- Chapter 6 - Rookie Acolyte

~ Several Hours Later ~

- 30th of April, 418 A.W. -

~ Evelyn's POV ~

It was now around 5 AM in the morning and Evelyn had still yet to feel tired. She couldn't fall asleep due to what happened to her, so she stayed still in the clearing and just watched the stars and relaxed after she was done looking at her [Status] page and other tabs.

She couldn't really see in the dark, so she made sure to stay in the clearing with the stars in the sky and the light from the moon providing her with a decent amount of light during the night, at least in the clearing. She wasn't stupid enough to go tromping through the dark without having a reliable way to see.

'If only I've got night vision,' was one of her stray thoughts that night.

Evelyn enjoyed her time spent relaxing alongside the Porings that were asleep in different cuddle piles around the clearing since it was a better way to spend her time. As she did that, she also activated her [Mindful Thoughts of an Intellectual - Ability] in order to slowly Level it up.

She was laid down on the ground and unmoving, and the ability was basically a meditation-like ability that gave a decent Passive Improvement. It required her to be still in order for her to activate and improve upon it while supplying it with SP.

And so, that was what she did while at the same time she enjoyed watching the night sky until morning came. It felt relaxing, soothing, and it helped her look back at the times that she spent with her family and friends with fondness. She'll always feel those hints of loss, regret, and sadness from knowing that she'll never see them again. But for those several hours, she was able to acknowledge and be at peace with herself.

It's going to be a long road ahead until those myriads of emotions within herself will be completely at ease, but there will be plenty of times in the future for her to reflect more on those emotions.

With a cat-like stretch, Evelyn got up from the ground and looked at the sleeping piles of Porings that were now slowly awakening from their combined slumber within the forest clearing.

Without hesitation, she activated her [Basic Monster Detection & Observation Ability] with a mental tug and she felt a small trickle of her Mana flare within herself to power up the ability.

As her Aura of Detection spread, her brows pinched together in exasperation at what she saw. '1... 2... okay wow, that's 55 Porings; all of them Level 3. Hm... yeah, I won't bother them. I won't really get as much exp from these Porings anymore at my Level...'

With her curiosity sated, she cut off her Mana; thus, deactivating her Ability, and as she walked towards the edge of the clearing after having found her orientation via her mini-map, she felt a sort of presence watching her. It felt like it approved of her ignoring the Porings and leaving them alone.

'How odd... what do you think that was, System?', she asked inwardly as she set foot back into the forest; deciding at that moment to look for a river or a clear body of water to take a dip in and wash herself off.

[I have no idea. If your ability couldn't detect it, then maybe it was something we couldn't possibly detect unless it allowed it. That forest clearing felt special... especially since it was where we bore witness to Midgard blessing you. Maybe it was a hidden agent of Midgard that looks after that clearing. That's my theory... at least.]

'Yeah, maybe. I did feel an odd fluctuation of Mana that interacted with my Aura of Detection, but it was so slight that I barely took notice. If I wasn't overanalyzing what I felt, then I would've just thought that it was a figment of my imagination...,' she pondered as she walked the grounds of the forest with careful steps.

With a shrug, she mentioned, 'Maybe we'll find out someday. Now then, I need to find a river or a body of water. I feel the need to completely wash myself after not having done so for a few days now. Dabbing myself partially clean with a wet scrap of cloth as I scrape off dried bits of blood, dirt, and grass doesn't count.'

'Afterwards, I can then officially wear one of my fitted robes since I'm now an Acolyte,' she mentioned with a giddy feeling.

[I've never felt you this excited before. It's kind of nice seeing you like this.]

'How can I not be? I can wear those nice-looking robes now and I can now perform magic,' she replied with a grin.

Evelyn stopped for a small moment, mentally accessed and zoomed into her mini-map, and then took note of the places that she's been. It didn't take her long to find one of the rivers that she passed by a few days ago and she made sure to orient herself and head in the direction of the closest one.

With her business finished, she returned her mini-map to its tiny, default, and transparent form. And then, she walked with purpose to her chosen destination. Her need for a soak in a body of water giving her a boost of energy.

As she walked and talked some more with her System, she made sure to avoid any monsters with senses that were enhanced with skills as well as her monster detection ability.

It didn't take her long to find the nearest river, which was about 5 or 6 feet deep and 10 feet across, the waters within flowing gently as well as southwards. 'Now that's some clear water, you could say it looks almost supernaturally or magically clean...,' she noted with a grin.

