1st Month.
Lady Belle was true to her word (I was supposed to call her that now that I was under her tutelage), and all of us (Uncle Brutus and his company included) had been forced into fixing everything we broke. Even though we didn't break anything, it was solely because of that fairy she held captive, but there was no reasoning with her; I quickly grew to understand that Lady Belle was rather hard-headed. Uncle Brutus initially protested, but after a secret meeting with Sir Mynx a lot. Both he and the company were forced to build it. Free of charge. I did wonder what was promised or said during their talk. Considering Uncle Brutus couldn't hide the anger paled against his face.
It was weird sleeping outside beneath the stars. Leaving the Willow behind was constantly on my mind, and I even felt slightly sad towards the silver-haired girl. I hoped he was okay, but I felt a little optimistic since no signs of any dragons had been heard or seen since my escape. But then why wasn't he here? It wasn't that far? And that's why I felt worried. I was in and out of this strange mood for two days until the talking feline paid me a surprising visit.
Today, Sir Mynx-a-lot sent us out to a local river. Here, I encountered a strange creature with green scales and a fish head; it walked on two legs with two arms, but its fingers were webbed. I almost died, but thankfully, the company saved my skin. Long story short, we were all forced into fleeing; once we returned, Sir Mynx a lot scolded us for abandoning the lake. Apparently, the green fish monster was unexpected. Sir Mynx-a- lot just wanted fish.
On the second day, Sir Mynx sent us back to find some fish again. The company prepared for the fish monster this time. Once we arrived at the lake with pink reeds, we met the fish monster waiting for us. But this time, he carried a knife. It's safe to say the knife made him twice as dangerous. Two of the company were badly wounded, but the fish monster was killed in the end. Unfortunately, we scared away all the fish from the lake in the end. It was a huge waste of time.
Training began, and Belle was in a better mood now that all the repairs were in order. Although I suspect she just needed a good sleep. She slept (loudly) for the entire day yesterday; I knew it was best to keep my thoughts to myself though, given her temper. The training was productive; Belle took me through the basics of incantations again, but most importantly, what she suggested was the best way I interacted with my mana core. She said she had a roundabout idea but wanted to observe me first before we dove straight into the nitty and gritty. So, for the first period of training, I meditated and pretended to be obediently listen, ofcourse Omega had stored everything I needed.
Another day, another lesson, and whilst I was pleased that Uncle Brutus and his company were still hanging around. It was clear to everyone that the seasoned band of knights were growing restless. So, Sir Mynx a lot devised quite a plan to keep them busy. This was where I came in. And more physical training commenced. Physical training with the band of Uncle Brutus's knights was good; I was used to the sleek movement and quick strikes using my footwork and daggers. However, training with the knights helped me develop a broader understanding of the basic and popular weapons, like swords, axes, bows, arrows, etc. During the evenings, Belle and I resumed our one-to-one. We eventually addressed the elephant in the room, and we talked about my second mana core, to which she advised a scary-sounding plan that ended up in me activating the dormant core. I didn't think this was possible, so I shared this problem with the old dark wizard stuck inside of my mind. Wizard Grey laughed at me for a while.
But then, once I devised how Belle planned on achieving this, his face noticeably paled more than usual. And he simply wished me luck without anything more to say. Oh, right, I almost forgot. My Mind palace changed again. In fact, it went through different colored skies, from blue, to violet to grey. Wizard Grey was busy trying to understand why that was happening, but in the meantime, things were relatively normal looking in that space...for now.
It's been days since I last wrote something; I know, I know, what's the point of keeping a journal when I have a sophisticated AI system like Omega to help me store the information? Well, I got the idea from Wizard Grey's testament. And thought, heck, wouldn't it be interesting if I journaled my entire new life here? One day, this might make it back to my old world, where people might learn of the adventures I went through. It sounded like a good plan to me. So, I'll stick with it. Also, Phase 1 of activating my dormant core begins tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Belle Violetseed's unofficial guide of Wands and Wizardry.
(For Dummies and all manner of like-minded folk)
First lesson - Wands & Mage Ranks
Tier 1: Basic Wand
Internal Core Material: Elemental Shard, Stable QuartzPower: Capable of basic Rank 1 spells, proficient with elemental spells (fire, water, air, earth) and basic protective shields. Users: Novice wizards beginning their magical education. (Weaklings-bleurgh) Limits: Not enough power reserve in the core and a severe lack of control with anything more than a Rank 1 spell, mainly useful for straightforward incantations.
