17: Anchor Teleport

After spending over three months in the dark cave.

As I gradually familiarized myself with several languages, progressively understood magical knowledge, and improved my ability to sense and meditate on magic, I finally successfully cast my first cantrip: Create Bonfire.

After breakfast that day, as the water droplets seeping from the rock wall fell for the 1093rd time, I captured the tremor of magic.

The air my fingertips passed through suddenly became viscous, like silk soaked in honey wrapping around my knuckles.

When the last syllable of the ancient incantation burst from my tongue, a burning sensation suddenly surged in my chest.

It wasn't the temperature of fire, but the stinging sensation of dormant magic circuits finally awakening.

"Al—Tis—Flom!"

The childish chanting echoed through the cave.

Thousands of golden-red particles seemed to appear in the darkness, swarming towards my fingertips like a migrating group of fireflies.

Light spots the size of a fingernail outlined magical runes in the void, and the air began to crackle like dry wood.

The sudden flash caused my pupils to contract violently.

Leaping flames were born from nothingness, and an orange-red glow flowed like liquid across the ground.

I instinctively took half a step back, watching this bonfire, which had appeared out of thin air, greedily lick at the darkness, illuminating the moss on the rock wall into an emerald color.

Warm air currents, carrying ashes, rose, and accompanied by the prominent light source, awakened the sleeping bat colony on the cave ceiling.

These nocturnal creatures let out panicked screeches, their wing membranes flapping like a sudden downpour hitting canvas.

At this moment, a long-unheard mechanical voice came from deep within my skull.

"Beep... Detecting that the host has awakened the Mage profession system, system initiating Mage Mode interface...

The magic circuit has strengthened the system's connection with the host, and the host has gained two talent abilities and two system tasks."

I didn't care about the interrupted spellcasting and the vanished bonfire; I hurriedly thought of the system, and a new system interface appeared in my mind.

A phantom light screen unfolded in my mind, with light blue runes swimming like jellyfish in the deep sea.

Next to the original solitary golden humanoid icon, three new symbols were condensing into shape—a bronze-colored scroll, a crystal-like polyhedron, and a pristine white quill.

My temples throbbed, as if countless fine needles were shuttling through the convolutions of my brain.

When I focused my consciousness on the task icon, the task panel immediately unfolded in my mind.

"Task One: Teleport back to System Anchor Point

Host uses talent ability: Sub-dimensional Space, to teleport back to the system's base point anchored in the Prime Material Plane, which is the location where the host appeared after completing the plane traversal.

Task Reward: One copy of The Complete Book of Mage Buildings

Time limit to complete task: Unlimited"

"Teleport?! There's hope of getting out!"

My breathing suddenly became rapid, and my fingernails dug deep into my palms.

Those sleepless nights tossing and turning in the damp cave, those dawns spent studying magic notes by the cold light of moss, all transformed into a thrill of ecstasy surging into my throat.

But the caution I had long cultivated immediately suppressed the impulse—

Memories of encountering so many beasts and monsters in the forest outside reminded me of the cost of acting rashly.

I suppressed the impulse in my heart and focused my consciousness on the talent icon.

Inside were two icons: the spell-like ability "Sub-dimensional Space" and "Item Identification."

The icon for "Sub-dimensional Space" appeared as a swirling nebula; when touched by consciousness, a three-dimensional model emerged:

Countless transparent hexagons formed a honeycomb structure, with a familiar pebble floating in the center.

This was precisely the stone that had hurt my back on the day I traversed, now appearing with an emerald luster in the system.

"Sub-dimensional Space

Spell-like Special Ability: Using this skill outside of sub-dimensional space allows return to sub-dimensional space. Can be used once every ten days.

Spatial Anchor Point Stability: 0.001%

As the anchored object upgrades and the host's abilities grow, the power of Sub-dimensional Space will also become stronger."

In contrast, the interface for "Item Identification" was almost simple in its plainness.

"Item Identification

Spell-like Special Ability: The host communicates with system energy to cast an appraisal spell on unknown items.

