-Sceti?-

  "No, we're probably not entering a Rift today," Alex replied out loud while he made his way through a dense forest at the base of a mountain.

  -Scetis?-

  "It means that if everything goes as planned, we wouldn't need to enter a Rift and fight our way out."

  -Sree?-

  "Yes, the Warp spell I've been learning is part of the plan."

  -SCREEE!-

  "-Sigh- I know you don't like the spell, but we don't have any other choice. If there was, do you think I would have wasted all that time learning such a useless spell when I could have spent that time learning something better?"

  -Scit?-

  "No, the location we're heading to has a strange trait that disrupts artifacts, so we'll need to use the Warp spell." Warp is an unpopular spell that, as the name implies, allows the caster to teleport between points. Despite its apparent usefulness, it has many limitations that restrict its practicality. It is one of the more complex Base spells you can learn, requiring most spellcasters several minutes to cast. Additionally, it is quite inconvenient to use due to the caster needing to stay connected to the core of the spell to teleport. Since it doesn't work with artifacts, this connection must be maintained via Mana treads, which consume a lot of mana. The only advantage the spell has is that it's a method to go from one area to another very quickly that doesn't require an artifact.

  Many have tried to improve the spell, including figuring out how to make it work with artifacts, but with little to no success. Eventually, people simply gave up on it, and records of the spell were kept only for educational and historical reasons. This made it very difficult for Alex to find and learn the spell. "That also means you'll have to go hungry for a bit of time."

  -Scrh..."

  "Yeah, I know, but there is nothing we can do about it. So how about this? Once we get back to the hotel, I will drink that Grade 7 Mana potion you've been wanting to try."

  -SCRIT!-

  Alex let out a soft chuckle. "Glad to hear. Hmm, maybe I'll treat myself to something as well. Though what would I want? Eh, I could always taste some of my blood to see what I'm craving if I can't think of something by then." Alex continued chatting with Silk as he walked through the forest, making sure to look for any notable landmarks he remembered from REALMS. After an hour of walking, he found the first landmark. "Does this count as a forked tree?" Alex muttered out loud as he stared at the tree with a trident embedded inside.

  -Scree?-

  "Well, when the book described a forked tree, I imagined a tree that splits into two equally large sections. Not one that splits into three sections with a trident piercing through them."

  -Scitter-

  "You have a point; the book did mention a sign pointing towards the next landmark, and this is a pretty clear sign." With no other information to go on, Alex headed in the direction the trident indicated. He continued making his way through the forest, occasionally recognizing landmarks he had read about, like the chest-shaped boulder, the perfectly cubed hole on the ground, and the tree growing on the cliffside at a ninety-degree angle. Finally, after three hours of searching, he found what he's been looking for: a cave with a curtain of vines covering the entrance. "Ok, remember, Silk, I need as much Mana as I can get for this, and it would be harder to refuel once we enter the cave. So try not to take too much."

  -Sce- Silk sadly replied.

  Alex took off the backpack he brought and took out five bags filled with Moon petals, along with several dozen potions.

  -Secr!-

  "Oh, you remembered these? I didn't even think you were capable of forming memories at that point."

  -Scu-

  "Ah, from my memory, that makes more sense. Well, in that case, you should know what's coming up. And you should probably prepare yourself, as I don't know how this will affect you." Opening the bag, Alex stuffed a handful of Moon petals into his mouth and washed them down with a Mana potion. Alex repeatedly alternated between eating handfuls of Moon petals and drinking Mana potions until he started coughing up blood. After which he would down several Health potions before repeating the sequence all over again. This continued until Alex had eaten all the Moon petals, leaving him with only three Grade 4 Mana potions left.

  -Sci?-

  "Ugh, I-I'm fine. Just a light headache." Alex groaned while massaging his aching forehead. "D-did you finish the spell?"

  -Scr!-

  Catching the Warp spell that burst out of his chest, Alex solidified and attached it to a nearby tree. Now, with the spell firmly secured, Alex tied a Mana thread to it and wrapped it around his left hand. With his leftover Mana potions in one hand and the Mana thread in the other, Alex took a deep breath as he stared at the cave in front of him. "Let's do this." He muttered before stumbling forward into the cave. As he ventured deeper into the cave, Alex made sure to maintain a constant flow of his mana into the thread wrapped around his hand, growing it longer as he walked. Occasionally, when the thread got too long and started to drag along the floor, he would use up a bit of extra Mana to attach it to the cave wall so it wouldn't get caught on anything and get potentially damaged. "S-silk status?" Alex struggled to ask after a few minutes of walking.

