Since Mike was leaving far earlier than he normally was, he paid more attention to the people he passed. He remembered what Haliard told him as he glanced at them but kept his head down and a smile on his face.

  None of the slaves he passed had obvious bruises or malnutrition. The shades of skin tended towards the paler side, but Mike chalked that up to the fact that everyone lived inside a hollowed-out volcano, not a lack of health. The tan he had gotten over the past few days was a new addition to Mike.

  Though they probably aren’t getting enough exercise, Mike thought as he passed a crew of men sweeping the floors in their yellow outfits. They avoided looking at him, just moving out of the way, but Mike stole a few glances at them. Their arms were thin, lacking definition. Lackluster hair was clean but not well kept. Large, dark circles around their eyes.

  Mike passed them without a word but noticed more than their physical appearance. They were nervous, moving jerkily as he passed by. They stepped to the wall, avoiding his path entirely. Mike raised a hand in passing, but they didn’t respond. One of them flinched, which almost caused Mike to stop and talk to him. Instead, he pulled back from his empathic response.

  I can’t stand out at all. I can’t help anyone until I get stronger.

  The drone led Mike back. The large servants’ hall was abuzz with activity. Servants darted in and out of the hallways, most of them lugging chests that shared the dimensional expanse enchantment of the one Aric had brought to store Mike’s equipment. He knew that the frenzy was because of the Identify spell he had taught Aric and Eric, and now these people were being run ragged. Mike gave a sheepish smile as people rushed past him.

  At the door, the drone floated off. Mike went in, but once again continued out to the training ground on the side of the mountain. He thought of getting the other gladiators to show off but decided to keep it as secret as he could. Any of the wizards had to ask the wrong question and Mike’s full capability would be exposed.

  Walking down the steps, Mike moved over to where the storage chests were tucked under rows of benches. The sun was up, but behind the mountain peak. There was plenty of light to see by as Mike pulled out the weapon chest and removed the training spear he had used.

  The tip was damaged a touch by the ability he had used, where he had pierced Haliard’s shield, but he flicked through the spells he had learned from Aric’s grimoire over the last few days. He found the one he was interested in and cast it, holding the spear.

  Minor Repair Level 1

  Spell, 15 Mana, 5 Minute Cool Down

  Cosmetic damage and some structural damages are repaired in any simple item.

  Mike hoped to find a stronger version of it, as he had a feeling that it wouldn’t work on his cellphone. That wasn’t a “simple item,” though he didn’t have a concrete definition of what that was.

  The number of times I have to go off instincts isn’t giving me a lot of confidence in you, system, Mike thought to himself as the wooden tip of the spear straightened. Please try to get a little more articulate.

  Minor Repair took over half his mana, so Mike sat on the bench and started to meditate. There was ambient noise from the city carved into the surface of the mountain that he hadn’t been able to hear over the sounds of training, so Mike let it lull him away until his mana was full.

  He rose, taking the spear in both hands. Knees bent, Mike was ready. He cast Conjure Lesser Monster and watched as a skinipede appeared. It started to scramble towards him, and he spun the spear, smacking it with the blunt side and throwing it back. It fell on its side, tiny bone legs scrambling.

  For the first time, he saw the things mouth. It ran the entire length of the thing’s underside; a wet maw lined with more jagged bones for teeth. It opened into the fleshy interior where small tendrils of pale flesh waved at Mike. He jabbed the spear into the mouth, twisting it.

  The slap and stab weren’t enough to finish it off, so he pulled the spear out to stick it again. Thick, yellow drool dripped down the tip as he rammed it in again. The bloodless flesh parted before the wood with a faint sucking sound.

  “Damn, everything about you all is gross,” Mike muttered as he struck again and again. The skinipede never had a chance to get back to its feet before it stopped writhing. He dismissed the spell and was able to cast it again.

  He repeated the action, knocking the monster over then stabbing it before it could keep up. By the third one, he had the pattern down. As he flipped the fourth, a new window appeared before him.

  Ability Discovered!

  Tripping Hazard

  Ability, 5 Stamina, 30 Second Cool Down, Melee Weapon Required

  A quick attack to the legs that has an increased chance of knocking an enemy over.

