The zero-level life magic was, unsurprisingly, of little use in combat.
No wonder so few magic casters in this world bothered to learn more of them.
In YGGDRASIL, there had been skill point limits for players.Here, in the New World, magic users required something akin to "energy" to master spells — and there seemed to be a limit to the number and level of spells a person could hold.
Under such restrictions, it made sense that nobody would waste precious learning capacity on useless zero-level magics.
Suddenly—Minori noticed a small "↑" symbol next to two of his zero-level spells.
"This is it!"His body stiffened in excitement, eyes widening.
"My guess was right after all," he murmured.
When browsing the magic scroll records at the Magician's Guild earlier, Minori had noticed something odd:Among the scrolls for Papermaking, there were both zero-level and first-level versions.
That had caught his attention immediately.
In YGGDRASIL, the ranked magic system had a strict hierarchy: first-tier to tenth-tier spells, with little deviation.
But if the magic users of this world could independently create life magics and even raise their ranks through refinement or power...Then the New World's magic system wasn't entirely identical to YGGDRASIL's.
That was why Minori had deliberately purchased two zero-level spells—to test this hypothesis.
Now—
He focused his gaze on the two spells.
"Promote!"
Minori willed the skill points into them.
Both spells consumed one skill point each—and instantly, changes appeared:
Skill: Papermaking (Level 1)
MP Cost: 5
Description: Creates 800 sheets of high-quality paper. For each additional point of MP expended, 400 sheets are added. No upper limit.
Skill: Heating (Level 1)
MP Cost: 5
Description: Heats a contacted object up to 150℃ within one minute.
Minori studied the updated descriptions carefully.
His surprise deepened—but so did a slight frown.
How should he evaluate this?
The zero-level spells could indeed be elevated.However, their combat usefulness was still limited.
And now, the "↑" mark beside both spells had disappeared.
"Following the normal progression,"Minori thought carefully,"first-level magic is mastered between levels 1–7, second-level between levels 8–14..."
That meant his current level wasn't high enough to promote these skills further.
He speculated:If he raised his level high enough, could these minor life spells eventually be upgraded to the level of tenth-tier magic?
Theoretically—yes.
But the question remained:Would such life spells, even at the tenth-tier, ever match the destructive or defensive power of real tenth-tier magics?
Still, usefulness was secondary.
Skill points were precious—Was it truly worth spending them on auxiliary life magic?
After all, spells like Papermaking and Heating were far more mundane than battle magic like Teleportation, Meteor Fall, or Wish Upon a Star.
Minori let out a slow, steadying breath.
Even if they weren't particularly useful now,this discovery was enormously significant.
In YGGDRASIL, tenth-tier magic had been a near-absolute ceiling—but here, there might be a different route entirely!
More importantly—even the Great Tomb of Nazarick didn't have these customized life magics.
Their uniqueness alone made them a strategic asset.
Minori massaged his temples, feeling the strain of so much thinking.
Enough theory for now.
First, he needed to grow stronger.
Leveling up was the priority—everything else could come later.
"Sleep," he ordered himself firmly.
Suppressing his excitement, Minori lay down on the inn bed and closed his eyes.
Tomorrow would be busy.
The next morning.
As the first light of dawn spilled across the horizon,Minori was already awake.
He quickly left the inn and set about gathering supplies.
Thanks to his item box—a spatial storage magic—he didn't have to worry about weight or spoilage.
Over the course of the morning, Minori:
Spent two gold coins on a month's worth of preserved food and essentials,
Carefully bought from multiple shops to avoid attracting attention.
It took nearly the whole morning just to finish purchasing and packing everything.
After a brief lunch—
Minori turned his attention to weapons.
His dagger, still cracked and chipped from the last battle, was no longer reliable.
He purchased:
10 ordinary iron swords (one silver coin each),
A lightweight soft leather armor for basic protection (one gold coin total).
After rearming himself, Minori visited the Magician's Guild once more.
This time, he openly revealed his identity as a faith-based magic caster.
In the end, he successfully purchased a second-tier magic scroll for Item Appraisal at the cost of three gold coins.
Although appraisal magic wasn't as flashy as offensive or defensive spells,it was invaluable for identifying rare magical items—a necessity for his future plans.
Lastly, Minori stopped by the Adventurer's Guild.
He spent two more gold coins to buy information about the Great Tob Forest—the vast, monster-infested woodland north of E-Rantel.
By the time preparations ended, Minori had spent eight gold coins,leaving him with only six gold and seven silver remaining.
But the groundwork had been laid.
Two days passed in a blink.
[Unlucky Month], June 1st.
Minori donned a black robe,fastened an iron sword to his left hip, a waterskin to his right,and quietly slipped out of E-Rantel.
His destination:
The Great Tob Forest.
The Tob Forest—a vast, ancient jungle that wrapped around the northern Angelisia Mountains.A place teeming with ferocious monsters and sub-human tribes.
Even veteran adventurers dared not venture far into its depths.
For humans, it was a natural forbidden zone.
But for Minori—
It was the perfect hunting ground.
A land where death waited at every turn—but where opportunity grew wild and untamed.
And he—
He was ready to seize it.