Wind shot across the grassy plain. It rushed through long grass, outstretched fingertips, and hair alike. Sen stretched his arms as far as he could and embraced the feeling. Above them, large birds with three tails flew high in the sky in search of food. The sun shone brightly upon them, as glorious as ever, radiating the natural magic that emanates from it each day and lights the world.

  That wasn’t the sun he’d come to see, but it was a pleasant reminder that he’d finally come closer to the dream he’d been chasing for a lifetime. “This is it,” he whispered. He couldn’t reach out and touch his goal yet, but he could see that magic had evolved. The threads shot out in new and unusual ways. New spells, new pathways, and even types of magic that hadn’t existed in his own time. The world had progressed a lot in a thousand years, and now it was time to catch up to the magicians of today.

  He had so much to explore.

  His belongings were scattered all around them. He’d have to find a way to repair his broken Temporal Space, but in the meantime, he could create one that would act purely as storage, even if he couldn’t enter it as he could his previous one. “Temporal World Maxim,” he said. The remaining magic essence spheres in his possession shattered, sacrificed to fuel the spell. The world formed within a portal, and he spread his mana throughout the grassy plain to enshroud his belongings. Portals opened below each of them, and they disappeared.

  [It appears we have moved through space, in addition to time. We are not in the same location as we were when we left.]

  “Tutor, can you detect any powerful opponents?” he asked.

  [Information is limited at this time. I will need to collect data and analyze the world before I can fulfill a request such as that. Also, there’s something you should see.]

  His status box appeared.

  Name: Sen Locke

  Rank: ??

  Level: ??

  Strength: 0 (?? while under the effects of Mana Aggression)

  Speed: 0 (?? while under the effects of Mana Encapsulation)

  Magic: ??

  Constitution: 0 (?? while under the effects of Mana Protection)

  Mana Points: 999,999,999+

  Sen frowned. “What’s going on?”

  [It appears we’ll need to collect a combat sample to compare your abilities to the people of this time. Finding one or more individuals with magic capabilities from this time period should allow me to calibrate your status properly.]

  That was fine with him. He needed to test the strength of this new world. Searching for worthy opponents and gathering data for Tutor would allow him to address their needs all at once. Their goals were in alignment.

  Speaking of other magicians…

  He looked over at his companions; Mori cradled Ilm in his arms. She was still asleep. He wondered about that, even if she’d been asleep wherever she was, all the action should’ve woken her up. Though, admittedly, he was one to talk. He’d slept through a hundred years of time travel himself.

  “Mori, is she alright?” he asked.

  Mori nodded slowly. “I didn’t have any experience with this spell; it was successful, but her constitution is…frail. She often needs to rest for a while, and sleeps deeply when she does.”

  Mori wasn’t talking about the stat, her body was weaker than it should be.

  Sen nodded. “As long as she’s stable, I’ll take a look at her in a moment. Let me get a bearing on our surroundings first.” He turned and focused on a chain of spells. “Temporary Flight-Prolonged-Maxim.” He added a modifier and a maximizer this time. He needed to fly a little longer than temporarily, and the maxim modifier would enhance both the original spell and the modifier adding power to both.

  “Magic Scan Maxim. Eyesight Enhance Maxim. Telescope Maxim. Sense Civilization Maxim.” With his enhancements in place, Sen looked up and shot straight into the sky. His clothes rippled in the wind. A few of the birds cawed in surprise and veered away from him, thinking he was a predator of some sort, or maybe a territorial bird much larger than they were. Regardless, they gave him a wide berth.

  His magic felt as great as it always had, so whatever calibration Tutor needed to do hadn’t been a reflection of weakening power. Satisfied, he turned to survey his surroundings.

  To the east, Sen spotted a great mountain range that stretched across the horizon like an ocean. There was little life or greenery, and though he sensed magic in this direction, its sources were rare and scattered. It would be unwise to start his search here.

