Low-Fantasy Occultist

In practical terms, the field trip was more about sabotage than actual learning, but that didn’t mean nothing could be gained.

Nick, for example, was content to search the land for signs of foul play, since that would give him more suitable targets to test his new focus.

Monte, who had been assigned as his guide, was less cavalier but didn’t mind his enthusiasm as long as their targets were the monsters threatening his family's lands.

“So, when are we going into the actual dungeon?” he asked Nick, who looked down from where he was perched on top of a tree, having sensed something interesting nesting among its highest branches, only to find mere remnants of what had probably been a pretty valuable natural treasure.

He shook off that frustration, knowing it wouldn’t be the last time he faced something like that, given their proximity to the natural mana fountain that was the dungeon.

“Master Tholm still hasn’t given his go-ahead,” he replied. “I think he’s waiting to see if the Hones and their people will actually dare ignore a royal order and try to take it over themselves, so until then, we are stuck dealing with the small fries.”

He floated down, his feet never touching the ground even as he came to a stop.

Many advantages came with casting through the Shard, but the one Nick liked most was that it gave him enough extra mana due to improvements in efficiency and the increased power of his spells. This allowed him to finally sustain flying without dipping into his reserves.

It was a small thing and didn’t significantly alter his mobility, since [Air Step] was already a reliable way to engage in three-dimensional fighting. However, it was a milestone he had been striving for since the beginning of his forays into wind magic, and reaching it made him feel more accomplished than any other powerful spell had.

The System had acknowledged his efforts as well, so he wasn’t the only one who thought it was a big deal.