"First-Tier Magic – Magic Arrow!"
Under a clear blue sky, the handsome youth lifted his hand with a casual flick.
A shaft of pure mana formed in midair, then screamed forward, punching cleanly through a goblin's eye socket. Blood sprayed; the arrow quivered, then broke apart into pale light and vanished.
The small goblin squad that had rushed out from the roadside copse—green-skinned, barely a meter tall, wearing nothing but filthy rags around their waists—showed no fear at their comrade's death.
If anything, they howled louder.
Five humans.
Over ten goblin warriors.
Outnumbering the enemy by more than three to one, the goblins roared and surged out of the trees.
"Second-Tier Magic – Multi Magic Arrow."
Mana surged out of Uchiha Soren's body; nearly a third of his reserves vanished. Several glowing arrows blinked into existence around him, then shot forward at his mental command.
The lead goblins raised crude wooden clubs, trying to bat the projectiles aside—only to watch, wide-eyed, as the arrows curved mid-flight, slipping around their defenses and piercing eyes, throats, and brow ridges.
Three arrows.
Then three more.
The sudden drop in numbers made the remainder skid to a halt, panic finally breaking through their animal bravado. Under the pounding noon sun, sweat poured down their backs as they stared at the unhurried noble youth calmly conjuring more magic arrows.
Then they turned, scrambling over each other to flee back into the forest.
"Second-Tier Magic – Acid Arrow."
Mana swelled again.
A green-tinged arrow hissed through the air, spearing a goblin through the neck. White smoke curled from the wound as a wet, corrosive sizzle spread through flesh and bone.
"Mister Thief, I'll trouble you to go into the forest and locate their nest."
Though his mana was almost spent, Soren felt no mental fatigue at all. For a Six Paths-level spirit, these low-tier "spells" were barely on par with basic ninjutsu—hardly enough to strain him.
"Understood, Young Master Soren."
The thief, stomach already rumbling with hunger, didn't hesitate for a moment under that bright, sharp gaze. He slipped after the fleeing goblins on light feet, vanishing into the trees.
"Young Master Soren, everything is ready. You may take your meal."
Under a broad tree in the shade, the magic caster had already spread a carpet and laid out fine dishes purchased from the last city. Rich aromas drifted in the air.
Seeing Soren nod, he bowed out of the way and went to one side to eat his own lunch, eyes drifting now and then toward the scattered goblin corpses.
He'd long since gotten past the initial seasick shock.
A super-genius, huh. Big deal.
He bit into a piece of white bread and tasted faint bitterness.
On this continent, the magic caster profession had evolved over a long time into three clear "tiers" for ordinary casters. True geniuses were considered outside this framework entirely.
0th Tier – Apprentice Magic Caster.
These newcomers hadn't learned any true First-Tier spells. What they could use were little tricks and cantrips—minor conveniences for daily life. A spark of light that could only illuminate a fingertip, for example. Ridiculously mana-inefficient, barely useful.
First Tier – Proper Magic Caster.
This was the level an apprentice might reach after three to five years of hard study.
In RPG terms, Level 1–6, roughly equivalent to copper or iron-rank adventurers.
Only someone who could successfully cast at least one First-Tier spell was recognized as a true magic caster.
For most people with average talent and average effort, First Tier would be the peak of their entire magical career.
Soren had once compared them, half-amused, to "fresh university grads—can't find a high-paying job, but going to the factory to tighten screws is no problem."
Of course, a magic caster's social status was worlds above any factory worker. A faith-type caster at First Tier could already heal minor injuries. They'd be treated as a valued village doctor, or a precious support in a low-level adventurer party.
Second Tier – Elite Magic Caster.
This was the true ceiling for an ordinary magic caster, reached only after years of persistent effort.
Level-wise, they sat around 7–14, matching silver to gold-rank adventurers.
Second-Tier casters were highly respected. While First-Tier casters served close to commoners, Second-Tier casters were often employed by nobles or even directly by the crown.
