Rise and Curiosity

**Around level 100, almost approaching a demigod... I must say, it is quite rare for such a new world to already have beings reaching the divine spark without the intervention of a god or artifact.**

*"Don't earthly gods count?"* Zandor asked in his usual neutral, inquisitive tone.

*"They must be considered as well. They managed to defeat and imprison the guardian spirits I myself created. That is an important point,"* Sarasvi reflected. *"Although, according to the information we've gathered, the spirits had an 'overwhelming ego.' That would explain their defeat and subsequent imprisonment. Furthermore, that colossus we’re discussing does not control any aspect of nature, so, in theory, it could maintain its level on other planets. However, considering—"*

*"We’ll save the more philosophical and theoretical discussions for when we return to my domain, alright?"* Zandor interrupted, noticing the gazes of the Treant sisters. *"The girls are already looking at me strangely for staring at the horizon without saying a word."*

A few meters behind him, Irv leaned toward her sister and whispered mischievously, *"Psst, sister Lua, do you think Lord Zandor has a girlfriend?"*

*"W-what are you saying, Irv?"* Lua jumped at the question, almost shouting it, barely avoiding drawing Zandor’s attention.

*"It’s just a question,"* Irv insisted with a playful smile. *"Considering his level must be quite high, it wouldn’t be surprising if he had plenty of admirers. You better step up and start getting stronger."*

Lua placed a hand on her forehead, trying to ignore her younger sister and focus on the road. They still had two days before reaching the magic academy in Winfnow, and Zandor’s presence made it difficult for her to concentrate.

---

The journey proceeded with relative calm. The road was well-maintained, with stone and wooden pathways regularly used by carriages. Along the way, they passed through small villages and a few medium-sized cities, where children could be seen playing with basic magic, apprentices practicing their masters’ crafts in the plazas, and merchants selling magical artifacts of varying quality.

Though Zandor disguised his interest, he observed with fascination how mortals creatively used magic. While he could master any spell with ease, the way these beings invented methods to make their magic more efficient intrigued him.

At a market stall, a middle-aged man was demonstrating a device that turned small stones into fire projectiles with a simple press of a rune seal.

*"Well, this mechanism is impressive,"* Zandor murmured, approaching. *"It uses a combustion rune matrix connected to a mana transfer circuit... And this symbol? I haven't seen it before."*

The slightly graying man looked at him curiously. *"Oh, young sir, this is a modified enchantment from the combustion school at the Winfnow Academy. I designed it after years of visualizing and experimenting with what my master, who was a student in that field, taught me. The goal is to allow even children with no magical talent to launch small fire attacks. Quite a marvel, don’t you think?"*

Zandor gave a faint smile, nodding. *"Yes, truly a marvel. You didn’t attend the academy?"*

*"Oh, young man, I suggest avoiding such questions—they highlight your ignorance and lack of interaction with large cities,"* the man replied with a sad smile. *"The entrance exams can only be taken by nobles or those promoted by nobles. My master was a promoted commoner, and while he had some prestige, he could not promote me."* His smile turned wistful. *"I say this so you don’t make the same mistakes this old man did."*

Lua watched silently. She had never seen a noble show such interest in common magic. Most aristocrats only cared about high-level spells and the prestige that came with them. And Zandor’s blood was more important than any noble she had ever known.

As they continued their journey, Lua decided to take the opportunity to learn more about Zandor. Since his appearance in the forest, he had demonstrated immense strength, but there were too many mysteries surrounding him.

*"Lord Zandor..."* Lua began cautiously. *"You seem to have a great knowledge of magic, yet I have never seen you cast a spell in all our time traveling. Are you more of a purely melee-oriented fighter?"*

Zandor glanced at her, noticing the genuine curiosity in her eyes. He decided to give her a half-truth. *"Let’s say I’m a jack of all trades. Magic, weapons, enchantments, creation... I don’t limit myself to a single form of combat."*

Irv immediately jumped in. *"That means you could launch a giant fire explosion or use a cursed sword at the same time!"*

Zandor chuckled. *"Something like that. Though power isn’t everything."*

*"It isn’t?"* Lua asked, surprised.

*"No. Level is an important factor, but knowledge and preparation are what truly make the difference. No matter how high an individual’s level is, if their strategy is flawed, they can be defeated by someone with less power but greater ingenuity. That’s how the earthly gods managed to defeat some of the guardian spirits."* His tone turned more serious. *"The same principle applies to gods. Not all ‘infinites’ are the same."*

Lua nodded slowly. This changed her view of the world. She had always thought hierarchy was based solely on level, but now she understood that power alone was no guarantee of victory.

As they continued down the road, the conversation shifted to the magic academy, its entrance exams, and the different levels of prestige among students. Lua and Irv explained that the higher a student’s level, the more resources and opportunities they had within the academy. Only the most talented could access advanced magic circles and the sealed grimoires in the arcane library.

Zandor became particularly interested when they mentioned the grimoires. *"Sealed grimoires? What kind?"*

*"It is said they contain ancient and forbidden spells, some written by the first arcanists to walk the continent,"* Lua explained. *"Even the highest-ranking professors need special permissions to study them."*

*"Interesting..."* Zandor smirked. Perhaps the Winfnow Academy had something worth investigating.

The day passed quickly with these discussions, and as the sun began to set on the horizon, they decided to camp in a safe area by the roadside.

As Lua and Irv prepared to rest, the younger sister once again whispered with a mischievous smile, *"See, sister? You should just ask him directly if he has a girlfriend. I bet he likes you."*

Lua covered her face with her hands. *"Irv, please!"*

Zandor, who could hear the conversation clearly, simply smiled to himself as he gazed at the stars. This world was fascinating, and there were still many more to discover.