The Challenger's Return: Rebirth of the Rainbow Mage

[Mission Rewards]

1. Consumable Durability Enchantment Rune

2. Gunther's Ring

3. VIP Entrant Token to the [Constant Competition]

4. Domain Builder

5. Unknown List

6. 14.803 G1 Coins

Otto first took a look at the [Consumable Durability Enchantment Rune].

The rune was blue in color, slightly curvier than a rune from a typical array, and printed on what looked to be a block of wood rather than a piece of paper.

He [Analyzed] it.

[Consumable Durability Enchantment Rune]

Adds additional 'durability' to a consumable item that is usable. Additional durability adds two or more uses to consumables.

Restriction: Does not work on 'defunct' items.

Otto nodded and pondered.

Items with uses left?

In other words, he couldn't use this rune on the evolution bead to revive it.

He could only add durability to items that already 'had' durability.

Did he have any items that still had uses?

His eyes swept through his spatial storage ring before they landed on a certain item.

It was a small gavel.

Otto smirked slightly.

This was the perfect target.

Adding this, Otto would have the ability to take down not just one, but two targets, even inside the safe zones.

He immediately used the rune.

It glittered and faded from the wood before reappearing on the hammer.

A notification from the [Tower] appeared.

[Critical success! Double effect!]

[Sentani's Gavel]

Gold Grade

Attack Consumable (6 uses)

Unconditionally depletes 50% of a target's maximum health instantly. Renders target unable to feel the body's condition.

Otto smiled lightly.

Then, he wondered...he had been saving this for the safe zone, but what if he had used it on that white robed girl?

Hmm.

Maybe next time, he'd get the chance to try it.

Better was that the gavel wouldn't even be depleted.

With six uses, Otto could take down three full targets.

He put the gavel away as his eyes ran down the list of rewards.

"Retrieve Gunther's Ring."

Otto was curious about the ring.

His combat suit was specifically engineered to take up as few slots as possible for the equipment.

As far as he knew, that was what most [Combat Suits] did, and for good reason. Their bonuses together were much greater than wearing ornaments individually, and even most other 'set equipment.'

His combat suit only took up two slots: his 'tunic' slot and his 'pants' slot.

The slots for his robe, necklace, earring, bracelet, belt, and stave were empty when wearing the combat suit alone.

It was part of what made it such an ingenious item.

Better that he could wear as many accessories as he wanted to complement it.

The ring in Otto's hands was very small and made of some opaque black metal.

A few runes were scattered around the insides of the ring, connected by a single white line that ringed around the inside.

Atop the ring was a dark green, dull looking jewel.

Honestly, not to disparage the [Tower's] taste in fashion, but this ring was kind of ugly.

But Otto first [Inspected] it before coming to any conclusions.

[Gunther's Ring]

Silver Grade

Auxiliary Tool

The consummate ring for professionals.

Improves the wielder's insight into three crafts of choice.

Charge: 0/1,000,000 mana

Otto's eyes glittered, and he used [Analyze].

[Gunther's Ring]

Silver Grade (evolvable)

Auxiliary Tool

The consummate ring for professionals.

Draws in ambient mana as well as the wielder's own mana and releases a stream of condensed insight into the wielder's brain.

Passive: Slightly improves insight and creativity. Effect increases over time and with mana. Permanent.

Active: If ring is charged to 100%, can consume all of its mana for a large burst of inspiration.

Cooldown: 150 days

Active: The wielder may charge the ring with mana at 10% efficiency. Charged mana will then be condensed by 100 times.

Charge: 0/1,000,000 mana (rate: 1.0/hour)

Otto pondered for a second before revealing a tiny smirk.

He wore it immediately.

Of course, at the moment, he was still in the [Neutral Zone].

So there was no effect.

But when he got out…

Otto's eyes glittered.

Perhaps it was time to add another profession?

Since there was a good chance he'd be able to make some serious strides with this extra inspiration.

Otto's third reward was one of the rewards he was most looking forward to.

It was his third [VIP Entrant Token] to the [Constant Competition].

The competition was fast approaching, but what Otto was truly excited about was the promise of a 'hidden floor.'

He could imagine that if he won, and cleared the mission on this hidden floor, it would open up a whole new world for Otto.

It was even possible that this first hidden floor was only the beginning…

The fourth reward was called a [Domain Builder].

It took the form of a small dome, reminiscent of a semicircular 'popper' toy Otto could only vaguely remember from when he was very young, back on Earth.

He [Analyzed] it.

[Domain Builder]

Silver Grade

Auxiliary Tool

Set atop a residence to add a domain. Domain expands with the builder, up to a maximum of 1,000 square meters.

Domains can be any of multiple types.

Defensive domains

Attack domains

Protective domains

Poison domains

Recovery domains

…

Duration: Varies from 1 minute to 1 year depending on user's selection.

The list went on and on, with dozens of types of domains written on the 'builder.'

Otto felt slightly confused, though.

How was this any different from setting up an array formation, a feat which he was now used to doing even inside of a safe zone for extra precaution?

Hmm.

Well, no matter.

He didn't doubt that he would soon discover the ins and outs of this [Domain Builder] as well.

Finally, the last item on the reward selection was an 'unknown list.'

The list wasn't written on a piece of paper.

Rather, it appeared in the form of a small, square piece of glass like material.

When Otto retrieved it, it lay on the ground.

There was nothing written on the piece of glass.

The basic [Inspect] skill also showed him nothing.

It wasn't until Otto used [Analyze] that he returned a surprising result.

