Level 2 Mage

Hey...

Iz, you really are strange.

Lu Cang couldn't help sighing inwardly.

Lu Cang had been cramming on common knowledge, but Iz had given him the impression that he was constantly doing things beyond common knowledge.

The books on common knowledge said that the maximum mana was 100.

But Iz had stubbornly taken him along and broken through that limit.

And raised it to 10,000.

For now, those 10,000 points had become the true limit for a Level 1 Mage.

And the evolution of spells should be an effect exclusive to his "Divine Proficiency Evolution."

The limit of 100 had been fixed from the start.

But this guy, Iz...

Had long since thought of something beyond Level 100: Transcendent Magic.

Simply thinking of it was normal enough.

But the terrifying part was... he had even created a testing mechanism for it.

A testing mechanism for magic that had never existed before.

"I'll continue." Lu Cang pushed aside his thoughts and spoke.

Kumiloni said, "Mm-hmm. Go ahead."

Boom!

As soon as the words left his mouth...

Lightning was already flickering across the dummy.

Lu Cang could feel the dummy absorbing the spell's mana.

"Lightning Flash (LV: 101)"

"Lightning Strike Technique evolution path—Instant Cast"

The greatest advantages of lightning spells were their speed and power.

Lu Cang's choice was to make Lightning Strike Technique his fastest means of attack.

He didn't need to raise a hand or draw mana from above.

"Lightning Flash" could erupt instantly at point-blank range from an enemy!

The only pity was that he couldn't make "Lightning Flash" explode directly inside an enemy's body. Otherwise, it would be even more lethal.

Kumiloni announced with a proud smile, "Lightning Magic proficiency."

"Transcendent."

Seeing Lu Cang achieve such an excellent result made Kumiloni immensely happy.

She had been the one to bring little Lu Cang out of the dungeon.

Kumiloni would never forget how, when she'd first found little Lu Cang, his life force had been barely more than a thread. If she hadn't helped him, he would certainly have died.

But now he was alive and well, and had even become an exceptional genius. Perhaps this was the miracle of life.

Ice Magic—Ice Lance

Lightning Magic—Lightning Flash

Fire Magic—Flame Ball

Wind Magic—Silent Wind Swarm

Light Magic—Steady Lamp

Light Magic—Holy Light Cross

Dark Magic—Curse Arrow

Earth Magic—Pillar Surge

Lu Cang went on without pause, using every spell he had learned.

All eight spells had reached the Transcendent rank.

The entire arena fell silent.

Izpalut's test result had been "Eight Spells at the Peak." It meant that every spell he had learned had reached Level 100 proficiency.

They had thought that result was already the limit for Level 1.

No matter how astonishing a mage in later generations might be, they could only hope to match Izpalut's result.

But who could have expected that, at this very moment...

The eight-year-old boy standing before them would deliver a result beyond anyone's imagination.

"Eight spells... Transcendent."

Though the term had never been heard before, everyone present already understood what it meant.

"How is this possible?"

"Kumiloni! Are you sure he only awakened three days ago?" The old man from the temple was the one who asked.

Kumiloni wore a faintly proud expression.

"I swear on my name as High Priest of the Life Church: I personally presided over his awakening ritual. He awakened three days ago."

Kumiloni's guarantee carried considerable weight.

Lu Cang glanced back at the people behind him. To be honest, he hadn't originally wanted to reveal his Level 101 spells.

In fact, he'd always intended to keep some of his strength hidden.

Concealing some of his power and keeping too many people from learning his trump cards, in case he ran into unknown dangers, was a self-preservation instinct Lu Cang had developed without even realizing it.

The tallest tree catches the wind. Too much attention could easily bring trouble from unknown sources.

Showing off Transcendent spells at the Promotion Ritual had been Izpalut's idea.

Even now, Lu Cang still remembered the expression Izpalut had worn last night when Lu Cang attacked him with Ice Lance... sheer elation.

The surprise attack last night had struck Iz directly.

Ice Lance passed through Izpalut's body without meeting any resistance. Blood almost instantly soaked his robes.

Lu Cang hadn't meant to seriously hurt Iz.

Lu Cang had assumed that a Level 5 Mage wouldn't be easily injured by him.

After all, the books said the Magic Emperor at Level 5 wielded magic powerful enough to destroy a country. How could... how could Izpalut be hurt by his Ice Lance, let alone suffer such a serious wound?

That Ice Lance had passed all the way through Izpalut's body, punching a frost-rimed hole through him.

