Chapter 134: Mages

Chapter 134: Mages"Just like warriors have to open nine Prana circuits in their bodies, mages need to unlock nine Mind blocks to become true mages," Selene explained.

"Oh, Mind blocks," Apollo repeated, intrigued by the parallel paths both mages and warriors had to follow. "So, mages also have a series of steps, but their focus differs."

Selene nodded. "Exactly. Each mind block represents a level of mental and spiritual development. By unlocking these blocks, mages gain access to greater power and the ability to cast more complex spells. Only by combining all nine mind blocks to create a mystical rune platform can a person break through to become a true mage."

Apollo’s curiosity deepened. "A mystical rune platform?"

"Yes," Selene confirmed. "The rune platform is the foundation for a mage’s power. It’s created by merging the nine mind blocks, forming a stable base for casting advanced spells. This platform is essential for a mage to reach higher levels of mastery and to tap into the deeper layers of magical energy."

"So, it’s like the core of a mage’s power," Apollo mused.

"Precisely," Selene said with a smile. "Without it, a mage’s abilities are limited. But with a fully developed rune platform, a mage can achieve remarkable feats. Creating it is arduous, requiring immense focus and dedication, but the rewards are well worth the effort."

"It acts as a bridge that connects the heavens and the earth, allowing a mage to have powerful control over the elements around them. Before building the Rune in their mind space, they are all referred to as apprentice mages," Selene explained.

Apollo’s eyes lit up with understanding. "So, until they create this rune platform, they can’t fully harness their potential?"

"Exactly," Selene affirmed. "Apprentice mages focus on unlocking their mind blocks and learning the basics of spellcasting. Once they’ve built their rune platform, they become true mages, capable of wielding much greater power and casting more intricate and potent spells."

Apollo nodded, absorbing the information. "It’s fascinating how similar yet different the paths of warriors and mages are."

"Yes, mages are also divided into ranks according to the number of runes they build in their mental space."

"One rune - First rank mage or Elementary Mage

Four runes - Second rank mage or Intermediate Mage

Eight runes - Third rank mage or Advanced Mage

Sixteen runes - Fourth rank mage or Master Mage

Thirty-two runes - Fifth rank mage or Great Magister

Sixty-four runes - Sixth rank mage or Archmage."

Apollo’s eyes widened in amazement. "That’s quite a progression. The number of runes must exponentially increase the complexity and power of their spells."

"Exactly," Selene said. "Each Rune acts as a conduit for magical energy, amplifying the mage’s abilities and allowing for more intricate and powerful spell casting. It’s a long and arduous journey, but the rewards are immense."

Apollo nodded, deep in thought. "I see. The path of a mage is truly profound."

But being profound, it also has astonishing similarities to warriors. After breaking through and becoming limit-breakers, they too face a similar situation. Instead of building runes like mages, they break seals known as Prana seals or life seals within their bodies.

The number of life seals corresponds exactly to the number of runes for mages. It’s like unlocking hidden acupoints within the body. For example, to break through to the second rank, a warrior needs to break four life seals within them; only then can they become a second-rank limit-breaker.

Apollo couldn’t help but be intrigued by the parallels. "So, both paths require a deep understanding and control over one’s own body and mind."

"Exactly," Selene confirmed.

"But Sister, can you check if I can become a mage as well? I’ve heard that there are very few, but rare, people who follow more than one path."

Selene looked at Apollo thoughtfully. "There are indeed rare individuals who can follow more than one path, but it’s an incredibly challenging feat. Balancing the demands of both a warrior and a mage requires exceptional talent and discipline."

"But brother, you’ve already become a limit-breaking warrior, so the difficulty of opening your Mind Blocks will increase exponentially. Even with good talent, it will still be very difficult."

She paused, then added, "I can still check if you have the potential to become a mage as well. It involves assessing your mental and spiritual strength with an affinity for elements to see if you can unlock the mind blocks necessary for mage training."

