The story begins with Ian, the injured protagonist, standing on the edge of a cliff. He blames himself for being weak and feels relieved that his struggles will soon be over. Ian throws himself off the cliff, wondering if his life ever had any purpose. He regrets not achieving anything and thinks about how poorly he was treated, believing his life was the worst. People always treated him like trash, and now he feels like he will die the same way.
Earlier, we see a warrior fighting a giant rat monster. He holds his own but gets annoyed because his partner, Jolene, takes too long casting her spell. When she finally finishes, her powerful fireball destroys the beast. After the fight, the warrior, Zoid, calls for the “trash picker” of their team, and Ian appears. Ian tries to correct him, saying his name isn’t “trash picker,” but he trips and falls. His teammates laugh and call him useless. Jolene says they should pity him because his job class is low common, unlike their high common classes.
In this world, the Goddess of Light gives people their job at birth, and the Goddess of Darkness grants skills that improve through training. Jobs are divided into three tiers: rare (the best jobs like strategists or wealthy merchants), high common (fighters like Zoid and Jolene), and low common (peasants or appraisers). Jobs are passed down in families and cannot be changed.
Ian, who lost his parents early, couldn’t continue his family’s trade. He became an adventurer, dreaming of riches, but things didn’t go as planned. His job as an appraiser lets him identify the rarity of items, but his teammates see it as a worthless skill. After appraising the rat, Ian learns it has F- rarity but D-rank incisors. When he struggles to remove the tooth, Zoid refuses to help, saying he won’t touch something so dirty. Jolene mocks Ian, saying that’s the “trash picker’s” job.
Zoid gets angry when Ian glares at him and throws a rock at Ian, knocking him down. Jolene reminds Ian that they’re protecting him and tells him to be grateful. Ian apologizes and continues working, even though they keep insulting him. He knows the world is unfair, but this is his only way to survive.
As Ian digs through the rat’s remains, Zoid and Jolene complain about how disgusting his job is. They call him names but still rely on him to handle the dirty work. Moments later, Zoid spots the body of a hellhound, excited by their supposed good luck, unaware of how Ian’s life is about to change.
Zoid orders Ian, the “trash picker,” to gather parts from a hellhound, but Ian hesitates. The Guild’s intel says there should only be one monster in the dungeon, but Zoid brushes off his concerns and tells him to just do his job. As Ian starts appraising, he discovers the hellhound’s parts have a B rarity, and he begins collecting them. But then Zoid spots another hellhound nearby and eagerly tells Ian to collect its parts too. Ian freezes in fear, sensing something is wrong. The map shows there should only be one corridor, but Zoid dismisses it, saying the map is wrong. Ian insists they should leave, but Zoid ignores him and threatens to fire Ian if he doesn’t follow orders. Ian has no choice but to obey, knowing that it’s hard for someone with his worthless job to find a new team.
Later, Zoid is thrilled when they find a bunch of dead hellhounds, but Ian is worried. If other adventurers had killed them, they would have collected the parts. Zoid doesn’t think it through, but Ian is terrified when he notices several live hellhounds nearby. His teammates finally realize they’re in danger, and Ian guesses the hounds must be fighting over food. Jolene doubts they can even defeat one, so they decide to run. But running is difficult, and Zoid comes up with a sinister plan. With evil in his eyes, he orders Jolene to paralyze Ian. She reluctantly agrees, apologizing as she paralyzes him. She says that, if he’s lucky, he might be able to escape before the hounds get to him.
Zoid then steps on Ian, telling the hellhounds their meal is served. Ian can only watch in horror as his teammates leave him behind. He begs for help, but it’s too late. The hounds begin attacking him. Thankfully, the pain breaks the paralysis, and Ian is able to defend himself. His bag spills, revealing apples, and he uses the distraction to escape. But when he tries to leave, he finds his teammates have trapped him in. Desperate, Ian tries to escape through another corridor, but it leads to a dead end. With the hounds closing in, Ian faces a choice: jump off the cliff or be eaten alive. He laughs bitterly, blaming his birth and his worthless appraisal class for his miserable life. He became an adventurer hoping to change his fate, but he ended up being mocked and abandoned.
In a moment of clarity, Ian realizes he’s been blaming everything but himself. He starts to understand that it’s his own weakness that led to this, but it’s too late. He decides to take the plunge, resigned to his fate.
