–– the brain is your weapon, and knowledge is your power.

Ren pressed a resolute without a second thought.

“Are you sure you want the [Arcanist] Subclass, adventurer?” Hairtoe asked, eyes stretched wide and lips grinning with sharp teeth on display.

Ren was tempted to press [Skip] but restrained himself. He was getting impatient from all the roundabout ways of getting his subclass, which showed in his tone of voice. “YES!”

Hairtoe didn’t mind Ren’s voice, and he laughed in glee. “Alright. From now on, you are an ARCANIST! Your brain is your weapon, and knowledge is your power!”

Augh . . . you just repeated the Arcanist description.

“Uncover the secrets of ARCADIA and further your knowledge about the world, and you will surely become invincible.”

The crystal necklace on Hairtoe’s neck glowed, and Ren was enveloped in a warm light. But in the others’ eyes, he was just talking normally with Hairtoe.

Other players already talked to the grumpy gnome only to be snubbed by him. In their mind, Ren was just wasting his time, and they resumed whatever it was they were doing.

Ren was over the moon, and he immediately checked his stats.

‖ S T A TU S ‖

Name: Ren

Age: 19

Race: Sprite

Class: Mage

Subclass: Arcanist 𝗯𝐞𝗱𝐧𝐨𝘃𝐞𝐥.𝗼𝗿𝐠

Eye Color: Silver

Hair Color: Black

A T T R I B U T E S:

HP: 65 +100

MP: 80 +100

STR: 3

DEF: 64

MDF: 9 +5

INT: 66 +10

AGL: 54

LCK: 126 +5

S K I L L S:

Mana Conversion LV.1 (Passive)

–– 10% replenish mana upon a successful hit

S P E L L S:

Heal LV.1

–– cost 5 MP

–– single target

–– 10% replenish HP

–– 1 Min. cool down

Fire LV.2

–– cost 10 MP

–– inflict 10% fire damage based on INT

–– single enemy target

–– 2 sec. cool down

Teleportation LV.1

–– cost 50 MP

–– teleport within 1000m distance

–– x1 day

Grimoire LV.1

–– cost 50 MP

–– 10% percent chance of using 50% power of any Spell book, Skill book, and Scrolls without restriction to race or class

L I F E S K I L L S:

Cooking: Beginner

Fishing: Beginner

Foraging: Beginner

EXP: 5000

Money: 10 447 gil

I T E M S:

● Newbie Garb x1 (Equipped)

● Long Staff x1 (Equipped)

● Protection Ring x1 (Equipped)

● Phantom Cloak (Legendary) x1 (Equipped)

● COVENANT’s map x1

● Pelka Meat x 143

● Premium Meat x7

● Horned Rabbit Queen’s Meat x2

● Midnight Fur x5

● High Potion x5

● Chocolate Cake x1

● Chocolate Cookie x1

● Gold Pix Axe x1

● Gold Knife x1

● Cat Suit (Crafting) x1

● Cat ears (Crafting) x1

● Cat tail (Crafting]) x1

● Lolita Headdress (Crafting) x1

● Black Cloak (Forging) x1

● Phantom Claw (Forging) x1

● Black Ribbon (Rare) x1

● Phantom’s Revenger (Rare) x1

● Spellbook (?) x1

● Skillbook (?) x1

‖ E N D ‖

Ren looked at his [Grimoire] spell. 10% chance was low, and only 50% power was worst — no wonder not many chose the Arcanist class.

Though the spell was OP in the long run, it was hard to level up. Ren needed at least a good amount of gil and time to buy books and scrolls for him to copy and execute so he could level his [Grimoire] spell.

However, as long as the level increased, so as the percentage, and Ren had no problem spending some gil. And when he leveled it enough . . . he would surely be invincible like Hairtoe said.

Ren gave Hairtoe his thanks before he pondered if he should use his [Skillbook (?)] and [Spellbook (?)] now that he was an Arcanist. It would surely give him a spell and skill unique to the Arcanist subclass.

“. . .” Yosh.

Ren made up his mind and used his [Skillbook (?)] and [Spellbook (?)]. It was better to level them this early and reap the benefits.

And besides, Ren could still acquire [Crystal Chest] later in the game.

