After reaching the Qi Refinement Realm, Augustus wasn't satisfied and continued cultivating for another week until he received a message.
[Main Body is in a 'hungry' state]
[System recommends user to go back]
'Oh, shoot! I almost forgot about my main body on Earth,' Augustus thought, realizing his oversight.
Normally, the capsule helped sustain his main body with necessary nutrients during long Dimension Traveling sessions.
'Wait a minute, how long have I been here? How did my body even survive?' Augustus wondered.
[Duration: 41 days 2 hours]
41 days?! I need to get back right away!
[Returning to the original dimension]
In a flash, Augustus' consciousness returned to his main body, and as he woke up, he found himself lying on a bed in the nurse's office.
His head throbbed with pain, as if something had struck it hard while he was unconscious.
'Who the heck injured my head?' Augustus thought, rubbing his temples.
"You're awake. How's your head?" The nurse, who was sitting beside him, asked with concern.
"I feel a bit dizzy. How did I hit my head?" Augustus inquired, puzzled.
"Someone found you lying on the bathroom floor. It seems you fainted and hit your head on the sink and once more on the floor," the nurse explained.
Augustus realized what had happened and slapped his forehead in frustration.
'Of course! But hold on a second.'
"How long has it been since I passed out?" Augustus asked, eager to know.
"I don't know, a few hours maybe. Around two hours-ish? Anyway, don't worry too much. It's probably just exam stress. You've been studying so hard, you'll do great," the nurse reassured him.
"Thanks for the encouragement," Augustus replied with an awkward smile.
Only two hours had passed? But that didn't make sense. Even in the future, the capsule didn't have any features to slow down time during Dimension Traveling.
Dividing 41 days by roughly two hours, that's around a five hundred times slower.
Augustus couldn't help but be amazed at the time dilation effect.
A thousand times slower! That's insanely overpowered.
"Go home and get some sleep. If there's more pain, go and see a proper doctor," Nurse Rita advised sternly.
With a grateful nod, Augustus accepted the letter for sick leave and the painkillers from Nurse Rita's outstretched hand. "Alright, thanks Miss Rita," he said, his voice filled with appreciation.
Making his way to his homeroom teacher's office, Augustus was greeted by Matt, one of his old friends from school. Concern laced Matt's voice as he asked, "August, are you okay? You seem out of it today."
Augustus furrowed his brow, trying to recall the boy's name. "Who is he again? Was it, oh yes, Matt, right? Thank god there's a name tag on the uniform," Augustus thought to himself.
"I'm okay, uhhh, Matt. Just a little sleepy from hitting my head. I'm going to submit the letter and head back home to rest," Augustus explained wearily.
Matt chuckled, teasing, "Are you sure you're not going to game all night again, August?"
Augustus shook his head, feeling a pang of nostalgia for his gaming days. "No, Matt. I'm good. I'll also prepare for the upcoming exam," he replied, determined to focus on his studies.
"What the... Are you really August? Did you hit your head too hard?" Matt continued to jest, earning a playful glare from Augustus.
"Enough with the jokes. I just want to make sure I pass. I don't plan to stay for another year," Augustus said firmly, his determination shining through.
"Alright, suit yourself. I'm heading back to class. Have fun at home," Matt said with a chuckle before leaving.
Augustus sighed, feeling exhausted from pretending to be a teenager. "Talking and acting like a teenager is sure tiring," he thought to himself.
"Alright, let's just head straight home so I can eat and maybe get back to cultivating or even explore the other two places I haven't visited yet."
Upon arriving home, Augustus called out, "I'm home!" His mom immediately approached him with worry etched on her face.
"I heard that you fainted? Are you alright? You've never fainted before, have you? We should go get a check-up," his mom said anxiously.
Augustus couldn't help but smile fondly at his mom's concern. "I'm fine, mom," he reassured her, feeling a sense of comfort in her presence.
"Are you sure you're fine? You're crying. Is it painful? We should really see a doctor. Wait, I'll call dad and drive you to the nearest hospital," his mom said, her worry escalating.
"It's nothing, I'm really fine, I'm just hungry" Augustus said, wiping his tears with his hands.
Heck, I didn't know I missed my parents so much.
"Yes, yes. you're a big boy but you still need to get a check-up." His mom's eyes softened, and she hugged him tightly.
"I just banged my head, that's all, there's no need to make a fuss and I'm really hungry. Is dinner ready?" Augustus said with an awkward smile, feeling like a child again in his mother's embrace.
"Alright, alright. you win, we have some leftovers from yesterday. Let me heat it up real quick. Go and take a shower. It'll be ready soon, honey," his mom said lovingly.
Somehow Augustus felt warm around the chest. 'I'm definitely too old for this.'
Augustus's mom had already grabbed his clothes and left them on the sofa for him to change into. She then immediately started cooking.
He quickly retrieved his clothes from the sofa and took a refreshing shower.
As he emerged from the bathroom, a feast was laid out before him - a perfect home-cooked meal that he had been craving for years.
He dug in eagerly, devouring the food as if he hadn't eaten in days. "It's delicious," he exclaimed between mouthfuls.
"You must have been hungry. Eat more. I'll go buy and order more groceries for your father and sister."
After savoring every last bite, I returned to my room and lay down on the bed, lost in my thoughts.
"I'm really back," I whispered to myself. I gave myself a little slap to snap out of the reverie and called out to the system in my mind.
[Choose your destination]
[Traveling to The Magic Tower]
....
I found myself in an unfamiliar place and wondered where I was.
