NiuNiu wasn't just storming off in a huff. She had another goal in mind: to consult the records and investigate Ryan's unique physique. In Harry City, there was a small Mage Guild. Though it was staffed only by a Level 3 Earth Mage and three mage apprentices, the Guild's building was more grandiose and imposing than the city lord's manor. In fact, the Mage Guild, Mercenary Guild, and Warrior Guild all shared the same enormous structure, a testament to its prominence, even if foot traffic was sparse.
The head of the Mage Guild, Toya Stephen, had been having a rough time lately. His magic book—a lower-level spellbook—had gone missing. Spellbooks were extraordinarily expensive, and this one had been gifted to him by the Mage Guild in Luar City when he assumed his post in Harry City. The book, valued at thousands of gold coins, contained spells up to Level 4. Even with wealth, such books weren't easy to come by, as guild regulations stipulated that mages must attain a certain rank to possess spellbooks of a corresponding level.
The magic circle guarding the guild had been personally inscribed by Luar City's First Steward, a Level 5 Mage named Lord Payne. Without a magic key, it was nearly impossible for anyone below Level 5 to enter the guild. Toya Stephen carried the only key in Harry City. When the thought of a Level 5 Mage sneaking into the guild crossed his mind, Toya Stephen chuckled bitterly at his own idea. A Level 5 Mage, already considered mid-tier, would command immense respect anywhere.
(Levels 1–4 are considered low-tier mages, 5–7 mid-tier, 8 Silver Mage, 9 Gold Mage, 10 Legendary Mage, and from Level 11 onward, one enters the Saint Realm and beyond.)
Toya Stephen's suspicions turned toward the others working in the shared guild building. Yet, no one there exceeded Level 4 in any profession. This left him both anxious and conflicted.
"Master Toya, shouldn't the mage apprentices be dismissed soon? The New Year is approaching," one apprentice asked respectfully. Toya Stephen was also responsible for teaching children with magical talent. If an apprentice successfully advanced to the rank of mage, he would report it to the Mage Guild in Luar City. After all, even among 100 apprentices, it wasn't guaranteed that a single one would become a full-fledged mage.
At the mention of his students, Toya Stephen's lips curled into a faint smile. Two of them had significant potential to become mages, which would mean a handsome reward for him.
"Hmm, gather them all. I have something to say," Toya Stephen instructed with authority.
"As you command, Master," the apprentice replied, bowing respectfully.
"You are the pride of Luar City! You are one-in-a-million talents. But remember, no matter how gifted you are, there are two words you must keep in mind: hard work." Toya Stephen addressed the eight children under his tutelage. He then distributed a Level 1 magic core matching each apprentice's elemental affinity.
"Take these and go home for the New Year. I hope to see some of you wearing mage insignias when you return. Now, go home," he concluded.
The apprentices ranged from 7 to 13 years old. Younger children, around 5 or 6, typically struggled to concentrate on meditation unless they came from noble families with dedicated instructors. Toya Stephen himself hadn't become a full-fledged mage until 18, achieved Level 2 at 33, and reached Level 3 by 45. Others his age had even reached Level 8, becoming Silver Mages. Talent determined one's ultimate achievements, but he encouraged his students with the notion that effort mattered.
Mages were unlike warriors in that even if a mage grew too old to move, as long as they could speak, they remained a force to be reckoned with. Warriors, on the other hand, had their prime before the age of 60. After that, advancement became nearly impossible unless a warrior reached Level 8 before then, which extended their lifespan by 50 years. For mages, however, advancement could come at any age, as long as they had the necessary resources and determination.
The children left happily with their magic cores, but Toya Stephen couldn't shake off his unease. He decided to head to the storage room. Infusing his magic key with mana, he unlocked the door.
"Oh no! What... who did this?! My spellbooks, my magic cores!" His anguished cry echoed far and wide.
NiuNiu faintly heard the desperate wail from a distance, but she was too busy heading home to pay it any mind.
