novelraw Chapter 97: The Genius Young Mage
Chapter 97: The Genius Young Mage
What does Tuilë mean by her words? Ah, I see now. Tuilë and this boy, Lucian, clearly didn’t come from the same place. Just like Earth, there were at least two other worlds that divine warriors in Fantasia originated from. Though theoretically, they could still be from the same world but simply from distant regions. Even so, the likelihood seemed slim.
Nevertheless, Lucian’s words weren’t empty bluster. The mana signature radiating from his core was dense and heavy, far thicker than mine. He wasn’t just a child acting superior; he was a bona fide mage. Adding to that, the way he and Tuilë interacted carried a sense of familiarity. It wasn’t the shallow rapport of new acquaintances. Judging by their casual banter, the two had likely known each other for some time, possibly even having tackled the early scenarios together. If that were the case, then our meeting wasn’t a mere coincidence.
As if to confirm my assumption, Tuilë spoke up. “This brat and I have been teaming up since the second scenario, and I can vouch for his skills. Since you’re still short one member, why not take him as your last party slot?”
“Hey, I haven’t agreed to anything yet!” Lucian shot back, his cheeks coloring before he turned his head aside in feigned annoyance. “But… I’ll admit the higher scenarios are becoming more troublesome with just the two of us.”
Ho… So, he is interested in joining. Curious, I used Inspect Eye on him.
Lucian Arkwright
HP: 100%
Rank: Gimmel [3]
Patron God: Istellia (Goddess of Imagination)
Class: High-Mage
Total Attribute Points: 1,581
A High-Mage? It was a pretty normal class for a mage. But based on what he had been spouting, he was a High-Mage from the moment he entered Divine Will—a straight-up Gimmel-rank divine warrior. Or, in other words, a true prodigy.
“What do you say, Maxim?” Michelle asked, tilting her head slightly at me.
Having him join wouldn’t necessarily be a bad idea, but I couldn’t ignore the risk. He was barely a teenager. How strong could his mental resilience be? Talent alone wasn’t enough. A party member who was difficult to control could be more dangerous than one with fewer skills but knew their place.
“We’re indeed short one member… But—”
“What? Are you doubting my skills?” Lucian cut me off, jabbing a finger in my direction. “Then feast your eyes on the power of a true mage!”
He straightened his back, preparing to demonstrate. His arrogant glare softened into calm concentration, and he raised one slender hand. Mana surged instantly, coiling around him with fluid precision. Several magic circles flared into existence around him, complex and interwoven, filled with refined detail. This wasn’t the sloppy work of an amateur; it was the structured casting formula of a disciplined mage.
Dozens of swirling mana orbs formed around him and expanded outward to condense into multiple mana lances, each hovering in perfect alignment around him. Clearly, he was the master of arcane magic.
Michelle let out a soft gasp beside me. “He’s… he’s controlling so many at once?”
Lucian smirked, clearly basking in the attention. “Of course. Did you expect anything less from the genius of the Amethyst Magic Tower?”
Even Tuilë gave a small whistle of appreciation, though her grin was more amused than impressed. “Not bad, Lucian.”
Lucian puffed out his chest proudly. “Hmph. Naturally.”
Watching him, I narrowed my eyes. This boy wasn’t someone to underestimate, but my point still stood. His arrogance would definitely drag the whole party down unless it was kept firmly in check.
I nodded slowly. “Alright. But there’s one condition. You must obey my every order inside the scenario. Can you promise that?”
“From you?” Lucian squinted his eyes, directing the mana lances at me before dispelling them mid-sentence. “You’re the one who defeated Graham, aren’t you? Fine. I might consider listening to you during the scenario.”
“Considering isn’t enough,” I replied flatly. “If you’re not convinced, then let’s settle it with a magic duel. No melee weapons. If I win, you’ll follow my commands fully, without question asked.”
His smirk widened. “Interesting. A magic duel against me? And what if I win?”
