Level 1 Strongest Sage

Chapter 1: Prologue

In the Heavenly Realm, where the Gods of a particular world dwell…

In the farthest corner of the temple, the Evil God clutched his head in frustration.

“For the Creator God to bring a person from a different dimension and turn him into a hero to defeat the Demon King I raised, this is truly infuriating!”

An oppressive aura emanated from the murmuring Evil God.

Beside him, a girl, one of the shikigami serving the Gods, tried to calm the situation. “It’s because all the people coming here from different worlds through summoning and reincarnation—such as Heroes, Sages, and Holy Knights—possess special abilities. Thus, they can easily defeat both the Demons and Demon Kings that Evil God-sama personally prepared.”

The Evil God, who collected negative energy like fear and despair for his own consumption in the world governed by the Creator God, frowned deeply.

“How many times have I considered killing those heroes already?” he growled.

“The Creator God strictly forbids the gods from interfering with humans. It would definitely be bad for Evil God-sama if you were to do that,” she cautioned.

“Well, that’s true,” the Evil God conceded, though his irritation was palpable.

“What if Evil God-sama were to reincarnate a Hero before the Creator God does?” she suggested.

“Is that even possible?” the Evil God asked, intrigued.

“The only being able to unconditionally reincarnate or transfer a Hero is the Creator God. However, if it’s only a matter of summoning, it should be possible to bring a Hero from a different world,” she explained.

“Hmm… but what would be the benefit of reincarnating a Hero?”

“The moment the Hero reincarnates into this world, it would be advantageous to cast a curse on their soul—one that prevents them from fulfilling their Hero’s duties.”

“I see. So, I’d be deliberately creating an unusable Hero.”

“Yes, precisely. Summoning a Hero to this world consumes a significant amount of spiritual energy. If the reincarnation proves to be useless, it would waste that energy and create an obstruction for the Creator God.”

“That sounds perfect! Being constantly overshadowed by that old man—Creator God—makes me furious! Let’s proceed with this plan. Can you handle the preparations?”

“Understood,” she replied.

Following their discussion, the Evil God manipulated the fate of a youth, stripping him of his life and setting the stage for his reincarnation into the world.

Chapter 2: Reincarnation

The black, thick, oppressive aura, which worsened one’s emotional state, spread inside the temple where Saijō Haruto found himself.

A man claiming to be the Evil God and a girl, his follower, stood before Haruto.

“You mean to say you killed me and then reincarnated me into the world you rule… is that it?”

“That’s right.”

Haruto, who had been transported to this temple without warning and was initially disoriented, tried to piece together his situation as he listened to the Evil God’s explanation.

The Evil God had interfered with Haruto’s fate and stolen his life—or so he claimed. Despite his anger towards the one who had ended his life, the overwhelming aura in the space made Haruto naturally use honorifics.

“Was there really a need to kill me? Shouldn’t a god be able to summon others without resorting to murder?”

Haruto had been struck by a car while returning home from school. The collision had been sudden, and although he hadn’t felt the pain of death due to the immediate transportation to this world, the terrifying memory of the speeding car was etched deeply into his mind, potentially turning into trauma.

“To bring you into this world, it was necessary to harness the negative energies of fear and despair associated with death.”

Currently, the only entity with the power to transfer and reincarnate humans from other worlds was the Creator God. However, the Evil God used the Heavenly Realm’s energy, combined with the energy of the summoned individual, to reincarnate people.

“Did I really die…?”

Haruto’s body had turned transparent, resembling a spirit form. When transferring, the entire body would be brought to the new world. In reincarnation, however, the body was left behind, and only the soul transcended.

The reincarnation process would complete when the soul entered the body prepared by the god in the new world. Observing his semi-transparent form, Haruto began to accept the reality of his death.

Despite this, he was not disheartened. The fact that the Evil God intended to reincarnate him meant he would have a second chance.

Though Haruto had no particular grievances with his old life and lacked grand dreams, he had always harbored a desire for reincarnation.

“Excuse me, but… when you reincarnate me, I might receive a skill or something, right?”

Haruto had read numerous web novels about reincarnation and had high expectations for what awaited him.