The next thing we know, Ian wakes up in an unfamiliar place. A mysterious woman approaches him and kisses his forehead. Ian wakes up, shocked to find that his injuries are healed and that he’s still alive. He’s amazed to see a giant tree nearby, surrounded by walls of water. Using his appraisal skill on a droplet falling from the tree, Ian is stunned to learn that it’s from the World Tree. He uses his skill on the tree itself, confirming that it really is the World Tree.
Legends say that the World Tree once produced the magic energy (Mana) used by all living beings. Mana is normally breathed in from the atmosphere and converted in the body, but the World Tree, which was responsible for producing this energy, supposedly withered away long ago. No one knows how Mana still exists, and some geniuses theorize that other World Trees might still be out there. However, despite searching, none have been found above ground. No one expected to find one deep underground in a dungeon.
Ian realizes that the World Tree saved his life, and he thanks it. However, he hears a voice nearby, but there’s no one in sight, so he ignores it. He’s surprised to find there are no monsters around. He wonders what to do next since he knows his traitorous teammates won’t come for him, and he has no food. With no other choice, he decides to move forward and thanks the tree one last time before leaving.
Meanwhile, the mysterious girl from before appears and looks worried about Ian. This place is clearly uncharted, as it’s not on the guild map. Ian fears that there might be even stronger monsters than the hellhounds. He decides to push forward, his near-death experience having changed his outlook on life. He vows never to limit himself again. Armed with only a rock, Ian cautiously moves through the dungeon. He’s relieved to find no monsters, but he knows he still needs to find a way out.
However, things quickly take a turn for the worse when something cuts off Ian’s ear. The pain is excruciating, and when he tries to retrieve it, his fingers are sliced off. He uses his appraisal skill on the attacker and is shocked to find that it’s an S-rank Gremlin. The Gremlin instantly attacks, reminding Ian that being able to assess an opponent’s rank doesn’t mean he’s strong enough to fight it. As Ian tries to escape, he realizes he’s at the mercy of the monster.
But just as the Gremlin is about to finish him off, it suddenly stops and trembles in fear. Ian watches in horror as an S-rank Death Bear appears and crushes the Gremlin. The bear claws through Ian’s face, destroying one of his eyes and begins to crush him. Ian gives up, preparing to die, when suddenly a mysterious boy appears and saves him. The boy complains about a girl begging him to save Ian and tells Ian not to get the wrong idea.
Ian loses consciousness and later wakes up to find his ruined eye replaced and his injuries healed. He’s back by the World Tree and is amazed by the healing. When he looks around, he sees the mysterious girl and is stunned by her beauty. He compares her to the elves in fairy tales, and she smiles at him. Just then, an older woman scolds Ian for not drinking the tea her daughter made for him. She insists that Ian drink it to show gratitude, but Ian is distracted by the girl and doesn’t notice her holding a cup.
When Ian finally drinks the tea, he compliments it, finding it delicious. The daughter’s ears twitch with happiness, but her protective mother, Ursula, warns Ian to be careful. She threatens to erase him if he has any bad thoughts about her daughter. Ursula reveals that she saved Ian because her daughter, Yuri, begged her to. Ian learns that Yuri is the World Tree’s will, essentially the tree spirit, which explains her beauty. Ursula then rages at Ian for being so casual with Yuri and demands Ian thank her properly. Ian, feeling awkward, does so, much to Yuri’s delight.
Ursula is furious that Ian referred to Yuri by her first name and warns him not to touch her daughter. Ian is shocked to learn that Ursula is the guardian of the World Tree, which has nine such trees in the world. The guardians protect and watch over the trees, ensuring their peace. Ursula has been living with the World Tree since it first took root. Ian realizes that Yuri is not just a girl but the World Tree’s very will, and Yuri is embarrassed by his compliment. Meanwhile, Ursula warns Ian again to keep his hands off her daughter.
Ursula scolds Ian for staring at Yuri instead of being grateful for his new eye. Ian doesn’t understand what she means until he remembers being attacked by the bear and how his eye was shredded. Surprisingly, he’s healed now. Ursula reveals that she used droplets from the World Tree to heal his wounds. However, the droplets couldn’t restore his crushed eye, so Yuri and Ursula used part of the World Tree to create an artificial eye for Ian. Yuri herself asked Ursula to help Ian see again.
