Infinite Mana Exorcist

Nimora's destructive attitude toward Asher was understandable. Having a defected twin, Melissa must have put a lot of pressure on her to never show weakness—to be strong enough to make up for her brother's failures.

Which meant excruciating training.

Asher did not feel bad about it. He was making her stronger earlier than most, and eventually, she would come to thank him. That was his mentality.

Now, he walked through the inner halls of the castle, holding in his hands the sheets from his teacher, heading for his room.

So far, I have only been able to gain a bit of strength from training.

Asher recalled the first time he had started practicing Soul Art. It had been difficult, but with the Eyes of Insight activated, he was able to grasp the fundamentals within days. In just a year, he had mastered both the basic and intermediate levels.

That was already far beyond what his sister had accomplished in the same period. And in the years that followed, Asher had dedicated himself to learning about Exorcists' innate abilities.

It turns out what makes Exorcists dangerous in the game isn't just their martial arts, he mused. That's what I used to believe, but their true power lies in their innate abilities.

According to what Asher had deciphered with his Eyes of Insight, an innate ability was a unique trait one developed at the age of twelve. This trait allowed a person to command supernatural forces—fire, shards, stone, or other elemental forces.

Each trait, when combined with Soul Art, became a powerful weapon capable of overcoming the skills of swordsmen, assassins, and archers alike. Only magicians stood a chance against them.

At times, Asher wondered whether he could still obtain a job class despite being an Exorcist.

In his past life, he had been a Swordmaster—a warrior with the skill to wield any weapon to its fullest potential. Be it a sword, a spear, or even a mythic weapon, he could wield them as if he had trained for years with them.

"I wish to get that skill back in this life."

He clenched his fists, yearning for the strength he once had.

Finally, he reached his room.

The wooden door was old and wrinkled with age, the hallway dimly lit. No guards were stationed outside.

This was the poorest of poor standards in the kingdom. Queen Melissa no longer cared whether he was assassinated in his sleep.

How humiliating.

But this was the path Asher had chosen. At times, he doubted whether it had been the right decision, as it brought disgrace to his family name.

A son of the Great Vance Exorcist Kingdom—now nothing more than a rat in a den of wolves.

"Wow, that drops a minus hundred Steeze. Almost makes me sentimental."

Shaking his head, Asher pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The room was small, almost suffocating. A single bed, a wardrobe, and a shelf of books by the window were the only notable features. It was a step down—a punishment from his mother after she had lashed him with the most terrifying whip imaginable.

Asher walked over to his bed and tossed the books onto it.

"Display my stats."

A holographic blue screen materialized before his eyes.

[Stats]

Strength: 2

Agility: 1

Stamina: 1

Intelligence: 1

Mana: Infinite

Asher's expression soured.

Despite his efforts to train and build his physique, his stats had remained stagnant. Just like in the game, stat points could only be gained by killing beasts or enemies.

At his current power level, even the weakest beast would be a challenge. Without an Exorcist blade, he stood no chance. Even if he had one, the fight would be a tedious, drawn-out struggle.

Sighing, Asher lay back on his bed, staring at the cracked ceiling.

In a few weeks, the Exorcist Kingdom would host a major contest—an event he knew little about, as the game had focused elsewhere during that time.

But from what he had learned through books and from his mother, the contest was a brutal survival event.

All Exorcist families were required to send their children into the Soul Forest for three days. The strong would survive, and the weak would perish.

The Exorcist Kingdom... truly a cruel place to be born in.

The forest would be filled with spirits, beasts, and even desperate travelers—some who wouldn't hesitate to resort to cannibalism.

For Asher, it was the perfect opportunity to grow stronger.

Despite his past life's experience, his actual fighting experience in this world was still limited. He had never truly fought another person—only self-trained and relied on in-game experience.

"I'll run into trouble eventually."

If only he hadn't been declared weak and banned from the training grounds, he could have sparred with a guard and gained real combat experience.

"Mum must be thrilled. This is a golden opportunity to get rid of me."

[Why don't you cultivate?]

A sudden notification from the system jolted his thoughts.

"Can I even cultivate at this level? I don't have any mana stones or magical items."

[Not my problem.]

Asher clenched his fists at the infuriatingly nonchalant response. He swung an irritated punch at the floating hologram when—

Knock. Knock.

A voice called from the hallway.

"Lord Asher, the Queen requests that you get dressed and prepare to enter the kingdom."

Footsteps retreated immediately after.

Asher's gaze followed the sound as he listened carefully.

Just as the guard turned the corner, Asher caught the man muttering under his breath.

"Can't believe they sent me to such a dump. Why is this defect still even alive?"

Asher did not flinch. He wasn't angry—just curious.

"What does the Queen need me for?"