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Trion didn't have a royal family, nor did its people vote for their ruler. Instead, the role generally fell to the strongest and wisest person. In rare cases with multiple candidates, they would settle the matter in combat.

Since rulers lacked the absolute power once held by royal families, the position wasn't particularly coveted. It was mostly an honorary title—except during wartime. That's why, when Lady Rael received a divination, the capital, Kelta, home to nearly all of the administrators, was thrown into turmoil.

The current ruler, Zephyrion, held an undisputed position as Trion's strongest known fighter, with enough wisdom to guide the other administrators. So when Lady Rael was brought to him, and after a week of discussions, Zephyrion announced preparations for the arrival of the "saviors," issuing instructions to every village across Trion.

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Arlon found what he came here for. It was a book called "A Magician's Secret". He took it and began flipping through the pages. It was actually what he would like to call a class book. Since there were no other books that helped with class changes, only Arlon called it that way. But still, it was essential to his plans. Thanks to this book, he could become a magic swordsman—the best class in 'EVR'.

He was certain that Gellard, the magic swordsman from the previous timeline, hadn't even skimmed it and had gone straight to the last page to receive the class. But Arlon intended to do things differently. For one, he respected the author, Agema, who had poured all her hard-earned secrets into the book, saving him from the need to do his own magic research.

Also, since he knew almost nothing about magic, he figured the book might actually teach him something useful. However, the very first page left him stunned.

'Dear reader,

If you have found this book, you must already have immense power, enough to kill "IT". If you are that strong, and if you are a magician, this book might not help you. But please feel free to read it. I wish I was alive to discuss magic theories with such a strong mage as you.

If, instead, when you found this book there weren't any monsters in the circular chamber before this one, and if the world is well and sound, then you were lucky to find this book even though someone else took care of "IT" or "IT" died by itself. Luck is also part of your strength. But I wouldn't suggest reading this book if you are "just lucky" since the reader would need a massive amount of training.

Lastly, if you are not immensely strong, but you still managed to kill "IT" then good for you! This book is just for you. So, instead of reading it now, skip to the last page. I left a gift for you there. Take it and then slowly read through it whenever you have time. You are not in a hurry. Ah, I hope you are not against being a mage since my gift is related to being a mage. Of course, you should already know this because of the book's title... unless I changed the title before dying but forgot to change this page. You know what, in case that happens, here is the book's title: "A Magician's Seccret". Damn it, I put two "c" in "secret". Never mind. I don't want to rewrite this page since I am already at the last sentence, so here's an explanation instead. Anyway, see you on the next page.

Love,

Beautiful Agema'

Arlon could hardly believe what he was reading. This was supposed to be the masterpiece of the greatest magician Trion had ever known, but she wrote it as if this was her own diary and with arrogance. 'Anyway, I should still respect her. This will help me a lot. Just forget that first page and never check it again!'

He flipped to the last page of the book. As he did, a glowing orb emerged from the page and entered his chest. A notification rang in his mind:

"You have received Agema's Magic Vessels!

Do You Accept?

Yes/No"

Arlon chose Yes without hesitation. This was a once-in-a-lifetime event... probably. Then, another notification followed:

"You have accepted Agema's Magic Vessels! Since the player already has a class, the two classes will merge into Magic Swordsman."

"Intelligence increased by 20!"

Arlon felt his mind expand, sharper and clearer than before. Since he wasn't a magician, he hadn't allocated any CP to intelligence ever before, so he was stunned by how much of a difference the +20 made. +20 was a huge boost in any stat, especially if this was a main stat like intelligence for mages or strength for warriors; however, it was his first time feeling this much of a difference.

Excitedly, he opened his status screen to check out his new class and allocate the rest of his CP.