“I’ll let you do as you wish in the scenario. Fair enough, isn’t it?”
Lucian tilted his chin up, smugness radiating from every line of his face. “Very well. I accept!”
I was confident I could win easily if I relied on my weapons, but doing that wouldn’t be enough to take him down a peg. If I wanted Lucian to submit, I needed to defeat him in the very field he was most proud of, which was magic. Of course, even with my new Cryo Magic and Weapon Manifestation combination, I doubted it would be enough to topple him outright.
Well, in the worst-case scenario, I could always resort to Fabled Vessel and call upon Merlin or Eirwen. But I had something else up my sleeve that I wanted to test and use to defeat him fair and square. To make that work, though, I’d need some time on my own.
“Let’s have the duel later in the afternoon,” I said evenly.
“Oh?” Lucian crossed his arms. “I thought you would take longer to prepare. Good, good. I’ll arrange the place. Come back to Tuilë’s workshop later, and she will lead you to my place. Then you shall witness my unmatched magic prowess!”
I resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of my nose. Oh great. Not only is he arrogant, but he clearly has a severe case of eighth-grade syndrome, too.
With the agreement settled, Lucian left swiftly, saying he needed to prepare the place for our duel. Apparently, he had no intention of using the dueling cube in the training center—privacy seemed to matter to him. That actually worked in my favor, as I thought the same.
“Maxim, are you serious about dueling him in a magic battle?” Michelle asked once he was gone, concern flickering in her eyes. “I’m confident you’d win if you used your sword and skills, but this…”
“Yeah, Maxxy.” Tuilë jabbed me lightly in the side, grinning. “Lucian might be prideful, but his magic is no joke. Even I’d admit I’m a little behind him in that department.”
Maxxy? Are we close enough for you to call me that? I frowned at her but didn’t take it to mind.
“You don’t need to worry about this matter. I have my own ways,” I said, leaving it at that without offering further explanation.
“Well, if you say so…” Michelle replied with a nod. At this point, she knew that it was better not to doubt me.
“Seems confident, ain’t you?” Tuilë teased with a smirk.
As I needed to prepare too, I excused myself and stepped toward the door. The moment I opened it, however, I was met with a towering wall of bare muscle—Boris’s massive frame filled the doorway like an iron gate.
He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. “Oh, what have we here? Am I missing something, lad?” asked Boris curiously.
I was momentarily caught off guard but quickly composed myself. “Not much. Just some… arrangements.” I noticed that he was now wearing a new set of flexible magic bracers on his arms, and they seemed to be of great quality; he must have redeemed his Unique-Grade Armament Voucher.
Boris tilted his head slightly, studying me with those sharp, soldier’s eyes that seemed to see more than they should. “Arrangements, eh? Sounds like trouble brewing.”
“Nothing I can’t handle,” I said smoothly, sidestepping him to step into the sunlight.
“Gahaha!” His booming laugh followed me out. “That’s what worries me, lad. Every time you say that, I know you’re plotting something big. You know I’ll help you, no matter what it is.”
I glanced back at him. “Trust me, it’s nothing major. I can handle it myself. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Michelle or Tuilë. Still… thanks for worrying.”
Boris gave a short nod, satisfied enough for the moment.
With that, I turned down the street toward the inn to prepare for the duel that awaited me later in the afternoon. After all, I couldn’t take this lightly.
***
Alone in my room, I retrieved an old, decaying book from my inventory and set it carefully on the table before me.
Old Decrepit Book of a Senile Old Man
Grade: Uncommon
Type: Magic Tome
An undecipherable collection of scribbles penned by a senile old man. The contents are shrouded in symbols, making it impossible to discern what’s written inside. However, the book’s most surprising feature lies in its incredible resilience—it’s nearly indestructible and can even be used as a blunt weapon in combat.
