Method for Advancement

Leylin was not surprised by this. After all, he had already scouted most of the markets in the Poolfield Kingdom even though he knew it was hopeless to find what he needed. He was sure there was absolutely no vendor or connection at his disposal that offered Grine Water or a defensive Rank 1 spell.

From his humble beginnings as a level 1 acolyte, everything that Leylin had learned was mere Rank 0 magic. Yes, he had acquired combat data on a couple of Rank 1 spells like the Light Spears utilized by Alfonse, but that was not enough for Aralis to decode the spell model and subsequently extrapolate the technique. Not to mention, it was not a defensive model.

Obviously, the Magi had made clear divisions on the rankings of spells to differentiate between those magics utilized by individuals of greater or lesser power. In the eyes of a full-fledged Magus, Rank 0 spells constituted nothing more than basic training wheels for the weaker individuals.

As for the Grine Water, Leylin had obtained some information pertaining to it thanks to his questioning of the spirit body he captured at Serholm's temporary lab in Dark Night Woods.

The elixir was a sort of tonic that was rather difficult for Leylin to brew, even with his current abilities. Yet, he was convinced that should it come to that, he could manage to do it somehow. Nonetheless, the production of the elixir itself was not the main difficulty. Virtually all of the main ingredients were monopolized by the huge factions, and there were no traces of the formula conveniently lying around in the middle of some old building.

Discerning that this conversation would require him to unveil some of his cunning, Leylin's expression immediately changed from the trustworthy apprentice to the sly fox he was underneath.

"But you called me here for a reason, Professor. Surely, you have an alternative for me to move forward in my cultivation." -Leylin stated blankly, as he rested his back on the padded chair.

Smirking from the corner of his mouth, Kroft took another sip of the green refreshment. "One who reaches the level 3 of an acolyte before turning 20 is already considered to be a potential Magus. Therefore, never mind the benefits you've been granted, you are now qualified to sign a contract with the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy."

Leylin raised his eyebrow, prompting the old man to elaborate.

"Its terms are quite simple. First of all, you cannot reveal anything in regards to the advancement process. Once you become an official Magus, the contract you signed when you entered the academy would no longer be valid. Hence, you must swear on your soul and with the Trial's Eye as your witness that you will be in service to the academy for 100 years... After signing the contract, you can obtain a defensive Rank 1 Magus spell for free, and a standard amount of Grine Water as well."

Leylin saw an introduction to the Trial's Eye before on an ancient manual. It seemed to be a god-like Mysterious Entity from a different reality plane. It did not have a consciousness of its own, which is why magicians preferred to use it as an observer when undertaking important contracts. It having no desires or interests made it the perfect neutral mediator.

Also, the effectiveness of its regulations was known to be amongst the most potent. Moreover, there was no way to be rid of it. This agreement was similar to a slave contract, but it had more constraints stipulated in it. Once an agreement was formed, even if the academy were to order Leylin to sacrifice his life during a battle, he had no choice but to obey.

'Fuck that. I am not becoming anyone's puppet for a century; or any period of time for that matter.'

[Even if your advancement is on the line? A hundred years may sound like a lot, but maybe -]

'That's a no. I will not change my mind on this subject, Aralis.' -Leylin interjected mentally. He felt outraged at the idea of becoming a tool in someone else's plans. It was always supposed to be the other way around.

[You literally died multiple times in order to evolve, though.] -The A.I. told sardonically.

'For power, I am more than ready to undergo pain - physical, mental, spiritual; even financial. I don't care. As long as the profit outweighs the cost, I will go through with it gladly. But in this case, submitting to an external will is not something I can justify. I will NEVER allow myself to be chained as a slave by the likes of a giant floating eye. I am to be a lord, not a vassal!' -Leylin thought with extreme seriousness.

[Alright, Doctor. Roger that.] -Aralis spoke with pride in her voice.

On the surface, Leylin still pretended to be confused and struggling for an answer.

Finally, Leylin asked with his throat a little parched: "Professor, how did signing such a contract turn out for you?"

"It was thanks to my decision that I have joined Abyssal Bone Forest Academy and become a member of its reputable staff. To be honest with you, the treatment that the academy gives to Magi like us who came from abroad is not that bad. They wouldn't let us take on extremely difficult quests either."

Kroft refilled his cup with that green juice and waited for a response.

