Chapter 25: Level 2 Mage

"Sigh..."

"Iz, you really are quite bizarre," Lu Cang couldn't help but lament in his heart.

Lu Cang had been catching up on common knowledge, yet the feeling Iz gave him was that he was constantly doing things outside the realm of common sense.

According to books on common knowledge, the limit of mana was 100.

Yet, Iz had forcibly led him to break through that limit.

And raised it to 10,000.

Currently, this 10,000 points had become the true upper limit for a Level 1 Mage.

As for the evolution of spells, that should be the exclusive effect of his "God-tier Proficiency Evolution."

A limit of 100 was the pre-established ceiling.

But this guy, Iz...

He had long since envisioned an existence beyond magic, surpassing Level 100.

It was normal to think of such things.

But what was terrifying was... he had actually created a testing mechanism for it.

A testing mechanism for a type of magic that wasn't even supposed to exist.

"I'll continue," Lu Cang said, suppressing the sighs in his heart.

Kumironi: "Mm-hmm, go ahead."

Boom!

As soon as the words fell, lightning began to flicker across the dummy.

Lu Cang could feel the dummy absorbing the mana of the spell.

「Lightning Flash (LV: 101)」

「Lightning Strike Evolution Direction — Instant Cast」

The greatest advantage of lightning-type magic was speed and power.

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

It required no casting motion whatsoever, nor did it require drawing mana from a high altitude.

「Lightning Flash」 could explode instantly at a distance where the enemy was completely in close quarters!

The only pity was that it couldn't be detonated directly inside the enemy's body; otherwise, the lethality would be even greater.

With a proud smile, Kumironi announced: "Lightning-type magic mastery level."

"Transcendent."

Seeing Lu Cang achieve such incredible results, Kumironi's heart was filled with joy.

She was the one who had brought little Lu Cang out of the dungeon.

Kumironi would never forget that when she first saw him, his life force was as thin as a thread; if she hadn't acted, he would surely have died.

But now, he was living well and had become an outstanding genius. Perhaps this was a miracle of life.

Ice Magic — Ice Shuttle

Lightning Magic — Lightning Flash

Fire Magic — Flame Gathering Orb

Wind Magic — Breathless Wind Swarm

Light Magic — Eternal Lamp

Light Magic — Holy Light Cross

Dark Magic — Curse Arrow

Earth Magic — Pillar of Impact

...

Lu Cang proceeded without pause, consecutively casting every spell he had learned.

All eight types of magic were "Transcendent."

The field fell into a dead silence.

When Izparut had undergone his test, he had reached the pinnacle of the Eight Arts, meaning every spell he learned had reached a proficiency level of 100.

It was thought that this achievement was the limit for Level 1.

No matter how stunning a mage appeared in later generations, they could only ever match Izparut's record.

But no one expected that, at this very moment...

The eight-year-old boy before them would deliver an answer sheet that no one could have imagined.

"Eight Arts... Transcendent."

Even though this term was appearing for the first time, everyone present understood exactly what it meant.

"How is that possible?"

"Kumironi! Has he really only awakened for three days!" The one who asked the question was an old man from the Temple.

Kumironi's expression carried a hint of pride.

"I guarantee it in my name as the High Priestess of the Church of Life. I personally presided over his awakening ceremony. His day of awakening was indeed three days ago."

Kumironi's promise was incredibly weighty.

Lu Cang looked back at the crowd. In truth, he hadn't originally intended to reveal Level 101 spells.

Rather, he had always intended to hide his true abilities.

Hiding some strength and not letting too many people know his trump cards to avoid unknown dangers was a self-preservation principle Lu Cang had formed subconsciously.

A tall tree attracts the wind; being too much in the spotlight could lead to unforeseen disasters.

However, demonstrating transcendent spells during the promotion ceremony was Izparut's idea.

Lu Cang still remembered the... sheer ecstasy Izparut had shown last night when Lu Cang attacked him with Ice Shuttle.

Last night's sneak attack had unexpectedly hit Iz directly.

The Ice Shuttle had passed through Izparut's body without any obstruction, and blood had almost instantly stained his robes.

Lu Cang hadn't intended to cause real harm to Iz.

Lu Cang had originally thought that a Level 5 Mage wouldn't be easily harmed by him.

After all, according to the books, a Level 5 Magic Emperor possessed the magical power to destroy a nation. How could he... how could he be wounded by his Ice Shuttle, and leave such a severe wound?