‖ S P E L L S ‖

Heal LV.1

–– cost 5 MP

–– single target

–– 10% replenish HP

–– 1 Min. cool down

Fire LV.2

–– cost 10 MP

–– inflict 10% fire damage based on INT

–– single enemy target

–– 2 sec. cool down

Teleportation LV.1

–– cost 50 MP

–– teleport within 1000m distance

–– x1 day

Grimoire LV.1

–– cost 50 MP

–– 10% percent chance of using 50% power of any Spell book, Skill book, and Scrolls without restriction to race and class.

Mind Palace LV. 1

–– can store the details of a spell/skill you know/acquired in a room in your Mind Palace.

–– can use any spell/skill as long as it is stored in the room of your Mind Palace regardless of race and class.

–– skill/spell depends on ATP

–– capacity: x5

–– MP costs the same as the original spell/skill

‖ E N D ‖

‖ S K I L L ‖

Mana Conversion LV.1 (Passive)

–– 10% replenish mana upon a successful hit

Probe

–– probe spells/skills of your enemies and store them in the empty room of your Mind Palace

–– 100% success if LCK is higher

WARNING!

–– cause dizziness for 10 seconds if Probe is unsuccessful.

‖ E N D ‖

Ren blinked.

It was the first time that he encountered such spells and skills. [Probe] and [Mind Palace] goes hand and hand. Was it because he used a skill/spell book simultaneously?

Mind Palace was like [Grimoire] but only ten times better, less expensive, and more powerful since it depends on his ATP! The x5 capacity was low, but it could be leveled up, so he had no problem in that department!

In fact, the spell was too perfect!

And with [Probe], he could even store and use his enemies’ skills and spells that otherwise weren’t available in book and scroll form.

Like the unique set of spells/skills of [World Bosses] that couldn’t be bought, replicated, or available elsewhere!

Ren definitely didn’t regret using those books now!

With this, he could just focus on leveling his Mind Palace!

Ren couldn’t contain his grin, and he was in an excellent mood as he approached Leonel, who was still arguing with the Fairy about the expensive price.

Ren shook his head and pulled Leonel by the collar. The one thing he enjoyed with Leonel’s Dwarven Race was that he could now drag him whenever he wanted. Though he was very heavy.

Ren couldn’t do it in real life since Leone was taller and heavier than him.

“You have to lower your prices! No one will buy from you if you keep this up! I’m telling you this for your own good,” Leonel kept shouting at the Fairy while the other players looked in their direction, snickering and pointing their fingers.

Ren closed his eyes and lowered his head. “Let’s go,” he grumbled, face flustered.

By this time, the [World Chat] must be exploding about the appearance of the [Classless Merchant], and every villages and the one their in would be crowded with players once more.

Leonel took a turn and hugged Ren’s leg, and the latter skidded to a stop.

“Ren! Those items and weapons are awesome! They have, like, two digits increase in your ATP! If we equipped it this early on, we would become invincible! But the price . . .”

Ren looked at Leonel’s shaking puppy eyes. Those were his eyes when he wanted something so badly.

Ren sighed. “We can’t afford it. Maybe in the mid-game.”

Leonel frowned and pouted. “But at that time, it would already be too late! Others would acquire it too. You know more about this game than anyone else! There must be a way! I really want that armor and shield. Please! I’m begging you!”

Ren shook his head and repressed a laugh. Leonel’s face was so funny when his faked beard was shaking. “I can only research, but I can’t do miracles. I can’t just make gil appear whenever I want.”

“No! No! NO! There’s got to be a way!” Leonel cried, and Ren shook his feet so he could escape Leonel’s tight grip.

But all of a sudden, Leone suddenly went still before he pointed his finger forward.

“Hey. What’s that?”

Ren looked over at where Leonel was pointing. What he saw was a group of players converging in a single spot. There were five of them, so they attracted a lot of attention, and based on their aversion and the way their bodies distanced from one another, everyone seemed to be strangers.

They must be a group put up together on the spot.

“Do you think they’ll go to a dungeon? There’s one about an hour away from here, or so I heard.” Leonel was on his toes, and he had already forgotten about the Classless Merchant.

Ren could only shake his head and sighed. Leonel’s attention span was really just a minute or so before another attracted his eyes.

“They must be attempting the Thunder Cave,” Ren said. It was the only dungeon that was near Ironto Village. And it’s one of the elemental dungeons scattered near the newbie Villages.

In Euclid Village, it was the Frost Cave.

“We should definitely join them. I wonder if they needed more members.” Leonel was about to head in the group’s direction when Ren stomped his shoes on his cape.

“Hold it.”