The Frugal Mage

Rayven stared at the system window for a few seconds longer.

"Spell removal, simulation mode, rare spell access… and even gear…" he muttered. "This Tier 2 upgrade really came with everything."

He then took a deep breath, letting the excitement settle.

After calming down, he opened the system's Vault.

Inside, the new items were already stored.

He reached in and took out the Adept Robe first.

It was folded neatly, wrapped in a thin cloth seal, and it also smelled like a new cloth, a smell he was familiar with.

Once unwrapped, the robe revealed a clean, dark gray fabric with a faint silver trim along the edges. No crest, no embroidery. Just a simple, well-stitched garment. The material felt light but durable. It was clearly made for movement, not ceremony.

He liked it a lot.

Next, he pulled out the Adept Staff.

It was about his height, made of darkwood with a smooth grip. The top had a small socket, likely for spell catalysts, but it was empty. No carvings or other design… Just a clean, balanced staff with a faint sheen that hinted at its quality.

It seemed that the system didn't like flashy items and just gave him the most ordinary-looking clothes and staff and labeled it as Adept rank.

Unfortunately, there was no free item appraisal for these items.

Because of that, he had no other choice but to pay gold to know what kind of stat they have for him.

He activated his skill.

"Appraisal."

[ 1 Gold Coin deducted. ]

The system responded immediately.

[ Item: Adept Robe

Grade: Rare

Type: Armor (Cloth)

Description: A robe designed for Tier 2 spellcasters. Offers moderate resistance to elemental damage and minor protection against physical strikes. Enhances movement speed slightly and reduces environmental discomfort.

Durability: 100/100 ]

Rayven nodded.

"Not bad. At least it's not just for show."

He wasn't expecting too much from the gift, but this was already quite decent since it was also given for free.

He then turned to the staff.

"Appraisal."

[ 1 Gold Coin deducted. ]

[ Item: Adept Staff

Grade: Rare

Type: Weapon (Staff)

Description: A neutral conduit for spellcasting. Slightly reduces coin cost for Tier 1 and Tier 2 spells. Improves casting precision and range. Compatible with all non-elemental spell types.

Durability: 100/100 ]

Rayven raised an eyebrow.

"Reduces coin cost? That's new…"

He then took out one of the True Healing Potions.

The vial was sealed with a wax cap, and the liquid inside was a clear amber color.

Rayven tried to smell it, but it was sealed properly, so there was no scent on it… It also didn't look magical since there was no glow whatsoever… Just a clean, concentrated solution.

"Appraisal."

[ 1 Gold Coin deducted. ]

[ Item: True Healing Potion

Grade: Rare

Type: Consumable

Description: Restores major physical injuries and stabilizes internal damage. Can be used during combat. Immediate effect upon consumption. ]

Rayven was curious whether a sip of it could already cure simple wounds. In his estimation, one potion should be good for 5 or 6 sips. If the injury wasn't too severe, he hoped that he could use a single potion many times to save money.

Rayven placed the items on the desk, as he would try them later on…

"Alright… This is a proper upgrade." Rayven mused as turned his attention to his Skill Market.

The upgrade on this feature was clear. He would now have 8 spells in the options instead of 7, and there were 2 guaranteed Rare Spells on it!

Rayven opened the Skill Market.

The interface flickered for a moment, then displayed the updated list. Eight spells were indeed available. Six slots are taken by Common or Uncommon, and two are clearly marked as Rare. Furthermore, it seemed that the system had adjusted its offerings to match his Mystic Explorer classification.

[ Skill Market ]

Thread Snare (Common) - 500 Gold

Silent Step (Common) - 550 Gold

Minor Barrier (Common) - 650 Gold

Minor Cleanse (Uncommon) - 990 Gold

Shadow Veil (Uncommon) - 950 Gold

Mark Trace (Uncommon) - 980 Gold

Scout's Recall (Rare) - 1,900 Gold

Phase Cloak (Rare) - 1,800 Gold

Rayven scanned the list.

'Ugh… So it's that expensive now, huh…' Rayven mused as he saw the pricing of the Rare Spells.

In any case, there were also new Common and Uncommon Spells, so he checked them out first.

"Thread Snare… probably a trap-type spell. Silent Step sounds like a movement dampener. That's useful for scouting, I guess."

Minor Cleanse was quite interesting, so he checked it immediately…

'Oh… So it's not for bathing or something.' Rayven mused.

Apparently, it wasn't really meant to clean his body, but it could remove minor poisons or some status effects…

'Well… I'm not sure if this is good.'

He then tapped the Shadow Veil.

[ Shadow Veil (Uncommon): Shrouds the caster in a thin layer of obscuring mist. Reduces visibility and sound signature. Most effective in low-light environments.

Duration: 10 seconds

Cost per use: 1 Gold

Type: Stealth / Utility ]

This Spell was quite similar to his Mist Shroud. However, it would surround him with an obscuring mist, unlike Mist Shroud, which would obscure an area instead of himself. Furthermore, the duration was a lot shorter for this Shadow Veil.

They both have advantages on their own.

Then he checked Mark Trace…

[ Mark Trace (Uncommon): Applies a hidden tracking mark to a target. Visible only to the caster. Lasts until removed or dispelled.

Range: 200 meters

Duration: 24 hours

Cost per use: 3 Gold

Type: Utility / Tracking ]

"What? This is only an Uncommon Spell?" Rayven's eyes widened as he saw this.

A twenty-four-hour duration, and he could target someone within 200 meters of his range! That was far! He couldn't help but realize that since this was only an Uncommon Grade, perhaps many Mages had similar abilities.

If that was the case, he might really need the Minor Cleanse since he may not even be aware that he was being tracked right now!

That would be terrifying. Rayven suddenly felt a chill, as he couldn't help but wonder whether he was being marked already.

After all, there was a limit to his Detect Mana Source. It was only a common spell, so if the Spell that was tracking or observing him or even hiding from him, he would have no idea at all.

'I'll probably remove Mana Flick, Gust Step, and Mana Pulse I…'

Rayven sighed as he turned his attention to the Rare Spells.

The Scout's Recall and the Phase Cloak…