[Try activating your Monster Detection & Observation Ability.], said her System; completely ignoring or not reacting at all to her pun.

'Sure.' And with that said, Evelyn did just that while she also activated her skills to enhance her sight and hearing and scanned her surroundings thoroughly. She was about to strip and wash herself off in the river anyways, but she'd rather not do so with an audience. It's a different story when she was with her unit back in her days in the military.

Although she was confident in herself as a woman; albeit now that she's in a younger body of 17 years old, which she's still yet to get used to seeing in reflections, she'd rather not give any person out there a free show. 'If any pervert does show up, then they'll simply lose a part of their anatomy and I won't bat an eye,' she absent-mindedly thought to herself with a shrug.

[There seems to be no one around except for a few low-leveled Lunatics, Porings, and a Willow nearby. Also, the river waters seem to be pretty clean. There's a certain low quality magical property about it that I've yet to identify, but thanks to the scans I was able to obtain through your ability... I was able to confirm that it's safe for you to rinse yourself off in this river.]

[And your last train of thought is pretty terrifying.]

Evelyn responded with a careless shrug after she finished scanning the environment and then she deactivated her hearing and sight enhancement skills while she kept her [Monster Detection & Observation Ability] up and running, just in case.

'If any person is willing to do stupid things, then they should be prepared to win stupid prizes. In this case, castration should be the least of their worries and would be me being magnanimous. There are far worse things a person can experience than death...,' she inwardly noted to her System while she stripped herself of her clothes, weapons, gear, and placed everything in her inventory. She'd rather not have any wandering Porings eat her gear and clothes while she's taking a dip in the river.

With her vestments divested and stored, she slowly walked into the river; taking careful steps to make sure that she won't slip and fall due to the wet river rocks, loose soil, and wet grass on the banks of the gently rolling river.

[Okay... I'll give you that. I'll keep note of anything that crosses and moves through your Detection Aura. It's still pretty impressive how it's grown to the size of 35 feet in every direction with you as the central point of origin.]

'Thanks, System,' she acknowledged with a small smile while she touched the cold river water with her toes before completely walking into it with a slight flinch at the coldness washing through her body as more of her skin submerged and touched the river.

It took her a few minutes to get used to the slight chill and she's thankful that the morning sun was warming her slightly. Without hesitation, she submerged herself completely into the water and after a few seconds she broke through its surface.

With a comfortable stretch, she soaked into it, floated on the surface for a bit, and then she started rinsing herself off while she hummed to herself in relief. As she cleaned herself, she felt content.

While she slowly rinsed herself off, a sort of soft and gentle blue light appeared on her person and her System was quick to take note of it. It took the System a minute or so, but once it found out what happened, it was quick to inform Evelyn.

[Good News! Through continuous contact with the waters from this river, you've obtained a 5% increase in SP Regeneration for an unknown amount of time.]

The raven-haired young woman heard her System's mental notification and she hummed, nodded, and replied, 'Thanks, System. That's good to know. I've been thinking of trying to cast some spells afterwards to see how it feels...'

'...I want to experience what it's like to use magic, learn more about how to utilize my Mana, and I need to see how I can Level up my spells. I'm an Acolyte now, so it's only right to find out how my magic works. Plus, I'm pretty excited at using it since it's magic,' she inwardly voiced with a satisfied smile.

[That sounds like an excellent plan.]

As her hands ran through her short raven locks of hair, she *sighed* with a serene look about her face; the rivulets of water trailing down her soft beige skin. '...when I finish up after my well-deserved river soak, then I'll get right to it...'

~ After 30 Minutes ~

~ Evelyn's POV ~

After her amazing river bath, she now found herself equipped with a pair of (New, Clean, and Comfortable Young Woman's Matching Black Underclothes), a pair of (Comfortable Darkened Leather Hiking Boots [+4 DEF] [Uncommon]), her (New, Clean, and Fitted Red & White Robe of a Fledgling Acolyte [+5 INT] [+3 VIT] [Uncommon] [Repairable] [Requirements: Level 10, and Acolyte Job Class]), a pair of (New, Clean, and Comfortable Black Dyed Wool Socks), her (Decently Used Wooden Buckler [+5 DEF]), her main dagger; of which was still the (Decently Used Knife [4] [+17 ATK]) that was strapped via a leather belt around her waist with the grip behind her and to the left; making it easier for her to unsheathe it with her right hand, and strapped to her left and right thigh was a pair of (New Knife [4] [+17 ATK]) that were dropped by a couple of Porings a few days ago.

