Rapid Refinement of Stars

After obtaining what he came for, Klyde made his way back to Grey Rock City.

Of course, he could have gone directly to the Everglades for his mission; however, he decided that this was the best course of action.

First of all, he didn't doubt that the Dark Magus would soon be on his trail.

After all, he had just stolen something that had taken him years to cultivate.

Klyde also didn't know whether or not the Dark Magus could track him.

From what he recalled, this particular Magus was fairly inexperienced, having only become a Magus after stumbling upon the remnants of a more powerful Dark Magus.

Thus, the strength and methods he possessed were directly inherited from that discovery, including his understanding of magic itself.

Klyde wouldn't be too concerned if the original Magus had only been Tier 1, but if it was Tier 2 or higher, he had to stay cautious.

'Still, I doubt it was anything above Tier 2. Growing such a rare and dangerous material near a village without any defensive wards or concealment arrays is something only a fool would do.'

Then again, it likely wasn't entirely his fault. He probably didn't have the means to protect the flower properly. Moreover, in the original novel, it hadn't been discovered.

Klyde's existence was simply an anomaly.

Returning to the city gave Klyde some safety for what he'll do next.

While Grey Rock was technically a mortal city, it did maintain some ties to Magi.

In fact, many mortal cities throughout the continent had such ties. That connection often came through various Magus Academies.

These academies, scattered across the continent, funded the aptitude testing in various cities to identify individuals with magical potential. Even in remote or commoner-heavy areas, one could get their aptitude tested for free.

It was how Klyde had gotten his aptitude tested despite being a commoner.

Because of this, Klyde knew that Grey Rock City would likely have a few Magi stationed nearby.

And that was exactly what he needed.

Whether or not the Dark Magus tried to follow him, entering this city would make things more complicated.

He couldn't be sure how the man would react, but most Dark Magi would avoid drawing attention in public unless they were desperate. At least, they would do their best to lay low.

After entering the city, Klyde did not waste time.

He went to the nearest inn and paid for a small room with a single silver coin.

Once inside, he closed the door and locked it. He then took off his cloak and sat down cross-legged on the wooden floor.

From his pouch, he retrieved the box containing the Bloodsoul Flower.

The flower was still fresh. Its nine seeds glowed faintly with a crimson hue. The air around it was slightly heavier than normal, carrying the faint scent of blood.

Klyde stared at the flower for a moment, then reached out and plucked one of the seeds.

He then swallowed it without hesitation.

A surge of heat rushed through his body. He closed his eyes and sank into his Sea of Consciousness.

Inside his consciousness, the changes were immediate.

His once-blue sea was now dyed a dark red.

The color spread slowly at first, then rapidly expanded until the entire sea looked like it had been stained with blood.

Klyde nodded to himself.

"So this is the power of the Bloodsoul Flower," he muttered.

The Bloodsoul Flower was a Grade 3 material. Its seeds were Grade 2. The flower itself could only be consumed by Magi of a higher Tier, but the seeds could be consumed by Tier 1 Magi.

Consuming a seed would raise the potency of one's mana.

It helped with refining stars and could temporarily increase the power of a Magus. Even Tier 2 Magi would fight over such a resource.

Klyde had nine seeds.

He had already decided to keep three for emergencies. After all, in dire circumstances, anything that could boost your strength or your chances of survival was highly valuable.

The other six, however, he would be using it on himself to refine his stars.

After he fully digested it, Klyde began drawing mana from his Sea of Consciousness, guiding it to the second star that was forming in the sky.

This star had already taken shape. Over the past few days, he had been condensing his mana into it. Now, with the Bloodsoul seed strengthening him, he began refining it again.

Time passed quickly.

His mana swirled inside him, moving according to his will.

Hours passed. Then days.

He consumed another seed. Then another.

Every time he began his refinement process, the star in the inky sky became brighter and brighter.

Eventually, five days passed.

Inside his Sea of Consciousness, the dark sky had changed.

There were now four fully-formed stars shining brightly in a unique pattern, each of them differing in shape and size. A ffith star could also be seen. It was nearly completed. It flickered slightly, but its shape was already stable.

Klyde opened his eyes.

The mana around him trembled faintly.

He first tested his mana and smiled.

His mana pool had expanded greatly. It was not just larger. It was denser and more refined.

Before, he could cast ten Heat Combustion spells before exhausting himself.

But now, Klyde estimated that he could cast at least twenty-five.

Each star he refined had given him more mana, around 50% linearly.

He stood up, his gaze calm.

"Just the Bloodsoul flower would have been worth the trip, but I also have the flower itself," he said with a small chuckle.

His growth was simply explosive!

After all, Klyde had spent around a week refining his second star, however, it was still far from finishing. Yet, in under a week, just from consuming six of the Bloodsoul seeds, it had not only helped him complete the second star, he had also used the potency of his mana to directly refine the next two stars!

It should be known that the higher a star is in your star sequence, the more difficult it becomes to refine.

And yet, the process for Klyde had been so simple!

He had even almost finished the refinement of his fifth star!

With just one more step, Klyde would become a high rank Magus at Tier 1!

The mission in the Everglades still awaited, but now, he could enter with true confidence.

Klyde smirked inwardly. 'Such a quick advancement would deeply shock many people. I don't doubt that the person I stole from is extremely furious and is relentlessly hunting me down, heheh. He had likely planned on using the seeds to advance all the way to Tier 2.'

That plan, however, was now nothing more than a dream.

The Bloodsoul Flower had been taken, most of the seeds had been used, and the path he had painstakingly prepared for himself was now being used by someone else.

Klyde's expression remained calm, but his eyes gleamed with quiet amusement.

Klyde's existence alone is enough to shatter the fate of others.

That man had spent years nurturing the flower in secret, waiting for the perfect moment to make his breakthrough. Now, all he could do was grieve and curse in frustration as a passer-by came along and snatched it.

Klyde was simply a scourge upon the threads of fate itself.

A being without destiny.

One who could steal shamelessly from others without so much as a flicker of hesitation.

The world of Magi was changing him, but Klyde knew deep down it wasn't truly change.

It was merely the unveiling of his true nature.