week had passed since the awakening ceremony.
"Magic was born as an imitation of nature and its wonders. Long ago, ancient magicians studied nature itself to discover its inner workings. Through repeated research, they managed to replicate nature via spells," the academy instructor, Master Hector, explained.
After he finished explaining, he opened his palm, and a whirling tornado, measuring one meter in height, appeared.
The students present were in awe, listening intently to what Master Hector carefully explained. Not long ago, they had awakened their fissures, marking them on the path of magicians. This lesson was extremely important.
"Our Spring Clan specializes in wind magic. This is a basic 2nd-circle spell our clan has created after generations of research."
The spinning tornado shrank tightly, becoming a fist-sized ball of wind.
"Different from the common wind tornado spell, our clan has modified and expanded upon it, creating a brand-new spell exclusive to the clan. This spell lets the user manipulate the wind into a tornado or a ball, making it versatile in combat."
The fist-sized wind ball then transformed back into a tornado.
"This is just a small demonstration to give you an idea. 2nd-circle spells are grander than this," Master Hector said, waving his hand as the tornado disappeared.
"Spells are what separate us, magicians, from mortals. We are able to wield a small portion of nature as we desire. That said, spells need four core factors in order to function."
"First of all, there must be sufficient mana in order to cast a spell. Mana acts as the fuel to propel a spell. If there's no fuel, the resulting spell will fail, and you'll suffer backlash. At best, you'll receive a slight injury; at worst, the backlash of a spell could result in death."
"The second most important thing in casting a spell is mana flow. Without the proper mana flow throughout your body, the resulting cast will end in backlash. For example, the spell I just demonstrated required me to channel my mana from my fissure to my palm. Mana veins exist in those who have awakened a fissure. Naturally, after five days of awakening a fissure, mana veins will form throughout the body, rooting from the fissure."
"Thirdly, it is intent. Without proper intent, the casting will fail. It is key to have a clear mind when casting. Emotions such as fear or anger can interfere with the casting.
"And fourthly, visualization. Without a clear image in your mind, casting a spell will result in backlash. Having a clear, structured image and knowledge of the spell's capabilities ensures the casting goes smoothly."
"Keeping these four factors in mind can a magician ensure smooth sailing of the spell. Any questions?"
A student raised his hand. "Like magician ranks, are there spell ranks too?"
"Yes, magicians' ranks go from 1st-circle, 2nd-circle, and so on until the 9th-circle. So do spells. Magicians of a corresponding circle will require a proper spell to display their power."
"If a low-level circle magician were to use a spell of a higher circle, it would result in failure in most cases, mainly due to insufficient mana. If many low-level magicians were to use the same spell collectively, then it would be possible to release such a spell."
"On the other hand, releasing a low-class spell as a high-circle magician would be akin to a declawed ferocious beast."
"As for those spells and magicians ranging from the 6th-circle to the 9th, they are things of legend. Our clan has only seen spells and magicians up to the 5th-circle. Our clan ancestor was an established 5th-circle magician back in his day, followed by the past four clan leaders."
"As for learning higher-circle spells, it will depend on talent."
Once he said that, all the youths cast their eyes on Vitus, the holder of an amethyst fissure.
Even Jinto couldn't help but turn his eyes to him.
Vitus couldn't help but feel weird, being in the spotlight again. All the gazes made him feel uncomfortable. But he knew they weren't malicious, and as a holder of a legendary fissure, it was only natural for people to be in awe of him. He reaffirmed his mind not to bother with such things.
Master Hector continued, "Fissures are ranked from Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond, and Amethyst. Each increment increases in rarity. Bronze fissures cover 10-20% of the mana sea. Those with them will be stuck in the 1st-circle for all their lives. Silver fissures cover 21-40% of the mana sea and have the possibility of breaking through to the 2nd-circle if their mana sea reaches 35%. Gold fissures cover 41-60% of the mana sea. They are guaranteed to break through to the 2nd-circle with the possibility of reaching the 3rd-circle if their mana sea reaches 55%. Diamond fissures cover 61-80% of the mana sea. They are guaranteed to reach the 3rd-circle with the chance of breaking through to the 4th-circle. And finally, Amethyst fissures, covering 81-100% of the mana sea, the highest-ranked fissure, have the chance to break through to the 5th-circle."