Overall, she looked and felt great, but she knew that she'll need to eventually have to commission a blacksmith to make for her a better buckler or a shield as well as a better dagger. If she finds one from a weapons store in Prontera, then she'd be even happier.

She couldn't really find the kinds that caught her eye when she was there, and she already knew that there was no way she was able to find and browse through every weapons store in that huge city, so there's always a chance for her to find a good store during a future visit.

Evelyn and her System noticed that the buckler and the dagger that she mainly uses gained the 'Decently Used' designation, which was interesting, but they'll have to shelve and find out how it happened and the details therein another time.

Because right now; as of this moment, Evelyn was about to start casting her very first spell. And she was very excited and ecstatic at the prospect of wielding magic like she's always fantasized about when she was a child as well as when she played certain characters and classes in the MMORPGs that she used to play in the past.

With her back to the river, the sun still high in the sky, the white clouds floating on by up above, and the soft breeze of the wind tousling her still damp raven locks, Evelyn was a vision of beauty.

She was ready, eager, excited, and the grin on her face showed it. "Now then, let's try out {Blessing of Vitality} and see what it feels like..."

[Good Luck, Evelyn. I'm rooting for you. I'll keep watch for anything that passes through your Detection Aura since you've decided to keep it up. I'll warn you if and/or when danger is near, and I'll also monitor your efforts and take note of them.]

'Thanks, System.'

After a few calming breaths, Evelyn closed her eyes and mentally reviewed the knowledge that she was bestowed about Midgardian Nature Magic, the basics of how to cast the spells she now had access to, and she looked inward in order to sense the ebbs and flows of her very own Mana.

Evelyn then opened her eyes and started to channel her Mana towards her hands while she brought them forth together as if in prayer. She held firm in visualizing the hardness of steel, the durability of diamond, and the urge to protect while she formed and shaped her energies, which took on the color of soft yet faint green lights that were forming from within her joined hands.

After a minute or so, a pattern formed in front of her hands that were contained within a forming green circle with the image of a faint viridian shield. With the magic circle slowly forming and stabilizing, Evelyn felt that it was now only a matter of time until she can completely cast the {Blessing of Vitality} spell. And the target of her choice is her very own person.

Once it stabilized, Evelyn was bombarded with a feeling that it was ready to be unleashed, and so she willed it so. And with a faint burst of viridian sparks, the magic spell circle for the {Blessing of Vitality} lit up and burst into numerous faint orbs of green that shot forth towards her body and sunk into it. She then felt a sense of something she can't yet describe bolster her and yet cover her comfortably.

'System, you're free to show me the notifications from this spell being cast.'

[Affirmative...]

[The {Blessing of Vitality} spell has been casted adequately.]

[VIT increased by 5 for 30 seconds]

[+10 exp gained towards the {Blessing of Vitality} spell due to having casted it adequately. You have gained a faint bit of insight towards the spell...]

[+10 Job exp gained due to having casted your first spell adequately.]

With a small smile at her success, Evelyn then asked, 'It's good to know that I can earn exp towards my First Job Class through the practice of spellcasting. How did it look from your end?'

[It was impressive for your first time at casting a magic spell. Although it took you 4 minutes and 32 seconds as stated, it feels and looks to me like you'll need to understand your spell better. There was something I was able to take a glimpse at once your spell affected you, but only once it did.]

[Try it again... The more experience you gain, then the more possible paths you might find. There might be something else that needs to be understood, because I've mentioned before that it can branch out from what you've been given, and that creativity is a factor.]

[How much time do you plan to spend on this exercise of yours?]

'That's good to know, thanks... And I plan to just focus on this for a fair bit of time. I'm an Acolyte now, so it's only right that I practice my spell casting before using it outright in combat. I'm also very curious, eager, and excited to learn more and to experiment with the spells I have. There should be more to them, right?'

[Yes, there are more to the spells than meets the eye. We just need to figure them out and get creative. And by we, I meant you since they're your spells. I'll give you whatever insight I can gain from my scans of your casting practice, but it all boils down to your hard work and creativity.]

