Chapter 9
I stared at myself in surprise. Strangely, all the pain I had endured while forming my core had completely vanished—gone as if it had never existed in the first place. I patted my chest a few times, half-expecting pain to suddenly flare up, but nothing did.
“Congratulations Caelith! You are now officially a mage.”
The old man was leaning down in front of me, I stood up to meet his eyes.
“Oh, thank you, thank you!” I bowed dramatically before giving him a deadpan stare, “so… can I finally start learning some spells, gramps?”
He rolled his eyes and shook his head.
“Patience, Caelith. Before we start with spells, there’s something important I need to tell you.”
I pushed myself up from the ground. “What is it?”
“Now that you’ve awakened your core, you need to know that there are different levels to it—specifically nine.”
“You are currently at the first level,” he continued. “Unlike mana affinity, which is your natural talent for sensing and manipulating mana, your core is the strength you cultivate. Each level you gain represents a deeper mastery over more advanced spells.”
‘And there he’s going on another tangent… at least I’m learning.’
“Then, how do I increase my level?” I asked, a question forming above my head.
“In order to increase your core level,” he explained, “you need to continuously circulate mana into your core, reinforcing and strengthening it. It is a delicate and time-consuming process.”
“One mistake, and you risk destroying your entire core—exploding from the inside out!”
He paused, waiting for my reaction.
‘That doesn’t seem like a very fun way to go out!’ I thought, shivering.
He let out a large laugh, amusing by my trembling. “HAHAHA, sorry, sorry. Though it is dangerous, with proper guidance and modern techniques, such accidents are rare—watching newcomers react never gets old.”
‘Tch, this sadistic old geezer…’ I shook my head
“Oh, right, gramps, I just have another question—has anyone ever reached a ninth-level core?”
His gaze lingered on me for a few moments before drifting toward the horizon. Slowly, he lifted a single finger.
“There’s only one record of anyone ever reaching the Ninth Core, and that’s the founder of Ascalon Academy—Archmage Elion,” he said quietly.
My eyes widened in disbelief.
“Only one? In the entire history of the empire, there’s only ever been one?”
“Yes,” he replied with a nod. “According to the Archmage Elion, once a mage reaches the Ninth Core, they are no longer merely human. Their body and soul become one with mana itself, transcending mortal limits.”
“Of course, he disappeared shortly after, leaving Ascalon to his first disciple”
“What happened to him?”
“Some say he passed away, while others simply think he ascended to a higher realm.”
“Hm… I see.” I grinned at a thought. “Hey, gramps, you mind if I became a Ninth Core mage in the future too, right?”
The old man instantly shot me a look, the kind that made me feel like an idiot for even saying it out loud.
“You’re dreaming too big, you brat. Do you even know how many have the same dream, but can’t even reach the seventh level? I myself have barely just stepped into seventh level.”
“Tch. You don’t have to be so cynical about it. Now…can we finally start learning some spells?”
‘Please old man, my brain can’t handle anymore history lessons…’
Thankfully, he stopped, apparently noticing my annoyance. Then, with a snap of his fingers, two thick, dusty textbooks materialized out of thin air.
‘Where the hell did those come from.’
“Here, take these,” he said, casually tossing the textbooks to me.
“What are these for?” I asked, barely catching the textbooks as they flew toward me.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to learn some spells? Well, here you go—these are the textbooks I used back in my Academy days. Take a look through them.”
I paused for a moment, processing his words, feeling my face twitch ever so slightly with irritation.
“What? I never specified how I’m going to teach you magic, now, did I?” An evil grin spread across his old face.
‘I swear, when I get my hands on this old man—’
My thoughts were interrupted as the old man snapped his fingers, and a small orb of water shimmered into existence in the palm of his hand, swirling gently around it.
“Do you know what else makes mana so magical, Caelith?”
I clicked my tongue in irritation. “No… I don’t.”
The old man watched me for a moment, then let out a small, knowing smile.
“It’s how it bends to one’s will and creativity. Take this, for example—as you see in my hand, it’s just ordinary water.”
He turned toward the forest and raised his hand.
“Yet, with a thought, I could shape this into a weapon.”
I watched as he released the spell. A beam of water shot forth, smashing into the trees and piercing through them with a force that sent splinters flying.
“What I’m trying to say is, there’s no difference between me teaching you and you learning it from those textbooks. In the end, it’s all up to you—how you draw upon mana and how you choose to improve.”
“I see…” I murmured.
“Well, that’s enough lectures. I’ll leave you to your own devices—take your time with the books and start practicing.”
I watched as the old man straightened his back and made his way back toward the cabin.
“W-wait! I have one last question.”
He paused, glancing back at me and tilting his head slightly, gesturing for me to continue.
“Back when I was awakening my core… were you talking to me?”
He looked confused. “What are you talking about, Caelith? I didn’t speak a single word during the entire process.”
“Ah… never mind then. I must have misheard a nearby animal. Forget I said anything.”
“Alright.” He pointed toward the textbooks. “If you have any more questions, come find me at the cabin.”
With those parting words, the old man turned and headed off. In the distance, the rumble of thunder echoed, and the first droplets of rain began to fall.
I let out a sigh and made my way to find some nearby cover under a huge tree. Once sheltered, I sat down on the ground and opened one of the textbooks.
I flipped through the first few pages, skimming them. Most of it was just what Gramps had already explained, so I decided to skip ahead.
Finally, I came across a section explaining the process to conjure a simple fireball. The instructions were straightforward: gather mana from the core to a release point while reciting the incantation.
‘Should be simple enough…’ I thought to myself
I glanced at a nearby stone, then stood up and raised my right arm toward it, closing my eyes. I could feel the mana flowing inside me and swirling clearly around me. Slowly, I began to circulate the mana toward the center of my hand, muttering the incantation in my head.
A warm sensation started to form near my palm, but when I opened my eyes, what greeted me was anything but the fireball depicted in the textbook.
I stared at the tiny flicker of flame hovered above my hand—barely bigger than a candle—and before it could grow, a raindrop fell, instantly snuffing it out.
‘Well, that’s just pathetic’ I groaned inwardly. This was going to be rough.
For the next few hours, I repeated the process, focusing all my concentration into conjuring a proper fireball. Each time, though, the results were the same—tiny flickers that fizzled out almost immediately.
Frustration was building inside me. I could feel the mana gathering from my core toward the center of my hand, but at the same time, there was something pushing back, counteracting it—something I couldn’t quite describe.
I decided to give it one more shot. By now, the rain had already stopped. Closing my eyes, I focused on every ounce of mana I currently have, carefully guiding it toward the center of my palm. This time, however, I could clearly sense something was different.
‘Did I succeed this time…?’
As I slowly opened my eyes, I was greeted by the sight of a small, steady ball of flame hovering above my palm. Unlike before, it didn’t flicker or waver, its heat radiating gently against my skin.
“Hah… I—I finally did it!” I yell out in excitement.
But my triumph was short-lived. The flame suddenly twisted and wobbled, collapsing in on itself with a soft poof, leaving only a wisp of smoke rising from my hand.
“Man…magic sucks ass.”
