Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 23 (Part 1)

Another half-year passed.

The fourth group of trainees had arrived, causing a general stir with their appearance.

However, on the day of assigning numbers, about ten of them got thoroughly beaten up for making too much noise, changing the atmosphere.

It was a repeat of what happened with the third group, leading to a quiet environment from that day on.

‘Were we like that too?’

Rodin thought, noticing the significant change in the atmosphere.

Some of the third group trainees hovered around the fourth group, but most were indifferent. They were too busy dealing with their own urgent matters to pay attention to others.

Rodin was the same. He was still a library dweller and a magic enthusiast fervently practicing his spells.

Rodin was now at the second circle. Considering that some first group trainees were still at the first circle, his growth rate was astonishing.

“Hmm.”

Today, he had come out to the lake for the first time in a while.

After becoming a second-circle mage two months ago, he had been keeping a water spirit summoned at all times. He had enough mana to sustain it.

Of course, if the water spirit used significant power, his mana would quickly deplete, but for now, it just sat on his shoulder, playing. This level of mana consumption was not a problem.

“It’s definitely flawed. Something was engraved incorrectly.”

Rodin was examining the slave mark in his mind.

The slave mark had holes in it, and the threads of mana forming the magic circle were too thin.

“Why is it like this?”

He recalled a nameless mage from a year ago.

A fourth-circle mage who engraved the slave mark on his head. He hadn’t seen him since that day, but he remembered the incident clearly.

“He was exhausted. Thinking back, it seemed like he had just become a fourth-circle mage.”

In any case, it wasn’t a bad thing. Since the slave mark in his mind was weak from the start, it would be easier to erase later.

The slave mark was originally a third-circle spell. It was a common spell that any official mage could use.

However, to erase an engraved slave mark, the remover needed to be at twice the caster’s circle. To erase a slave mark cast by a third-circle mage, a sixth-circle mage was required, and for a mark cast by a fourth-circle mage, an eighth-circle mage was needed.

There were no eighth-circle mages in the world. Though legends spoke of eighth and even ninth-circle mages during the age of the Magic Empire thousands of years ago, those were just tales.

In the recent hundreds of years, no eighth-circle mages had appeared.

“They must have thought it couldn’t be erased.”

When inscribing slave marks on the trainees of the special forces training center, they used a fourth-circle mage, believing that without an eighth-circle mage, no one could erase it.

However, the slave mark on the back of Rodin’s head was poorly made. With his current level, he could remove it.

“A fourth-circle is enough. I can erase it with a fourth circle. Hmm, it won’t be possible in two years. Maybe two and a half years?”

Since becoming a second-circle mage, his growth had slowed. To be precise, he was still gathering the same amount of mana, but the amount needed for each circle had greatly increased.

Becoming a third-circle mage, an official mage, would take more time. Naturally, reaching the fourth circle would take even longer.

“Is mastering the hand technique the hardest?”

After completing the first cycle with an intermediate mana cultivation method, Rodin set three goals.

One was to erase the slave mark in his mind.

Thanks to the clumsy mage who engraved it, it became easier. Three years at the latest should be enough.

The second was improving the hand technique.

Drawing the same rune with both hands was possible from the start. Being ambidextrous certainly helped.

However, drawing different runes simultaneously with each of the ten fingers was extremely difficult.

It would take more than a year or two, likely at least ten or twenty years of effort.

“Power isn’t everything. I have to manage somehow.”

Drawing runes simultaneously increased power. Stronger spells could be cast, and higher density mana circles could be created during cultivation.

However, drawing different runes simultaneously allowed the casting of multiple spells at once. Though he hadn’t succeeded yet, theoretically, it was possible.

“Improving the cultivation method is also an issue.”

His third goal was to improve the intermediate cultivation method he was currently using.

This, too, wasn’t something that could be resolved quickly. It might be a lifelong challenge.

“I wish I knew more runes.”

The runes given by Instructor Serion numbered exactly 7,816 characters.

Though it was a lot, Rodin found it insufficient. He needed more runes.

“The four great magic towers must know more, right? Hmm?”

Someone was approaching from behind. Without turning around, Rodin knew it was Cory. Jito, disguised as clothes, had informed him.

Jito, the red-eyed familiar, had eyes on the front and back of the tracksuit Rodin wore, constantly keeping watch.

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