Chapter 34: Wizard (Patreon)

After breakfast, I returned to the bison area. Again, I chose a target, shot it, waited for the rest of the herd to relocate, and began the process.

After lowering the bison, I laid it on the plastic sheet and diagnosed it. Well, it was dead—that’s all the data I got from my Diagnose spell. I couldn’t sense anything else from it. Hmm, I didn’t expect that. When I diagnosed the jurbers, I “saw” that they were mostly made of mana and felt it dissipating. Here, I got nothing except “it’s dead.”

That gave me an idea. By channeling my mana into it, albeit with much less intensity than before, I carefully observed as the meat slowly became saturated. The mana path kept eluding me, and I just kept channeling. By closing my eyes, I not only sensed the mana in it, but also established a connection with it. It was clear that the mana I sensed belonged to me, not just the mana of the surroundings or any other source. I concentrated more and more and sank into it, feeling the mana in the meat. I felt there were still empty pockets, so I channeled more mana into it until it was full but not over-saturated and about to explode. Just permeated with mana. With my eyes closed, I sat like that, entirely focused on the entire carcass. I learned it: every bone, muscle, fat accumulation, meat, and pelt. Feeling every cell in the whole thing.

Suddenly, an insistent red light threw me out of my examination. Annoyed, I opened it to return to my task quickly.

You have learned to sense with your mana.

New class unlocked: [Wizard]

Would you like to take the Wizard Class as your sub-class?

Cost: 1 ability point.

Y/N

I remembered being offered the class in the past, but then the cost was three ability points; now, it was only one. When I got the Healer Class, it didn’t cost me anything because I learned healing spells on my own. And I got a message that the sub-class’s strength would equal that of a main class. That got me thinking. Based on the achievements that unlocked this class, it sounded terrific. But should I take it now and have a weaker sub-class? Or refuse it and receive an offer of the class free of charge and at full strength in the future?

While sitting there, I cast Purify on the carcass and stored it to prevent spoilage, deep in thought. I had a severe case of analysis paralysis. I just sat there with the open window and couldn’t make up my mind. Finally, I closed the window with my mind without reaching a decision.

I summoned the carcass again. My mana still saturated the carcass. I connected to the mana again and continued to examine it. After some time, I felt like I knew everything there was to know about it, maybe even too much. So, I took control of my mana inside it, not just connected to it, but grabbed it like when I compressed the jurbers and guided the mana the way I wanted. I wanted the carcass skinned and butchered correctly to steaks, roasts, and ribs.

I controlled my mana to go where I wanted, so it would do what I wanted. It wasn’t easy. It kept slipping out of my control. I was sweating and had a headache but wouldn’t let up. I felt it was doable if I didn’t give up. Finally, I had the mana where I wanted it, and it was ready for what I wanted. So, I added some more mana and gave a final push. The carcass looked like it deflated. It was clear that the pelt wasn’t attached to the rest but lying on top. I picked it up and looked—it was the whole pelt with no meat residue. The meat had disconnected from the bones and was lying in a heap between and around them. I examined every piece, and it was perfect. Everything was exactly like I wanted, every piece.

YES!!!

The red light was blinking rapidly again.

You have learned to wield your mana sufficiently.

New class unlocked: [Wizard]

Would you like to take the Wizard Class as your sub-class?

Note: Due to your achievement, you can take the Wizard Class without spending ability points, and the class’s strength will be equal to a main class.

Y/N

WOO HOO!

It turned out that analysis paralysis could be a good thing.

I clicked YES this time and opened the class description.

WIZARD

This is a rare and very sought-after class.

Wizards are scholars of magic and mana.

They develop new spells, combine them, and expand them. They study mana and its intricacies and learn to wield it like a tool.

When a Wizard advances their understanding of magic and mana, they can develop the ability to wield external mana.

This Class does not have Spells, Skills, or Abilities—the wizard develops their own.

+3 Intelligence, +3 Wisdom, +3 Perception, +1 to all other stats.

This class does not receive free stat points

I still wasn’t done with the red light.

Level up

+3 Intelligence, +3 Wisdom, +3 Perception, +1 to all other stats

Class: Wizard Level 2

Well, that was a surprise. I could understand now why I got the class—not only because of my experiments with mana, but also because of my desire to develop the looting spell. It sounded precisely up a wizard’s alley, and I was sure my intention had an enormous influence in unlocking this class. I was glad I didn’t take it the first time. Sometimes, being overly confused had benefits. But I still wished I had some answers.

Huh, I suddenly had a thought. I let my Luck lead me to the cave with the emeralds. Could it lead me to answers?

I engaged the active Luck ability, thinking that I really, really, really wanted to figure out what was going on with my mana. And I felt a direction. It was west, with a slight angle to the south. And I felt as if it still had time, as if something that was supposed to happen hadn’t happened yet.

So there are answers? It’s not arbitrary?

I summoned a cooler, stored all the meat, rolled up the pelt, and stored it.

And I just sat there, basking in the moment. I succeeded in actually looting a carcass—not exploding it or shooting its pelt away, but actually looting it. I got an excellent class that sounded very interesting and compatible with my personality and my need to understand things. And I had a direction for answers. It was simply a perfect moment.