Chương 23: Status Card

Status Name - Marielle Hearth Race - Human Class - Spellblade Rank - 2 (Elite) Level - 8 Age - ** She pointed at the level and said, "They roughly divide each rank into 5 levels. Rank 1 is levels 1-5; Rank 2 is levels 6-10, and so on. I'm not sure exactly about the details, but they roughly quantify mana capacity and quality through levels." Kyle's eyes were filled with shock as he looked at the status card in front of him.

He never expected people of this world to use status cards to determine levels like some Japanese Isekai, and he expected even less that the woman in front of him would be a rank 2 elite and a secret class holder at that.

'Holy crap! A hidden boss!'

"…" Kyle was speechless. Marielle looked at him with a smile on her face as she continued.

"You might be surprised that I'm the holder of a special class, but no need to. I acquired it in the great dungeon of Norn. Special classes aren't too big of a deal in big cities, and the difference between them can be huge. A weak special class isn't much different from the normal classes, and [Spellblade] is just an average special class, granting swordsmen the ability to use spells."

"And you don't need to take these levels too seriously; they can only be used to quantify mana. Other things, such as physical fitness, combat skills/spells, and combat experiences, can't be quantified, so it's not unusual for a person of a higher level to be defeated by a person of a lower level. Of course, provided that they're within the same rank, the difference between ranks is huge." She winked and said. Pondering for a moment, she pointed at her level.

"I can't give the exact number, but my mana capacity at level 8 is roughly 2 to 3 times that of level 6. The difference between a level 1 and a level 5 is roughly 10-fold, I think. And that's just mana capacity; mana control; quality; physical fitness; the quantity, quality, and mastery of combat skills; and even different classes. The difference is huge. A top rank 1 professional can easily defeat dozens of rookie rank 1s, so naturally, you stand at the bottom of rank 1 at the moment."

Marielle placed the status card back in her bag and said.

"Then, what is the growth process from a newbie rank 1 to peak rank 1, and how can one break through to rank 2?" Kyle quickly said.

"Your father already told you the answer. There's no such thing as meditation or special training techniques. The normal way to increase mana capacity and quality is to use it, as simple as that. Through the process of depletion and replenishment, your mana will slowly grow. Warriors use combat skills, and mages use spells. During this process, physique/spirit grows, and mastery over combat skills/spells increases. The growth speed differs based on personal talent."

Marielle noticed the flicker in Kyle's eyes when she mentioned 'the normal way', so she simply replied before he could ask.

"You must be thinking that since there's the normal way, there's also the abnormal way, right? In that case, you're correct, but it's difficult to access. The abnormal way is very expensive potions that accelerate recovery, special food that restores stamina, and extremely mana-rich environments. Objects that directly increase mana capacity do exist, but using them will make it exceptionally hard to break through to the next rank." This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road.

If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Kyle nodded with a look of understanding upon hearing this.

"I see, mana from external objects is different even if one can use it skillfully. That's what makes it hard to break through, right?" He had heard about similar concepts in the past.

"That's basically it, so if you aim for the peak, never use these external objects, even if people in Tarnfell or even the capital advertise it in front of your face. Wanting to get rid of external mana after acquiring it is almost impossible, so be very cautious about using things you don't understand," Marielle cautioned.

"I understand." Kyle nodded in agreement.

"As for how to reach rank 2 elite? In addition to increasing your mana capacity to the limit, I guess it's about the degree of control and mastery over mana and combat skills. If your mastery is good enough, you'll naturally break through; if not, you won't be able to, as simple as that. The same goes for mages," Marielle shrugged and said.

"Is there a way to determine whether one's control over mana and mastery over combat skills is enough?" Kyle pondered for a moment and asked.

"There is in the capital, and maybe in some big cities. Others naturally thought of what you thought. There are magic devices that can precisely gauge your degree of mastery and digitize it. Unfortunately, due to the cost, it's nearly impossible to popularize it, so you can only walk this path with conviction. Don't worry, though; with your talent, it should take you 3 to 4 years at most to reach the peak of level 1 and not much to break through." Marielle said with a faint smile.

Kyle picked up the tea in front of him and took a sip.

'It's a bit cold. I guess quite a bit of time has passed.' He contemplated his next question for a moment. However, noticing the faint trace of exhaustion on Marielle's face, he knew that she didn't have much patience to continue answering all his questions.

'I guess I'll have to ask one last thing, something that I desired for a while.'

"Then, the last question, Miss Hearth. Do you have an observation-type combat skill? Or do you know where I can get one?" Kyle asked with a serious expression on his face. Marielle looked a bit surprised at first, then a look of understanding flashed on her face.

"I do have one. I'll prepare it for you. I'll give it to you tomorrow morning. As for where you can get combat skills… In this small town, the only option for you is to buy it from the adventure guild, though it's sold on the second floor, and only copper-class adventurers can go there. The other option is to swear allegiance to the Baron, and he'll give you one if you request it, though I imagine that this isn't a path you're willing to take." She said with a faint smile on her face.

Marielle yawned and stretched, fully exposing her alluring curves. Kyle turned his face away, a bit embarrassed, though he couldn't help but peek a little. She just smiled at this and stood up.

"Okay, little Kyle. That's enough questions for today. If you have any more issues or questions, you can come to me later. I'll help you as much as I can. However, if you cause trouble yourself, don't expect me to always clean up your mess." She said as she cleaned up the utensils on the table.

"I understand, Miss Hearth, and you know that I'm not the type to carelessly cause trouble." Kyle nodded gratefully and said.

"Well, have a good night. I'm going to sleep." She walked out of the room, with Kyle following behind.

"Good night." Marielle entered her bedroom, and Kyle walked upstairs to his room.

'Now, I have enough information,' he thought as he closed the door behind him. He sat down at his small wooden desk and picked up a quill and a piece of paper. He lit up a candle, then started writing down his objectives.

'My next goals are... Normally train the observation-type skill that I will soon acquire. In the meantime, use [Transcendence] on [Burst Step] until it evolves into a technique similar to [Soru]. Time required: approximately 2 months. Train the observation-type skill using [Transcendence] (After the evolution of [Burst Step]). Increase my mana capacity to its limit. (This one can be accomplished through the constant use of combat skills, so it doesn't need to be specifically trained yet.) Train my swordsmanship, physique, and mana control. (I'll have to specifically set time to use [Transcendence] on them).' After summarizing his goals for the next period of time, Kyle folded the piece of paper and placed it on the candle fire. He watched as it turned into ashes before blowing out the candle and lying down on his bed.

'At least I have developed sleeping habits in this world. I miss my phone though.' That was his last thought before drifting into dreamland.