Learning runes was just a series of classes where the teacher would draw the symbol in the air whilst explaining the intent behind it. It took nearly two weeks but he had gotten a few runes in each element.

Fire Water Earth Wind Lightning Darkness Light Misc Burn © Spray © Harden © Gust © Spark © Dark © Glow © Bolt © Heat © Freeze © Growth © Accuracy © Attract/Repel © Negate (Un) Sight (Un) Self © Combustion (Un) Condense (Un) Strength (Un) Haste (Un) Shock (Un) Consume (Un) Enhance (Un) Cone (Un) Slow (Un) Death ® Life ®

He had needed special permission to learn the life and death runes since students didn't usually have access to them. They had each taken a full day to memorise, even with meditation. He had then used each rune engraved onto a smooth stone to get each magic.

Skill Gained NAME: Water Magic You gain the ability to cast Water based spells Effects- Water based spells are 1% less expensive to cast and 1% more powerful/ skill level MP cost- Na Activation Time- Passive Level 1 Skill Gained NAME: Darkness Magic You gain the ability to cast Darkness based spells Effects- Darkness based spells are 1% less expensive to cast and 1% more powerful/ skill level MP cost- Na Activation Time- Passive Level 1 Skill Gained NAME: Light Magic You gain the ability to cast Light based spells Effects- Light based spells are 1% less expensive to cast and 1% more powerful/ skill level MP cost- Na Activation Time- Passive Level 1 Skill Gained NAME: Lightning Magic You gain the ability to cast Lightning based spells Effects- Lightning based spells are 1% less expensive to cast and 1% more powerful/ skill level MP cost- Na Activation Time- Passive Level 1

After getting all of the Magics a notification popped up.

Notice

Due to gaining proficiency in all Elemental Magic and all Elemental Manipulations the skills have been merged

Skill Gained NAME: Elemental Magic You gain the ability to cast Elemental spells Effects- Elemental spells are 2% less expensive to cast and 2% more powerful/ skill level MP cost- Na Activation Time- Passive Level 2 Skill Gained NAME: Elemental Manipulation The elements answer to your beckon call, your will is their form. Effects- Allows you to control the elements. Proficiency and efficiency increases with skill level MP cost- Variable Activation Time- 3s Level 2 Achievement- Elemental Mage

You are the first monster to successfully master the 7 basic elements on this world. Class bonus upgraded.

10% increase in learning speed for all magical skills > 15% increase in learning speed for all magical skills

This time John did not have a rush of information, instead, it was as if he could suddenly see the links between all of the elements that he had already learned to control, how they were different and how they differed. It was like staring at a puzzle for weeks and suddenly it just clicking and bringing a wave of clarity and enlightenment with it. The effect was the same though. He blacked out.

Fortunately, he had been in his room when this happened, just in case something like this happened he had saved light magic to cast at home. He had learned his lesson for doing big things in an unsafe place.

When he woke up it was early morning and he was starting to get hungry. Eating normal food was filling but it just lacked something that eating something that he had caught had, so every few days he would go out lurking in the early hours of the morning, making sure to travel decently far away and picking off the few people here and there that were also walking around. He had hunted yesterday but he felt like he deserved this one. He quietly dropped down out of a window and shifted into the form of a random gnome man that he'd eaten and messed with the appearance of and set off down the road.

These hunting trips had already gotten him 2/3rds of the way to level 6. This was probably because he was picking off the weakest people he could find. Not willing to risk going up against someone who could draw attention to the area he was hunting. He had also managed 2 levels in Shift and 3 in stealth from these excursions.

After about half an hour he had found a target, a young man who had just dipped into an alley nearby, he quickly and quietly came up behind the man. He had taken to using his claws on these trips, snapping necks was efficient but there was just something incredibly satisfying about dragging his claws through the neck of a person. Listening to the gurgles and splutters as they fell grasping at their necks and watching the life dim from behind their eyes. He was already licking his lips in eagerness.

He shifted into his base form and grabbed the mans hair, pulling it back. He let out a squeak of surprise before a bloody smile opened up across his throat. A squirt of blood splattered across the stone floor as the man choked on his own life. It was nearly 2 minutes that it took for him to stop moving completely. He had tried to use some kind of magic but was unable to focus enough to do so. Ten minutes later there was nothing left but a bloody puddle on the ground.

John typically used water magic to wash away the blood but he had a thought. Blood was just water with a bunch of other earth elements mixed in, why shouldn't he be able to control it now? Focusing he imbued his mana into the blood. There was resistance as the man's mana was still present but it was eventually converted into his own since it's owner was dead. When he felt he was ready, he willed the blood to move, imagining it as a thick tar that would seep into the shape of a container. It took much longer than he expected to but eventually, he managed to gather it all into a ball.

Skill Gained NAME: Blood Manipulation You control blood with your will. The power of blood is at your fingertips Effects- Allows you to control the shape, movement and blood, proficiency and efficiency increases with skill level MP cost- Variable Activation Time- 6s Level 1

John smiled, he was not expecting it to be a new skill. This brought up some questions though, it seemed there were skills for things other than the basic elements, he had never even heard of this at the college, perhaps it was another thing they had kept from the students? John decided it would be best not to mention his new skills. At least not for now. With his will, he squeezed down on the blood and drew out the moisture, a technique he had gained from the skill and was left with a clear red crystal.

Item Name: Blood Crystal Type: Reagent Durability: 10 / 10 Quality: Poor A small gem of crystalline blood can be used as a reagent in rituals and alchemy.

John decided to take the day off college, he had a lot of things to figure out. Making his way back home, he used earth manipulation to get back into the window and replace the ground. Not 20 minutes later, Mary knocked on his door, calling him for breakfast