Mental Power: 30.1
Magic: 30.2
Physique: 8.8
It had been about a month since Saen advanced to an intermediate apprentice, yet his mental power and magic levels had only inched forward by a fraction. This was the true pace of a mage's progress. Meditation was laborious work, demanding persistent, uninterrupted practice to achieve any significant increase over a long period.
The critical threshold for an advanced apprentice's mental power was 50 points, indicating that Saen still had a considerable way to go. While becoming an advanced apprentice or a higher-level mage was not immediately within reach, Saen's primary focus was to learn and master a genuine intermediate-level spell.
The distinction of "genuine" was because Saen's self-modified minor fireball spell could barely be considered intermediate.
"Having this crystal ball indeed makes everything more convenient," Saen mused, playing with the translucent orb that his senior brother had gifted him. "Beyond measuring my mental power and magic, it also has memory storage and communication abilities. Truly remarkable."
The "memory function" meant that the crystal ball could record information and even capture the current scene. However, due to Saen's low mental power or the crystal ball's average quality, its recording capacity was limited. As for communication, Saen could use it to contact other mages or apprentices who also owned a crystal ball. Currently, his crystal ball had two pre-set contacts: his senior brother Zorro and senior sister Fi'er.
"With the lab partially destroyed and our mentor needing time to gather new materials, I don't need to report to him daily for now. The academy's public lessons will soon resume, offering me a chance to attend classes that interest me. Plus, I can leverage the 100 academy points I earned from my last exam to exchange for knowledge about intermediate spells. Then there are those five magical books I got from our mentor that I need to study," Saen contemplated aloud.
Mages led busy lives, and the dark magic apprentices at Mossubra City were no exception. An underlying sense of crisis and survival pressure drove each apprentice to seek more knowledge and power. Although Saen didn't need to visit his mentor every day anymore, just a brief planning session had already filled up his schedule.
"Haha, Saen, I didn't expect you to still attend my lectures after becoming Mosido's disciple. Is Mosido's teaching inadequate? You could join me instead; I'd reserve a spot for you as my apprentice," formal dark mage Kosorong said with a raspy laugh during a magic class.
His two protruding eyeballs—one big, one small—were unnerving enough, but even more so were the three mouths he possessed, like the one on the back of his hand currently speaking to Saen.
Kosorong's laughter prompted Saen, who had just entered the classroom, to bow respectfully. However, Saen diplomatically declined Kosorong's offer, "Master, your achievements in necromancy and death synthesis are unparalleled. But as Mosido's disciple, I mustn't betray my mentor. I attended this anatomy class to learn from your profound understanding of death."
Saen's words were sweet, and his demeanor respectful. Kosorong's proposal was only in jest; should Saen ever abandon his mentor, Kosorong would likely fear Mosido's retribution first. The recent battle between formal dark mages within the academy and Mossubra City was still fresh in everyone's mind, turning Keserson into a private joke among the mages. Kosorong had no desire to become a similar joke, despite being confident in his abilities relative to Mosido.
"Fine, then you can be my assistant at the experiment table," Kosorong said raspily. "These kids may have been here at least a year or two, but they're useless, unable to handle anything! Yet you learn quickly and work steadily. It's baffling how Mosido snagged you first."
Kosorong's praise did not breed any complacency in Saen. He maintained a cautious demeanor, well aware of the mercurial and twisted nature of the formal dark mage before him. Meanwhile, the dozens of other apprentices in the classroom were quivering like frightened quail under Kosorong's oppressive presence.
Anatomy was a compulsory course for all black magic apprentices. From entry-level to lower-level apprentices, being adept at dissection was crucial for being deemed a qualified dark magic apprentice. Many newcomers couldn't stomach the gore or cope with dealing with corpses and dismembered parts, leading to their early elimination. What happened to them afterward…
On the experiment table before Saen lay the curled-up body of an approximately 1.2-meter-tall apprentice. Thanks to Mosido's custom-made preservative, the apprentice's corpse showed no signs of decay, retaining the vivid expressions of terror and agony he experienced at death.
This apprentice likely hadn't been enrolled for more than a year. He passed the initial mental power test at the dark magic academy but failed to adapt to the institution's dark, harsh environment. Unable to endure the academy's heaviness, death was likely his greatest release. Yet, even in death, his body continued to serve the academy.
"Alright, let's begin today's lesson," Kosorong announced suddenly, his raspy voice close to Saen's ear. "Saen, start by removing his heart, and make sure there's no damage. Show these rookies what true skill looks like."
Saen didn't dare let his mind wander. He gripped the scalpel firmly in his right hand, supported the cadaver with his left, and made the first incision. Did Saen enjoy working with corpses, or was he deranged? Hardly.
His participation in Kosorong's anatomy classes was rooted in pragmatic thinking. Mastery of dissection was indeed one of the essential skills for a dark mage. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a mandatory subject. Additionally, having witnessed Mike's necromancy constructs and Keserson's plant monstrosity, Saen fantasized about creating robust, durable servants of his own one day.
Great endeavors have humble beginnings. This anatomy course, mandatory for new novices, was Saen's first step towards crafting formidable composite beast servants. It's worth remembering that Saen's elemental affinity also favored the dark element. Environments saturated with darkness and negativity barely fazed him, perhaps explaining his smooth adaptation to the academy and earning Kosorong's commendation.