Oh!
So this is a job advancement ritual in another world?
Power surged up from within his body like a rising tide—
BOOM!
Dark clouds churned violently overhead, spiraling into a vortex above his head. Fierce winds howled. Flickers of lightning slithered through the rolling storm. In mere seconds, the sky dimmed into near-total darkness.
So this is the Job Advancement Ritual.
It's… ridiculously grand.
Now this feels like fantasy.
Kumironi tilted her head up just as Rei did.
"My… how rare."
Sensing the agitation of the elements, Iz pushed himself up from the ground. He first glanced at Kumironi, who was presiding over the ritual, then at the swirling clouds above—and broke into a bright, delighted grin.
The temperature plummeted.
A winter-like chill swept across the land, frost spreading in an instant over everything in sight.
Kumironi's ring flashed faintly, and she swiftly pulled out a thick coat, draping it over Rei's shoulders.
"We cannot interfere with the Job Advancement itself," she said gently, "but you will not be in any mortal danger."
"Focus. Feel the elements. Try to guide them."
Rei followed her instructions.
Please.
Let me not be some hopeless idiot who can't sense anything…
He closed his eyes.
Yet the world did not darken.
On the contrary—it became more vivid.
He could perceive what had been invisible before.
The biting stillness at freezing point—that was the element of ice.
The intangible currents brushing past him—that was wind.
The restless heat, blazing and alive—that was fire.
The heavy, grounding presence beneath his feet—that was earth.
…
So this is what I'm supposed to feel.
Rei allowed his consciousness to drift with the flow of the elements. Slowly, tentatively, he raised one hand.
The countless flickering sparks of flame responded.
They gathered into his palm.
Whoosh!
Rei opened his eyes.
A cluster of fire had condensed in his hand.
Iz's eyes lit up at once, his grin widening.
Kumironi covered her mouth in surprise.
Crack!
As the flame stabilized, the magic circle beneath Rei's feet dissolved into light.
But within him, he could clearly feel something new—something that hadn't existed before—flowing through his body.
Is this…
Mana?
Holding the dancing flame, Rei looked up at Kumironi.
"Does this mean… my Job Advancement was successful?"
It felt almost too easy.
Kumironi smiled warmly. "Yes. Very successful."
"Lu Cang, you have quite decent magical talent. Perhaps only slightly inferior to Iz."
"It seems choosing Mage was the right decision. In the future, you may become a truly great magician."
Oh?
Only slightly inferior to Iz?
That… doesn't sound particularly flattering.
He has a good personality and all, sure.
But he's Level 5.
Being "just a little worse than a Level 5 Mage" doesn't exactly scream prodigy.
Still—
Rei focused inward.
Within his mind, a hazy mist began to form.
The swirling fog condensed, coalescing into a peculiar sigil that etched itself into his being.
[For every 1 Level gained in your Class, you obtain 1 Talent effect, and it evolves into a God-Tier Talent]
[Current Class — Mage: Level 1]
[Talent Obtained: Proficiency Mastery >> «God · Proficiency Evolution»]
It's here!
My unique Talent!
So I'm not completely ordinary after all.
Being inexplicably chosen and thrown into another world—having something special makes sense.
Then Kumironi smiled and added,
"Now that your Job Advancement is complete, try sensing what Talent you've awakened."
…Huh?
Talents aren't exclusive to me?
Kumironi began counting on her fingers.
"Perhaps it's a rare Talent. You might even have awakened a rare dual-Talent."
Then she seemed to realize something and hurriedly added,
"Ah—but if your Talent isn't particularly powerful, that's perfectly fine."
"Even something like Proficiency Mastery, which is quite common, has excellent development potential!"
"There are many paths to becoming strong. Iz will find a way."
"Of course, you don't have to tell us your Talent. A Talent is your trump card, after all. But if we know what it is, Iz can tailor your training more precisely."
"Don't worry. We'll keep it confidential."
They're trying to spare my feelings.
What a genuinely kind party.
But hold on—
"Something like Proficiency Mastery, which is quite common"?
Was that necessary?
Is it really that ordinary?
It's already being used as the default example for "not impressive."
Did I just roll the most generic starter Talent imaginable?
Rei answered quietly, "Proficiency Mastery."
If it's that common, revealing it shouldn't matter.
Besides, I gain one Talent per Level.
If I reach Level 100, that's 100 God-Tier Talents.
Exposing one right now isn't exactly stripping myself naked.
Wait.
The level cap might not even be 100.
I really want to ask Kumironi what the maximum level in this world is… but that question feels too awkward.
It's basic knowledge.
A native child—especially an eight-year-old—should absolutely know it.
If I don't, that's suspicious.
Having just arrived in this world, the last thing Rei wanted was to appear abnormal.
I'll rephrase it later.
Maybe I can ask what level the strongest mage in the world is. That should give me a clue about the cap.
Iz nodded thoughtfully. "Proficiency Mastery, huh?"
"That's a solid Talent. The faster you master spells, the sooner you'll become a high-level Mage."
He leaned forward slightly.
"Do you want to learn magic right now?"
Rei's thoughts about level caps evaporated instantly.
Magic.
Who wouldn't get excited hearing that word?
Anyone who could stay calm at the prospect of casting spells must be a fake transmigrator. The kind who wouldn't react even if a beautiful girl stripped naked in front of them.
"I do!"
Iz stroked his chin theatrically.
"Hm… for a beginner's first spell…"
"Let's go with something flashy."
"A Tier 1 Lightning spell."
"Lightning Strike."
Iz Palut snapped his hand upward—
BOOM!
A pillar of lightning crashed down from the sky with a deafening roar!
In a blink, a towering tree—thick enough that two adults couldn't wrap their arms around it—was blasted into charred, smoldering carbon.
Rei's eyes shone like stars.
Magic!
Since arriving in this world, this was the first time he had seen Iz actually cast a spell!
Lightning Strike…
That's only Tier 1?
A spell even I can learn—and it just reduced a four-story-tall tree into burning charcoal?
"I want to learn it!"
"Iz, how do I learn Lightning Strike?!"
Iz smirked smugly.
"Heh heh~"
"To learn magic, the first thing you must master is…"
He reached into his robe and pulled out a book bound in deep violet.
"…reading a spellbook."
Rei froze.
Reading… a book?
Wait.
Don't tell me this is one of those theory-heavy academic routes?
No, please!
Can't I just go ding and spend skill points?!