  -Secr-

  "St-taus?" He asked again a few minutes later.

  -Scu-

  "Sta-Huff-us?"

  -Sch-

  "-Gulp- Statuss?"

  -Sciter-

  "Status?"

  -Skit-

  "Another mana increase? -Huff—It seems mana consumption rises roughly every five to ten minutes. Fortunately, the increase is modest, about five percent each time, so I should have enough mana to get through this." After two hours of walking, the cave tunnel opened into a vast cavern with a large altar at its center. "Fucking, -Huff- finally," he mumbled, exhausted and drenched in sweat. Stumbling forward, he downed the last of his Mana potion and climbed the altar. At the top was a large stone block with three objects resting on it: a worn-down book, an old knife with most of the blade snapped off, and a rusty iron ring.

  -Sco-

  "Yeah, that's -Huff- the plan." He replied while leaning against the stone, catching his breath.

  -Ske?-

  "No, it doesn't trigger if you do that."

  -Scea...-

  "Hahaha," Alex chuckled before groaning at the sudden sharp pain in his chest. "Ugh, ha. Of course, the Trickster wants people to trigger the trap. That's just how they like to toy with their followers." The Trickster is one of the more neutral deities of REALMS, who usually only does things for their own enjoyment. With their followers in Aetheria mostly consisting of frauds, corrupt politicians, people who deal with information and liars by trade. When dealing with the Trickster, it's best to consider what actions they would find the most amusing to watch. For example, if given the choice between blessing a by-the-book soldier or a crazed lunatic spouting nonsense, it's clear which one the Trickster is going to help. "Prepare yourself, this is going to be a very bumpy ride."

  Alex carefully grabbed the book with his left hand and then looked around his surroundings. Once he confirmed nothing had changed, Alex tossed the empty bottle he was holding and quickly snatched up the other two items. Immediately after, Alex had to steady himself as the cavern started rumbling, the stone block in front of him crumbling away into dust, and then, with a loud crack, a blood-red Rift tore itself into reality, engulfing the entirety of the cavern floor. "Yeah, no, I'm not dealing with that," Alex muttered out loud when the alter slowly started to sink into the Rift.

  With a mental command and a pulse of Mana, Alex activated the Warp spell. His vision narrowed as his body felt like it was being dragged away by the thread wrapped around his hand. And before Alex knew it. "Ugh," he was slammed against the tree he anchored the spell to, his arm snapping at a ninety-degree angle upon impact. Alex groaned when he landed on the ground with a soft thud, the items falling out of his weakened grip.

  -SCRE!?!-

  "I, ugh, fine. I'll be fine after a quick drink." Finding his bag nearby, Alex dragged his broken body to it, took out several potions, and immediately drank them. "Ugh," he winced, his arm snapping back in place. "Starting to regret not eating the snake's core right away," Alex complained as he rested on the soft grass. While he waited for his body to finish healing, Alex thought back to the cavern he had just been in. "I know the book said it opens up a Rift, but really, a tier ten one?!" He took a deep breath to calm himself. "Well, I guess it's my fault for doing an event way above my level. I'm just glad the Rift isn't supposed to stay open that long." The moment he said that, the cave entrance violently shook before collapsing. "Looks like it's gone. That was faster than I thought."

  -Skei?-

  "Yup, we can now say we officially cleared a high-ranking trial."

  The Trickster's trial is supposed to be a high-level event for Players playing Devoted Worshiper, specifically one who chose to worship the Trickster. However, unlike some other deities, the Trickster's trial isn't exclusive only to their followers. For the majority of people, the task of walking down a cave and up the altar might seem easy, maybe even boring, but true worshipers of the Trickster would know that it's all a trick, something to distract you from the true trial. One that you start by taking all three items from the altar, which summons the Rift to the Trickster's custom-made playground, a labyrinth filled with mind-bending puzzles, twisted rules, and high-level monsters. Of course, there are many benefits to going through the Rift, like rare materials from monsters, high-ranking Boss cores, and unique artifacts. But none of that mattered to Alex, as he wouldn't have any need for any of them by the time he was strong enough to clear the Rift. So he concluded the best thing to do was to find a way to avoid the trial altogether, and thus the Warp spell.