  To the south, he saw a desert. But only after pushing both his enhanced eyesight and telescope spell to their limits. The stretch of green plains molded into a forest, and many small towns along the way, but at the edge of his enhanced vision, the desert dominated the south. There was magic, plenty of it, but honestly, Sen wasn’t the biggest fan of sand unless it was on a beach. He’d settle for it if no other options remained, but hoped that wasn’t the case.

  To the west, closer than both the mountains and the desert, there was an impressive body of water. While traveling overseas might interest him normally, he found little purpose in it when he’d just arrived here. They’d traveled across time and space; there was no reason to leave land he hadn’t had the chance to properly explore yet. Though he’d keep the beach in mind if he ever needed a vacation.

  An explosion rang out, and Sen immediately let his visual enhancements fade. The sound had come from the north, and as soon as he’d heard it, he knew he’d go investigate. So, why ruin the surprise?

  He plummeted through the air, feeling his Mana Protection hybrid stat slide into place. When he landed, the soft patch of grass became a crater. He jumped out of it and shot over to Mori and Ilm. “Mori, we need to...”

  He remembered his promise to fix Ilm. Sen knelt beside Mori and looked at her. He got a better look at the painted lines on her neck she’d drawn to match Mori’s. Sen would apply actual protective markings later, but for now, he just needed to get her on her feet. Though Mori had technically been the one to create her, he’d done it under Sen’s authority. Therefore, Sen could alter her without needing to cast fresh magic. He’d fix her with magical authority alone. “Ilm wake and be whole.” Mana shot from his body and rushed toward her.

  Ilm shot up, scrambling to find her feet. “What’s going on?” she asked. Her eyes met Mori’s, and the wild expression on her face calmed a bit. She turned to look at Sen and froze. “You made another replica? You promised I could make the next one!” She frowned at Mori.

  Sen made a mental note to restrict their ability to keep creating new versions of themselves. Eventually they’d have too many mouths to feed, and honestly, seeing the girl version of him was a bit unsettling already.

  “Actually, this is the Master. Master Sen,” Mori informed her.

  Ilm’s eyes grew wide, and she looked at Sen as if she were in the presence of a king. She threw herself to the ground and bowed.

  He laughed. “Float.”

  Ilm looked up from her bow and realized she was several feet off the ground. “What…I…what?” she asked.

  She stuck her legs out, and he allowed the spell to dissipate. “No need to bow, Ilm. Now, everyone, there’s something interesting in that direction and I don’t wanna miss it. So let’s get going.”

  Sen took to the skies again, reactivating his extended float technique. He turned at the sound of shouting and looked over his shoulder. Mori floated after him, dragging Ilm along through the sky. She was not a fan. He’d need to impart some additional magical knowledge to her when he had the chance. Flying was incredible, but he understood it might be a bit unsettling to do it under someone else’s power.

  Below, the grassy landscape turned into a blur. As they went further and further, they passed farms and countryside homes. To his surprise, the three-tailed birds had decided he wasn’t a threat. A flock of them now flew behind him and his companions, taking advantage of the draft they created. Sen chuckled at that.

  As they flew, he stretched his senses to see if he could perceive any of the tomeseekers, or even Xanadrell, but caught no hint of either. He’d released the tomeseekers into the world hundreds of years ago. He’d added an evolution modifier to the spell, so it was possible their form had changed. But even then, he should still be able to sense them. He’d worry about that later. As for Xanadrell, he’d been at the level of a King-class mage from his creation; there was no reason to worry about him. Though he wondered whether it was distance, or something else, that kept him from locating the beings presence.

  It didn’t take them long to find the source of the commotion. An enormous creature was staring down a group of humans.

  “Greater Invisibility.” Sen and his party quickly disappeared into the air, now perceptible only to one another. “Observe from above, keep Ilm out of the fight,” Sen instructed.

  “Of course,” Mori said.

  “Hey, can we maybe wait on the ground instead?” Ilm asked, covering her mouth. She hung from the hand Mori held her cloak up with.

  Sen descended. “Tutor.”

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  [The creature is an intelligent Bone Ghoul Giant. It appears to be in conflict with these humans.]

