Sakeer's inquiry was met with a simple, unwavering response.
"I can't." the old priest, Lizardman replied, shaking his head.
Sakeer froze for a moment.
"But I can construct the magic-enhanced ritual array myself," the old priest continued.
Sakeer's eye twitched slightly. "Then start setting it up now." His tone was flat, though the corners of his mouth twitched in mild irritation.
He had already remembered—
This enhanced magic did not exist in the YGGDRASIL game. Even the Guardian of the Great Tomb, Cocytus, had been surprised and curious when witnessing the Lizardmen use it.
With the order given, the old priest Lizardman wasted no time. Retrieving various ritual materials from the room, he crouched on the floor and began constructing a magic array.
Sakeer observed the process carefully.
"What preparations are necessary for a magic ritual?" he asked, stepping aside to avoid obstructing the priest's work.
He currently possessed a parchment scroll of magical rituals—one originating from the Forest Dwarf and associated with the "Wild Transformation" belief.
However—
His understanding of magic rituals was limited at best. Now, with a chance to witness the process firsthand, he wasn't about to let it slip by.
Under the old priest's guidance, Sakeer gradually pieced together the fundamental principles of magic rituals.
While different rituals varied greatly in complexity and purpose, they all revolved around two critical components:
The Magic Array – The intricate symbols and patterns that form the foundation of the spell.
The Ritual Materials – Substances infused with magical energy, which fuel and shape the ritual's effect.
In this particular case, the "Magic Enhancement" ritual did not demand rare or high-quality materials. As long as the items contained magical energy, they were sufficient.
Ultimately, the true limitation of this magic lay within the nature of magic itself.
Time slipped away as the old priest Lizardman meticulously traced the lines of the array.
Sakeer's brows furrowed slightly.
The magic array's design was far more complex than he had expected.
Moreover, the priest used a variety of strange materials—
Animal bones, carefully arranged in specific patterns.
Thick, blood-like dyes, smeared across the wooden floor.
Miscellaneous items brimming with magical energy, their purposes unclear.
The room, which had been cleansed of its original foul odor, once again reeked with an overpowering stench.
Sakeer considered casting "Deodorization" but ultimately decided against it.
Interfering with a magic ritual—no matter how unpleasant—was never a good idea.
Just then—
A pained groan sounded from outside the wooden house.
At the entrance, the Barghest stood guard, its eyes gleaming with eerie intelligence.
Lying at its feet—
Sukyu Juju.
The Lizardman patriarch, though gravely injured and unconscious, had not been killed.
Not out of mercy—
But because Sakeer still had use for him.
As Sukyu Juju stirred, his body tensed with pain, his wounds throbbing from the Barghest's earlier attack.
He opened his eyes slowly.
At first, his gaze was dazed.
Then—recognition dawned.
A sudden burst of awareness.
Bang!
Despite the sharp pain radiating from his wounds, Sukyu Juju gritted his teeth, forcing himself upright.
His eyes locked onto Sakeer.
And in an instant—
Hatred burned within them.
"Human!"
With a furious roar, he lunged forward without hesitation.
But—
Sakeer barely spared him a glance.
"I don't have time to deal with you right now."
His voice was indifferent.
Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, Sakeer moved—his speed far exceeding Sukyu Juju's.
"Impossible!"
The Lizardman patriarch's pupils shrank.
Speed was supposed to be his greatest advantage.
With the combined benefits of two speed-enhancing classes—
"Guerrilla"
"Light Cavalry"
He should have been unmatched in agility.
Yet—
The human caster before him had effortlessly outpaced him.
Before Sukyu Juju could react—
Bang!
A brutal roundhouse kick struck his chest with bone-crushing force.
Even though Sakeer had held back, the sheer power behind the attack sent a violent shockwave through Sukyu Juju's body.
Crack!
The sickening sound of ribs snapping echoed through the room.
Sukyu Juju's body curled inward as he spat a mouthful of blood.
Then—
Darkness.
Unconscious once more.
His body hurtled backward, crashing through the wooden door before slamming into another Lizardman dwelling across the street.
Sakeer sighed. "Get him back."
"Woof."
With a low growl, the Barghest leaped into action.
Within moments, it dragged the limp form of Sukyu Juju back and unceremoniously dropped him onto the floor.
Sakeer checked his pulse—
Still alive.
That was enough.
Without another word, he turned his attention back to the magic array.
The ritual setup took approximately an hour and a half.
At last, the old priest Lizardman stepped back, surveying his completed work.
"What's next?" Sakeer asked, studying the intricate patterns glowing faintly on the floor.
Following the priest's guidance, he stepped into the center of the magic array.
As he injected a small amount of his own mana, the entire array ignited with a soft, blue luminescence.
The symbols pulsed with arcane energy.
"According to this old lizard," Sakeer mused, feeling the magic stir around him, "this ritual enhancement will allow me to cast spells beyond my mastery—by two levels."