Ian is confused about why Yuri wanted to help him so much. Ursula explains that it’s because Ian thanked Yuri when they first met. She explains that it’s rare for anyone to fall into the Abyss, and when they do, Yuri always saves them. However, none of the previous adventurers ever showed gratitude. Most of them took leaves and branches from the World Tree without thanks. That’s why Yuri was so happy when Ian thanked her.
Ian thanks Yuri again, and this makes her very happy. Ursula, annoyed, says they’re done saving him, and he can leave now. However, Yuri is concerned that Ian might die in the Abyss, and she wants to help him. Ursula, as a guardian, is only allowed to stray so far from Yuri, so she can’t escort Ian out. Teleportation magic doesn’t work in the dungeon either, which makes things even harder. Yuri begins to cry, but Ursula can’t stand seeing her daughter so upset. She realizes how much Yuri cares for Ian and decides to help.
Ursula says she will train Ian herself to make him strong enough to leave on his own. Ian is surprised and grateful that he might actually survive and be able to leave. Ursula sternly tells him that she will train him personally as the most powerful mage, and she won’t accept anything less than his best effort. Ian vows to do his best.
As they begin Ian’s training, he wonders if Ursula will just throw him into battle without warning. Ursula, however, tells him there’s no time for leisurely study. They need to train him quickly. She explains that waiting and learning theory would take too long, and Ian would be too old to escape by then.
They stop as Ursula points out something, but Ian can’t see anything. Ursula scolds him for not realizing that his new eye, created from the World Tree, gives him enhanced vision. Ian says his vision hasn’t changed, but Ursula insists he just lacks awareness. Then, Ian thinks about how he lost his eye and how Yuri gave him a new one. He realizes that from now on, everything he sees is thanks to the light Yuri gave him. His new eye begins to feel warm, and when he opens his eyes, he’s shocked to find that he’s in a completely different place.
Ursula smiles and declares that it’s time for Ian’s training to begin. She summons a monster similar to the one that attacked him before, and it quickly attacks. Ursula tells Ian that for step one, he needs to dodge its movements. Ian doubts he can do that, but Ursula reminds him that he has the power of appraisal. Ian, however, argues that his appraisal skill is only good for gathering information.
Ursula calls him a foolish child and reveals that appraising with his Spirit Eye is completely different from using his human eyes. Ian uses his Spirit Eye to appraise the monster’s next move. He’s amazed to see a detailed description of the monster’s attack—it says it will use a scythe to cut off his right ear. However, Ian is too slow to react and the monster cuts his ear off. Ursula explains that a Spirit Eye can appraise much more than a human eye could ever do.
Ian is amazed to see that his Spirit Eye can appraise his opponent’s movements. After confirming that the monster is attacking as his Spirit Eye predicted, Ian loses a lot of blood. Thankfully, Ursula heals him with droplets that Yuri kindly gave her, explaining that no matter how badly Ian gets hurt, she can heal him because of the World Tree’s power. She stresses that Ian needs to take his training seriously since there’s no time to waste.
The monster attacks again, and Ian’s appraisal shows that it’s going to strike his left leg with its scythe. His reflexes are too slow to dodge, so he decides to use his Spirit Eye to gauge the timing. He discovers that the attack will end in 5 seconds, so he starts counting down. With perfect timing, Ian dodges the attack, making it the first time he has ever dodged an attack from an S-rank monster. Thrilled, Ian tries to share his happiness with Ursula, but he gets distracted and is hit again. He realizes he can’t afford to be cocky and must keep improving.
A week later, Ian has improved his use of appraisal, but he still makes the mistake of celebrating too early and gets cut up again. Ursula is pleased, though, because pain is the best teacher. Ian, however, isn’t happy with how much he’s enjoying this. Ursula heals him and tells him that he has passed the first lesson. Now it’s time for him to face a gremlin. Ian protests, reminding her that he doesn’t have a combat job, but Ursula explains that he won’t need skills for this lesson—he will rely on his Spirit Eye.
Ursula gives Ian a wooden sword made from the World Tree, a gift from Yuri, who had suffered to break off one of her branches for him. Ursula warns Ian to be careful with it and thanks Yuri for the gesture. As the gremlin charges, Ian uses his appraisal to figure out the monster’s attack timing, thinking he can strike at the perfect moment. However, his first attempt misses. Ursula criticizes him but doesn’t give advice. Ian then tries holding his sword where the monster will attack, but it doesn’t work because the monster can dodge.