"I know this is not all, Professor. You're holding something back." -Leylin crossed his arms.

When Kroft creased his brows and leaned forward in his chair, Leylin was not fazed at all. He held his gaze firmly on Kroft's and even went as far as to drink from his cup nonchalantly.

Suddenly and despite Leylin's harsh words, Kroft seemed to be happy.

"Undoubtedly, you are quite the genius, my boy. Your mediocre aptitude may be your biggest weakness, but it also means you have to work harder to get what you want. Your achievements in the future shall definitely surpass Merlin's." -Kroft was elated.

'Go on, old man, give the intel I need...'

Outwardly, Leylin appeared serious and waited for his professor to talk once more. Kroft took this as his cue and resumed his speech.

"Actually, the inter-academy war is not over." -Kroft revealed, believing that this news would hit Leylin like a train.

'Yeah, figures. Now, I must guide this idiot through his own ramblings in order to get what I truly desire.'

"What?!" -Apparently, Leylin was so flabbergasted since he stood up immediately. "Was the conflict not mediated after the Lighthouse of the Night stepped in to stop Sage Gotham's Hut and Whitewoods Castle?"

Kroft smiled wryly. "That information is accurate, but incomplete. The war between official Magi may have come to an end, but for the acolytes, it is still far from it. Although Lighthouse of the Night is one of the strongest guilds around, they are not the only behemoth in South Coast. Behind Sage Gotham's Hut and Whitewoods Castle, there is also a very influential party supporting them in the shadows. Hence, under the mediation of Lighthouse of the Night, although the war between both sides has ended, there was a special clause to the ceasefire treaty."

"Which is?" -Leylin could deduce that it had something to do with the acolytes, but he still asked so that the conversation would flow. He was getting rather exasperated with how reluctant Kroft was in speaking clearly.

"The opposing factions have requested us to summon all of our acolytes, and have them engage in a Bloodbath with their own acolytes in a secret plane." -Kroft conveyed with a reserved tone.

Towards Leylin who had abundant knowledge, he instantly recalled the facts he needed regarding those two terms.

A secret plane was a kind of pocket dimension used by magicians to protect their own lab and store their resources. It was created by a magnificent spell, and the dimension was laid out by connecting the arcane formation to a different plane.

Because of the powerful spell effects outside of these secret planes, magicians of the acolyte level could not break in. As for some higher leveled secret planes, even if official Magi were to enter, they would suffer the consequences.

With the passing of time, some magician guilds will join forces, using spells to form a temporary secret plane and conduct some experiments within them or just use them for war.

As for the Bloodbath, it was a synonym for madness and massacre. Leylin was obviously quite familiar with these concepts, but in the Magus World, the word 'bloodbath' carried a more complex meaning. If two magicians had a huge conflict that could no longer be mediated, only with death they would rest their case. Under these circumstances, they would undergo a Bloodbath with a host as an independent observer.

Previous to the Bloodbath, both parties would sign an agreement. After any one side dies, their families, professors, and friends may not directly avenge them. This was a kind of deathmatch, but the conditions of the agreement were not to be broken, lest a rigorous arcane punishment befalls the traitor.

Numerous quarreling magicians would engage in life and death conflicts, yet they did not wish for the collateral damage to spread or for there to be a massive cataclysm that leveled the continent. So a Bloodbath was the best choice to end wars and duels alike.

"Now it makes sense why the academy called for us to return..." -Leylin said in a raspy and distraught voice.

"During the signing of the contract, the other parties have summoned Trial's Eye as a witness, so our academy could only go according to the unfair treaty. If we had not, all of us official Magi from Abyssal Bone Forest, including the overseer and chairman, would have had our souls tortured for eternity…"

"Even the genius fifth-grade acolytes, including your senior Merlin, must participate in this Bloodbath. Moreover, the acolytes from each of the 3 academies will fare against the other side simultaneously."

"So it's like this... Then, why would our academy accept such conditions?" -Leylin inquired dumbly even though he already knew the answer.

"There was no choice; we barely survived the total war against Sage Gotham's Hut and Whitewoods Castle. Now, they want to annihilate all of our precious students in one go, and let the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy's legacy be broken." -Kroft narrated bitterly.

'I am certainly not shocked to hear that after our strawmen leaders cried for the help of a third party, the negotiations did not go in their favor.' -Leylin mused in silence.

[Are you regretting that you did not betray Abyssal Bone Forest when you had the chance?]

