“Indeed, Hove Violet Leaves are a special product only found in Eastwood Province. They take at least a year to grow!”
Leylin stroked his chin, and estimated the amount of Hove Violet Leaves in the warehouse.
“Put our purchasing drive on hold until next year’s Hove Violet Leaves hit the markets. We can then resume buying them again!”
From this recent batch of Hove Violet Leaves, Leylin discovered that the quality was getting poorer and poorer. Some could not even be used for potion brewing.
Indeed, it seems like he purchased quite a huge chunk of the total Hove Violet Leaf production in this area.
The ingredients in the warehouse should be enough to meet my requirements for manufacturing enough potions to get to Level 3 Acolyte. As for official Magus, it is not something that I can consider right now.
Leylin entered into deep thought. Right now his Spiritual Force has already reached 7. He has long since brewed the Reactive Elixirs. Advancing to Level 3 Acolyte no longer posed any problem for him at all.
However, Leylin still knew nothing about how to advance to official Magus from Level 3 Acolyte. Even though Leylin was authorized to access the academy’s library, he had not found any hint of the process.
It seemed like the academy had forbidden all information pertaining to this topic.
“Whether the academy or the market, I have always paid special attention to information related to official Magus. Until now, I could not even unearth a single clue.
This was also why Leylin was hesitant about leaving Abyssal Bone Forest Academy.
The higher ups in the Magus World kept a tight lid on all information regarding how to advance to official Magus. More so for Leylin, who became an acolyte from afar. He had to fulfil certain requirements and run errands before he would be granted a peek at the advancement methods to study them.
“This is something out of my control. Maybe the Magus experiment lab has something that I can profit from?”
Leylin thought again of the Magus experiment lab concealed near the withering woods.
After his previous stint there, he could already confirm that the person who left the experiment lab was an official Magus. Moreover, it had been forsaken for a long time already.
This was a piece of good news.
He only needed to be rid of all the spell formations laid on the experiment lab. Then, everything in it would be his, including the unlucky magician’s items lying just outside the door.
“Level 3! I only need to advance to Level 3 Acolyte, and imbue another set of Rank 0 spells so I can depart!”
Leylin made up his mind.
……
In a small secret lab with an extremely simple layout, there weren’t many household items, only a wooden bed in the middle.
Leylin sat cross-legged atop the bed. Before his impassive face was a tangerine-yellow potion.
He was prepared and determined to breakthrough to Level 3 Acolyte.
He did not breathe a word of this to anyone. Like before, he informed Anna that he was just going to carry out an experiment. No matter what happened, he didn’t want any interruptions.
It was not that he couldn’t trust his subordinates but they had neither the strength nor the ability to render aid if anything untoward happened. They wouldn’t be of much use so he might as well hide the fact that he was attempting to breakthrough.
After all, he ‘disappeared’ from the villa from time to time. His manor staff had gotten inured to it by now.
Once he had accomplished what he set out to do, when he next appeared before his people, everything would have been fait accompli.
Although there might not be any prying eyes or ears, especially any spies sent by his adversaries, he was conscientious of the possibility.
“Level 3 Acolyte, the final step before official Magus. For first grade and second grade acolytes, Level 3 has always been hailed the peak of cultivation.
A Level 1 Acolyte could merely use energy particles, but could not cast any spells yet. Their fighting strength was roughly equivalent to a Knight’s. As for Level 2 Acolytes, they were able to cast some Rank 0 spells. Though these were simple ones, it bolstered their battle abilities to such an extent that they surpassed the Knights.
Level 3 Acolytes, on the other hand, had exponentially greater Spiritual Force than regular humans. They had a more profound understanding of spell theory and its uses in combat. They were masters of techniques like instantaneous casting, which enabled extremely rapid casting of prepared spells. Even Grand Knights were not their opponents.
Moreover, Level 3 Acolyte had always been considered the preparatory stage to becoming an official Magus. The faster one advances as a Level 3 Acolyte, the higher chances of eventually becoming an official Magus.
Among Magus academies and factions, the number of official Magi was extremely small. Level 3 Acolytes were universally considered the backbone of any academy’s or faction’s battle strength!
Any young Level 3 Acolyte was counted as a valuable asset of the academy. These institutions were inclined towards dedicating resources to nurture them, hoping that these seeds would advance beyond Level 3 Acolyte in the future.