Beyond that…
Third Tier and above no longer belonged to "ordinary people."
That was the realm of geniuses—no amount of effort alone would get you there.
And Soren?
Soren had just demonstrated what a true monster looked like.
On day one, he'd learned every First-Tier spell the male magic caster could teach, shrugging off his apprentice status and becoming a full-fledged magic caster.
On day two, his level began to skyrocket, climbing from Level 1 to Level 6 as he picked off roadside beasts with Magic Arrow, proving not just his talent but his precise control.
On day three, under the worshipful gaze of the priestess Lilinette, Soren's class level hit 7—silver-rank on paper—and he successfully cast his first Second-Tier spell, stepping onto a height most people never even glimpsed.
On day four—today—his grasp of Second-Tier magic was already so smooth he made it look easier than the male caster's own Third-Tier spells.
The goblin squad they'd fought at noon had an average level around 5. Taking them out usually required a fully armed iron-rank party. A lone silver-rank adventurer—around level 11—could maybe clear them, but it'd be tough.
Soren had shredded them in seconds as casual warm-up.
Four days to walk a road most people couldn't finish in a lifetime.
It was enough to make a self-proclaimed "genius" Third-Tier caster feel like his years had been fed to a dog.
The respect Four Weapons showed Soren now had very little to do with his noble status. Even looking only at future potential, he was already somewhere they'd never reach.
"Young Master Soren."
Lilinette, completely conquered in both body and soul, no longer cared in the slightest who saw what.
She was practically glued to Soren's side as she sat with him on the carpet. The holy symbol of the Earth God that used to hang proudly across her chest was now regularly displaced by a young noble's arm.
She shot a quick, sideways glance at the still-pretending-to-be-dignified warrior, Succamer, letting her gaze linger with ill-disguised amusement on the other woman's strong, armor-free curves… then pressed herself closer, eyes soft and sly as she lifted food to Soren's lips.
(…Do I really have to be the one to make the first move? You're the man here!)
Succamer took a savage bite out of her chicken leg, as if the poor roasted thing was personally responsible for her frustration. The last scraps of her feminine restraint were crumbling at high speed.
(Looks like tonight, I'll finally get to see how tight and strong those legs really are.)
In between bites, Soren allowed himself a quiet look at the warrior seated cross-legged on the carpet. After years of training, her legs were long, powerful, and beautifully toned.
Clamped around a man, they'd be a completely different experience from Lilinette's plush softness.
After lunch, Soren's main body was still in the Ghost Ninja Village, "building rapport" with Shrine Maiden Momiji, so this version of him—his clone body—simply patted Lilinette's arm when she tried to burrow into him again.
"Go lie down on the bed and rest a little."
He watched her pout, then happily crawl toward the little bed.
As for him, he leaned back into the carriage cushions and pulled up his status.
— Uchiha Soren
Class: Elemental Mage – Fire (Lv 10)
Skills: First-Tier Magic; Second-Tier Magic (Multi Magic Arrow, Acid Arrow, Flame Arrow…)
Composite Level: Lv 10 (Silver-rank adventurer – equivalent to elite human soldiers)
Ascension Points: …(increasing)
(Elemental Mage – Fire could go higher, but there's no need.)
He sank into thought, fingers drumming lightly on the armrest.
In this world, whether you were human, Dragon Lord, or a player from Yggdrasil, your power didn't come from one class.
It came from the sum of all your racial and job levels.
Take the guildmaster of Ainz Ooal Gown—Momonga, later Ainz Ooal Gown himself—as an example:
Racial: Elder Lich (Lv 15); Overlord-type Undead Mage (Lv 10)…Classes: Necromancer (Lv 10); Elder Magic Caster (Lv 10)…
Stack enough of those together and you got a neat little Level 100 monster.
Soren's job now was to assemble his own build.
(If there's an Elemental Mage – Fire, there's naturally Elemental Mage – Water, Lightning, Earth…)
(Fortunately, with the nature of my spirit, I can link directly to the Magic Sea. I might not be able to pick exact classes like players, but skewing things in the right direction shouldn't be hard.)