The students with low-ranked fissures felt their faces darken. Destined with a low-ranked fissure, their future potential would be small.
"With my gold fissure, becoming a 2nd-circle magician wouldn't be a problem at all. The problem is the 3rd-circle. My mana sea capacity is a little below 55%. If I were to use mana stones to continually absorb mana, would I be able to reach it?" Jinto contemplated in his mind.
"Jinto, you sure are lucky. Us with silver fissures can only be in the 1st-circle," Paul said with a defeated look.
Melissa looked to her side and retorted, "Didn't you listen? We have the possibility of going toward the 2nd-circle. Furthermore, our parents are all in the 2nd-circle, so it's practically guaranteed we'll break through."
Paul's face brightened a little.
Jinto added, "Furthermore, you can just check your mana sea."
Paul closed his eyes. After a few seconds, he said in a satisfied tone, "My fissure covers 38%. Haha, I was worried for nothing."
"We will meet in a week from now. Your very first homework during this break is to learn a basic 1st-circle spell. The student who has the most proficiency with this spell will be awarded a sum of four mana stones. Now, let me explain. The spell is…"
Master Hector explained the spell in detail. It was a 1st-circle spell called Wind Blade. He explained where to channel the mana from and how the spell should be envisioned.
The students' focus was glued to the board on which the Master wrote. Whoever had the best proficiency would be awarded a handsome sum of four mana stones. The youths' minds went rampant.
If Vitus could salivate like a wild dog seeing a female dog in heat, he would. His life, riddled with hardships, had never had more than a single complete mana stone in hand. He wanted to gain these four mana stones to save up for his sick mother.
Master Hector was satisfied with this result. Incentives like this always motivated the public. To the students, four mana stones was quite a sum, but for the clan, it was nothing but crumbs.
Like they say, give a stray dog crumbs continually, and they will follow you. They would continually rely on you.
Subconsciously, through rewards, the students would desire to strive for more, boosting the efficiency of its members.
Those who offered no value would be discarded. Only those with skills would be awarded. Promotions were an indicator of this. At the sight of benefits, people could only strive for more, leaving behind those undeserving of the position.
Not only was efficiency guaranteed but also loyalty. High positions came as a self-made prison. If one were to go against the clan, they would be stripped of their benefits. Nobody in their right mind would willingly let that happen.
Only short-sighted individuals would. But competitiveness would weed them out, leaving only competent individuals.
Master Hector was an example of this. Being an established 2nd-circle magician, he chose this profession with the dream of becoming the principal of the academy. Why? Because with the position came an increase in reputation, power, and wealth.
He was a dog looking for crumbs upon which the clan system as a whole was set up. But what if he knew? He was already too far deep into the system. He couldn't help but rely on the clan for a comfortable life.
This was not a bad thing. In this world, survival was a luxury. Only by raising excellent individuals loyal to the clan could the clan survive the rampant Winds of Time.
…
It was a rather calm day in the Fang Household.
The young masters were absent, being at the academy, leaving behind the small young Missy of the family.
The maids today had their workload eased up a little. Nonetheless, there was still work to be done.
At the end of each week, the maids would be paid a sum of two pieces of mana stones.
This may seem low, but as a maid, a roof over her head and food were benefits of the job. Essentially, living as a maid had more benefits than a simple mortal job.
Sarina had spent a sum of her savings already. The book, quills, and ink had cost her two pieces of mana stones, while the dumplings she bought for the young Missy cost her an additional piece.
Originally, she had sixteen pieces. Now she had fifteen mana stones.
During a break, Sarina headed to the agriculture shop. She finally had enough time to do what she needed to do. The shop was quite far from the house, located toward the outskirts of the clan estate. It was positioned there as farmers working in the outskirts were its main customers.
Sarina's leather shoes trampled upon the cobblestone road, crossing many streets until she found herself in front of her destination.
When she entered the shop, an earthy, floral smell seeped into her nostrils. There were a few people scavenging in the shop. Some were mortals, while others wore the same attire as Sarina. In total, there were five people, either looking over the farming equipment or herbs.
Those esteemed young ladies would order maids to collect fragrant herbs to place in baths, for perfumes, candles, etc. Such herbs were high in demand all year round.
