Chapter 4: First Magic
【Tutorial ③ – Try Using a Skill】 Check your skills and use one.
"Since you have the Appraisal skill, Jin, please try appraising this."
With that, Chris handed him a potion bottle.
"Skills work the same as before—just say it aloud or think it clearly in your mind."
Doing as instructed, Jin focused on the potion in his hand and whispered in his heart: Appraise.
At once, he felt something being drained—not unpleasant, but noticeable. A window popped up from the potion, displaying information.
【Small HP Recovery Potion – Restores 20 HP. Ingredients: ??? × ???. Notes: ???】
It was the same potion he’d already had in his inventory, but now additional details had appeared. The question marks likely meant his Appraisal level was too low.
"You’ve confirmed it. Good. Please return the potion."
Jin quickly handed it back.
"Thank you. Appraisal is primarily used for identifying unknown items, but even when applied to something familiar, it can still reveal additional details. Your current level is low, but as your skill grows, you’ll be able to reveal finer information—and perhaps even hidden properties. That knowledge can then be applied to production skills like Mixing or Smithing."
Having given up on combat-oriented Job skills to take Appraisal instead, Jin was relieved—it seemed like it would actually be useful.
"Now then, could you say Status for me?"
Chris’s next instruction didn’t faze Jin. He was already used to it. Without speaking, he thought the word, and sure enough, a status window appeared.
Name: Jin
Age: 18
Class: Freeman
Level: 1
HP: 23/23
MP: 7/10
STR: 13
VIT: 12
INT: 10
DEX: 12
AGI: 12
Details:
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Name – Your given name. Nobles may receive a new surname upon ennoblement.
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Age – Starts at 0. Age 16 is considered adulthood.
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Class – Your current occupation or guild role. You must register with a guild to acquire one.
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Level – Your strength as a living being. Increases by defeating monsters.
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HP (Health Points) – Reaches 0 when you die.
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MP (Mana Points) – Consumed by magic or skills, or reduced when taking MP damage.
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STR (Strength) – Affects physical power and weapon requirements.
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INT (Intelligence) – Affects magical power and spell potency.
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VIT (Vitality) – Affects durability, damage resistance, and status ailment resistance.
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DEX (Dexterity) – Affects accuracy, crafting success, and skill learning speed.
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AGI (Agility) – Affects movement and action speed.
Initial values vary slightly by race—for example, elves have lower STR, VIT, and HP, but higher INT and MP.
Jin had chosen Human, a race with balanced stats across the board. His displayed values included skill bonuses.
Stats rise a little each level, but growth is boosted by certain skills.
"As you may have noticed, your MP dropped by three when you used Appraisal. Skills consume MP, and so will Arts and Spells learned through job skills. MP does slowly recover over time, and resting doubles the rate of recovery. HP, of course, hits zero, and you faint. But MP can hit zero without penalty—it just means you can only rely on basic physical attacks. Still, I recommend keeping some MP in reserve for emergencies."
"Yes, thank you for the advice."
Jin nodded. If his MP ran dry during a tough fight, he’d be in serious trouble. Even with MP potions, it was something to be careful about.
"I’m glad you understand. Since we have a bit of downtime while your MP recovers, let me explain more. Please open your Menu—imagine checking all your information at once."
This time, Chris didn’t even bother telling him to speak aloud.
Jin imagined it, and sure enough, a smartphone-like screen appeared.
It had six tabs: 〔Basic Info〕 / 〔Skills〕 / 〔Equipment〕 / 〔Tools〕 / 〔Quests〕 / 〔Settings〕.
"The 〔Tools〕 and 〔Equipment〕 tabs are the ones you used in Tutorials ① and ②. 〔Basic Info〕 shows your status. 〔Skills〕 lists what skills you currently know, including 〔Arts〕 and 〔Spells〕 gained through Job Skills. It also displays your skill tree—though locked skills remain hidden until you meet the requirements."
Of course, during the tutorial, nothing new would appear there.
Jin went ahead and pulled up the skill menu, but gave it only a cursory glance before closing it. No need to dwell on that right now.
"Next is the 〔Quests〕 tab. Here you can check all your ongoing main and side quests. In the same menu, you’ll also find the Log Archive and a Notepad. The log on its own is a mess to sift through, so you can filter by importance or tag entries as ‘combat-related’ or ‘system-related’ for easier browsing. If you find something important you want to keep, you can just drag it from the log straight into the notepad, or even jot it down directly or type it out with a keyboard. Rumors sometimes end up being foreshadowing, so I recommend making full use of the notepad."
"That’s a relief. My memory isn’t exactly sharp these days, so that’ll be a lifesaver."
For Jin—an elderly man in the real world—that feature was pretty much essential.
"The notepad can also be displayed on its own, floating at your side. Just like the Tool gate, it’s all about your imagination. And in the 〔Settings〕 menu, which I’ll explain next, you’ll find other customization options like that."
That’s… actually really thoughtful advice. Jin couldn’t help but feel grateful.