His eyes gleamed. In the next instant, his consciousness plunged once more into that faraway place:
A vast, surging sea of mana, more awe-inspiring than even the Grael Life Lake back in the Shinobi World.
(All of this will be mine someday.)
A flash of naked hunger rippled across his face, then vanished.
Following the thread of his Fire connection, Soren drew mana in from the void, reliving that sensation of "first becoming a magic caster."
His status shifted again.
— Uchiha Soren
Class: Elemental Mage – Fire (Lv 10); Elemental Mage – Lightning (Lv 1)
Skills: First & Second-Tier Magic
Composite Level: Lv 11 (Gold-rank adventurer – equivalent to a top-tier human unit)
Ascension Points: …(increasing)
(As my level rises, my link with the Magic Sea deepens.)
(But this isn't something that jumps all at once—it's a slow sinking of my brand deeper into that ocean.)
He resisted the itch to simply dump Ascension Points and brute-force Lightning from Level 1 to Level 10.
This cloned body had no bloodline, no chakra, no innate talents—just pure, mortal flesh. Forcing too much mana into it too fast was a great way to turn it into a smear.
(Each level-up increases mana differently. The higher you go, the bigger the jump. This fabricated body needs time to adapt to every surge.)
(From Level 1 to 10 took four days. To go from 11 to 20 might take twenty days. Maxing to 100… at this rate, the Otherworld Shinobi Continent will have descended, and this body will still be stuck somewhere around Level 90.)
If he said that out loud, he'd probably be laughed out of the continent.
Even the weakest Frost Dragon Lord hadn't reached Level 50.
Among humans—those with "player bloodlines," revered as godspawn—the strongest hadn't yet broken level 90.
In the Shinobi World, going from first chakra extraction to "Level 90"—a super-Kage equivalent—was something only a literal handful of people had ever done.
Doing it in six years was insane.
(To hit Level 100 as fast as possible, I'll need a flood of Ascension Points—and a complete overhaul of this body's foundation with powerful bloodlines.)
Poor men relied on mutation.
Rich men relied on technology.
Soren wanted both.
(Bloodline research is already bearing fruit at the Academy. Human trials on bloodline limits will start soon.)
(It's time to bump Otherworld racial bloodlines higher on the priority list.)
The real problem was manpower.
(We don't have enough top-tier researchers. Tailed Beast studies, bloodline studies, crops, chakra-based energy systems, weapons—all of them need heavyweights to lead.)
Two names surfaced in his mind: Orochimaru and Hiruko.
Both geniuses. Both needed time to mature. Both dangerously lopsided in their interests.
(They'll need to broaden their portfolios—especially into agriculture and husbandry.)
With peace taking root in the Shinobi World, population growth was inevitable. Konoha first, then every other hidden village.
Right now, the world was land-rich and people-poor. Add the Otherworld, and that became even more true.
But it wouldn't stay that way forever.
(Better to be ready early.)
(And traditional crops and livestock can be pushed into the "supernatural" tier too.)
Those "spirit herbs" and "spirit beasts" from his previous life's novels—bite into one and your cultivation soared—were not necessarily out of reach.
The Otherworld's massive, mana-infused beast herds, as well as the toads of Mount Myōboku and snakes of Ryūchi Cave, were all walking proof of what the right environment could produce.
"Young Master Soren, the thief is back."
A knock sounded at the carriage door. Soren opened his eyes, pupils as dark as ink—just in time to see Lilinette stirring.
The increased mana swirling around him made her eyes go wide.
"Young Master Soren, you leveled up again?"
"Just a small step."
His current strength didn't even match a full-fledged chūnin. Nothing to brag about.
Still, Lilinette hugged his arm, rubbing her soft cheek against him like a cat.
Her eyes curled into crescents.
"Young Master Soren, you're amazing at everything~~ Tonight I want to be your cream puff again."
"You little temptress. Tonight's main role might not be yours this time."
