The Academy (3)

After reading everything in the book, even re-reading some pages and with Loi answering his questions, Angel managed to finish it.

What he learned was that in every reborn, a ball of energy is created and takes residence in their body. This ball of energy is called a mana core, and the level of such an existence is what defines one's ranking.

Level 0 is for a white colored mana core, which every new reborn or what residents of this realm call the 'Elemental Attuned' possesses. adding 20 years to the attuned's life span.

Level 1 is for a black core. After accumulating enough mana, a mana core will slowly change shades until reaching the color required for a breakthrough, which might be a challenge. the Attuned will have enough mana to handle level 1 spells if successful. adding 50 years to life span.

Level 2 is for the color purple. The attuned gains the ability to combine his elements, opening many new spells and possibilities which is the rank up from an apprentice to a senior apprentice, many new benefits and advantages will be available. hitting a wall unable to breakthrough into this level is quite common, the barrier from level 1 to level 2 is too hard for some to break. leveling up becomes harder and harder to do with each level. life span increases to 150 years.

Level 3 is for the color blue. life span increases to 200 years.

Level 4 is for the color green. physical changes might occur, depending on the elements he possesses or spells the attuned has learned. here is where the senior apprentice becomes a junior mage/elementalist. life span increases to 250 years.

Level 5 is for the color yellow. becoming an official mage, gaining the title with its privileges. life span increases to 400 years.

Level 6 is for the color orange. life span increases to 700 years.

Level 7 is for the color red. This is one of the hardest and deadliest breakthroughs, the tribulation that comes when attempting the level up has ended the lives of many skilled mages, which has planted the seed of fear in many attuned, that led them to seal their mana core, hindering it from leveling up to this level by accident. but if successful, apart from gaining the title of magus, it allows the attuned to possess another mana core, opening new paths. life span increases to 1000 years.

From what angel understood, for every level there is a ranking that differentiates between the people in it. it's judged by the color's shade of the mana core and the number of spells mastered.

Angel tried asking loi about the paths that would open after reaching level 7 but loi told him again that it's too early.

The book also explained the different specializations that the attuned can choose. there was alchemy, enchanting, crafting and many more..

Taking a specialization class is free, but signing for another requires enough merit points. These points are what the attuned can receive as rewards for clearing missions, completing tasks and or selling needed magical items to the academy. they can be used instead of money as well, purchasing anything with enough points.

All spells available are not free, except level 0 spells which some will be given by the professors in their classes but if other level 0 spells are needed, they must be bought like the others. apprentices can obtain spells as rewards as well.

In this realm, money the attuned arrived with will be converted once. After that, copper, silver, gold and platinum coins must be used for daily purchases.

Angel had a bit of a problem memorizing everything in the book, From all the specializations, the prices for common items and materials, different types and names of common friendly magical beasts To all the noble titles, villages and their rules, level of commoners, and different kinds of trades and events every year.

Loi came up with a solution, since he has access to everything in the space inside the ring, he'll be able to help, warn or answer angels' questions.

But what surprised angel the most is that attuned people are rare here. Even if an attuned person had a child, it does not mean he'll be born one as well. Which is why commoners and nobles exist, they are just average people, some of them are just apprentices stuck at their level unable to advance, so they have to live with the normal folks. the attuned are feared and respected by the non-attuned, since one needs a strong soul, smarts and talent to advance. they are seen as higher life forms.

Angel was excited, he couldn't wait to know what his elements were and learned his first spell. He looked out the window, seeing the sun at its peak. It was time for lunch, the academy provided meals for the apprentices in the cafeteria for a yearly fee of 2 silver coins.

Angel stood up and stretched, taking out the money from the space and walking out of his room. He walked over to the beauty that helped register him when he first came.

"Hi, i have some money from back home that i would like to convert please." said angel with a polite smile.

"Yes, i can help you with that. may i?" she said holding her hand out, when angel gave her the 3000$ she froze for a bit.

