In the end, he still chose the [Mage].

The three slots were occupied by [Shell], [Magni Flux], and of course, [Metallurgy]. The [Shell] was slotted to ensure his safety as there was nothing more important than that. [Magni Flux] and [Metallurgy] were naturally the best and most useful skills he had among others in his skill list.

He could have slotted [Mana Sense] to further improve his extrasensory hence his safety, but that would be too greedy. Three slots never felt enough, especially when he got [Lightning Flux].

Regardless, the limited slot had a clear reason behind it, well, other than just a way to increase the skill or affinity level more efficiently. It might be just him, but the slot had to be limited as there was a game-changing difference after the skills and spell being slotted.

The [Shell], for example, felt like a part of him rather than something he had to form and use consciously. It felt like an extra arm he could flex whenever he wanted, however, he wanted. It felt as natural as breathing as if the spell had turned into a skill. No, it was more than merely a skill. Body fitting [Shell] was no longer a far-off dream anymore.

The other two also had their own improvements but in their own ways. [Magni Flux] was far stronger and responsive despite its low affinity, and [Metallurgy] had enabled him to create a mind wireframe of any metal he touched.

Furthermore, the slotted [Metallurgy] allowed him to memorize the design and create instant copies if he had enough material. No wonder [Metal] affinity was highly praised. The skill alone was already OP but the slotted version had pushed it beyond being unfair.

He was sure the [Crafter] had a similar slotted ability, but as a mage, he was practically cheating right now. Other skills like [Stone Meld] or [Crystal Meld] wouldn’t have such a huge impact as [Metallurgy] as no one would make weapons from stone, for example. As long as he was able to concentrate, he could make anything to meet his needs.

[Magni Flux], on the other hand, didn’t give him any idea of its full slotted length. It was something he had to explore to learn as it was probably because the skill was still new to him.

Adrin stood at the entrance for some time, reeling in the excitement. He needed to be level-headed if he was going to do this.

‘Maybe I should pre-arm the weaponize [Magni Flux] right now, just to be safe?’ he mused.

He crouched onto the ground and activated [Sneak], and to his surprise, he was currently being watched. Adrin was relieved he hadn’t shown anything crazy yet. But who in the world would follow a random average man? Should he confront whoever it was?

‘Or is it even human?’ Adrin turned around with the entrance on his back. A ping of [Mana Sense] confirmed someone was indeed watching. What he could sense was the subtle flow of mana around him, and he could ‘see’ the disturbance in the flow when a living creature was nearby.

“Come out whoever you are, I know you are watching,” he said.

One of the brushes shook and Adrin focused on it.

A kid came out from it. The brat in torn-up rags was gripping onto a stick bigger than his arm.

Adrin relaxed. What was he thinking? Goblin or something?

“What do you want, kid?” he asked the boy who reminded him of his younger self, minus the snot, of course.

The kid stared at him without saying anything.

“Say something or get out of my sight, brat.”

“Healing potion,” the kid said, pointing the stick to him with his shaky hand.

Adrin almost chuckled at the kid before he sighed inside. He took out a vial and placed it on the ground. The thing cost a few silvers, but there should be a reason why a kid would try to threaten him with a stick rather than asking for food or something.

He was no saint, but he wasn’t heartless either.

“Take it and don’t follow me inside, it’s dangerous,” he warned and turned around to enter the abandoned mine.

Adrin paused for a moment to pull out an item from his ring. He put on his helmet and turned on its headlights. The dark tunnels became bright from the two floodlights from just above the helmet’s peak. He switched one-off and it seemed it was better than both of them were active.

Far off clicking sounds warned him that the mine wasn’t completely abandoned. At least, other than humans. He glanced at his back and there was no one following him. Good riddance.

The mine was no different than a cave other than its rather clean overall shape. Unlike the old world, there were no wooden beams placed along the cave, but instead, the walls and the ceiling were reinforced with stone arches every few meters. The existence of a very handy and versatile [Stone Meld] to miners was very apparent here.

The people who dug and reinforced the mine had done an excellent job even if their affinity scores were meager compared to the mages. It probably took longer and more people but it got the job done. Adrin could relax a little as this mine was safer than a cave. He also could find signs where stones were separated from metal ores in the form of random shallow holes.

The journey through the mine shaft was a lot less nerve-wracking when he could see much further than normal [Light Stone] could’ve provided. He didn’t find any of the said glowing mushrooms until it felt like he was deep under the hill.

Adrin knelt when he found something he had been looking for. Blue crystals, or more accurately, copper sulfate. The ingredient of the green flame and his next experiment to test the difference between the colored flames. A lot of tests he wanted to do like the difference between having an affinity and not.

He melded them together into one large crystal before he stored it in the [Storage] ring. The shop where he had sold the sword had offered a lavish ring but he had opted for a simple and tough steel ring instead. Gold and silver were softer than steel, so why take the risk when he was in this kind of business?

