She led him up a spiral staircase crafted from what appeared to be a single piece of marble.
The second floor was markedly different from the first, fewer shelves, but the books here seed older, their leather bindings worn smooth by countless careful hands. The atmosphere was more intimate, almost reverential.
"This is our collection of magical theory and system knowledge," she explained, gesturing to the surrounding shelves. "Most visitors remain on the first floor with the general histories, crafting manuals, and literature. What you seek requires... deeper study."
Mitch looked around with surprise. The magical section was surprisingly small compared to the vast libraries below.
Even more disappointing, many of the volus appeared to be collections of legends and myths rather than practical instruction manuals.
However, one particular to caught his attention imdiately.
[System Progression Book – THE definitive text on the awakening system, authored by the legendary Rorid Storm]
Mitch carefully opened the ancient volu, its pages crackling softly. The text was written in precise, scholarly script:
"A common misconception among newly awakened individuals is that the first two tiers offer limited class diversity. Indeed, during these early stages, most awakeners find themselves classified into familiar archetypes: warrior, mage, citizen, archer, summoner, and similar broad categories. These appear mundane, predictable even.
This perspective is fundantally flawed.
The truth becos evident only as one progresses beyond Tier 3. Here, the system begins to reveal its true complexity and infinite potential.
Classes don’t simply diverge, they explode into countless specialized variations, each as unique as the individual who manifests them.
Consider fire magic as an example. Where a Tier 2 awakener might simply be classified as a ’Fire Mage,’ advancent reveals the system’s intricate specialization: Tinder Mage, Warmth Mage, Incendiary Mage, Phoenix Mage, Ember Sage, Inferno Lord, Volcanic Shaman, each representing a distinct approach to manipulating fla and heat.
The system responds to three fundantal factors: your experiences, your innate abilities, and most importantly, your deepest desires and intentions.
Two individuals might share identical class nas, yet their abilities, skills, and magical manifestations will be as different as their life stories.
Rember this truth: there is no ’best’ class. Every path holds equal potential for greatness. The only variable that matters is what you choose to make of your gifts."
Another volu imdiately drew his interest: "Elental Foundations and Mana Root Theory" by Master Theorist Valdris Moonwhisper.
"Mana roots are perhaps the most mysterious aspect of the awakening process. These ethereal structures exist in a state between the physical and magical realms, developing alongside the body from birth but remaining dormant until maturity.
Only a small percentage of the population is born with sufficiently developed mana roots to achieve awakening.
These mystical conduits typically mature around the sixteenth year of life, at which point the system recognizes the individual’s potential and grants them access to magical abilities.
The quality, quantity, and elental attunent of one’s mana roots determine both magical capacity and elental affinity.
So fortunate individuals, perhaps one in one thousand, are born with exceptionally pure or abundant mana roots. These prodigies can advance through tiers in a fraction of the ti required by ordinary awakeners.
Even rarer are those born with what we term ’perfect resonance’, individuals whose mana roots are so perfectly attuned to magical energy that manipulating mana becos as natural as breathing.
Such individuals inevitably reshape the world around them, becoming legends whose nas echo through the ages.
It should be noted that hair color often correlates with one’s primary elental affinity: silver for ice, red for fire, brown for earth, blue for water, and so forth.
However, genetics can override this indicator, making visual identification unreliable in roughly 20% of cases."
The final significant discovery was a detailed cartographical survey of the continent.
Mitch spread the large map across a reading table, studying it with growing amazent.
If the scale was accurate, this landmass was truly enormous, potentially as large as Earth itself.
Even more staggering was the notation that this was rely one of the continents, though information about the others was absent.
A massive mountain range, labeled "The Dragonspine Peaks," bisected the continent like a colossal wall.
On the western side lay the Human Kingdom, ruled by a Tier 5 mage.
The eastern half belonged to the Beast Clans, united under the leadership of a Chieftain, also a Tier 5 awakener.
Mitch’s current location appeared to be near the border of the Whispering Woods, a vast forest that stretched along the base of the Dragonspine Peaks.
The forest was color-coded to indicate danger levels: green sections marked Tier 1 areas suitable for new awakeners, yellow indicated Tier 2 zones where he currently operated, and ominous red patches warned of Tier 3 territories where only experienced awakeners dared to venture.
Most human settlents were wisely built in Tier 2 areas, where mana density provided comfortable living conditions without overwhelming danger.
Only the largest cities and the capital occupied Tier 3 zones, their powerful defensive enchantnts and elite guards making such locations viable.
"Mister!" The librarian’s voice, surprisingly strong for such a petite fra, cut through his concentration. "I’m afraid we’re closing for the evening. You’re welco to return tomorrow if you wish to continue your studies."
Mitch looked up, startled to realize that hours had passed in what felt like minutes. The magical lights had dimd to indicate the approaching evening, and he was apparently the last patron remaining.
"Thank you," he said, carefully closing the ancient texts. "This has been... incredibly enlightening."
As he gathered his things and prepared to leave, Mitch’s mind raced with new possibilities and questions. The world was far larger and more complex than he’d imagined, and he was only beginning to understand his place within it.
Once back at the inn, he spent the night sleeping.
Leya chose to not co to visit him that night, which was understandable. She had her own plans too.
The next morning he began absorbing another batch of cores. After his tenth core, mana began to get agitated in his entire body.
He felt rejuvenated.
A notification appeared.
CONGRATULATIONS!
You’ve leveled up!
1 allocable status point
1 mind
1 mana storage
"Status"
Na: Mitch (human)
Level: 11 [43 / 4000xp] (tier 2)
Class: Mage
Divine blessing: Creation system ★★★★★★★★★★
Body: 15 9
Mind: 20 21
Mana: 750
Mana storage: 12 24
Mana regeneration: 10 12
Achievents: [Otherworlder ★★★] ‚[Divine luck ★★★★★★★★]
Skills: [Gather], [Inspect], [Create common weapon], [Create elent], [dium pocket space], [Mana ball], [Mana blade], [Fire blade aura]
Passives: [Apprentice mana manipulation],[Attuned with mana], [Apprentice space manipulation]
Allocable points: 1
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