Multiverse: Dimension Hopping Mage

Chapter 101: The Mage Out of Place

Alex once heard a saying:

"If you don't get what you want, it's not because you're unlucky, it's because you didn't spend enough."

But now, Alex seriously doubted the truth of that statement.

"Am I having a streak of bad luck these past few days...?"

Looking at the Map of Myriad Dimensions in front of him, Alex didn't even have the energy to sigh.

The spirit crystals promised by the temple had already arrived. After conversion, Alex obtained 5,000 points of crystal energy. In this sense, the temple hadn't cheated him. With 5,000 crystal energy points, he could exchange them for around 1,000 dimension points, which was definitely enough for a ten-draw.

Of course, Alex wasn't going to convert all 5,000 crystal energy points into dimension points. First, he spent 520 points to redeem the "Ring of Souls," an essential piece of gear for wealthy players. Then, Alex also redeemed the "Necklace of Fate" and the "Eye of Insight." The "Necklace of Fate" reduces the cooldown of soul stone skills by 10%, while the "Eye of Insight" allows you to appraise unidentified items. Although this feature might seem minor, it's actually quite useful. In the dungeon design of the Map of Myriad Dimensions, there's a chance for "item triggers," meaning if you obtain an unknown item and appraise it, you might trigger a quest.

Of course, not every player could afford these, but it wasn't entirely necessary either. Players could always take the item to an NPC and trigger the quest that way.

But doing that takes more time.

It's like in many games, where, if a player encounters a locked door but doesn't have the key, they might have to return to the hub, find an NPC, and get a task: "Help me, and I'll help you." After completing the quest, the NPC will unlock the door.

However, if the player has a "lock-picking" skill, they can skip all that, unlock the door, and go in, saving time with NPCs, right?

These three premium items Alex designed were intended to save time for high-spending players without disrupting game balance. Alex humorously referred to them as the "Whale Trio." After redeeming these three, his 5,000 crystal energy points were down to about 2,000. Converted to dimension points, that left him with only 420 points—barely enough for four ten-draws.

In short, all that hard work over the years, and in one night, he was back to square one.

Whose bright idea was it to set this ridiculous exchange rate? Do they have no conscience?

Oh wait, that was me…

So did I just scam myself?

Alex stared helplessly at the soul stone in his hand, unsure what to say. He knew he had designed a fluctuation rate into the system, and it made sense—no one could get lucky in every ten-draw. If you pulled some great items in the early rounds, the system would naturally lower your chances of getting rare items afterward. But the fact that this was his own design… well, he had to swallow his own bitter pill.

Alex originally hoped to summon a mage soul stone since he was about to start studying magic. A mage stone would be more reliable. But much to his frustration, after a few single draws, all he got were enhancement stones and charge stones. To top it off, the only soul stones he managed to pull were two bronze-level assassin stones!

Doesn't the system know that mages counter assassins?!

"Sigh..."

Alex sighed as he stared at the two soul stones—one depicting a man in a flowing white robe and the other showing a bald man in a black suit. He closed the system with resignation.

Forget it. No more draws this month. Maybe next month I'll try another ten-pull. Pulling bronze stones... how is anyone supposed to survive like this?

"What's wrong, Master?"

Noticing Alex's troubled expression, Ikaros looked at him curiously and asked. Alex smiled and reached out to pat Ikaros's small head.

"Nothing, just feeling a bit unlucky."

In the days they had spent together, the little angel had become much livelier, not as reserved as she was in the beginning. This was something Alex was glad to see, as her initial reverence had been a bit too much for him. Now, at least she seemed more like a normal person.

Though the matter of her collar still hadn't been resolved. In fact, both Archbishop Carl and Stone had asked Alex about it several times. After all, it was hard to ignore a sight like that—an angel wearing a collar wasn't exactly a good omen. But there was nothing Alex could do. For some reason, Ikaros treated the collar as something extremely important, refusing to take it off no matter what Alex said. So what could he do? He had no choice but to let her keep it.

Besides, the sight of a little angel with tear-filled eyes pleading was too overwhelming for Alex to handle… Ahem… sinful, sinful…

With that in mind, Alex glanced at Ikaros again. She had obediently settled down beside him in the carriage, reading a book. Curious, Alex took a look at the book she was reading, only to find that it was filled with stories of princesses and knights, or rich young ladies and knights, or commoner girls and knights… Seriously, why is it always about knights?

