Scanning the bookshelves, checking the synopsis of their contents on the back, and confirming information with the proprietor of the bookshop offered a few inklings into the powers of higher-level spells. Spells ranged from first-level all the way to twelfth-level. Most spellcasters, individually, only ever reached third, a handful gaining access to fourth, with the highest recorded living caster being seventh as the archmage of the Magi’s Tower association.

When it came to the capital’s tomes on spells, they did teach up to seventh-level spells, though they were ancient and cost so much that Logan felt dizzy at the price tags. Tenth-level spells were the epitome of mortal magic and rumoured to only be accessible to oracles, with eleventh-level being demon-tier magic and twelfth-level being glorified as deific powers though only scratching the surface.

The power of demons was so fearsome that many magi had to come together to ritual cast the teleportations required to invade their realm, or at least send the past heroes in after them. This was the last recorded instance of planar-travel portal magic, being possible if at least twelve magi spent a month preparing the portal.

Logan would not be able to do this, however, as the magi would all need to know where they were creating the portal to. While he could tell them about Earth using imagery or descriptions, it would reveal the existence of Earth to Avanar, and with the powers of the Avanarians, it would be far too dangerous. An errant mage could produce devastating effects on Earth if their magic continued to function there.

Marcus would not be able to assist, as teleportation magic was not available to Devouts, so Logan would still require several casters that he could trust to even think about this option. If he were to do it alone, not only would he have to reach a much higher level, but it would likely require him over a year of ritual casting the spell. The month-long portal for the demon invasion almost killed the magi who made it, Logan had no chance.

Logan was just happy at this point to have the knowledge of the bookshop owner Reykeg at hand, since Logan couldn’t get as much information without buying the tomes. As the conversation circulated on the matter of teleportation and the levels of magic, Reykeg did mention that spell levels occurred in multiples of eight. Rank 8 granted second-level, 16 gave third.

Since ritual casting allowed spellcasters to use spells above their normal limitations, the information for portal magic was a bit inconsistent. Combining their knowledge and the synopsis of the books, they arrived at the portal magic being either seventh or eighth-level. That meant Logan needed to be at least ranked 48 or 56.

It had taken Logan close to a month to reach level 12, so those goals were around four months away. That depended a lot on Logan’s actions though, and if he even got access to the right spells. It was a long shot, but a shot nonetheless. This put the quest path more into the forefront of options, as completing one could bring him home immediately.

With goblins becoming so few in number he couldn’t abuse them for experience, he’d need to kill hundreds to level up at this point anyways. He didn’t have enough information to figure out a solid plan for levelling right now.

Thinking to the MT, the archmage could possibly aid him, but that was only an option if the current archmage could be trusted. Had the association become corrupt in the absence of the oracle that had founded it? Would the mages flock to Earth in search of a place where their magic would not be discriminated against?

There was the option of getting funding for his own research into portals, but that would most likely end in him having to write reports and being scrutinized in his journey.

Logan ruffled his hair as he wracked his brain for what would be the best course. He felt like he was going in a loop. He had only a single chance at trusting someone, if word got out it was the end, not to mention the rival issue. Reykeg saw the adventurer’s frustration and offered a cup of tea to mellow his mind.

“Is this part of an initiation into the Magi’s Tower?” the older man asked, his lush hair hiding his age well.

Logan slouched back in his chair away from the books with the teacup in his hand, “It’s like a project of sorts. I want to specialize in teleportation, but, it is so frustrating to get to the point I need to be at.”

“If you were younger I am sure you’d have more energy for these things. It normally takes a couple dozen years to reach the point of the archmage, let alone using such high-tier spells. That is of course if you don’t spend every day hunting stronger beasts”, Reykeg informed as he sipped his drink.

“Almost makes me wish to find an endless dungeon.”

Reykeg’s eyebrow raised at the mutter, “Oh? You are a slotter so I suppose you could deal with many more foes than a spelly. A spellforced dungeon could offer you the training you’re after, but I warn you, they are far more dangerous. You trade safety for speed.”

Sitting up in his chair Logan leant towards the table to set his cup down, “I did deal with a made dungeon a few days ago, had a few surprises in store but it was weaker than our ranks so we got through.”

“You’ll find the spellforced much harder than a made dungeon. The creatures there fight to the death and work together much better than the normal monsters you’ll find”, Reykeg spoke as if his mind wandered to past memories.

“As long as I can leave and regroup if things go south, it should be fine. I can use Dimensional Jaunt to get out of harms way well enough.”

“Even better if you focus more on teleportation spells”, Reykeg responded with a joking smile.

“I’ll have to look at the ones on offer if I do go the route of increasing my rank. See if there are any easy ones close by that my team can take care of.”

“Those types of dungeons often offer plenty of rewards within them, from fallen adventurers or from the monsters who have learnt how to craft. Some are so old that you may find artefacts long forgotten too.”

“Like the kaevock”, Logan thought to himself. “I take it you entered a few in your youth?” Logan asked.

“Pah, I still have some spark left in me. But yes, I was an avid adventurer in my younger years before my duties as a bookkeeper caught up with me.”

