Our Dharma Masters are like this.

Chapter 15 Mages Are Also Prey
After listening to Marvin's explanation, Zellier's understanding of the magical framework became clearer.

The level of magic manipulation can be broken down into many smaller areas upon closer examination.

For example, the utilization rate of each unit of magic, the speed of magic flow, and the techniques for using magic, etc.

And all of these things are related to intelligence.

I was only able to optimize the structure of the Fireball spell after improving my intelligence.

After leaving the Chamber of Tranquility, Zellier and Bev received their Mage Guild badges and monthly stipends from the old mage at the front desk.

Unlike the Adventurers' Guild, even the lowest-level magic apprentice badges are made with very high-quality materials by the guild.

The badge is a small, round white plaque that feels like jade to the touch.

Bev happily pinned it to her chest, but she didn't care much about the subsidies issued by the guild.

Zellier carefully put away the money and badges.

One gold coin is enough to cover two months' rent.

Thinking about it carefully, the Mage Guild is really rich and powerful.

The Blackrock Town branch alone must have at least a few dozen magic apprentices, right?
The subsidies alone would amount to hundreds of gold coins per year.

And there are other levels of mages, whose subsidies are definitely higher.

If we also include all the mages within the entire Kingdom of Serl, the expenditure would be astronomical...

How much money does the Mage's Guild actually have?
Zellier couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.

Marvin's mentor probably helped him out because he came from a humble background and didn't have much savings.

In three months, I could earn three gold coins just from the subsidies alone.

With some other income, buying two slightly inferior magic scrolls shouldn't be a problem.

Although Zellir has already incorporated Bev's magic into his own abilities and no longer needs to buy magic scrolls, he still appreciates this kindness.

He's a great senior colleague.

Having obtained his mage rating, Zelier had finished his most important task for the day, but there was still one thing on his mind.

Magic wand.

Warriors are armed with swords, shields, and armor, while mages' best companions are, of course, magic wands.

Shorten casting time, increase spell power, and perhaps have some other special effects.

Now that he had a little money, Zellier had no reason not to get one for himself.

“Miss Bev, do you know where I can buy wands? I’d like to go and take a look,” Zellier asked.

"There's one at the guild's trading post. Hmm... I'm free right now anyway, so I'll take you there for a look."

After leaving the General Affairs Office, Beverly led Zellier deeper into the area.

Under a clear blue sky and shaded by trees, Bev, who had just passed the test, was in a good mood, and even her steps became lighter.

"You just said you're an adventurer, have you ever encountered any dangerous situations during your missions?" Bev asked curiously.

“Yes, we encountered a Mist Demon during our wolf-killing mission,” Zellir said.

"Mist Demon?"

"It's a rather terrifying monster. Its body is pieced together from the corpses of its prey, and it's incredibly strong. It's also covered by a strange energy barrier that can negate most physical attacks." Zellier gestured a couple of times. "Fortunately, it was only a juvenile and hadn't fully developed. In the end, my teammates and I worked together to kill that Mist Demon."

"Wow……"

Bev raised her eyebrows slightly and exclaimed, "Then you are really lucky."

"Yeah, if it had been an adult, I would definitely be dead." Recalling the scene at the time, Zellier was still a little scared.

“No, that’s not what I meant. I mean you’re lucky to have such a great group of teammates,” Bev said.

“What does this mean?” Zellier didn’t understand.

“Don’t you know? According to the Adventurers’ Guild’s statistics, mages have the highest mortality rate in battles where low-level teams encounter powerful enemies,” Bev said.

"Uh... is that a saying?" Zellier was somewhat surprised.

"Yes, a strong enemy means a fight to the death, which could very likely result in casualties for the team. Everyone is in it for the money, and nobody wants to risk their life, so the safest way is of course to run away."

Beverly began to recount her story, counting on her fingers.

"How can a mage's physical abilities compare to those of a warrior, ranger, or assassin? If the team breaks up, the mage will definitely be left behind."

"Furthermore, monsters have a keen sense of instinct, and they will prioritize attacking the mages who pose the greatest threat... Think about it, if the captain had chosen to run away when they encountered the Mist Demon, would you have survived?"

“It seems… that’s really not possible.” Zellier scratched his head.

At that moment, Gray was thinking of running away, but Marcus quickly stepped forward to calm everyone down and set an example by standing at the forefront.

Otherwise, if the squad were to flee... the situation might really turn out as Beverly said.

Zell will definitely be the first to die.

"And to some extent, mages can also become prey... You know, more than a decade ago, there was a very serious incident where an elementalist and a healer died while on a mission."

Beverly continued.

"Although the captain claimed that they died in the battle with the monster, it was later found that it was the work of the squad members who were greedy for the treasure on the mage's body, so they ambushed and killed him."

"The Elementalist and the Holy Healer were killed?! This is too..." Zeril was so shocked that he couldn't speak.

Once a mage's level breaks through to the next higher level, they can choose a job advancement path.

Elementalists and Holy Healers are the professions after job advancement, and these levels of powerhouses are definitely considered high-level forces in the Mage Guild.

"Isn't that scary?"

Bev wrinkled her nose.

"That's the truth. No matter how powerful a mage's magic is, their physical body is still that of an ordinary person. If they are ambushed by those high-level warriors, they have almost no chance of survival."

"After the incident, the Mage Guild was furious and almost had a direct conflict with the Adventurers' Association. In the end, it was only through the King's intervention that the conflict was resolved."

"Since then, the relationship between the two families has been very strained, and it took many years to gradually ease. But the aftereffects of the incident still exist today; at least there are far fewer mages going to the Adventurers' Guild to accept quests."

"The Mage Guild has set up a special commission office for this purpose. If you need to recruit mages, you can post a mission directly at the commission office."

"However, if the mage dies, the guild will thoroughly investigate the entire process of this mission to ensure that they were not killed by members of the team. This is a kind of guarantee."

“That does make you feel quite safe,” Zellier nodded.

If I die during a mission, the Mage Guild will come after me. That sounds pretty awesome.

(End of this chapter)