As his thoughts narrowed to a singular point of concentration, he could feel this strange energy — ki — strengthening his body. Unlike infused mana, which was like a gentle stream, ki was steady and even. With every breath, he was becoming one with the world.
So, this is ki… Victor slowly opened his eyes and felt his lungs filled with energy. After a few days of practice, he had become a Ki Initial, the lowest rank of Ki-Warrior, which was comparable to the first-stage Initiate Attunement.
Victor Asteriscus
HP: 100%
MP: 664/664
Power Rank: First-sigil Elemental Adept Magus | Ki Initial
Elemental Affinity: Cosmo (96%) | Anemo (82%) | Pyro (57%)
Mana Aptitude: Intermediate bright grade
Meditation Technique: Omni-Elemental Fusion Method (first sub-level, 3.42%)
Breathing Technique: No name (first level)
Status: Healthy
Strength: (33 → 35)
Agility: (34 → 35)
Vitality: (33 → 35)
Magical Power: (45)
Infused Mana (total): (651 → 664)
Spell Repertoire:
- Aleph: {Blink Step}, {Spatial Mirage}, {Slicing Wind}, {Zephyr Dash}, {Tempest Burst}, {Wind Guard}, {Flame Whip}, {Flame Dart}, {Flame Prison}, {Ember Shield}, {Heat Wave}, {Demonic Eye}, {Mind Programming}
- Bet: {Warpblade}, {Blink}, {Gap Hole}, {Ethereal State}, {Volcanic Spear}, {Tempest Gale}, {Blazing Burst}
Truthfully, he felt that this power was nowhere near comparable to magic. Ki, unlike mana, wasn’t an energy that could be projected outside his body and could only be circulated within. Perhaps that was the main reason why no one had reached the rank beyond peak Ki-Master. Of course, Magi had devised ways to sidestep this roadblock using secret elixirs or forbidden magic, but that was a different matter altogether.
“Though this power doesn’t originate from Seraphia but from a world far, far away. Maybe there’s a secret that not even ancient Magi were aware of…” Victor speculated. In any case, it was good enough for the players to use. However, he should warn that this path had limited prospects, lest the players blame him for adding an incomplete class system.
But at least the silver lining here was that this breathing technique — which still had no name — was a bit special since it could stimulate the infused mana inside the practitioner’s body. While it wouldn’t make any difference if practiced by ordinary mortals, it would give a boost when doing a meditation session. As such, it wasn’t a complete waste of time.
As he pondered this, a snore broke his concentration. “Zzzz…”
Victor glanced over and found Lizbeth sleeping soundly on his bed, drool trickling from her mouth. For a fairy, her personality was rather uncouth. But oh well. He mischievously prodded her tiny cheek, causing her to grunt a little.
He then shifted his gaze toward the window and looked up at the starry sky. Tomorrow was the promised day of the battle. If he didn’t show up, there would be unimaginable consequences. As he grew stronger as a Magus, he could sense a powerful curse hidden in the mark on his right wrist, one that would be impossible to erase with his current power.
Out of the blue, there was a white shadow streaked past the window, followed by a rustling noise that broke his focus. Curiosity got the better of him, so Victor went over to the window and pushed it open, only to see Lumen, his magical beast companion, gracefully leap through. She landed softly on the floor, her silver fur catching the faint moonlight, eyes bright and sharp. Without hesitation, she trotted over and nestled against him.
Amidst this gesture, Victor was struck silent, not responding to stroke her. It wasn’t that he didn’t miss Lumen, but her size didn’t match what he had in mind about her. Not at all. After all, she was now as small as a Pomeranian dog. How was it possible for a magical beast the size of a car to shrink to one-hundredth of its original size?
“L-Lumen, is that you?” Victor questioned, squatting down to be at her level.
Lumen’s ears perked up, and she nuzzled closer. “Woof!”
“Bwuh! Who’s there?” Lizbeth mumbled, half awake. The bark just now must have startled her. “Master, I can’t eat more food… Zzzz.”
Victor ignored Lizbeth’s sleep-talking and instead asked his beast companion, “But how?” Well, I mean, she did learn {Gigantification} innate ability before, but her baseline size was getting bigger and about as big as a large-sized wolf… “Did you learn {Miniaturization} too?”
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Obviously, Lumen didn’t answer with words, as that would be terrifying, but instead, she huffed softly in response; it must be her way of acknowledging his question. Victor smiled, reaching out to stroke Lumen’s fur, feeling a tingling sensation from the touch.
At that moment, Victor realized that the mana fluctuation that she released was comparable to him, an Elemental Adept Magus. It appeared that she could now be classified as a bona fide Elemental Adept magical beast or a Rank 1 extraordinary lifeform.
Actually, he recalled that he could see her stats through the Academy Inhabitant List.
