The three black mages had different expressions after listening to the story. Yet it seems like one of them, the black mage who had a sleepy expression and survived Esdras's sneak attack.

His face was sweating heavily, and he would look behind his back every once in a while.

"What's gotten into you?"

As if noticing his distress, the woman asked, and the stern looking man also paid attention to him.

" it's that guy I'm telling you he's not normal."

" are you embarrassed because you lost to a mortal?" The woman smirked.

"that's not it I'm telling you that guy may not have been a mage but he is not a mortal. His sword glowed in this strange light and his speed and power.. I haven't seen vigor knight that can do that."

"Sure, sure~"

"Enough." The stern man reprimanded the woman, " while his abilities are questionable. His character is not. What concerns me is how he turned against his fellow apprentices just to buy himself the chance."

After all, from their perspective they did not know about the conflict between Esdras and the others. To them it just look like a ruthless improvisation.

They also couldn't have known that Esdras benefited by gaining EXP.

Even though they were black mages they still had to take a step back and think.

"Moreover the story about them surviving a cave-in like this is unlikely to be true. Even if he did, he would have died without air very quickly, unless he was able to dig himself out in time."

They were all thinking, the same thing, but it was truly ridiculous. Even after investigating the cave carefully they did not see any opening from which a human can enter very easily.

What are you some kind of ghost did he face in through the rocks and all but if it was so then why would he need to run at all?

" should we leave? Isn't it better for us to get back to the camp? Even if he got away it's just one apprentice. Our true aim is the fortress." The sleepy looking man prompted.

" no, he did to kill one of our own, a mere apprentice, that? Our faction would have lost a warlock in the most humiliating fashion. It will affect our standing, and we will lose our influence. If he had died in the fight, guess the fort then it could have been explained."

The stern looking man also had his reasons, it was, because of how ridiculous of a death it was that he couldn't accept it.

Moreover, he was intrigued by this apprentice that managed to kill a warlock on his own.

" start digging into the cave I want to see what exactly is in there."

****

A fireball the size of a human head exploded against the wall, creating a burnt scorch mark and smoke.

Esdras gazed at his hand in wonder, he did not understand the principles of magic here. With the fire ball was above his hand, he didn't feel the heat that the fireball should rightfully possess.

But when he launched it at this target, it exploded like it was made of actual flames.

It was a strange thing then again, it would be really inconvenient if a fireball that he conjured burnt his hand first before he could even launch it at his target.

Several rocks, each the size of a fist, and with sharp edges floated above his head. Then they were each shot in order from first to last, while spinning in the air, creating an extremely powerful force.

This was [stone bullet] it was originally a cantrip, that level four apprentices could learn. But of course, he didn't learn, and he was using the three skills to imitate different spells.

Evidently, as as each of the stones was as big as a first, as opposed to the original size of the Cantrip which was only the size of pebble.

Moreover, he incorporated wind magic to make the spell Delia run faster. He wanted to control each of them in the air but unfortunately, he did not have enough control to do so.

The easiest way to use magic was to launch it from a very close distance actually, the further the distance was the more control and mana I was needed to maintain to spell.

And as a poor person who is not even a True mage he was doing pretty well.

Now that he had finished training, he took a break before finally facing the boss of the dungeon. He drank some water and ate some bread and meat.

However, seeing as he had some skill points to spare, what did he use them to increase the level of the three skills?

historical

If he was at this level right now, maybe with one more level in each of the three skills he could become a True mage in a practical sense.

Seeing as he had nothing to lose, he tried to level up the three active skills. Active skills could be upgraded using EXP but they could also be upgraded normally with skill points.

However, he couldn't do it. A message popped up in the system.

[Error, lack of qualifications!]

Unfortunately, it was not possible. He did not even know what is qualifications were. This was also an indication that not everything could be done so easily.

Hmm, it was probably because he needed to be a True mage to be able to access higher levels.

An idea suddenly occurred to him. And it was very likely that the black mages could find the dungeon. After all, the soldiers saw him disappear.

If they were resolved in finding him, they might open up the cave they gave had the natural entrance to the dungeon, the one he first used when he first came in.

Maybe he should have killed them before getting in the dungeon but he had no time, and he really wouldn't have killed innocent people for no reason.