He hoped the Evil God would grant him a cheat-like ability, such as:

- Immense physical strength capable of overwhelming demons.

- Inexhaustible magical power, even for the highest levels of magic.

- Unbreakable defense that withstands any attack.

- Blacksmithing skills to forge a sword that could kill with a single blow.

Each ability was exhilarating to imagine. Haruto envisioned himself:

- Facing a massive army alone, turning a desperate battle into a victory.

- Hiding his powers, then unexpectedly overwhelming strong enemies while casually saying, “Yare-yare!”

- Rescuing a beauty in distress and enjoying time with her.

As if to validate Haruto’s fantasies, the Evil God spoke.

“Yes, I do have something to bestow upon you.”

“It’s here! Is it a skill? Maybe a special ability? Or a cheat-like status? Oh well, I’ll accept whatever ability you grant me.”

Even if the skill were useless, Haruto believed he could become exceptional through clever use.

Why? In the web novels he’d read, the protagonist always became peerless in the new world through various means.

And now, Haruto was reincarnated.

That meant he was the protagonist in this world—or so he thought.

However, Haruto had forgotten that the one reincarnating him was not a benevolent deity but the Evil God.

Seeing Haruto’s innocent excitement, the Evil God’s lips curled into a smile, though a sinister glint remained in his eyes.

“I bestow upon you… a curse.”

“…What?”

Haruto’s confusion interrupted his thoughts.

“I would be troubled if I allowed you to live in our world. So, I bestow upon you the [Static Status] curse.”

“A curse!? What’s a Static Status?”

“It means what it says. From now on, wherever you go, you will defeat demons and gain experience. However, due to the curse, no matter how many demons you defeat, you won’t level up.”

“Ha, what!? Don’t mess with me! Why—”

Haruto tried to approach the Evil God, but the closer he got, the slower his movements became. His mind was clear, but his body refused to comply.

“In this space, approaching me is futile for someone like you. Now, it’s time for your reincarnation.”

“Wait!”

As the Evil God pointed his finger at Haruto, his body began to disintegrate.

“At least, explain a little more—”

Haruto’s plea was cut off as he was reincarnated by the Evil God mid-sentence.

At the moment of rebirth, the Evil God placed the curse on Haruto’s soul, using a large amount of spiritual energy and a significant portion of his evil energy. He turned it into a super-strong curse that rejected any interference from the Creator God, and even the Evil God himself couldn’t undo it.

The shikigami, who had been silently observing the interaction, spoke. “With this, we’ll stabilize our energy collection.”

“Indeed. I used a considerable amount of this world’s energy for his rebirth and curse. If I could, I would have relegated him to the lowest rank. Unfortunately, due to the old man’s temple rules, he got a [Tertiary Job].”

“Despite his [Tertiary Job], the fixed status means he won’t be strong enough to defeat the Demon King and might even struggle against low-level demons. There’s no need to worry about him.”

“True.”

After saying this, the Evil God slumped into his seat, exhaustion evident on his face.

“I used a large amount of power… I’ll rest for a while. I leave the rest to you.”

“Yes.”

Then, the Evil God fell asleep.

The Evil God had placed a curse on Haruto that even he could not lift.

Unexpectedly, Haruto became a Sage.

Moreover, the Evil God made a critical mistake the moment he cast the curse.

This event turned into a miraculous stroke of fortune for Haruto, while the Evil God found himself in a predicament.

It would be some time before the Evil God realized this.

Chapter 3: Haruto's Status

Saijō Haruto was lying down when he came to his senses.

'My body is somewhat heavy.'

'It’s dark all around, and I can’t even see anything.'

‘It feels as if my body is wrapped in something soft.

‘I’ll try moving my hand.

‘...It moved. But for some reason, I can’t move freely.’

After that, he tried to move his body, but Haruto couldn’t move as he would like.

‘Since I can’t move, I’ll use my brain instead.

‘I’m Saijō Haruto. 17 years old. And I have an understanding of my previous life.

_‘I even remember the Evil God. _

‘In the end, I didn’t manage to ask the reason why he reincarnated me. Am I really reborn?

