3-Taking Advantage of the System
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Saga 1: The Fall of the Evening

Arc 1: The Maidens of Ashkera

The system tablet started recording as Allen flipped the book’s pages. After he finished, he named the video and saved it.

Allen wiped his face. “This is the 193rd book. The system is very convenient. Luckily I have read the tutorial. I wonder if people of this world can create a magical device like this system someday.”

Allen got out of the library and approached the receptionist. When the man saw him empty-handed, he frowned.

“You didn’t pick any of the grimoires?”

“They only have a fancy name, but no actual skill. I want to check the library of the second floor, sir.”

“Oh, you sure are cocky for a mere mortal. Fine, you can enter the second floor as long as you have money.”

“Here.” Allen handed a silver coin and immediately headed to the second floor.

The library on the second floor was similar to the first floor’s library. There were only rows of bookcases. He started near the door. The system tablet recorded as Allen flipped the grimoire with constant speed. After he finished, he picked another grimoire. He repeated the process. Some hours later, he got out and headed to the receptionist on the first floor again.

“You didn’t pick any grimoire at all. Are you here to mock me with your riches?”

Allen waved his hands. “I don’t dare, sir. The grimoire in the second floor sure picked my interest. However, I wonder how good grimoire in the third floor is.”

“No, absolutely no. You can’t enter the third floor without permission from acolyte or magus.”

Allen grinned when he heard that. In other words, he could enter the third floor as long as he got permission from him. He took out some gold coins from his pouch.

The receptionist licked his lips when he saw those shiny things on the table. However, he snorted and pushed back the gold coins.

“Am I that cheap to you? None of my colleagues guarded this tower, only me. My lord magus from the capital trusted me with this sacred mission. If I come back to the capital, he will take me as a disciple. I won’t risk my job for just half of my inc—”

Before the man could continue complaining, Allen put another gold coin. “I won’t dare to risk your job, mighty acolyte. I just want to admire the grimoire on the third floor. I won’t rent any. Besides, I know learning magic is hard.”

“One hour! You have one hour to sightseeing on the third floor.”

Allen pondered for a while. That amount of time wouldn’t be enough to record all of the grimoires. He put another gold coin. “You are alone. I just want to admire all grimoires in detail. 4 hours, please.”

“Are you kidding? Can’t you see the time? The tower will close at that time. One hour and a half!”

Allen gritted his teeth and took out several gold coins. His fortunes were nearly depleted, but it was for the sake of recording all grimoires. “3 hours and a half!”

“Are you a noble? Who the heck will take out so many? You can’t even rent a room to learn a grimoire on the third floor or even buy it. Fine, 2 hours for your madness. No more than that! Here is a token to enter the third floor.”

Allen received the token. After he bowed to the receptionist, he rushed to the third floor. The library on the third floor was larger than the first and second floors. Each bookcase had labels that differentiated the category of the grimoires. He estimated two hours wouldn’t be enough to record all grimoires.

Allen walked to a bookcase with a dark attribute label and picked a random grimoire. After he started reading for a while, he could see why the magus said the grimoire in the first and second floor were trash. They were incomplete; one could only learn just one magic by learning from those grimoires.

Grimoires in the third floor were complete. When someone mastered in just one grimoire, one could learn several techniques. In addition, those magic techniques could be modified and evolved, while incomplete techniques from incomplete grimoires couldn’t be changed and weaker in might.

Allen sighed. He wasted his money on the first and second floors. He should have gone to this floor from the beginning.

Allen picked any grimoire from dark attribute bookcases. When he was immersed in the recording, the receptionist knocked on the door.

“Oi, your time is up! You have to get out in ten seconds. If not, don’t blame me to become ruthless.”

Allen sighed. He could only record 70-ish books. It wasn’t even reached the half of dark attribute labeled bookcases. There were still other attributes.

“10, 9, 8….”

Allen put back the grimoire in the bookcase when he heard the counting. He pointed the token before the doorknob and the door opened.

The receptionist snorted when he saw Allen. “Do you regret your action now? If only you didn’t throw your money, you could rent a room to learn a grimoire from the first and second floors. Even if you are rich, you can’t take grimoire from the third floor. Now, get out from here! My shift is almost done.”

The receptionist pulled his wrist. Allen matched his hurried steps as they got down to the first floor. As soon as they reached the door, the man pushed him out.

Allen silently watched as the man coldly closed the door. He controlled his breath for a while and cooled his head. After that, he walked to a dark alley.

He touched his waist and felt the once bulging pouch turned flat. Luckily, he still felt a few coins left otherwise he couldn’t leave this city. Suddenly his belly rumbled. Allen just realized he hadn’t eaten for three days.

Allen ignored it and started summoning the system. He had saved around 193 videos from the first floor, 201 videos from the second floor, and 73 from the third floor.