Durability: ???/???Previously, I hadn’t been able to open this book when I first learned magic, and since then I hadn’t tried again—partly because I was too busy, and partly because my stats hadn’t improved enough to make a difference. But now things were different. I had a large number of free attribute points to allocate, and both my Magic Power and Mind stats had already crossed the threshold required to unlock the Extraordinary Magic Power and Extraordinary Memory skills.
With that in mind, I opened my status screen first.
Maximillian Anderson Lv. 14/60 (EXP 1,196/2,960)
HP: 100%
MP: 470/470
Rank: Gimmel [3]
Patron God: Istellia (Goddess of Imagination)
Class: Paradox Incarnate
Title: One Who Conquered the Impossible (5)
Status: Normal
Strength: 341 + 37 + 34 | Dexterity: 341 + 24 + 34 | Stamina: 289 + 25 + 29
Mind: 212 + 21 | Magic Power: 246 + 25 | Luck: 224 + 22
Plausibility: 596
Free Attributes: 156
Signature Skill(s): [Absorb Plausibility], [Fabled Vessel], [God!$# Creation], [Grant Plausibility], [Scenario Manipulation]
Skill(s): [Basic Alchemy Lv.7], [Basic Cryo Magic Lv.5], [Basic Hand-to-Hand Combat Lv.7], [Basic Neutral Magic Lv.8], [Basic Shield Mastery Lv.8], [Back Stab Lv.3], [Berserk Lv.2], [Calm Mind], [Chantless Casting Lv.2], [Desperate Willpower Lv.8], [Divine Sermon Lv.1], [Extraordinary Agility], [Extraordinary Endurance], [Extraordinary Magic Power], [Extraordinary Memory], [Extraordinary Power], [Fast Equip], [Heavy Slash Lv.7], [Heavy Stab Lv.6], [Inspect Eye Lv.3], [Intermediate Spearmanship Lv.2], [Intermediate Swordsmanship Lv.3], [Inventory], [Mana Manipulation Lv.7], [Mana Sense Lv.7], [Mental Tolerance Lv.5], [Negotiation Lv.6], [Night Vision], [Pain Tolerance Lv.6], [Paralysis Resistance Lv.3], [Poison Resistance Lv.3], [Projectile Defense Lv.3], [Predator’s Step Lv.4], [Weapon Manifestation Lv.3], [Wind Rush Lv.6]
Spell(s): {Frozen Icicle}, {Mana Arrow}, {Mana Bullet}, {Spinning Mana Arrow}
“Two hundred and forty-six plus twenty-five, that brings it to a total of two hundred and seventy-one points,” I murmured. It was a number of Magic Power that an accomplished mage would have. Of course, it still paled compared to the high-ranking mages like Lucian, but it should be enough to open this old book.
Without further delay, I pulled the old book closer and set my hand on its battered cover. The surface was cracked and weathered, its pages yellowed with age and carrying the faint scent of dust and stale ink. In the past, the tome had refused to open, sealed tight by incomprehensible wards. But this time, with my heightened stats, I felt the resistance weaken.
“Now… let’s see your secrets.”
The cover creaked open, and the pages began to flutter of their own accord.
You have sufficient Magic Power.
You have fulfilled the hidden condition to unlock the tome.
The Old Decrepit Book of a Senile Old Man reveals itself to the worthy.
Strange glyphs and scribbles faintly before reshaping into coherent script. One by one, they revealed knowledge of ancient and forbidden paths before my eyes.
As a worthy inheritor, choose one magic to learn from this tome:
[Blood Magic] | [Necromancy] | [Illusion Magic]
[Curse Magic] | [Chaos Magic] | [Void Magic]
[Shadowflame Magic] | [Soulweaving] | [Astral Magic]
[Runic Magic] | [Gravity Magic] | [Abyssal Magic]
The Old Decrepit Book of a Senile Old Man can only be used once. Upon choosing a magic, the tome will turn into an ordinary book, never to be used again.