This time, he deliberately reinforced his sense of identity as a mage in his mind.
He recalled precisely controlling his missiles in the dungeon, using Light Spell to counter the ghosts, and the feeling of maintaining suppression at the end even after his mana had run out.
"Open."
The lid slid open.
Once again, the gleam of coins was the first thing he saw. Five silver coins again. It seemed silver coins favored him during these openings, maxing out his direct financial gain once more.
Beside the silver coins lay an item completely different from the first.
It was a bracer.
Rather than leather armor or metal, it was woven from dense, dark-silver fabric traced with fine magical patterns. Several pale-purple crystal fragments the size of rice grains were set along its edges, emitting a soft arcane glow.
At the center of the bracer was a small, deep-blue arcane crystal about the size of a fingernail. Inside it, a nebula seemed to turn slowly.
Su Ran picked it up. It was soft and elastic to the touch, as though it could automatically conform to his wrist.
A gentle yet lively ripple of arcane energy immediately came from the bracer, resonating with the mana in his body.
Information flowed into his consciousness:
[Arcane Focus Bracer (Fine)] Spirit +1 Effect: Slightly increases affinity with arcane energy and modestly reduces the mana cost of casting arcane spells. Improves spell model stability.
Equipment for spellcasters! And a practical piece that directly increased Spirit while also reducing mana costs and improving stability!
A flicker of satisfaction passed through Su Ran's eyes.
Although +1 Spirit was not a huge increase over his current base of 16, the 5% reduction in arcane spell costs and the improved stability were tangible benefits.
This meant that casting [Energy Missile] would cost him less mana in the future, and his spells would be less likely to fail or lose power because of outside interference or his own mistakes.
This was far more useful to him than the [Quenched Longsword]!
On the second opening, the rewards had indeed reflected his identity as a mage and his fighting style.
The five silver coins replenished his funds, while the [Arcane Focus Bracer] directly improved his spellcasting ability.
He put the bracer on his left wrist.
The bracer automatically tightened to a comfortable fit. The pale-purple crystal fragments and the arcane crystal at its center glowed faintly at the same time, then their light faded inward.
A cool current of energy flowed through his wrist and into his body, invigorating his mind. His perception of the surrounding arcane energy particles also seemed a little sharper.
He closed the chest, and it then dissolved into motes of light. Su Ran flexed his wrist, feeling the subtle changes brought by his new equipment.
From the two openings, he had obtained a total of ten silver coins, a green longsword he could sell, and a useful mage's bracer.
It was quite a haul.
Over the next few days, Su Ran's research and contemplation led him to new discoveries and plans.
While browsing posts on unconventional spell applications and discussions about summons, he happened across a piece of information: buff spells that strengthened the caster or allies
could affect summoned creatures. Their effectiveness depended on the summon's spirituality or energy-bearing capacity, as well as the spell's compatibility.
[Berserk] was a spell that stimulated a target's latent potential. In theory, it could potentially affect Skeleton Warriors, undead summons with simple combat instincts.
However, its effect would be greatly weakened and unstable, and it might accelerate the summon's deterioration.
The information stirred something in Su Ran. The Lv.2 Skeleton Warriors summoned by the [Skeleton Summoning Token] were low-level, but they did possess simple combat instincts.
If [Berserk] could affect them, even at reduced effectiveness, it could raise the combat power of this cannon fodder by a whole level,
and perhaps have unexpected uses in certain situations. He made a note of the idea, planning to try it when he had the chance.
For now, however, improving his own strength was fundamental.
He threw himself back into the Rock Training Center. This time, his goals were clear and challenging: grind up the level of [Energy Missile] and gain a basic grasp of [Berserk].
He spent some of his remaining silver coins on digital study materials for apprentice mages covering advanced [Energy Missile] techniques and basic applications of [Berserk]. They were expensive but well reviewed.
The materials came from experienced mages' collected insights or fragments of lecture notes that had leaked out of academies. They were far more efficient than simply figuring everything out himself.
According to the materials, raising [Energy Missile] from Lv.1 to a higher level hinged on several key points:
Streamline unnecessary stabilizing structures and increase the speed of gathering and shaping energy. While maintaining stability, increase the energy density per unit volume of the missile to improve its power.
Improve control over the missile's trajectory after release, and even attempt simple curved shots or slight tracking adjustments.
Shorten the mana recovery time between casts to achieve rapid successive firing.
Mastering [Berserk], meanwhile, placed more emphasis on guiding and controlling berserk energy. The caster had to stimulate the target's potential
while minimizing its side effects—reduced defense and weakened rationality—and attempting to shorten the subsequent period of weakness.
Su Ran set himself a goal: to train in seclusion until he had raised [Energy Missile] to at least Lv.3 and gained a basic grasp of [Berserk].
He swiped his monthly pass for the training room again and shut himself inside the familiar spell range.
For the next five days, he trained relentlessly, barely distinguishing day from night.
When he was hungry, he ate high-energy compressed rations. When he was thirsty, he drank the water he had brought.
When he was tired, he leaned against the wall and meditated to recover, or practiced [Meditation].
When his mana ran out, he used a [Small Mana Recovery Potion].