As she digested that, a small smile grew on her face. 'I'm getting even more excited now. While I do this, please remind me around lunchtime to eat something. I haven't had breakfast yet since I wasn't even hungry due to what happened to me last night, but I'm sure I will be once lunchtime hits. I plan to experiment and practice my spell casting until I get a few things down, after all. If I can find ways to cut back on the casting time, then that would be great, but trying to get that accomplished on the first day is unrealistic.'

[Reminder set, Evelyn. I'll monitor both you and your Detection Aura and I'll keep holding off on those notifications until you say otherwise.]

'Thanks, System. Now then, let's see if this works...,' she trailed off while she concentrated once more in trying to cast the {Blessing of Vitality} spell.

~ A Few Hours Later ~

- Current Time: 11:30 AM -

~ Evelyn's POV ~

Once lunchtime came, Evelyn stopped her spellcasting practice, leaned up against a nearby oak tree, and sat down comfortably on the roots of said tree while she had the backdrop of the river and trees near and around her to enjoy as she ate a (Bowl of Nutritious, Delicious, and Hot Chicken Soup with Vegetables).

As she enjoyed her meal, Evelyn pondered on her progress with her spellcasting while she tried to ignore the curious low-leveled Porings that approached her and eyeing her bowl of soup with their adorable eyes. The pink globs of bouncing gluttony were pretty annoying about this kind of thing, but she's been ignoring them so far, so it's been working out for her.

'But darn it, these things are too cute for their own good. It's a good thing I stopped killing them unless they bother me first,' she thought to herself with a *sigh* before she mentally reviewed her progress so far.

She learned a lot during these few hours of spellcasting practice. Evelyn found a slightly easier way to call upon her Mana by visualizing it as an ever-flowing river that's within her veins and she felt a sort of core of a sort in her body where her Mana ebbs and flows from. The Mana that she felt within herself interconnects with one another and she felt that the core of her Mana was located somewhere in her chest area.

She has yet to find it, but she at least was able to find the general area of where it rests. As soon as she got used to her Mana, she found out that it became slightly easier to call upon it to fuel her spells.

After some time, she was able to slightly understand each of her spells and found a few new things about them as she kept up her practice. The visualization aspect, the formations of the spell circle formulas, her understanding of when to release each spell to maximize their usage, and trying to get the flow of her energies just right took some time, but the learning experience was pretty fun for her.

Evelyn knew that it'll take even more longer for her to be considered decent at the usage of Midgardian Nature Magic, but she aims to try her best at learning all that she can and improving upon it.

While she enjoyed her soup, Evelyn kept up with the usage of her [Basic Monster Detection & Observation Ability] with her System helping her monitor her surroundings via her Detection Aura. She's glad that this area was only occupied by low-leveled Porings and the occasional, white-furred Lunatic, because she was able to go through the notifications that her System held off while she practiced her spellcasting like a woman possessed.

As she ate, her eyebrows rose at a few of the notifications she saw...

'Damn System, I know you mentioned earlier that I was making decent progress, but I didn't know it was like this,' she noted with surprise.

[Well... you are a diligent worker, and you did put in the effort. I wasn't that surprised.]

With that said, Evelyn's eyes scrolled through her [Status] tab and read up on the notifications that her System kept piled up. She scrolled past the exp gains while she focused on the updates and the results of her training so far.

[Status]

[Name: Evelyn Snowbright]

[Race: Blessed Midgardian of Human Origin] > {More Info...}

[Age: 17 Years Old (Formerly 29)]

[Title(s): Acolyte of Midgard] > {Unknown Effect...}

[Level: 10 (0/51,200 exp)] {+20% Exp gain - Nature's Shrine Maiden - Ability}

[HP] [540/540] (90 HP/30 Sec Regen when resting and/or out of combat) {+20% Regen - Nature's Shrine Maiden - Ability}

[SP] [2,750/2,750] (440 SP/30 Sec Regen when resting and/or out of combat) {+20% Regen - Nature's Shrine Maiden - Ability}

[Job: Acolyte of Midgard - Level: (4/50) (425/800 exp)] {+20% Exp gain - Nature's Shrine Maiden - Ability}

[Updates to Midgardian Nature Magic {Spells}]

> [{Blessing of Vitality} is now at Level: (3/?) (210/400 exp)]

>> [New Effect discovered > A slight Aura of Defense covers the body of the target of said spell. (The target of the spell gains a Weak Stone-like Defensive Aura, which gives 30 HP; temporarily, and it'll be active until the spell runs its course.)]