"Qing, let's go." Arriving not far from the outskirts of the city, NiuNiu spotted a massive green wolf by the roadside—this one was more than twice the size of the one she had seen before. Tossing her bundle onto the wolf's back, she climbed into its furry, oversized ear. The wolf quickly dashed away, leaving only a fleeting green blur in its wake. Strangely, not a single mark was left on the snow-covered ground.
"Yin and Yang, the Five Elements... I'm Fire, so Fire generates Earth. Earth is yellow in color—let's start by absorbing a bit and see how it goes," Ryan thought as he carefully organized his plan. Inspired by the concept of the Five Elements' interrelationship back on Earth, Ryan deduced that the world's elements—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—must share similar dynamics. Deciding to focus solely on these five elements, he reasoned that even if the process resulted in smaller breakthroughs, it was better than overcomplicating things.
With his plan set, Ryan carefully began absorbing Earth energy. This time, he was extremely cautious, ready to retreat at the first sign of trouble. Safety first, after all.
Bit by bit, Ryan transported Earth energy into his mental space—his so-called source of magic. To his relief, it didn't react violently with his Fire mana. Instead, the two seemed to coexist harmoniously. Feeling encouraged, Ryan carefully controlled the process while temporarily halting the flow of his Fire mana.
In his mental space, Ryan could sense the fiery red pool of mana clearly. Gradually, he increased the pace of absorbing Earth energy, forming a plan in his mind to establish a cycle: Fire generates Earth, Earth generates Metal, Metal generates Water, and Water generates Wood. If successful, this self-sustaining system would be his key to progress.
Thus far, Ryan had executed his plan flawlessly. Now, he was ready to attempt absorbing Metal energy. The previous chunks of mana sat quietly, not shifting at all. Ryan aimed to build a pentagonal structure for his source of magic. Strangely enough, it seemed as if his personal space was perfectly suited for the task—he barely needed to focus before the mana adjusted to the desired shape.
Sweat began forming on Ryan's forehead as he strained to maintain his mental concentration for hours. The critical moment had arrived, and he knew the outcome hinged on this final step.
Though exhaustion weighed heavily on him, Ryan didn't dare stop. He suspected that if he did, his unstable system might spiral out of control, possibly causing his head to explode.
"Damn it! All or nothing! Who knows—maybe I'll end up transmigrating back to my old life as a shut-in," Ryan muttered to himself. Though he was terrified of death, when pushed to the brink, his determination often surpassed that of others.
Ryan carefully controlled his mental power as the Wood element edged closer to the Water element. The moment they made contact, Ryan felt a tremor in his mind. The other clusters of magic suddenly became active, and the pentagon Ryan had painstakingly maintained slowly started to spin. To his amazement, he discovered that excess Fire energy could be transformed and distributed through this pentagon, achieving a delicate balance. This meant that if Ryan used Earth magic, the other elements could share the burden equally—a promising discovery.
As the magical forces in his mind reached equilibrium, Ryan began to relax and prepared to take a break.
"Ah! The Yin-Yang balance! I forgot the Yin-Yang!" Ryan exclaimed, just as he eased his control over the magic. Suddenly, a surge of elemental energy rushed from the soles of his feet to the magic source in his mind. Streams of Light, Darkness, Lightning, Undead, Ice, Wind, and even transparent Spatial elements joined the fray, overwhelming Ryan's fragile balance mechanism.
In an instant, Ryan lost control of the magical energies. He could only watch helplessly as multicolored magic elements churned, expanded, and contracted erratically. Amid the chaos, lightning crackled, and the pressure became unbearable. Ryan's mind couldn't withstand the strain, and he passed out.
