'Two-tier 7 mages and the Beast of Nuvadeer.' Lucas recalled those stories. Tier 7 mages lacked a challenge since they had become incredibly powerful, and it wasn't unusual for them to challenge each other just to refine their skills. Poldansius was the same, with documented records of his fights against other tier 7 mages. If his memory served him right, Poldansius engaged in battles with five tier 7 mages in the past, and only two of them managed to push Poldansius to utilize his bracer to its full extent.
Then, there was the Beast of Nuvadeer, Akonla. It was a wyrm that had grown immensely stronger and larger, to the point of reaching a legendary beast capable of laying waste to an entire country. But before Akonla could unleash its devastation, Poldansius appeared with his full arsenal and confronted the beast in an isolated area to minimize the destruction. In the end, Akonla was defeated, and Poldansius carried away its remnants to who knew where.
"You have to keep it carefully, Lucas," his mother warned him with a serious expression. "When you gather the stones and put them together, many will recognize Poldansius' bracer, and they will try to seize it from you. Its allure is too potent for some to resist."
"Even if it may not function for them?" he asked, and she nodded as an answer.
"They don't care whether the bracer works for them or not. Simply possessing it brings them satisfaction. Many believe they possess the capability to bypass the bracer's requirements," she explained.
If what his mother said was true, it posed a significant problem as it meant he wasn't safe at all. Individuals familiar with Poldansius' bracer would likely attempt to seize it, and he had no means to resist them if they resorted to force.
"Can it change its form?" his mother asked.
"No." Lucas shook his head. The description didn't mention that. There could be a method to change its appearance, but he might be lacking in knowledge about it.
"I see. Then, I suppose you need to cover it up first," she suggested. "We don't want anyone to know about it."
Lucas agreed. He wouldn't want anyone else to be aware of it, aside from his family if possible.
"Now, go to sleep, my son. Tomorrow, we will depart early." She kissed his forehead before heading to her bed.
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*****
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The next day.
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They left the hotel and proceeded to the magic tower to bid farewell to Olenna.
"Sister! I'm going to miss you!" Liliya exclaimed, embracing Olenna. She looked sad to part with Olenna.
"Aww! I'll miss you too!" Olenna warmly embraced the hug as she knelt down to the level of Liliya's height and rubbed her head tenderly. Truly, Olenna couldn't resist hugging her adorable sister. "Visit me, little sis, okay? Come by later, okay?"
"Yeah!" Liliya agreed immediately. Their relationship progressed swiftly from strangers to sisters. Olenna had a lot of free time, and she wasted it by accompanying Liliya. When questioned about her ample free time, she explained that due to the limited curriculum at the academy, they did not constrain her by forcing her to be in a class she had already learned.
"Why not pay us a visit, too?" Lucas asked, realizing Olenna had never set foot in their home. Come to think of it, his family had also never visited the Kastarn family.
"Yeah! Visit us!" Liliya eagerly jumped on the idea.
"Okay, I will visit you guys! But in exchange, you guys should come to my house too!"
"Yes! Promise!"
Olenna shifted her attention to Lucas. She asked, "How was it? Do you need additional time for reading?"
She knew that Lucas spent most of his time reading in the archive for his research, but she was not sure he had enough time for it.
Lucas shook his head. "I think it is enough. While I do wish to read more, I need to prepare for my research."
Olenna nodded in understanding. "I wish you the best of luck then."
"Thank you." A smile crept onto his face.
She then turned to her aunt. "Aunt, when will you come again?" A question for a fellow of the magic tower's members.
"Next week. I have something to do here."
"Then, I'll see you next week, Aunt." She bowed respectfully.
Isabelle smiled and gently patted Olenna on the head. "Yes, see you next week."
Afterward, the Harren family returned home using the gate. However, this time, Lucas gleaned more insight on the gate after he read Poldansius' secrets. While he hadn't read it entirely, he learned enough about the available gate numbers and how to use them.
'There are nine gates ... but only seven in this kingdom,' Lucas observed. The seven gates were distributed as follows: four in the north, south, west, and east; one at the center or outside of the capital; one in Lousiva; and one in Ortano City, housing the Martial Artist Headquarters. The question lingered: So, where were the other two gates?
After a quick reading of the record, Lucas discovered that the two gates were located in Poldansius' hideouts. But it would be eye-catching if he wanted to go to those hideouts by using the public gates. Fortunately, Poldansius had crafted another artifact. It was a much smaller gate, yet it still demanded a substantial amount of mana for use. Unfortunately, the artifact was located in Poldansius' third hideout, deeply concealed underground.
Lucas wouldn't venture into the underground. It was a dangerous place shrouded in mystery. Nobody knew how the deep underground formed. Various theories circulated about the origin of the underground. Some said it was an ancient dwarf's road network, others believed it to be a natural phenomenon, while some asserted that monsters were responsible for its creation. But they agreed that the underground was infested with dangerous monsters, and venturing into them was inadvisable even for a tier 6. Still, despite the known danger, the underground was rich with resources and treasure.
'If I want to go there, I'll need to reach at least tier 7,' Lucas thought. It stood as a long-term goal, and he didn't know when he would achieve it. 'Heh, one way or another, I will reach it anyway. After all, my goal is to become the greatest mage ever! And tier 7 is not the pinnacle of magic!'
It was well known that tier 7 was not the ultimate height of magic, but it served as a pragmatic goal. That was because, in comparison to tier 8, there were more mages in tier 7. Additionally, there was no living proof of tier 8 mages or martial artists thus far. While tier-8 was commonly considered the peak of magic, Lucas remained skeptical. Despite lacking concrete evidence, he believed in the existence of tier 9 or even tier 10, but it was just beyond the reach of humanity. Yet, Lucas remained undeterred. He was determined to become the greatest mage ever. He would find a way to surpass the limits set by humanity.
But for now, contemplating the distant future wasn't necessary. He needed to focus on solidifying his hold on Tier 1 and then proceed to Tier 2. He hoped that by the time he enrolled in the academy, he would at least reach tier 2, and it would be even better if he reached tier 3.