> [{Blessing of Swiftness} is now at Level: (3/?) (370/400 exp)]

>> [New Effect discovered > The target of the spell gains a Weak Wind-like Speed Aura, which is only effective enough to affect the limbs. (Evelyn and her System took note of the fact that her physical attack speed improved; albeit only from every 2.6 to 2.3 seconds, so she got slightly faster in that way until the spell dissipates.)]

> [{Grasping Roots} is now at Level: (4/?) (170/800 exp)]

>> [New Effect discovered > The target of this spell that's constrained and restricted can only be done so for 13.75 seconds, which is 55 (Total INT) ÷ 4. And, if the target's [MDEF] [Sub-Stat] is lower than her [MATK] [Sub-Stat], then it'll be slightly more effective. In vice versa, the more [MDEF] they have, then the less effective it'll be on them.]

> [{Heal} is now at Level: (4/?) (420/800 exp)]

>> [New Effect discovered > An Aura of Healing covers the target of this spell which will keep healing said target for only a certain fraction of the total healing power of the spell until it dissipates. At its current Level, only 8% of the total power of the spell allows it to heal up said target after the initial Heal. The Healing Aura lasts for only 13.75 seconds, which is 55 (Total INT) ÷ 4.]

The new effects she was able to add onto her spells from her spellcasting practice were pretty interesting. The only spell she wasn't able to add an additional effect to for the moment was her [{Teleport} spell, which has reached Level: (3/?) (175/400 exp)]. It wasn't bad progress for a few hours' worth of practice.

Also, Evelyn learned that with each Job Level up, she earned something called...

[Congrats! Your First Job Class: Acolyte of Midgard - has Leveled Up (x4), thus earning you (+4 Insight & Branch points) for your Midgardian Nature Magic.]

She was halfway through her meal when she mentally asked, 'What's an Insight & Branch point?'

[It's just as it sounds like. If you use this point on any of your {Spells}, then you'll be able to gain a small bit of insight or a way to branch off from it in order to possibly create a different {Spell} altogether. However, I strongly advise against doing so until you've gained a good enough understanding of your own spellcasting first.]

[The moment you earned one of those, I saw how you could possibly gain the most out of these points if you used them properly. These Insight & Branch points are basically condensed creativity or something similar; it's difficult for me to truly understand it at this moment, but if you're only barely scratching the surface of what you're doing, then it won't work out as much for you. In conclusion, the more you know, then the more you'll be able to get out of them.]

[Think of it as a sort of spark to ignite change when all other avenues have been depleted. You're pretty creative, so who knows when you'll eventually use these points.]

'That's good to know,' she replied with a smile. 'I want to keep working on my spellcasting for a while, so we won't be visiting Prontera for a couple of weeks or so. I have enough food in my inventory to last me for a decent amount of time. However, once I've reached an adequate level with my spells, then I'll visit the city in order to have a few things custom-made for my use.'

As the two of them talked some more, Evelyn finished eating, cleaned up after herself, and she stayed seated and relaxed after a hearty meal. As she stayed still in order for her stomach to settle, they kept up their discussion and her System took notes as to what Evelyn wanted to try out in her practice sessions.

Evelyn thought up a few new things that she wanted to experiment with, and her System thinks a few of them are worth trying out...

~ A Couple Of Weeks Later ~

- 16th of May, 418 A.W. -

~ Evelyn's POV ~

Now some would think that Evelyn would've eventually grown bored with practicing magic spells, drawing out her Mana in order to form magic spell circles, as well as the occasional meditation sessions she went through after climbing up a tree; in order to not worry too much about getting attacked by any aggressive monster that happened to wander by, but any who thought as much haven't met the raven-haired young woman when she's in an obsessive training mood.

The concept of having the gift of magic was all too exciting for the rookie Acolyte of Midgard, so it wasn't a surprise that she had to tell her System to set up reminders for her to eat, rest, and such or else she would've completely forgotten to do those things.

She's had access to Midgardian Nature Magic for a couple of weeks now and she has yet to get tired of practicing it with an amazing amount of fortitude, determination, and a sort of growing obsession with learning more about it. She's reminded of the time that she got introduced to video games, manga, and anime. She just couldn't stop practicing, but thanks to her ingrained healthy habits that she learned and honed from her time in the military, she was able to fit in a decent meal, sleep, and meditation schedule. And she also restarted her exercise regimen to help her stay active.