“I can’t read them all at once. I must pick one grimoire that fits me better. I need magic with good offensive and range. The most important thing is it can be used as defense and support. A spell with good versatility and effectiveness. However, before I pick a spell technique, I have to pick a mana absorbing technique first.”

Allen looked around the videos from the third floor. He wouldn’t bother videos from the first and second floor as they weren’t as complete as videos from the third floor.

The books he had recorded from the third floor were dark attributes. There were only five grimoires regarding mana absorption technique. All of them contained methods to reach the last stage of mana condensation realm, unlike mana absorption techniques from the first and second floors that only contained method to reach early-stage or mid-stage of mana condensation realm.

Allen read each of the descriptions. All of them picked his interest. He pondered for a while before choosing a mana absorption technique.

Dark Sea Condensation Technique: The user turned natural mana of the universe into a dark sea inside their abdomen, decreasing the consumption of dark magic and increase its efficiency.

Enigma Vortex Technique: The user created a mini dark hole inside their abdomen, increasing the absorption of mana. However, the user had to dispose of impurities that gathered inside their body once in a while.

Cloud Array Technique: The user drew a tattoo array on their skin to absorb natural mana. A portion of mana was stored in the tattoo. The user could automatically absorb mana that had been stored without meditating.

Dual Attribute Harmony Technique: The user needed an opposite-sex partner to learn this technique. When they performed intercourse, the mana absorption was doubled.

Life Leech Technique: The user could harvest the life force of other beings and refined it into mana.

“Each of these techniques has unique features, but they share one thing. I need resources to learn just one of it.” Suddenly his stomach grumbled again. “I will think of it later.”

Allen swiped away the system and closed his eyes. The next day, he found his stomach grumbled even more. He got up and walked out of the alley. He headed to a nearby river. There was a bridge. He jumped down under it and took off his cloak.

Allen bathed and washed his clothes. He wore new clothes from his bag and waited for his wet clothes dried.

Not far from him, a group of people was eating smoked fish. He carried his belongings and walked to them. With permission, he used their bonfire and roasted a few fishes he bought from them.

“I hear the mayor’s son and his fiancée will go from this city today,” said one of them. Allen took attention to their conversation while eating.

“They are lucky. If only I was accepted as the magus’s disciple, maybe I can be an acolyte and in the future an official magus. I will be rich.”

“Keep dreaming! We have to hurry hunting magical beast after this. We have to reach quota. This is near the end of the month. I don’t want to be banished from this city. Outside there is scary. We are safe inside the wall.”

“I agree. Young man, do you want to form a party with us? It seems you haven’t found a party yet. Mortals can’t hunt magical beasts alone. What say you?” One of them asked Allen.

Allen clasped his hands. “Thank you for your goodwill. I have another plan today.” He got up and left them.

“What’s his deal? Had he filled his monthly quota?” One of them sneered.

“If it’s him, I am sure he has done.”

“You know him?”

“Don’t you know? He is the rumored man with scars. Groups that have him have 100% chance of success in hunting. He was ranked top too in herbs gathering last time. When the magus tested him, he possessed spiritual roots.”

Allen could hear their loud conversations even though he already far away from them. He didn’t care at all.

Allen wrote the list of what to do after he left this city. In people’s eyes, Allen’s fingers were moving in empty air. He was typing on the transparent tablet system. He stopped when he was in front of a lone building. At the top of the door, there was a plank written: Orphanage.

Allen sighed. It had been a long time since he last visited this place. At least, he should say goodbye to the man that took care of him until he got kicked out when he was still a seven-year-old kid. He knocked on the door.

After a while, the door opened. There was a fat old man with white hair behind it.

“Old man, it’s been a while,” Allen greeted.

The man looked at Allen with apathetic eyes. “Oh, you are Allen. What do you want?”

“To the point like usual, aren’t you? I just want to say goodbye. I will leave this city.” Allen bowed deeply and rose again. He then left the man without any other words. However, when he turned, the man patted his shoulder.

“Wait, come in.”

Allen pondered for a while before entered the orphanage. The man led him to the guest room. He could see kids running and playing, but the man ordered them to leave.

Allen leaned to the sofa and smiled at the sight of the room. It was so nostalgic. He didn’t have any memorable memories about other orphans. However, this place was still a place he grew up from a baby.

After a while, the man came back with a thick book. He put it on the table.

“You must be leaving this small city to become a magus. I’ve had said to you I don’t know your origin. However, whoever abandoned you as a baby left three items beside you. The first was an orb with intent. It gave me a message straight to my brain; if I took care of you, the second item that was beside you could be mine. The second item was a magical treasure; I had sold it. The third item was this book.

“The voice from the orb said I have to give this to you when you want to walk in the path of magus. I had planned to sell it too, but it’s just an ordinary book with a foreigner language. I’ve decided to give it to you.”

Allen looked at the title. It was written with foreign letters. However, he strangely could read it. “Allen Vos’s Experience of Dark Arts. The author has the same name as me….”

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