  Sen nodded. The Bone Ghoul Giant was as tall as the town’s buildings. The creature’s face was a mask of bone with two holes for its eyes. It carried a tree trunk twice its length as a club and stared down men who appeared to be farmers. They wielded pitchforks and shovels. This was going to be a massacre. Still, they weren’t running in terror, so Sen was curious. He leaned against the wall of a house. What would they do here? He’d intervene before things got bad, but it wouldn’t hurt to watch it play out a little.

  “Humans, where is cow?” The creature bellowed.

  One of the farmers, a younger man, looked around. “Where is he?” he asked. “He was supposed to be here by now.”

  The others shook their heads; others took a few steps back as if thinking about running. Were they waiting for someone?

  An older farmer stepped forward. “No more.” The other members of the crowd looked at him nervously. The old farmer had a long, thick, grey beard and a wide-brimmed hat. “We work hard for what we have. Yet, someone always wants to come and take it. Bandits. Wild animals. Monsters. Now you demand we bring you a cow once a week as tribute. We’re sick of it, and we won’t stand for it anymore.”

  Sen tilted his head. “Every week?”

  [Bone ghoul giants eat a large meal once per month as a survival mechanism.]

  He was already aware of that. He turned and mixed mana into his voice so his words would reach Mori’s ears alone. “Mori, I want you and Ilm to go investigate. Look for the creature’s den and report in if you find anything strange.”

  “At once.” It wouldn’t take Mori long at all. He had tracking spells for this, and with his speed, it would only take a few minutes for him to report it.

  The bone ghoul giant shook his head as if he finally understood what the farmer was saying. “No give cow?” he asked.

  “No give cow!” the farmer confirmed. “We’ll never give you anything again, and we've hired someone to make sure of it.”

  Movement. Sen cocked a brow as a flash of black erupted from one of the houses. A man clad in a full-body black outfit flew through the air directly toward the creature. He wielded a katana.

  “Face the strength of Klaw of the Kuran clan! Fireball Maxim!” the man said.

  Sen shot straight up, his attention piqued. In his time, his unique maximizer was something only he was capable of pulling off. There were other maximizers, of course. He’d even taught Diablo how to develop one, but in the past, anytime he’d tried to teach his personal maximizer to another person, it killed them. It’s how Mori had gotten so adept with resurrection magic.

  The Bone Ghoul Giant turned in a panic and swung the tree trunk. It met the fireball, and both the magic and the tree exploded. Klaw Kuran wasn’t finished though; he shot through debris and swung his sword, ready to decapitate the creature.

  [I cannot yet perceive his level, but he’s the equivalent of a knight class fighter.]

  Now, that was surprising. A knight class was level 30 in his day. Its modern-day counterpart could use the Maxim ability? Was this man a prodigy or—

  The katana shattered when it met the neck of the giant. The creature reached out and grabbed the man out of the air. It frowned after inspecting him.

  “Humans! This is human! Not cow! I wanted cow!” he shouted, stomping a foot.

  The man struggled to no avail. So the creature was stronger. A monster that could withstand a Fireball Maxim was incredible. That usually one-shot anything he fought.

  “Wait! Don’t hurt him! We’ll get your cow!” one of the farmers cried out.

  “Alright, that’s enough of this,” Sen said. The battle was over. He unveiled himself and walked towards the giant. It had brushed off fire already, and honestly, he wasn’t feeling that element right now.

  “Mana Encapsulation, Mana Aggression.” His body roared to life under the power of his hybrid stats.

  Kaza/Klaw

  He’d trained his entire life to protect others. When the villagers had come into town asking for help with a creature that had been demanding tributes of livestock, he knew he had to help. It was what he had trained for. It was the responsibility passed down from his father. He was only glad his old man wasn’t here to see him now. Slowly being crumpled to death in the hands of this disgusting beast. He should’ve trained harder; he should’ve dedicated even more to his studies. Now it was all—

  He fell gently into a pile of hay, and a young man with long white hair looked down at him. “Are you alright? Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter. This will help.” He held up a hand and spoke quickly. “Total Restoration Maxim.”