“Breaking through Level 3 Acolyte requires mastery of two spell models, a Spiritual Force of 7, and the aid of Reactive Elixirs!”
Leylin picked up the tangerine-yellow potion before him.
“I have long since gotten both the elixir and the requisite spell mastery. Now, with the help of the Azure Potion, I have also met the Spiritual Force requirements, all within a few months. This speed has long since surpassed Jayden’s aptitude. A fifth grade acolyte!”
Even if they were genius acolytes of the fifth grade, before the huge gulf between Level 2 Acolyte and Level 3 Acolyte, 3 years would be the minimum they would spend getting there.
However, after obtaining the potion, Leylin’s speed had long since surpassed that of Jayden and the rest. In no time at all, he had reached the standard required to advance to be a Level 3 Acolyte.
“As long as my Spiritual Force gets enhanced, even if the breakthrough fails, I can always make another attempt. My body would suffer some major damage though, so being successful in one go is for the best!”
For the final time, Leylin mentally reviewed all information regarding advancement to a Level 3 Acolyte. After confirming that he had not left anything out, he popped the cork keeping the tangerine-yellow potion securely plugged.
“This Reactive Elixir is not meant to be drunk!”
Leylin undressed and smeared the Reactive Elixir over his face, limbs and chest.
The potion felt rather cool wherever he smeared it. However, after a few moments, a wave of heat gradually coursed through his skin. In an instant, his skin started to shudder and turn beet red.
[The Reactive Elixir is taking effect, medicinal properties under surveillance!] The A.I. Chip’s voice intoned.
As the potion continued to take effect, Leylin felt as if the potion coating his skin had come alive and was worming its way through his pores and into his body.
72 - Advancing to Level 3 Acolyte
An itch!
An unbearable itch!
Leylin felt that his bones had split open and many ants came crawling out from within. An extremely itching sensation was coursing through his body at this moment.
“Damn it! And I actually have to enter a deep meditative state under this condition and remodel the mind runes.”
Leylin’s face turned red. He clenched his teeth and resisted the urge to scratch his body as he closed his eyes.
Due to the adverse yet intense effect on his body, Leylin spent several more times longer to enter a meditative state.
Inside the meditation, Leylin seemed to have come to a place.
The surroundings were a grayish blur. Up in the air, there were many lights which seemed like stars, illuminating this place.
Leylin lifted his head. In the air were 24 mysterious runes— glowing with a flu
orescent light— which gathered to form a circle.
These were the mind runes that he had painstakingly constructed during the past few years.
Although these mind runes were all constructed through various special means, each and every one of the construction required a huge amount of effort and time. Previously, Leylin had spent more than a year before he could finally construct them in his mind.
“The mind runes of a Level 2 Acolyte cannot be considered to have fully consolidated. A Level 3 Acolyte has to integrate the mind runes together based on the foundation set in Level 2 Acolyte. Moreover, there needs to be a reinforcement of the sea of consciousness!”
Leylin was extremely curious towards that state too.
Right now, he was in a completely ‘conscious’ state. The sea of consciousness did not appear in any parts of his body. At least, the A.I. Chip had already used a microscopic scan at the atomic level on his body but yet could not find anything.
“The cultivation of Magi Spiritual Force, may very well have crossed over into the aspect of souls!”
Leylin let out a sigh from the bottom of his heart. And at this moment, the sea of consciousness had a phenomenon.
A layer of tangerine-yellow light continuously permeated over the blurry, grayish mist. Not long after, the whole of the sea of consciousness turned into a bright tangerine-yellow.
“This is the effect of the Reactive Elixir! It was only with a potion that can be smeared on the body, and I also know of the ingredients it is made up of, but that it can actually affect my sea of consciousness, that is really mysterious….”
Before Leylin could gasp again, the tangerine-yellow light immediately rushed up into the sky, as if it wanted to dye the 24 mind runes into a tangerine-yellow colour too.
* Bang! *
The mind runes let off a glow and rejected the contamination of a foreign object, A huge force of impact travelled over. Leylin’s vision darkened, and he almost fainted.
“Suppress it!” Leylin hurriedly borrowed the strength of his Spiritual Force, to suppress the resistance of the mind runes.