That single Ice Shuttle had passed completely through Izparut's body, leaving a frost-congealed hole in his torso.

Because he believed Iz was far stronger than his current self, Lu Cang hadn't held back at all.

Seeing that large, blood-and-frost-stained hole in his body, Lu Cang felt his head ring—

*I didn't mean to hurt him...*

Lu Cang immediately canceled the magic.

But... Iz showed no sign of surprise or anger.

The expression on his face... was one of excitement, of pure ecstasy.

"Transcendent magic! You actually used transcendent magic!"

Lu Cang, however, was extremely anxious: "Iz, your wound!"

Even if that strike hadn't hit his heart, it had pierced his chest, his lungs, and likely even his spine... it was a very serious injury.

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

But Iz paid no heed to his injuries. He suddenly teleported over, grabbing Lu Cang's shoulders... his expression manic.

"Tell me, how did you comprehend it?"

"The wound doesn't matter."

"Compared to your transcendent magic, this injury is trivial."

Kumironi arrived very quickly.

Held back by Iz, Lu Cang had no chance to go back for help.

But Kumironi did come.

Iz indeed didn't look like someone with a heavy injury; he had remained in a state of excitement even before Kumironi arrived.

When Kumironi arrived, she merely gave a helpless smile. Green energy flowed, and the hole in Iz's body was regenerated in a very short time.

Lu Cang saw with his own eyes his internal organs reconstructing, bones forming out of thin air, and finally, flesh and skin restoring themselves, looking as if nothing had ever happened.

He learned later that Iz had sensed the release of the Ice Shuttle the moment it happened.

But his first reaction upon sensing the Ice Shuttle was to drop all the defenses he had been maintaining.

He actively abandoned all protection to take the hit head-on.

All just to personally experience transcendent magic—to feel what it was actually like to be struck by such magic.

One had to admit.

He truly was a terrifying person.

Afterward, Iz proposed the idea of using transcendent magic during the promotion ceremony.

The reason was also one Lu Cang could not refuse.

Iz explained the essence of the promotion ceremony to Lu Cang.

Every promotion ceremony has its corresponding core principle.

【Mage Promotion Ceremony】

The core principle lies in "the process of pursuing the roots of the Magic Dao."

A promotion ceremony is a demonstration of one's efforts in pursuing the roots of the Magic Dao.

The role of the ceremony is that of a witness.

By observing the 【achievements obtained in the pursuit of the roots of the Magic Dao】 demonstrated by the mage, it grants the corresponding reward.

This is what is known as a 【Promotion Ceremony】.

"So, during a promotion ceremony, it is best to fully demonstrate your achievements in the Magic Dao."

"You must show your transcendent magic during the promotion ceremony."

That was Izparut's stance.

...

Lu Cang was completely convinced by Iz's words.

Compared to hiding his strength, gaining greater power was more important.

If demonstrating transcendent magic could yield more strength as a reward, then hiding the extra strength gained would still count as "hiding his cards."

The third test was completed.

The final test was the Proof of Combat.

This proof was the simplest; Lu Cang presented a Snake Eye.

This was his proof of having killed the Shadow Giant Snake.

The Proof of Combat is simply proof of having experienced battle, which is not strict for a mage.

One only needs to have experienced a single battle with a magical creature.

Whether in a dungeon or in the wild.

Even a battle with a weak slime would count.

Lu Cang's proof of killing a second-tier dungeon lord was already incredibly weighty.

Kumironi took the Snake Eye.

In her hands, the Snake Eye turned into a phantom glow and vanished.

"Eh..."

It actually vanished? That was a material that could be sold for 3 silver!

Iz had specifically left that Snake Eye behind, saying it would be needed later.

So it was used here.

The glow rose into the sky and slowly showered down upon Lu Cang, as if affirming the battles he had endured.

*Heh... so there's even an anti-counterfeiting mechanism?*

True, otherwise people would probably just use bought dragon scales or something similar to pass the combat test.

Kumironi closed her eyes as if in a trance, chanting in a rhythmic tone: "I have witnessed the journey of an apprentice pursuing the roots."

"This is a path of unceasing seeking."

"You have uncovered the tip of the iceberg of the Magic Dao; a pioneer stepping toward transcendence."

"This is not the end."

"It is the beginning."

The sky was neither cloudy nor clear; only the colorful aurora danced above.

The roots of magic seemed to be right before his eyes.

An eight-year-old child had completed his mage promotion ceremony.

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

(End of Chapter)