‘And it seems I even got cursed but… I don’t have a way to confirm this.

‘Why did he cast a curse on me?

‘Does this mean anything?

‘Since the status has been fixed, there is no way to level up and become peerless. Staying at Level 1 means I might even lose against small fries.

‘But because I have the knowledge from my original world, this could be used as the so-called knowledge-cheat. It might come in handy one way or another compared to ordinary folks… right?

‘In a web-novel, even if the protagonist possesses weak skills, he will create mayonnaise and the like using his knowledge–cheat. Afterward, he would accumulate great wealth and then build his own harem.

‘I can also be like that for sure!

_‘But first, I have to confirm my curse. It’s difficult, but I can somehow move.’ _

Haruto tried stretching his hand forward forcefully.

‘Hm!?’

He felt something very soft. At the same time, he heard a seductive woman’s voice above his head.

‘Eh? Wha, what’s this?’

When Haruto thought he felt the thing, wrapping him, rub against him as it moved, the surroundings suddenly became very bright.

Maybe, because his eyes were open in the dark, Haruto was dazzled and couldn’t see in front of him.

As the upper half body pressing against Haruto disappeared, he tried to block the light with his hands and vaguely saw the silhouette of someone in front of him.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Halt-_sama. _Were you hurt?”

‘A beautiful woman with short black hair anxiously peered into my face. Her face that still retained its innocence contrasted her ample chest that was puffed out before me, and the result was surprisingly very erotic.

‘She is Tina, my exclusive maid.

Tina came from the race of half-Elves, and the tips of her pointed ears are slightly visible through her short hair.

‘It’s as if she is someone I have known since a few years back.

‘...No, I know her!

‘It’s because she’s the maid who has been taking care of me for five years since I was born in this world.

‘My memories came back. It’s actually odd saying I got my memories back. The “me” right now has the recollection of previously living in this world.

‘Probably, I was reborn sometime ago into this 5-year-old body, called Halt.

‘Me living in a different world as Saijō Haruto and then talking with the Evil God in the Heavenly Realm—it’s as if those events were merely dreams.

‘It may seem as if they occurred in a dream, but I also clearly remember the knowledge from my original world.

‘Halt - Vie - Silveray.

‘That is my name now.

‘Silveray is a Count in the country I live in—the [Grendell Kingdom]. I am the third son of the Count. Two days ago, I celebrated my 5th birthday.

‘Tina is my nanny, and as I was often lonely, she would sleep together with me every day. Because I forcefully extended my arm, I touched her chest and woke her up unintentionally.’

“Sorry, it felt like I had a bad dream.”

“Is that so… so, did you calm down?

‘Tina hugged me to her chest. I was enveloped by a gentle scent and felt something very soft…’

“I will always be beside Halt-sama.”

“Ye, yeah.”

‘It really calms me down.’

Tina cuddled Haruto, and his 5-year-old body fell asleep in an instant.

———

The next morning, after Haruto finished the breakfast, Tina had prepared for him, he went to the inner courtyard of the mansion.

Tina was cleaning up after breakfast.

‘First, I must confirm the curse the Evil God was talking about.’

“Open Status!” He chanted, stretched his hand forward, and a semi-transparent board emerged. Any human in that world could check their own status from the Status Board.

‘I have memories of Tina’s teachings, so I know how to take out my Status Board. But first, let’s see the contents of the status board.’

-

STATUS:

Name: Halt - Vie - Silveray

Race: Human

Divine Protection: None (Fixed)

Occupation: Sage (Level 1)

Strength: 30/30 (Fixed)

Magical Power: 10/10 (Fixed)

Physical Attack Power: 10 (Fixed)

Magical Attack Power: 10 (Fixed)

Defense Power: 10 (Fixed)

Speed: 10 (Fixed)

Dexterity: 10 (Fixed)

Skill: None (Fixed)

Condition: Cursed [Static Curse] (Fixed)

-

‘…Seriously?

‘So, it’s true. I received a curse.

‘The curse is [Static Status], but even this curse seems fixed.

