103 THE TOME ARENA

103 THE TOME ARENA

"This," Petunia replied with a grin, "is one of the Tome Arenas- this one in Sodom City Academy of Magic."

"There are other places like this?" he asked, surprised.

"Every academy in Koresh has its own version. Some powerful families even have private Tome Arenas," she explained.

"So, what do we fucking do here?" Leo asked, eyeing the arena below.

"Simple. Mages come here to fight for their books," Petunia said, her voice echoing in the vast space.

"Fight for… books?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That's right. The tomes in this library aren't free. To earn a tome, a mage must win a challenge. For common tomes, they might face an easy summon; for more advanced ones, they'll duel a magic puppet. And for the rarest tomes, the challenger must face one of the librarians."

"And if two fellas want the same bloody book?" Leo asked.

"Then they duel each other first," she replied, a spark of excitement in her eyes.

Leo frowned, unimpressed. "Seems like a waste of time."

Petunia laughed, nudging him. "Come on! This is supposed to be fun."

"I prefer getting things without the unnecessary fights," he replied, crossing his arms.

Petunia pouted playfully. "Just try one match. I want to see what you can do."

He gave her a skeptical look. "Why are you so eager to watch me fight?"

She shrugged. "Everyone says you're some kind of demon. I just want to see if it's true."

But Leo only smirked. "Nothing here interests me," he said, turning to leave the Tome Arena.

"You don't have to jump into a fight right away. Just watch a few rounds first," Petunia encouraged, a glint of excitement in her eyes.

She was eager to make Leo change his mind about fighting.

Leo shrugged. "I guess I can watch a few fights. It's better than sleeping through the fucking lecture," he replied, half-thinking that he might just leave the academy in a day or two anyway.

There was little here for him that Yun-Yun hadn't already taught him.

Before long, the next match began.

The arena was busy. Dozens of mages lined up for a chance to challenge each other and earn the right to borrow a coveted tome.

Leo watched the combatants take their places, struck by the sheer speed and strength of these student mages.

"I'd probably lose if I ended up fighting one of them, I am still too weak," he muttered to himself disappointedly.

"You're in luck," Petunia said, leaning close to explain. "You're watching a serious duel. That one's from the Cergontyn family, and the other is from Deghad. Both major families in Sodom."

"Both of them are at the higher tiers of Svad," Leo noted, a hint of excitement in his voice.

He thought to himself, I might be able to snag a useful spell or two from this match.

But as the fight progressed, his excitement waned.

To Leo's disappointment, neither mage cast a single spell. Instead, they clashed in close combat, testing their physical strength and agility without resorting to magic.

Frowning, Leo muttered, "Why don't they just bloody cast a spell? Summon a firebird or something—it'd make this way more interesting."

Petunia chuckled and leaned in to explain.

"Magic isn't just about casting spells. There are three main routes to using it. The first is spellcasting, like you're familiar with. The second is body enhancement magic—mages can infuse their bodies with magic, becoming powerful fighters."

"So, these two enhanced their bodies with magic?" Leo asked, raising an eyebrow.

Before Petunia could answer, an enormous, translucent elephantine creature materialized behind one of the fighters, wrapping him in a protective aura.

Almost simultaneously, the other conjured a spectral serpent, its sinuous form coiling over him. The two fighters resumed their sparring, now bolstered by the strength of their ethereal avatars.

"See?" Petunia gestured. "That's body enhancement magic."

Leo's eyes narrowed, intrigued. "It's like the elephant is fighting the serpent," he remarked.

Petunia nodded. "Exactly. These avatars are an extension of their magic and training. The elephant grants strength and resilience, while the serpent offers speed and precision. Their spirits are infused into their bodies, giving them these traits."

Leo crossed his arms, watching the duel with newfound interest. "Interesting," he mused to himself. "I'll have to ask Yun-Yun to teach me body enhancement magic."

Leo shrugged, standing abruptly. "This is a waste of time. I'll go now." He was eager to go home and ask advise from Yun-Yun about body enhancement magic.

Petunia blinked in surprise. "Leaving already? They haven't even gotten serious yet!"

He gave her a crooked smile over his shoulder. "Enjoy the show."

This trip to the Tome Arena was turning out to be a far better lesson than he'd hoped.

------

"So, what have you been learning at the academy over the past few days?" Yun-Yun asked, her steady gaze fixed on Leo.

"I've been studying the three paths to magic. Can you explain them to me in more detail?" Leo replied, leaning forward with interest.

Yun-Yun smiled patiently. "Of course. There are three primary paths mages use to channel their magic:

"The first is spellcasting—the art of crafting patterns or sets of instructions to shape magical energy. This is the most common and versatile path.

"The second is projection, where magic is unleashed naturally through a physical medium or initiation. This doesn't rely on structured spells but instead focuses on raw magic being channeled outward."

"And the third?" Leo prompted.

"The third is body transformation—a passive form of magic that enhances a mage's physical attributes. It boosts strength, speed, endurance, and agility by integrating the magic of certain spirits into the body. At higher levels, this magic can manifest as a guardian spirit, akin to an ethereal protector," Yun-Yun explained.

"That... sounds overpowered," Leo remarked, his brow furrowing. "You're saying body transformation can boost my strength without me actively doing anything?"

Yun-Yun's eyes lit up with intrigue. "It's not that simple. Body transformation magic is incredibly advanced, typically accessible only at higher Cakra tiers. I had planned to teach you later when you reached the appropriate level."