The Frugal Mage

Rayven stepped back, letting the Guildmaster and his staff take over the crisis response.

He had no illusions about his current capabilities, an Adept Mage with a single Rare-Spell wasn't going to tip the scales against an Alpha-Rank threat.

Still, he didn't leave immediately.

He lingered near the entrance, watching the movement as Warren issued orders and runners were dispatched.

He watched as maps were unrolled, various communicators activated, and the guild's emergency protocols kicked into gear.

It was really happening this time…

'An Alpha-Rank Beast…'

That meant the dungeon wasn't something a small city like Hesa could handle.

They barely had any Gold Rank Adventurers on their side.

Furthermore, the Mages in this city were mostly Initiate Mages and some Adept Mages.

There were only about a dozen or so Arcanists, and as for Exemplars or Tier 4 Mages, there were probably one or two of them within the Mage Association.

'Is it going to be alright?' Rayven sighed, unsure whether they could handle the Alpha Rank Beast.

The deeper sectors were no longer just dangerous, they were shifting into territory reserved for elite combat units and high-tier mages. If he wanted to survive in this possible Dungeon Beast Tide, let alone profit from it, he needed to upgrade fast.

He then looked at his Current Balance.

[ Current Balance: 2,724 Gold Coins ]

The 2,700 he just earned wasn't included yet, as he was still carrying the pouch with 27 Gold Plates.

Looking at it, it only seemed like it was worth about 20 gold coins. The only difference was the various marks left on it, and perhaps, even some form of magic was also imprinted on its design.

Because of that, Rayven decided not to deposit them yet. It would be painful if he deposited one directly and only got 20 gold coins or so.

He'd need to visit the bank, convert the plates, and deposit them in his system…

Nonetheless, he could do it later on since he needed information first.

Rayven turned to one of the junior staff members who had just returned from the northern outpost.

"Hey," he said quietly. "Did the scouts say anything about the situation around the boss?"

The young man blinked, startled by the sudden question, then nodded. "They mentioned that the dungeon boss couldn't leave the dungeon unless certain conditions were met... However, it could easily send out its minions. As for the boss itself, it must be killed within the Dungeon, or it would endlessly send out beasts to our world."

Rayven heard a few more things about the Dungeon Boss and nodded.

"Thanks," he said, then stepped outside.

Rayven walked toward the bank. He needed better skills since he realized that this was also his chance to earn a lot of money.

After all, since the Dungeon Boss couldn't literally come out of its territory, Rayven felt that he would only be assigned to deal with Lesser Beasts or Greater Beasts. As for those Elite Beasts, they could be handled by those First-Tier or Master-Tier Swordsmen or other Tier-3 Mages.

***

Before heading to the bank, Rayven decided to test something.

He pulled out one of the gold plates from the pouch… It was thin, rectangular, and etched with something that looked like mystical runes. He wasn't exactly sure.

It looked pristine, almost ceremonial. If it truly held the value Mark claimed, his system should recognize it.

He opened his system interface and navigated to the deposit option.

[ Deposit Currency ]

Rayven placed the gold plate into the designated slot on his system's interface. In any case, he had 27 of them. If this one plate only gave him 20 or so Gold Coins, it wouldn't hurt too much. He could just proceed to the bank to convert the other 26 plates.

However, if the system valued it the same, then he would save a lot of time visiting the bank.

But as he placed the plate on the slot, Nothing happened.

No confirmation. No balance update.

Instead, a faint message blinked at the bottom of the screen:

[ Invalid Currency Format. Deposit Rejected. ]

'As expected… So it's not considered the right currency format. I should've known since it doesn't accept bronze or silver coins.'

He examined the plate again. The runes probably have mana, though he couldn't sense it. Likely a security enchantment or a traceable mark used by the royal treasury. That most likely explained why his system didn't accept it. It wasn't raw currency… it was a tagged asset or something.

With that in mind, Rayven tucked the plate back into the pouch and made his way to Velmoria Bank.

The building stood tall near the city's central plaza. Guards flanked the entrance, and the interior was lined with enchanted glass counters and various magic items that was protecting the place.

