Deep within the Small Fang Tribe, in front of an aged wooden hut, Sakeer stood with the old priest Lizardman.
Scattered around the entrance were several large clay vats, each containing different materials.
One was filled with live, plump fish, another stacked with strangely scented herbs, and a third held a collection of multicolored stones, their surfaces smooth and unnatural.
Sakeer's gaze settled on the vat filled with stones.
"What are these?"
The old priest Lizardman stared blankly before responding in a dull voice.
"Colored ore."
His tone was lifeless, but he explained without hesitation.
"We crush these stones into powder to create paint for drawing totems and patterns on our warriors."
Sakeer picked up one of the stones, rolling it between his fingers.
"Do they have any special properties?"
The old priest simply shook his head.
"No."
Sakeer lost interest immediately. Tossing the stone back into the vat, he swept his gaze over the wooden hut, then gestured for the old priest to lead the way inside.
The wooden structure was clearly ancient. Its thick support beams, driven deep into the damp earth, were covered in moss and creeping vines.
Like most Lizardman dwellings, the hut followed a stilted design—the lower level serving as a foundation while the upper level was the actual living space.
Lizardmen, as an amphibian subspecies, preferred damp, humid environments, yet their homes were built elevated above the ground.
Sakeer stepped inside.
Immediately—
A thick, rancid stench assaulted his senses.
He wrinkled his nose.
"It reeks in here."
Without hesitation, he raised his hand, casting "Odorless" twice in succession. A faint ripple of magic light spread through the room, and the overwhelming stench quickly dissipated.
Now able to breathe properly, Sakeer took in his surroundings.
The hut was crude and unadorned—bare wooden walls lined with necklaces and pendants made from unknown bones, alongside shields fashioned from shells.
Ugly.
Completely impractical.
But what caught his attention wasn't the decor—it was the scrolls.
Lined up neatly on a makeshift bookshelf, dozens of scrolls crafted from animal hides sat stacked in careful rows.
His eyes lit up.
"This is your tribe's entire knowledge archive?"
The old priest nodded sluggishly.
As the only remaining priest, he alone had been responsible for guarding and preserving the tribe's knowledge.
Sakeer wasted no time.
Stepping forward, he plucked a scroll from the shelf. Unfurling it, he was met with rows of indecipherable symbols—the written language of the Lizardmen.
To him, they looked like scribbled nonsense.
With a sigh, he tossed the scroll back onto the shelf.
"Pull out everything related to magic."
He had no patience for deciphering texts manually. Though he could use "Translation Magic", he knew its limitations.
Back in E-Rantel, Master Belori had warned him that translation spells could only provide a general understanding—they lacked the precision required for scholarly study.
So, why waste the effort when he had a living translator right in front of him?
The old priest obediently sifted through the scrolls, selecting six from the pile before presenting them to Sakeer.
One by one, he listed their contents:
A guide to herbal concoctions.
Studies on faith-based magic.
Methods to predict future weather.
Instructions on fish breeding and lake management.
Sakeer raised a brow.
Most of these had nothing to do with magic, yet the old priest seemed to believe otherwise.
For instance, their weather predictions—which were likely based on sky patterns and seasonal changes—were treated as divination magic.
Even fish farming techniques were seen as arcane knowledge.
Sakeer ignored the useless scrolls, focusing only on faith-based magic.
As he expected, it consisted of low-level spells—predominantly first-tier and second-tier auxiliary magic.
Disappointing.
Even the most powerful spell recorded here was merely third-tier magic, and even that was barely worth noting.
He finally glanced at the scroll detailing herbal concoctions, but after skimming through it, he scoffed.
"This isn't even alchemy—it's basic herbalism."
To him, the Lizardmen's potion-making skills were no more advanced than that of a human apprentice in traditional medicine.
"No wonder this tribe is so weak."
Sakeer sighed, shaking his head.
Just as he was about to discard the last scroll, the old priest hesitated.
Then, as if mustering the last of his purpose, he picked it up and began to explain.
Sakeer listened, but in the back of his mind, he was already thinking about his next target.
Another Lizardman tribe would surely have stronger knowledge, stronger magic…
And perhaps—
A treasure truly worth taking.
"This is knowledge of Magic Enhancement," the old priest Lizardman explained, his voice slow and measured, tinged with faint disdain.
