A pity.
Tiered magic capped at 10 tiers. Beyond level 70 lay super-tier magic, unaffected by stacked caster levels.
Snapping back, Adam glanced at Papermaking but held off on spending skill points to upgrade it.
Until he understood the exact role of its "alchemy material" paper, he wouldn't advance the spell further.
The mana cost of 4th-tier magic gave him pause, a faint headache creeping in.
With his current mana pool, casting 4th-tier spells was impossible.
His original build prioritized warrior classes, with magic as a supplement.
This new discovery didn't derail his plans but sparked ideas he hadn't considered before.
"No matter what, acquiring a 'special class' takes priority. Everything else can wait." Adam murmured.
He reviewed his status panel again.
Adam noticed a key difference between upgradable lifestyle magic and true tiered magic.
Take Warm, now 4th-tier, as an example.
He could choose to reduce mana cost and cast it at 1st-tier strength, a flexibility true tiered magic lacked.
"Given lifestyle magic's properties, its cost-effectiveness is remarkable." Adam mused.
He glanced at his stats.
[Experience: 5893/9500]
Just over 4,000 XP short of raising Genius to level 10.
Adam wasn't in a rush, so he'd taken this day to rest and stabilize his emotions.
He'd initially estimated reaching level 20 would take two months, preparing a month's worth of food.
Once supplies ran low, he planned to return to Carne Village for restocking before heading back to the Great Forest of Tob.
But with Mugu's guidance, progress had outpaced his expectations.
During today's break, after reviewing his level-up gains, Adam shifted focus to another matter.
Alchemy.
Pharmacy.
These production skills scaled with level.
At Genius level 1, both skills were too weak to be effective.
Now, with higher levels, they shone.
Adam retrieved a plant from his Item Box, a deep green stalk with a thumb-sized, woody yellow flower, resembling common weeds.
This was Heat Leaf, a herb with anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties.
Adam knew little about herbs.
Though he'd studied briefly with Nfirea, his knowledge couldn't distinguish forest herbs from ordinary grass.
He'd learned Heat Leaf's effects from Mugu.
The Great Forest of Tob teemed with resources. Herbs rare in human society were less so in the forest's depths.
Humans feared venturing deep into the forest, but for Hobgoblins like Mugu, harvesting such plants was trivial.
"Pharmacy." Adam intoned silently.
The Heat Leaf glowed with emerald light, transforming into a small pile of woody yellow powder in his palm.
With a flick, he drew his iron sword across his hand, opening a four-to-five-centimeter gash. Blood welled instantly.
Unfazed, Adam sprinkled the powder onto the wound. A cool sensation spread, and within moments, the bleeding stopped.
"The 'Pharmacy' skill doesn't just grind herbs into powder, it enhances their potency." Adam murmured thoughtfully.
Mugu's Gigu Tribe lacked Pharmacists.
Their method was crude: crushing or chewing Heat Leaf and slathering it on wounds.
The effect was far weaker than processed powder.
Next, Adam recalled Nfirea's alchemy techniques. He took another Heat Leaf, ground it into powder, and poured it into a water skin.
He activated "Alchemy."
Soon, the clear water took on a faint green hue.
Adam cut a second gash on his hand and applied the alchemical solution.
The expected superior effect didn't manifest.
It was less effective than the powder.
Frowning, Adam muttered, "Alchemy solutions should outperform raw powder."
Nfirea's demonstrations suggested as much. Was his Alchemy level too low?
No.
Adam shook his head.
Though he didn't know Nfirea's exact Alchemist And Pharmacist levels at this point, Adam's were likely higher.
Players leveled differently from New World natives.
With enough experience, players could max any class effortlessly.
Natives required dedicated study. Maxing a class demanded unimaginable effort.
Like in his old world, no genius could master a discipline overnight.
Unless they had extraordinary talent.
Without time or player mechanics, maxing a class quickly was unrealistic.
If Adam recalled correctly, even four years later, when Nfirea developed the Gods Blood potion, his Pharmacist And Alchemist levels were only 4.
Of course, Nfirea's talent in both classes allowed him to perform beyond his level.
In truth, the Slane Theocracy had mastered Gods Blood Technology before Nfirea, though their version used costlier materials, unsuitable for mass production.
Refocusing, Adam eyed the faintly green solution.
If it wasn't a level issue, perhaps the dosage was off?
With his mana nearly depleted, Adam waited for it to recover while continuing his experiments.
***
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