Through the halls of the shop, farming equipment and dried herbs were on display; after all, this was the agriculture shop, selling everything from farming equipment to plant seeds and herbs.
Sarina went toward the counter, where a man in his mid-twenties operated.
"Excuse me, does your esteemed shop sell Cloudvine root and RedLeaf berry seeds?"
"We have stock on Cloudvine root as well as RedLeaf berry seeds. You came just at the right time. Due to the winter season ending, a massive stock of RedLeaf berries was left behind. We produced too much this year. Since it is not in season yet, the demand is quite poor, so we are looking…"
The clerk hoped Sarina would buy up the remaining stock. Obviously, based on her attire, she must work for some sort of established family within the clan. If the lord Sarina represented was interested in these goods, he wouldn't pass over the chance to make the most profit.
Sarina interrupted and got to the point: "Yes, I get it. So I assume that they must be on discount?"
"Exactly."
"How much would it be in total, then?"
"Originally, RedLeaf berry seeds can be sold from one hundred seeds to one piece of mana stone. Now I can give you five hundred for two pieces."
Sarina waved her hand and shook her head. "No need, I'll just get the hundred seeds per mana stone."
The clerk felt a little bitter at Sarina's refusal.
"If it's fine with you, so be it. The Cloudvine root is one piece per pound."
Sarina took out her pouch, removed two pieces of mana stone, and placed them on the counter.
The clerk took them and went toward the back. After two minutes or so of waiting, he returned with two bags and put them in front of Sarina.
Sarina checked the RedLeaf seeds and Cloudvine root and nodded.
She needed these materials in the best condition for what she was about to do.
The clerk waited patiently as Sarina inspected. He had no qualms about Sarina inspecting in front of him. He was confident in the quality. Furthermore, she represented an esteemed lord who would only want the best.
Once he saw Sarina stop and nod in satisfaction, he spoke: "Thank you for shopping with us."
Sarina took the bags and left the store. Now she was heading to the food market.
She bought Frostflower nectar for one piece. It was a sweet, syrupy substance with a particular taste, different from regular cane sugar. It was used for certain sweet desserts, creating a unique flavor.
Sarina arrived at the Fang household. Her day had not ended. The young masters had arrived from the academy and needed attending.
From cooking to cleaning to arranging, Sarina caught up with Lisa and Kylina while at work.
Night soon befell, and Sarina's room was cloaked in darkness. She lit a candle, the soft glow illuminating her modest space. Moving to the small desk by the window, she pulled out the simple wooden chair and sat down.
Reaching into her pouch, she took a handful of RedLeaf seeds and placed them in a bowl. With a smooth stone, she began grinding them into powder. The rhythmic scraping echoed through the room, and a faint, earthy scent seeped from the seeds. Gradually, they turned into a light reddish powder.
"That should be sufficient," she murmured, her voice barely audible.
Her hands, tired from the effort, trembled slightly. Her weak physique made the task more taxing than expected. A sheen of sweat glistened on her fingers, now flushed red from gripping the stone too tightly.
Under the pretext of cooking for herself, she boiled a portion of Cloudvine root. The soft bubbling of the water filled the quiet room as she waited for the syrup to concentrate. Cloudvine root was commonly prepared this way, known for its nutritious and medicinal properties.
Once the syrup was ready, she poured it into the bowl with the powdered seeds. Finally, she added a drizzle of Frostflower nectar, the sweet aroma masking the bitterness beneath.
Her purpose for these ingredients?
Poison.
Cloudvine root syrup was harmless on its own, even beneficial. But when paired with the bitterness of RedLeaf seeds and balanced by the sweetness of the nectar, it became something lethal—a tasteless poison.
The mixture needed time. It would ferment in a dark place for at least a day before she could boil it into a solid and grind it into a fine powder.
After twenty minutes, her work was complete. Sarina extinguished the candle, plunging the room back into darkness. She carefully wrapped the bowl in cloth and tucked it securely under her bed.
Pausing for a moment, she turned to the window. The crescent moon hung high in the sky, its pale light shimmering against the backdrop of stars. Little and big, they sparkled with brilliance, while the faint clouds gleamed like silver threads.
It was a beautiful night.
Specks of starlight reflected in her eyes as she stared into the heavens. But slowly, her gaze drifted back to the darkness. A ruthless light flickered in her eyes, cold and unyielding.