The moment Ryan lost consciousness, the massive reservoir of Fire energy stored in his body surged toward his mental space. But—unexpectedly—his mind became an insatiable black hole, devouring the Fire energy. Normally, a concentrated influx of one type of energy, such as Water or Fire, might overpower the rest. However, Fire gives rise to Earth. Upon entering, the Fire energy was absorbed by Earth and Wood, neutralized by Ice and Water. Earth, now strengthened, lent power to Metal, which in turn siphoned from Earth and Water. This vicious cycle continued unabated, rendering any incoming energy useless.
Luckily, Ryan was already unconscious, so no external elements entered to further disrupt the balance. Still, if the situation dragged on, things could become dire. Ryan's appearance was already bizarre: his face alternated between fiery red, golden, radiant, and deathly pale. His body convulsed uncontrollably like a fish out of water, flopping wildly across the ground. It seemed almost fortunate that he kept moving; had he gone still, the surging energy at the soles of his feet might have erupted anew.
Inside Ryan's mind, the battle between the 12 elemental forces—Earth, Fire, Water, Wood, Metal, Light, Darkness, Lightning, Ice, Undead, Wind, and Spatial energy—raged on. Similar elements banded together to support each other. Over time, the magical energy cluster grew smaller, but its reactions became increasingly intense.
Ryan's body finally came to a halt, but inside his mind, the magic source continued to churn violently. The warring magical forces seemed on the verge of exploding, expanding like an overfilled balloon. Just as Ryan's magic source seemed ready to burst, time appeared to freeze. One by one, the differently colored clusters of magic shattered, their remnants drawn into the center of the magic source. At the core, a silver-white point absorbed everything like a bottomless abyss. Even the spatial magic, which had remained aloof from the chaos, was not spared; a single droplet was swallowed without resistance.
Gradually, Ryan's magic source returned to a calm state, but it had expanded several times larger than before. At its center, the silver-white point glowed like an eternal sun, anchoring the tranquilized magical forces. As Ryan's breathing became steady, his body also relaxed, finding peace at last.
Not long after, Ryan's body resumed a meditative posture. As soon as it did, a surge of elemental energy poured into his mind, forming a massive, multicolored funnel. The funnel rapidly channeled energy into the silver-white point at its core. However, despite the constant influx, the silver-white point remained unchanged in size, as steady as ever. Meanwhile, Ryan's body became enveloped in a shimmering, multicolored aura.
"Time to head back," NiuNiu muttered, feeling slightly guilty for repeatedly troubling the Wind Wolf to escort her. Breaking her usual silence, she spoke to the creature—a rare occurrence, as she had always considered these beings insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
"Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, Light, Darkness, Lightning, Ice, Wind, Undead, Space—what?! All elements? ALL ELEMENTS?!" NiuNiu exclaimed, her voice a mix of jealousy and disbelief. Spotting the multicolored aura surrounding Ryan, she nearly lost her composure. Then her mood shifted to pure excitement. Throwing her bag aside, she immediately began examining Ryan's memories, eager to learn the secrets behind his abilities.
"Forget it. I'll just stick to practicing my Light and Space magic," NiuNiu muttered to herself, gradually growing more and more alarmed as she sifted through Ryan's memories. By the time she finished, she was genuinely frightened. She realized that even a minor error in Ryan's method could lead to total annihilation—soul and all. While Ryan might share his cultivation methods across entire dimensions, anyone with common sense would think twice before attempting them.
"I am absolutely certain my brain works perfectly. Perfectly normal!" NiuNiu reassured herself. "So yeah, learning this nonsense? No, thank you."
"If this guy wakes up, I'll tell him that practicing all-element magic removes bottlenecks. But in exchange, the magic required for advancement is twelve times the usual amount. Think he'll faint from the news? That'd be a fun sight." She laughed to herself, casually snacking on fruit worth several gold coins each, courtesy of the city lord's manor.
"Ow! Why does my whole body feel like it's been beaten black and blue? It hurts, but… that means I'm alive!" Ryan muttered to himself as his consciousness returned. His pain, oddly enough, reassured him of his survival. "Thank you, Heavens! Thank you, Lord! All the gods above, bless—huh? Rain?" His train of thought was interrupted as he noticed something dripping on him. Then he turned his gaze. "Oh, hey, NiuNiu."