***

Status Window

Name: Arlon

Race: Human

Class: Magic Swordsman

Level: 18

HP: 2250

MP: 1875

VIT: 34

STR: 58

INT: 38

AGI: 27

Skills: [Dash], [Eyes of ***** (Weakened)] 

Title: Unfair Regressor, The First One To Level Up

***

Arlon decided it was time to allocate his CP equally among his stats. As a magic swordsman rather than a full magician, he couldn't let his MP surpass his HP, so he allocated 6 points to vitality. He added 10 points to agility to help him engage in fights and escape when needed, and 8 points to strength to reinforce his foundation as a warrior.

This balanced approach suited his style well. As a magic swordsman in 'EVR', his class required him to train in both magic and physical combat. But with his experience as the best warrior, he could skip straight to mastering magic and then focus on unifying his sword and magic skills.

Arlon considered the possibilities his new class opened up for him. In 'EVR', finding a balanced party was difficult. While people thought of it as just a game, this level of immersion was new for those on Earth. Most players were still nervous about the monsters. Coming from a peaceful planet that relied on long-range weapons, even experienced soldiers on Earth weren't used to sword fights. As a result, most players chose to be magicians or healers to keep their distance from the front.

The ratio of magicians to warriors was five to one, and for magicians to tanks, it was twenty to one. Few players wanted to take hits from the monsters, making the tank players to be held in high esteem. Of course, there were players who chose their profession because that one suited them well. 

Then there were the assassins... Arlon hated them in 'EVR', just as he did in every game. Setting aside the truly skilled assassins, most players who chose this class had little going for them in real life. They picked a class that could hide and ambush low-level players—one of the few things they were skilled enough to pull off. Talented assassins who chose the class because it fit them, though, didn't fall into this group.

After muttering another curse against assassins, he checked the sword from the chest:

Wandsword

"Agema's most valuable treasure. It can be used as a sword, a wand, or both."

This sword was an unexpected bonus for Arlon's efforts—he hadn't even known a weapon like this existed. Initially, he had planned to buy a staff to alternate with his sword, but now he could wield both magic and melee with the Wandsword. The weapon was striking, with a black blade and a gray handle. The handle had an air of royalty, while the blade itself looked almost demonic. As a fan of sleek, dark swords, Arlon was more than satisfied with its appearance.

After gathering the loot, he scanned the room for anything else but found no other valuables. It seemed this was Agema's workspace, not her home—her personal items like money, clothing, or potions were missing. Though he briefly regretted not finding easy money, he reminded himself he'd already gained far more than he came for.

Arlon headed back to the open space beneath the exit hole. Climbing out was trickier than entering, as Agema had designed the area to prevent the monster's escape. The exit required a magic phrase, as detailed in one of Agema's diaries—the same one that mentioned the monster's weak point. Normally, no one could leave without a magician, but now, Arlon was one.

After chanting the spell, he felt himself rising very slowly, yet he reached the top in just a few seconds. This hole was a testament to Agema's magical prowess, and Arlon wondered if he would ever reach that level of skill.

Magician players began with the Fireball skill and needed to find skill books to acquire new spells. But for Arlon, things worked differently. Since Trion was real, he knew he could learn spells through study and practice, even without acquiring the corresponding skills from skill books—and Agema's book was filled with spells.

For instance, Arlon could cast a fireball without the "Fireball" skill as long as he learned it by reading and practicing. This ability wasn't unique to him; any magician player could theoretically do the same because they received magic vessels when they chose the class. However, since players believed it was only a game, none had ever considered it. Furthermore, Trion had few spellbooks that weren't skill books, so players rarely encountered this possibility.

When NPCs read a skill book, they could gain the ability in the skill book by training, so these books acted as guides for them. But for players, opening a skill book triggered a glow and automatically granted the skill—or, if the skill was incompatible with their class, a notification would appear instead. Spellbooks, however, did not glow, so players could simply skim through them. But no one did it because they wouldn't learn any skills from it just by reading.

While thinking about these, Arlon arrived at the town. But something was weird. He couldn't see anyone in the town. He tried to listen to any sounds but he couldn't hear anyone. It was as if everyone had vanished.