Formally Magus Apprentice

"It's my honor, Mentor," Mortis said with a deep bow.

"That's good," Professor Dante replied with a satisfied smile. "From this day forward, we'll be bound in the relationship of master and disciple. You are now my student."

Mortis nodded silently.

"Now that the formalities are out of the way," Dante continued, "let me explain something important about becoming a Magus Apprentice to you."

He paused for a moment, then asked, "You already know that every Magus Apprentice must choose a single Pathway—one they'll follow until death, with no possibility of changing it later, right?"

"Yes, sir," Mortis replied confidently.

Professor Dante gave an approving nod. "Correct. But those Pathways only apply to Official Magi. Magus Apprentices, like yourself, haven't yet broken free from the mortal shackles. Magus Apprentices are still preparing to break them, so pathways aren't necessary at this stage."

"For all Magus Apprentices, the journey is the same. There are no alternative Pathways at this stage. The only differences are how fast you progress... and whether you can reach the late stage at all."

He locked eyes with Mortis, voice deepening slightly. "And that difference comes down to one thing: Aptitude. You may have noticed that during the aptitude test, they focused specifically on testing your mental fortitude, right?"

"Yes, sir," Mortis replied.

"Good. Then tell me, why do you think mental fortitude is considered an aptitude? Why is it so important?" Dante asked.

Mortis furrowed his brow, thinking quickly. He didn't have a clear answer, but instead of panicking, he relied on logic and instinct.

"To be honest, I don't know the exact reason, sir. But if I had to guess… maybe the training method we use to advance as Magus Apprentices puts a strain on the mind. So if your mind is stronger and more resilient, you can train for longer periods each day without harming yourself."

He paused, then added, "So those with higher mind fortitude can progress faster."

Dante grinned. "Exactly right. There are no real shortcuts for Apprentices, no tricks or secret paths. The only thing you have is your mental endurance… or access to extremely expensive and barely effective potions to recover your mind faster, but those are really rare."

He turned serious again, stepping closer. "Now, with all that explained, let's move on to the formal part."

His voice dropped lower. The lights in the room dimmed. A faint fog rolled in from nowhere, and the air grew heavy with something.

"Mortis Nacht," Dante said solemnly, "are you ready to become a Magus Apprentice and begin your journey on the eternal path of power and knowledge?"

"Yes, sir," Mortis replied without hesitation, his voice steady.

Dante nodded slowly. "Do you swear never to harm your academy—Myriad Demons Academy—nor your mentor, Professor Dante?"

"I swear."

"Then, on the name of the Great Architect, swear again, that you will never betray the promises you made here and now."

"I swear, on the name of the Great Architect, that I will never violate what I've promised."

As the final word left Mortis's lips, the fog vanished. Light returned. The room felt normal again, but something invisible had changed. A binding, unseen thread now connected Mortis to something.

"Congratulations," Dante said with a small smile. "You are now, formally, a Magus Apprentice."

"Thank you, sir," Mortis replied, a flicker of excitement slipping through his usually calm tone.

"Now that you've taken the vow, it's time for the next step… becoming one in reality, not just formally."

Professor Dante raised his hand, and with a snap of his fingers, something materialized in his palm. Without hesitation, he tossed it toward Mortis and casually said, "Here you go."

Mortis caught the object and looked down at it.

It was a crystal ball—clear, yet filled with swirling lights and patterns within.

"Inside is the meditation technique you'll use to become a Rank 1 Magus Apprentice," Dante explained. "It also includes guidance for progressing all the way up to Rank 5."

Mortis's eyes lit up with excitement and curiosity. He stared at the crystal ball, this time with a sense of awe. Contained within was the very key to unlocking a power greater than anything he had touched in either of his lives.

As he held it, Dante's voice cut in again.

"Stop looking at it like that. You'll have plenty of time to study it. And with your aptitude, it won't be long before you become a true Magus Apprentice."

Mortis nodded and slipped the crystal ball carefully into his pocket, then returned his gaze to his mentor.

"Here, take this as well," Dante said, and once again tossed something toward him. It had appeared in his hand just like the crystal ball.

Mortis caught it. This one was another crystal ball, but smaller in size.

"This is the key to your assigned dorm. Just place it on your bracelet to extract the data. After that, to lock or unlock your door, all you need to do is touch the door with your bracelet and it'll handle the rest."

Mortis did as instructed, pressing the small crystal ball against the bracelet on his wrist. A faint shimmer of light passed between them, and after a few seconds, he handed the ball back to Dante.

"Good. That'll be all for today. Starting tomorrow and every day after, you'll report here at eight in the morning unless you let me know in advance and I approve it."

He paused briefly before adding, "And one more thing, since you're still just a mortal, you can't read the information inside the crystal ball directly. You don't have spiritual energy yet, so you can't control it."

"The only way for you to access the contents for now is to press the crystal ball directly against your forehead. It'll transfer the information straight into your mind."

"That said… it'll sting a little. Your mental fortitude isn't on the level of an Official Magus, so be prepared."

"I understand," Mortis said with a respectful nod.

"If you have no further questions, you're free to go."

Mortis hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand. "Sir… if it's alright, may I ask something?"

Dante raised an eyebrow. "Go ahead."

"How are you producing those items out of nowhere?" Mortis asked cautiously.

"Ah, that," Dante chuckled and raised his hand, showing a simple but elegant ring on his finger. "This is called a space ring. It lets you store and retrieve items instantly."

He let Mortis take a closer look before continuing. "But don't get too excited. You wouldn't be able to use one even if you had it. Space rings only work once you've become an Official Magus."

"I see… thank you for broadening my horizons, sir," Mortis said with a bow.

"Alright then. Since we're done here, follow this wraith to your allocated room."

With a flick of Dante's fingers, a wraith silently appeared beside them. Pale, ethereal, and silent, it floated in place, awaiting Mortis.

Mortis bowed once more, then turned and followed the wraith through the academy halls.