The whole class stared at Tim in awe after witnessing such devastating power he had displayed. They were even more surprised about the new product that was formed, most especially the teacher.
Ghost rock!
Although ghost rock doesn't particularly help mages in any way, to alchemists it was an entirely different case. Ghost rock was used in the production of the ghost medicine which could practically heal any wound, minor or serious.
Rumor had it that it could even restore a lost body part if refined properly. It was a very rare medicine which was highly sought after across various kingdoms far and wide. Some were even willing to give all that they had just to aquire even a single drop of this medicine.
Of course the main ingredient used in making the medicine, ghost rock, could only be produced by mages which was why, No matter how the teacher looked at it, she just couldn't figure out how an apprentice mage had managed to achieve such a feat. As far as she knew even archmages had a low success rate when creating such medicine but here, it had just been accomplished through a mere duplication spell.
"Who is that kid?". She asked herself.
---------------------------
In the infirmary where Tim was placed, he laid down on the bed, gathering the ambient magical essence surrounding the room which seemed to emanate from a crystal ball at the center of the room.
Tim was greeted by the sunlight from the open window beside him as he raised his head from the bed.
"What happened to me?"
Tim felt a sharp pain in his neck then suddenly...
"Welcome back Tim." A voice sounded in his head.
Immediately, he jumped out of his bed and let out a sharp shrieking sound.
"Who said that?"
He got no reply from anyone.
'Maybe the person's hiding somewhere in the room'
He then began to search the entire room for the source of the voice disrupting the arrangement of the room as he checked everywhere
'Just relax, if someone enters right now, they'll probably think you're going crazy'
Tim heard the voice again this time being clearer as if the person who spoke was next to him but when he looked to his side, he found no one. Even he was beginning to think he was losing his mind.
He calmed himself and squatted by a corner of the room just beside his bed.
"Who are you?". He asked
'Mm, tough question there. In my lifetime, I've been called many names. Some being more powerful than the other. But if I should remember, a certain name stuck out. This name has been probably passed down through many generations. I'm Henry wesborough,... But I believe you know me to be... The hybrid mage".
Tim gazed in shock as soon as he heard the name.
Everyone knew the story of the hybrid mage. He was known to be a very powerful mage who had suddenly gone rogue and had embarked on a quest for power. He had spread terror in the kingdom and had been eventually killed by certain mages who were known to be none other than... Tim's parents.
Tim held his breath in fear. His parents were responsible for the death of the hybrid mage, if he wanted, he could snuff a mere apprehentice mage like him within a second without. So he had to watch whatever he said next cause it could be his last.
'You do know I can hear your thoughts right and don't worry, im not going to kill you, you seem quite useful to me'.
Tim kept quiet, he couldn't possibly belief that he was conversing with the hybrid mage, an existence which had shaken the whole continent. Tim then mustered the little courage he had as he muttered the next word.
"I thought you died" he asked.
"Yeah, me too. Although I'm not sure how this is possible, but I think somehow, my soul has bonded with yours. I guess my soul must've survived after I died."
"So, in the classroom, was that...you?"
"Yeah, but I must say, my spells felt weak than it used to be. If I am to take a quick guess then I would say that the mark on your neck is somehow blocking me from exhibiting my true power.'
Tim them placed his hand on his neck where the mark was. He felt a very warm sensation emanating from it. He then reasoned something, if the hybrid mage intended to take over his body, he could've done so by now if it wasn't for the mark on his neck which he thought to be a sealing mark. The only question on his mind now was :'who sealed the hybrid mage,'
Sealing marks were marks which helped in blocking or sealing completely unwanted magic in a mage's body. The complexity of a sealing spell was one which only made it so that it could only be performed by a high mage or a mage of higher rank. This made Tim wonder how he had managed to possibly garner the attention of a high mage. Moreover, with the power he had just witnessed, it would take more than a single high mage to seal such magic completely.
'I must agree with you on that one. The complexity of the spell doesn't seem like one that can be carried out by a single high mage so, I'm guessing it must've been performed by maybe two or three high mages.
'By my understanding, this power will remained sealed in you until you break your essence barrier and advance in your mage tier and the power grows after you break each successive barrier which means you will be able to unlock a portion of my power each time you advance in your mage tier'
It took a while for Tim to proceed what he had just heard. He didn't understand what Henry meant by 'his power'
"Wait, does that mean..."
'Yes Tim, I believe you are now the new... Hybrid mage"