00016 [Part 1] [The Rookie Mage] ------------------------------------------------------------------------=
Wakimi. He had played every game worth playing to the point of mastery, so he believed he would quickly get used to Customize Yourself as well. The reason he had chosen to join C.M later than others was his overflowing confidence. No matter how popular a game was, it couldn't be different from other games; he figured an unpopular game would have vast settings and be more interesting.
However, the moment he first set foot in this world, he realized his thinking had been completely wrong. An endlessly expanding world, items that only players could create, diverse content and quests, monster attack patterns—all of it surpassed any game he had played before.
It wasn't until a week after starting the game that he managed to gather five silver coins. He was a week ahead of the average player, so he regained his confidence. This time, he decided to make a name for himself by playing the Mage class, notorious for requiring the worst control in the game. Armed with skills honed from all kinds of games, he aimed to instantly reign supreme over the mage hierarchy.
"This is ridiculous…."
And so, while undergoing the mandatory training required to change class to Mage, Wakimi met a human being beyond common sense. A boy—or perhaps a young man—with a physique that suggested he knew nothing of exercise, with black hair, merely blinked his yellow eyes calmly and followed the lesson's directions while others were panting and sweating during training.
"Did you say Last? You're quite good at mana control."
"I still have a long way to go."
Long way my ass.
The man named Last, reeking of chuunibyou, replied nonchalantly and drew mana from his entire body. While others were barely able to pull mana onto their palms, he was drawing it out from his whole body.
"That guy must have a lot of gaming experience too. But compared to me, who's a whole week ahead of average…."
"How long has it been since you came to this world?"
"Hmm…. A year… no, today."
"Today?"
Today!?
Like Wakimi, the instructor couldn't hide his astonished expression. And for good reason. No matter how fast someone was, it took an average of two weeks before receiving class-change training. Wakimi had shortened it to one week thanks to his gaming experience. There were likely players who completed it even faster unofficially, but gathering five silver coins in just one day was quite an astonishing feat.
No way. Unless someone gave him the money….
"Did you do it on your own?"
Impossible!
"Remarkable. Hey! Have you all finished mana control!"
The instructor finished speaking with Last and asked the other four Mage aspirants. Unlike before, their confident expressions had vanished, and they looked visibly exhausted.
"Instructor! I'm done! Huff…!"
"Hoo…. Not bad for a beginner."
Wakimi squeezed out his remaining mana and gathered it above his palm. He wasn't emitting mana from his whole body like Last, but he showed some aptitude. However, he himself was far from satisfied.
This game was somehow strange compared to those Wakimi had played. In the games he had played before, there was no real need for class-change tests or training. It was simple—you changed class and could use skills. But in this game, you had to take separate tests or complete training to change classes, and even after becoming a Mage, you had to know how to manifest the magic you would learn.
"Good. Moving on to the next lesson. As I said before, all living creatures are born with at least a small amount of mana. In the case of adventurers, their mana capacity grows as they level up. But ultimately, the mana contained within their vessel has its limits. Therefore, we must learn to use the mana lurking everywhere—natural mana. This training ground is riddled with mana. Feel that mana and absorb some of it into your body to recover mana! Like this!"
The instructor steadied his breath. Soon, the mana drifting in the air became visible and flowed bit by bit into the instructor's body.
"Haa…!"
It was absurd when he thought about it. Here they were, living in the real world, being told to feel natural mana. Still, he tried. He inhaled and felt the mana around him. Or rather, it was closer to seeing? When he focused his eyes, he saw tiny blue particles floating in the air. Was it because he had experienced mana earlier? He tried imagining them flowing into his body. This game seemed to place importance on imagination. He had imagined forming the mana in his palm into a sphere, and it became a sphere. Others had apparently failed at the image of forming a sphere, their mana scattering into the air several times.
Anyway, having seen his mana gauge fill, Wakimi—.
"Oh, Instructor! I can…!"
"Amazing! A prodigy has appeared!"
"""Ooooooh—!"""
