Runes

Ophelia was equally fascinated. Though she was highly gifted and could cultivate her blood and qi with great efficiency under the guidance of Mental Power, this was her first encounter with a method like the Mental Power Solidification Rune, which acted purely on Mental Power.

Black Mage drew the Mental Power Solidification Rune once more, then said, "Runes are the language of magic, one of the foundations upon which mages cast spells. They have no fixed form of writing. Whatever knowledge a mage understands and masters will shape the runes they create."

Black Mage paused here. Perhaps because he was in a good mood, he continued, "Learn the rune arrays created by other mages, and you can use their spells. Engrave the runes you comprehend yourself into your soul, and they will become your own spells."

Adam thanked Black Mage. Put that way, every spell was like a program. Mages were both developers and users of programs; the difference was that developers possessed the Source Code, while users did not.

At that moment, Black Mage asked her, "So, Miss Ophelia, do you have any questions?"

Ophelia was dazzled by what she had heard, immersed in the wonders of mages and spells, things far beyond knights. Her mind was filled with thoughts of becoming a mage. Hearing Black Mage's question, she blurted out, "How can I become a true mage?"

"The road of a mage is not singular, but in essence, it is a process of transcending the soul and the level of life itself. Find your own path, learn enough knowledge to elevate yourself and master it completely, then engrave it into your soul. That is how you achieve the path of a mage." Black Mage's answer was rather vague, because the subject was far too vast. Setting aside whether Ophelia could understand a detailed explanation, it would take a very long time. More importantly, the responsibility of a guide was not enough to offset the value of such an answer.

"Besides, these two questions actually share something in common. If they are smart enough, they should already be able to sort out a few clues." Looking at the still-bewildered Ophelia and the thoughtful Adam, Black Mage thought to himself.

"You may go rest. If you wish, you can come watch tomorrow's aptitude test. Perhaps one of your companions will be born there. If not, that is up to you. But for most mages, the road in pursuit of truth should not be lonely, because one person's wisdom has its limits after all." After saying this, Black Mage left the main hall at Earl Johnson's invitation.

Ophelia and Adam looked at each other in silence, then each returned to rest.

Adam did not sleep all night. Sitting upright on his bed, he carefully recalled everything he had seen that evening and every word Black Mage had spoken. In the end, he focused all his attention on that simple Mental Power Solidification Rune.

If this rune were compared to a simple program, and Adam's Mental Power to data, then it was obvious that this program could not carry too much data. In other words, if Adam wanted to continue improving, the first thing he needed to do was optimize the program.

"Establish task: develop a rune structure with greater capacity."

The spiral rune Black Mage had displayed consisted of two twisted lines. It looked somewhat like an hourglass, but at its root, it was merely a two-dimensional planar structure. It possessed the concept of shape, but not volume. On this two-dimensional rune structure, Mental Power transformed into lines and outlined the pattern. Then, the portion of Mental Power that formed the pattern was solidified and remained in the mind. Since part of the Mental Power had been solidified, it freed up some space for more Mental Power to grow.

Adam analyzed in silence while rapidly drawing runes at a rate of one per minute. After one night, nearly five hundred runes had taken shape and remained in his mind. Yet Adam discovered that they were of no damn use. If Adam's total Mental Power were simply considered one hundred, then each rune could hold less than 0.1. That meant unless Adam developed a more efficient rune structure, even if he filled his entire memory with the rune Black Mage had shown him, he still could not solidify all of his Mental Power.

But one night was obviously not enough to create a more efficient structure. Adam was not in a hurry, though. His mindset was excellent now. He was not afraid of encountering problems; encountering problems meant he was already on the road. What he feared was not even having the qualification to set out.

The clamor outside the Lord's Mansion that morning brought Adam's mage cultivation to a halt. When he stepped out of his room, everyone in the mansion already knew that the young man's status was no longer what it had been. A servant immediately came forward to guide him to the dining hall and served him an abundant, exquisite meal.

When Adam was halfway through eating, Ophelia entered and sat beside him. "Did you practice mage cultivation last night?"

Adam nodded.

She seemed very excited, without her former coldness and distance. "I drew nearly a hundred runes. I feel like my Mental Power has grown, and mage cultivation can actually reduce fatigue. I did not sleep all night, yet I am still full of energy."

Adam said nothing, but Ophelia's enthusiasm did not diminish. In a mysterious tone, she said, "Do you know? After you left last night, I received another piece of news from Mage Master Black."