  For the next skinipede, Mike activated that ability like he did any spell. For just a moment, his body moved perfectly. The blunt end of the spear flicked out low over the sand beneath him and hit the skinipede in its left legs. The yellow bone splintered as the strike rose, flipping the creature over.

  It was the same outcome as the others, but Mike felt more confident having the strike. He activated Piercing Lunge as well, the spear rocketing forward and hitting the creature in the mouth. The point sunk deeper into the creature, penetrating into the sand below it. Mike planted his feet and pulled, but the skinipede came with it.

  Mike felt the weight shift and calmly moved with it. The straight withdraw he was trying to use became a vertical circle as his other hand shifted, moving closer to the head of the spear. With a twist of his hips, he slammed the monster into the sand. He shifted his feet as it came off and moved back to strike again.

  It wasn’t needed. Not only was the creature still, but a window had popped up. Mike smiled as he ended the spell, the pain of new knowledge moving through his head.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  Quest Complete

  Learn The Spear 100/100

  Slide is a dangerous place. A dependable weapon in your hand is your best friend.

  Inventory Unlocked!

  With a flourish, Mike’s spear vanished from his hand. He was aware of it, could feel it. He reached out once more, and it appeared in his hand. He laughed as he sent his shirt away and called it back. Grabbing a handful of sand, Mike willed it away into his inventory.

  He didn’t call that back right away. Instead, he tried to feel towards it, reaching into it. He could call it back, he knew, as long as he was touching it. Mike picked up another fistful, then another. Sending them away, he tried to get a sense of how much he could store but stopped when he got a fifth handful of sand sent into wherever it was that his inventory stored things.

  How big can it get? Mike walked over to the chests storing the weight training equipment. It was wider and longer than the others, but it was too heavy for him to lift. He could get one end up, but nothing worked when he tried to send it away.

  He sat on the bench, resting after his exertion. Plans started, but he remembered the other item he had in there. He didn’t bring it out yet. Instead, he closed his eyes and tried to feel it, with whatever senses he had gained in that space.

  It was a necklace, a simple braided rope with a pendant. A metal medallion on it, smaller than a quarter. He felt the magic inside it but couldn’t tell what it would do. Finally, he flicked his hand, and it appeared, rope dangling as the pendant pinched between his fingers. As it arrived, a new Window appeared in Mike’s vision.

  Quest Complete

  Defeat Lesser Conjured Monsters 10/10

  Continuing quest. Your enemies can summon them endlessly. Defeat them.

  Reward: Minor Magic Item, Quest Evolution

  “Damn, now my Quests can evolve too?” Evolution and upgrades seemed to be the way forward, and Mike was happy to oblige. He closed that window then opened the new quest to see what had changed.

  Defeat Lesser Conjured Monsters 0/15

  Continuing quest. Your enemies can summon them endlessly. Defeat them.

  Reward: Magic Item Upgrade

  “And none of those extras I killed counted? Not fair, system. Not fair.” Mike flipped the pendant over, turning it in his hands. One side had a faint spiral on it, with the other being flat. It seemed to be made out of simple iron, slightly rough in his fingers. There was no rust or stain anywhere. Knowing what was expected of him by this point, Mike cast Identify.

  Pendant of Preservation

  Amulet, Growth Item.

  When worn, reduce the maintenance mana of any spell cast by 1.

  “Not too bad for a starter item. That can be useful if it is upgraded.” Mike put it on and felt something very small shift inside him. Furrowing his brow, Mike sent the pendant into his inventory, then called it back. There was no sensation the second time.

  “Another damn mystery.” Mike stretched and pulled the training spear from his inventory. A single cast of Minor Repair saw the damage done from his aggressive strike gone, along with all the fluid stuck to it.

  “Talking to yourself?”

  Mike leapt at Haliard’s voice, his spear coming up to an attack position in a heartbeat. That pulled a laugh out of the older man, who came down the stairs as Mike relaxed. “People will start to think you’re anti-social.”

  “I have a new trick I’m working on.” Mike glanced behind Haliard, where light from the hallway spilled down the stairs. No one was coming, so he felt more confident sharing what he was doing. “I can’t let the rest of the guys know what I’m doing. Not until their bond is broken and they can lie.”

  Haliard was silent for several seconds before sitting on the stairs with a sigh. “This is a dangerous situation we are in.”

  “Better than being in it alone,” Mike replied with a small smile. “There is strength in numbers.”

