Mage Levels 1-5

​Mage Level Grind

Quest.

Level.

Repeat.

Marvin the mage explores a fantasy gaming world, seeking out new adventures.

His goal is simple: quest through content and grind out XP. If he happens to find some good loot along the way, even better. All that matters to him is getting to the next level.

No matter what it takes.

A LitRPG/Progression Fantasy series.

​Mage Level 1

––––––––

The man arrived as if out of nowhere. Born from an ethereal light, he suddenly existed. Blinking in momentary confusion, he quickly got his bearings and looked at his surroundings.

He stood in the middle of a dirt road, defined by deep wheel ruts. A dense forest of high trees crowded on either side. Overhead, gray clouds formed a thick canopy, masking the sun.

I have arrived, the man said to no one.

Breathing in deeply, he was immediately hit with the smell of this new place, rich in nature; trees, grass and loam.

He checked himself over and found he was, thankfully, wearing clothes. But they could barely be considered that. He examined each, in turn.

Tattered Robe - Worn.

This old, brown robe appears to have been tailored from moldy, unwashed potato sacks.

Armor: 1

Brown Wizard’s Hat - Worn.

A wide brim hat similar to what a wizard would wear if they had no self-respect. Its pointy top is bent at an embarrassing angle.

Armor: 1

Squeaky Sandals - Worn.

A pair of sandals made of the cheapest leather imaginable. So cheap, the right one loudly squeaks as you walk.

Armor: 1

Typical, the man snorted with a grin. He didn’t expect much when starting out, but this failed even those low expectations.

No weapon? he said, again to no one.

The robe had several deep pockets, but checking them only came up with sack fiber and dirt.

He looked further down the road. It continued on for several hundred paces before turning out of view in the trees.

Looking behind him, he was surprised to find a wall of fog blocking his view. It extended upwards into the cloud cover.

Feeling a little rebellious, he walked towards it, right sandal squeaking with each step. He entered the fog and his vision dropped to zero, but he confidently powered on.

For several moments he walked, fully enveloped. Then, the fog suddenly parted, and he found himself standing at the exact same spot he’d appeared upon arriving.

Uncertain whether he should be intrigued or disappointed with this worldly trickery, he could still take the hint: follow the road in this direction.

So he did. He walked down the road, all the while aware of his surroundings. The dense foliage was perfect for launching an ambush. Not that he really expected such, so early on. Without a means to fight, he’d be reduced to defending himself with harsh language.

He squeaked along the road, past the bend until he faced another straight away. Spotting something ahead, he stopped.

The road crested a small, steep hill, roughly a hundred paces away. But that wasn’t what caught his attention.

An old man, with a long, white beard sat in a wooden stall on the side of the road, at the base of the hill. He appeared to be reading something.

Finally, the man said, and hurried up to the stall.

The old man was reading a parchment, mumbling to himself. He was apparently oblivious to the new arrival’s presence and his squeaky sandals.

After standing for a few moments, and not being noticed, the man cleared his throat, but the old man kept reading.

Hello, the man finally said. He wanted to get things going.

The old man tore his gaze from the parchment and looked up. Oh, another one. He let out a tired sigh and dropped the parchment on the table in front of him. And who are you supposed to be?

My name?

Yes. That is required.

The man gave it some thought, then said, Marvin.

The old man produced a clipboard out of thin air and scribbled on it with a feathered quill. Marvin. Okay. And what class have you chosen?

The man, who now called himself Marvin, waved his hands over his robe. I thought it was obvious. A mage.

No need to get snooty. I’m just confirming. Marvin the mage, the old man said, scribbling some more.

What’s your name? Marvin said. He didn’t really care, but felt he should be polite to what was probably a very lonely old man, sitting out in the woods.

Irrelevant, the old man said with a knowing smirk. Trust me when I say we will never see each other again after this. Thankfully.

Marvin was genuinely taken aback by the answer, and laughed.

Now, you need a weapon, the old man said, turning to a large wooden trunk behind him. Pushing the lid open revealed it was filled with an assortment of weapons; swords, staffs, bows.

The old man rummaged loudly through the trunk while mumbling to himself. Ah, here we are. He turned back around and held out a small dagger. For you.

Marvin took it.

Rusty Dagger.

This old dagger is mottled with rust and both sides of its dull blade are heavily nicked and dinged.

Damage: 1-3 hit points.

Uh, this is it? Marvin said, unimpressed.

Starting mage weapon, the old man stated matter of factly. If you want better, you’ll have to go get it yourself.

Marvin more than understood and slipped the dagger into a pocket.

Now, for your first spell. The old man tapped a finger on the table and four rolled scrolls appeared. He tapped each one and they unfurled, revealing large, colorful symbols. Choose one.

Wait, what’s my mana?

A message appeared in the bottom corner of his vision.

Mana: 50/50.

Excited, Marvin looked over the scrolls. The first had a stylized drawing of a fiery, orange-red ball.

Fireball Spell.

Launches a small ball of fire at a target up to twenty paces away.

Mana cost: 15

Damage: 2-5 hit points

Casting time: Instant

Cool down: 3 seconds

The second had a drawing of rain drops falling from a little cloud.

Hard Rain Spell.

Causes a burst of hard rain to fall on the target up to twenty paces away.

Mana cost: 15 mana

Damage: 2-5 hit points

Casting time: Instant

Cool down: 3 seconds

The third showed a drawing of a cloud with a face blowing out a swirl of wind.

Wind Whirl Spell.

Hurls a whirl of wind at a target up to twenty paces away.

Mana cost: 15 mana

Damage: 2-5 hit points

Casting time: Instant

Cool down: 3 seconds

The last scroll portrayed a hanging beehive surrounded by angry bees.

Deadly Swarm Spell.

Summons a swarm of enraged bees to attack a target up to twenty paces away.

Mana cost: 15 mana

Damage: 2-5 hit points

Casting time: Instant

Cool down: 3 seconds

Marvin noted each spell was essentially the same in terms of