I walk back towards the main hall and head towards the counter where the earlier attendant is waiting for me.

  “With the test done you've become a full-fledged Bronze rank Hunter. Is there anything I can assist you with?” She asks as she hands me a card.

  “Could you have a room set up for me, just for the night? And can I have directions to the nearest staff shop so I can get some gear? I'll be leaving tomorrow morning, so there's no need to prepare for a long stay,” I ask.

  “Of course, sir. There's a general weapons shop that's two blocks down and to your left. Moe's Supplies. They also sell other things for beginner hunters, so feel free to stock up there. If that's all, visit the attendant two lanes over when you return and they'll show you to your room. If that's all, have a good day.” She tells me, and after a quick goodbye I head out to buy the rest of what I need.

  After a brisk walk down the street I turn and enter a shop that's filled to the brim with things, from bags to swords to magic armor. Since I can't see what they have to offer, I walk up to the counter and wait in line until the clerk is done and waves me over.

  “What can I do for you today, sir,” he asks as he puts some coins away.

  “I was wondering if you could help me find some gear, as I'll be heading out on my first hunting job tomorrow,” I say as I look around. “I was hoping you could help me find a robe that allows some movement as well as a staff that's good for channeling [Dark Magic]. Preferably something durable that I could use at close range as well.”

  “I'm sure we can find that for you sir, if you'd give me a moment,” he says as he stands up and walks into the back of the store. A minute later he comes back with a folded robe and a staff, as well as a pack that seems filled.

  “This is a Dark Oak staff made from trees grown in the nearby forest. The best we have for channeling, as well as an enchanted robe that amplifies wind magic a lot and dark magic a bit. This bag is filled with enough supplies to last you a weeks journey. Food, potions, a waterskin, and a firestarting kit. If you'd like, we can also add some traveling clothes that can hold up decently to wear and tear. This here costs you a gold and a half. Adding the extra clothes will make it a gold and 6 silvers, Enchanted travel wear is a gold and 3 quarters. I sigh before opening my bag and handing over 18 silvers. I'll only have 2 left afterwards, but traveling gear is very important, so I relent.

  After grabbing my gear, I head back to the Hunter's Guild, I check in with the attendant and get led to my room. It’s a bit small, about 5 meters by 8, but it'll be good enough for a night. After getting settled I head down to the training area so I can work on my spells. I have a lot of skills I need to level up, like [Sound Magic], [Dark Magic], [Calculator], and hopefully I can get a couple more skills for my class.

  I start off by forming more [Dark Blasts] and firing them off at mannequins until I hear the system chime in my head again.

  “Skill [Dark Blast] learned. Would you like to add it to your Class skills?”

  “Yes” I say, before switching to sound magic. If I'm using it in combat, I need to learn a few spells.

  First I craft the target point with my mana, making it shoot out in front of me. Next, I fiddle with the type point until I get something that feels like a wave. With the effect point at change it to damage, and after charging it with sound magic. I aim toward a training mannequin and fire my spell off.

  Sound explodes around me making my ears ring as a blast of sound and vibrations is sent off at the training mannequin.

  “Ouch,” I rub my ears before forming a new spell. I have to protect my ears if sound magic hurts them this much. I leave the target point of my spell empty, and make my type point an effect.

  After that's finished I work with the effect point, aiming to make a protective coating, and after a bit, I finally figure it out. Finally, I add the duration effect to make it long and weak, before pumping sound mana into it. After a second, my whole body is covered in a very weak shield of sound magic that blocks out all sound.

  “That's not right. I just need to block out a specific sound,” I say, dropping the shields, and when I do, I notice everyone staring over at me in shock. I scratch my head and apologize before reforming the sound coating matrix I made before.

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  “Since leaving the target point empty just affects myself, maybe I should modify it so that it can only affect my ears, which are the parts that need defense against my sound magic.” With that, I reform the target point to be something under a targeted self effect. After that, I work on the effect to make it filter sound, and after four layers into the matrix, I finally find a filter area, so I make it filter really loud sounds. After that, I cast it on my ears and it applies so I cast a [Sound Wave] again and it doesn't hurt my ears. I actually can't hear it at all, which means I can't see it either.