Mana was flowing into Last's body from every direction. Wakimi didn't know much, but he could tell it was far more impressive than his own mana flowing in from one direction. The other examinees let out exclamations of wonder unwittingly.
"You have a bright future. Raise the name of Mages high!"
"Me? I just breathed and it happened…."
It was as infuriating as saying he made first in the entire school just by reading the textbook. Was absorbing mana as simple as breathing? Unless he had been born in the game world, it was absurd.
"Then let us begin the final lesson. Upon completing this, all of you will become Apprentice Mages!"
At the instructor's words, those drained from mana recovery composed themselves and stood up. Only Last stood perfectly fine.
"Dummy monsters!"
At the instructor's shout, mana drifting in the air gathered before each person. The mana soon became one, and scarecrows holding targets appeared.
"These are dummy monsters made of mana. Don't worry, they're set not to attack."
"What do we have to do?"
"It's simple. Gather mana and create the image of an arrow. Then hit the dummy monster with a mana-made arrow. You don't have to hit the target. Just hitting it is impressive enough."
The instructor demonstrated. He made five arrows of mana and fired them all at the scarecrow. The scarecrow hit dead center fell to the ground, then rose again when the mana arrows vanished.
"Understood?"
"""Yes, sir!"""
Hehehe. He won't be able to do this one, will he? I admit you're quite skilled. But I've played FPS games too. Witness my control that even accounted for gun recoil.
"Haah!"
"Ooh."
Wakimi stretched out one hand toward the scarecrow. Mana gradually began gathering in his palm. For the first time, the instructor took interest. The others, including Last, did the same. The mana slowly formed the shape of an arrow. Imagination—it was all about imagination. He wracked his brain to pull out the shape of an arrow and barely formed it. Now all that remained was to fire.
But—.
"Wh-what is this…!"
Nothing had happened when the instructor fired the arrow. But Wakimi's arm began trembling violently. Before his eyes, the scarecrow seemed to move this way and that, laughing as if asking where he was aiming. The hand chasing the scarecrow trembled so much that the arrow's direction kept going astray, and eventually the image of the arrow gradually unraveled, turning into mana and vanishing into the air.
"Ah…."
"Well, it was a good attempt, but that can happen at first. Magic is about image. The elements of creating magic can be largely divided into mana, formula, and image. You don't need to learn formula theory as an Apprentice Mage, so do your best to improve your mana and image!"
"""Yes, sir!"""
Wakimi clicked his tongue and steadied his breath to recover the lost mana. He had used all his mana to make a single arrow. So in this world, it seemed you could directly control the mana consumption for magic. Of course, for powerful magic, there would likely be a minimum required amount of mana.
If it's this hard, that guy must not be able to do it either.
Wakimi looked around while recovering mana. Everyone seemed to be struggling. Last didn't seem eager to step forward either. He was just watching the others.
Hmph, as expected, he finds it difficult too….
Because of what suddenly happened before his eyes, Wakimi forgot he was recovering mana and opened his mouth wide. All his nerves focused on Last, and the mana flowing into his body dispersed. The others were the same.
"Gasp…."
Even the muscular, rugged instructor opened his mouth wide like the others.
"Phew…. Huh? Huh!"
The man himself didn't seem to realize what was happening right now. Opening his eyes, Last looked at the countless arrows floating around him and made a startled expression.
It was reminiscent of the exclusive skill of a character modeled after Gilgamesh from some manga.
"Why are there so many arrows!"
"What level are you!"
Others shouted that it was absurd.
It wasn't impossible. Theoretically, it was possible. A mana-made arrow was created by how much mana you invested into it. In other words, theoretically, you could finely divide all your mana to create countless arrows.
However, three problems lurked here. One, there was a minimum amount of mana required to make an arrow. Two, the power weakened proportionally, and control became fiendishly difficult. Three, splitting mana into the minimum consumption needed for a spell was something even those born in this world could count on one hand.
"He's a man who will become an Archmage…."
