"Renji, can you sense it?" Kaiya Tanaka's voice softly reached Renji's mind. "Grandpa Kaiya, I can sense it. There are so many earth-colored specks of light—thousands, maybe tens of thousands. A hundred of them just drifted past my hand. It's overwhelming," Renji responded with excitement. The dense cluster of earth-colored specks filled him with joy. Kaiya Tanaka, hearing this, was thrilled. "Excellent. Now, follow my instructions carefully. Clear your mind and remain calm…" Kaiya Tanaka's voice was almost hypnotic as he guided Renji out of the meditative state. Simultaneously, he reduced the concentration of earth essence around them back to normal. Once Renji awoke from meditation, he felt energized and different from before. Even in his waking state, he could still faintly perceive the nearby earth essence, though not as distinctly as before.
"Grandpa Kaiya, I can still feel the earth-colored specks moving, even if not as clearly as before," Renji exclaimed eagerly. This was his first glimpse into the realm of magic, and he was amazed. "You can still sense it?" Kaiya Tanaka was astonished, given that the earth essence density had normalized and Renji was no longer meditating. This suggested a remarkable affinity for earth essence.
"Grandpa Kaiya, what's my affinity for earth elemental essence like?" Renji asked anxiously. "Excellent. Your affinity is exceptionally high," Kaiya Tanaka said with a smile. "Only about one in a thousand magi has such a strong affinity for earth essence." Renji's heart raced with excitement. "However, while elemental affinity is crucial, spiritual energy is even more vital," Kaiya Tanaka added seriously. "Magic force can be developed over time, but enhancing spiritual energy is far more challenging." Renji took a deep breath and nodded.
"Now we move on to the second test: evaluating your spiritual energy," Kaiya Tanaka said solemnly. Renji was aware of the importance of this test. "What should I do?" he asked, preparing himself. "You don't need to do anything," Kaiya Tanaka replied with a laugh. "As the spirit of the Celestial Dragon Ring, I can sense your spiritual energy directly. There's no need for a formal test."
Renji held his breath. "How is my spiritual energy?" he asked eagerly. "Your spiritual energy is ten times greater than the average person your age," Kaiya Tanaka said with a smile. This was a significant number, but Kaiya Tanaka continued, "Generally, only one in ten thousand can become a magus due to the high requirements for spiritual energy. Having ten times the norm places you around the average level for magi."
Renji's excitement waned slightly. "If anyone else were teaching you, you might only reach the fifth or sixth rank. But with me as your instructor, things are different," Kaiya Tanaka said confidently. "With hard work, you could reach the eighth rank. Whether you achieve ninth rank or even become a Saint-level magus depends on your own understanding and experience."
Kaiya Tanaka emphasized the importance of diligence. "If you don't put in the effort, you might not even become a sixth-rank magus. At that point, you'd have no one to blame but yourself." Renji was determined. "Grandpa Kaiya, I promise I won't disappoint you or my father or the Reshin clan," he vowed, inspired by the ancestral spirits.
"Good. Starting tomorrow, I will begin your training," Kaiya Tanaka said, his eyes gleaming with pride. Renji felt a new chapter opening before him, guided by the confidence of a Saint-level Grand Magus.
From the very next day, Renji's life became incredibly demanding. He had to keep Kaiya Tanaka's presence a secret from his father while attending physical training and various lessons in the morning. In the afternoons, he would secretly study magic on Mt. Dragonspire, under Kaiya Tanaka's guidance. Renji's days were filled with intense physical training, intellectual studies, magical instruction, and meditation, leaving only six hours of sleep each night.
Renji's relentless efforts were beginning to show results. His body grew stronger, and his ability to absorb and transform elemental essence improved significantly. His father Kazuki and Draven were amazed by his progress.
As spring ended and autumn arrived, with only a month left before the magus recruitment event, Renji was in high spirits. He completed his cleaning duties and eagerly headed for his magical training, reflecting on his recent success with the 'Seismic Shift' technique. However, a peculiar sight caught his attention—a black mouse with extraordinary speed, nibbling on stones and tiles. Intrigued, Renji watched in amazement as the mouse moved with incredible swiftness.
Kaiya Tanaka appeared beside Renji, recognizing the mouse as a magical beast, a Umbramouse infant. Renji was astounded that such an adorable creature could possess magical abilities.