Adam continued chewing with his head lowered. Seeing no reaction from him, Ophelia said in irritated annoyance, "Don't you want to know?"

Adam did not stop using his knife and fork. After swallowing the food in his mouth, he said softly, "Your heartbeat is currently sixty percent faster, and your mind is in an abnormal state of excitement."

Ophelia's expression froze. Was he saying she had gone crazy?

Adam continued, "As for the news you mentioned, if you want to tell me, I will naturally learn it. If you do not want to, then my curiosity is useless."

Ophelia exhaled a breath of stale air. She knew that her state of mind was somewhat overexcited, but the day she could escape her boring life, leave the frigid Northlands and her family behind, was right before her eyes. She could not suppress that joy.

And Adam, this companion who would enter the path of mages alongside her, had become more pleasing to the eye as well. That was why she had set aside a noble's pride to speak with him.

When all was said and done, Ophelia was only a sixteen-year-old girl. Liveliness should have been her true nature.

Ophelia decided not to fuss over Adam's attitude. She badly needed someone to share this with. "Do you know why the honored Mage Master would personally preside over such a minor aptitude test? Do you know why the location was chosen in the barren Northlands?"

Adam became somewhat interested. This had been one of his doubts as well. Though Black Mage had seemed very amiable yesterday, Adam had not missed the indifference toward ordinary people revealed in his eyes. It was not arrogance or prejudice, but disregard born from a difference in the level of life itself.

Perhaps, in Black Mage's heart, he and ordinary people were not even the same kind of creature.

So the question was, why would a mage standing so high above them lower himself to do such a thing?

Seeing Adam finally raise his head, Ophelia was very satisfied. She lowered her voice with great seriousness and said, "A year ago, Mordo Mage Academy began an academy war with the fellow... fellow..." Ophelia suddenly stopped, racking her brains for a moment before continuing, "Uh, with Monte Carlo Mage Academy. Originally, the two academies were evenly matched, but two months ago, Monte Carlo Mage Academy suddenly erupted and beat Mordo Mage Academy back step by step. In the end, Mordo Mage Academy was defeated and lost most of its mage apprentices. I heard even a large part of its territory was seized, which is why Mage Master Black personally came to select apprentices."

After a brief moment of surprise, Adam calmed down again. Even ordinary people fought and waged wars; how could mages who wielded Supernatural Power all live in friendship and mutual aid? "Was it only a war between apprentices?"

Ophelia said, "No, of course it was not merely a war between apprentices. Even several Formal Mages fell, but that is far too distant from you and me. What I want to tell you is some good news..."

At some point, Black Mage had come down from the second floor and taken over the conversation. "Because a large number of elite mage apprentices died, the Formal Mages of Mordo Mage Academy will select disciples from the new batch of mage apprentices. This is your opportunity. Once you are chosen, you will take far fewer detours on the road to becoming Formal Mages."

Adam and Ophelia rose and bowed respectfully. Black Mage waved his hand, then said to them, "It seems you are willing to come with me to select apprentices? Then let us go together."

Ophelia gathered her courage and recommended herself. "Respected Black Mage, I..."

Black Mage did not turn around. He said flatly, "Formal Mages are extremely cautious when selecting disciples. Only after you have cultivated at the academy and gained an initial grasp of your own paths will you possibly earn their favor. Moreover, the roads of mages differ from one another. My path may not suit you."

Over the long lives of mages, he had seen no shortage of geniuses who shone brilliantly during their apprenticeship. Yet just as he had said yesterday, aptitude had never been the foundation determining whether one could advance. Wisdom and knowledge were. Raising a disciple was an investment, and no one wished to pour resources into a business that could not turn a profit.

Ophelia lowered her head in disappointment. Black Mage's regard had made her think she might successfully take him as her master, but clearly, mages were not so superficial.

Adam, meanwhile, did not even intend to ask. Black Mage was right: if a teacher could not point out the road ahead, merely providing resources would not play a decisive role. Besides, Adam did not yet know what his own path as a mage would be.

It was still yesterday's main hall. Before entering, Ophelia had regained her composure, and her bearing once again became noble and untouchable. She could show friendliness toward Adam, who now stood on the same level as her, but toward everyone else, she remained high above.

Outside the main hall, many boys and girls waited nervously, accompanied by family members who were equally anxious and at a loss. This was likely the perfect opportunity for the poor to change their fate and for the wealthy to step into a higher class. Everyone had made countless preparations in advance, swearing to give everything they had and go all out.