The system showed me a map of the magic tower, which had five levels.
I was currently in B1, the basement, which seemed to be a resting area from the medieval era.
The architecture was unique, and the bed was surprisingly comfortable, although the lack of fresh air made it feel a bit dungeon-like.
"Well, it seems I had too high expectations for this place,"
I tried to compared it with the previous mansion, I guess I need to readjust my expectations.
The other levels were labeled as G, F1, F2, and F3, and it appeared to be a straight-up tower.
I got up from the bed and started to explore.
The B1 level was small with little to discover, aside from the room I had emerged from. The only way out was the stairs leading to the ground floor, which I ascended eagerly.
As I reached the ground floor, I was greeted with a breathtaking sight - a majestic-looking library that seemed to stretch on indefinitely. "This is insane," I thought, overwhelmed by the sheer number of books available.
I had expected a library, but not one of this magnitude. The ground floor was enormous, almost ten times the size of the basement, probably even more, I'm not sure I can only see bookshelves.
[What books are you trying to find?]
I scrolled through the seemingly endless list of books, my curiosity piqued. However, most of them were locked, teasing me with their inaccessible contents.
The list was divided into categories: Magic Spells, Historical Texts, Theory of Magic, Folklore and Mythology, Novels and Fiction, Research Journals, and Encyclopedias and Dictionaries.
Augustus felt overwhelmed just looking at the vast array of options.
During the war, on the front line, he coincidentally picked up a book from a fallen Trixion. The book contain the art of trap magic.
With the help of the book, he ultimately fallen to the backlines supporting his comrades and laying down traps infinitely, this helped him survive until this moment but not without hard effort
It took him five long years to truly understand trap creation and deployment.
Through relentless practice and unwavering determination, he mastered the intricacies of trap magic.
Now, he could set up a trap in under a minute with deadly precision, without alerting his enemies.
He learned various techniques, such as trap manipulation, trap repositioning, and trap modification to suit different situations.
He even delved into the complexities of trapping illusions, creating decoy traps to mislead his foes, and disguising traps to blend seamlessly into their surroundings.
Each aspect of trap magic demanded time and effort, but Augustus was determined to unlock its full potential by experimenting them.
'I mean trap magic could even be it's own category due the it's complexities. Other spell shouldn't be as complex right?'
The only useful section that clearly could enhance his combat abilities is the Magic Spells section so without hesitation I clicked on it which then reveal more choices to explore: Elemental Magic, Dark Magic, Divine Magic, and Summoning Magic.
'Hmm, I wonder where trap magic falls under,' Augustus mused to himself.
Most of my trap related to elemental traps, such as explosion trap, paralysis trap, poison trap, etc. So it should fall under elemental magic right?
Augustus wanted to try and explore more about elemental magic which then he was warned before actually proceeding.
[Are you sure?]
[The first category you choose will be free, but you will need to pay to unlock the next category]
Augustus frowned, realizing that nothing in the tower was free. He had even paid for upgrades before. Deep in thought, he weighed his options.
"Elemental Magic sounds like a solid choice, and I've heard of the power and risks of Dark Magic, it's an double-edge sword." he reflected.
"The Divine Magic could be useful for support highly sought in my original world due to the rarity of it, and Summoning Magic could offer unique advantages. All of them are good."
Lost in contemplation, Augustus approached the nearest shelf and reached for a book, attempting to grab a book, but an invisible wall prevented him from reading without paying.
'Why do I feel like the system is actually very stingy?'
Unable to make a decision, Augustus decided to explore the second and third floors first before making a final choice.
The screen closed, and Augustus continued to explore the Magic Tower, looking for the stairs to the next floors.
"Where are the stairs? This place is too huge," Augustus complained, but then suddenly a wisp of light appeared and showed him a path that led somewhere.
"I guess I should follow it," Augustus said, deciding to trust the light's guidance.
With the help of the light, Augustus found his way to the next set of stairs, leading him to the first floor of the tower.
Upon arriving at the first floor, he was greeted by a thick flow of mana in the air. The place was mesmerizing and otherworldly, with a huge mana stone at the center, and an array surrounding it.
The walls were adorned with shimmering crystals pulsing with vibrant colors that reflected the spectrum of magic.
[Mana Nexus]
[Upgrade Available]
[Mana Gathering Array Lvl 1 => Mana Gathering Array Lvl 2]
[10% Mana Output => 20% Mana Output]
[Costs: 10000 Mana Stones]
More upgrades. This time it requires Magic Stones instead.
Though, the current Mana Output is more than enough for me. While I'm not sensitive to mana, I can still feel how the air gets thicker the moment I enter this chamber.
I have come to the right place then. I've been searching for something similar to the mansion, a place to cultivate.
I need to form my mana circle and become a one-star mage to be able to cast spells.
"That giant mana stone, I wonder how much I can get for it if I sell it on Earth?" Augustus looks at the giant mana stone with curiosity.
As he approached the huge mana stone in the middle of the chamber, only to be blocked by another invisible wall.
"Tch. I just want to touch it," he grumbled.
After all, Qi or Mana doesn't exist on Earth, so if one wants to cultivate Qi and Mana, they either rely on Spirit Stones and Mana Stones that they brought back to Earth, or they undergo Dimension Travel to cultivate in peace and quiet, especially with the ongoing war with The Trixion.
"Right, I should start now," Augustus resolved, ready to begin forming his mana circle in the Magic Tower.
He was determined to become a one-star mage at the age of 17, even though it means nothing to the people that stands at the top, it's a huge different that change his future.