Astonishing the Elders
Two elders had come all the way from the main headquarters of the Blue Magic Tower to see Lim Dojun.
Bellerophon and Isolde studied him with keen, appraising eyes.
“So this is the young man who actually made the Discipline Elder bend his own rules?”
“Hmm. He certainly cuts a fine figure.”
Elder Keon’s stubborn personality was famous. The Blue Magic Tower had a long and storied tradition, which naturally included rules that some might call excessive. Keon, however, insisted on upholding every last one of them without exception.
For such a man to personally request special treatment for his disciple’s disciple—his grand-disciple, in other words—came as a complete shock to the tower’s leadership.
— Tower Master. And all other elders. I request special consideration for Delcrein’s disciple, Jun.
The fact that the notoriously inflexible Keon would say such a thing was so astonishing that the leadership had pushed aside their busy schedules to send Bellerophon and Isolde to evaluate the young man in person.
“Jun. Greet them properly. These are Elder Bellerophon and Elder Isolde.”
“It is an honor to meet you both. My name is Jun.”
Bellerophon was a middle-aged man, while Isolde was a middle-aged woman. Both wore the signature blue robes of the Blue Magic Tower.
“A pleasure,” Isolde said with a gentle smile. Delcrein continued smoothly.
“As I mentioned before, these two elders will be assessing your current level of skill.”
In exchange for receiving the Barkmong-style mana control method ahead of schedule, Jun had been asked to complete one mission and undergo a formal evaluation. The mission was already finished; only the evaluation remained.
“How will the assessment be conducted?”
“You said you’ve only learned basic magic so far, correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then show us every attribute you can currently use, one spell type at a time.”
At Delcrein’s instruction, Lim Dojun felt a flicker of tension.
All attributes? I was hoping they’d test me on cold magic…
Thanks to the Crystal Dragon’s will and his incomplete dragon-style magic, he could cast low-grade cold spells as naturally as a true dragon. His mana reserves still limited the duration, but the effect was impressive enough on its own.
“Relax, child. We’re well aware you’ve only been part of the tower for less than a month,” Isolde said with a warm smile.
To the eyes of high-ranking mages, even a genius’s limits were obvious—what they could and could not do.
“Understood. I’ll do my best, though I’m still lacking.”
Comforted by her words, Lim Dojun steadied his mind and began casting.
He started with the fundamental elemental attributes—fire, wind, and earth—then moved on to the less common ones such as light, darkness, and lightning.
Cold magic could be cast instantly, but the rest required deliberate chanting and casting. So he deliberately began with the ones he was worst at. It would leave a better impression if he saved the best for last.
Fwoosh!
Flash!
Too slow.
Even while casting, that was all Lim Dojun could think. He understood the spells the moment he read them and could use them immediately, but his proficiency was far from perfect. His level was average for a mage who had just learned each spell. To go beyond that would require steady training, and he simply hadn’t been studying magic for very long.
Will this even be enough to earn recognition…?
Anyone watching would expect genius-level performance, yet aside from cold magic he was merely average. He had already resigned himself to failure.
“…Not just one or two attributes—this variety is ridiculous!”
“And the proficiency… it’s remarkable. He casts each one as if he specialized in that exact element.”
Yet the two elders were utterly stunned by what they saw.
Mages didn’t choose a single specialty for no reason. The field was simply too vast and difficult to master multiple branches at once. Yet here was someone who had only recently entered the tower casually wielding a wide range of attributes with decent proficiency. If the casting had been sloppy they would have scolded him, but every spell was executed at an acceptable level.
“He’ll have a hard time choosing a major.”
“From what I see, every field looks viable.”
Then Lim Dojun cast his cold magic.
Ice arrows, spikes surging from the ground, and a freezing mist spreading across the floor all manifested at the same time.
“……”
“……”
The elders’ conversation cut off abruptly. There was no longer any need to worry about choosing a major.
“…Insane. What exactly am I looking at right now?”
“Even the current Tower Master couldn’t have done this at his age, could he…?”
It was only low-grade magic, yet he had achieved silent casting and simultaneous multi-spell invocation. Even for elders, the proficiency was enough to draw genuine admiration.
“There’s no need for further evaluation! Outstanding. In my twenty-three years at the tower, I’ve rarely seen anyone reach this level so quickly.”
“I wholeheartedly agree!”
When Elders Bellerophon and Isolde exclaimed their approval, Delcrein broke into a proud smile. A teacher’s greatest joy was his disciple’s success.
“Branch Leader Delcrein. The moment Jun’s low-grade magic proficiency rises, teach him this immediately. The Tower Master has given permission.”
Isolde handed Delcrein a thick book. Lim Dojun leaned forward slightly, reading the title on the cover.
“This… is an arcane spell that only elders are normally permitted to learn.”
“Correct. These spells contain the enlightenment of mages who left their mark on history. Normally one must master the fundamentals first, which is why only elders may study them. But a true genius should be able to handle both at once.”
Unlike ordinary magic divided into low, mid, and high grades, arcane magic carried the profound insights of legendary mages. Even if one could learn them, it was dangerous to do so too early. No matter the field, magic required a rock-solid foundation.
The higher one’s proficiency with low-grade magic, the deeper their understanding of mid-grade and other spells would become. This principle applied even more strictly to arcane magic. If one truly wished to master it, they had to solidify everything that came before.
Therefore, what Lim Dojun needed to do right now was train.
“From now on, devote yourself to training.”
“Yes. Actually, I was planning to leave for a mission today. This way I can train and accumulate contribution points at the same time.”
He had already intended to visit the dragon ruins Lee Sehan had told him about. Obtaining a dragon’s legacy was currently the most important matter. Still, accepting a mission along the route would allow him to earn contribution points from the tower as well.
