The Frugal Mage

Rayven didn't plan to go easy on Cedric. After all, he wasn't getting a proper allowance because of the Veltham Family's cowardly attempt to mess with their business.

After watching the competition, he knew that it wouldn't be surprising if Cedric decided to cheat or use unfair means to defeat him.

After all, he had a reputation he must hold on to and could not be defeated by an Initiate Mage. If Cedric realized that he was not an easy opponent, he might become desperate, and Rayven had to prepare for that…

Rayven's hand brushed lightly over the pouch at his side, feeling the shape of the seven enchanted sleeping darts within.

He couldn't help but smile as he guessed how many gold coins he would have to spend tomorrow.

***

That night, after his meal with everyone, Rayven returned to his room to rest…

Albert wanted Rayven to just focus on his duel for tomorrow, so he let him be.

'Now that I think about it… I should get the skill now.'

Rayven sat cross-legged on his bed and opened his system.

"Suggestion Feature… I need you."

Just like that, the feature appeared in front of him.

[ Basic Suggestion: 3 Gold Coins ]

[ Combo Strategy: 5 Gold Coins ]

[ Personalized Spell Path Guidance: 300 Gold Coins ( Available only after purchasing your 7th Spell ) ]

Without hesitation, Rayven selected the first option.

[ 3 gold coins deducted. ]

[ Current Balance: 1,005 Gold Coins ]

[ Basic Suggestion Redeemed. Please explain your concern. ]

He still had earned some gold coins thanks to Seoryun being so generous.

Rayven thought then for a moment before asking…

"Can I only learn seven skills or spells right now? If it's limited… how do I get more?"

The system paused briefly before responding:

[ Answer: Your current maximum skill slots: 10. This exceeds the average Tier 1 Mage capacity of 7. However, you can have Personalized Spell Path Guidance after getting your 7th Spell. ]

[ Further explanation of slot expansion available. Additional Suggestion fee: 3 gold coins. Proceed? ]

Rayven paused for a moment after getting this reply. First of all, he was satisfied with the number he had seen, ten.

The system was right. Initiates could only hold seven skills, but since he could do ten, he had the advantage. He was certainly satisfied with that.

On the other hand, he felt more curious about the expensive Personalized Spell Path…

'I guess it will find a path for me depending on my seven spells, huh…' Rayven thought as he believed that he must be smart about his Seven Spells if he wanted a good guidance result.

He guessed that if his spells were filled with Mana Flick, Mana Bullet, Magic Missile, Flameball, or anything that he could throw, the Spell Path he'd get would probably make him some sort of human tower.

As for further explanation on how he could expand his skill slots, he decided that he could just do it later.

"No, not right now. That's already good enough."

Just like that, the system's Suggestion Feature disappeared.

Currently, his skill list was short but growing:

Mana Flick I

Appraisal I

Detect Mana Source I

Telekinesis I

Mana Pulse I

Five skills. That meant he still had room for five more. Enough to shape his own combat style.

He paused for a moment as he considered what kind of problems he might face when fighting against Cedric. He easily imagined how the fight would go.

Well, he already knew six out of his twelve spells. On the other hand, Cedric shouldn't be aware of his current spell collection.

"I already have detection, a little control, and basic offense. But against another mage? He'll attack from range. I guess there's no need for movement yet. What I need is something that can help me focus on my offense instead of wasting my time defending…"

With this in consideration, Rayven made a decision.

[ Stone Skin (Uncommon): Reinforces the user's entire body with a layer of stone-like armor. Highly effective against elemental attacks. Reduces physical and magic damage by 35%.

Duration: 45 seconds.

Cost per use: 3 Gold

Type: Defense / Earth Elemental ]

Cedric's set of spells was mostly wind and fire spells.

He had Flame Spear, Flameburst, Wind Blades, and others. Since the Stone Skin was actually effective against elemental attacks, it was definitely a good choice.

Rayven no longer hesitated and bought it,

[ Purchase confirmed. 900 gold coins deducted. ]

[ Current Balance: 105 Gold Coins ]

[ Skill Purchased: Stone Skin. ]

Of course, Rayven didn't forget the previous suggestion from the system to choose Spells with Tiered Progression, like Appraisal I, Detect Mana Source I, since those Foundational Spells had advanced forms, and it could help him save money in the future.

However, he didn't really mind it now since this was the best defensive spell he could get at the moment.

'Let's see…' Rayven thought as he checked his Skill List.

The moment he confirmed he had the Stone Skin Spell, he immediately had the urge to try it…

'But 3 gold coins per cast for 45 seconds, huh…' Rayven gently nodded. He was not too disappointed about it since it doesn't have any cooldown anyway.

"Perfect. Tomorrow, I'll be ready. No matter what tricks he throws at me… I'll just stick to the plan, and then I'll win."

With that, he extinguished the lantern in his room and closed his eyes…

***

"Rayven. Wake up. Today's the day."

Rayven stirred and sat up quickly after hearing his uncle's voice outside his room.

After a few moments, the door creaked open and Uncle Albert stepped inside, holding a folded set of dark-blue robes and a long, wooden staff.

They were both simple items, but everyone could tell what they were.

Albert had actually brought him a Mage Robe and a Mage Staff!

He then set the items down on the small desk in the room before turning to his nephew.

"I had these prepared for you. A proper mage should at least look the part… Even if you don't really need the staff."