He had finally completed the six sigils required to become a Nexus Temporal Magus: right hand, left hand, solar plexus, head, right leg, and left leg. Now, he was just one step away from achieving the Nexus Temporal rank. Yet, despite the anticipation, he wasn’t in a rush to reach that status; it hadn’t been long since he became an Elemental Adept Magus, after all.
Taking a deep breath, Victor focused on stabilizing his newly acquired strength. The dense ambient mana around him seemed to ripple in response, as if acknowledging his breakthrough. He couldn’t help but feel satisfied. Without the elixir, forming his sixth sigil even in this mana-rich environment would have been nearly impossible. The investment had been more than worth it.
Victor Asteriscus
HP: 100%
MP: 2095/2095
Power Rank: Sixth-sigil Elemental Adept Magus | Ki Sentinel
Elemental Affinity: Cosmo (97% → 98%) | Chrono (93% → 95%) | Anemo (82%) | Pyro (57%)
Mana Aptitude: Superior bright grade
Meditation Technique: Omni-Elemental Fusion Method (sixth sub-level, 2%)
Breathing Technique: Harmonic Resonance Art (second level)
Status: Normal
Strength: (42 → 45)
Agility: (42 → 44)
Vitality: (42 → 45)
Magical Power: (55 → 57)
Infused Mana (total): (1702 → 2095)
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}, {Nova}, {Space Fold}, {Gravity Hammer}, {Time Reversal}, {Time Prison}, {Eyes of Space-Time}, {Volcanic Spear}, {Tempest Gale}, {Blazing Burst}, {Curse of Nightmare}, {Indomitable Will}
Achieving the peak of Elemental Adept Magus from a third-stage Initiate Attunement acolyte in less than a year — it was nothing short of unprecedented. What made it even more remarkable was the significant improvement in his mana aptitude, which had risen from advanced bright grade to superior bright grade. More than that, he could feel that it was bordering on the inferior shining grade — and this was while he had only consumed half of the elixir. The remnants of the consumed portion were still circulating within his body, subtly refining his mana even further.
Stroking his interspatial ring, Victor retrieved a small crystal vial half-filled with a shimmering, purple liquid — the elixir he had acquired at the auction. Just holding it gave off a sensation akin to touching pure essence itself.
“The long-lost elixir from the Magus Dynasty Era… spatial and temporal essence fused together,” he murmured, examining the vial with a thoughtful expression. Consuming it had not only enhanced his mana aptitude but also improved his elemental affinities for Cosmo and Chrono — an effect unheard of before. It was no exaggeration to say that this elixir alone had propelled his progress by leaps and bounds.
Victor couldn’t help but think that purchasing the elixir was one of the best decisions he had ever made. He carefully stored the vial back into his ring, intending to save it for later. I should use the rest of the elixir to make my breakthrough to the Nexus Temporal rank…
A glint of determination flashed in his eyes as he stood up, stretching his limbs. He clenched his fists, feeling the power coursing through his body. The sense of control and strength was intoxicating, like having his very soul resonating with the flow of space and time.
To test his newfound abilities, he took a deep breath, circulating his infused mana into his right fist. With a swift, controlled motion, he punched the air in front of him. The impact created a shockwave that rippled outward, warping the surrounding mana and elemental particles and causing the air to distort. It was as if space itself trembled under the force.
Unlike ki, the use of mana to exert physical force would always have a magical quality, bending the laws of physics. However, it was too inefficient to wield it in this manner, which was why spell models served as the catalysts to channel a Magus’ power efficiently.
“Not bad. My power and control have definitely improved.”
With this, he was absolutely confident of taking over the Asteriscus family. None of his family members would dare to underestimate him once they learned of his accomplishments. He could already envision their shocked faces when they discovered that he had not only become an official Magus but also reached the peak of the Elemental Adept rank in such a short time.
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That aside, Victor made his way toward the opposite side of the underground lake, where Fernando’s corpse lay, and looted him. Afterward, he flew to the flat boulder in the center of the lake and collected the belongings from Wyne’s corpse as well. Once he had gathered both sets of items, he carefully examined their interspatial rings.
To his astonishment, Fernando’s ring contained a lot of treasures, like valuable potions, elixirs, magic tools, and even spell models. What was more, there was even a voidstone.
“Wait, isn’t this the voidstone I sold in the auction? What the heck.”
Fernando was the one who purchased it; he knew of that. But to think that it would end up back in his possession, even though it was just a replica he made. What were the odds of such a coincidence?
Well, at least I won’t have to worry about anyone discovering that it only lasts a third of the usual time, he thought while in glee.