Since he'd thought Iz was far stronger than he was, Lu Cang hadn't held back at all.

When he saw the huge hole in Iz's body, soaked with blood and rimed with ice, Lu Cang felt his mind explode—

I didn't mean to hurt him...

Lu Cang immediately canceled the spell.

But... Iz hadn't shown the slightest surprise or anger.

The expression on his face... was one of excitement, of wild joy.

"Transcendent Magic! You actually used Transcendent Magic!"

Lu Cang, however, was frantic. "Iz, your wound!"

The blow might not have struck his heart, but it had gone straight through his chest and lungs. It should even have pierced his spine... The injury was extremely serious.

"Can you hold on? Iz, I'll go find Kumiloni right now!"

But Iz ignored his injury completely. He suddenly teleported over and grabbed Lu Cang by the shoulders, his expression feverish with excitement.

"Tell me, how did you figure it out?"

"This wound doesn't matter."

"Compared to your Transcendent Magic, this injury is nothing."

Kumiloni arrived very quickly.

Iz held on to Lu Cang, leaving him no chance to go back and call for help.

Still, Kumiloni came over.

Iz really didn't look like someone who was badly injured. He remained excited the whole time before Kumiloni arrived.

When Kumiloni got there, she only smiled helplessly. Green energy flowed, and the gaping hole in Iz's body regenerated in a matter of moments.

Lu Cang watched as his organs formed anew, his bones took shape from nothing, and flesh and skin filled in until he looked as if nothing had ever happened.

Only afterward did Lu Cang learn that Iz had sensed him casting Ice Lance the instant it happened.

But when Iz sensed the Ice Lance, his first reaction had been to drop every defense he had maintained until then.

He had deliberately abandoned all protection and taken Lu Cang's attack head-on.

All so he could experience Transcendent Magic firsthand—to feel what it was like to be struck by that spell.

Well, there was no denying it.

He really was a frightening man.

Afterward, he suggested that Lu Cang use Transcendent Magic during the Promotion Ritual.

His reasoning was one Lu Cang couldn't refuse.

Iz explained the true nature of the Promotion Ritual to Lu Cang.

Every Promotion Ritual had its own core principle.

[Promotion Ritual for Mages]

Its core principle was "the pursuit of the Source of Magic."

A Promotion Ritual was a chance to demonstrate one's efforts in pursuit of the Source of Magic.

The ritual acted like a witness.

It rewarded a mage according to the [results they had achieved in pursuing the Source of Magic].

That was what the so-called [Promotion Ritual] was.

"So, during the Promotion Ritual, you should fully demonstrate what you've achieved in the way of magic."

"You have to show your Transcendent Magic at the Promotion Ritual."

That was Izpalut's position.

Lu Cang had been completely convinced by Iz's words.

Gaining greater strength mattered more than holding back.

If showing off Transcendent Magic earned him greater rewards in strength, then keeping that extra strength hidden afterward still counted as holding back.

The third test was complete.

The final test was the Proof of Battle.

This proof was the easiest. Lu Cang presented a Snake Eye.

It was proof that he had killed the Shadow Serpent.

The Proof of Battle was evidence that one had fought. It wasn't a strict requirement for mages.

All they needed was to have fought a monster at least once.

That could be in a dungeon or out in the wild.

Even fighting a weak slime counted.

Lu Cang's proof of killing a second-tier dungeon boss already carried more than enough weight.

Kumiloni took the Snake Eye.

In her hand, it turned into a shimmer of light and disappeared.

Hey...

It actually disappeared. That was a material worth three silver coins!

Iz had specifically saved this Snake Eye, saying he would need it later.

So this was what it was for.

Light rose into the air, then slowly fell over Lu Cang, as though affirming that he had fought in battle.

Heh... So there was an anti-forgery mechanism too?

That made sense. Otherwise, people could probably just use things like dragon scales they'd bought to pass the battle test.

Kumiloni closed her eyes, as if lost in a trance, and recited in a chanting voice, "I bear witness to the journey of an apprentice in pursuit of the Source."

"This is a path of tireless seeking."

"You have lifted the veil on one small corner of the way of magic and embarked on the path of a pioneer of Transcendence."

"This is not the end."

"It is the beginning."

The sky was neither overcast nor clear. Only dazzling auroras rippled overhead.

The Source of Magic seemed within reach.

The eight-year-old boy had completed his Mage Promotion Ritual.

Lu Cang completed his promotion and became a Level 2 Mage.