Lumen Fenrir
HP: 100%
MP: 281/281
Species: Celestial Moonhowler
Power Rank: Elemental Adept extraordinary lifeform (Rank 1)
Elemental Affinity: Lux (91%) | Cosmo (77%) | Anemo (64%)
Status: Healthy
Strength: (31)
Agility: (34)
Vitality: (33)
Magical Power: (36)
Infused Mana (total): (281)
Innate Abilities: {Gigantification}, {Miniaturization}, Photon Manipulation
Such an incredible improvement! She must have trained a lot and stimulated her bloodline all this time, which reminded him of why she was coming back now, of all times.
“Oh right, did you come back now to help me with the battle?” Victor asked, but he knew the question was rhetorical. If she didn’t want to help him, she wouldn’t have been here at all.
“Thank you, Lumen.” Victor hoisted Lumen to his chest and laid himself on the bed. “But for now, let’s go to sleep.”
In her mini size, Lumen was incredibly cute as she snuggled against him, licking his face a few times before settling down. The warmth of her small body and the gentle rhythm of her breathing were comforting. The constant feeling of danger, of time ticking at the back of his mind, seemed to have collapsed.
That night, Victor had a really nice dream.
***
Victor was more than ready.
Today was the D-day, and he was determined to emerge victorious. The early morning sun had just begun to rise, casting a warm golden hue over the academy grounds. He could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins as he hurriedly cleaned himself with a flick of his fingers, manipulating elemental particles around to freshen up. Lumen, in her miniature form, perched comfortably on his head as he made his way to Eleanor’s workshop.
Just as he was about to grab the door handle, Lizbeth fluttered her wings and blocked his path. Her eyes were filled with concern.
“Master, is this finally the day?” she asked, her voice a bit shaken.
“That’s right,” Victor replied, nodding firmly. He clenched his fist, feeling the resolve coursing through him. “I’ve prepared thoroughly for today. A promise is a promise, even if there’s a chance of dying to fulfill it. But this is also an opportunity that cannot be wasted.”
Sure, this battle might just bring him his demise, but with great risk also came great opportunity. This duel was a gateway to becoming the master of a pocket dimension filled with powerful inheritances. It was for this reason that he had come to this place in the first place. If he got scared here, all his efforts would be for nothing.
“Mm-hmm, I’m not gonna stop you.” She closed her eyes in understanding and raised one finger right in front of Victor’s face, stating, “But you have to promise me one thing. Please come back in one piece. Do you hear me loud and clear?”
What are you, my mother? Victor chuckled inwardly and patted Lizbeth’s tiny head. “I will. I’m not going to croak that easily, Liz.”
“Hmph! You better keep your word.” Victor was unsure whether it was because he was being treated like a child or something else, but she crossed her arms and acted a bit sassy. Whatever the reason, she was his trusted assistant fairy through and through.
With that, he rushed outside the building. The crisp morning air was filled with the sounds of the academy coming to life. Players were bustling about, preparing for the day. But Victor’s mind was focused on one thing: the upcoming battle.
Upon arriving at Eleanor’s workshop, Victor found her already waiting for him.
“‘Morning, Patron. You’re just in time,” Eleanor said, her eyes gleaming with excitement. “Ooh, who’s this little puppy on your head?” She dashed forward to get a closer look at Lumen.
“I don’t have time for this, Eleanor.” Victor manipulated the elemental particles to stop her advance and instead asked, “Do you have the stuff?”
“Of course. Here…” She grabbed a wooden box from a nearby table and handed it to him. “I tried makin’ as much as possible with the help of my little apprentices. Unfortunately, because of time and work constraints, this is all I could make.”
“This is enough. Thank you, Eleanor.” He stored the wooden box in his interspatial ring. There was the recurring “ding” noise of mission accomplished inside his head, though he paid it no mind.
As Victor was about to leave, Eleanor suddenly blocked his path, standing firmly before the door.
“Hold on a minute!” She exclaimed, enunciating each syllable.
“If it’s about the payment, I promise I will pay you when I return,” Victor replied. The knowledge to advance to an Elemental Adept Magus was very precious after all, and most Magus forces guarded such secrets fiercely. He even joked that she could hug Lizbeth for an hour if she found the payment insufficient.
“No, it’s not that.” She had her hands on her hips and stared at him as if looking at a fool. “Patron, I don’t know what’s been buggin’ cha, and I’m not gonna force it out of your mouth. However, I’m here whenever you need my help.”
Hearing that, Victor was taken aback. He had never confided about this problem to anyone else but Lizbeth, yet his expression and actions must have given it away despite his best efforts to mask it. What surprised him most was that Eleanor cared about him and treated him as more than just a business partner, which was how he had been treating her.
Maybe the betrayal he had experienced had made him more cautious of others. In fact, when he thought about it, he was the one who said that he would help her… Though at the time, he was trying to recruit her and had bullshited his way through.
“I see… Thanks. But it’s not something you have to worry about.” Victor shook his head. This battle was his to fight, and he couldn’t involve anyone else more than he already had.
“Hahaha! No need to be so serious.” Eleanor gave him a hearty slap on the back and a thumbs-up. “Good luck out there!”
Victor nodded and said goodbye to her. With that, he dashed out of the workshop and flew deep into the forest with Lumen still attached to his head.