  "But seriously, I can't believe the key to the true trial is to be greedy," Alex muttered out loud while turning his body to look at the three items he had left on the ground. "Well, maybe that's why the items are so lacklustre, as a cruel prank for people who made the several-hour trip just to be rewarded with useless items. " He thought back to the item descriptions in his older self's memories.

  Old Ring

  No Effect

  Description: An old ring covered in rust that was found in the Trickster's trial. Not even worth the scrap metal it's made out of.

  Broken Dagger

  Extremely low chance of inflicting bleeding damage on those who are cut by this dagger.

  Description: A broken dagger found in the Trickster's trial.

  Worn-down Joke Book

  +1 Charisma

  Description: A worn-down book filled with jokes found in the Trickster's trial. The jokes are outdated and are written in an unknown language.

  Alex couldn't help but chuckle at the memories of how happy his Players were upon being told the book's effect, only to remember that REALM does not use stat points, effectively making it as useless as the other items. He suddenly thought of something before forcing himself up and stumbling towards the three items. Picking up the book, Alex frowned upon seeing its contents. "English? Really? The unknown language is fucking English?!" He groaned. "Well, I guess that's one way of doing that." He let out a deep sigh and started reading some of the jokes. "Knock knock. Whose there? Who. Who who? Hey, I thought I was the one repeating myself." Alex just stood there in silence before snapping the book shut. "Ugh, that's not even an outdated joke, just a plain bad one. -Sigh- well, no matter, it's not like I took this for the jokes anyway."

  The items might seem useless on their own, but those truly dedicated to the Trickster and willing to understand them would eventually uncover their true purpose. "Or if you read enough of the lore books." Alex chuckled to himself before shaking his head to clear his thoughts. "Well, better do this before it gets too late; I still need to hike down the mountain." Sitting on the grass, Alex picked up the other two items and leaned back against the tree while slipping the old ring onto the middle finger of his right hand. He set the book down on the grass, then placed his right hand flat on top of it. Taking a deep breath, Alex clenched the broken dagger in his right hand and drove it down. He groaned in pain as the dagger pierced his hand and went into the book, blood soaking into the pages.

  {HAHAHAHAHAHAHHàHαΗAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA}

  Looking towards the sound of the laughter, Alex saw a vague figure floating in front of him. In one moment, the figure was a beautifully seductive woman; in the next, it was a five-meter-tall baby; and then, before he knew it, the figure was a frail-looking boy with cat ears and a tail.

  {Oh! What a most interesting sight indeed! HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA}

  The figure's voice was a mind-numbing collage of different voices ranging from the high-pitched cry of an infant to the low baritone of a skilled jazz singer.

  {Your solution might have been boring to watch, but I gotta admit it was a clever trick!}

  {And to think the first person to solve my little puzzle in a hundred years wouldn't even be one of my followers!}

  {AHAHAHHAHHAHAHAAHAAHAHHàAHAHAHAHHA!}

  Waiting for the figure to finish laughing, Alex pulled the dagger out of his hand, grabbed his bag and took a Health potion to speed up his healing.

  {HEHE. Well, if you knew what to do with my three trinkets, then you must know what comes next!}

  The Trickster loomed over him, their body shifted into a hooded figure, with only their wide, toothy grin visible from the shadowy darkness of their hood.

  {Who is my target?}

  Before quickly snapping back into the ever-changing form they originally had once more.

  Deities in REALMS usually possess a Domain and Authorities. Domains are aspects of reality that a Deity governs. The details of these are often left vague to give GMs creative freedom. Authorities are seen as ultimate actions that a Deity can perform to enact major changes in a campaign. The Trickster is a rare Deity that lacks a Domain but has a very powerful Authority—the ability to bypass other Deities' Domains or Authorities. And the prize for solving the Trickster's puzzle is the honour of them using their Authority once for you.

