Sleeping Player (Project Chrysalis Book 3) by John Gold (novel24 TXT) 📕

waiting for you since lunch. All right, forget the formalities. I have questions for you.”

Anri is in a hurry, so he quickly offers me the astral, spell scaling, and item identification skills.

You learned a skill: Astral

Astral +1

+1% immersion into the depths of the astral, first astral layer unlocked (1/10

…

You learned a skill: Magic vision

Magic vision +1

+1% magic vision detail

…

You learned a skill: Item identification

Item identification +1

0.01% chance of identifying items correctly

…

You learned a skill: Spell scaling

Spell scaling +1

+1% spell area

 

When I was reading my books on the astral, I found out that there are ten layers. Each of them has a thousand sublayers. Layers and sublayers are completely different things, however. The spatial pocket I fought in, which has its own items, is in one of those sublayers. At its heart, the astral is a world of mental bodies and the souls of the dead. I have plans for how I want to use it, though it’s going to take a while for that to happen.

That identification skill is practically useless for me. Magic vision, on the other hand, lets me see spells being used even in complete darkness, and I’ll be able to differentiate between different kinds of magic with time. The boost to the area effect of my spells is the cherry on top. What if I expanded my dragon breath ten times? And what if I multiply the charge by ten? I can’t wait to give that a try. All I have to do is pass the trial for the Hunters.

Anri pulls me away from my thoughts.

“Have you selected a second specialty?”

“Yes—Life Magic.”

Anri stops eating, completely taken aback by my reply.

“You know, people usually pick combat or protective magic. Attack mages pick the same battle specialty. Only healers go for Life Magic with both specialties, and you’re certainly no healer!”

If only you knew how wrong you are, Anri. I’ve already healed more than most healers the world has ever seen. Healing millions of damage, pushing myself as far as I can go, and that’s just the beginning.

“I’m different, like you said. But I’m going to need Life Magic for a very long time.”

“Got it. Okay, I’ll stop by for you tomorrow morning, so be waiting for me in your room. I’ll have a job for you to do before you can pick up your second Life Magic specialty.”

“It isn’t going to be a battle?”

“Hardly that simple. To get your second specialty, you’re handed a quest you have to complete before you can even step foot in the arena.”

The rest of the day is spent modifying my mental body. In the evening, I do some more work for Anri, and Kirk falls asleep right before morning, having barely finished my sixth-level modification.

Mental body modified (6/10)

Resistance to mental damage boosted to 40%

Mana restoration +60%

There are downsides to not being able to sleep. That feeling of blissful forgetting, when your consciousness clicks off and your body can rest, is wonderful. And when you wake up after a good night’s sleep… That’s happiness, and it’s important to value those moments. LJ was able to, and I’m starting to understand him.

In the morning, an escort arrives to take me to the administration building.

Anri isn’t alone. There’s a gray-haired woman there wearing the combat outfit of a space mage. I met her once in the life department—she’s a mage swordswoman and in charge of the academy’s combat quests.

“Good morning, Anri. So, I’m going to have to fight for this one?”

“I see you know who Greta is.” The woman nods, and I can tell from her emotional field that she recognizes me. The guards at the gate probably told her who I am. “Your job will be to clear an island of monsters.”

“Wait, I’m supposed to go clear a whole island of monsters by myself? And they’re strong, too—Levels 1500–1700.”

The woman smiles, her face crinkling.

“For some reason, when we got the quest to destroy demons, Anri suggested you. He was absolutely sure you’d be fine.”

“Got it.” Evidently, he remembers the battle at the lone tree. “So, what’s the quest? What do we know about the island?”

“A demon was seen on Nemida Island a week ago. It was around Level 2000, though we don’t know what kind it was or where it’s from. The next day, the whole island was evacuated. Nobody was hurt—the demons let everyone go. But the island has been turned into a fortress, with traps and animals they’ve turned everywhere. The islanders petitioned the emperor for help, and he tasked us with the job. We don’t want to raise a ruckus about a demon invasion in the Darin Empire, so we need to do this ourselves.”

“Oh, yes? You mean, by sending me in alone against a strong demon, right into his lair?”

Anri smiles.

“You can take the trial for your next title for free.”

That makes it easy—I’m saving myself ten thousand gold.

“I’m in.”

I have two weeks to complete the quest.

The island is three days south of Kkhor, though that’s about eighteen hours of running for me. And even if the demon is strong, I’m nobody to be trifled with. A lone, abandoned island, lots of opponents, and nobody watching. It’s perfect.

I wait until the next morning to get started, as that’s when my body is fully modified.

Mental body modified (10/10)

Resistance to mental damage boosted to 50%

Mana restoration +100%

Poor Kirk sleeps until lunch again, and I set out for Nemida Island. I’m wearing a tattered cloak, my shirt and pants are simple, my feet are bare, and my face is dirty. The city guard doesn’t stop me, and I’m able to leave the city in peace via the port. The only thing I’m wearing that doesn’t fit the