Chapter 8: Chapter 8

Leo

Berlin, Germany

“Oh, this sounds more and more like the novels I have read,” Leo commented, excitedly.

“Oh, please. Of course, there is some grain of truth in fantasies thought up by men,” Heidi replied, sighing.

“Next, when a mage forms a core he or she is eligible to gain a rank. Rank is how mages are set apart in our society. Everyone usually starts as an apprentice with a gray core to grow into a mage, grand mage, master mage, and archmage, who usually has a blue core.”

“What about purple and white then?”

“As I said, no one supposedly has a white core, as they would be considered a God or on a divine level. Purple, on the other hand, is another matter, and only one known person holds such a core and is considered of transcendent rank.”

“Let me guess, it is Merlin, from the old stories or someone like that,” proposed Leo, chuckling to himself.

“No,” replied Heidi, serious. “The only person who has reached such a level with time, effort, sacrifice, and betrayal is the current Pope of the Church.”

“What? That old man paraded around on TV, who is visiting children and meeting celebrities?” Leo laughed.

“No, that is merely a puppet, a poser to put up a show for the masses, helping the Church to maintain its influence. The real pope of the Church is Judas Iscariot, and he is not a person you would like to meet. No one would. Not many people do meet him,” Heidi said seriously.

“Wow, wait a minute,” Leo paused. “Judas, like the Judas from the Bible? The one who betrayed Jesus? What?”

“Yes, him. Do not believe all that is written in that old and mistranslated book that has been in circulation for so long. There is some grain of truth though, which Judas did not bother to change, over the years, considering what the masses believe beneath him.”

“Alright, this is confusing. How does this affect me though? I mean the levels, stages, or whatever you call them?”

“What is important for you is that, as I said, you do not have a core - yet. Further, you continue to gather mana from around you and disperse it, for no apparent reason as you are not casting and are not trained to absorb mana. Next, the sole scale on which you operate with mana puts you far above apprentice rank and a gray core. It is just illogical.”

“That sounds pretty cool actually,” Leo commented, getting excited. “If what you say is true and I am not dreaming now or dying tomorrow, then I might get some awesome powers?”

“You are a fool,” Heidi answered dryly. “What you get is a being a walking time bomb.”

“Why a bomb?” Leo deflated.

“Because… first of all, it is just a matter of time before you burst due to the amount of mana you will gather. Your body will not be able to hold it in. Second, you pose a threat to our whole system. Clans, the core system, and spell structures were established for a reason. And that reason is Judas. He does not tolerate people who grow in power and do it quickly. It is an open secret that such people have disappeared over the years fairly quickly.”

“Damn it, does it mean I will be kidnaped at night and ground down to be some maniac’s cultivation resource?” Leo asked in horror.

“Stop with the novel references, I am serious,” Heidi said. “No, that was before the witch hunts and inquisition. Now, we have no idea what happens to individuals who are taken by the Church. The Church likes to call people in your situation heretics. That is because you were awakened naturally, not by their methods. And because you are a natural, you are in the very essence free, meaning that your core is not restricted to serve someone's will. You have your free will to use the magic as you wish.”

“What do you mean free will? Everyone has free will, it is a common understanding. A human right if you understand,” Leo said.

You are reading story Magus of the Rise at novel35.com

“No, that is a lie muds like to tell themselves,” Heidi continued. “Sure, you can think in your head what you like. Maybe travel around the world, and make small choices, but in the end, you are not free. You are part of a large system, in which your circumstances will not change much. For muds it is easier. All they care about is their financial and monetary status, emotions, and family. They spend their few years playing a game of monopoly with their lives, thinking that the job they work, the money they earn, and the respect they gain mean something. It does not, not in the grand scheme of things. They are robbed of the future and freedom to become something more. The Church has made sure of that,” Heidi answered bitterly.

“That is a dark take on our lives,” Leo said after a short pause.

“Yes, but it gets worse for mages. We are not free. Our magic is restricted.”

“What do you mean? I saw you cast a spell without any restrictions.”

“I mean exactly that, casting spells is not freedom. It is mana put in a form. Spells are ways to utilize mana by using pre-defined spell forms made by the clans or the Church. And the worst part is that we cannot freely shape mana after our core is awakened and bound.”

“Why? It does not make sense. What stops mages from using mana freely?” Leo asked, baffled.

“Simple. During the core awakening process, there is a seal put on it. This seal blocks our ability to shape mana freely, restricting to use of spell forms. It is as if we are tools of the system established before us. Pawns to be used in games of the strong.”

“Why is manipulating mana freely a threat?” Leo asked.

“Because it enables individuals to grow and, more importantly, use magic freely. There are no hard limits to using mana, only one's will and diligence. And humans are nothing if diligent in the right circumstances. Imagine if a few individuals could manipulate surroundings, and for example, split the sea in two. It would be chaos. That is the reason Judas enforced his system for years - to cull the chaos,” Heidi said.

“That sounds wrong. And it sounds like he introduced the system to fortify his position,” Leo said.

“Yes, because it is so. There has not been a single mage to challenge the Church for the last seven hundred years, at the very least. Judas is almost a god among men. His word is law, his might endless. No one can change that.”

“So what? Am I a threat then? Because I am not under oath or something? I mean it sounds like you think so. And also why do we not know more about the mages? It sounds like Judas would have the power to take over the world at the very least,” Leo said.

“No, we do not think that. Should you fall in the hands of the Church, we think that you will be one among many to be shaped by them and serve mindlessly to their cause. My father believes that we can help you. That we can save you from the mana accumulation, and that we can save you from the Church. Also, Judas does not care about a world filled with muds. Something larger is at play for him.”

“Why go to such lengths for me?” Leo asked, unsure of the true intentions of the Aer clan given the whole setup Heidi just dropped on him.

“Simple, we are just tired of the Church’s tyranny. And no one deserves to be subject to their methods. If we can help someone, we will. Even if that means defying them and risking being discovered,” Heidi answered, smiling at Leo.

“Okay, so what next? I mean, you have made a pretty clear case for me, though I would still like to get back to my life.”

“I thought you were going to flip out and run away,” Heidi said.

Leo smiled shyly at her, “Of course not, who do you take me for?”

“Alright,” she continued. “Then, next I will need you to meet my father and get you up to speed with him for training in the basics before we try to form a core that is not under oath. Hopefully, we will make it in time before the bracelet stops working.”

“It does not sound like it will be that fun. When do I start learning spells?” Leo asked.

“Hold your horses. No, it will be fun - just not for you,” answered Heidi with a smile on her face, making Leo understand that life was not a fantasy novel.

You can find story with these keywords: Magus of the Rise, Read Magus of the Rise, Magus of the Rise novel, Magus of the Rise book, Magus of the Rise story, Magus of the Rise full, Magus of the Rise Latest Chapter