Chapter 135: Master of Magic Tower’s Student...?
All the students sat quietly in meditative poses.
"First, try to sense your own energy cores," Paul Baker instructed as he walked between the rows of children.
"More importantly, try to feel the ambient mana surrounding you, don’t force it but simply let your senses adjust naturally."
He then looked toward the Barbarian duo.
"As for you two, don’t search for mana. Instead, try to sense the energy of the Great Nature around us. Feel each type of natural energy separately and distinguish one from another."
Both Bonjour and Sénior silently nodded before closing their eyes once more.
"Teacher, I’m already a mage," Caelum suddenly said.
"M-Me too..." Paul raised his hand slowly.
Anastasia also raised hers, followed by several other students.
"I expected this situation," Paul Baker replied with a smile.
With a wave of his hand, [Telekinesis] activated and several parchments floated through the air before stopping in front of those students.
Each parchment contained the construction of a simple magic circle.
The spell was [Magic Bullet].
"You students who have already laid the foundations of magic will first learn this spell. Study the magic circle carefully and cast it toward those practice dummies."
As he spoke, the magic formation beneath the training ground lit up.
One after another, sturdy wooden dummies rose from the ground before positioning themselves nearly one hundred meters away.
Paul Baker had prepared for this beforehand.
After all, he knew he would be teaching a class filled with geniuses.
Five seconds later...
BOOM!
A tremendous explosion shook the training ground.
Several students who had quietly begun dozing off during meditation were instantly jolted awake.
Even though Paul Baker had intended to give everyone enough time to slowly adapt, but the explosion forcibly adapted them.
A wave of fear spread throughout the class.
After all, what if they fell asleep again and another explosion happened nearby?
Wouldn’t they simply become collateral damage?
"Teacher I’m done."
Caelum nodded to himself while looking at the small smoke cloud.
"You fool!" Paul Baker immediately scolded him.
"Why didn’t you compress your mana properly? Look at all that wasted energy!"
Although his words sounded harsh, there was unmistakable appreciation in his eyes.
Perhaps, all mages secretly loved explosions.
He lightly coughed.
"Ahem... Although your Magic Bullet was successful, the execution lacked refinement. Your mental image wasn’t stable enough and the magic circle also..."
Before he could finish.
Swish!
A crimson streak suddenly pierced through the air.
Unlike Caelum’s spectacular explosion, there wasn’t the slightest sound this time.
Only a sharp trail of scarlet mana remained behind.
One of the practice dummies now possessed a perfectly clean hole through its forehead.
"..."
Paul Baker fell completely silent as his gaze slowly shifted toward Anastasia.
’Such remarkable fire affinity...’
Although [Magic Bullet] was merely a basic Second Circle spell, it was practically impossible for First Circle mages to cast it properly.
Even for Second Circle mages, casting it without a wand or external catalyst demanded excellent control.
His original lesson plan had been simple.
The First Circle students would dismantle and study the spell structure.
The Second Circle students would attempt to recreate it without relying on magical tools.
Yet, two students had already produced successful results.
"Hmph."
Anastasia softly snorted while glancing toward Caelum as her expression practically declared victory.
Caelum’s smile twitched as he immediately understood her.
She wasn’t simply showing off. She was trying to demonstrate that her spell control surpassed his.
The keyword here being trying.
The next moment, Caelum’s playful expression disappeared.
His blue eyes sharpened as an intense competitive spirit rose within him.
Slowly raising his right hand and assumed a rather forbidden pose.
Tiny magic circles began appearing one after another around each of his fingers as the surrounding mana surged toward them.
Swish!
Five [Magic Bullets] launched simultaneously.
Three struck the exact same point on a dummy’s forehead with such precision that it appeared as though only a single projectile had landed.
The remaining two pierced directly through its heart.
Seeing the display, the faint smile on Anastasia’s face immediately stiffened.
"Oh my god! You! Become my personal student!" Paul Baker blurted out without a moment’s hesitation.
There were countless talented mages throughout the world.
But seeing a monster like this with your own eyes, who wouldn’t become greedy?
If he could accept this child as his apprentice, his status within the Magic Tower would undoubtedly soar.
For a brief moment, Paul Baker unknowingly imagined his glorious future as even his breathing even became a little faster.
"Uh... no, I already have a master and he has a grey beard." Caelum lied like a lion with pride.
Among mages, the relationship between master and disciple was an extremely sensitive matter.
A master didn’t merely teach spells. They passed down their unique magic, their philosophy, and often their entire way of life.
At this stage, Caelum had no intention of accepting a real master.
Maybe after growing older, but certainly not now.
He had no desire to spend years secluded inside a room studying magic all day.
Paul Baker’s flushed face immediately froze, he had even prepared a long speech praising his own qualifications.
He had mentally prepared himself for rejection as well.
But what he hadn’t prepared for was being rejected this fast. The speed was just too much for him to handle!
And the words "grey beard" echoed repeatedly in his mind.
Looking again at Caelum’s monstrous talent a dangerous possibility suddenly surfaced.
’D-Don’t tell me...’ His pupils shrank as he looked at the blue haired boy.
’I heard that person recently accepted a disciple... could he have secretly accepted another one?!’
Bitterness flashed across Paul Baker’s face.
If that were true, there was no way Caelum could ever become his apprentice.
Still unwilling to give up, he decided to confirm his suspicion.
"So, your master’s beard is long and grey?" He carefully asked
"Yes."
"He speaks with a strict voice?"
"Yes."
"He always carries a book wherever he goes?"
"Yes."
Paul Baker’s heart skipped a beat.
’It’s really him! The Tower Master has secretly accepted another disciple...!’
The image of a certain terrifying old man instantly appeared in his mind.
Seeing that Caelum showed no sign of recognizing the title, Paul Baker reached his own conclusion.
The Tower Master must have deliberately concealed his identity and wandered the continent disguised as an ordinary old mage.
Naturally as a member of the Magic Tower, Paul Baker had absolutely no intention of offending someone of that status.
What never crossed his mind was that the possibility that the seven-year-old standing before him was simply making everything up.
After all, look at that innocent face! Those sparkling eyes that seems to have an unknown thirst for knowledge!
Meanwhile, Caelum also failed to realize what had just happened.
Because, the description he had given matched almost every stereotypical old mage in existence.
How could Paul Baker possibly know someone actually like that actually existed? And he was the one who asked the questions too.
Maybe if Paul’s senior with grey beard, strict voice and a book showed, he could simply shrug that as misunderstanding.
Unfortunately, little he did not know that this misunderstanding would cause him quite a lot of trouble in the future.
Because, it had already reached an international level.
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