It's a good thing that she's had experience with having to learn and hone her habits and she's worked to build up her mentality in such a way that she's still kind of a workaholic, but she's able to enjoy the things that she did. Her System is basically acting as her clock, secretary, and scheduler all at the same time.

Evelyn has stayed close to the river, but she has wandered a bit while following it in order to map out more of her surroundings, but all in all, she focused on her magic. She's still at Level: 10, but her Job Level has risen by a decent amount thanks to practice and the occasional aggressive monsters that she's come across during her self-imposed quest to improve.

[Status]

[Name: Evelyn Snowbright]

[Race: Blessed Midgardian of Human Origin] > {More Info...}

[Age: 17 Years Old (Formerly 29)]

[Title(s): Acolyte of Midgard] > {Unknown Effect...}

[Level: 10 (2,314/51,200 exp)] {+20% Exp gain - Nature's Shrine Maiden - Ability}

[HP] [540/540] (90 HP/30 Sec Regen when resting and/or out of combat) {+20% Regen - Nature's Shrine Maiden - Ability}

[SP] [2,750/2,750] (440 SP/30 Sec Regen when resting and/or out of combat) {+20% Regen - Nature's Shrine Maiden - Ability}

[Job: Acolyte of Midgard - Level: (9/50) (175/25,600 exp)] {+20% Exp gain - Nature's Shrine Maiden - Ability}

Both Evelyn and her System were kind of surprised how much Job Class exp that were accumulated in relation to her training. The amount she gained when certain milestones were reached were also pretty impressive. The improvements that the rookie Acolyte experienced with repetitive casting as well as the nitpicking that she did with her own progress helped her realize how intricate and complex magic can truly be.

As Evelyn made her way towards the City of Prontera, she ruminated on the things she learned. It was a rainy Sunday afternoon while she trekked through the wet forest grounds, the harsh winds blowing branches and leaves all over the place. She's lucky that she has a mini-map to keep herself oriented.

One of the things she learned how to perform through experimentation, creativity, and focus is the thing that's keeping the rain and harsh winds from affecting her as well as the clothes on her body.

It's not really a spell, but a Mana Control exercise that she was able to perform adequately enough since last week to the point that she Unlocked an Ability out of it after a certain prerequisite was achieved.

It's called the [Basic Mana Skin - Ability], and through its continuous usage, Evelyn gained a better control over her Mana. A few of the side effects/benefits is that she can protect herself and her clothes from harsh winds, rain, mud, and things of that nature, which was a very useful feature. At its current iteration, she can maintain it indefinitely since it takes 200 SP every 30 seconds to keep active and Evelyn recovers 440 SP every 30 seconds.

While she found and decided to follow a traveler's path that looked to have been recently used due to the signs of a dirt trodden path with barely any grass growing on it as well as being two carriages wide, she also took note of the [Acolyte of Midgard's Holy Aura - Ability] that she Unlocked after having found her Mana core.

Her Mana core: of which had an unbalanced mixture of Nature and Holy Mana, is located a few inches past her diaphragm. It's located there in a metaphysical way and Evelyn and her System have yet to fully understand it and what it truly does. However, through Evelyn's discovery of its exact location within herself as well as her growing synchronization and control over her own Mana, the [Acolyte of Midgard's Holy Aura - Ability] was Unlocked; a.k.a. Awakened, and through its appearance, Evelyn became able to gain a decent control over her own Passive Aura that she didn't even know she was radiating.

It was a surprise for the young woman when she discovered that her {Passive Nature & Holy Aura} that she projected could be detected and followed by monsters that have very keen and unique senses. She also discovered that low-level Porings enjoy her presence, much to her slight irritation, but she's slowly getting used to it.

After having gained the ability, the rookie Acolyte and her System discovered and learned that certain individuals that have reached/obtained/earned/gained their First Class Job exude an Aura of a sorts that depicts their station in such a way that it's able to be discerned by those that are trained to look for them.

When Evelyn was a Novice, it was no wonder that she didn't know or realize anything about it. However, now that she's an Acolyte and awakened this ability, it became evident that others that have reached the same tier and those above them will be able to detect her Aura due to the passive leaks of energies that she radiates from her person.

Thankfully, the ability has been able to give her both a passive and an active control over the energies that come from her own body. She's thankful that she's not yet reached a level where it'll be difficult for her. Evelyn hopes that she'll gain a better proficiency at the usage of this ability, so that she won't need to worry as much about giving away her presence via her energy signature in the future. The rookie Acolyte predicts that the stronger she gets, then the stronger her passive aura will become.

