Chapter Seven: First-Rank Mage

The term "Soul Master" originated eight hundred years ago, yet at that time, the land of Arcane Continent was still under the rule of Battle Aura and Magic. Soul Masters were not widely recognized in that era. It was not until four hundred years ago, with the emergence of Carol Hoste, that the thousand-year reign of Magic and Battle Aura was shattered, ushering in a new age that historians would later name the Age of Soul Masters.

Thus, the Sanctuary of Martial Spirits was born.

Four centuries later, Battle Aura vanished entirely from human knowledge, and Magic, too, ceased to hold the continent’s favor.

Now, Arcane Continent is divided among five great empires: the Vela Empire, the Birchas Empire, the Dochilan Empire, the Reavis Empire, and the Naga Empire.

Each empire is governed by two sovereign authorities: the imperial family and the Sanctuary of Martial Spirits.

An empire can never have more than one ruler, yet now, each of the five great empires is ruled by two at once. To Will, this was nothing less than absurd!

Because of what happened the previous night, Will had deliberately researched the history of Arcane Continent, only to discover something monumental—he had somehow arrived eight hundred years into the future!

In this era, Battle Aura had completely vanished, and Magic was no longer celebrated. As the books described, this was truly the Age of Soul Masters.

As for his mysterious arrival in this time, apart from initial shock, Will felt little else. He had no parents, his only family had been his mentor, who had long since passed away. It made little difference to Will whether he existed eight hundred years before or after—without ties, simply being alive was already the greatest blessing.

He had always been obsessed with Magic, leaving room for nothing else in his heart. But now, Will suddenly felt compelled to act.

Indeed, though he had experienced much in his previous era, there was far more he had never known!

Looking down at the book he had cast aside, he gently picked it up and flipped to a page where a name leapt out at him, causing an unusual light to flicker in his eyes.

Carol Hoste!

It was this very figure who brought an end to the Age of Magic, nearly destroying the entire magical civilization. For Will, it felt as if his most precious treasure had been wantonly violated and destroyed.

“The brilliance of magic shall fade no more?”

Will recalled the descriptions of historians and could not help but let out a cold laugh, tossing the book to the floor. Since he had come to this era, how could he allow the light of Magic to be so easily extinguished?

He took a deep breath, swiftly calming his mind, closed his eyes, and entered deep meditation.

…

In the garden, Wei Ling sat fuming on the now spotless lawn that servants had just tended. She plucked a flower and furiously tore off its petals one by one.

“That scoundrel! He must think mages are inferior to Soul Masters! That must be it, otherwise… wait, didn’t he admit he was a mage? But then why did he say he didn’t know Master Tris Meyer Process and Master Macro Jack? They’re the strongest mages on the continent… could it be he truly doesn’t know them?”

“How could that be!?” Wei Ling shot upright from the lawn, her mind racing with wild thoughts. Unwittingly, she wandered out of the garden and back to her alchemy chamber.

She reached out to open the door, but suddenly, a gentle milky-white light flashed from within. The sudden glow startled her, and she hurriedly pushed the door open, only to see a soft radiance gradually fading from Will’s body.

The ranks of mages are divided into six stages: Magic Apprentice, Mage, Grand Mage, Magister, Archmagister, and Divine Descendant. The lowest rank is Magic Apprentice.

Each stage is further divided into ten levels. To practice magic, one must first reach Level One Magic Apprentice, which generally requires mastering the art of meditation. Sensing the magical elements in the environment allows one to reach Level One. To take it further—to sense and commune with magical elements and absorb them as one’s own mana—requires deep meditation, a feat which, for Will, was no challenge.

Having successfully reached the rank of Level One Magic Apprentice, Will now had a cluster of gaseous mana in his sea of consciousness. Though it filled only a tenth of the space, he was already deeply satisfied.

Exiting meditation, he took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes, only to find Wei Ling staring at him wide-eyed.

“What is it?” Will asked, slightly startled.

“Did you just have a breakthrough?”

Wei Ling’s interest in all things magical was unending. Her adorable face lit with excitement, her beautiful phoenix eyes blinking alluringly.

“Yes.”

If before, Will had found Wei Ling’s fervor perplexing, after reading a hundred years of Arcane Continent’s history, her passion was no longer a mystery. Smiling slightly, he spoke before she could ask more.

“Would you like to learn magic?”

Will’s words took Wei Ling by surprise, a flicker of joy crossing her heart, only to be quickly replaced by disappointment.

“I secretly tested myself before. My body doesn’t seem to have an affinity for any branch of magic… so…”

“So you focused on potion making instead?”

Will glanced at the laboratory table behind Wei Ling and smiled gently. He reached out his hand. “Place your hand on mine.”

Though she didn’t know what Will intended, she sensed an indescribable confidence in the youth before her. Unconsciously, she laid her small hand in his.

It was the first time a boy had held her hand, and Wei Ling’s cheeks flushed a bright red. Suddenly, a gentle energy flowed from Will’s hand into hers, quickly spreading through her body. The warm sensation was singularly pleasant.

“You have the wind attribute, and a touch of space as well. You can learn magic.”

Will’s voice suddenly sounded in her ear. Wei Ling’s eyes flew open.

“What did you say?!”

“I said, you can learn magic. Though I’m not certain whether studying both Soul Mastery and Magic will cause any conflict, you do indeed have a magical constitution. You can definitely learn magic.”

At that moment, Will’s words sounded to Wei Ling as sweet as the voice of a god.