On the way to the ruins, and inside them, I’ll use as much magic as possible.
The only way to raise proficiency was to cast spells repeatedly until they became second nature. This journey would yield rich rewards.
Lim Dojun set his next goal: to return and master the arcane magic in that book.
“Heh heh… A genius who also possesses diligence. This is the first time I’ve seen a young mage volunteer to take a mission first.”
At Isolde’s words, Delcrein beamed with pride. For people their age, praise for one’s disciple was even sweeter than praise for oneself.
“Hahaha! It seems I’m blessed with an excellent disciple. The moment I first saw Jun, I knew! This boy will leave his name in the tower’s history!”
“I’m envious, truly envious. I wish my own disciple would learn a thing or two from him. The boy has decent talent, but he grows arrogant the moment he gains a little power. I have to beat some sense into him every three days.”
…Excuse me?
Lim Dojun was stunned to hear such words from the kindly-looking Isolde. Shouldn’t one teach disciples with love rather than fists?
Yet while Jun was shocked, Delcrein simply nodded in agreement.
“I originally planned to raise him the same way you do, Elder Isolde. After all, I grew this strong because my master beat me every single day. If I hadn’t been beaten back then, I probably wouldn’t have become more than an average mage.”
“As expected of a branch leader—you understand perfectly. These days people say corporal punishment should be abolished, but that’s completely wrong.”
“Exactly. However, with Jun I don’t need to lift a hand. This is the first time I’ve seen a mage who works so hard on his own and remains so humble. I sometimes wonder if I even deserve such a disciple.”
“Heaven has truly blessed you. Raising a disciple like that must be easy!”
“Haha. Still, your disciple isn’t bad either, Elder Isolde. Getting beaten only once every three days is actually quite good, no?”
“That may be true, but I’m getting old. It’s tiring. How nice it would be if they just grew properly on their own.”
The two elders and Delcrein laughed heartily together.
“……”
Lim Dojun silently renewed his vow to remain diligent in the future.
Jo Difel walked briskly, clutching a vial of potion.
The experiments he had run using the damaged and spoiled ingredients Lim Dojun provided had been a resounding success. The result was a near fourth-grade spiritual medicine. Strictly speaking it hadn’t quite reached the fourth grade, but it was close enough. Producing something of this quality from such difficult materials was an impressive achievement.
His own skills had grown considerably during the process as well. Despite having barely slept, Jo Difel’s steps were light as he headed to meet Lim Dojun. He wanted to hand over the potion and offer at least some small repayment.
“Is it true? Is his personality really that good?”
Walking beside him was a silver-haired woman—Casian, Jo Difel’s classmate. She had listened to his stories about Jun.
—There’s no mage in our tower like Jun! Let me tell you what happened this time…
During a grueling mountain-climbing mission, despite being only a year behind them, Jun had taken on most of the work in their seniors’ place. Later he even provided research materials and asked for nothing in return except possibly some future research results.
Hearing all this, Casian’s curiosity had been piqued and she decided to tag along.
“It’s true. Jun is different from other mages.”
“Then if I give him this, do you think he’ll help me too?”
In Casian’s hand was a fourth-grade spiritual medicine she had obtained by exchanging contribution points. It was quite a valuable item, but Jo Difel’s expression turned awkward.
“Well… I’m not sure. You’re a bit…”
“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean!”
“You really don’t know?”
“…I know, I know.”
Casian let out a long sigh.
As a mage of the Blue Magic Tower, her specialty was exploration and adventure. Not every mage learned attack magic or elemental spells. Just as Jo Difel had chosen alchemy, each mage pursued their own path.
Casian’s field—exploration and adventure—was particularly unpopular and considered a minor specialty among mages.
“I have another exploration mission coming up soon…”
To raise proficiency in exploration and adventure magic, one naturally had to visit many dangerous and rugged places. Unfortunately, Jo Difel had no talent for combat magic, so he always needed other mages to protect him. Naturally, no one wanted to go.
—You’re going to the ruins in the Dark Forest? Cough, cough… I’m terribly sick with a cold right now…
—The Temple of the Abandoned Golem? Um… I’m planning to do closed-door research, so I’m really sorry…
Mages already disliked going on missions. The idea of mandatory dangerous exploration was even worse. It was difficult, the environment was terrible, they had to sleep outdoors, and it was annoying… Everything mages hated was packed into those assignments.
That was why most Blue Magic Tower mages fled the moment they saw anyone from the exploration department. They didn’t want to get roped into anything.
“Just so we’re clear, don’t ask me to go with you. I nearly died the last time I went mountain climbing.”
“Hey! What happened to classmates helping each other!”
“I’ve already gone with you several times! I might actually collapse at this rate! Look at these eyes!”
Casian sighed again as she looked at Jo Difel’s dark circles, which had grown so deep he looked like a panda. He really had helped her a lot, going above and beyond what a classmate should do.
She couldn’t keep relying on him forever. That was why she had come along half in doubt after hearing he was kind, carrying a bribe she had prepared with her own contribution points—a fourth-grade spiritual medicine.
Of course, a fourth-grade elixir felt a little weak as a bribe… but it was everything she had.
After searching for a while, they asked around and finally found Lim Dojun standing near the tower entrance, surrounded by heavily packed bags.
“Jun!”
“Senior?”
“Where are you going?”
“I’m leaving for a mission.”
“What kind of mission?”
“I’m planning to visit some ruins.”
“Ugh.”
Jo Difel unconsciously grimaced and took a step back.
“R-ruins!?”
But Casian, standing beside him, quickly covered her mouth.
He was heading to a ruins mission and hadn’t even frowned—his expression remained perfectly calm. Was there really a mage like this in the Blue Magic Tower?