[Slinder's List of Professions]

Description: Slinder was a renowned, long-lived list-maker. His pride and joy was to uncover the secrets of the [Tower] through his comprehensive lists.

This list was the result of a journey throughout all of Area 1 to uncover every single known profession. List includes a few hidden professions, as well.

LOCKED

Requires Apprentice status in at least two professions to read.

"..."

Apprentice status?

Funny how Otto was already at apprentice status...

He reached down to pick up the piece of glass from the floor.

Suddenly, as if finding its master, the glass lit up brightly.

Small black handwriting filled its screen, reminiscent of a computer or tablet screen from Earth.

Names of professions were listed along with their descriptions in an orderly manner.

Otto touched the glass once more. As he moved his finger up, the list scrolled down.

It went on and on.

There were hundreds of professions on the screen.

Things like enchanting, blacksmithing, woodworking, carving, jewel engraving, all the way down to rare, obscure professions.

Otto saw tattoo rune-crafting, formation architecture, skin dyeing, hair patterners, treasure seekers, arborists, beast groomers, equilibrists, rare monster collectors, chandlers, pimps, heralds, prophets, specialty translators, milliners, rope makers, charlatans, witchdoctors, oracles, ritualists, horologists, etc.

There were more professions than Otto had ever even heard of.

Many of the professions listed were sub-professions, in that they fell under a larger profession umbrella.

Choosing a specific 'sub-profession' would allow one to both learn the general knowledge of the umbrella profession while also specializing in a small field.

In a few cases, some folks with professions made up one out of a grand total of only around 1,000 people throughout the entirety of Area 1 who also had that specific sub-profession.

They were then able to charge insane prices for their work because of the rarity of their skillset.

The trade-off was that their skills weren't quite as versatile as those who chose the umbrella profession alone.

For example, instead of becoming an [Alchemist], Otto could have chosen to become an [Aged Herb Refiner] or a [Alchemical Fire Controller].

Both would have allowed him to perform alchemy, as they were professions under the [Alchemy] umbrella as a whole.

But while his knowledge of refining aged herbs and controlling the concocting fire would have placed him near the top of Area 1, his alchemical knowledge would have been much more barebones in comparison.

Meaning that the pills and potions he refined as a whole would have been less creative or of lower quality.

Otto already had an idea of what he planned to do during this period of training, then.

Based on this list, he would first get all of his team members to choose a profession.

He would choose a third profession as well, though as of now, Otto had no idea what profession he wanted to learn…

Mostly because in his past life he had only ever worked on arrays and alchemy, with very sparse or general knowledge of most other fields.

Still, with his new ring, too, perhaps he could advance faster than he thought!

Otto took a look around the [Neutral Zone] until his eyes landed on the final item that would be upgraded in the neutral zone.

Of course, it was a pair of boots.

The most expensive equipment Otto owned.

[Great Mage Ofrand's Boots]

Now, after passing the second floor, they had been upgraded again.

Otto took a quick look at his status screen before examining them.

[Toto]

Floor Cleared: 2nd Floor

Class: Rainbow Caster

Race: Enhanced Human II

Health: 5,750 —] 6,063 (12.00 —] 12.60/minute)

Stamina: 1,680 —] 1,800 (18.75 —] 20.00/minute)

Mana: 48,060 —] 51,000 (46.50 —] 61.50/second)

[Attributes]

Strength 60 —] 65

Agility 100 —] 105

Stamina 75 —] 80

Sturdiness 100 —] 105

Mana Pool 200 —] 210

Intuition 174 —] 184

Magic Power 169 —] 179

Regeneration 235 —] 245

AP: 296 —] 436

Otto took a glance at the boots as they looked now.

After he'd broken the first seal, they looked slightly newer, no longer completely worn and tattered.

Without a doubt, though, they would never be mistaken for 'new' boots.

After the second floor, their appearance hadn't changed a bit.

What did change, however, was the mana wave they emitted.

It grew stronger right along with them.

Otto idly wondered if the spells they carried changed with every evolution.

From the [Tutorial] to [Floor 1], they had dropped 'Double Jump' and 'Blink' in return for 'Teleport and 'Winged Run.'

A comprehensive upgrade by any judgement.

But would that happen on every floor?

Or was that just because he'd gained the requisite spell books and didn't need their add-ons?

Perhaps it was an 'every ten floor' upgrade?

Otto cast [Analyze], perhaps the only spell that worked in the [Neutral Zone].

[Great Mage Ofrand's Boots]

Four-Digit #9943

Sealed (1/3)

[Attributes (2nd Floor)]

Agility +15 —] +25

Mana Pool +10 —] +15

Intuition +10 —] +15

Magic Power +10 —] +15

Regeneration +10 —] +15

[Spells (2nd Floor)]

Minor Teleport

Winged Run

[Minor Teleport]

Space Element

Teleport to a previously 'marked' location on the same planet. Mark up to 8 spots.

Load Time: 50 seconds (standing still), 20 min (moving)

Uses: 1

Cooldown: 60 hours

[Winged Run]

Wind Element

Boots grow aerodynamic wings allowing the caster to fly in the air with extreme mobility.

Uses: 5

Duration: 90 seconds per use

Cooldown: 24 hours

Otto nodded with some surprise at the boot's changes.

10 additional points were added to agility, 5 to each of Otto's basic magical attributes.

To teleport, Otto could now mark three additional locations on the planet, and both the load time and cooldown had decreased.

The duration of the spell [Winged Run] also increased by a full 30 seconds.

…Giving Otto more time to knock down his enemies.

Hehe.

With that over, Otto's body slowly disappeared from the [Neutral Zone].