  The wounds in Klaw’s body quickly began knitting themselves back together. His crushed ribs healed in an instant; the beating of his heart felt strong again. How had this happened? There must have been two people who saved him; one had somehow transported him here to the other. A healer lying in wait. That was the only explanation.

  The white-haired man didn’t wait a moment longer than necessary. He dashed back towards the still confused bone ghoul giant. The creature was staring at its hand, wondering where Klaw had gone. “Human? Did my hand eat him?” It studied its hand closely as if looking for a mouth.

  The white-haired man brought a foot crashing down across the creature’s face, and it smashed into the ground instantly. Instead of allowing gravity to take its course, the young man floated above and held a fist down. “Icicle Rain Maxim.”

  The ghoul screamed in anguish as a torrent of sharpened ice crystals plunged into its back endlessly. It had to be a massive waste of mana, but…the man didn’t seem phased at all. He’d performed an offensive maxim immediately after a healing one. How was that even possible? Was he a student at the academy? No, his techniques were too smooth. He was too practiced. He couldn’t be a student, right? Whoever he was, Klaw hadn’t seen talent like this since last year’s tournament. It was like witnessing a god among men. He needed to survive to report to the Kuran clan elders. This boy might be exactly what they’d been searching for.

  Sen

  He let the spell go on far longer than necessary just to ensure his magic ‘muscles’ were properly stretched out. By the time he released it, a mass of bloody icicles jutted from the creature’s back. Beads of water rolled down them as they melted under the sun. Sen fell back to the earth, releasing his enhancements as he did so. The golem was still breathing, but it wasn’t a threat anymore.

  “How was that? Do we have enough data?” He asked Tutor internally.

  [I believe so. Allow me some time to run calibration.]

  The farmers looked unsure of how to react to him. But the man he’d saved hobbled over. “That was amazing. You must be from the academy, or maybe an adventurer?” His eyes widened. “Apologies, I’m—”

  “Klaw of the Kuran clan. I’m Sen. That maximizer, where did you learn it?” he asked.

  “Maxim?” Klaw looked confused. “It’s common. Almost everyone learns the maxim versions of the basic level spells to start off. Is…that not true where you’re from?”

  Sen’s eye twitched. The maximizer that killed anyone who tried to use it in his time was common now? “Uh, no. Maxim is really that common? Everyone can use it?” he asked again to verify. It didn’t sound right. Sure, they had progressed, but…this much?

  The man chuckled. “No no. Mostly for simple stuff or specializations. I’ve never seen someone use high-level healing and offensive maxims like you just did. Most people develop their own maximizers for complex spells. Maxim’s effectiveness shrinks dramatically at the high levels, at least, as far as I understand it.”

  Sen had expected progress, but not this. A knight-level mage talking so casually about one of his most advanced techniques. It was clear he had a lot to learn in this time. To build upon the knowledge that had developed over a millennium, he would need to do some catching up. “I’m sorry, you mentioned something about an academy. Is it near here, by chance?” he asked.

  Klaw pointed further north, the same direction Sen had traveled to get here. “Two or three days’ ride that direction. Bright Sail Academy, one of the best schools in the country, but it’s not easy to get in.”

  Sen looked. A straight shot, then.

  Sen sensed Mori’s presence. He looked up to see Mori leading a small herd of cows. Ilm was riding atop one, having the time of her life. A little bell jingled on the collar of one of them.

  Behind him, the golem roused and forced himself to his feet. “Betty?” he asked, groaning from the pain of his injuries.

  The Kuran clan member took a step back and gasped. “It’s alive.”

  The old farmer looked shocked. “Are those our cows? He hasn’t eaten them yet?”

  Sen studied the ghoul. The two eyes on its face looked sad. They watered. “Leave cows alone!”

  “If you aren’t eating them…why do you keep collecting them?” Sen asked.

  The ghoul looked offended. “Eat them? No!” He shook his head fervently. “I’m starting farm!”

  Sen chuckled. “You’re starting a farm? You’ve been stealing cows so you could start a farm of your own?” he asked.