In any case, it was time to leave. As much as Victor wanted to spend more time meditating here and advance to the Nexus Temporal rank as soon as possible, he couldn’t afford to delay his goal any longer. It had already been over a week since he left the academy, and he knew that being absent for too long might not be beneficial.
As Victor slowly made his way toward the exit, he couldn’t help but glance back. This place would be incredibly valuable if he could occupy it and allow his players to meditate here. Their progress would be exponentially faster compared to the academy — tens of times faster, in fact. Of course, he was aware that if too many people absorbed the mana and elemental particles here, the place would degrade over time, unable to recover at a sufficient rate.
But his mind as a game developer immediately began to work. Why not make it a privilege to meditate here? He could charge merit points for the opportunity to train in this area on an hourly basis. One thousand merit points per hour should be very generous.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have a Teleportation Waypoint with him, so establishing a direct link between the academy and this location was impossible. Even if he had one, the distance was too great, and the current version of the Teleportation Waypoint wasn’t designed for such long-range teleportation. Consequently, he could only set up a magic marking for now to record the location, allowing him to return later once he had upgraded the waypoint.
“There’s no use thinking about this now,” Victor mused as he stepped out of the cavern, fixing his eyes on the distant horizon. “It’s time to take over the Asteriscus family.”
Asteriscus Manor.
Within the grand hall of the Asteriscus family estate, the atmosphere was heavy with unease. Servants stood tense at the edges of the room with their eyes lowered, while the elders of the house sat in rigid silence. A visitor had arrived — not just any visitor, but an envoy from the Merlin family, one of the most powerful and influential Magus lineages in the Luminos Kingdom.
At the center of the hall stood a tall, silver-robed Magus, his cool and measured gaze sweeping across the chamber. Though his tone remained civil, a trace of arrogance laced his voice as he addressed the gathered elders.
“The Merlin family demands an explanation,” the envoy said, his eyes finally settling on the man seated in the central chair — the patriarch, Maverick Asteriscus. “Our heir, Graviel Merlin, went on an expedition accompanied by your son, Victor Asteriscus. Now, Graviel is dead. And we demand an explanation.”
Several murmurs broke out among the gathered members of the Asteriscus family. Maverick himself, a man known for his sharp intellect and thirst for authority, remained silent for a long moment.
“Are you implying that my son is responsible?” he asked in a firm tone.
The envoy’s lips curled into a thin smile. “We are stating the facts. Graviel Merlin was a rising star of our lineage, and now he lies cold in foreign soil, along with several heirs of our vassal houses. Our investigation revealed he was under the guidance of your son. And yet, only silence follows his demise as his soul lamp shattered.”
“And what is it you’re asking of us?” Maverick questioned, his eyes narrowing.
“We demand a formal apology,” the envoy replied smoothly. “So long as the Merlin family receives what it is due, which is compensation, we will let this one slide. Ten thousand intermediate-grade mana crystals should suffice. Oh, and 70 percent of the production output from the mana crystal mine your family currently governs.”
The elders in the room were utterly shocked.
“That’s absurd!” shouted one of the elders with bloodshot eyes.
The demand was outrageous. Ten thousand intermediate-grade mana crystals were beyond the reach of a medium-ranked Magus family like theirs. Even liquidating most of their assets would barely yield three or four thousand.
What was even more outrageous was the demand for 70 percent of the production output from the mana crystal mine. It was important to understand that, as a Magus family operating under the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Luminos, the Asteriscus family was already obligated to pay 10 percent of their yield to the royal family, and another 20 percent to the Arcane Radiance College. With those obligations in place, surrendering 70 percent to the Merlins would leave them with virtually nothing.
In essence, the demand was no different from seizing control of the mine outright, without the burden of managing, maintaining, or operating it.
“And what if we refuse?”
The envoy’s smile faded. “Then the Merlin family will act accordingly. We will not allow such a grievous loss to go unpunished. If the Asteriscus family can no longer govern itself responsibly… then we will assume stewardship — by force, if need be.”
A heavy silence fell over the hall.
It was obvious to anyone with even a little of brain cells that the Merlin family was using this opportunity to either force the Asteriscus family into becoming their vassals — or at the very least, cripple them enough to remove them as a future threat while reaping a substantial benefit in the process.
“I understand that you won’t be able to come up with an answer right away,” said the envoy condescendingly. “So, I shall take my leave for now and expect your response in two days.”
He gave a shallow, arrogant bow before turning on his heel and striding confidently out of the room.
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Audible by Peter Berkrot.