  “Blinding myself to magic and other loud noises is probably a bad idea. I should work on it more, and maybe change it to a dampening effect instead of filtering out all sound. I'll probably still need four layers of magic on the effect point, but it'll be worth it. For now though, let's work on some more magic spells.”

  After this, I work on my sound magic to try and change the effects of my spells, making them more targeted, higher pitched, anything that could give me an edge. And after another two spells, I get a system message

  “Skill [Sound Magic] has leveled up from 1 to 2.”

  “Nice,” I say and continue practicing. Combat will help me level my skills faster, but a basic understanding is very important to have.

  After my small pool of sound mana runs out, I move to dark magic, and not too long into my training, I get another message.

  “Skill [Spellcraft] learned. Would you like to add it to your Class?”

  I take a moment to think about this. While adding it to my class would mean I still have a skill slot, it'd probably be better in a Magician class than a mage class, since it's a Passive skill. I don't have any more space for General skills though, and it is vital to my combat potential I the future. After a bit more deliberation I finally speak up, “Yes, add it to my Class skills”

  With that, I pull up my menu. And listen to the descriptions of my new skills.

  “Dark Blast 1: Darkness is formed into a ball and is shot forward, dealing damage to the target as well as 10% of the damage as splash damage to those within 0.5 meters. Damage and range scales with level. School: Dark, Projectile (Minor)

  “Spellcraft 1: Forming spells is faster and easier. You also gain a better understanding of how to target specific points to get the desired effect from each. Speed and understanding scales with level. School: Crafting (Spells)”

  With that finished, I take a break from magic to rest my mind and mana pool. Unsure of what to do, I lay down on a bench briefly, before getting up and walking over to the instructor.

  “You said you'd teach me Swordsmanship, correct? I'm a little interested in learning and some more combat experience would be good.”

  He looks over to me again before tossing me a sword. It's thin at the tip and slowly becomes a little thicker as it goes down the blade, ending in a hand guard that covers it completely. After I catch it I hold it in my hand towards him and he immediately begins to laugh.

  “That's not how you hold a sword at all, kid. First, your grip is too strong. Holding a sword should be loose so it can move easily, but firm so you can move it how you want. It's a balancing act. There's no need to hold it in a death grip.

  “Next, that sword is not at all like the slashing sword you think it is. While it can slash, that one is better at thrusting. Try holding it with just your thumb and forefinger, and have the other three resting on the back as support. That'll provide better movement while also letting you thrust.”

  With a deep breath to calm myself from the excitement of learning swordsmanship, I change my grip and move my sword a little. Since I was young, I always wanted to wield a sword like those heroes from fairy tales, and now I can. I better take it seriously.

  “Now ready yourself. We'll spar a but then I'll instruct you on how to better use your sword after you get a bit used to it.” And with that, the instructor lunges at me with his sword held out.

  I jump back and try to thrust, but I have to pull my sword back to block his blade. Our blades clash and I barely hold on as he slides off mine. He readies another attack putting me on the defensive while I barely block his sword with mine, and not a minute later I'm knocked over and hit in the head.

  “Your movements are good. Clean. But you have no experience with a weapon at all. You also have an empty off hand that is just in the way,” he says as he walks over to a wall mount and looks at the weapons and shields on it. “I suggest either grabbing something to defend yourself with or learning how to use it. Since you're a mage though, I'd say something defensive would be best. Catch this. Your [Dexterity] and [Agility] should make this work,” he says as he throws me a dagger. The hand guard is big like my thrusting sword, and the guard on the sides are really long, with prongs coming out the top and bottom.

  “That's a parrying dagger. It'll be good for blocking weapons and grabbing onto them with the prongs. When I swing at you, block it with the dagger, and twist your hand so it gets caught between the blade and the prongs.” I do as he says and catch the sword on the guard before twisting it and catching the sword.

  “Good. Now try pushing my sword around. You have more leverage than I do, so it shouldn't be too hard.”

  I do as he says and his sword moves wherever I try and push it too. After some back and forth with more instruction we spar again, and while I still lose it's noticeably better than before.

  “Keep training with a sword and you'll be at least good enough to defend yourself. I'd teach you more, but you're leaving tomorrow, so consider this my farewell. Don't die kid. It's not a good look on you.” The instructor wanders off to help some other trainee, and I grab my stuff and head to my room before instantly crashing down and sleeping before I can even take off my clothes.