Chương 230: B4–Chapter 10: Jackpot, With Interest

The moment Al cast the looting spell on the first snake, my red light started blinking. Yes! Level up +3 to all stats Wizard Battle Master level 10 I checked my profile—nothing new under Wizard Abilities or Wizard Spells. But as I scrolled down, under Battle Master Skills, there it was: Battle Sage, with nothing in brackets. By this point, I already figured out I had to use it and progress to get the brackets, but it still annoyed me. I poked it halfheartedly, not expecting anything, and got a surprise.

Battle Sage You can now train others in magic and combat, enhancing their learning speed and efficiency. Magic too? Cool! I remembered that the Battle Master had teaching enhancement, but remembered nothing of the sort in the Wizard part. To verify, I rechecked 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 complexities, learning 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. MAGI BATTLE MASTER This is an advanced fighting class. Battle Masters can wield any weapon and are adept in various fighting disciplines.

A Battle Master can learn any fighting discipline more efficiently and, after level ten, can teach others with great benefits to the students. +3 Strength, +3 Agility, +3 Constitution, +2 Vitality, +3 Free Stats Combined Class WIZARD BATTLE MASTER This class blends both aspects of its constituent parts. To advance in levels, you must progress in magic and combat. +3 to all stats. This class does not receive free stat points. I was right. Nothing about teaching in the Wizard section—just as I suspected.

A bleed over from the combined class? Looked like the benefit wasn't just an empty class slot, but some other perks, too. Nice! I gave the system a thumbs-up, feeling amusement through the permanent connection.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up. At least you're doing something right," I thought. This time, there was no reaction. But if it improved the speed of learning magic, not just fighting, why was it listed under the Battle Master Skills and not under Wizard Abilities?

"Still a shitty interface, if you ask me," I sent to the system, but again, got nothing in response. I immediately wanted to test the enhanced speed of teaching and headed straight for Mahya. But after three steps, I stopped dead in my tracks and facepalmed, utterly mortified. In all the discussions about the potion and paintballs, the thought of teaching them the Neutralize Poison spell had never even crossed my mind. How could I miss something so obvious?

After a moment of cringing at my oversight, I felt a little better—it hadn't crossed their minds either. At least I wasn't the only clueless one in this regard. Noticing motion from the corner of my eye, I turned and saw a straggler snake flying toward me. My heart skipped for a second, but I grabbed it with Telekinesis, and held it firm. Just as I was about to cast, Mahya's sword flashed in the air and cut the snake clean in two.

"Why did you do that?" I asked, annoyance creeping into my voice as I turned to face her.

"It was about to bite you!" she exclaimed.

"I had it," I insisted, narrowing my eyes at her.

"Don't touch the next one, I want to experiment." She raised an eyebrow, curious now.

"Experiment with what?"

"Different spells," I said, rolling my shoulders as I tried to shake off my frustration.

"Lightning is too mana intensive, and only some of the Mana Darts hit. Those fuckers are too fast. I want to see which spells with a wider area of effect are good against them."

"Oh, sorry," she said, a hint of guilt crossing her face.

"I'll leave you the next one."

"It's okay," I said, softening a bit.

"By the way, want to learn the Neutralize Poison spell instead of eating potion-balls?" She facepalmed, and I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face. Yes! I thought triumphantly. I'm not the only hopeless one!

"Why didn't we think about it?" she asked, her voice muffled behind her hand as she peeked at me through her fingers, clearly exasperated.

"I have no idea," I admitted, shrugging with a sheepish smile.

"At least we're thinking about it now."

"Let's put our armor on, and then you can teach me," Mahya said, turning to Al and calling out, "Al, put your armor on too, just in case more snakes show up." After I put on my armor, I went over to fit the snake armor on Rue, but it quickly became clear it wouldn't work. He'd grown so much that the armor only covered him from neck to halfway down his back, leaving about half a meter of his body uncovered.

Worse, the leather straps weren't nearly long enough to wrap around him—there was no way I could close it around his belly.

"You're too big," I told him, shaking my head as I struggled with the straps.

"I can't even close it around you."

"Rue have thick fur. Rue's fur armor," he replied in a confident tone. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"Okay," I said, wiping my hands on my pants.

"But if we encounter something dangerous that can get through your fur, please be careful. Okay?" He licked my face—he actually had to lower his head a bit, and said,"Rue promise." Once everyone was armored, I returned to Mahya to teach her the spell. We followed the same system I had developed with Lis. Mahya channeled mana through her hands while I split my mind into three.

With one partition, I connected to her mana, with the second, I cast the spell, and with the third, I directed her mana into the spell's pattern. It took about half an hour for her to learn it, and I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. When I taught her the Absorb Mana spell, it had taken about the same time. Where's the ease of teaching? I wondered, just as Mahya said, "Wow! That was much easier this time."