  "Your target is Ch-" Memories of his younger self's family flashed in front of his eyes. Ideas of using this moment to revive them popped into mind. 'I could save them(Save them from what? They're beyond saving). No, I can! (I can't). I can use the Trickster's Authority to bypass Nechro's Domain! (I know that's not how that works. There is a difference between life and undeath). How about Vati? (They're dead, meaning they're not in her domain anymore). How abo- (No, there's nothing I can do. I should know better by now).' Alex's old self's rational thinking quickly squashed down any stray thoughts. "Your target is the twin Dieties, Chrome and Adin."

  {HAHAHAHHAHHAAHAHAHAAHAHH!}

  {I would say that's cheating, but I'm not a fan of lying to myself! So bravo to you!}

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  {What's the trick?}

  "One choice, a what-if made into reality. I want the skills and Traits I would have had if I made a different choice while keeping the benefits of the old one."

  {Oh, what an interesting request! But sadly, I can't do much with that.}

  {At most, you would get the skills and abilities you would have gotten within a week after you made your decision.}

  "That's fine with me. That should be plenty for what I'm thinking of, and if not, then it's my fault for using assumptions in my plans."

  {You know I like the way you think! How about you become one of my followers?}

  "Sorry, but I'm already a Mana Weaver and I'm not a big fan of multiclassing."

  {HAHHAHAHHAHAHAAHHAHHAHHAHAHAAHAAHAHHàAHAHAHAHHA!}

  {You might not be one of mine, but at least you're as crazy as they are!}

  Alex frowned at the accusation.

  {I heard your request, and I accept! One trick on Chrome and Adin!}

  {One decision chosen and one undone. Two choices made into one!}

  The Trickster snapped their currently oversized fingers, and in front of his eyes, Alex watched as the joke book bubbled and popped as it morphed into what looked like a leather-bound journal. The ring on his finger snapped, slithered down his hand and fused into the dagger, which bent and twisted into an ornate-looking pen.

  {That diary contains a summary of your whole life, including every decision you ever made!}

  {All you need to do is take that pen and write down which decision you want to change!}

  {Once you're done, you get the skills and abilities you would have gotten if you made that decision instead!}

  {Also, as a bonus, you get to keep those little trinkets afterwards! Aren't I generous?}

  The Trickster, in the form of a large gender-ambiguous bodybuilder, smugly puffed up their chest at Alex. He just rolled his eyes and unenthusiastically clapped at them.

  {Thank you, thank you! You're too kind!}

  {HAHAHAHHAHHAAHAHAHHAHHAHHA!}

  The Trickster let out a relieved sigh.

  {Well, it's been fun! But I gotta go before Chrome and Adin learned about what I did!}

  {Goodbye, you crazy lad! I hope you enjoy your PRIZE!}

  In one moment, the Tickster was floating in front of Alex, in the next, not even in the blink of an eye, they were gone. Looking around, Alex then rested his head against the tree. "That was an experience." He mummured to himself. Shaking his head, Alex grabbed the diary and opened it.

  {Alex marvled at his new home(Alex shoved a forkful of pasta into his mouth)}

  A wide smile blossomed on Alex's face. "Hahaha, well that's a massive weight off my chest." He sighed out loud before flipping ahead in the diary, briefly skimming over the pages.

  {Alex shivered as he splashed cold water over his face(Alex CHOSE: Base Human as his race.)}

  {Alex noticed the time(Alex glanced at the time before continuing to fiddle with the character creator.)

  {Alex finished packing away what little he had(Alex is wondering how he manged to make his chaccter into a velociraptor)}

  {Alex CHOSE: To chook dinner instead of ordering(Alex CHOSE: Aetheria as his starting Realm.)}

  {Alex is contemplating buying take-out instead of cooking as he walks through the cold and windy night (Alex is reading over the available Backgrounds)}

  {Alex browsed the store for ingredients (Alex CHOSE: Survivor as his Background.)}

  "Ah, here it is."

  {Alex hummed a short jingle while stirring his stir-fry rice(Alex finished reading the available Traits and CHOSE to spend 13,000 Credits on Arcane Sight, Inner Library and Mana Eater )}

  Alex picked up the pen and started writing in the diary.

  {Alex hummed a short jingle while stirring his stir-fry rice(Alex finished reading the available Traits and CHOSE to spend 13,000 Credits on Arcane Sight, Inner Library and Mana Eater -> )}

  When Alex's older self was originally making his character, he intended to create a long-range Spell slinger who could cast big spells from afar. Of course, that plan was quickly abandoned the moment he woke up with two sets of memories. While his younger self lacked combat experience, he harboured dreams of one day becoming a swordsman. This means that, when choosing his fighting style, his younger self's preferences favoured getting up close and personal with his opponent. As for his older self, he spent several years learning how to box and was taught early on that real men fight with their fists. Even after joining the army, his older self never managed to shed that mindset.

