"Yes!"
"No hesitation at all huh?"
'I mean who wouldn't accept to become a student of the greatest sorcerer in the world? That's like throwing a winning lotto number in the trash. Although I'm more of an offensive combat hunter, becoming a magician is not bad too unless of course, I get a class but since I'm still classless, I'm an all-rounder so learning one thing is better than learning nothing.'
"I'll activate the mark right now."
Two magic circles appeared over their heads and on the ground. Locafustrous eyes brimmed in white and the surroundings started shaking.
"A mark? Is that some sort of contract?"
"Correct but this is more of a brand that shows that you've become an official disciple of mine. This brand increases your learning and magical capabilities when I teach you. The mark is also a sign that I can control your Mana for counteracts if ever you betray me or use my teachings for your selfish deeds so I can restrain you."
"Wait a minute! That's a slave mark! You're putting me on a contract that I didn't agree on!"
"Too late!"
Ting~
[YOU HAVE BEEN BRANDED WITH THE SORCERER'S SUPREME MARK!]
Ting~
[YOU HAVE BECOME THE SORCERER SUPREME'S DISCIPLE!]
[Sorcerer Supreme's Disciple: (Sub-class)
+100,000 MP
Quick Learner- Your thinking process has been enhanced by 2.5x.
Way of a Mage- Increases magical knowledge, output, capacity, defense, and effects by 80%.
Magical- Control the magic around you.
Quick-Spell- Skill casting of any magical spell has been increased by 200%.
Spell-Slot- Able to permanently obtain Spell-related skills. 20 slots.
Master's Teaching- You can understand Locafustrous teachings easily and permanently ingrain the knowledge you absorb from your master.]
[(BRAND) HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE SUBCLASS DUE TO THE IMMUNITY EFFECT OF INVULNERABILITY]
Ting~
[ SUBCLASS HAS BEEN OPENED IN YOUR PLAYER STATUS (1/5)]
Ting~
[YOU HAVE EARNED A TITLE]
[Supreme Disciple- You have become the student of Locafustrous and all teachings can be learned in an instant without the need of practice.
Effects:
+1000 INT
+25% Cooldown Reduction
+3 Skill Slots]
"Weird... you're able to resist the Brand attribute but neither my disciples were able to do that. You're one peculiar student."
Locafustrous scratched his chin as he stared at Xerel dazing on the empty air. The look of regret quickly changed to a wide grin after he read the contents of the Sub-class.
'This is better than I expected! I gained a lot of benefits than I had thought! Increased in Mana, Intelligence, new features like spells and subclasses, and even added skill slots that I badly need! Oh my god, this is crazy!'
Xerel was screaming in the back of his head but made sure to be composed in front of his now-master, Locafustrous.
"Thank you for making me your Disciple, from now on, I'll listen to everything you say."
"I like that spirit! But I'm not just some third-rate teacher! I'm the supreme master of Mana! I have trained and taught 7 disciples and each one of them grew up to be rulers of their continent! You, on the other hand, are a Hybrid, one that is not of my race and I would've declined to teach an otherworldly race but since you're young, distinguishable to my race, and also have the talent of the magical arts, I'll exempt you. Your first test is to open a magic circle in your mana core, if you can do that in an hour, we will proceed to the next phase, but if you can't, I will remove the mark and we'll become strangers afterwards."
"That's kinda harsh but okay?"
Ting~
[SUB QUEST
Open the first magic circle in your Mana. By doing this, you can unlock the activation of spells which range from low-level spells to basic spells.
Difficulty- E
Rewards- Phase two, Spell Slots Unlock
Penalty- Sub-class deletion]
'It's only an E-ranked difficulty but why does it feel like an S-rank?'
Xerel bit his nails as he thought to himself deeply. Locafustrous looked at him in confusion seeing Xerel sweating profusely.
"Does your race not have any sorcerers or magicians?"
"We have a lot of them but..."
"But what?"
"I... don't know how to open a magic circle in my Mana core."
"Puhahahahahat!"