Apollo nodded, understanding the gravity of the challenge. "I know it won’t be easy, but I’m willing to try. Let’s see if I have the potential."

She nodded and took out a white crystal ball made of an unknown material, asking him to place his hand on it.

"Brother, place your hand on the spirit crystal ball."

Apollo placed his hand on the crystal ball, feeling a cool sensation spread from his palm. The crystal ball began to glow faintly, and swirling lights appeared within it, reflecting a spectrum of colours. Selene watched intently, her eyes focused on the changing patterns.

As the lights inside the crystal ball intensified, they gradually settled into a bright, steady purple glow. Selene’s face lit up with a mixture of excitement and amazement.

"It’s purple, brother! It’s purple!" She exclaimed, shocked by the vibrant glow. But just then, the purple light began to brighten even more, and with a minuscule amount of golden light, the crystal ball cracked and exploded with a boom.

Selene staggered back, her eyes wide with astonishment. "Unbelievable. The crystal ball couldn’t contain your potential!" She looked at Apollo, her expression a mix of awe and pride. "Brother, you have an extraordinary affinity for magic, even more than I imagined."

Apollo, equally surprised, looked at his hand and then back at Selene. "Does this mean I have the potential to be a powerful mage?"

He was no longer unaware of his talent; he now recognized it as beyond extraordinary. While he had always thought his exceptional ability was limited to the warrior path—despite having a strong spirit, he didn’t feel particularly gifted after his experience at the Runic Tower in Frostheld City—he now realizes that his talent in the spiritual field is also quite formidable.

"If you can’t become a mage, then no one can." Even though you’ve already reached the limit-breaking warrior stage and the difficulty has increased many times over, your talent still allows you to pursue mage cultivation."

"You know, a mage’s talent is categorized by the colour shown on the Spirit crystal ball, ranging from low to high: White, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, and finally Golden.

Golden is the highest because the Spirit Crystal cannot measure their talent accurately, and every Golden Talent mage is said to possess unique abilities. Even if I hadn’t seen it today, I would have believed it was just a rumour spread by older generations to teach young mages not to be too proud. But now, my little brother seems to have such legendary talent."

Apollo, intrigued by his sister’s revelation, asked, "Oh, it seems my talent is impressive. What about your talent, sister?"

Selene’s expression shifted, a hint of sadness creeping in. Her pride was tempered by a touch of annoyance. "Blue," she admitted, revealing her own talent level. "It’s quite good, but nowhere near your potential."

"But now the problem is that to build a powerful rune, you need ancient meditation techniques. Using ordinary methods would be a waste of your talent. Unfortunately, I can’t provide you with my meditation method. It was given to me by my master and cannot be shared outside."

Apollo nodded thoughtfully, understanding the gravity of the situation. "I see. Then I’ll have to find a way to acquire the appropriate techniques on my own."

"Hmmm, but you can take this meditation technique and use it to open the nine Mind Blocks," Selene suggested. "While opening the Mind Blocks with usual meditation isn’t a problem, building a strong foundation Rune requires more than that. The better the technique, the stronger the foundation Rune you’ll build."

After that, she took out a parchment covered in strange words and symbols. She remembered that Apollo didn’t understand ancient writing and was about to fetch another book to help him interpret it when something unexpected occurred.

The moment Apollo’s eyes fell upon the parchment with the meditation technique, a sudden and profound enlightenment seemed to wash over him. His expression shifted as he grasped an intuitive understanding of the symbols and their meanings as if the ancient knowledge resonated with something deep within him.

"F**k!" She exclaimed, losing her calm and elegant, noble demeanour as she cursed in disbelief. She couldn’t believe what was happening. Was this her own brother? Where was such extraordinary talent coming from?

Although her mother was talented and her father was respectable, they shouldn’t have produced such a prodigy.

To think that just by looking at a meditation technique written in an unknown ancient language and symbols he had never learned, he could achieve enlightenment—were all Golden-talent mages truly this heaven-defying?