"It requires significantly more mana to use and allows the caster to forcibly activate high-level magic that would otherwise be beyond their capabilities."
He cast a sidelong glance at Sakeer before continuing.
"To maximize its effects, a magic ritual must be performed. However, the mana consumption is immense, making it an impractical method for most Magic Casters."
A pause.
"There are also restrictions."
The priest's tone turned even more dismissive.
"Enchantment magic merely alters the target's perception of the caster—it does not change their original mindset or beliefs."
From his attitude alone, it was clear the old priest placed little value on this branch of magic.
But—
Sakeer's eyes flickered with interest.
Magic Enhancement?
At first, he had been indifferent, but now he found himself scrutinizing the old priest Lizardman with renewed focus.
This was precisely the kind of magic he had always sought!
At a glance, "Enhancement Magic" and "Magic Enhancement" might seem similar—mere reversals of word order.
But in reality, they were fundamentally different.
Enhancement Magic: Spells that boost the caster's physical attributes—increasing agility, strength, resistance, and other traits.
Magic Enhancement: Spells that amplify magic itself—doubling or tripling spell potency, expanding magic range, or forcibly raising spell rank.
This latter category of Magic Enhancement was rare. Even among the notable figures he had encountered, few had truly mastered it.
In fact, the Slane Theocracy had gone so far as to create entire professions centered around this arcane discipline. Their "Secret Law Believers" and "Apostles of Surshana"—named after one of the Six Gods of Death—were among the select few who wielded such power.
And now, Sakeer had stumbled upon it in this primitive Lizardman tribe?
"Tell me everything you know about Magic Enhancement."
His expression turned serious as he fixed his gaze on the old priest Lizardman, waiting for further explanation.
But as the priest spoke, his language remained clumsy and imprecise.
Sakeer frowned.
Even though he understood the general meaning, the differences in their language structures made the priest's words feel fragmented.
Still, as he pieced together the details, a realization struck him.
"Over Magic?"
His brows furrowed slightly.
This term—"Over Magic"—was not something he recalled existing in YGGDRASIL.
Could it be "Magic Rank Ascension" instead?
A possibility.
Sakeer knew of this ability—an advanced form of Magic Enhancement that had appeared only twice in the novel's library version.
Both times, it was used by none other than the Bone King himself.
The first instance had been against Shalltear Bloodfallen, where he utilized "Magic Triple Rank Ascending—Magic Arrow."
The second had occurred during his battle against the Elf King summon, Behemot, where he employed a devastating combination:
"Magic Triple—Strongest, Rank Ascending, No Chant—Magic Arrow."
Since both fights were taken seriously by the Bone King, the use of Magic Rank Ascension had left an impression on Sakeer.
However—
That ability functioned differently.
Magic Rank Ascension was a straightforward rank boost—a first-tier spell like "Magic Arrow" could be raised all the way to the tenth tier without any need for a ritual or external conditions.
But what the old priest Lizardman was describing now?
It sounded… different.
The priest's explanation suggested something else entirely.
According to him, "Over Magic" allowed a caster to wield magic they had not yet mastered—even if it meant consuming more mana.
For instance, a mage proficient in second-tier spells could, through this technique, forcibly cast a third-tier spell—at the cost of an increased mana drain.
If a ritual was performed, the effect could be amplified, raising the magic tier by two ranks instead of one.
This was not the same as Magic Rank Ascension.
That technique simply raised the tier of existing spells.
But this—
This hinted at something even more dangerous.
It wasn't about enhancing known magic—it was about breaking past the limits of the caster's ability.
Sakeer murmured to himself, the pieces beginning to fall into place.
"Over Magic… Over Magic… Wait—!"
His eyes widened slightly.
This wasn't just some obscure Lizardman knowledge.
He had seen this magic before!
During the Undead Legion's invasion of the Lizardmen tribes—
He distinctly remembered one individual using it.
The older brother of the 'Frost Pain' wielder.
Not only that—
The priests from all five Lizardman tribes had gathered to perform a ritual.
That ritual had enabled them to summon Elemental Spirits and Wetland Elementals—a feat that shouldn't have been possible at their level of magic.
And now…
This old priest Lizardman was saying the same thing?
Sakeer narrowed his eyes, suddenly scrutinizing the priest with renewed suspicion.
If the five tribal priests of the future had used this ability…
Then this old priest Lizardman before him…
Was most certainly one of them.