* Pop! *
Towards the mind runes that he constructed, Leylin’s mastery over them was not little. A few seconds later, the 24 mind runes all stopped resisting, and they were dyed a tangerine-yellow
Under the contamination of the light, the many mysterious patterns appeared on the surface of the mind runes.
These patterns continuously kept extending till they had completely covered the surface of all the mind runes.
* Bang! * The 24 mind runes finally stuck together, forming into an even greater rune.
In Leylin’s sea of consciousness, many patterns also appeared. And after the presence of these patterns, the sea of consciousness turned even more resplendent and transparent, as if it were being reinforced.
After the reinforcement, as if listening to some command, the tangerine-yellow light hurriedly retreated, immediately vanishing in the sea of consciousness.
The large mysterious rune let off a glow, and Leylin’s consciousness was pushed out from it.
“Where is this place?”
Leylin grew confused; suddenly releasing that he was in a mysterious place. The area was pitch-black, with no light whatsoever.
He wanted to reach out, but there was no concept of “hands” as if he never had any hands before.
In this manner, he floated in the air with no concept of time, yet he couldn’t move.
To Leylin, in this space, every minute was like a dozen years.
This feeling could completely drive a sane person over the cliff.
Leylin was somewhat frustrated, “Haven’t I advanced into a Level 3 Acolyte yet? Why would I come to this space? How long has the time passed?”
Suddenly, Leylin’s heart jumped, “A.I. Chip!”
[Beep!] A bright blue screen was projected in front of Leylin and although it could not illuminate the darkness, still it made him feel much better.
[Scans have picked up that the Host’s Spiritual Force is in an abnormal state. Under this circumstance, the Host will fail the breakthrough to a Level 3 Acolyte in 5 Minutes 23 Seconds! 13 Hours 45 Minutes later, due to the failure of all organs death will ensue! Whether to use Magic Power to get rid of the status? Yes/No?]
“Yes!” Right now Leylin completely did not feel any Magic Power left in his body, but the A.I. Chip could still circulate it, which made him elated.
[Obtained Host’s confirmation and now transferring Magic Power. In the process of getting rid of the abnormal status….] Along with the A.I. Chip’s voice intonation, there was suddenly a strange movement in the pitch-black space.
Leylin’s eyes flashed open. He realised that he was still in the secret lab and that not much time had passed since he began.
“During the advancing to a Level 3 Acolyte, there are actually such strange scenarios!”
Leylin’s expression was solemn. His degree of progress was too quick, most of his knowledge had been obtained from the library and also from the simulations and conjectures of the A.I. Chip.
He had no info about some scenarios of advancing into Level 3 Acolyte.
“Normally speaking, when many Level 2 Acolytes are in the midst of advancing, they all have their Professors to explain in detail to them… but I’m unfortunate! Even Professor Kroft wouldn’t have expected that I would face a breakthrough this quickly!”
Leylin held onto many secrets and would never tell the truth. In Kroft’s eyes, he was just a newly advanced Level 2 Acolyte, so why would he tell him about some notes to pay attention regarding the advancement to a Level 3 Acolyte?
Furthermore, the books in the library were available commonly. Many things in it had vague explanations. Even if Leylin had the A.I. Chip and was able to erase the false information, together with his experiments, he wouldn’t be able to obtain the perfect results.
This caused Leylin to encounter a phenomenon that occurred during his advancement and he was at a complete loss.
“Luckily I had the A.I. Chip this time, if not I will be finished! The road to becoming a Magus is indeed very precarious!”
There was some lingering fear in Leylin’s heart.
But this, too, confirmed his deductions. The A.I. Chip had been with him when he was transported and for some unknown reason, it had merged into his soul.
Hence, when his soul met with an abnormality and was isolated and without help, he could still activate the A.I. Chip to get rid of the inner influences from the outside.
“So, advancing to a Level 3 Acolyte is not about the combination of the mind runes nor reinforcing the sea of consciousness, but about the space of darkness that comes after!”
Leylin suddenly understood much more. All these were usually precious information secrets that were not announced by professors or the academy, many factionless acolytes usually died during this aspect.
[Beep! The Host’s Spiritual Force has some change and is more lively. The Host has advanced into a Level 3 Acolyte! Spiritual Force increasing….] The A.I. Chip’s voice intoned.
Following which, Leylin felt dizzy, and his Spiritual Force increased at a rapid speed.
Warlock of the Magus World 1-596 Page 57