A new day began as Li Xiang opened his eyes. He found himself standing in the Magecraft Plaza.
After spending the first day exploring various club booths, he lost interest over the next few days. Although the clubs showcased different things each day, Li Xiang was more eager to complete Sub-Quest 5: Basic Mastery.
"Starfall Technique!"
Li Xiang opened his palm, and mana quickly formed a standard magic circle in the air.
The circle rotated slowly as a brief flash of light appeared in the sky, like a distant twinkle of a star on a summer night. Although not very noticeable in daylight, it shot forward like a laser, accompanied by faint elemental waves, and pierced through the dummy in front of him.
"The power of a first-level Starfall spell is average, but the speed is decent."
Li Xiang contemplated some strategies as he withdrew his hand.
The Starfall technique was one of the basic spells of the Astromancy Department. Despite its impressive name, it was merely a first-level spell. In Fate/Grand Order's Rail Zeppelin storyline, a young Olga Marie once performed true astromancy, calling down a breathtaking barrage of stars from the sky, akin to an apocalyptic scene.
But that was far beyond the reach of non-Astromancy students like him.
"[Irigal, it's time to work.]"
"[I'm here! Congratulations, Master, for completing Sub-Quest 5: Basic Mastery (Formerly Mastery of the Basic). Would you like to receive your reward now?]"
"Yes, claim it."
"[Alright, please be cautious.]"
"What th—"
A torrent of information suddenly flooded his mind. Unlike when he had learned the Yin Qi Bomb, this time it came with intense dizziness. It felt like being drunk and then taken on a two-hour joyride, leaving him nauseous and disoriented, with a blank expression on his face.
New knowledge had been added!
Oh wait, no, it was new magecraft knowledge!
Li Xiang dry-heaved a few times, sitting on the ground and using one hand to steady himself, still feeling like the world was spinning.
"Irigal! You... ugh... why didn't... ugh... you warn me?"
"[I did warn you!]"
"..."
Damn system, you're going to be the death of me someday.
After a few minutes of rest, the dizziness finally subsided, and Li Xiang began to process the information in his mind.
"This truly is Primodial Rune," Li Xiang muttered, scanning the plaza before finding a secluded spot.
He took a deep breath and uttered a single word:
"Kaunaz!"
The pronunciation was far from modern English, more guttural and awkward, yet it carried a strange sense of authority, akin to the solemn toll of a church bell or the deep, resonant echo of a whale in the ocean.
It was both reverent and profound.
Li Xiang's fingers twitched slightly, and the mana within him surged, flowing through his circuits ten times faster than usual. It felt like his internal engine had been upgraded from a bicycle to a motorcycle, boosting his performance to its limits.
At a certain point, he exceeded his limit, and a cold yet blinding white light suddenly burst forth.
Li Xiang's expression shifted; the light was too conspicuous.
"Irigal!"
"[Alright, alright.]" Irigal waved her hand, and the rapidly expanding light burst like a punctured tire, deflating instantly.
"Incredible!"
Li Xiang marveled at the lingering traces of the white light.
"Open-rank? No, it's closer to sacrificial-rank, with the power of a fourth-level spell. The only drawback is that my mana is insufficient to sustain it; just casting it once would leave me drained."
Li Xiang was more than satisfied. Although many first-rank mages could cast third- and fourth-level spells with the aid of magical materials, he could perform it with just his own mana. The incantation was also short, just a single word—truly befitting divine magecraft from the Age of Gods. It was effectively a high-speed divine incantation, an ultimate trump card in dire situations.
Moreover, this Primodial Rune wasn't so simple.
Kaunaz, the first in the primodial rune sequence 1-6, symbolized light. It also carried a deeper meaning: the light of knowledge.
Knowledge is power!
Li Xiang gathered mana again, and as the white light surged through his blood, reaching his heart and then his brain, he felt a sudden clarity in his thoughts.
It was as if his mind had been illuminated by a beacon of wisdom.
Though the effect was short-lived, draining his mana quickly, the experience was exhilarating.
"[Congratulations, Master, on acquiring your first primeval rune. The second main quest has now been unlocked. Please check it.]"
[Main Quest 2: Collect All Primodial Rune.
Quest Description: The Runes (Runes) are ancient letters originating from Germanic mythology, representing mystery and secrets. There are eighteen runes in total, and their combinations form a wide range of powerful magecraft from the Age of Gods. Complete the eighteen sub-quests to gather all the primeval runes and master the divine Rune Magecraft system.
Quest Reward: Unlock Divine Authority.
Quest Progress: 1/18.]
"Divine Authority?" Li Xiang stared at the words, suppressing his speculation.
"[As the name suggests, Divine Authority refers to the powers of a god. In any myth, every deity possesses unique authorities. For instance, in Norse mythology, Odin, the All-Father, has multiple authorities, primarily wisdom and memory. Frigg, the goddess of love, governs love; Thor, the god of thunder, controls lightning and war; and Loki, the trickster god, rules over deception, fire, and wisdom.]"
"This quest reward... it doesn't mean I'll gain these authorities, does it?"
"[Of course not! Master, do you remember the difference between modern magecraft and divine magecraft?]"
"Yes!" Li Xiang's eyes brightened with excitement as he asked, "Do you mean I can directly connect with deities and borrow their authorities to perform divine magecraft?"
"[Exactly!]" Irigal clapped her hands, sounding just as excited.
"With so many gods, is the authority I receive random?"
"[No... I mean, yes, it's random.]"
Li Xiang paced back and forth, trying to calm himself. Suddenly, he asked, "Something doesn't add up. You're just a support tool created by Chaldea; how could you have the capability to provide the complete primeval runes and unlock Divine Authority?"
"[Uh? I don't know.]" Irigal pouted, saying, "[I'm just a tool; how would I know such things?]"
Was that a hint of resentment?
Li Xiang shivered.
This system is definitely problematic!
But seeing Irigal playing dumb, he felt helpless. What could he do? He didn't even know where this little troublemaker was hiding—in his mind or somewhere on his body?
"Li Xiang!"
Li Xiang stopped pacing and looked back to see Svin running towards him in the fading light of dusk.
The blond youth waved, "The teacher wants to see you in his office."
"The teacher called for me?"
Li Xiang was puzzled. Since arriving here two weeks ago, Waver hadn't contacted him outside of their first meeting.
"Yeah, the teacher's in his rented apartment."
"Alright, I'll head over right away."
---
Perhaps this Divine Authority referring something like Reality Marble, or perhaps Noble Phantasm?