'Not just yet. Let us hear what else the geezer has to say, and then I'll form an opinion on this.'

"Where was I...? Oh, yes... Be it our acolytes or the enemies, they are not allowed to bring in any battle items of Magus-rate strength. This is programmed into the defensive spell of the secret plane. Any arcane devices which exceed the power of an acolyte will immediately be destroyed upon entering the secret plane."

'In that case, the Fallen Star Pendant will have to stay dormant when I enter the pocket dimension. Its capabilities are not really up to Magus rank, but I am not going to risk it being destroyed by the defensive formation. Luckily, I still have my healing factor and other items to help me survive up until the point where I awaken the pendant.'

"But fear not, my boy. Right before the Bloodbath, Abyssal Bone Forest will organize a competition for you acolytes where the rewards are supposedly going to be bountiful. Furthermore, all economic stimuli on the Quest Hall have been increased by twofold, and the spell models and potions in the Trading Post and Senior Market are also at a steep discount."

'They want to raise the strength of their soldiers before the deathmatch, huh?'

Given his calculating personality and his paranoid tendencies, Leylin had already faintly thought of a scenario like this before, unlike the extremely shocked appearance he was putting on right now. Since there was no room for retreat now that he had returned to the graveyard, his brain immediately adapted to the situation.

"With all due respect, Professor, all of these truths have nothing to do with the advancement to an official Magus..."

Leylin paused with his mouth open and his hand on the desk.

"Wait... could this method be found within the Bloodbath?" -Leylin said first with irritation and finally with realization in his eyes. This was, of course, still part of his act.

"You are correct. See, the academy will soon issue an open quest card to all level 3 acolytes. Blood Vindication, they named it. Basically, it says you are not only authorized but also encouraged to slaughter as many Whitewoods and Gotham's acolytes as you can. Once the Bloodbath takes place, naturally." -A sign of glee appeared for the first time on Kroft's bespectacled features.

"They have designated a point system for the rewards. Every confirmed kill has a different ponderation based on the power of the enemy. Level 1 acolytes are worth 1 contribution point, level 2 acolytes are worth 3 points, and level 3 acolytes equal 10 points. In the specific cases of the more noteworthy individuals, they have corresponding values assigned to them."

"Do realize, Leylin, that if you were to earn sufficient contribution points, no matter if it is a Rank 1 Magus defensive spell model or Grine Water, they can all be obtained. The advancement grimoire containing the secrets on how to use the forenamed resources is not an exception... This is the only method for cultivating past the acolyte stage that does not require a contract. As far as I understand." -There was a significantly tempting voice behind Kroft's words.

'Now we're talking. They want me to massacre some pathetic trashes and in return I get the highly-coveted method to break through? Now that's what I call a treat.' -Leylin hid a dark grin with a greedy expression.

[Bear in mind that your team will suffer a considerable handicap. It is two against one, and each of the opposing factions is nearly as strong as Abyssal Bone Forest.] -Aralis warned.

'And? That only means there are even more meatbags to crush under my boot. Oh, I will definitely enjoy this.' -Leylin's eyes flashed with a crimson pulse, but Kroft was too focused on his cup of green juice to notice.

Leylin closed his eyes and pretended to be quietly reflecting over his mentor's speech.

Minutes later, Leylin stood up again and bowed respectfully. "Thank you for your time, Professor. If there is nothing else, please allow me to take my leave."

"Where are you going?" -Kroft was rather stunned by his apprentice's actions. He assumed Leylin would swarm him with endless questions.

"To conduct business." -Leylin replied matter-of-factly.

Leylin bowed again, and after obtaining Kroft's tacit approval, he left immediately.

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Walking along the vacant school hallways, the Farlier heir analyzed multiple things in his mind.

First of all, how he wanted to kill his prey inside the Bloodbath. Sword, magic, even his fists. The possibilities were many, and his enemies few in comparison to his unlimited thirst for carnage and violence. He was feeling more excited than he had ever been since his transmigration.

After he was done with his scheming, Leylin had gone to Woox's store to have a look. A pity, however, since the store was abandoned and the skinny man's fate was not known.

'Damn that leech. How dare he perish when he owed me three batches of strength potions and my sales commissions. Hopefully, he is still alive somewhere. That way I can kill him when I find him.' -Leylin regretted missing out on about 350 magic crystals.