A flicker of anticipation gleamed in his eyes.
What kind of power would this new magic bring?
Sakeer's eyes narrowed in thought.
Based on his current caster levels, his magical classification was as follows:
Mana-Based Classes: Apothecary, Alchemist, Sorcerer, Necromancer – Level 40
Faith-Based Classes: Priestess, Priest, Forest Priest, High Priest – Level 40
Spirit-Based Classes: Sorcerer – Level 10
Other: Shaman – Level 10
Both arcane-based and faith-based magic users could theoretically cast spells up to the sixth tier (Level 36–42).
Theoretically.
Because in this world, the number of people Sakeer had encountered who could actually cast sixth-tier magic could be counted on one hand—and every single one of them was far beyond his ability to provoke.
Additionally, the "Angel Summoning" spell he could use was not determined by his caster level but by his overall player level.
That meant—
"With my current caster levels, this ritual enhancement should allow me to cast eighth-tier magic, whether mana-based or faith-based."
Sakeer raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised by the realization.
However, according to the old priest Lizardman, while this magic ritual allowed him to cast spells he hadn't mastered, there were restrictions—ones even the Lizardmen themselves didn't fully understand, since they had never used this enhancement at such a high level.
If he wanted to understand its limitations, he would have to experiment on his own.
"Let's start with low-tier magic first."
The thought passed through Sakeer's mind immediately.
The greatest drawback of this magic ritual was its immense mana consumption. In some cases, it even required multiple casters working together to sustain it.
Since he had no idea how much mana it would take, attempting high-level magic right away was far too risky.
If something went wrong, the destructive force of high-tier magic was no joke—and even he might not be able to stop it.
Taking a deep breath, he extended his hand and chanted:
"Fireball."
A third-tier spell, one of the most common offensive magics.
He had seen countless mages and sorcerers cast it, and if "Over Magic" truly allowed him to cast magic beyond his mastery, then he should be able to use Fireball as well.
Whoosh—
The magic array beneath him flickered with a pale blue light, growing momentarily brighter—
But then, just as quickly, the light dimmed once more.
No flame appeared in Sakeer's palm.
Nothing happened.
"Failed."
Yet, instead of disappointment, Sakeer exhaled in relief.
From the start, he had doubted that this magic enhancement would allow him to freely cast any spell, as that would have completely broken the rank-based magic system.
"Explain this magic in more detail," he said flatly.
The old Lizardman priest nodded and began speaking once more.
Sakeer carefully recalled the moment when the Lizardmen first used this magic.
As the memories pieced together in his mind, a pattern began to emerge.
His eyes flashed with understanding.
"If that's the case..."
He turned his gaze toward Sukyu Juju, the unconscious Lizardman lying nearby.
Raising his hand, he chanted:
"Serious Injury Healing!"
Whoosh—
This time, the magic array glowed intensely, its radiance growing stronger and stronger.
A miniature version of the array formed in front of Sakeer's palm, pulsating with energy.
And for the first time—
A massive amount of mana drained from his body.
[MP: 128 → 18]
A brilliant white light emerged, cascading over Sukyu Juju's battered form.
His deep wounds began to rapidly mend, flesh knitting together with divine precision.
After a few moments, the spell's light faded away.
Sukyu Juju's injuries were fully healed, though his body remained exhausted from the trauma, preventing him from regaining consciousness.
With the completion of the magic ritual, the arcane energy within the array dissipated completely.
Just then—
Buzz!
A faint vibration ran through Sakeer's attribute panel.
Ding!
[New Magic Discovered: "Serious Injury Healing" (Third-Tier)]
Requirement: Faith-based caster level (12–21)
Current Conditions Met – Would you like to learn this spell?
Ding!
[New Skill Discovered: "Over Magic"]
Requirement: Magic Caster profession
Current Conditions Met – Would you like to learn this skill?
Sakeer's expression remained calm, but inwardly, he felt a sense of certainty.
"So that's how it works."
Without hesitation, he made his decision.
[Skill Points: 59 → 57]
New Skill Acquired:
Skill: Serious Injury Healing (Third-Tier)
MP Cost: 15
Effect: Restores 50 HP.
Skill: Over Magic
MP Cost: 50
Description: Allows the user to cast magic one tier higher than their natural limit.
Drawback: The mana cost doubles for the enhanced spell.
Special Ritual Effect: With proper ritual enhancements, the user can cast spells two tiers higher, but the mana cost continues to multiply exponentially.
Sakeer closed his attribute panel, deep in thought.
Though he had only scratched the surface of "Over Magic", this experiment had proven one thing—
This power was real.
It had limitations, yes—severe mana costs, ritual dependencies—but the ability to cast spells beyond his level was an undeniable advantage.
And now—
He just needed to figure out how far he could push it.