  The golem’s head hung low. “No money to buy, human.”

  The old farmer walked past all of them and to the cows, inspecting them. “They’re in great shape. You’ve really taken care of em.” He didn’t sound upset, more surprised with maybe the slightest hint of approval.

  “So, your cows are safe, and now you know he simply wanted to start a farm of his own. I wonder, what if all of you came to a mutually beneficial arrangement?” Sen posed the question.

  The ghoul tilted its head.

  The old farmer looked at him seriously. “I’m listening.”

  “The ghoul wasn’t the only one coming to steal from you, like you said you have bandit problems and there are always wild animals to think about. The thing about all those is they would think twice about invading a town with a resident bone ghoul giant. And our friend here simply wants to start a farm. You have the expertise to teach him, and there’s plenty of land around. Why not work together instead of fighting?” Sen suggested. “I can even form a magic contract between both parties if it sets you all at ease.”

  The golem looked at Sen in surprise. As did the member of the Kuran clan.

  “Real farm?” the golem asked, leaning forward.

  Sen’s focus remained on the farmers. “What do you think?”

  The farmers were now discussing among themselves, but he had a feeling the old farmer had a lot of sway with the others. That was who Sen watched.

  “I’m not opposed to it, but the cows are stolen. If he wants to live among us, everyone here is gonna have to be made whole.”

  The ghoul’s head sank. “Money. Always money.”

  Sen reached into his coin purse and withdrew several gold pieces. He flung them toward the farmers. Two coins each floated in front of each person waiting there. “Is this enough to compensate you all for your lost property?” He didn’t need to hear their answer. Their faces made it obvious they’d never seen this much money in their lives.

  Only one of them seemed to have any resistance left to the idea, though it was muted at best. “This contract will really keep him from hurting us?”

  “It will. But if I ever need to, I will personally return to deal with him. I don’t think he wants that.”

  The golem shook his head and arms fervently. “No! No human! No want!”

  The old farmer eyed the others, and slowly they nodded. He turned back to Sen. “We accept, but he has to help us protect our town and farms, and he’ll have to contribute to the town like everyone else.”

  Sen looked at the ghoul, who seemed surprised. He nodded his agreement.

  “Very well, then it’s settled.” He turned to the ghoul. “Go and introduce yourself, oh, and…” He used a total restoration spell to heal the creature’s injuries. “There you go.”

  The ghoul reached back to touch its back in amazement. He hurried to follow Sen’s orders and lumbered towards his cows. “Betty! Everyone! It’s good to see you!”

  Sen had meant for the ghoul to introduce himself to the farmers, but…good enough. He yawned. Time travel was exhausting.

  The Kuran clan shook his head. “That was…amazing. I can believe they went along with that. A ghoul living in a town. It’s incredible.”

  Sen chuckled. “Having things in common is a lot more effective than you might think. Though it could be helpful if you stuck around for a few days to ensure the transition period goes smoothly?”

  Klaw nodded. “I already planned to. I may not have been able to resolve the situation as you did, but I can help monitor things and ensure your plan is successful. Will you not be staying?”

  Sen shook his head. “I’m curious about this academy you mentioned. I think some studying would do my brain good.”

  “It’s been an honor to meet you and watch you in battle, and I am grateful for your aid. The Kuran clan has branch families all over. If ever there is a way I can repay you, find one and ask for word to be sent to me.”

  Sen pursed his lips. “Ah, I’ll do that, thank you.” He turned, feeling Tutor prick at his mind. “Excuse me, I need to return to my companions.”

  Klaw bowed once more.

  “What is it, Tutor?” Sen asked when he was out of earshot.

  [Special class change available. Would you like to proceed?]

  Sen’s mouth fell open. He’d never heard of a class change or even a special class. Everyone was pretty much the same thing. A magician. It didn’t matter if you swung a sword or preferred a stealthier approach. Magic was a part of it all. So, what was going on?

  “What class?” he asked.

  The potential class change was presented to him as if he had already agreed. He stopped on the second line.

  Name: Sen Locke

  Class: God of Magic.