The instructor muttered quietly. No one heard. Everyone's gaze was fixed on the arrows floating around Last.
Though surprised by the attention from those around him, and by the fact that countless—precisely about 30—arrows had been created around him, he maintained the arrows.
"I should finish this quickly and get out. Is this how you do it? Urk…."
With many arrows, control was difficult too. His arm swayed here and there. The arrows were losing stability. But Last concentrated and soon fired the arrows without issue.
All hit their marks. The dummy monster lost its HP and vanished.
"Huh?"
"Congratulations! Last, you are now an Apprentice Mage!"
Along with the instructor's words, a message seemed to appear before Last's eyes. Other players' messages couldn't be seen without that player's permission, so Wakimi couldn't see it, but it was likely a congratulatory message for changing class to Apprentice Mage.
Last looked bewildered as he awkwardly greeted the instructor and retreated to a corner.
The others, perhaps spurred by Last's display, began firing arrows eagerly.
"Now! Good work, everyone! You are all now Apprentice Mages!"
As time passed, the instructor congratulated everyone in the training ground for changing class to Apprentice Mage.
[You have changed class to 'Apprentice Mage'!]
This was likely the message Last had read. Wakimi closed it and, exhausted from handling mana, was about to log out.
"I look forward to seeing you do deeds beneficial to this world as Mages from now on. And Last, step forward!"
"…Yes."
The instructor called Last. Last quietly came forward.
So that's it. I'm jealous.
In this game, players who caught the class-change instructor's eye could receive a class-exclusive item. Also, it was said to raise the favorability of NPCs within the guild. Wakimi had tried to receive this too, but as expected, he couldn't match Last.
He was furious. It was the first time he had tasted such fury in a game. Wakimi lowered his head and prayed for this time to pass quickly.
"And Wakimi!"
"Yes?"
"Step forward!"
Wakimi walked to the instructor in bewilderment. Last stood beside him.
"You have sufficient aptitude too! Strive to improve! Here, this is a gift from the guild for you!"
What the instructor handed over was a beige robe. Last was holding the same thing.
[Special Robe for Apprentice Mages
A robe given by the instructor to students they favor during Apprentice Mage class-change training. Made from thread that absorbs natural mana, it boasts excellent mana absorption.
Defense: +10
Durability: 300/300
Effects
Max Mana +50
Mana Absorption +10]
"Huh…!"
It was quite a good item. Wakimi nodded his head repeatedly to the instructor and expressed his gratitude.
"Now! Everyone, go forth on your adventures! For the benefit of this world!"
Everyone left their seats. The instructor had already used Teleport and disappeared. Only Last and Wakimi remained in the training ground.
Last also changed into the robe and tried to leave the training ground, passing Wakimi.
"Wait, Last!"
"Yes?"
Last, who had been climbing the stairs, turned to look at Wakimi. Last looked down at him with the feeling of 'So there was someone like this too.'
Yeah, a smug bastard like you probably didn't even know I existed. Your skills are certainly amazing! But just you wait!
"I am Wakimi! Someday I will surpass you and become a Mage counted among the best in the game!"
He declared—no, asserted. At Wakimi's booming voice, Last seemed at a loss for words. His expression contained the thought 'What is this guy doing?' but also seemed to hold the notion that he was a truly interesting person.
Soon Last slightly raised the corner of his mouth and replied,
"Yes, I look forward to it."
He said and climbed the stairs.
"Just you wait!"
Wakimi didn't climb up. If he went up now, he might have to walk side by side with Last. That wouldn't look cool. He stood in the training ground until Last's footsteps could no longer be heard.
---------------------------= Author's Afterword ---------------------------=
I thought a story like this would be fun written from another character's perspective, so I gave it a try.
Wakimi means "sideways glance" in Japanese. I memorized it while studying for my Japanese major exam tomorrow—no, today (damn it).
Well then, I'll finish Chapter 2, The Rookie Mage, here~ I chose to split it because it seemed like the chapter would get too long if I continued...