"Sir, may I ask another question?" Mortis asked respectfully, his voice steady but tinged with curiosity.
The mysterious man gave a small nod, his expression unreadable in the flickering firelight.
"How many ranks are there in total for Magi and Apprentice Magi?"
The man let out a short chuckle. "Oh sure, let me just tell you everything," he said in a teasing tone before shaking his head. "But I suppose I can at least tell you this, since you'll probably pass the test and become an Apprentice Magus. Besides, it's not like it's a secret."
"There are five ranks for Apprentice Magi in total. Rank 1 marks a qualitative exchange—from a mere mortal to a being capable of sensing and manipulating spiritual power. It's a turning point, allowing you to absorb and exert your will upon the spiritual power all around us."
"As you progress towards Rank 5 Apprentice you'll gain refined control, mastery over spiritual power allowing them to wield more precise and devastating spells. And once you'll reach Rank 5, you'll be able to use the assistance of the world's specific particles to enhance your spells according to your innate affinities."
The fire crackled between them, sending tiny embers swirling into the cool night air. The shadows danced along the twisted roots and towering trees surrounding their small camp, as if the forest itself was listening.
"As for Magi…" the man continued, his voice lowering slightly, as if revealing something sacred, "there are nine ranks in total. However, since ancient times, no one has been seen beyond Rank 3."
Mortis furrowed his brows. 'No one has reached beyond Rank 3?'
"Also, there are three major qualitative exchanges. The first at Rank 4, the second at Rank 7, and the last at Rank 9. These are not mere increases in power—they change you on a fundamental level."
Mortis clenched his fists, his mind racing. 'Did they lost the methods for rising beyond rank 3? But why?'
"There's also another crucial factor I didn't mentioned," the man added, his eyes glinting with a sharpness that sent a chill down Mortis's spine. "When advancing from an Apprentice to a Magus, there are multiple advancement methods. Each organization has its own method, but all of these methods originates from 12 ancient pathways. I myself don't know which are they, after all I'm still only Rank 5 Apprentice."
"But the most important thing is this: once you select an advancement pathway, which originates from one of these ancient pathways, you are locked into that pathway forever. There is no turning back. No second chances. No switching to another."
A deep silence settled over them, broken only by the distant hoot of an owl. The weight of the man's words pressed on Mortis like an invisible force.
"If you want to know more, you'll have to wait until you join an organization. They'll decide how much to reveal."
Mortis absorbed the information carefully.
'Hmm… it's a little different from what I imagined. I thought there would be multiple advancement methods, but I didn't expect that choosing one would also lock me into a specific pathway until the very end.'
'That means I need to think carefully about which organization to join. If I end up on a pathway bad pathway, I'll be stuck in it forever. I need to choose wisely.'
Finishing his thoughts, he bowed slightly in his seated posture and said, "Thank you, sir, for your willingness to answer my questions. I won't forget this."
As Mortis finished his thoughts he replied. "Thank you very much sir for your willingness to answer my questions. I won't forget this"
The mysterious man simply nodded.
The night continued in calm silence until the first rays of morning light peeked over the horizon.
|>>======|✦|======<<|
As morning arrived and the sun climbed high into the sky, they extinguished the bonfire and stood up. Without haste, they continued their journey, making their way deeper into the forest, heading toward the testing grounds.
They walked in complete silence. From time to time, Mortis would pause to gather something from the wilderness—nettle leaves. He needed them for his potion. Now, only one ingredient remained: bone powder.
Initially, he had planned to collect it from one of the fallen candidates, but to his misfortune, they had all died by the monster except Lethis they need to use as bait.
Thanks to that he hadn't had the luxury of gathering it from them—survival had taken priority. Still, he hadn't given up. He considered two options: either finding a random mortal to take it from along the way or harvesting it from an animal they killed for food, now that they were away from the dangerous mountain.
However, there was one problem—he had no idea if they would stop again before reaching the testing grounds.
Pondering this, he turned to the mysterious man. "Sir, may I ask how long it will take us to reach the testing grounds?"
"About two days. We should arrive by tomorrow night or the day after," the man replied.
Mortis nodded in thanks and fell into thought once more.
'Two days… That's manageable. But the real issue is how I'll concoct the potion without him noticing.'
'Well there will be at least one opportunity along the way. I just need to focus on gathering the necessary materials and wait for the right moment.'
He sharpened his awareness, scanning his surroundings more thoroughly than before.
The forest stretched endlessly before him—an emerald sea of towering oaks and ancient pines, their gnarled roots weaving through the damp earth like the veins of a slumbering giant. Sunlight streamed through the canopy, casting golden patches on the moss-covered ground. The scent of fresh pine and rich soil filled the air, mingling with the faint sweetness of blooming wildflowers.
Yet, despite the thriving wilderness, he saw no animals.
He sighed and continued walking, though he remained vigilant, his gaze flickering through the trees, searching for any sign of movement.
By the time the sun began to set, they had found another resting spot for the night.
As Mortis thought how to acquire the opportunity to hunt some animal, the mysterious man suddenly spoke.
"Go hunt something for food, but don't take too long. There should be some animals not far from here if you head north and take this hunting knife."
Mortis took the hunting knife and replied. "Yes, sir. I'll be right back."
Without hesitation, he turned and made his way north, vanishing into the twilight-drenched forest.