[Abandoned Mage Tower: Lv22] [Quality: Top-grade] [Requirements: Intelligence 500/Mage Tower Heir] [Note: Once the Abandoned Mage Tower has been opened, the only ways to leave are to gain the right to inherit it or wait for it to open automatically after 10 years.]
Returning to familiar ground, An Kai saw the familiar notification appear before him.
Since his attributes had yet to reach 100 points, he could only remain on the first floor.
He dragged the food behind him into the Mage Tower, filling half the available space.
Taking out the [Meditation Staff] and gripping it in his hand, An Kai walked to the center of the Mage Tower.
He spread Sally Bukelin's clothes from his Storage Ring beneath his backside and began his secluded training.
At present, [Meditation] required a full day to yield one attribute point.
An Kai had laid out a sensible plan for his upcoming training.
Finish meditating, summon a pet, slaughter it for skill points, rest a while, then resume meditating...
Two months later.
[Attribute points +1]
An Kai finished his meditation for the day.
With this attribute point in hand, his [Intelligence] would reach a new height!
[Intelligence +1] [Intelligence: 91]
As his [Intelligence] reached 91, the limits on An Kai's four spells were lifted once again.
Over the past two months, An Kai had accumulated 46 skill points through Summoning.
That included some pets that had no Magic Cores.
Elite monsters like the [Desert Crocodile: Lv9] had never appeared again.
Instead, he got ordinary pets like the [Grudge Puppet: Lv9].
It was humanoid in shape, with a grayish-white body.
An Kai was deeply dissatisfied with this thing, because he couldn't eat it!
The 46 skill points he had accumulated over two months, combined with his previous 21, brought his total to 67.
For someone with only four skills, that was more than enough!
An Kai swept his hand...
[Skill points -40] [Meditation proficiency +10] [Fireball proficiency +10] [Freezing Spell proficiency +10] [Summoning proficiency +10]
[Meditation Lv10 "100/100"] [Fireball Lv10 "100/100"] [Freezing Spell Lv10 "100/100"] [Summoning Lv10 "100/100"]
After two months of secluded training, all four of his Four Attributes had reached 90 points, with [Intelligence] reaching 91, and all four of his skills had reached [Level 10]!
An Kai was very pleased with his efficiency.
In another two months or so, he would be able to raise his attributes to 100 points and head to the second floor!
The first floor had provided him with spellbooks. What surprises would await him on the second?
He glanced at his food. He had consumed about a tenth of it.
That put An Kai's mind at ease.
Then he examined his four skills.
[Meditation] remained unchanged, still yielding one attribute point per day. An Kai was fairly certain that any change would have to wait until [Meditation Lv11].
With a thought, he manifested a Fireball.
It was another third larger than before.
Held above his head, it resembled a blazing sun inside the Mage Tower!
After inspecting it, An Kai waved the Fireball away.
With [Meditation] having leveled up, he found that controlling [Fireball] came even more naturally to him.
With another thought, [Freezing Spell] appeared. After the upgrade, its color was deeper, and its hardness had gone up a notch as well.
As the Manifestation appeared in An Kai's hand, waves of coolness radiated from his palm.
Once he had verified its effects, he dispersed it again.
Then he used the Summoning he had been eagerly anticipating!
A Six-Pointed Star Array appeared beneath An Kai's feet.
"Something edible, something edible..."
An Kai muttered as mana elements gathered toward him!
Two seconds later, a flash of light swept past!
[Stone Statue Giant: Lv10]
Looking at the giant beside him, over three meters tall and made of blue-green stone, An Kai's expectant expression instantly collapsed!
Without a second thought, he created a Manifestation of Freezing Spell, shaped it into a long staff, and smashed the [Stone Statue Giant]'s chest core with a single blow!
In an instant, the [Stone Statue Giant] collapsed into a heap of rubble inside the Mage Tower!
"Just my luck!"
An Kai cursed under his breath and kicked the rubble aside. He found no Magic Core.
He decided to cook something delicious to soothe his disappointment.
He roasted some [Desert Crocodile] meat over a flame. It melted in his mouth, leaving a lingering, savory aftertaste...
Once he had finished the [Desert Crocodile] meat, his belly felt full, and An Kai's mood improved somewhat.
After a short rest, he resumed his training routine...
Meditation → Summoning → exchange for skill points → rest → Meditation...
Two months and five days later.
By now, An Kai had spent four months and five days in secluded training inside the Mage Tower!
He had already surpassed the length of his previous training session!
Today, he could finally head to the second floor!
An Kai opened his eyes, took a moment to compose himself, and added the attribute point he had just earned to [Intelligence]!
[Intelligence +1] [Intelligence: 100]
With that, while his other three attributes remained at 99 points, [Intelligence] was the first to break through to 100!
At long last, a Mage Tower quest unlocked!
[Abandoned Mage Tower inheritance quest 2: Summon a tier two pet beast!] [Quest hint 1: The journey in pursuit of the truth of spells is destined to be a lonely one. Having a pet beast can soothe your lonely soul!] [Quest hint 2: The second floor of the Mage Tower contains the unranked spell [Summoning], with one use remaining. After learning it, advance to tier three as soon as possible! Then you will be able to summon a tier two pet beast!] [Quest hint 3: Until you obtain a pet beast, you must overcome your loneliness... Complete the quest to earn one chance to leave the Mage Tower!] [Quest hint 4: This quest is very difficult. Make your choice. If you give up on inheriting the Mage Tower, you may leave right now!]
An Kai smiled at the notifications before him. This was far too easy for him!
At the same time, An Kai suddenly understood why Will-Bukelin and Sally Bukelin had been so shocked by his [Summoning]...
So... only at tier three could someone summon a tier two pet beast?!
"Is it really that weak?"
An Kai muttered. He realized that, from the very beginning, he had been different from traditional mages...
The effects of the spells he learned were also different from those of traditional mages.
He had asked Sally Bukelin before. A [Lv8] Fireball was, at most, the size of two fists.
His, on the other hand, had already been as large as a [Typhon Giant] at [Lv8]!
That was also why Sally Bukelin had never been able to figure out An Kai's spell levels. She had never seen anything like them...
His current [Level 10] Fireball was even more absurdly large!
His [Meditation] and [Freezing Spell] were also different from those of traditional mages.
An Kai's [Meditation] not only granted attribute points, but also allowed him to sense danger, improved his control over spells, and more!
[Freezing Spell] was even more outrageous. A useless support spell meant for cooling things down and making ice had become a spell with multiple forms and astonishing destructive power in his hands!
And that transformation was still ongoing...
Now his [Summoning] defied traditional mages' understanding as well...
So An Kai believed there was a vast difference between him and traditional mages!
For now, he attributed all of this to his four balanced attributes...
With a soft chuckle, An Kai spotted the stairs to the second floor, now free of their mana barrier.
First, he shaped Freezing Spell into a net and tested the way ahead. Only after confirming there was no danger did he step onto the stairs leading to the second floor...
Thanks to Xuyang for the tip, and thanks to Wojiushiwo1, Book Friend 2020...690, and Shuizhongzhiyu for the monthly votes.
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