  “Ha, true.” Haliard leaned back, resting his elbows on the steps behind him. “Now why don’t you show me what you are doing?”

  Mike summoned another skinipede, keeping an eye on Haliard to see how he reacted. When only a single bushy eyebrow rose in curiosity, Mike lunged forward with his spear. He skewered it through what he thought was the front, but he knew that wouldn’t be enough. Mike was trying to show off.

  With a thought, he stowed the spear in his inventory. He felt a drag on it he hadn’t before, as if it hesitated. Assuming it was because a good four inches were stuck in a monster, Mike decided he needed to experiment with the inventory more. Still, it worked, and he was able to reposition and lunge again, summoning the spear back the moment before impact.

  The momentum of his body behind the point as it materialized carried it forward, deep into the creature’s side. Sending it away again, he moved to club it with the blunt end and returned it to his hands. Finally, the skinipede stopped moving.

  “Impressive. Is that a new spell?” Haliard stood and walked to Mike. He nudged the skinipede, flipping it over. “The vanishing spear, I mean, not… whatever the hell this is.”

  “Not exactly. It is a new ability I got when I mastered the spear.”

  Haliard snorted. “Mastered?”

  “That’s what I think it said,” Mike said sheepishly. He ended the spell, causing the skinipede to vanish. “I can’t be one hundred percent sure anymore.

  “Anyway, it lets me store things away and call them back. Watch.” Mike focused, storing his shirt, then calling it back. “See?”

  “Fascinating. And the necklace?”

  “Oh, this old thing?” Mike lifted the pendant off his chest, studying the symbol carved into it. It worked well. When the skinipede was summoned, the locked away portion of Mike’s mana had been smaller. “A quest reward, one for killing ten conjured enemies. It should improve as I kill more of them.”

  “Keep it hidden. We aren’t allowed to own anything.” Haliard turned away from Mike and sighed. “Having something like that would be a death sentence.”

  “I know. Aric gave me a real spear tonight, then locked it away.” With a thought, Mike sent the pendant into his inventory. “But now I have something I can fight. I can accelerate my growth.”

  “In secret. We cannot let them know what you are doing.” Haliard looked up at the entrance to the gladiator complex. “Any of them.”

  “I’m going to go again. And again. As long as I can tonight.”

  Haliard shook his head. “I think you’re missing something. Another way to level up.”

  “What is that?”

  “Let Bandit fight them too.”

  Mike was silent for a second, thinking. He nodded slowly and cast Conjure Ally. Bandit appeared at his feet and instantly rolled over for belly scratches. Mike leaned over and provided them.

  “Damn,” he said as he rose. “I forgot to equip my pendant. It makes keeping him around cheaper.”

  Mike put it back on before calling out a skinipede. He made it appear a dozen feet away, hopefully giving the lolling badger enough time to react to its appearance.

  “Go Bandit, I choose you!” Mike yelled and pointed at the monster. Haliard glanced at him, but Mike ignored his look. His smile grew as Bandit rolled to his feet and started towards the monster.

  Both Mike and Haliard were surprised as the normally sedentary badger sped up. As they watched, he almost transformed. The long, rigid claws that he used for digging became potent weapons. His lips drew back from his fangs. Bandit leapt, his powerful legs carrying him on top of the skinipede.

  The thin bone legs splayed, scratching uselessly beneath Bandit’s weight. He bit down, holding on with his mouth as his claws dug in. Thick chunks of bloodless flesh were torn from the monster as the whine it made intensified.

  It took less than ten seconds for the skinipede to be ripped apart. The legs stopped kicking as Bandit sat back, stuffing part of it into his mouth. He seemed content.

  “Damn, remind me to listen when he asks for more pets,” Haliard said into the silence. Both men started laughing as a new window appeared before Mike.

  Congratulations! You have earned enough Experience Points to level up! Primary Class Mage has reached Level 4! You have learned the spell Lesser Levitation!

  Thanks for listening to me about more interesting spells, Mike thought to himself as he closed the window.

  Lesser Levitation

  Spell, 15 Mana Per Second

  Raise or lower yourself. Speed increases as level increases.

  “Now we get back to work,” Mike said, dismissing the skinipede and getting ready to summon another. “We’ve got a long night ahead of us.”