chapter 1 part 3

Link could cast a Level-0 Spell in 0.1 seconds. For a Level-1 Spell, he needed at least 0.3 seconds. And he needed one full second for Level-3 Spells. That was far too long—completely unsuitable for a lone Magician.+

Fwoosh. The bright magic cards disappeared, leaving some tens of dimly glowing cards behind. All of them had the number 0 inscribed on their upper right corner.

Link looked through them all one-by-one. Finally, he settled on four Level-0 Spells.

"Purchase Fireball, Earth Spike, Lesser Invisibility, Slumber."

Instantly, those magic cards lit up brightly. They shattered into countless little pinpoints of light then disappeared into thin air. Link felt his consciousness blur for a split second, then recover.

He suddenly found that he was very familiar with the four Level-0 Spells. If he wanted, he could have cast any of them in an instant.

That's it? he thought. The sensation of having learned a spell is exactly the same as back in the game. The familiar sensation gave Link a sense of comfort.

After purchasing the four spells, Link spent another two 2 Omni Points on Maximum Mana Points in order to be able to use his Mana. His Maximum Mana became 21 points, enough to use a Level-0 Spell ten times.

After converting the Omni Points, he felt the full level of Mana surge through his body and heaved a sigh of relief.

The gaming system was quite reliable. The Mana in his body had been filled automatically the first time he increased his Maximum Mana. If it had been empty, it would have needed time to recover. Link's Mana recovery speed of 0.2 Mana Points per hour made it virtually useless to wait for that to happen.

Now, he was left with 14 Omni Points.

Looking down at his pocket watch, just 5 minutes had passed. It was now 9:40.

The assassination would begin in an hour. Before that, it would be safe inside the Apprentices' Dorm. But outside, the Assassins were sure to be in their positions, ready and waiting. Running out now would be as good as suicide.

In the gaming world, to escape from the academy, one had to wait for the assassination to begin. The academy would be in chaos. That was the only way of escaping… and surviving.

There's still an hour left. What should I do? Link racked his brains.

Save the others? Persuade the Apprentices to escape with him?

That was pointless. Link was a nobody in the Magic Academy. Who would listen to someone who had only mastered one pitiful little Trick? They would just take him for a madman.

Get some gear to augment his powers as much as he could?

Yes, that was a good idea!