  This meant that both his older and younger selves were in perfect agreement, making it relatively easy for Alex to decide which path he wanted to pursue. The downside was that his three starting traits weren't chosen for that kind of fighting style, making them effectively useless for him in a fight. However, with this dairy, Alex can not only have his starting Traits that greatly improve his ability as a spell caster, but also get Traits fully focused on helping him in fights. In a sense, Alex can have his cake and eat it, too.

  However, Alex realized something as he was about to make more changes. "What do I want?" This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and with 13,000 Credits available to him, Alex has a lot of freedom in what he can get. But despite having a nearly limitless combination of Traits he can choose from, Alex can't be sure which is the best, and he only has one shot to get it right. "Should I focus on my survivability? My ability to cast spells offensively? Should I diversify or maybe focus on my current strengths?" Alex wondered while tapping his pen repeatedly on the paper. "What do you think, Silk?" He asked while setting the dairy and pen on his lap.

  -Skri?-

  "Of course, your opinion matters; your life is directly connected to mine. If something happens to me, it also happens to you, so I figured I might as well get your input on this." Alex waited for Silk's answer, with only the scittering of limbs rubbing against each other echoing in his head, filling the silence.

  -Scee Sckri Skrii Scik Sci Skreee-

  "You have a point there, I do need to account for anyone I'm planning to team up with in the future."

  -Skri Scree?-

  "So far, I have Jack, Crystal, and Seraphina as priority party members with Nick as a close maybe."

  -Skra?-

  Alex grimaced at Silk's question. "I'm not sure if I should include Mari."

  -Scre?-

  "Because she was originally a lower-tier NPC that falls off at the early to mid-game. Most players added her to their party just to be carried in some of the more difficult early-game fights. Fights that I'm confident I can solo when they eventually happen."

  -Sckia?-

  "I train a lot with her because she is the only one willing to fight without holding back. Even if someone knows about my regeneration and healing abilities, they still tend to avoid doing anything potentially lethal to a normal person."

  -Sckri Skcar Scit Skra-

  Alex sat in silence, thinking over Silk's reply. "You have a point," he sighed. "Fine, I'll keep that in mind and try to have it not paint my opinion of her."

  -Scei Skac Scak-

  Alex let out a tired sigh. "Yes, if Mari or anyone I encounter shows promise, I will consider them potential party members, regardless of how strong they were in REALMS. There, happy now?" Alex felt a slight motion inside his body, which he figured was Silk nodding at him. "Great. Now, let's get back to the more important subject. What Traits should I get?"

  -Scria Scka Skca?-

  "Hmm, I never thought of that." Alex hummed to himself as he thought the question over. Silk's suggestion to pivot his build was one that he had never considered until now. Of course, if he does become a brawler or a swordsman, that doesn't mean he would completely forgo spell casting altogether; spells like Boost and Restoration are too useful for him to do that. Even still, the idea of pivoting into a less magical focus fighting style has a lot of merit to it. "No," Alex eventually decided after a few minutes of thinking it over. "I think sticking to my current fighting style will be better in the long run."

  -Skatra Scria-

  "Now that's an idea, but would you be ok with that? If we do that, the amount of mana I will use will greatly increase until I can figure out a way to lower it. So you might need to go long periods with little to no mana way more often than if we chose to go a different direction."

  -Skri Scitter Skri-

  Alex let out an amused chuckle at Silk's reply. "Can't argue with that logic. I guess drinking more Mana potions is always an option. Well, looks like we have a plan." He picked up the diary and pen and started writing. "But first, a few tests."

  {Alex hummed a short jingle while stirring his stir-fry rice(Alex finished reading the available Traits and CHOSE to spend 13,000 Credits on Arcane Sight, Inner Library and Mana Eater -> Arcane Body)}

  [ERROR!]

  [Action Can Not Be Executed]

  [Insufficient Credits]

  [ERROR!]

  [Action Can Not Be Executed]

  [Incompatible Trait Detected: Scarred Body]

  "Figured, but worth a shot." Alex watched as his changes slowly faded away.