“Caught up? Did you inherit this place?”

“Oh, you have not been taught about bookkeepers? I can give you the abridged version if you like?”

“Sure, I was a bit curious about it from the last book place I visited.”

“Well, it all boils down to this. A bookkeeper has their life tied to a collection of books, this is then passed down to their eldest offspring, though they may fob it off onto their siblings. Once the current owner dies, the offspring take over and gain the ability to unlock the books. The monarchy pays for any setup fees required and from there you work as a business owner from then on. Only bookkeepers can open the books, unless you’re a powerful mage.”

“Can your bloodline just decline? Seems a bit harsh to enforce this on someone.”

“It is rare, but some have declined in the past. It then goes through the monarchy to find a new bookkeeper. It was a system designed before my time to stop the overflow of knowledge to those who were not prepared for it, nor worthy of such knowledge.”

“Sounds like quite the powerful system, did the monarchy make it?”

“The church commissioned the deities, and through the monarchy, the system was forged. Vokka, the Dame of the Mind, was instrumental in this creation.”

“Well, that is a tale indeed. At least now I can understand the process. What was the catalyst of this decision?”

“From my recollection it was a bandit lord who had accumulated knowledge of skills and spells, almost creating their own kingdom of chaotic actions. You could buy a tome that teaches that part of history if you like.”

“Maybe another time. For now, I think I have a better idea of how to progress with my teleportation studies”, Logan spoke as he stood up from his chair, “thank you for the tea and assistance. I will probably come by to buy some tomes later as my finances improve towards taking on a dungeon.”

“You’re welcome, Logan. I hope your progression goes smoothly.”

“Logan, we have collated some data for you”, the System spoke in the Spellthief’s mind.

Jumping a little as he left the bookshop Logan replied in his mind, “Been a while since you talked to me, System. What do you have?”

“As your aim is to leave we have created a small quest in your log to go over. It will simply make notes on your progress. However, we believe everything you have learnt so far is close to the truth. It is our advice to you that your elementals be max level as soon as possible to aid in lowering your reliance on parties.”

“That’ll lay it out neater for me. Thanks. Do you advise I go the quest route or portal route?”

“With the estimations at hand, you will be working for at least four months to gain the ability to create a portal yourself. That is not guaranteed. We suggest following the quests granted to you if you wish to return faster.”

“Do you think the MT will be an issue?”

“Darius was a terrible first impression, but so far they seem to be a reputable organisation. We advise at least discussing things further with their representatives and inquiring about teleportation teaching services.”

“They probably like casters more than martials anyways. Like a clique.”

“That is our assessment also.”

“Ahren mentioned more stages of your progression, talking with him it seems you’ll upgrade when my natural Intelligence hits 50. You think it’s the same for all PCs?”

“From how numbers normally progress and the mortal nature to adore round numbers or sequential increases, there is a high chance that is correct.”

“So, level 15? Not far off. I was thinking of taking the middle ground of slow and fast levelling for the two options to leave, opinions?”

“We would advise that if you go the route of speeding towards a higher level, that you leave Marcus behind. You have shown a fondness for him, and if your level becomes too high then he will be in greater danger.”

“I was thinking about that too. He’ll have a better life after I entered it. He is already lauded as a ‘blessed’ so his rep is fine. His Wisdom is also much higher than Devouts of his level since I was able to distribute his points into it, rather than the training the NPCs do to allocate them.”

“The training with the guard has helped his skill in combat too. We believe he will be fine if you left him behind.”

“Kinda shitty to just drop him though. He is eager to keep with me for a long time. This topic is going to be difficult to breach with him.”

“You have time. Though, if you are to return home you will most likely be leaving him behind.”

“He doesn’t have as many ties to his world, he’s an orphan and wants to change this place. You think that goal of fixing the rules of this world are strong enough to keep him back if I offered him a ride to Earth?”

“As you might say, he would be a fish out of water. Disregarding the abrupt change from worlds, his ideals are tied to his faith in the deities that are a real factor within this world.”

“What was that saying? All evil needs to survive is for good people to do nothing?”

“Do you perhaps believe this is what your purpose is here as a chosen of an above deity? To prolong the goodness of the land? And the below rivals is to tip the balance towards evil?”

“Since we're fated to fight it is a good assumption to make, System. By the way, we need to work on your name. ‘System’ isn’t really that personal.”

“We shall think on our name at a later time. For now, we shall focus on helping you with your goals. What is our next step, Logan?”

“Let’s talk with Marcus, and go over this new information. Then we should try and contact people more versed in teleportation magic. Cassius had his own rings but he may know more, we could also ask his guild. After that, the MT.”

Getting back to the inn, Logan noticed a few more teams making their way out of the eastern gatehouse. Even if the goblins were done with there were plenty of quests that needed attending to. The rooftops were also home to children awaiting the first sign of the returning forces from the south, though it was still too early for that unless they were using teleportation magic.

Gazing over the entrance far to the east you could hardly tell the city had been attacked, if not for a heavier presence of the guard. Seeing the strength of the army and monarchy classed beings, Logan was sure the fight would have been easier with a better warning ahead of time. If any following invasion was to be announced, and they were much fiercer, the Spellthief might have his hand forced to counter it.