Rayven approached the front desk and showed the pouch.

"I'd like to convert these gold plates into standard coin…" he said.

The clerk's eyes widened slightly at the royal crest stamped on the pouch, but she nodded professionally. "Of course, sir. Please follow me to a private room."

Rayven was led to a quiet chamber with a simple table and chairs inside. The bank manager arrived shortly after, verified the plates, and began the conversion process.

"Would you like assistance with your deposit?" the manager asked.

Rayven shook his head. "No. I'll handle it myself."

Once the manager left, Rayven opened his system again.

[ Deposit Currency ]

He placed the newly converted coins, standard gold, into the slot.

One by one, the system absorbed them.

[ +2,700 Gold Coins Deposited ]

[ Current Balance: 5,424 Gold Coins ]

Rayven exhaled slowly.

Now he was ready.

He opened the Skill Market tab.

[ 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 smiled after seeing the skills once again.

He had already reviewed them before, so he already knew what Spell he really wanted.

[ Scout's Recall (Rare): Returns the caster to a previously marked location. Requires a prepared anchor point. It can be used to escape combat or reposition during exploration.

Range: 250 meters from the anchor point.

Cooldown: 10 minutes

Cost per use: 3 Gold

Type: Mobility / Tactical ]

Rayven tapped the icon beside Scout's Recall.

[ Confirm Purchase: Scout's Recall (Rare) - 1,900 Gold Coins ]

[ Transaction Complete. 1900 Gold Deducted.]

[ Purchase Successful ]

[ Scout's Recall (Rare) acquired]

[ Current Balance: 3,524 Gold Coins ]

Rayven nodded with satisfaction.

This was exactly what he needed, an escape spell that didn't rely on raw power, but on preparation and positioning. It fit his style perfectly.

He closed the spell tab and opened the Physical Augmentation menu.

[ Available Augmentations ]

Silent Frame I (1,000 Gold) - Requires 15 spells

Sensory Boost I (1,200 Gold) - Requires 2 Detection Type Spells

Grip Enhancement I (800 Gold) - Requires 1 Control Type Spell

Rayven didn't hesitate.

He selected Grip Enhancement I.

[ Confirm Purchase: Grip Enhancement I - 800 Gold Coins ]

[ Transaction Complete. 800 Gold Coins Deducted. ]

[ Augmentation Installed. ]

[ Current Balance: 2,724 Gold Coins ]

A subtle warmth spread through his forearms and fingers…

It was different from the purchasing spell, where he could barely feel anything at all.

With the physical augmentations, however, he felt his grip tighten instinctively, and he could feel the difference. It had more control, better tension, and smoother motion.

He opened his Current Augmentations tab.

[ Physical Augmentation (2/5) ]

[ Body Conditioning I

Improves muscle coordination, balance, and joint stability. Slight increase in movement efficiency and pain resistance. Enhances physical durability during travel and combat.

Status: Installed ]

[ Grip Enhancement I

Strengthens hand and forearm control. Improves weapon handling, climbing ability, and object manipulation.

Status: Installed ]

Rayven flexed his fingers, then his wrist. The responsiveness was immediate.

'Perfect for handling heavier gear.'

He closed the interface, and he finally felt a lot better.

With Scout's Recall and Grip Enhancement now active, he felt more confident even if the Dungeon Break happens.

And with 2,724 gold coins still in his balance, he had room to grow.

'Next… I need to find a Control-Type spell.'

That would unlock even more augmentations and maybe give him an edge in the chaos that was about to unfold.

***

In the meantime, Dennis, Tristan, Luke, and their newest party member, Miles, had officially advanced to Iron Rank after a month of steady missions.

Advancing from Copper to Iron Rank for only less than a month was already quite impressive.

Apparently, after Rayven left their party since he became Silver Rank so quickly, the three of them found another Initiate Mage, Miles, who had 2 Spells in her arsenal…

With the possibility of the Dungeon Outbreak happening really soon, their current task as Iron Ranks was simple… It was to gather rare herbs from the western mountains that could be used for medicine.

But just as they were collecting herbs, the ground trembled beneath their feet.

An earthquake occurred… and it wasn't natural.