"It was?" I asked, surprised.

"I didn't notice any difference."

"I did. Trust me, it was way easier," she insisted. I frowned.

"It's a new skill I got with my Wizard class. It's supposed to make teaching easier, but I didn't feel anything different—it took as long as the last spell. Why did it seem easier to you?"

"The pattern was clearer right from the start, and it was easier to follow," she explained, thinking it over.

"Maybe it took the same time because the pattern of this spell is more complicated. But believe me, it was definitely easier."

"Alright," I said with a nod.

"I'll take your word for it." I went over to Al, casually asking, "Want to learn the Neutralize Poison spell?" He seemed lost in thought for a moment before he finally said, "No." That threw me off.

"No? Why?!"

"I don't level from making the potions, but from selling them or having them used—by me or someone else," he explained.

"When we start running low on paintballs, I will learn it. But right now, I would rather focus on gaining levels."

"Oh! So, do you want me to use the potion instead of my spell?"

"If you don't mind, then yes," he replied, nodding slightly.

"I will ask Mahya too."

"Okay, I'll give it a try," I said, still adjusting to the idea.

"Thank you," he added, his voice warm with appreciation. We harvested the salvageable snakes, about fifteen in total, and I opened the house. Just in case, I put on the mana absorption protection and the lightning protection. In the morning, there were six more dead snakes around the house, and Al managed to stop Rue from squishing them in frustration. Rue was still incensed and kept grumbling,"Stupid no yummy no level snakes!" We took off and continued flying toward the first city.

The scenery began to change at some point. The day before, we had only seen a sea of canopy—so dense that nothing was visible beneath. It felt like flying over a green ocean, with the wind adding to the impression as it stirred the leaves. Now, the trees were less dense, and we could occasionally see the ground. I noticed large animals from time to time, but I couldn't make out their shapes. They looked furry and brown, but that was all I could discern.

After three or four hours in the air, we spotted an overgrown road. It was paved with a yellowish-brown substance that wasn't asphalt, though from the air, we couldn't make out what it was. Still, it was obvious that it was paved and not just a dirt road.

"Looks deserted," Mahya commented, squinting at the road below.

"Perhaps they neglected to remove the weeds?" Al suggested, glancing at her.

"Maybe," she said thoughtfully.

"But even if they don't have cars, the road looks way too overgrown."

"It does cut through a forest with snakes and those furry big things we saw," I pointed out, though my voice lacked confidence.

"Maybe it's too dangerous for them to do maintenance too frequently," I added, though I wasn't convincing even myself.

"Shall we continue flying or follow the road?" Al asked.

"I do not believe the jeep will have any difficulty with the weeds."

"The balloon is better. I'm sure both the balloon and the jeep will be completely alien to them, but the balloon has the obfuscation runes I can activate, the jeep doesn't," Mahya replied, crossing her arms.

"Why didn't you put some on the jeep?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Because I'd have to melt the jeep's body and re-cast it with the runes embedded in it," she explained, frowning slightly.

"In the future, I might create a shell with the runes or something to add that function to the jeep. But right now, I didn't have the time, and I don't have enough experience or knowledge to do a good job. The only reason I managed it with the balloon is because of the book of runes for cloth from Lis. Otherwise, the balloon would've been visible too." I couldn't help the smug expression that crept onto my face, feeling the need to dust my shoulders for effect.

After all, I was the one who gave her the book and suggested she use it. Mahya rolled her eyes and slapped the back of my head. She opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it.

"You wanted to call me an idiot, didn't you?" I asked with a smirk. She nodded, looking embarrassed, her eyes downcast. I hugged her and said, "I know I got upset last time, but you don't have to be afraid to talk to me like before. Worst-case scenario, I'll get upset again, you'll apologize, and we'll move on. Although I don't think it will happen again. We talked and cleared the air. It's all good now."

"You're sure?" she asked, hesitantly.

"Positive," I replied. She slapped the back of my head again and called me an idiot. Al was doubled over laughing, and Rue chimed in,"Silly John! You tell Mahya to hit you. Very silly John." We followed the road from above, and after another two hours, we spotted the edge of the city. It wasn't hard to figure out why the road had been left to overgrow—no one had visited this place in a long time. The city below looked like something out of a nightmare.

The buildings were nothing but crumbling shells of what they used to be. Some were half-collapsed, barely hanging on, while others stood tall but beaten, their walls blackened and scarred like they'd been through hell. From up here, I saw the wreckage engulfing entire blocks, covering them in debris and dust, resembling the aftermath of a giant hand flattening everything in its path.