‘[Race] is not fixed, so it’s possible to evolve into non-human beings. But wait, so what will I become aside from human? Is it even possible to change your race!?

‘[Divine Protection] is also set as [None], so I can’t even get a blessing from other Gods aside from the Evil God.

‘Not only am I Level 1, but my Physical Strength, Magic, Attack, and Defense Powers are also fixed.

‘Becoming the strongest in this world is hopeless.

‘Without explaining the reason behind my rebirth, and then casting such a curse…

‘Suddenly, I feel murderous towards the Evil God!

‘What’s more, there is another reason to despair—there is mayonnaise in this world!’

The salad Tina had made for breakfast had mayonnaise. This world was a different one. Many things and knowledge had already been introduced in this world by Heroes, who had previously come from Haruto’s original world.

‘About 100 years, before I was born, there was a Demon King who had been terrorizing and assaulting the world. A group of five Heroes, who had come from the other world, defeated him.

‘One of them introduced mayonnaise into this world. With the mysterious ability he possessed, that fella took out different items that did not exist before, and made the people’s livelihood prosper.’

When Haruto learned about that, his plan to make a fortune with his knowledge-cheat crumbled to dust!

Chapter 4: Magic Training

Saijō Haruto walked to the mansion’s training grounds while thinking, ‘Five days have passed since my birthday. In other words, it has been three days since I reincarnated as Halt.’

In the House of Count Silveray, a child would begin their training in magic and swordsmanship when they reached five years of age.

‘Today is supposed to be my first swordsmanship training. However, nobody else is at the training grounds except for Tina and me. When it was my elder brothers’ turn, several famous magicians and knights were summoned to train them.

‘I have two elder brothers and one older sister. Our ages are quite far apart, huh? The eldest brother is already serving the kingdom as a knight. My sister attends the Magic Academy, and my second brother is enrolled at the Knight Training Center.

‘All of my siblings are elite, so it is rumored that the House of Silveray’s future is already secured. Being the third son, my father and mother let me live freely as I wish.

‘For that reason, I do not have any professors to teach me magic and swordsmanship.

‘Uh, there is but—’

“Halt-sama, let’s begin with the magic training first.”

Tina stood before Haruto wearing an outfit suitable for moving around, different from her usual maid clothing. Whether it was magic or swordsmanship, Tina was responsible for his training.

‘It’s not like I don’t like this, but I can’t reconcile the image of baby-faced Tina, who usually spoils me, with that of her fighting with a sword and magic.’ Haruto was a little anxious.

‘Well, there’s really no meaning in training since I won’t be able to raise my status anyway.

‘I can’t earn using knowledge cheats, but since I’m the third son of the House of Count Silveray, I shouldn’t really have to worry about money.’

Haruto started thinking about how nice it would be if he could just live his life without bothering his parents and siblings or training and studying properly. In the future, ideally, he would work somewhere his parents arranged for him.

‘However, this is a different world—a fantasy world with weapons and magic.

‘I also possess magic, albeit a small amount considering I’m only at Level 1. In other words, I can use magic!’ Haruto was really excited to use magic for the first time.

“Please take care of me!”

“Yes, please take care of me too.”

“I have a question for you, Teacher Tina!”

“T, teacher? Ye, yes, what is it?”

‘I teased Tina by calling her teacher, and she became a little bit shy. It did not give the impression that she disliked it, however, so I’ll be calling her teacher during training.’

“How much magic can Teacher use?”

‘How much power could a teacher of magic possess?

“Right, I haven’t shown my Status Board to Halt-sama. Here, please take a look,” said Tina and revealed her status board.

STATUS:

Name: Tina Harivell

Race: Half-Elf

Divine Protection: Drawing out the blood of Heroes

Occupation: Magic Knight (Level 250)

Skill: Maid (Extreme)

Condition: Healthy

“Huh? Le, level 250!?”

It was not an exaggeration to say that she was the strongest maid. Thus, Tina stood before Haruto a little proudly.

The Status Board allowed one to control the data being shown to other people. Tina wanted to show Haruto just her level, so her Magic and Attack Power had not appeared on the panel.

‘She will probably show them to me if I ask, but it’s better not to since I’ll only frighten myself with the difference in our abilities.’