Tier 2: Intermediate Wand
Internal Core Material:Enchanted Alloy (Considered the best selling Wand) Power: Enhanced control over Rank 2 spells, including moderate telekinesis, intermediate elemental control (ice, steam, lightning), and more durable protective barriers. Users: Intermediate wizards who have mastered basic spells and are expanding their magical repertoire. Limits: Slightly longer lifespan to basic quartz, but still considered a material with low durability to high levels of mana.
Tier 3: Advanced Wand
Internal Core Material:Astral CrystalPower: Handling complex spells such as advanced healing, minor time manipulation slowing down or speeding up time briefly), and complex illusions. Users: Advanced Wizards who can perform complicated magical operations and deeply understand magical theory. (Like Belle :)) Limits: Costly, and a standard Advanced Wand takes several months to create and repair.
Tier 4: Expert Wand
Internal Core Material: Ethereal Gem Power: Enables powerful spells like spatial warping, advanced energy manipulation (creating and controlling pure energy), and summoning elementals. Users: Expert Mages with years of experience and significant control over their mana core. Limits: Considered incredibly dangerous in the hands of the wrong user. A significant amount of mana is required to activate the gemstone. There is a 3/5 chance of backlash; wielding the wand requires intense concentration.
Tier 5: Master Wand
Internal Core Material:Nexus Totem Power: Complete mastery of Magic discipline. Awarded after a Wizard completes the Spellbound 13 trials and is granted the red pass. Users: Master Magus who have reached the peak of their powers. who have reached the pinnacle of their craft and undertake tasks that affect large scales or complex magical phenomena. Limits: None recorded
Tier 6: Legendary Wand
Internal Core Material: Black Orb (a rare material capable of channelling pure cosmic energy. Said to grow on the nape of ancient black dragons) Power: Legend says it grants the wielder the ability to manipulate cosmic forces, bind higher-dimensional beings, and perform magic that can alter planetary or even cosmic scales. Users: Legendary wizards transcend the threshold and engage with universal or multiversal elements. Limits: Legend states once a legendary wand has been drawn, a calamity or a curse befalls the region soon after. A punishment of sorts for daring to use something that should not exist.
An excerpt from the Celestial Courts handbook. The bylaws and council approved the classification for Wizards
Rank 1 Magus: The Initiate Stage (Early)
Mana Core State: Awakening
Description: The mana core undergoes its first major transformation, awakening from its dormant lime stone state and solidifying into a metallic state that can store and channel mana more efficiently. Conditions for Evolution: Mastery of Peak Acolyte spells, successful completion of a rigorous initiation ritual that activates the core's metallic transformation, and demonstration of the ability to manage and direct substantial mana flows.
Rank 2 Magus: The Apprentice Stage (Core)
Mana Core State: Hardened
Description: The core's structure becomes denser, enhancing the Wizard's capacity to absorb and retain higher mana volumes whilst reducing the depletion time. Conditions for Evolution: Demonstrable advancements in spell complexity and power and the ability to perform high-level sustained magical operations.
Rank 3 Magus: The Adept Stage (Late)
Mana Core State: Purified
Description: The mana core's conductivity increases, allowing the Wizard to tap directly into external mana sources. Conditions of Evolution: Development of signature spells or magical techniques or scripts. Substantial contribution to magical knowledge or the Wizarding community and passing a series of mental and magical trials designed to test limits. SpellBound 13 Trials, for example.
Rank 4 Magus: The Master Stage (Peak)
Mana Core State: Harmonizer
Description: The mana core achieves harmony with the Wizard's physical and mental energies, allowing seamless, almost instinctual spell casting without thought. A Master Wand should now be the Wizard's choice of item. Conditions for Evolution: Mastery over diverse disciplines, with the ability to mentor lower-ranked wizards. A substantial breakthrough in personal magical research or a significant magical innovation to the wizarding world.
Rank 5 Magus: The Archmagus
Mana Core State: Not Eligible to Access records
Description: Not Eligible to Access records Conditions of Evolution: Not Eligible to Access records
Rank 6 Magus: The Legendary God Hood
Mana Core State: Not Eligible to Access records
Description: Not Eligible to Access records Conditions of Evolution: Not Eligible to Access records