Timeskip

Julian opened his eyes and immediately took a defensive stance.

He found himself standing in a forest of flames, the trees and grass blazing with an eerie yet familiar fire. 

The fire was similar to him, absorbing mana from surrounding to burn. 

The flames didn't burn him; instead, they felt warm and welcoming. 

In the distance, a pair of glowing eyes watched him, sending chills down his spine. 

The eyes felt familiar as if he knew what they were but couldn't quite place it. 

The sensation was both terrifying and oddly comforting.

Suddenly, Julian jolted awake, drenched in sweat. "Just a dream," he muttered to himself, though the memory of those eyes lingered.

Removing the curtains, Julian realized it was already morning. 

The past two years had been grueling, filled with blood, sweat, and relentless training. Julian had grown taller than most children his age, thanks to the intensive physical training Sister Theresa had put him through. 

He had developed good friendships with the children at the church, and with Sister Theresa's permission, he shared mana control exercises with Yuno and physical training plans for Asta through letters.

Julian had also taken on responsibilities at the church, teaching the younger children when he wasn't training. Reading storybooks to them before bed had become a routine. The nearby library provided a steady supply of books, and Julian often borrowed them to read and learn more.

His training with the mana-absorbing rocks and Sister Theresa's rigorous regimen had paid off. He had finally grasped intermediate mana reinforcement and could use mana rotation as naturally as breathing, giving him a vast reserve of mana at his disposal. 

His awareness had increased significantly, and he could now avoid most of Sister Theresa's attacks, leading to the creation of a spell he called "basic ki."

Julian had figured out how the name of the spells worked. 

It came from his knowledge not the system. 

Why unlocking Phoenix robe, he thought of Mars while he thought of Yami while unlocking KI

So knowledge he gains more data will appear on the system. 

That aside. 

Theresa had filled Julian with theoretical and practical knowledge, teaching him to put feelings into his magic, which increased the destructive power and temperature of his flames manyfold.

She had given him books on martial arts to improve his combat skills and had taken him on hunting trips, teaching him survival tips.

One day, Sister Theresa showed him what high-level mana control looked like. She set a few trees on fire, but they didn't burn, not even a single leaf.

"When you reach a certain mastery, you can control what will and what won't be affected by your magic," she explained. In her prime, she had been a high-ranking member of the Crimson Lions and had taught Fuegoleon and Mereoleona.

Julian's progress was evident in his stats:

=====================

NAME: JULIAN 

AGE:12 

RACE: HUMAN 

MAGIC:FIRE 

CORE:Solid Orange 

BODY POINTS:70 

MANA POINTS:120 

SPELLS: Flame Claws, Flame Bullets, Flame Laser, Flame Breath, Flame Wave, Flame Wall, Phoenix Robe, Flame Arrow, etc. 

SKILLS: Mana Reinforcement (Intermediate), Ki (Basic), Dagger Arts, Swords Arts

=====================

Sister took Julian to various parts of the city to learn to gather information. 

Some information costs money which Julian earned from working odd jobs around the Church. 

He found the location of the black market, whose entrance was the same as in the anime.

Investigating the Magic Knights, Julian learned that 60% of the members were royals and nobles with attitudes, while the rest were commoners or people with connections. The larger squads had around 60-70 members, while smaller squads had fewer. There was also a team directly under the command of the Wizard King, though Julian had no idea about their numbers.

The work of the Magic Knights was divided into various tasks: earth and similar mages handled construction and damage control, some became guards for nobles and royals, others were sent to different regions to maintain order, and some patrolled the borders.

Healers were rare and usually stayed at their bases. Julian was particularly interested in dungeon exploration, a high-risk job with a high fatality rate but also the potential for great rewards.

Julian also witnessed the dark side of the city. 

Julian didn't consider himself noble-hearted, but seeing the regular harassment of commoners and peasants made his heartache.

He was reminded again and again that nothing could be achieved without strength.

****************

Today's lesson was special. 

Julian recalled asking Sister Theresa about the power criteria for becoming a captain. 

He waited in his usual spot for her to begin the lesson.

"There are many requirements to become a captain," Sister Theresa began. "You must be a grandmaster in the use of reinforcement mana, gather enough achievements, and possess good leadership qualities. 

To become the Wizard King, you need to master mana pressure."

"What is 'mana pressure'?" Julian asked, curiosity piqued.

"As the name suggests, you can use your presence and aura as a weapon. Your mana will exert pressure on your surroundings, making people lose their will to fight and empower your attacks. If you spread your pressure around weaker creatures, they will submit to you. Not even all captains can use it."

"See it for yourself," Sister Theresa replied. She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them, releasing her presence. A wave of mana pressure traveled like a pulse, covering the area. Julian found himself in a dark space with a giant leopard staring at him. 

Julian froze for a second and immediately moved back instinctively. 

"I remember this….

You used it against us two years ago when I first met you" 

Sister Theresa retracted her aura

"You are right.

Seems like you have become strong enough to immediately snap out of it. You training paid off. 

I can only use a basic level of mana pressure, so I don't know how to use it in my attacks or impose my will on others."

Once again Julian was reminded of his lack of information and the dangers of this world. 

This power was dangerous. 

"Most captains have high levels of Mana pressure and not just them, your enemies might have them too so you have to train your mind to face them. 

The life of Magic Knights is not sunshine and rainbows, you should have realized it by now.

Mana pressure in the hands of corrupt people creates the worst combination so you must be prepared. " 

Sister Theresa handed Julian a beautiful dagger with a red hilt and sheath. "You've completed the first phase of your training. You're ready for real-life combat experience. Take this money and mask and get yourself registered in the Hunter Guild."

The Hunter Guild was an unofficial organization run by outlaws and savages for hunting magical beasts and bounty hunting. The skin and organs of magical beasts were valuable for various purposes, and Julian could make a lot of money from this. People could exchange money for beast corpses from employers.

Julian nodded and flew towards the Hunter Guild in the Forsaken Realm. After two years of practice, he had made his 'jet flames' completely silent. 

Julian landed in a forest in the Common Realm and walked towards a building in the middle of the forest, not wanting to reveal all his cards so early. 

As soon as he entered the guild, all eyes were on him.

Ignoring them, he went to the counter to get his ID.

"Are you sure you want to do this, boy? Leave if you care for your life," said the tall person at the counter, earning chuckles from the people around. Julian didn't react and asked for his ID again. The man didn't refuse this time. Julian didn't use a fake name, knowing it wasn't necessary. 

Once he joined a Magic Knight squad, these people would avoid him. 

"The mission board is over there. Don't die in the wild, boy," the man said.

Julian nodded and chose a relatively easy quest of hunting wild boars near Sosshi village. He didn't notice the muscular man in a black robe watching him from the corner.

As Julian left the guild, he felt a sense of anticipation and excitement. 

He was finally ready to put all his training into practice and experiment with his abilities on magical beasts. With his mask on, he headed towards Sosshi village, ready for his first real test in the wild.