“How was it? Am I not good enough as your teacher?”

“No, it’s not like that! Tina, you… are strong.”

Tina’s level was several times higher than the level of the knights and magicians who had trained Haruto’s siblings.

‘Since that kind of person is willing to teach me, I don’t have any complaints.’

“Fufufu, it’s because I’m Haruto-sama’s exclusive maid and bodyguard.”

“I, is that so?”

‘No, even as a bodyguard, she is too strong. Should Tina want to, it’s highly possible she can single-handedly defeat this kingdom’s knight army. That’s how high her level is.’

In the Kingdom of Grendale, the Knight Commander was considered to be the strongest person, and it was rumored he was at Level 130. His level was the basic requirement to defeat A-rank demons, such as Orc Kings and Ogres, unaccompanied. Undoubtedly, he was of high caliber.

However, when one surpassed Level 150, it was a different story. In the first place, ordinary people of this world could not exceed Level 150 and reach the third rank.

Tina’s occupation, which was a Magic Knight, was a tertiary job that could only be given to those who reached the maximum level of magic and sword skills. In order to obtain tertiary jobs, humans needed to reach Level 150, which was the highest limit. Afterward, they needed to pass God’s Trial.

First off, few people could reach Level 150. But there were some people among those possessing tertiary jobs that were Level 150 right from the start.

These were the heroes who came from another world.

Reborn heroes would obtain Level 150 tertiary jobs, such as Sages and Holy Knights, the moment they came into this world. Being a hero was considered a tertiary occupation. Aside from that, those heroes would level up faster.

With this, subjugating a Demon King was a given.

If one set aside the heroes’ case, Tina’s status was a problem. In this world, when one defeated demons and monsters, the level of their profession would increase. When that happened, stats such as offensive power would also increase.

Since defeating stronger monsters was a prerequisite in raising levels, it was more difficult to level up for those who were already high-level. Given that situation, honestly, Tina’s Level 250 was considered monstrous.

“Tina, are you a descendant of a hero?”

“Yes, it is said that my great-grandfather was a hero who came from another world. Because of the inherited hero’s blood, leveling up is quite easy for me.”

“That’s amazing!”

“Thank you very much. Alright, it is about time we start your training.”

Haruto was still wondering why Tina had been hired to be his exclusive maid, but since they were going to start the most awaited lessons on how to use magic, he decided to leave that matter aside for the time being.

“Since Halt-sama’s profession is Wizard Apprentice, you have an aptitude for magic.”

‘I guess Tina already looked at Halt’s Status Board before my rebirth. She doesn’t know I’m cursed, nor does she know my profession is a Sage.

‘My status was cursed the moment I reincarnated into Halt’s body, and on top of that, my rebirth was a hero’s privilege. As such, my status is stuck at Level 1 despite my profession being set as [Sage].

‘That’s why Tina still thinks my profession is Wizard Apprentice. For some reason, I think it's better not to explain the curse.

‘I’d be troubled if she thought I’m a reincarnated hero. I can't get stronger because I can't level up. I can't fight. She might get disappointed later on if her incompetent student is having a hard time.’

"Does Halt-sama prefer an aptitude for swordsmanship?" Tina asked since Haruto was preoccupied with his thoughts.

"No, it's okay. I want to use magic!"

"I understand. So first, let me demonstrate."

Tina then faced the farthest corner of the training grounds where the targets used for magic were located. She stretched her arm, and magic power gathered on Tina’s outstretched hand.

The gathered magical power moved a little further away from her hand and hovered in midair. A flame materialized, gradually elongating and taking the shape of a spear.

"Fire Lance!"

Tina thrust her hand as she chanted, and the spear of fire flew at great speed towards the target.

"!?"

The target burst into huge flames the moment the spear of fire collided with it. The heat was so intense, Haruto subconsciously covered his face with his arm.

The blaze died down immediately.

A large, gaping hole could be seen on the black, heavily charred magic target as it emerged into view. Originally, this target should have been able to withstand magical attacks that were of intermediate and higher levels. Now, it had a miserable appearance.