He slapped her playfully on the backside and opened the carriage door, stepping out toward Succamer.
Behind him, Lilinette peeked through the doorway, covering her mouth with a giggle as she watched the warrior report.
She was very much looking forward to Succamer's performance tonight.
"Young Master Soren, the thief found the goblin nest around ten kilometers from here." Succamer's report was crisp. "Total numbers around a hundred. The leader is roughly Level 10. Shall we proceed with a subjugation?"
Given Four Weapons' mithril party strength, a goblin nest like that wasn't much trouble at all. With Soren watching, Succamer was itching to show what she could do.
"We ran into it; we might as well wipe it out."
Soren had wanted to experience the "adventurer lifestyle" anyway. Goblins did nothing for him but contribute Ascension Points.
"And since I've just powered up, they'll make good practice."
The male magic caster glanced over at once.
A caster's strength could be judged by the mana signature flowing around them. Some people even had special eyes that literally saw mana. There were also magic items that could mask that presence.
(He really did get stronger… At this rate, he'll be throwing Third-Tier spells soon. Have I been wasting my life this whole time?)
The man quietly despaired.
The thief, on the other hand, was full of reverence. He had already mentally demoted himself into the "retainer" category.
(Damn it, how did Lilinette get to him first…)
Succamer's feelings were a swirling mix, but she quickly forced herself back into professional mode.
"Young Master Soren's growth is a blessing," she said. "But when we engage the goblin nest, please remain inside our defensive perimeter."
"Don't worry, Captain Succamer."
Lilinette stepped up and hugged Soren's arm tight again, her smile sugary-sweet.
"I'll stay right by Young Master Soren's side the whole time. His safety will be absolutely guaranteed."
The thief and magic caster both dropped their eyes in unison.
(You are the single biggest threat to his safety.)
Succamer watched her dear friend weaponize her chest again, anger bubbling up… but she couldn't let personal feelings cloud judgment on a job.
Her chest rose and fell once, twice. When her breathing steadied, she forced a smile.
"Then I'll be counting on you, Lilinette."
After a brief prep, the five of them left the carriage and food behind, bringing only necessary gear as they slipped into the forest.
The woods lay not far from the large city of Re-Bororol. Being deep in human territory and under steady control by Re-Estize, only low-level monsters remained within. Each spring, as the snows melted, the Adventurer Guild issued clearing quests to prevent starving monsters from raiding nearby villages.
Back when they were still weaker, Four Weapons had taken jobs here more than once, and they knew the terrain well.
They cut down a few wandering beasts on the way and soon, under the thief's guidance, arrived at a patch of trampled grass marked with child-sized footprints.
"The goblin nest is close. Get ready."
Succamer pulled her helmet down, the attached face-guard clicking into place. With a sweep of her arm, the party spread out into battle formation.
"Second-Tier Magic – Lesser Strengthen Strength."
"Second-Tier Magic – Lesser Strengthen Agility."
Soren and the male caster each raised their staffs, buffing Succamer and the thief.
After final checks, the five crept deeper into the goblin's territory.
Ten seconds later, through the weave of trunks and leaves, they spotted goblins moving between crude huts.
"Second-Tier Magic – Multi Magic Arrow."
At Succamer's signal, Soren fired first.
Three arrows corkscrewed through the air, curving around tree trunks to kill three unsuspecting goblins still roughhousing with their kin.
"Enemy attack!"
Shrill cries echoed through the nest, chaos spreading.
"Don't panic!"
A roaring voice cut through the din, stabilizing the goblins.
The goblin chief, a head taller than the rest, rallied the warriors in short order. His eyes swept the treeline, quickly locking onto the five humans advancing through the undergrowth.
He frowned.
Why now? It's not even time for the seasonal sweep yet!
But seeing his own people drop like flies, he bared his teeth and charged.
"All adult goblins, grab your weapons and charge!"
"All the children—run for the deeper mountain!"
With no time to prepare, all he could do was throw the adult goblins' lives into the meat grinder to buy the young ones a chance.