Locafustrous was laughing aloud that challengers nearby began to watch at the commotion and Xerel felt embarrassed from the eyes staring at him as he curl on the ground to avoid their sight.
"What's so funny about that dude? You're embarrassing me!"
"First of all, don't call me "DOOD", I'm your master so properly speak to me or I won't teach you."
"I-I'm sorry master. Can you please teach me how to open my magic circle?"
"Pfft..fine, it's simple, you need to control the flow of your Mana and let it spread around your Mana core. Once it covers your Mana core with Mana, it will start to form a ring around your Mana core and viola! You'll open your Magic Circle!"
"Is that it?"
"Yeah, now do it."
Xerel sat on the ground in a meditating position as he closed his eyes. Using [Mana Manipulation], he could sense the mana flowing in the veins in his body and could see his Mana core the size of a fist.
By using the mana core, he let the Mana move around the Mana core and as soon as he did that, he quickly felt a stinging pain in his body.
"Urrrghh!?"
"Oh yeah, you'll also experience a lot of pain awakening your first magic circle but you must not halt your movement, or else you'll experience an internal Mana explosion."
"Why didn't you tell me that in the first place!?"
"Hush and focus."
Internal mana explosion is a deadly injury when there's a rupture on the mana vein causing the flowing mana to spread around your body where it should not be flowing which as a result causes your Mana core to crack and break and all the pent up Mana inside you will blast out from every opening of your body causing a Mana explosion. They will lose all their Mana and will never regain it ever again, ending their life as a hunter and spending the remaining time in the hospital bed as they will fall into an incurable stroke and become vegetables.
Hearing his words, Xerel intently focused the flow of his Mana, he let the pumping of Mana go around the Mana core. Although no actual damage was done, the pain in his chest was like being sliced by a 1000° Celsius knife; it was both very hot and painful. He didn't stop even with the pain he was experiencing as he continued to let more mana spread around his Mana core.
5 minutes passed the Mana that was overlaid on each other like a blanket started to thin out and form into a ring of blue light. This ring whirled around his Mana core like the rings of Saturn but a lot more violent.
As the shaking of the ring calmed down, the pain in his chest lessened and once the ring had completely formed, the pain disappeared as Xerel exhale a sigh of relief.
Ting~
[YOU HAVE OPENED YOUR FIRST CIRCLE]
Ting~
[SUB QUEST COMPLETED!]
[YOU HAVE OBTAINED THE REWARDS!]
"I did it!"
"Not impressed."
"Why?"
"All my disciples took 2 minutes to make their first Mana circle even before I was the one teaching them while you on the other hand took 5 minutes."
"C'mon man! In the first place, I'm not even a sorcerer, my body is built to be a warrior, and being able to do this for the first time is still new to me."
"Call me master and you have a fair point. You've strayed your whole life being a brutish man when you were born to be a great Sorcerer like me, it's you who hasn't realized your talent. And let me tell you more, my 3rd disciple is a knight who wielded a sword but once I showed him the correct path, he became the grand wizard in his kingdom. Plus, look at you... you're thin, and you don't even look ripped, you have the same body as mine and what are you saying about being born as a warrior when there's no such warrior who is a walking skin and bones."
"..."
Xerel was hurt by his insult that he couldn't speak anymore and sulk on the ground.
' I'm thin because I only eat once a day so I can save up some rent. Why do you have to be so harsh with your words? Huhuhuhu.'
"Now that you- are you crying?"
"No, I'm not!"
Xerel wiped the tears and rubbed it as if to show that there was dust in his eyes and looked at Locafustrous with reddened eyes and a runny nose. Locafustrous briefly looked confused but continued with his words.
"Anyways, now that you've awakened your first circle, you must reach the 6th circle before I can teach you the basics."
"What!? I just suffered a lot from opening a single circle and you're expecting me to open 5 more!?"
"Manners!"
"Urgh, I'm sorry master. But that sounds impossible."
"It's not, with your Mana capacity, you'll easily reach the 8th circle but since I'm being kind, I'll let you do 5 circles."