‘Neither the knight nor the magician who trained my siblings could destroy the target to this extent.’

[Fire Lance] was the lowest-ranked magic spell under the fire attribute.

"Ah, I wanted to show Halt-sama something good, but I guess I went overboard.”

Haruto found Tina’s deceptive smile a little bit cute, but he was more interested in Tina’s magical attack power, which could destroy an advanced-class target just by using the lowest-ranked magic spell.

Chapter 5: Infinite Magic

At the training center...

I stood at the center of the magic circle drawn by Tina as I practiced controlling my magical powers.

Usually, training begins with feeling out the existence of magic within oneself, but because I’m a Sage by profession, I can already confirm my magical powers right from the start.

I can vaguely sense the weight and movement of other people’s magic aside from my own. And Sages not only see, but they can also manipulate and supplement magical powers.’

“Like this?”

“Yes, you’re doing great, Halt-sama! Being able to suddenly control your powers was truly unexpected.”

First, the magical force felt in the body’s core is diffused throughout the body.

The force is then slowly transferred to the outstretched hand.

The magic accumulates there.

From here on, the magical force is supposed to be released from the body, but I couldn’t do that.

The convergence stopped midway, and the gathered power dispersed. Well, just like how I wanted it to look like, so I manipulated it.

‘Tina might wonder too much if I did too well.’

“It’s because your magical circle is effective.”

I passed it off using the magical formation as the reason.

It’s a fact that magical formations make it easier to control magic. But actually, I know I can control my magic without using one.

“This magical formation can only help to a small extent. Being able to move your magic extremely smoothly is proof of Halt-sama’s abilities.”

Tina looked so happy when she said that. It seems that she believes I’m doing great, and this is my usual abilities.

Oh, right, my elder sister is also proficient in magical arts. When she entered the Magic Academy, she was able to use intermediate level magic already.

Tina’s aware of that nature, so even if I can suddenly control my magical powers, it’s not really a big deal. All thanks to my brilliant sister.

“Thanks. I’ll practice some more.”

“Yes. By the way, the magic you dispersed inside your body recovers quickly, but if it is released outwardly, that portion takes longer to recover.”

“Is that so?”

“Because it’s Halt-sama, you might be able to release your magic externally next time. It’s possible to feel exhausted right after, so please take care.”

“Alright.”

“As for the method of releasing magic, you have to accumulate magic on your hand, just like you did previously. Then imagine your hand extending from the tip of your finger. Try to gather your magic power there.”

“Understood, Teacher.”

It seems like it is now possible for me to release magic, so I decided to do that.

Just like previously, I dispersed my magic throughout my body. Then I accumulated them to my outstretched right hand.

I directed my consciousness from my palm to my fingertips.

“Looking good! If it’s possible, please try to imagine a blazing fire.”

“Fire?”

I already saw a flame. We’re approximately 5 meters apart from each other, but I can sense Tina’s fire magic that is so hot it’s as if I can feel it on my face… even imagining is easy-peasy.

“Whooahh!”

The magic at my fingertips began to transform into flames.

It’s right there on my hand, but it doesn’t even feel hot.

Such a wondrous feeling!

Then, let’s try to form the flames into a spear just like Tina.

“Fire Lance!”

I imitated Tina and chanted as I threw the spear towards a newly prepared target.

The flaming spear flew straight towards the target and hit it. After burning up a little, the flames died down.

There was a scorch mark on the target.

“Unbelievable! To be able to conjure such a perfect form of magic right off the bat…” Tina stared at the slightly charred target with a shocked expression.

I already thought it might be possible to change the nature of my magic into fire attribute, but I wasn’t expecting I’d be able to invoke a perfect form of [Fire Lance].

I’m somewhat happy. Tina was astounded.

Since I came to another world, I wanted to be told: “Eh, what’s with this guy, he’s so amazing!”.

Oh, but because of my [Static Status] curse, even if I spend the rest of my life training, I can only amount to this.’

“Halt-sama, does your body feel sluggish?”

“Nope, I don’t feel that way.”