It reminded me of certain areas back in Chicago before they started revitalizing—the ones that were abandoned for years, leaving old factories and warehouses to sit and rot. But this was on a whole new level. The buildings had that same old-school feel—brick and stone, wide streets that were likely bustling with people, cars, and activity in the past. I could even spot a few ornate details on some buildings—arches, pillars, balconies—stuff that used to scream grandeur. Now, it just looked sad.

There was this thick, musty smell in the air. Even up here, I could smell it. Like wet earth mixed with something burnt and long-forgotten, the kind of smell that sinks into your clothes and sticks with you. The wind blew it toward us, along with the faintest whiff of something metallic, like rusting iron. I wasn't sure if it was coming from the ruins or the monsters below, but it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

As we flew above the city, we could see life down there, but not the kind that made you feel safe. Monsters were everywhere, roaming the streets like they owned the place. The big, hulking ones—huge, brown, and furry—lumbered through the debris, barely paying attention to anything in their way. They had claimed one part of the city as theirs. In another section, quicker, sleeker creatures moved between the wreckage like shadows. They might have been feline, but from above, it was hard to tell.

In another area, we spotted creatures that resembled cassowaries, but with the addition of two small arms. Huge bugs had claimed another part of the city, and we could see massive slimes oozing through the streets. Enormous rodents scurried about, and there was some kind of cross between apes and lizards, leaping from building to building, causing even more of the ruins to collapse under their weight. Each type of monster seemed to stick to its own territory, like they had divided the city into districts.

Fights broke out along the borders, and we could see some monsters dissipate after being defeated. To make things worse, flying creatures also claimed sections of the sky above. We could see them circling from afar and made sure to skirt around their territories. It felt like a war zone down there, with each monster type holding its ground in a constant struggle for dominance. These were definitely monsters, not mana beasts. The chaos and destruction below were a far cry from any kind of order or safety.

Mahya was rubbing her hands together like she was about to make the deal of a lifetime, and Al had this huge grin plastered on his face. I stared at the two of them, utterly confused by their reactions. Looking down, all I felt was apprehension, while they looked like they were about to wiggle their butts in celebration.

"Why are the two of you so happy? It's a nightmare down there," I asked, completely perplexed.

"Look at all this trash mana," Mahya said, practically bouncing.

"Judging by the monster types, I counted at least fifteen potential dungeons, not even counting the ones that throw out small trash mana and get eliminated immediately. This isn't just the jackpot—this is the whole damn casino, manager and owner included." She sounded so happy, it was almost indecent. Hmm, when she put it that way…

"We'll need to clear the roaming monsters first," I pointed out, glancing down at the chaos below. Mahya waved dismissively.

"Ahh, it's not a problem. We can clear most of them from above, even the birds. Don't forget, they can't see the balloon clearly. It's not exactly invisible, but it's enchanted to divert attention and make them forget about us. We'll clear an area, find the dungeons, deal with them, and move on to the next spot. Rinse and repeat." She rubbed her hands together, grinning.

"This is so amazing, I can't wait to start."

"Hold your horses there, monster exterminator," I said, raising a hand.

"Let's find a safe place to land, open the house, and make some plans first." Al stepped up, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry, we won't be too hasty or careless. We'll make plans to clear the city safely. There's no need to rush—we can take our time and do this right." We turned the balloon around and flew about two kilometers away from the city, heading to the edge of the forest. I flew out of the balloon to scout for a good place to land, take off from, and set up the house. It took a bit of time, but I eventually found the perfect spot.

The overgrown road curved around one hill to the right, then another to the left, and the area where the road turned was wide enough, with only two trees in the way. I returned to the balloon and directed Mahya to the spot. Once we were there, I grabbed Al, and we went to work cutting down the trees. When the area was ready, Mahya descended and asked, "John, open the house and ask it to create a landing pad or something to tie the balloon to. No point in emptying and filling it up every day."

I opened the house in its stone version, and the core extended the bottom part with storage, making it three times bigger, with four stone pillars to tie the balloon. I couldn't help myself—I patted the house and said, "Good girl." Just in case, I glanced at Rue to make sure he didn't take offense, but all was well. Mahya turned to Rue and asked, "Rue, please check for monsters or mana beasts and let us know immediately if you see anything." Rue, ever the eager helper, exclaimed,"Yes, mini boss!"

and lifted his paw like he was trying to salute her. It looked awkward—like he was about to scratch his ear—but his intent was clear. The three of us laughed, and Al shook his head, saying, "Your familiar is unique." By the time the balloon was secured, Rue came back and reported,"Big creature around hill. Rue growl. Now creature afraid and not come."

"Good job, buddy!" I exclaimed, scratching his ears for a long time. He deserved it after a job well done. After dinner, we all gathered in the living room to plan our attack.