He was convinced Chris was just an AI, yet the way they offered advice had a distinctly human warmth. If an AI can feel this real, then honestly, what’s the difference? He decided that from now on, whether AI or not, every character he met in this world, Chris included, he’d treat as human.
Unaware of his musings, Chris continued with the final explanation.
"The 〔Settings〕 menu is just what it sounds like—you’ll find all the various options there. The Help section is included, too, so if you get stuck, check it out. At this stage, some features are locked, but once the main story begins, you can use them freely. For now, I strongly recommend turning on the map and navigation functions. The map will auto-fill as you explore—not just outdoors but also inside buildings and dungeons. The navigation function will also give you a pointer to your destination, making it almost impossible to get lost. There are plenty of other conveniences in there too, so try experimenting."
For directionally challenged Jin, this was vital information. Getting lost in a game was never fun.
"That was quite a bit of explaining… but are you good with the menus now?"
"Yes. That was very helpful. Thank you."
Jin’s affection toward Chris was now at maximum—he thanked them with a heartfelt smile.
"I’m glad to hear that. Honestly, the default menu isn’t very user-friendly, so feel free to customize it however suits you best. Now then… since your MP’s recovered, allow me to explain your newly acquired Job skill."
"…Huh?"
Jin froze. Chris had clearly said earlier that no new skills could be obtained during the tutorial. This was news to him.
"It’s only natural you’d be surprised. But like the wooden sword earlier, this is another safeguard. It’s a hidden skill, granted to those without any Job skills but who’ve invested at least three points in magic-related skills."
【Non-Elemental Magic … A job skill for wielding magic without attribute (MAX)】
〔Spell: Mana Bullet … Fires a lump of neutral mana. MP Cost: 8 / Power: 5〕
"Non-Elemental Magic is already maxed out, so it won’t grow further. And compared to other spells of the same tier, its MP cost is higher while its power is lower. Still, having a ranged attack option is crucial—especially early on. I think you’ll find it useful for now."
For reference, Chris showed a comparison.
〔Spell: Fire Bullet … A level 1 Fire Magic that launches a lump of flame at enemies. MP Cost: 5 / Power: 8〕
It made sense. If someone had dumped points into magic skills but ended up with no actual magic, and no weapon skills either, they’d have a brutal start. Normally, no one would do that, but for the rare cases that did, this hidden skill served as a safety net. Sure, it's low damage, high cost, and zero growth meant it wasn’t much of a prize, but it wasn’t meant to be overpowered—just a lifeline. For collectors, it might be interesting, but otherwise, it wasn’t worth hunting for.
But how does Jin feel about this ‘consolation prize’?
Of course—he was ecstatic.
"I thought I’d have to wait ages before I could use magic, but to think I can cast already—this is amazing! Thank you so much! Could you please teach me right away?"
Overflowing with excitement, Jin pressed in close.
"Y-yes, of course."
Even Chris was a little taken aback by the intensity of his reaction.
But for Jin, it was obvious. He wasn’t just happy about the skill itself—it was a gift, offered with care. Even if it was weak, it was infinitely better than having nothing. Complaining about it was unthinkable. On top of that, it was magic—his lifelong dream. How could he not be thrilled?
"Please look over there."
Chris pointed to two scarecrows standing nearby.
"Magic works by selecting a target, channeling your mana, and then releasing it toward the opponent. More concretely—you shape the image through an incantation, gather the power, then activate it with the spell’s keyword. The important thing is the image. At first, chanting the full spell will trigger system assist, which makes the process easier. After that, say the keyword at the right timing to release it. Allow me to demonstrate."
Chris raised their hand at a scarecrow.
"O power of mana, gather and strike down our foe—Mana Bullet!"
A shimmering orb shot from their fingertip, slamming into the scarecrow and knocking it back.
"Like that. Now it’s your turn, Jin."
"Yes!"
Jin extended his index and middle finger like a gun, focusing on channeling power to his fingertip.
"O power of mana, gather and strike down our foe—Mana Bullet!"
Just like Chris, a lump of mana shot forward and smashed into the scarecrow.
Jin stared at the fallen target, overcome with awe, savoring the lingering thrill of his very first magic.
"Perfect. The same goes for all magic—it’s all about imagery. Once you get used to it, you may even be able to activate spells with just the keyword. Keep that in mind for the future."
【Tutorial ③: Try Using a Skill — Clear. Reward: Small HP Recovery Potion】
Snapping out of his reverie, Jin checked his MP. Only 2 points remained.
"With your current MP, you can’t spam it, but against low-level monsters, it’ll be a powerful strike. Once you level up, you’ll be able to fire multiple in succession—so keep working on that."
Buoyed by their encouragement, Jin found himself daydreaming of himself unleashing a barrage of spells with style. After all, he’d been yearning for magic for over half a century. Even if it was just a game, the fact that he could finally be a mage filled him with pure joy.
Alright. I’ll do my best to level up! Jin promised himself with renewed determination.
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