The raven-haired young woman and her System are usually working together seamlessly in order to keep up the maintenance of a few abilities and skills as well as to make sure that they remain active without it taking too much effort for Evelyn. As of now; however, she's been maintaining the [Basic Mana Skin - Ability] and the [Acolyte of Midgard's Holy Aura - Ability] without too much trouble alongside the [Basic Monster Detection & Observation Ability].

The harsh winds, the pounding rain, the swaying branches, the frequently flying loose leaves, and too many other factors make it a headache for Evelyn to use and maintain her [Enhance Sight - Advanced Skill] as well as her [Enhance Hearing - Advanced Skill].

It hasn't been too much of a hassle for her as she got nearer and nearer to the City of Prontera. As she reviewed the other things that she was able to learn and figure out with her System's help, a smile appeared on her lips at the new spells she was able to create, the new ways she could utilize her Mana, and the copious amount of notes, reminders, and ideas that she told her System to record because each new discovery gave her an idea that she wants to explore later on. Each new lesson learned gave a hint and a clue for a hidden aspect of her magic that she has yet to find, so she's looking forward to what else she'll discover next. Her System told her that it feels like she's barely scratched the surface of Midgardian Nature Magic, so she's been imagining all sorts of things that could be possible with it.

After having ducked underneath, a tree branch that broke off due to the harsh winds, Evelyn also looked back on her attempts at trying to gather herbs, flowers, and such, but she has yet to unlock an herbalism skill or ability due to the both of them not really knowing what to look for.

And so; with that obvious discrepancy, Evelyn also plans to find books, scrolls, and other such similar knowledge on the basics of herbalism, potion crafting, and things of that nature in Prontera. As a rookie Acolyte, Evelyn's spells still take a decent time to cast, so she plans to supplement her abilities and skills with potions, elixirs, and tonics.

She's slowly getting used to this new body of hers and incorporating her fighting style while getting used to having a shield and dagger combination, and a couple throwing daggers on her person is an interesting experience for her. She's used to a whole different setup back then, but she's making do with what she has, and it's been great so far.

Of course, she plans to upgrade her gear gradually, but that's for the future when she has enough funds, knows who to go to in order to get custom-made gear created to her specifications, and when she and her System are a lot more informed about the new world, they live in.

Her magic and spells are works in progress and she's ecstatic to experiment some more, but she has to also take in mind that she can't just stay secluded in the forest to train. She still has a decent number of provisions in her inventory, and she has the necessary gear, items, and equipment to wash, dry, and fix minor tears in her clothes. She has the pots, pans, bowls, plates, utensils, cups, and what have you, so she can prepare food for herself and have it stored in her inventory; basically - meals ready to eat.

The things she lacks are the proper throwing dagger harnesses in order to equip herself properly with a decent amount of throwing weapons. She misses having a trusty semi-automatic firearm on hand and if she can't have that, then she'll become a menace and a master at throwing weapons. She's already well-versed with knives, but she knows that she can improve upon it further. Her martial arts training and experience from the past has proven useful in this new world and she also plans to improve upon it.

Her beginner's knowledge on magic, slow-going understanding of her own Mana, and her overall skill and ability at casting spells are works in progress. Evelyn needs and wants to improve upon these things, but in order to accomplish this she needs more information.

One of the things that she plans to accomplish while in Prontera besides the other mentioned goals is to broaden their knowledge on certain topics. The both of them lack in-depth information about the law of the land; for example: major & minor laws, commoner law, noble law, etc.

Another topic that Evelyn wants to find out more information on is about herbalism and potion creation. Any positive effects that can boost her fighting prowess is a step closer to surviving a dangerous encounter with an unknown monster or beast.

As she carefully stepped over a collection of tree roots covered by moss and grass, she looked to the clouded & heavy skies that bathed the entire forest in a deluge of rain and a thought popped in her head, 'If I happen to learn how to create potions, elixirs, tonics, and perfumes..., how much would I be able to sell them for? And also, would I need some kind of license in order to practice potion crafting?'

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{Author's Note:}

Hello everyone,

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It's kind of slow, I know, but I hope you don't mind. I've got good news though, I'm currently on vacation, so yay me! It's kind of a working vacation though where I'm on call for online work and such. And if there's an emergency then I could possibly be called in to go to work...