Sure, knights are a profession, but they ride horses, not people!

You can't just assume that having "knight" in the title means you get to ride something. Have a little dignity, won't you?

Of course, beneath the surface of this fantasy world, Alex realized these were just the isekai versions of typical romance novels—the same overused "dominant CEO" trope rehashed a hundred times. Alex hadn't expected that Ikaros would enjoy reading this kind of novel.

He just hoped it wouldn't corrupt his little angel.

"Master, the time has come."

"I know."

Alex stood up and adjusted his clothes. Today was the day the mentor from the White Tower of Heaven would visit the temple. If all went well, this person would become his mentor. To be honest, Alex felt a bit nervous. After all, according to rumors, mages were known for their eccentric personalities and were difficult to approach. If this mage was anything like the rumors suggested, it could be troublesome for Alex.

But regardless, he had made the decision and was committed to seeing it through.

Even though he had mentally prepared himself, Alex was still taken aback when he saw the mage in front of him.

"So, you're the one that old geezer mentioned—the Holy Knight who wants to learn magic?"

Sitting on the sofa was a man nearly two meters tall. He looked to be around fifty or sixty, with a head of slicked-back white hair, forming a classic "Mediterranean" bald spot. But what truly shocked Alex was the man's physique—though he wore a mage's robe, the once-loose, flowing robe now fit him like a tight suit. Every movement highlighted the six-pack abs beneath the fabric.

Hold on a second, is this really a mage? Are we sure this isn't a northern barbarian?

"I'm Rex of the White Tower of Heaven."

The self-proclaimed Rex waved casually and crossed his legs, his eyes bulging like brass bells as he stared at Alex.

"Never thought I'd see someone abandon being a Holy Knight to become a mage. What's so great about mages? A bunch of weaklings who can't even walk properly! They're practically useless, apart from chanting a few spells! Why would you want to become a mage?"

"......"

Um, sir, aren't you also a mage? Are you sure you should be saying that?

Alex couldn't help but feel that ever since coming to this world, things had only gotten weirder. First, he met a vampire who could cast holy light, and now he was face-to-face with a mage who looked like a bodybuilder.

"Well, it's like this…"

Though internally grumbling, Alex quickly composed his thoughts and answered Rex's question.

"During a previous mission, I fought against two mages, and I became interested in the mysteries of magic. I wanted to learn and understand it..."

"What's there to understand?"

Before Alex could finish, Rex waved his hand dismissively, cutting him off.

"Mages? They just throw a few magic missiles, biu biu biu. The easiest way to deal with them is to charge right in and beat them down! Once you break their shields, those weaklings are no different from salted fish. You can smack them around however you like!"

"......"

Alex glanced at Rex's six-pack abs.

This speech had zero credibility.

"Whatever, it's your brain, not mine. Just don't come crying when it doesn't work out. Besides, there's no guarantee you'll even make it into the White Tower."

"What do you mean by that?" Alex raised an eyebrow, sensing that there was more to the situation.

"Isn't it obvious?"

Rex looked irritated but still explained.

"You think the White Tower of Heaven is some charity run by the temple? That anyone can just waltz in? It's the sacred land of mages! You're a Holy Knight, and you don't even know a single magic rune, yet you expect to study at the White Tower? Have you lost your mind? I've got a reputation at the White Tower, and I won't ruin it by bringing in a clueless student. So, I made a deal with the temple."

"A deal?"

"That's right."

Rex's eyes narrowed, and for the first time, his barbarian-like face showed the cunning and wisdom of a mage.

"To be blunt, no one knows if you're just doing this on a whim. After all, kids your age tend to have short-lived interests, like your attention span for food or bedding. Who knows how long you'll stick with this? So, here's the deal—I'll train you for one month. After that, you must meet the White Tower's minimum standard. If you can't, then you can go back to the temple and stick to being a knight. Stop dreaming, got it?"

So that's how it is.

Alex immediately grasped Rex's meaning.

It seemed the temple wasn't ready to just let him go so easily… which made sense upon reflection.

Alex didn't know the exact entry requirements for the White Tower, but given its prestigious reputation, he could guess it was akin to a grade-schooler trying to pass a college entrance exam.

Still, there was no harm in trying. And if all else failed after a month… he could always gamble on a lucky draw!

With this in mind, Alex made up his mind and bowed deeply to Rex.

"I understand, Mr. Rex. I'm willing to accept the terms."

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