  {Alex hummed a short jingle while stirring his stir-fry rice(Alex finished reading the available Traits and CHOSE to spend 13,000 Credits on Arcane Sight, Inner Library and Mana Eater -> Blind)}

  [ERROR!]

  "Hmm, how about this?"

  {Alex hummed a short jingle while stirring his stir-fry rice(Alex finished reading the available Traits and CHOSE to spend 13,000 Credits on Arcane Sight, Inner Library and Mana Eater -> Enhanced Senses: Taste)}

  [ERROR!]

  [Invalid Action]

  "I see."

  {Alex hummed a short jingle while stirring his stir-fry rice(Alex finished reading the available Traits and CHOSE to spend 13,000 Credits on Arcane Sight, Inner Library and Mana Eater -> Adaptability)}

  "Ok, that worked, so let's try this."

  {Alex hummed a short jingle while stirring his stir-fry rice(Alex finished reading the available Traits and CHOSE to spend 13,000 Credits on Arcane Sight, Inner Library and Mana Eater -> Adaptability, Resourcefulness, Resilient Spirit, Weapon Mastery, Tactical Awareness, Leadership, Noble Presence, and Courtly Training)}

  [ERROR!]

  [Insufficient Credits]

  "Thought so. Ok, it looks like I'm restricted to Traits I would have realistically chosen when initially creating my character, along with a budget of 13,000 Credits. It’s a bit more limited than I initially thought, but I still have plenty of room to do what I want. I think that's enough testing; let's finish this before it gets too dark."

  {Alex hummed a short jingle while stirring his stir-fry rice(Alex finished reading the available Traits and CHOSE to spend 13,000 Credits on Arcane Sight, Inner Library and Mana Eater -> Engraved Bones, Mana Conductive Muscles, )}

  Alex did some quick mental math. "3000 Credits left, what can I get with that?" He asked out loud, tapping the pen against his chin.

  -SCRIKA!-

  "I guess I can, but I don't think I would be able to make much use of that."

  -Sci Ski Skai-

  "You sure?"

  -Skit Scit Scia-

  "Very well, then consider this your early birthday present."

  -SCRIAK!-

  Alex chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, I know you're happy."

  -Sciat!-

  "It's the least I can do. I already lost count of how many times you saved my life at this point."

  {Alex hummed a short jingle while stirring his stir-fry rice(Alex finished reading the available Traits and CHOSE to spend 13,000 Credits on Arcane Sight, Inner Library and Mana Eater -> Runic Bones, Mana Conductive Muscles and Dense Mana)}

  Runic Bones(5000 Credits): Organic Art

  Carved into your very being.

  You can enchant low to mid-tier Base spells into your bones like you would do with runes.

  Mana Conductive Muscles (5000 Credits): A Different Kind of Strength

  Power literally courses through you.

  Spells applied to your body last longer. Spells you cast on yourself are also more effective at the cost of requiring more mana.

  Dense Mana(3000 Credits): More from Less

  Pack it in.

  Your Mana starts to condense as you reach your limit. You can store up to 25% over your maximum Mana without suffering any repercussions. Spells using condensed mana have increased potency.

  Runic Bones is a Trait that, like the description says, allows players to engrave spells into their bones. They can then later activate the engraved spells anytime they want, as long as the engraving is intact enough and they have enough mana to cast the spell. The novels go into further detail, describing the process of activating an engraved spell similar to how you would typically use a rune. Alex was originally considering selecting this Trait, but he ended up foregoing it in favour of Inner Library instead. In the end, it was the amount of content that Inner Library opened up that eventually won him over. With this Trait, Alex wouldn't need to waste time weaving frequently used spells, allowing him to be more proactive in a fight.

  Mana Conductive Muscles is a Trait that is very self-explanatory. As the name suggests, it makes your muscles more conductive to Mana, allowing it to flow through your body more easily with very little waste. Gameplay-wise, that translates to buffs and debuffs cast on the player lasting longer and spells the player casts on themselves being more effective. As for the increased mana cost portion of the Trait, that was added in later versions of REALMS for balance purposes, so Alex isn't sure how that might translate into reality. When making his character, Alex initially intended to select this Trait, but later realized he couldn't make much use of it as a long-range Spell slinger and ended up abandoning it.