A sharp click echoed in the dark, and Adrin lifted his hand towards the sound. Three bullets floated in the air, ready to be shot at a moment's notice.

[Magni Flux] enabled him to shoot these ferromagnetic metals like a Coilgun and it only took some practice to get it right. The synergy between [Metallurgy] and [Magni Flux] was something even he felt was unfair. The metal bending skill allowed him to change the metal bullet in real time depending on his opponent and he got a feeling that he would need a crushing force.

“Holy shit,” he cursed when he saw it.

A pair of large razor-sharp mandibles and antennae peek around a corner. He didn't need to wait for long before the large compound eyes showed themselves along with its giant exoskeleton body. Dark red in color, the monstrous ant with spear-like legs couldn’t be any more intimidating.

A small [Silencer Shell] surrounded his primed Coilgun as its large head scanned around. Green goo dripped on the floor and melted the stone floor before the vertical mandibles and its head turned towards him.

Adrin wasted no time and let it rip.

The head cracked and exploded on impact from the equally giant bullet.

He had used bigger bullets because it was simply better to have a stopping power against huge monsters. A small-caliber bullet might not guarantee a kill in a single shot and the last thing he needed was a pissed-off giant ant.

As the wise soldier said, “Walk softly and carry a big gun,” he chuckled at his own silly remark as he walked towards the corpse of the gigantic insect.

His skill-based coilgun was powerful, but only a fool would think there would be only one giant ant around. Adrin picked up his bullet along with the mandible as proof before he bolted towards the exit. He didn’t look back as more clicks echoed in the dark behind him.

Of course, he could have endured the giant ants with his [Shell] but where is the fun in that? He already got what he had really come for and he still had a lot of time. He would return when he had a rapid-fire solution in hand. It also would be safer if he first learned about the ants as there was no guarantee the monster didn’t have any special ability. He was living in a magical world after all.

Adrin got out and continued to run with a huge smile on his face. He knew it was ridiculous but he was able to relive the joy of playing games in the old world.

The guards of the outer walls flinched when they saw it. Anyone would when the mandible was bigger than the human thigh. He didn’t think even their full metal armor could withstand it if the monstrous thing clamps onto their hand.

“Where do you find that, kid?”

“Inside the abandoned mine.”

“Shit,” the guard cursed. “It must have turned into a dungeon. You better report it, kid. The Delver Association needs to know so guards can be sent to secure the place.”

“Sure, that’s why I took this back with me.”

“Good, we don’t want those snappers to run out of control and ravage the town.”

The guardsman waved him inside while looking around as if the giant ants or snappers had followed him somehow. A few of them did come out from the entrance but the overgrown insect turned around after a few moments.

Adrin continued his journey while wondering if there were any normal insects in this world, as he hadn’t paid any attention to it. If the only one thing he hated about this place was the fact he had to walk for another half an hour just to reach the inner walls and the town.

But the view wasn’t bad at least. The second layer was filled with farmlands of every kind from something that looked like wheat to weird fruit trees. He had arrived at this town during the night the first time around and he couldn’t really see everything as well.

Adrin took out a small piece of paper and began designing his railgun aka bolt rifle with a pencil. He had to do this for the emperor of mankind, after all, he chuckled. He was just glad he didn’t find himself in that merciless expansive world even if it would have been cool as hell.

And to be honest, he couldn’t wait for this world to develop into something similar to the imaginary world. The mash between science and magic had always fascinated him. The chaos that might come with it would be scary but maybe that was the risk he had to take.

He stopped on his feet. What if he could use mana to be his pencil and paper? He couldn’t have everything written down because other people could read it.

‘Is there a skill to do this? Mind notes or something?’ he mused as he continued onwards.

Out of self-amusement, Adrin began to meld mana into lines, shapes, and then polygons instead of the usual glyphs. He also set the meld mana to be invisible to the naked eye as the glyphs could. It would be laughable if the enemy could recognize the spell you were about to cast and countered it as easily.

Loudly yelling your attack or spell wouldn't work as well in real life.

Adrin continued to add details onto the basic model, one thing at a time until it looked like a more acceptable 3D model of his big gun. He was really enjoying it until half an hour flew by like it was a few minutes, and he was already at the inner wall before he knew it.

He let the mana 3D model float on the side and kept it there. It would be a huge waste to simply disperse them after working so long with it, and it wasn’t like it was going to bother anyone else.

There was a lot of activity when he got close to the Delver’s Association building. Something was obviously going on but he wasn’t sure what all the fuss was about.

It turned out the news of the giant snappers arrived before he did. One by one the people around him froze as they noticed the huge mandible in his hand. The other delvers stepped away as he walked towards the counter and he didn’t even need to line up.

“How are you still in one piece, kid?” asked the man behind the counter.