Three times per day, with a success rate of 99.99%.

This spell can identify an item's name, function, origin, and whether it is cursed."

This was also a considerably powerful skill.

With so many unknown items around, including quite a few magical items, I could identify them one by one in the future.

This would greatly help improve my survival rate!

The "System Work Log" interface was equally plain and concise.

It recorded all system work information from when I traversed.

On the side, there was a "Important Information" option; upon selecting it with my consciousness, the panel only displayed some key information.

Among them, two pieces of content caught my attention the most.

One was about Sub-dimensional Space—

The system relies on the material structure of the Prime Material Plane as an anchor point, attaching itself to the interlayer between the Prime Material Plane and other planes.

Currently, the material structure the system relies on is a small stone and me.

If both this small stone and I are destroyed and disappear, the system will be like a ship without an anchor, either drifting forever in the boundless interlayer of planes;

Or one day it will be captured again by the Prime Material Plane, crashing into the Prime Material Plane;

Or accidentally stumble into other planes.

But as long as the system has even a tiny bit of material permeated by the system's own energy:

A living me or a part of that stone, existing in the Prime Material Plane, the system can use it as an anchor point, attaching itself to the outer interlayer corresponding to its position in this plane.

The other important piece of information was about energy consumption—

Although the system's remaining energy is still extremely vast (near depletion is only relative to the system's former scale of ability), however:

Whether it's maintaining system operation, providing information to the host, issuing tasks, or using talent abilities and providing task rewards, all deplete its energy.

Only by quickly building a common energy-absorbing mode structure for the system and host can further energy dissipation be reduced, and even energy be absorbed from the outside world to strengthen itself.

I thought, this is why the system task reward is The Complete Book of Mage Buildings.

Finally, the light golden "Attributes" panel unfolded.

"Alias": Ryan

"True Name": Lin Yang

"Race": Half-elf

"Gender": Male

"Alignment": Neutral Good

"Identity": Outlander

"Age": 9

"Profession": Hunter / Mage Apprentice

"Profession Level": 1 / 1

"Attributes": Strength 5, Agility 11, Constitution 7, Intelligence 16 (+3 Otherworld Knowledge System = 19), Perception 10, Charisma 11

"Armor Class": 3 (6 against piercing and ranged attacks)

"Hit Points": 8 / 8

"Thac0": 20

"Damage": 2 to 7

Bow Damage: 1d6+1 (Normal Arrows)

"Skills":

Wilderness Lore: 4

Magical Lore: 1

Hide in Shadows: +85%

Move Silently: +75%

Open Locks: +10%

Find Traps: +10%

Set Traps: +15%

"Weapon Proficiencies":

Short Bow: **

Short Sword / Short Scimitar / Dagger / Staff / Sling: *

"Spell Abilities":

Cantrip: Create Bonfire

"Talents":

- Sub-dimensional Space: Once every ten days

- Item Identification: Three times per day 3 / 3

"Saving Throws":

- Paralysis / Poison / Death: 14

- Rod / Staff / Wand: 16

- Petrification / Polymorph: 15

- Breath Weapon: 17

- Spell: 17

"Resistances":

- Hypnosis: +30%

- Charm Spells: +30%

"Equipment Special Abilities":

- Comprehend Languages: Three times per day 2 / 3

- Scroll Generation: Once every ten days"

It was late autumn when I traversed, and now more than 100 days had passed.

The system showed that my biological age had increased by one year, and my height seemed to have grown a bit.

From the system's numerical values, my Strength, Agility, Constitution, Perception, and Charisma each increased by one point.

Except for Intelligence, which was already at an adult level, there was no change.

I was now much stronger than when I first traversed, and I possessed many wondrous abilities I had never had before.

With me like this, my survival ability should have greatly improved once I went out, right?

I had not yet realized that these three months spent in the cave were far more peaceful than the days I would experience once I went out.

In this world.

In this extremely high-risk primeval forest.

Next, I would face countless life-threatening situations.

And all of this, was just beginning.