NOVEL WEB Chapter 45: The First Player to Promote
If his real-life friends and family were to know that he was dedicating himself to studying something that came out of a fantasy game, they’d mock him for wasting his time. But this was no laughing matter; the game always brought him the thrill he never experienced. Despite the often dirty thoughts that occupied his mind, William could be dead serious when the situation demanded it.
William’s eyes flashed with determination as he sat cross-legged and initiated the meditation for the day. Usually, this process happened automatically, allowing him to log out and attend to his real-life responsibilities. However, today was different; he had taken a leave of absence just to make this breakthrough once and for all.
The air in the room quietened down, with only the faint sounds of other players’ unconscious bodies and William’s rhythmic breathing filling the atmosphere. His chest rose and fell in a steady pattern, his expression serene, with only slight movements beneath his closed eyelids. It was as though his body knew this action well.
After an hour of deep concentration, several red spots of light materialized around William’s forehead, resembling a gathering of fireflies. These luminous spots danced around him before gradually entering his orifices. A sensation of warmth coursed through the areas where the light had entered.
“Could this be the process of tapping into one’s inherent elemental affinity?” William pondered quietly, excitement simmering beneath his composed exterior; he was just one step away.
Moments later, William felt his entire body shudder. Muscles on his face twitched as mana swirled in the air around him, and beads of sweat formed and rolled down his skin. He felt as if he were inflating, like a balloon about to burst. Then, just as suddenly, he returned to a peaceful state as his body stabilized.
After some time, William exhaled the air from his lungs and cautiously opened his eyes. A sense of profound transformation filled every nook and cranny of his being.
“Have I... advanced to become a first-stage Initiate Attunement acolyte? My body feels different…” William stared at his hands, which were surging with endless power, opening and closing them. The changes he experienced were beyond words. It felt surreal, as though he was in a dream.
William extended his palm, and a layer of red-colored light condensed upon it. It was warm, almost hot.
“No way, right?” The words were laced with excitement. He could now clearly perceive the energy and elemental particles in the air and even manipulate them to some extent.
Still unconvinced, William accessed his stats through his Shadowlink Mark. Only tangible information could truly confirm what had happened.
Prominence
HP: 100%
MP: 11/11
Power Rank: First-stage Initiate Attunement
Elemental Affinity: Pyro (89%) | Electro (63%)
Mana Aptitude: Inferior bright grade
Meditation Technique: Myriad Elements Method (first level, 0%)
Status: Healthy
Strength: (7 → 12)
Agility: (6 → 12)
Vitality: (6 → 12)
Magical Power: (0 → 2)
Inverted Mana (total): (0 → 11)
“Finally! Hahaha! I’ve finally been promoted to the Initiate Attunement rank!” William’s excitement wasn’t solely because of his successful promotion; it was also fueled by the fact that he had recorded the entire process. This meant he could post it on the official forum and boast like there was no tomorrow. After all, being the first player to achieve the status of a true acolyte was no small feat!
If this game had levels, he would be level two. It might not sound high, but it was higher than the other players who were still stuck on level one.
Now, the only obstacle between casting a spell and me is learning a spell model. But darn it… each one is so expensive that I can only buy one after all this time… Even though he had played the game since day one, his total merit points were no more than 1,235.
Regardless, his highest elemental affinity was Pyro, and he had been meditating on the Pyro section of the Myriad Elements Method. It was only logical that his first choice of spell would be of the Pyro element, which meant fire. With what little merit points he had, choosing the one that suited him best was a no-brainer.
“Well, being a fire mage is not too shabby. At least, it’s better than dealing with death like what SuperNova will do, ha-ha!” William hummed and browsed through the virtual shop to see the list of available spell models. “What to choose, what to choose.”
As he looked at the available spells, he discovered that there were actually two spell models for Pyro, unlike the others, which had only one option aside from Anemo: {Flame Dart} and {Ember Shield}. One was for offense, and the other for defense. Simple enough. Being a hot-blooded player, William held the saying “offense is the best defense” in the highest regard, so his finger naturally hovered over {Flame Dart}, and he made the purchase.
The e-book of the spell was then downloaded into his Shadowlink Mark, and he could now access it. William began to read the contents of the spell e-book written in characters he was unfamiliar with (Seraphian) but could read as easily as English. However, as he delved into the text, his eyebrows twitched in shock — what he saw was beyond his wildest imagination.
