As I walked past the first few shelves, my eyes scanned over the books.

  “These seems interesting.” I said to myself.

  Elementary Knowledge of Magic

  Magic Control - Basics

  Magic Energy Behavior

  I let out a quiet sigh.

  These were all fundamental books ones I had already studied, either through my own experiences or through the knowledge I had gained in my time as a mage.

  There was no point in spending even a single gram of magic stone on these.

  I continued walking, passing by shelf after shelf.

  The deeper I went into the store, the more the titles started to shift from simple, introductory knowledge to something more refined.

  After ten shelves, I finally reached the section where books were priced at ten grams of magic stone instead of five.

  I paused for a moment, glancing at the books in front of me.

  These weren’t ordinary knowledge anymore.

  The titles were more advanced, dealing with subjects that required actual understanding of magic rather than just surface-level explanations.

  I ran my fingers over the spines of the books as I read their names.

  Elemental Efficiency and Energy Output

  Magical Phenomena: Analyzing the Unknown

  Fundamentals of Summoning

  The Nature of Constructs and Their Limitations

  I stopped for a moment, considering.

  The books here were definitely more in line with what I needed practical knowledge that could directly impact my growth.

  Then, as my eyes continued scanning the shelves, I found two books that immediately stood out to me.

  The first was titled Elemental Change and Quality of Magic Theories.

  The second was Unorganic and Golem Creation and Theories.

  I grabbed them both, flipping through a few pages of each to get a sense of their content.

  The first book, Elemental Change and Quality of Magic Theories, seemed to focus on how magic could be altered at its core.

  It discussed different elemental compositions and how mages could change the properties of their magic mid-casting, refining it into something more specialized.

  This aligned perfectly with what I wanted to learn.

  After my battle with the Deadtree Walker, I realized that raw magic alone wouldn’t always be enough.

  Against certain enemies, I needed more than just energy bolts or basic offensive spells I needed versatility.

  If I could learn to shift the nature of my magic, to imbue it with elemental properties even without learning specific elemental spells, I could dramatically increase my combat effectiveness.

  I nodded to myself.

  This was exactly what I needed.

  Then, I turned my attention to the second book Unorganic and Golem Creation and Theories.

  This one was more complex.

  The book contained detailed explanations about how magic could be used to animate inanimate objects.

  It covered various theories on artificial constructs, from simple animated objects to full-fledged golems with intelligence and purpose.

  I had been thinking about this for a while now.

  I smirked slightly, feeling satisfied with my choices.

  With these two books, I could work on two different but equally important aspects of my growth one for refining my spells and making them more effective, and the other for creating an entirely new combat approach.

  I tucked the books under my arm and turned back toward the counter.

  The young woman from before looked up as I approached.

  “Find something you like?” she asked.

  I placed the books on the counter. “Yeah, these two.”

  She glanced at the titles and gave a small nod. “Good choices. That’ll be twenty grams of magic stone.”

  I reached into my pouch and took out the required amount, placing the small glowing stones onto the counter. She quickly counted them before storing them away in a small locked box beside her.

  “Would you like a bag for these?” she asked.

  I shook my head. “I’ll carry them.”

  She handed the books back to me, and I gave her a small nod before turning to leave..

  These books weren’t just purchases they were investments in my future strength.

  After deciding on the two theory books, I paused for a moment, gripping them tightly in my hands.

  Knowledge was power, yes but knowledge alone wouldn’t be enough.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Theory could give me insight into magic’s deeper workings, but at the end of the day, battles were won through application.

  “I needed spells.”

  “Not just any spells, but ones that would immediately strengthen my combat prowess.”

  The ability to shift elements and create constructs was valuable, but it wouldn’t mean much if I didn’t have practical spells to use in a fight.

  I took a deep breath and glanced back at the endless rows of books surrounding me.

  Somewhere in here were spells that could change the course of my battles spells that could save my life.

  “I need to buy a few spellbooks,”

  I muttered under my breath.

  There was no hesitation in my decision.

  I turned back toward the young woman at the counter, who was still tending to her books and records.

  Approaching her again, I placed the theory books down on the counter for a moment.

  “Where can I find spellbooks?” I asked.

  She looked up from her work, raising an eyebrow.

  “Looking for something specific?”

  “Something combat-oriented. And something that can help with mobility or defense,”

  I replied.

  “I don’t want spells that are purely theoretical or too situational—I need something practical.”

  She nodded slowly, then gestured toward the deeper end of the shop.

  “Spellbooks are in the back,” she explained.

  “Same pricing system as the knowledge books. The first few shelves have basic spells, things any apprentice can learn. The deeper you go, the rarer and more powerful the spells become.”

  I nodded, taking my books back into my arms.

  “Thanks.”

  With that, I made my way toward the back of the store, my mind already racing with possibilities.

  This time, I wasn’t looking for knowledge alone.

  I moved deeper into the shop, past the cheaper shelves where basic spells were lined up neatly, waiting to be picked up by beginners and apprentices.