Entering the Meek Moat Inn, Logan waved to Yetveka who was naturally manning the counter at the far end. The room was devoid of any other customers, though they were most likely out and about on their hunts. Taking a seat at the counter Logan started a conversation with Yetveka.

“Slow day?”

“No, about the norm I’d say. The last of the non-hunters left to permanent residences”, Yetveka responded with a cheery disposition.

“So only hunters staying here now then?”

“Yep. That’s how this place normally operates. The non-hunters are typically those who have had bad experiences that warranted hunts.”

“So this place acts as some form of refuge?”

“You could say that. Hunters have become a rare breed lately, so this place was set up as an incentive to entice more people to sign up.”

“I guess even rarer with the recent troubles with goblins and raids”, Logan spoke as he took a sip from a tankard poured by the gashriek.

“We only have five regular patrons, there are a few other hunters outside of that number but I doubt it extends past a finger count.”

“Marcus and I will be getting back to the hunts soon, but a lot has happened lately.”

“Your work is always appreciated.”

The pair talked for a while longer until Marcus finally returned from his daily activities. Moving to their room, the pair moved on to discuss their current situation.

“It’s been a great day of work, Logan. I can really feel the improvement in my attacks and at no better time. The invasion from the goblins and the naegren cavern erupted a fire within me to improve. What’s our next course of action? Any news from your side of things?” Marcus said excitedly.

“A lot actually. I found another oracle”, Logan began, Marcus jumped at the mention but allowed his friend to continue, “I won’t say who they are or where to find them, but, they revealed quite a bit to me. I know a bit more about my purpose, though it is mostly tied to the quests they are giving to me.”

Logan explained the quest system a bit deeper, and explained the rival oracles that might come into play, but kept the mention of Earth out of it.

“It isn’t too surprising to hear about rivals from below. Though I don’t recall any mention of that in my investigations. It is possible it was kept a secret to not rouse worry.”

“Let us hope we find no rival oracles. I should be able to identify them if we do.”

“Then we need protection. How about Cassius? I saw him during some of my stamina training, I can take us to their guild now if you want?” Marcus spoke as he stood up quickly.

“I was thinking of also looking into teleportation magic, so if we could find an expert on that it’d be great”, Logan announced as he stood to meet Marcus.

“That’d help with our movement and your combat manoeuvrability. Was there anything else you learnt from the other?”

“No… nothing that needs addressing right now”, Logan replied solemnly. “We can have that chat later”, he thought to himself.

Making haste from the inn the pair made their way across the city streets towards the north quarter, the main location for adventurer infrastructure, including the guild houses. Sometimes referred to as Classed-End, the north part of the capital featured larger buildings. Well-furnished houses, classed-employed facilities, and guild-owned shops, it was a form of middle-class society.

As adventurers generally had a higher income due to their profession, many seemingly advanced in the use of skills faster than the classless. A Fighter who worked in smithing found it easier to acquire ore and materials than a classless that would have to pay for their basics to get started. A Devout could keep themselves safe in the forests when hunting herbs, or uses spells to hasten the growth of their gardens to grow flora at home.

Logan was thankful he had read up on customs and laws before coming into the heart of the adventurers’ society. One such occurrence he was preparing for was a lower, even more dubious, form of duel commonly known as a “match” or “sparring duel”. With only the want for testing personal strength or making a quick coin, these weren’t overseen by guards and were often held within guild yards.

He could easily decline any of them though, no real honour or reputation was on the line for these. Logan, after the fact, would have likened his duel with Kreya to a match. However, the stigma against casters made it easier to observe a “casus belli” from his memory of old war games he had played, an act or situation that warranted a fight. Though this world didn’t have that term. Essentially, casters were the bottom rung of classed beings and should feel lucky to get invited to a quest.

Just remembering the facts in his head made his blood boil and a heat rise in his head, seeing how well his spells did in a fight and even seeing the monarchy magi help in the invasion made it even more frustrating that casters were the bottom of the ladder. He was willing to accept that a mage would eventually become useless without slots or MP, but even then their help was instrumental in victories.

Systemic change was still at the forefront of his goals while he was stuck on Avanar, the attitude to those similar to Logan gave him a wave of kinship empathy. If he did go the route of increasing his level, he could do something similar to the oracle that formed the MT and increase the presence of mages yet again. The first changed their pay split from a tenth to one-third, with Logan in play he was sure he could make it even closer to an even split.

Passing by plenty of adventurer parties, the pair could pick up on discussions and rumours surrounding them. From some who recognised Logan as the mage who was with Cassius in the invasion to others who noticed the hunter’s armband on both of the casters.

As if they saw Logan as an easier target due to his clearly magical background, a tall, brutish man and woman duo approached the pair. Obviously touting their Fighter origins, it seemed like they were eager to start something with the casters, the man opening his mouth to issue a challenge. Thankfully he was interrupted by a shout a fair distance away.

“Logan! Preparations for the quest are complete”, a familiar female voice spoke.

The brutes moved apart as they looked behind them to see who was calling out to their most recent targets.

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