"Is this the money from your realm? paper?" she had a confused look but she went back to her usual smile. she dropped it in what looked like a black cubic box, closing it for a second then opening it, the money turned from paper to the coins angel saw their pictures in the book.

there were 3 gold coins in there, akara asked "Would you like to convert it into a card?"

"A card?" angel asked

"Yes, since if you use a gold coin to buy something worth 1 silver or less. you'll end up with too many coins and it'll become a hindrance unless you have a spatial necklace" akara said, she was awaiting the question about the spatial necklace every non-magic realm foreigner has asked. but again, she was mistaken.

"Yes, I would like a card then." Angel said with the same smile.

akara had a confused expression for a second "Is he really a foreigner?" she thought.

She closed the box on the coins again and asked the angel to put his hand on it, she opened it and there was a card in there, with angel's name. she handed it to him. when he was about to walk away, she stopped him.

"Wait. look there, it might be helpful." she pointed at the box. angel looked and saw some information.

'1$ = 1 copper coin

100$ = 1 silver coin

1000$ = 1 gold coin

100000$ = 1 platinum coin'

'100 copper coins = 1 silver coin

10 silver coins = 1 gold coin

10 gold coins = 1 platinum coin'

"Oh. That is helpful, I understand now." said angel "And, I nearly forgot. where can i pay for the academy's cafeteria?"

"Everything related to apprentices can be taken care of here" she said with a smile "That'll be 2 silver coins."

"Well, here." Angel handed her the card. it was similar to a bank card, with his name on it. He paid for the cafeteria and learned that to see his balance, he only needs to inject a little mana in it, and the number will show at the back of the card. Angel didn't know how to inject mana but Loi said he'll show him, so he walked away.

"What the hell is up with this guy." akara muttered to herself "Is he a genius? managing to figure it himself or too stupid to realize that he needs to ask?"

Angel walked out of the dormitory. he wanted to go to the cafeteria to get lunch, and after that he wanted to walk around the academy to familiarize himself with it.

The cafeteria is close, he walked for a bit and it was a building the size of a gymnasium, when he entered, it looked like a fancy restaurant, the tables were shining, there were a few students eating.

Angel saw an empty table and he approached it, suddenly when he got close, a chair appeared out of nowhere, angel was amazed and sat down, loi taught him how to release his mana a little, it was very faint but noticeable, loi told him to put his hands on the table and do it again. Suddenly a menu appeared on the table. The angel was shocked again. He chose a steak, water and a piece of chocolate cake for dessert.

After having lunch, Angel bought a map from Akara for 5 copper coins and started walking around. since he was not allowed outside of the academy anymore without being a level 1 or higher.

Angel wanted to just walk around, he decided to check out the mages towers.

After walking up a wide walkway, he saw them. Golden rays of sunshine shone down from the heavens like waterfalls made of light, a spacious, flat ground in the middle of the valley. On the flat ground, there were mage towers with golden roofs so tall they seemed to touch the sky. At the top of the towers, there were countless brilliantly shining magic runes flowing around the towers. Threads of elements flowed in the air, criss crossing each other and making it look like the towers were connected by a magical spider's web. Flowers and trees dotted the space between the towers while a creek meandered around the academy, it's surface glinting in the sun.

"What a glorious view of the capital of magic where the best magicians gathered!" said Loi.

There was a huge square near the cove entrance where people rushed to and from, they were all magicians and they all looked hurried, as though in a race against time.

Impressive statues of magicians stood proudly in the middle of the square.

"They must be the founders of this academy. powerful people." said loi.

Angel took out the map. From the square he took the widest path and went all the way to what looked like a stadium, it was a huge building.

The main hall, where apprentices can accept missions or tasks, buy spells or materials and many more. the hall was brimming with people, even with their cheer amount, the place did not seem full. from what angel guessed is that they were apprentices or higher staying in the academy like him.

They wore robes of all colors. red, brown, white and blue, loi explained that those must be their main elements. red is fire, brown is earth, white is air and blue is water. since learning and mastering 2 elements can be challenging, attuned choose 1 element as their main and the other will be their secondary.

"So cool." Angel muttered.