  The air became heavier as I walked into the third-tier section where each book required at least fifteen grams of magic stone.

  I traced my fingers along the spines of the books, skimming over their titles.

  “Flame Arc—basic fire attack spell… Binding Magic Lock—restrains enemies with magic… Wind Step—increases agility using air-element magic…”

  None of them caught my interest.

  I wasn’t looking for just any combat spell.

  I needed something more something unique, something that could give me a real edge.

  As I moved further down the row, a particular section caught my eye.

  Unlike the other shelves, which had clear signs of books being moved and taken often, this part was covered in dust. It was clear that no one had touched these books in years.

  My curiosity got the best of me, and I reached for the two most dust-covered tomes, side by side, almost forgotten by time.

  I blew off the dust and read their titles.

  Eye-Blood Aura

  Cursed Crimson Globe

  I narrowed my eyes, immediately intrigued.

  The first spell, Eye-Blood Aura, was labeled as a counter-tracking spell.

  That alone made it valuable.

  If I could learn how to erase my magical trail, I could move undetected, avoiding the eyes of both the Freedom of Amber and Eval’s people.

  I flipped through its pages, reading the introduction.

  "Eye-Blood Aura masks the user’s magical signature by disrupting the traces of their energy. When cast, the user’s aura becomes indistinguishable from natural magic, making detection difficult for mages attempting to track them. The spell requires the user to mix their own blood into their magic, weaving it into a shield of obscurity. It also has secret casting conditions in the book itself."

  I smirked.

  “A spell that required curses...”

  It wasn’t exactly conventional, but I wasn’t the type to shy away from methods others found unsettling.

  If it worked, I didn’t care about the means.

  I turned my attention to the second book.

  Cursed Crimson Globe

  Unlike the first spell, this one was a summoning spell.

  I didn’t have any summoning-based spells in my arsenal yet, but I knew their value.

  Summoning magic provided extra hands or in some cases, extra weapons on the battlefield.

  If I could use this spell to summon a powerful entity, it would be a game-changer.

  I read the details inside.

  "The Cursed Crimson Globe summons a floating, blood-red sphere imbued with blood and hex energy. The sphere can be controlled by the caster and used to attack enemies or apply curses. When activated, the sphere can attack in two way, ranged beam of curse attack and self-destruction The effectiveness of the spell depends on the caster’s magical control and endurance."

  “Strong and competent mages can summon more than one “Globe”.

  I grinned.

  “With these two spells, I would gain both stealth and offense exactly what I needed to survive and grow stronger.”

  I closed the books, holding them firmly in my hands.

  “No one’s touched these in years,” I murmured. “Their loss.”

  I made my way back to the front desk, ready to buy my newest weapons.

  As I placed the books on the counter, watching the woman's reaction closely.

  I noticed something in her eyes, something that I could not understand enough to put into some feeling.

  While she remained indifferent to the first two theory books that I have bought, her eyebrows arched slightly when she saw the spell books I had chosen.

  For a brief moment, she hesitated, her fingers brushing over the covers of Eye-Blood Aura and Cursed Crimson Globe.

  "Did I make a mistake?" I thought,

  "I didn’t think anyone would actually buy these spells,"

  "Why is that?"

  She glanced at the books once more before meeting my eyes.

  "They're powerful. Rare. Not exactly the kind of spells mages come looking for. But there’s a reason why they've been gathering dust for so many years."

  “If these spells were truly as rare and powerful as she suggested, then they might be exactly what he needed.”

  “But, why is that they have not picked up by other mages ?”

  That I have needed to be thinking right now.

  "Go on, Tell me what I should be wary of."

  The woman let out a small sigh, as if debating whether she should continue. Then, she pointed at Eye-Blood Aura.

  "This spell isn’t just about counter-tracking. It uses the caster’s own vitality and a self-inflicting curse to the caster to mask their magical presence. The stronger your magic, the more life force it takes to conceal you. If overused, it could leave you physically weak or worse.”

  “That, I have did not expected...

  “But, I still want to see it and experience it myself.” I thought.

  Then the woman tapped Cursed Crimson Globe.

  "This one," she said, her voice lowering slightly,

  "isn’t a normal summoning spell. The globe you summon isn’t a simple attack or barrier—it’s a living embodiment of a blood and hex curse. It is strong and powerful than many other summons and if the mage is strong enough, he or she can summon more of them and control these globes at the same time, But the risk..."

  The woman stopped for a moment looking deep into my eyes.

  "What risk?"

  She exhaled slowly.

  "The spell’s caster is also marked. If the energy of the mage is not strong enough to control the globes or reaches zero, the globes not just wear off and vanish, they turn against to their summoner mage and attack them actively.”

  I did really not expect the words that coming out from the mouth of the woman.

  A summoning spell that turns against it is summoner, that was a novel idea for me to be hearing.

  Both spells were dangerous. Both had risks. But both also had immense potential.

  "I'll take them."

  The woman studied him carefully before nodding.

  "Just be careful," she said. "These spells don’t forgive mistakes."

  "Neither do I."