Ryan's initial joy turned into dread as he spotted NiuNiu. Before he could react further, a bowl of water splashed onto him, dousing his bravado. He briefly considered protesting but quickly abandoned the idea. The sight of NiuNiu made his spine instinctively curve in submission. Safety first! Always safety first!
"Oh! All attributes? Impressive, huh?" NiuNiu's voice carried a strong tone of jealousy, practically radiating with envy as she hovered around Ryan, loudly questioning him. The word "impressive" was one she had picked up from Ryan.
"Uh... Oh my goodness! My luck is incredible! " Ryan exclaimed as he examined his magic source closely. There, he spotted a silver-white point within it. Initially confused, he suddenly had a thought. With a simple mental command, a small fireball appeared in his hand, followed by a wind blade, earth shield, metal barrier, wooden spike, and water orb—all conjured in rapid succession. Ryan controlled each spell by silently reciting the incantations he had memorized inside out. To his amazement, each chant caused a surge of magic from the silver-white point, empowering the spells.
The magic skill book Ryan had studied only contained incantations for these elements, and the highest level recorded was four. Naturally, Ryan could only manage first-level spells for now.
"Electricity! I get it now. This is electricity!" Ryan thought to himself, recalling Earth's electricity—a phenomenon capable of converting into heat, light, electromagnetic waves, and countless other forms. At its core, everything relied on this singular force.
"Electricity? Electricity is mutated magic! Do you think magic incantations for that are so easy to come by?" NiuNiu retorted, still bitter. Her prestigious lineage couldn't possibly be outdone by this insignificant, tiny creature, or so she thought. Misunderstanding Ryan's enthusiasm as a request for lightning magic incantations, she grew furious and hurled a wooden bowl at him faster than the eye could follow.
"You! You mean I can cast lightning magic too?" Ryan asked excitedly, rubbing the spot where he was struck but showing no anger. Instead, his eyes lit up with delight. To him, lightning magic was akin to crabs on Earth—known for walking sideways and dominating wherever they went.
"Humph, not just lightning. You also have light, darkness, undead, space, ice... all 12 elements! Otherwise, how could you call it all elements?" NiuNiu explained, feeling slightly better as she watched Ryan's eager curiosity.
"Oh! I am so impressed with myself! 12 elements—12! What a wonderful number! What a lucky number!…" Ryan trailed off, drowning in a sea of happiness.
"Cough. Sure, having 12 elements is great, but to advance a level, you'll now need at least 12 times the magic power you originally required. So... my condolences." NiuNiu coughed lightly, her tone calm as she dropped the bombshell.
"Twelve, my angel… Uh, wait, what did you just say?" Ryan, still reveling in his praise for the number 12, suddenly sensed something amiss and asked in disbelief.
NiuNiu gave a helpless shrug and patiently explained, "In simple terms, if you originally needed one unit of magic to advance a level, you'd now need 12 units to move to a second-level mage. To reach the third level, you'd need 24 units. Understand?"
"I get it… So my advancement time will be delayed by 12 times…" Ryan asked dazedly, still processing the information.
"Well, sort of. But it's not that straightforward. You won't need to filter the magic manually anymore, and your magic will recover even while you're sleeping. So, the delay will only be two to three times longer. Hey! Why are you asleep already? Left hand wins—he fainted! Time to grab my prize!" NiuNiu exclaimed triumphantly. She had bet between her left and right hands whether Ryan would faint upon hearing this news. The left hand won. Victorious, she grabbed two pieces of fruit, her reward for the gamble.
PS: A true All Attributes alchemist is even more impressive. This has to do with compatibility, which will be explained in detail later. Additionally, becoming an alchemist requires being a mage first. Ryan's exciting journey to becoming an all-element alchemist is just beginning—stay tuned!