Frustrated, Ian realizes that humans and spirits don’t think the same way, and he just isn’t getting it. Finally, Ursula steps in to help and reminds him that his Spirit Eye can appraise more than just movements. Ian realizes that he can also appraise the trajectory of the monster’s attack. He switches to his super appraise and is amazed to see the monster’s movements in slow motion. This lets him land a successful strike and defeat the gremlin with one swing.
Ian is shocked to find that he defeated an S-rank monster with just one hit. He celebrates but, of course, Ursula scolds him for celebrating too soon. She explains that this was just the beginning, and the next phase of training will involve defeating all the gremlins in the area. Meanwhile, Yuri wonders how Ian is doing. Later, we see that Ian has greatly improved and defeated all the gremlins. Now, Ursula tells him that the next lesson is to appraise a gremlin’s ability and make it his own.
Ian is confident that he can appraise the abilities, but he doubts that he can actually take them. Ursula calls Ian a silly kid and reminds him that appraisal has always been about understanding an opponent’s information. Normally, users only gain knowledge from it, but now that Ian has his Spirit Eye, he can do more than just gather information—he can also gain experience from it. Ian tries using it on one of the gremlin’s corpses, and the intense pain nearly overwhelms him, as it feels like information is being pounded directly into his brain. After the pain subsides, Ian wonders if he now has the gremlin’s abilities, so Ursula tells him to test it out.
Ian quickly realizes he’s gained incredible speed, but his body can’t handle it, and his muscles tear. Ursula explains that it’s expected and that muscle fibers get stronger every time they tear. She heals him and tells him to keep running, explaining that when running, it’s not just the legs that are used, but the entire body. She laughs maniacally, telling him that after enduring this pain thousands of times, he’ll have a body capable of withstanding any speed.
After several days of running, Ian’s muscles begin to tear less, and his physique becomes stronger and more flexible. His voice deepens with newfound confidence, and he believes he might be ready to take down a death bear. However, Ursula warns him not to get too cocky, as there’s still a long way to go. Ian starts to feel discouraged, but Ursula decides to push him further by letting him appraise her ability. Ian wonders what it is, and Ursula demonstrates it: a magic ability called “Discard Incantation,” which allows a person to cast spells without using incantations. Ursula then tells him to quickly appraise both the Discard Incantation and a Fireball spell.
After Ian appraises it, he feels excruciating pain, and his body bursts into flames. Ursula heals him and tells him to try again. This time, Ian only manages to get the Discard Incantation after five days of training. Ian’s magic capacity is low since he doesn’t have a magic-oriented job, and he would collapse from exhaustion after using up all his magical power. To help him, Yuri uses droplets from the World Tree, which not only replenish his magical power but also increase his total magic capacity. The droplets can only be used when his magic is completely depleted, so Ian has to keep exhausting his magic to make the most of them.
After a month of using the droplets, Ian can now shoot thousands of fireballs at once, cast mid-level magic, and even use the abilities he copied from the gremlins and Ursula. His physique has improved, his magic capacity has increased, and his Spirit Eye has become more powerful. Ian believes he’s now strong enough for the next challenge, and Ursula agrees that it’s time for his revenge match.
They head out to face the death bear, but Ursula is surprised by Ian’s nervousness. She tells him that, while he’s still relatively weak, he’s much stronger now than before. She finds it irritating how quickly Ian has learned and is confident that, if he applies his training, he’ll win. Ian appreciates her support but feels the pressure as he heads into battle. He challenges the death bear and begins with a barrage of fireballs, though Ursula mocks him for his bad aim. However, the fireballs create a smoke screen, giving Ian the chance to use his incredible speed and his Spirit Eye’s super appraise ability to slow down time and prepare for his next move.
Ian follows up his fireball barrage with a powerful windstorm attack, dealing significant damage to the death bear. The beast roars in anger, and Ian realizes that his individual spells are still weak because he’s not a natural magic user. He knows that to defeat the bear, his attacks need to be precise. A single hit won’t be enough, so he decides to keep hammering the beast with relentless attacks.
Ian unleashes a 100-round Fireball, and the death bear shockingly collapses from the onslaught. Ian wonders if death bears were always this weak, but he quickly realizes that the real reason is that he’s gotten so much stronger through his training.
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