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Chapter 98: Innate Ability – Mystic Eyes of Appraisal · The “Player” Trait
🕑 Added 2025-05-12 17:34:37 +0000 UTCArche clutched her iron staff tightly as she sat down, a little stiff and clearly uneasy.
"Would you like something to drink?" Lyle asked with a calm and pleasant smile.
"Anything is fine," Arche replied quickly, sitting with perfect posture.
"In that case, let's go with two red teas," Lyle nodded to the nearby attendant, noticing how tense she seemed.
This short-haired, golden-blonde girl wasn't hard to find. Not only was she a student of the Imperial Academy of Magic, but—more importantly—she was famous.
Despite her age, Arche had already mastered Tier 3 magic—a feat that placed her squarely in the 'genius' category in this otherworldly realm.
As Lyle glanced at her, another girl's image came to mind.
Back in E-Rantel, there was a similarly talented girl named Ninya in the adventurer team Swords of Darkness. A crossdressing prodigy with exceptional talent—quite reminiscent of Arche in many ways.
Both were considered geniuses by this world's standards.
The only difference? Arche had already exhausted her potential—she had front-loaded all her talent, peaking early. Ninya, according to the original novel, had the aptitude to surpass the realm of heroes and become a 5th-Tier "Irregular" among human mages.
When Lyle was still in E-Rantel, he'd even tried investigating that particular adventuring team. But there was no trace of them yet—evidently, they hadn't been formed at this point in time.
A few moments later, a steaming cup of red tea was set down in front of Arche.
"Sir, may I ask what it is you need from me?" Arche asked, her voice dropping to a more cautious tone. "And… um, the payment?"
"This is a ten-gold-coin advance," Lyle said cheerfully, pulling out a pouch and placing it on the table in front of her. "I wanted to test a newly purchased magical item using your innate ability."
Arche's blue eyes widened slightly as she saw the contents of the pouch. Even her earlier nervousness began to fade.
Understandable. She was strapped for cash.
Ever since her father had been stripped of his noble title, the family had lost all sources of income. Yet her parents continued to live like nobles, draining the family's finances. Arche had already started considering ways to earn money herself. These ten gold coins were a godsend—and this was just the advance.
"Sir… there might have been a misunderstanding about my ability," Arche said earnestly, not touching the money yet. "My innate ability only allows me to perceive the highest tier of magic a spellcaster can use. It doesn't work on magical items."
She added, "And it only works on mana-based magic."
She glanced at Lyle—the black-haired man who seemed gentle enough—but his robes clearly marked him as a divine caster, not a mana-based one.
"The item I bought is supposedly resistant to detection magic," Lyle replied with a smile. "But I want to confirm if it works as advertised. That's why I wanted your help. And don't worry, I can cast mana-based spells too."
At that, Arche finally relaxed a little—though she was quietly impressed.
Anti-detection magic items weren't just rare—they were prohibitively expensive.
So… he's rich, and apparently powerful too… Arche thought with a quiet sigh.
"Shall we do it here?" she asked, lifting her head.
"If the setting affects your ability, we can go elsewhere," Lyle offered politely.
"No need."
Arche's expression sharpened, and as she raised her head to look at him, a faint magical glow shimmered in her blue eyes.
Her "Mystic Eyes of Appraisal" allowed her to perceive a magical aura around spellcasters—the stronger the magic, the brighter the aura.
But this time…
Nothing.
There was no magical aura around Lyle. As far as her eyes could tell, he wasn't even capable of using mana-based magic.
If it had been before, she might've simply assumed he was a low-level caster.
Arche blinked in surprise. "I can't see anything… your item works incredibly well."
"Thanks for helping," Lyle replied with a warm smile, though his eyes were thoughtful.
He hadn't actually used any magic item.
Back in the capital, he had noticed something peculiar about his own innate ability. There was a tag beneath it—simple, almost dismissive in how it was phrased:
[Innate Ability: Player]
(Undetectable, Cannot Be Taken)
At the time, he hadn't paid it much attention—he had just transmigrated and had a lot on his plate. But now, after half a month in the imperial capital, he'd begun compiling notes on his abilities—and this trait came back to mind.
Combat in this world wasn't just about raw power—it was also about counters and traits.
For example, "Undying Will," which he'd obtained from Khajiit, was meant to resist charm magic—a counter for mental manipulation.
There were also counters for detection, time-based magic, and more—especially once one hit Level 70.
So this "Undetectable" trait… Lyle was starting to believe that his "Player" ability came with an inborn defense against magical observation.
And now, he had proof.
"Here's an additional ten gold as thanks," Lyle said, producing another pouch and handing it over.
Arche was nearly speechless. Twenty gold coins—just to confirm one thing? Rich people really were something else.
"Oh, right—Miss Arche."
"I don't suppose you have any classmates who specialize in detection magic? I'd like to run another test."
The moment he spoke, Arche thought of someone—but hesitated.
"If they're willing to come, I'll pay the same fee as before," Lyle added, noticing her expression. "And of course, your friend will be paid separately."
"…All right."
Arche's grip tightened on her staff. She looked up, her clear blue eyes meeting his.
"But please… don't mention money in front of her. Also, if she says anything rude, I hope you won't take it personally."
"Of course."
Lyle nodded, inwardly pleased.
Coming to the Imperial Academy had definitely been the right decision. If it weren't for the campus restrictions on outsiders, he would've tried to sneak in and scout the place. Who knew what rare magic or foundational classes might be lying around?
Arche stood and quickly left with her staff in hand.
Lyle, meanwhile, signaled to the staff to clear away the tea and ordered some food while waiting.
Roughly thirty minutes later, Arche returned—with another girl about her age in tow.
Unlike Arche's modest and slightly worn attire, this girl was dressed in an immaculate deep blue mage robe. She didn't carry a staff, but a pale blue holy sigil hung at her chest—both a symbol of her faith and a powerful magical artifact in its own right.
The blonde girl pushed open the door and immediately locked eyes with Lyle, striding confidently over.
"You're Arche's friend?" she asked, looking him over openly. "You're older than her, but… not bad."
"Frianne!" Arche tugged her friend's sleeve, cheeks slightly flushed.
Lyle glanced at Arche and then stood with a polite smile. "Yes."
"Frianne Wyliea Van Gushmond," she said casually, taking a seat.
Gushmond…? Lyle recognized the name.
While researching Leinas's background, he had come across information on various noble houses in the Baharuth Empire. This girl was the daughter of a duke.
A minor character, as far as the original series was concerned—but definitely not someone to underestimate.
Lyle made sure to feign a bit of surprise.
"I'll take an iced macatia," Frianne told the server with practiced ease, then turned back to Lyle. "So, what do you need me to do?"
"I'm hoping you can try two spells," Lyle said with a glint in his eye. "I understand you know 'Life Sense' and 'Object Locator'? Even if you're not proficient with the second, I'd appreciate both."
"No problem."
Frianne raised both hands and began chanting.
"Life Sense."
It was a fairly common detection spell, used to identify living beings in the area. Not very effective on the undead, but decent otherwise.
"I can detect you just fine," she said after a moment. "Your magic item is odd—it can block Arche's innate ability but not a basic detection spell?"
Lyle frowned slightly in thought.
Undetectable…
If Arche's "Mystic Eyes" couldn't perceive anything, then something like "Life Sense" shouldn't have worked either—should it?
This suggested something important: his "Player" ability might only block observational or divination-type detection—like Clairvoyance, Crystal Screen, or Astrology—but not sensory-type magic like Life Sense or Mana Perception, nor martial arts-based abilities like a monk's Ki Sense.
Interesting.
And good to know.