“Usually, when using magic for the first time, there are a lot of people who consume too much, and they run out of power just by casting a low-level spell such as [Fire Lance].“

[Fire Lance], one of the lowest-grade magic, consumes 2 points of Magical Power.

Since I have 10, based on calculations, I can shoot [Fire Lance] up to 5 times. However, it seems it would be difficult to use up 2 points precisely if you do not have firm control of your magic.

It certainly felt like strength was sucked up from my body, but not to the extent that I feel languid. Is it because of the compensation of being a Sage?

“I think I can shoot more, is it okay to continue practicing?”

“Of course. But please do not overexert yourself.”

“Okay!”

After that, I managed to shoot three more Fire Lances, then our training ended.

Actually, I could have done more, but by the third time, Tina was so anxious and kept nagging me about my body’s condition that I decided to stop my goal of shooting 5 times.

----***----

The next day, I went to the training room alone.

Tina went shopping in town.

When I told her I’d practice on my own, she looked so nervous, heh.

“Would that be alright? Please, do not overexert yourself no matter what. If you feel even a little bit unwell, just ring this bell.”

She then handed me a bell with a drawing of a small magic circle—one that I have never seen before.

“What will happen if I ring this bell?”

“I’ll come flying right away.”

“You’ll know I rang it even if you’re far away?”

“Something like that. So please don’t overdo it.”

Tina then went out after saying she’ll be back right after she finished her errands.

“Okay, now it’s time to test the limits.”

Without Tina’s prying eyes, I decided to shoot [Fire Lance] until I’m at my limit.

I ended at the fourth attempt yesterday, but I had a feeling I would still be fine even if I continued.

Face the target.

Release the magic in my hands and turn them into flames.

Transform the flames into a spear—

“Fire Lance!”

The flaming spear flew.

As soon as I released one, I began to conjure another.

“Fire Lance!”

Second shot. I can still go on without a hitch.

“Fire Lance! Fire Lance!”

I shot twice in a row. Not a single problem.

“Fire Lance, Fire Lance, Fire Lance, Fire Lance!”

This is odd...

No matter how many times I shoot, I never feel tired.

In contrast, my magic powers were released smoothly; even my timing sped up.

After firing around 30 Fire Lances, I finally ran out of breath and temporarily stopped.

Even if one shot's power is weak because it’s the lowest-grade magic spell since I fired 30, the target

was, as expected, burnt black.

Why is it like this? I don’t feel my power decreasing.

Hmm, if only there’s a way to check my magic power consumption…

“Ahh!”

It was then that it dawned on me.

-

[Open Status]

STATUS:

Name: Halt - Vie - Silveray

Race: Human

Divine Protection: None (Fixed)

Occupation: Sage (Level 1)

Strength: 30/30 (Fixed)

Magical Power: 10/10 (Fixed)

Physical Attack Power: 10 (Fixed)

Magical Attack Power: 10 (Fixed)

Defense Power: 10 (Fixed)

Speed: 10 (Fixed)

Dexterity: 10 (Fixed)

Skill: None (Fixed)

Condition: Cursed [Static Curse] (Fixed)

-

Since I brought out my Status Board, supposed to be, I can see how much magic I consumed when I used my powers.

However, there was one thing that bothered me on my status board—Magical Power: 10/10 (Fixed). It was clearly stated.

Even though I’ve been shooting more than 30 points of magic all this time, nevertheless, my magic power hasn't diminished at all.

A theory passed through my mind. If my guess is correct, it is really possible for me to live as a true Sage in this world.

To test my hypothesis, let’s start shooting Fire Lance with the Status Board in full view!

Chapter 6: The Curse

Let’s use magic while looking at the Status Board.

“Fire Lance!”

Magic power: 10/10 [Fixed]

Just like what I thought! My magic did not lessen one bit.

“Fire Lance! Fire Lance! Fire Lance!”

Magic power: 10/10 [Fixed]

I repeatedly cast the spell, but my magical power did not decrease at all.

...My theory was correct!

The curse cast by the Evil God did not lock the powers to their maximum value. Instead, the status itself was sealed. In other words, no matter how much magic I use, it will never be exhausted.’

