By the afternoon, Lucian's body flickered, and he opened his eyes.
"Nice, Tier One!" Lucian threw a fist in the air, visibly excited.
He spread his fingers wide, and a faint light glowed in his palm. A marble-sized orb of white light slowly condensed there.
"Go! Kamehameha!" Lucian struck a dramatic, over-the-top pose and launched the Mana Bolt forward. It flew at a moderate speed before crashing against a rock wall and exploding with a soft pop, leaving a faint white mark behind.
"Eh, that's so weak." Lucian scratched his head, disappointed.
Lysera spoke up. "Of course it's weak. You've just reached Tier One. Once you reach the Sacred Rank, a single mana projectile, condensed with all your magical power, could destroy a city of a hundred thousand people."
"For real?" Lucian looked stunned.
"Absolutely. But Mana Bolt is just the most basic use of mana. Real magic is where true power lies. With the same amount of mana, a proper spell can be several times—no, dozens or even hundreds of times more powerful than a mere Mana Bolt."
"That said, Mana Bolt has its uses. It doesn't require chanting, guiding, or drawing a magic circle. As long as you can gather mana, you can fire it. It's extremely simple."
"That's why, in mage duels, Mana Bolts are still a very effective form of attack."
"So it's like a normal attack, I get it." Lucian nodded in understanding.
Lysera couldn't help but laugh at his overly straightforward interpretation—but he wasn't wrong.
The Mana Bolt was to a mage what a sword slash was to a swordsman, or an arrow shot to an archer.
"But everyone else's mana has an element. Yours doesn't," Lysera suddenly pointed out, eyeing the faint light in Lucian's hand.
Lucian blinked. "Element? What element?"
"Like fire, water, wind, earth, light, dark, ice, lightning, wood, and metal. Everyone is born with different affinities. Some have a natural affinity for fire, so their mana leans toward fire. Others lean toward water, or wind, and so on…"
"Before Tier Three, mages can learn spells from all elements to build a broad understanding of magic. But after Tier Three, they have to specialize based on their elemental affinity to truly grow stronger and advance more efficiently."
"But you're different. Your mana has no attribute."
"So that means…" Lucian rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "If I don't have an elemental affinity, and I have that magic analysis thing, doesn't that mean I can learn all types of magic? I don't need to specialize in one—I can master multiple?"
"Master of all attributes?"
Lysera stared at him silently for a moment.
"You really are a little genius, aren't you?"
He actually got it right.
"Yes, that's correct." Lysera nodded, a little helpless.
Lucian's uncanny grasp of these systems was honestly impressive.
"Usually, even people with non-elemental mana can technically learn spells from multiple elements, but due to limitations in time, talent, and learning efficiency, most can't master everything. At most, they can become multi-attribute users."
"But with your system, once you analyze a spell, you can fully master it. Your non-elemental mana constitution truly allows you to become a full-attribute mage—without suffering from elemental counters."
"And since leveling up through combat also improves my body and mind, I'll become a man with no weaknesses! Balanced in every way!" Lucian added proudly.
Lysera paused. "…Yeah, exactly."
"Hahaha! I really am the protagonist!" Lucian laughed gleefully, feeling very pleased with himself. He even felt like giving himself a thumbs-up.
"Oh right, now that I'm Tier One, did I unlock the copy slots?" Lucian asked suddenly.
"You did," Lysera confirmed with a nod. "At Tier One, two copy slots are unlocked."
"You can copy any skill from any target that possesses one. Once copied, you can analyze it. After analysis, you'll be able to use that magic yourself."
"Wait, for real?" Lucian was visibly thrilled. His eyes shifted toward the unconscious Elviva Sol.
He immediately used one copy slot and pulled up her skill panel.
⸻
[Condense Metal] – Minor-rank spell. Condenses a lump of metal. Negligible power. Useful for shaping.
[Aqua Beads] – Minor-rank spell. Condenses a bead of water. Negligible power. Drinkable.
[Flame Flicker] – Minor-rank spell. Produces a spark. Negligible power. Useful for ignition.
[Glowlight] – Minor-rank spell. Creates a small light orb. Negligible power. Useful for illumination.
[…]
⸻
Lucian stared at the panel, slightly confused.
"So… I can only copy spells that are the same tier or lower than me?" he asked.
Lysera shook her head. "Not exactly. You can copy any spell the target knows."
"But there's something important I need to explain."
"'Analyze' has no tier limit. As long as the enemy casts the spell and you see or sense it, no matter how powerful it is, you can analyze it directly."
"But if the spell hasn't been actively cast, you have to rely on 'Copy' to obtain it first—and that's what we call 'Copy and Analyze.'"
"Both 'Copy' and 'Analyze' individually have no restrictions."
"But 'Copy and Analyze'—for now—can only handle spells of the same tier."
"For now?" Lucian caught the key detail.
Lysera nodded. "Right. Once you rank up, you'll be able to copy and analyze spells above your own tier. The real breakthroughs come at Tier Four, Tier Seven, and the Sacred Rank."
"That applies to living beings. If the spell is stored in a book, a staff, or some kind of artifact, and it's within your sensing range, you can analyze and copy it regardless of its tier."
Lucian nodded in understanding.
'Copy' and 'Analyze' were different from 'Copy and Analyze.' That distinction was important.
He then asked, "So if someone casts a spell way above my level, I can still copy and analyze it, right?"
"Yes," Lysera confirmed. "But analyzing takes time, and being able to cast it is another issue entirely. Some high-tier spells demand more mana than your current capacity can handle. There are also other limitations. Without the proper tier, it's almost impossible to cast them."
Lucian nodded solemnly. "Then I'll just raise my tier!"
He then looked at a list of Tier One spells.
⸻
[Metal Morph] – Tier One spell. Condenses metal, allowing for basic shaping. Low hardness. Weak power.
[Vinebind] – Tier One spell. Summons wooden vines to lash or entangle. Low durability. Weak power.
[Fireball] – Tier One spell. Condenses a fireball for short-range attack. Weak power.
[Lumen Bolt] – Tier One spell. Condenses a light-element mana sphere for short-range attack. Weak power.
[…]
Well, "weak power" was still better than "negligible power."