Ting~
[SUB QUEST
Locafustrous is ordering you to reach the 6th circle. By reaching this circle, you can unlock intermediate spells and go to the next phase of the test.
Difficulty- S
Rewards- 2 levels, Basic Training]
' I'm not that inversed in magic but I heard in the news that an Overlord had reached the 9th circle in the age of 780 and that Overlord is not even a human but an elven elder! How am I supposed to reach the 6th circle when the highest a human had reached was the 7th circle and that man is already 140 years old!'
"Before I start, will it hurt again like the first circle?"
"Oh, it will hurt far more than you'd expect but I can assure you that you can do it. I reached the 6th circle when I was just 120 years old and I was the same age as you at that time! Now that I'm 1405 years old, I've reached the 18th circle and I'm close to reaching the 19th circle which is the pinnacle of Mana once I reach the 19th circle, it will take me measly 50 centuries to reach the 20th circle and I'll be one of Mana!"
'And he's expecting me to reach the 6th circle when he was able to reach that level in a hundred twenty years of age!? Bitch I'm still 17! What the hell is he expecting from me!'
Seeing his shocked expression, Locafustrous couldn't help but be cocky as he continued to blabber about how young he was able to accomplish a lot.
' It's only normal for you my student to be in awe of my Excellency and don't worry, you'll also experience this feeling! But first I have to train you from scratch!'
Locafustrous said to himself as he continued to tell his story more when in reality, Xerel was simply shocked at the lack of realism in his quest.
'No wonder it's an S-rank but let's do this! I should be able to use [Asura's Breathing] to lower the painful heat from the process, in that way, I won't fall unconscious and die from Mana explosion.'
"Haaaap!...Hooooooh~"
Xerel inhaled a lot of air and release it into his mouth in a form of smoke. His body reddened from the heat and steam started to rise from his body.
He then started flowing the Mana in his body and changing its direction to flow around his Mana core. Having to do the same process, it had been very easy to repeat it due to the Sub-class attributes added effect. The speed at which he was controlling his mana increased by two folds and the pain also doubled but now without having to endure the heat, the feeling was just like being stabbed by a normal knife; painful but not hot.
Ting~
[YOU HAVE OPENED YOUR 2ND CIRCLE]
After 10 minutes, he was able to open his 2nd circle and Xerel didn't stop after hearing the notification reverberating in his head. He continued to control his Mana flow. Although this effect had drained his Mana bit by bit, having a hundred thousand Mana, it didn't feel like he was depleted.
After the next circle was forming, the pain would double and more Mana was being drained from him and this continued to the next circle he made. Each circle doubled the time of the process which means the time it took him to take to form a magic circle went from 10 minutes to 3 and a half hours.
As the 6th circle was formed, his Mana had gone down to 100 points, he didn't hesitate and pulled out a vial of Mana regeneration to replenish his missing mana as he laid on the ground panting and watching the window panel in his view.
Ting~
[YOU HAVE OPENED YOUR 6TH CIRCLE!]
[SUB QUEST COMPLETED!]
[YOU HAVE OBTAINED THE REWARDS!]
"Haah~ haah~"
'Amazing! To think he was able to do it in mere 3 hours when it took me a hundred years! As expected of my Excellency! I'm the greatest teacher of all!'
Locafustrous was having a self-appreciation while looking at Xerel with a wide grin.
"Next."
"The dryad has called me, it's my turn!"
"But what about the basic test you told me?"
"Here."
Locafustrous opened a small spatial portal and thick books fell out and piled up on the laying Xerel.
"What are these books for?"
"Those are ancient spell books or in our world, we call it "Grimoire", you must learn all the ancient spells in that book and once we meet again, you must perform each spell then we'll do the practical test."
"Okay."
Locafustrous went to the portal and glanced at Xerel looking at the books.
"Let's see each other on the 11th floor, I'll be waiting for you there."
'You mean, "I" will be waiting for you on the 11th floor.'
Waaaang!
Locafustrous disappeared and Xerel started opening one of the Grimoires. A window panel appeared in his view as his eyes widened in shock.
"..!"