“Hey, does this mean it’s possible to get stronger depending on how I handle this?”

Let’s compare the magic practice target Tina destroyed to the one I burned a while ago. While I wasn’t able to destroy mine completely, I was able to use the same magic as Tina. Considerable damage was inflicted on the target.

The overwhelming difference in our attack powers is already a given since I am at Level 1 and Tina’s at Level 250. However, with repetitive magical attacks, it is possible to be on par with someone who has a high level of attack power.

Even if my status is locked at Level 1, there is a way for me to get stronger. It seems I discovered something that will enable me to fully enjoy this “other world” life:

Being able to shoot repeatedly at high speed.

Having the ability to raise the power of each shot.

Regarding (1), even though I can shoot smoothly at the moment, I have a hunch I’ll be able to increase my firing speed if I practice and refine my control over magic.

As for (2), I haven’t confirmed this yet, but I think it’ll be possible to increase each shot's power by combining several properties of magic.

Let’s take Fire Lance as an example. Maybe it’s possible to increase the power and speed if I use wind magic.

In my previous world, there was a ninja manga that depicted Fire Ninjutsu being strengthened by Wind Ninjutsu. I think I’ll try different experiments using the training techniques in that manga as reference.

Sooooo, let’s start the high-speed magic activation training!

──***──

It’s already noon, eh? For almost two hours, I’ve been shooting Fire Lance at the target nonstop. Of course, my magic didn’t diminish, and my body condition is fine.

Even though the Evil God said he wouldn’t let me live well in this world, maybe he’s really a nice guy since he even gave me a cheat skill in the form of a curse.

Haruto began to think that way.

“I’m hungry…”

It was already noon, but Tina hadn’t returned yet.

“Hmm, will she come back if I ring this bell?”

There’s the bell she left behind.

Haruto tried to ring it nonchalantly.

“!?”

Approximately 10 seconds after I rang the bell, Tina came flying at a tremendous speed.

“Halt-sama! Are you alright?”

“Well, I’m okay, but.. you..”

Dumbfounded, I watched Tina as she drew closer after landing softly by my side. Oh, she did say she would come flying immediately should I ring the bell.

Of course, I thought she meant she’d rush back, but she literally flew.

Ah, speaking of which, I seem to recall Tina saying she learned flight magic a long time ago. But because it consumes too much magic power, she doesn’t use it that often.

Most probably, she flew all the way here just like that.

“Is your body well? Did you force yourself? Why did you ring the bell?”

‘I, I’m hungry so..”

“Oh! It is already noon! Please pardon me, I was late. I will prepare it immediately.”

I rang the bell for such a trivial reason as lunch, but Tina just hurriedly returned to the mansion without uttering a word of complaint.

──＊＊＊──

“Hey, didn’t you say flight magic consumes too much power, so you rarely use it?”

I asked while eating the lunch that Tina prepared.

Dad and Mom were frequently out during the day, and my brothers and sister are either at work or at school, so I always eat my meals with Tina.

“I utilize it if it’s an emergency. If something were to happen to Halt-sama, it would be the most severe emergency in my life.”

“I’m sorry I rang the bell just for the sake of having a meal.”

“Please do not worry about that. I will hand you another bell later, so please do not hesitate to use it if something happens.”

Even if Tina said that I decided to use it only in a real emergency.

“Oh, by the way, Halt-sama, were you able to invoke intermediate-level magic?”

“Hmm, why?”

“I examined the magic attack target in the training center earlier, and I noticed there were traces showing it was hit with a considerable amount of magic.“

Oops, looks like Tina saw the target I used during practice. I did not expect Tina to return so swiftly, so I did not have the time to clean it up.

“Nope, it’s just the same Fire Lance as yesterday. Though I think it’s kinda more powerful than yesterday.”

“Is that so? But are you truly alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine, so you shouldn’t worry.”

Tina didn’t pry any deeper. I have to be more careful next time with how I train. Even if I confess about the curse to Tina, I’m sure she’ll remain my ally. But I think it’s still too early to reveal everything.

I don’t even know a lot of things about curses. So I have to research it on my own. And I have to plan my magic training without getting caught by Tina.