“This game… Isn’t this a bit way too hardcore?!” He was rendered utterly speechless.
Setting aside the insane amount of fantastical content, the complexity of the book’s material made university-grade textbooks seem like children’s storybooks. Heck, he doubted whether his modest brain could even memorize the first paragraph without rolling his eyes a thousand times in the process.
Strange… My head feels clearer than normal… Is this the effect of the breakthrough in the game? Even so, it was all but impossible to memorize the spell model in a day or two, much less mastering the spell itself. Were the game developers on drugs when they were writing this, or were they just crazy for expecting players to grasp it all?
Perhaps he should mention this on the official website to advocate for a more manageable method of learning magic spells. As a closed-alpha player, he felt it was his duty to provide suggestions and contribute to the game’s improvement.
But then, an ingenious idea sparked in his mind as he was thinking about this. “Can I… record this spell model and share it in the group?”
Storm had previously mentioned similar loopholes, but the game developers couldn’t be so dumb as to overlook this one. Either way, he decided to give it a try and record the spell model to test the result afterward. If this glitch could be exploited, then there would be no need to repeatedly purchase the same spell models.
As William was grinning silly, one of the players’ unconscious bodies across from him abruptly lurched upright and swiftly shifted positions. The room’s dim lighting and the fact that the body’s eyes remained tightly shut only intensified the eerie sensation. William’s heightened perception after the breakthrough made it even more unsettling.
“Ugh! Maybe I should log out now…”
***
The news, of course, reached Victor’s ears as he was monitoring the said players. He didn’t even need to wait for him to post a thread on the official website forum to know the predicament the player faced; he had been keeping tabs on the situation behind the scenes ever since he felt the mana fluctuation of someone breaking through.
“Is there any way to help players memorize these spell models?” Victor pondered aloud. This question had been on the back of his mind for some time.
It wasn’t only about mere convenience for the players, but because of time constraints as well. The invasion was imminent, and if the players who had met the criteria were able to cast magic spells by then, it would make a significant difference and help the situation a lot.
“Um, are you really asking about that now? Well… it’s not like there’s no way.” chimed in Lizbeth, the fairy perched on Victor’s left shoulder.
“I’m listening.”
“Y’see, the Shadowlink Marks do have the ability to transmit information to their hosts’ brains. It won’t grant instant comprehension like grimoires, obviously, but it’s akin to memory crystals,” she explained.
Victor’s eyes widened. “Wait, you’re telling me this was possible the whole time?!” Why didn’t she say this sooner? This would have saved him so much time writing down the spell models…
In fact, other than the two spell models he had written, there were more that he hadn’t put up on the virtual shop. No, if there’s no issue, she wouldn’t dare withhold information… Unless she wants another pay cut, that is.
“Of course, it’s possible!” Lizbeth replied with a mischievous grin. “But there’s a catch. Only individuals who can use inverted mana can utilize this method. Without that capability, the Shadowlink Marks won’t be potent enough for magic transmission.”
Magi only gained the ability to do magic transmission when they reached the rank of Elemental Adept. Victor, with his current level of power, couldn’t perform this without the assistance of specialized magic tools. It was the reason he hadn’t tried to transmit information to the players before. This requirement was also part of the process for creating memory crystals.
Hmm… The construction of a spell model is the cornerstone for a Magus to cast spells. This process includes a series of intricate variations as well as the precise construction of the spell model itself.
Transmitting the information was one thing; mastering it was an entirely different challenge. However, if players could see the spell model while casting and visualize it accordingly, it could significantly aid them when constructing the said spell model. This, in turn, would accelerate their mastery of magic spells.
“Alright then! It’s decided. Let’s create a feature to assist players in casting magic spells, and we’ll call it ‘Assist Casting 1.0,’” Victor declared, flicking his fingers.
“What is this Assist Cast-whatever you’re talking about?” Lizbeth tilted her head.
Indeed, after all, all of these thoughts had been going on inside Victor’s head, so he told her the tentative idea he came up with.
“Mm-hmm! The idea is entertaining at least, so I’m on board to help.”
With that said, the human and fairy duo set to work designing a system that would ultimately be a game-changer.