Soren watched, genuinely intrigued.
The goblin's words were utter gibberish to any normal human. Yet he understood them perfectly.
A few guesses later, he had an idea.
Players could do this.
Natives generally could not.
If he could pin down the underlying logic, it would make future inter-world travel much simpler.
His hands didn't stop moving.
Another volley of Magic Arrows ripped through the ranks.
Interestingly, his newfound levels hadn't changed the base power or mana cost of the same spells. The world's system rules remained unchanged, as if he were playing a very strict, very literal game.
"Third-Tier Magic – Lightning!"
Beside him, the male caster finally finished chanting. His staff flared, and a jagged bolt of lightning tore through the air, blasting a chunk out of the goblin front line. The chief took the hit as well, one arm turning charred black in an instant.
(So that's Third-Tier Lightning, huh. Power-wise, it's about on par with a C-rank Fireball.)
(The system pegs me as chūnin-level now, but I still can't squeeze out C-rank power from Third-Tier spells. My two Elemental Mage classes only really shine with Third-Tier and above.)
(What a pain… this world really is shackled to game mechanics.)
Even as he complained internally, he couldn't help looking forward to future tests.
Based on this baseline—assuming the male caster as a "standard" mage—Soren's Elemental Mage – Lightning class basically stacked two buffs over his spells:
Reduced mana cost for lightning spells.
Increased power for lightning spells.
Simple. Brutal. Effective.
Under the lightning strike, the goblins staggered but did not break. They gritted their teeth and pushed forward again.
The male caster, having blown a big chunk of mana on a Third-Tier spell, dropped into a cooldown slump.
The thief yanked a crystalline blue vial from his belt and hurled it into the advancing mass.
The bottle shattered on impact, and a wave of killing cold spread across the ground. Ice locked goblin feet in place, and the bitter chill turned their movements sluggish.
"Kill!"
Succamer charged, her shout ringing like steel.
Her enchanted axe flashed, and a ghostly second axe formed alongside it. Her weapon's unique ability—Double Strike—allowed a phantom axe to mirror every swing with equal force and speed.
She slammed into the chief first, the twin blades carving through his guard and dropping him in two swift exchanges. Then she drove straight into the mob, carving a path with storm-like ferocity.
Amid the goblin shrieks, her leaping silhouette had a fierce, savage grace.
The thief picked off any goblin who tried to draw a bow, his hand crossbow snapping and reloading with practiced ease. A raised arrow? A bolt in the throat.
The magic caster recovered enough to resume casting Multi Magic Arrow, helping thin the herd.
Soren, naturally, didn't stand idle.
Goblins were still experience.
In this world, experience meant Ascension Points—and he had big plans.
Once things settled down in the Shinobi World, he planned to bring Hikari over and see if Eight Thousand Spears could mark Otherworld humans.
They had no chakra.
But they definitely had spiritual energy.
If the mark worked, the two Uchiha cheaters would hit another growth spurt.
Hikari's path to Six Paths-level would speed up.
His own Law Power refinement would accelerate.
And this clone could afford to spend Ascension Points on levels without any hesitation.
"First-Tier Magic – Clean."
The butcher's work ended quickly.
Lilinette, who'd been waiting with staff ready, finally raised it and cast a simple spell. A soft glow washed over Succamer; the blood clinging to her armor vanished in an instant, leaving polished metal gleaming.
Soren's eyes narrowed.
This spell, in his heart, ranked right up there with spatial teleportation as divine magic.
After battle, after… other forms of "combat"—this one spell erased all traces. Clothes, skin, scent, all reset to default.
Perfect for someone who liked to go from one woman to the next without wasting time.
To a certain kind of man, Clean was nothing less than a specialized time magic.
They didn't bother chasing the last of the fleeing goblins.
Instead, they retraced their steps out of the forest, chatting idly as they walked back toward where they'd left the carriage.
When they stepped out of the treeline, the clearing lay before them.
The place where the carriage had been parked…
Was completely empty.
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