I checked my condition while walking deeper into the forest.
I had already reached Level 3.
"At this rate… I'll reach Level 10 soon."
Most people needed 10–12 days just to reach Level 10. After that, they still needed several more days to complete their Job Advancement Quest.
I had done this in less than a day.
Each level gave me 3 attribute points.
The reason people called the Mage class the worst wasn't because it lacked damage—it was because of growth. Despite being combat-oriented, a Mage only gained 1 attribute point per level.
Other classes, even at Common rank, gained 2 points.
That difference added up quickly.
"Hopefully… I can increase my Job Rank soon."
Before I could think further—
A low growl echoed through the trees.
I stopped.
Three figures emerged.
One Lv.3 Dire Wolf.Two Lv.4 Dire Wolves.And behind them—
A Lv.5 Dire Wolf.
"…Damn."
Wolves never hunted alone.
The Lv.5 wolf snarled and charged first.
"Fireball!"
The spell slammed into its side, burning fur and flesh—but it kept coming.
I rolled to the side.
"Fireball!"
One of the Lv.4 wolves leapt at me. I barely dodged, feeling claws slice the air where my neck had been.
"Fireball—again!"
The forest lit up with flames. Smoke and heat filled the air as burning wolves howled in pain.
My mana dropped fast.
Another wolf lunged.
I ducked, stumbled, and cast again.
"Fireball!"
The Lv.3 wolf collapsed first.
Then one of the Lv.4s.
The last two circled me, bloodied but furious.
"Come on…"
I forced myself to stay calm.
Another fireball.
Then another.
Finally—
The Lv.5 wolf let out a final howl before crashing to the ground.
I staggered back, breathing heavily.
"…Phew."
Then the notifications started.
[Ding! killed lv 3 dire wolf gained 100 exp][Ding! 100× multiplier activated gained 10,000 exp]
[Ding! killed lv 4 dire wolf gained 120 exp][Ding! 10× multiplier activated gained 1,200 exp]
[Ding! killed lv 4 dire wolf gained 120 exp][Ding! 10× multiplier activated gained 1,200 exp]
[Ding! killed lv 5 dire wolf gained 150 exp][Ding! 10,000× multiplier activated gained 1,500,000 exp]
My vision shook.
[Ding! you leveled up][Ding! you leveled up][Ding! you leveled up][Ding! you leveled up][Ding! you leveled up][Ding! you leveled up][Ding! you leveled up]
"…Level 10."
I swallowed hard.
Then the drops appeared.
[Ding! drop acquired: wolf fang ×100]
[Ding! drop acquired: dire wolf hide ×100]
[Ding! drop acquired: wolf fang ×10]
[Ding! drop acquired: dire wolf hide ×10]
[Ding! drop acquired: wolf fang ×10]
[Ding! drop acquired: dire wolf hide ×10]
[Ding! drop acquired: wolf fang ×10,000]
[Ding! drop acquired: dire wolf hide ×10,000]
[Ding! drop acquired: refined beast core ×100]
I stared at the pile.
"Ten… thousand?"
That alone could crash a small market.
Then—
One final notification appeared.
[Ding! epic skill acquired: wind dominion – tornado]
I felt a surge of knowledge flood my mind.
Wind Dominion – Tornado (Epic Rank)By supplying mana, I could summon a rotating vortex of compressed wind. The pressure was sharp enough to tear flesh and trap enemies inside, dealing constant damage.
Mana cost: 30 MP.
"…That's insane."
For a Common-rank Mage, an Epic skill like this shouldn't exist.
I looked at my trembling hands.
Level 10.
An Epic skill.
And this was just the beginning.
I turned my gaze deeper into the forest.
"Let's keep going."
Status
Name: Airen
Job: Mage (Common)
Level: 10
HP: 80 / 80
MP: 160 / 160
Bloodline: ??? (Locked)
Stats:
Strength: 14
Agility: 15
Dexterity: 17
Vitality: 16
Intelligence: 16
Wisdom: 15
Unassigned Attribute Points: 0
Skills:
Fireball
Minor Heal
Wind Dominion – Tornado (Epic)
"Hm… my stats increase by one every level."
That was normal.
Mages were weak early on—but intelligence and wisdom mattered more than raw stats.
I allocated all 10 points.
Five into Intelligence.Five into Wisdom.
Intelligence governed mana quantity.
If one point equaled ten mana, then four points meant forty mana.
Wisdom represented spiritual strength—the power and control behind spells.
With Tornado, raw damage wasn't my concern anymore.
My only problem was recovery.
"One mana per minute is way too slow…"
Then—
A howl echoed through the forest.
My body tensed.
"…What?"
I looked around.
Did I venture too deep?
If not—then why were there Lv.15 wolves here?
Five shadows emerged.
Two Lv.12 Dire Wolves.One Lv.11 Dire Wolf.One Lv.15 Dire Wolf.
"…This is bad."
Normally, I wouldn't stand a chance.
But—
"Can I…?"
I raised my staff.
"Let's try it."
"Tornado."
Wind roared into existence.
"Fireball."
I hurled the flame straight into the rotating wind.
The fire was instantly compressed, spiraling violently.
The air screamed.
The tornado turned crimson.
The wolves didn't even have time to react.
They were lifted off the ground, shredded by razor-sharp wind pressure, then burned alive inside the vortex.
The forest shook.
Silence followed.
Then—
[Ding! new skill created through skill fusion]
[Ding! skill: blazing wind vortex]
[Ding! 1,000× multiplier applied to skill creation]
I stood frozen.
"…I can combine skills?"
The system didn't answer.
But the notifications continued.
[Ding! killed lv 11 dire wolf gained 220 exp][Ding! 1,000× multiplier activated gained 220,000 exp]
[Ding! killed lv 12 dire wolf gained 250 exp][Ding! 1,000× multiplier activated gained 250,000 exp]
[Ding! killed lv 12 dire wolf gained 250 exp][Ding! 1,000× multiplier activated gained 250,000 exp]
[Ding! killed lv 15 dire wolf gained 400 exp][Ding! 1,000× multiplier activated gained 400,000 exp]
I felt energy surge—but no level-up.
"…Right."
Job advancement restriction.
Still, EXP was being stored.
Then the drops.
[Ding! drop acquired: dire wolf fang ×1,000][Ding! drop acquired: dire wolf hide ×1,000]
[Ding! drop acquired: dire wolf fang ×1,000][Ding! drop acquired: dire wolf hide ×1,000]
[Ding! drop acquired: dire wolf fang ×1,000][Ding! drop acquired: dire wolf hide ×1,000]
[Ding! drop acquired: refined beast core ×1,000]
That was terrifying.
Then—
[Ding! inventory full]
"…Of course."
I sighed and finally checked my skills.
Skill Details
Wind Dominion – Tornado (Epic Rank)Creates a high-pressure vortex of wind that traps enemies and deals continuous damage.Mana Cost: 30 MP
Blazing Wind Vortex (Epic Rank)A fused spell combining fire and wind.Generates a rotating inferno with extreme cutting force and heat, dealing massive continuous damage to all enemies caught inside.Mana Cost: 45 MP
I looked at the destroyed forest around me.
"…I really shouldn't stay here much longer."
The hunting grounds suddenly felt a lot more dangerous.
[A/N] Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you like the story, please add it to your collection and leave a comment with your thoughts—it really helps and motivates me to keep writing.