My Muscle System in the Mage World

Chapter 160: Thieving Hands

Reflecting on the scenes witnessed in the village and the information acquired from Hanma, Aur couldn't help but feel a sense of amusement.

Though tempted to sell this information to another village, he refrained from doing so. If news of the scene were to leak, the village would undoubtedly launch an investigation, potentially leading back to him if they mobilised their full power.

Aur was acutely aware of the village's formidable might. Even in his current state, interacting with anything related to them was a perilous endeavour. The village's instructors alone posed a significant threat, not to mention a peak-tier one wizard.

"So, what brings you here?" Aur inquired curiously.

"Young master, the faction selection will take place tomorrow," Cameron responded, his smile carrying a hint of bitterness.

Aur noted the underlying emotion but chose to set it aside for the moment. "Have the leader and the other elders arrived?" he inquired further.

"Yes, young master. They have arrived, along with..." Cameron hesitated momentarily, his expression thoughtful, before continuing, "and William has also returned."

"Okay," Aur nodded in acknowledgment.

"That's all then, young master," Cameron stated before departing, his expression betraying a bitter smile.

Reflecting on his initial assessment of Aur's strength and his subsequent report to the elders, Cameron couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment.

He had anticipated some form of recognition or reward for his findings, only to discover that the elders and the leader were already aware of Aur's potential and had surpassed his mortal limitations.

As Cameron left, his expression shifted back to a stern demeanour, masking any traces of disappointment.

Aur simply shrugged and returned to his dormitory.

Despite the anticipation for the annual competition and the subsequent faction selection, the latter had been postponed without explanation.

While the academy remained silent on the matter, it was evident to even the most oblivious observer that the absence of the village leader was a significant factor, Noah.

As for the story, Aur wasn't particularly interested; he brushed it off as just another trivial issue that William was dealing with, after all that man was a trouble magnet.

Quickly settling onto his bed, Aur assumed a cross-legged position, allowing himself to relax comfortably.

Despite having already adapted to the influx of information directly transferred to his brain, the sheer volume of it compelled him to review and organise everything once again.

While Aur now possessed all the information, it didn't mean he could effortlessly wield it. Learning and comprehending each piece of knowledge still required time and effort on his part.

Surveying the countless comprehensive details provided for just one spell, Aur couldn't help but sigh in resignation.

"I'll need some time to process all of this," he remarked with a bitter smile, his crimson eyes tinged with a blue hue as he summoned his mental faculties.

"Well, at least I can enhance my mental attributes for faster comprehension."

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[Muscle System]

[Name: Aur Cromwell/ Auriel

Talent: Future Seer (Major: 0; Minor: 1)

-Muscle mass: 3.0 (+) [Tier one (mid)]

-Intelligence: 1.40 (+)

Stat Points: 114

Storage space: 0.62/1 cubic metre

Quest: Daily (completed)]

–––––

"Let's allocate sixty points into it," Aur decided, his mind focused on enhancing his intelligence attributes.

He recognized that his intelligence wasn't only beneficial for increasing his comprehension but also for bolstering his mental defences.

Aur had observed that there were spells designed to attack the mind, albeit rare, and artefacts capable of harming the mental space still existed in the village.

To cover all his bases, Aur understood the importance of boosting this attribute.

Without further hesitation, Aur decisively distributed the stat points to his intelligence attribute.

The blue panel flickered before him, registering the changes.

–––––

[Muscle System]

[Name: Aur Cromwell/ Auriel

Talent: Future Seer (Major: 0; Minor: 1)

-Muscle mass: 3.0 (+) [Tier one (mid)]

-Intelligence: 2.0 (+)

Stat Points: 54

Storage space: 0.62/1 cubic metre

Quest: Daily (completed)]

–––––

Suddenly, Aur's face contorted as a strange sensation spread throughout his brain. He could feel a blue light entering his mind, nurturing something inside him that extended beyond his brain alone.

Although the sensation lasted only a moment, Aur felt as if an entire year had passed in that fleeting instant. Countless thoughts collided in his head, forming different ideas and sharpening his cognitive abilities.

The information contained in the thieving spells, which had previously seemed difficult for Aur to grasp, now felt as effortless as a gentle breeze.

"Not bad," Aur murmured in satisfaction as he felt the newfound clarity in his mind. His thoughts churned as he comprehended the spells.

Within the thieving magic, there were three types of spells: attack, movement, and storage. Aur gazed thoughtfully at the attacking spell, his curiosity piqued.

[Thieving Hand (Tier One): Forms a hand that allows the wizard to directly steal spells from inside the mental space of the target. Condition: The target must be a corpse, and the spell can only be used once per corpse.]

[Thieving Hand (Tier Two): Forms a hand that allows the wizard to directly steal spells from inside the mental space of the target. Condition: The target must be a corpse, and the spell can only be used twice per corpse.]

[Thieving Hand (Tier Three): Forms a hand that allows the wizard to directly steal spells from inside the mental space of the target.]

[Thieving Hand (Tier Four): Forms a hand that allows the wizard to directly steal spells from inside the mental space of the target, and in one go, can take several spells at once.]

Aur summarised the spell and its details, considering potential upgrades.

Although categorised as an attack spell, the description didn't seem to align with typical offensive magic.

However, Aur had already anticipated these nuances.

"Let's comprehend these spells until tomorrow," Aur declared, determination flickering in his eyes as he immediately began to meditate.

Concentrating on the intricacies of the spell, imprinting it required not only refining but also a deep understanding of its workings.

Without comprehending the intricacies of the spell, it was practically impossible to imprint it in the mental space effectively.

Even if it was forcibly imprinted, its effectiveness would be reduced by at least tenfold.

Of course, for simpler lower tier spells, such profound comprehension was not necessary just like Aur's spell: ten leaps.