Raphaello and Lancer walked to the magical books and scrolls store, watching as the store owner, a being called Bugree, began to close the doors of the establishment. Bugree was known for his somewhat eccentric personality and addiction to magical scrolls and books. He had a passion for studying the histories and origins of these ancient magics, becoming a true fanatic on the subject.
Although his shop was not much in demand among most of the villagers, when he saw the young people approaching, Bugree felt a strange obligation not to close the shop. He was always eager to share his knowledge and, upon seeing those curious faces, he decided that the night was not over yet.
Bugree looked at Raphaello and Lancer with his bright eyes, which always seemed restless, as if they were taking in the world around them.
- Welcome, young people! I was about to close the store, but something tells me that this night still holds magical secrets for you. Come in, come in!
Bugree opened the store doors with a theatrical gesture, inviting them in. Raphaello and Lancer exchanged surprised looks, but decided to accept the invitation, curious to know more about the eccentric owner of the store and what he had to offer inside.
Inside the store, the shelves were filled with scrolls, books, and magical objects that glowed with a mysterious aura. Bugree approached them with an excited smile on his face.
- My friends, here you will find the deepest secrets of magic and magical history! I am Bugree, the keeper of this knowledge for many years. What brings you to my modest shop tonight?
Raphaello and Lancer looked at each other, surprised by Bugree's fervent energy. Raphaello replied, trying to keep up with the store owner's enthusiasm.
- We are in search of knowledge and perhaps some information about this world. We know you're an expert on magical scrolls and books, and we thought you could help us understand things better around here.
- Well, now it seems that we have curious boys here, I like curiosity, but first let's measure their mana core and with that I will see what kind of magic they are capable of using.
Bugree takes the boys to a room where he has a crystal ball, which when touched depends on the color and measures their mana core.
- come on, come on, don't be shy, you first boy with blonde hair, touch this Ludre was an object that I created myself.
Raphaello found the situation somewhat suspicious, but decided not to pay much attention. Bugree's quirky personality raised some doubts in his mind.
"It seems like this guy isn't a bad person, maybe people ignore him due to his obsession with magic."
Raphaello puts his hands on the Ludre and begins to form an aura. The Ludre emits a gray color that leaves Raphaello intrigued.
- Look, it looks like we have a level two nucleus, what we call an amateur nucleus. With this, you will only be able to use basic spells up to level three.
- Now, young lady, place your hands on the Ludre.
While evaluating Lancer's core, Raphaello carefully observed the scrolls that were on the shelves and the information each of them contained. He couldn't help but wonder about the different levels of mana cores. Bugree's reaction made him realize that he might need to try harder to advance between the core levels.
-Boy, his core is white, which unfortunately classifies him as an apprentice. Maybe you're like me, someone without much talent for using magic. I also didn't get past gray core at age twelve; It is quite common for people to pass the white core when they turn twelve.
- How many core levels are there?
Raphaello's question made Bugree widen his eyes, raise an eyebrow and show a subtle smile of surprise. He loved talking about magic and mana cores, being a true enthusiast. Although fate did not bless him with the talent to use them, he had a deep interest in the subject.
Bugree explained that there are 10 levels of mana cores, which are: apprentice, amateur, initiate, medium, advanced, expert, senior, legendary master, and supreme. Each core has a specific color, and these 10 levels were established because there was no other person capable of surpassing the Supreme Warlord, the only mage to reach the supreme core.
Bugree's words left Raphaello disappointed, as he had no information about other young people his age or children of nobles who could share his core levels. This worried him because it meant he would have to work even harder to survive, which would definitely slow him down.
- Bugree, how can I increase my mana core?
- there are several existing methods, it just depends on which one you think is best for you.
Raphaello frowned and was silent for a moment, sinking into deep thought as he thought about his next question.
- The most common method is mana depletion, in which people deplete their mana in the same way as they train a muscle. The more you need a certain part of your body, the more it develops the muscles necessary to perform that activity, and the same happens with the mana core.
- There are also other approaches, such as core cultivation, but for those who do not belong to the nobility, it is not viable to dedicate their lives to a practice that requires more time. Many believe that the best way to increase your mana core is to use it in combat.
- I understood enough, Mr. Bugree, it helped me a lot in understanding the mana core.
- There is nothing to be grateful for whenever you have a question, you can ask whenever you want. This is my job.
Bugree couldn't contain his enthusiasm; that had been the best conversation about magic he had had in a long time. Normally, people would just come to buy a scroll of a specific spell and leave the store without saying a word. Raphaello and Lancer's visit made him extremely excited.
- Well, now I would like to take a look at what I can buy, but unfortunately I don't have enough money at the moment. I hope you don't mind if we take a look at the scrolls available for sale.
- Of course, feel free. Don't hesitate to ask any questions.
The rest of the night, Bugree explained various scrolls to Raphaello, which made him very happy. Basic level 1 spells caught Raphaello's attention, who noticed that Lancer had been surprisingly quiet ever since he checked his mana core.
- Are you okay Lancer?
Lancer was lost in thought, and after the question, he came back to reality.
- yes I'm fine, why are you interested in basic level 1 spells? This is rubbish, no one buys this.
Lancer's words made Bugree look intensely at him, controlling his anger and remaining calm. Before he could explode with irritation, Raphaello intervened:
- No magic in this place is useless. You just need to know how to use them and what to use them for. Each of these spells has its importance, I would like to take them all, if it were possible.
At these words, Bugree's eyes twinkled discreetly, but he maintained his impassive expression. It was rare to find people like Raphaello anywhere; Even nobles preferred to buy more advanced books or scrolls, completely ignoring basic level spells, but they all had their importance.
The magic scrolls in Bugree's shop were predominantly of basic and intermediate levels, with few options for combat spells. Bugree explained that Baron Jericho had banned the sale of any book or scroll that could contribute to the formation of a revolution.
The magic that interested Raphaello most was the comprehensio magic, basic level 1. He was particularly interested in a magic of this type, as Bugree had mentioned that basic level spells could be learned quickly, although they required time to master. Raphaello deduced that comprehensio magic could speed up his learning about how magic worked.
Furthermore, Bugree explained that a spell could be improved as long as the user was willing to invoke it multiple times and fully understand it. This information was of great importance, and Raphaello was full of praise for sharing it.
And so, Raphaello and Lancer left the store. Raphaello was very pleased with what he had learned that day, while Lancer was crestfallen. They walked back to the shipyard where they usually slept.