Sovereign of the Ashes

The rarity and complexity of soul magic likely surpassed ordinary elemental spells.

Sein’s standards might have also been higher as he was not content with merely any spell but pursued advanced, sophisticated magic.

The breadth of knowledge within Arcane Light was as vast as the ocean, presenting Sein with an overwhelming array of options.

The Soul Enslavement category alone boasted hundreds of thousands of spells, tailored specifically for Rank One mages.

Given Sein had yet to attain the title of a Rank One Arcanist, he could only access spells limited to magic initiates and Rank One mages.

To access more advanced magic knowledge, one would have to increase their Arcanist rank.

Only a Rank One Arcanist could access the magic knowledge relevant to Rank Two or Rank Three mages in the Arcane Light.

Eager to expand his access, Sein considered uploading all his knowledge to boost his Arcane Points.

However, becoming an Arcanist was not as simple as accumulating Arcane points.

He learned through this process that upon reaching a hundred Arcane points, one would be issued an exam by the Arcane Light. Only those who successfully passed this examination would be officially bestowed with the title of Rank One Arcanist.

This protocol was established due to historical instances in the Magus Civilization where mages of lower ranks acquired magic knowledge not rightfully theirs through unconventional means, thereby amassing a significant amount of arcane points and artificially elevating their Arcanist rank.

In reality, Sky City did not strictly scrutinize the means of acquiring Arcane points, recognizing that knowledge obtained from other planes was also valuable intellectual property to the Magus Civilization.

The main intention of the examination was to ensure the Arcanist’s rank was justifiably earned.

After all, the Sky City could not possibly award a clueless mage or knight with the Arcanist title just because they had managed to amass a wealth of Arcane points by fortuitously acquiring advanced knowledge from other planes.

That would devalue and undermine the integrity of the Arcanist title.

The Arcanist rank was primarily the reflection of a mage’s depth of knowledge, rather than the volume of knowledge they contributed to the Arcane Light.

Hence, casual research done at higher life levels could yield rewards that greatly surpassed the efforts made at lower life levels.

The reason why Arcanist examinations for Rank Three and beyond were exclusively held in the Sky City of the Magus World was to prevent any form of cheating.

Consequently, such a policy contributed to the flourishing of magical civilization within Sky City.

As the beacon of the Magus World, Sky City was an essential destination for any mage wishing to truly comprehend the depth and grandeur of the magical civilization they were part of.

It was rumored that the even strongest mage in the Magus World resided there.

Despite his aspirations for limitless arcane knowledge and the splendor of Sky City, Sein recognized the importance of remaining grounded in his current journey.

After evaluating several options, Sein selected the “Mirage’s Almanac of Souls”, costing him a hefty 76 Arcane points.

Based on the title, the author of the tome was likely a mage known as Mirage from the Magus World.

The Mirage’s Almanac of Soul cost as high as 76 Arcane points because the tome offered knowledge beyond a Soul Enslavement spell.

It also encompassed a comprehensive knowledge of soul magic!

Apart from the spell model of soul magic capable of controlling Rank One creatures, which Sein urgently needed, it also included several soul magic tricks that offered significant benefits.

Furthermore, the Soul Enslavement magic created by Master Mirage had unique effects. It could subtly influence and transform enslaved creatures at the soul level, ensuring their absolute obedience.

Traditionally, Magus World relied on forceful control for obedience, with any defiance met by excruciating punishments on the soul level.

However, the Mirage’s Almanac of Souls shared methods that could make enslaved creatures gradually accept and even find joy in being commanded by their master.

These methods detailed in the Mirage’s Almanac of Souls were definitely advanced soul magic that offered Sein a more structured and profound insight into the area.

Spending 76 Arcane points essentially meant Sein was investing his intellectual assets heavily.

His initial 47 Arcane points fell short for this endeavor, leading him to contribute all his knowledge on alchemy, potions, and pyro and lumen magic to the Arcane Light.

Much of Sein’s alchemy expertise, inherited from his first mentor, Morsidor, lacked personal innovation.

On top of that, it paled in comparison to the groundbreaking work of Feylis in the verdant flame magic.

His knowledge of apothecary, lumen, and pyro elements, largely self-taught or gleaned from public lectures, yielded minimal points from the Arcane Light.

After “exhausting” his knowledge reserves, Sein still found himself short of the necessary Arcane Points to access the Mirage’s Almanac of Souls.

To gain the last ten points or so, he resorted to submitting his unique research on the Verdant Flame Body Tempering technique to the Arcane Light.

The knowledge involved in the Verdant Flame Body Tempering technique was far more complex than the Verdant Flame Eye spell.

The combination of the body tempering technique and dragon blood nourishment was entirely his innovation.

Thankfully, his research, fraught with personal experimentation and considerable risk, was highly valued by the Arcane Light.

With this, Sein not only managed to earn enough points but also received a surplus of over ten points.

With just 17 Arcane Points remaining after the exchange, Sein was starkly reminded of the invaluable nature of knowledge.

Arcane Light actually housed even more advanced soul magic applicable to mages of Rank One, including one particular spell valued at an astonishing 376 Arcane points.

Sein could only admire such advanced knowledge that was superior to the one he redeemed from afar.

The vast pool of genius in the Magus World indeed created an endless stream of highly advanced spells.

As a mage freshly promoted to Rank One, Sein was humbly aware of his “novice” status in the grand landscape of seasoned mages who had dedicated centuries to the pursuit of truths.