  As for Dense Mana, Alex only briefly considered it before deciding that Mana Eater was clearly the better choice. The Trait's description provides all the information you would need. The only advantage Dense Mana has over Mana Eater is the Trait's condensing property. Condensed Mana isn't rare; in fact, higher-tier Mana potions require it for their creation. You don't usually find Condensed Mana inside a person due to their body breaking it down to avoid suffering Mana Sickness.

  However, if someone could manage to contain condensed Mana inside their body, they, in theory, could cast more powerful spells more quickly. In reality, though, condensed Mana is notoriously difficult to control, making it generally not worth the effort. This means the use of condensed Mana is usually reserved for large artifacts, rituals or as fuel. As for why Silks wanted Alex to pick this Trait, she appreciated how flavourful the condensed mana was on the rare occasions she could taste it—when Alex drank a high-tier Mana potion and his body couldn't break it down fast enough.

  "Traits."

  Traits: Arcane Sight(3), Inner Library(3), Mana Eater(3) {Runic Bones(3), Mana Conductive Muscles(3), Dense Mana(2)}, Scarred Body, Parasitic Bond, Mana Absorption(2), Petrify Immunity(2), Trickster's Cloak(3), Moderate Regeneration(3), Basic-Elemental Resistance(1), Iron Stomach(3), Silent Steps(2), Delicious!, Non-Element(Ice Cream) Weakness.

  "Hmm, so the new Traits are being lumped together with my original three."

  [ERROR!]

  Alex froze.

  [ErRoR!]

  [eRrOr!]

  [Error Status: Unable To Be Resolved.]

  [Searching For Potential Solutions.]

  [Solution Found.]

  [Implementing Solution.]

  [Update required.]

  "Update?"

  [Updating.]

  [Updating..]

  [Updating...]

  [Update complete.]

  [Opening Traits.]

  Traits: {Arcane Sight(3), Inner Library(3), Mana Eater(3)}{Runic Bones(3), Mana Conductive Muscles(3), Dense Mana(2)}, Scarred Body, Parasitic Bond, Mana Absorption(2), Petrify Immunity(2), Trickster's Cloak(3), Moderate Regeneration(3), Basic-Elemental Resistance(1), Iron Stomach(3), Silent Steps(2), Delicious!, Non-Element(Ice Cream) Weakness.

  Trait Limit: 33[LOCKED]/30(Ch.1)

  "That's... Not bad?" Alex looked over the new Trait status window. "This is actually a big improvement. Having my Trait limit and the values of each Trait displayed is a big quality-of-life change." He eyed his locked Trait points before grabbing his bag. He searched for a storage pouch and took out a random boss core.

  -Sci?-

  "No," He simply answered before tossing the core into his mouth.

  [ERROR!]

  [Trait Limit Reached!]

  [Traits Locked!]

  [Resolving Issue.]

  Alex didn't even have time to react before he started violently coughing. "Bleh, ugh." He groaned as he vomited out the core. "Well, that answers that question." Alex wiped the core on his shirt, then stored it back in his pouch.

  -Sckia?-

  "No, it's getting late, so we don't have time to try out my new Traits right now." Alex groaned as he got up, stiff muscles and bones creaking when he moved. "Well, I guess you can enjoy your new treat while I head back."

  -Scia! Scia!-

  "Yeah, yeah, just give me a sec." He rummaged around in his bag. "Where are, oh yeah. I used up all the Mana potions I was able to bring. Sorry, Silk, it looks like you'll have to wait as well."

  -sci-

  "Yeah, that's my bad, it kinda escaped my mind. But don't worry, I'll make sure to drink a high-tier Mana potion once we get back."

  -Skia!-

  "Hahaha, glad to hear that." Putting his things back in his bag, Alex slung it over his shoulder and started his slow trek back to the hotel.

  Chrome and Adin are twin Deities that govern the Domains of time and destiny, respectively. Despite their Domains, Chrome and Adin's main jobs are documenting the timeline and creating prophecies. They very rarely interfere with the timeline, only intervening when major time magic is involved. Worshipers of Chrome and Adin are taught various time-related spells, with higher-ranking worshippers being permitted to wield stronger time magic without the twin deities intervening.

  Authorities' higher-ranking worshippers can pray for.