261 Inherited Part 2 (1/2)
Jason had no idea Saleen felt this way. He teleported Saleen out of the storeroom into another one with the help of the teleportation portal. Just like the previous storeroom, this one was completely sealed off. It was also nearly identical in size to the previous room. The difference was that there were no crystal cabinets here. Instead, the entire room was filled with storage lockers built, carved, and sculpted entirely out of nepheline.
Nepheline was not expensive because its quality paled in comparison to other rocks and minerals. However, its elemental stability was by far one of the greatest amongst all minerals. In these lockers lay huge amounts of magical scrolls.
Saleen had never seen so many magical scrolls in his life. These scrolls ranged from level-4 to level-9, and their numbers were uncountable. Each of them were very stable, in part due to the stabilizing forces of nepheline. However, it was mostly due to the fact that the scrolls had been created using high-quality materials.
”The mages on this island rarely use these scrolls. Why bother when they have the protection of their magic towers? Only the mages that wish to step outside of their towers would take the scrolls from their storerooms as a form of protection. Saleen, leave your blank scrolls here and take these scrolls instead. Each blank scroll can be traded in for two scrolls of the same level, or one scroll of a higher level,” Jason said.
Saleen wasted no time in retrieving the blank scrolls from the Ring of Gifts. No sooner had he done that did he start choosing the magic scrolls he wanted from the lockers. Saleen had obtained a huge amount of magic scrolls over at Raphael's magic tower. However, the amount of time needed to fill in these blank scrolls with spells was so long that even Saleen could not put a number on it.
Even mages who were experts in creating magic scrolls had only a fifty percent chance of successfully creating one that matched their rank. To use Saleen as an example: if he wanted to create magic scrolls, out of ten level-4 scrolls, he would likely only be able to successful create five. To Saleen, it would be a much safer option to just stick to creating level-3 scrolls.
Saleen might have had a huge stack of blank scrolls, but he was unable to get any sorcerer to fill them in on his behalf. Through the creation of magic scrolls, mages were able to gain a deeper understanding on the fundamentals of magic. Alas, there was a limit to the number of scrolls a mage could create in a day. Even if Lex's mentor was more than willing to help Saleen out, Saleen would have to wait for many years before he would receive the completed scrolls. Plus, it was not like Saleen could expect Lex's mentor to create magic scrolls for him everyday. The latter probably had other things to do.
Now that Saleen was offered the chance to exchange a blank scroll for two completed ones, he was not about to let the opportunity slip from his fingers. The grade-4 mage was, of course, ecstatic at the prospect.
Jason took in Saleen's facial expression and body language, but did not stop the latter from getting too carried away. Saleen's mentor was still apprehensive about his student's rank and powers. The only advantage Saleen had was his unusually strong mental power. These level-4 scrolls would only serve to increase the physical security of their holder, Saleen, by a small fraction. After waiting for Saleen to finish his ”harvest”, Jason opened his mouth to speak.
”Saleen, while I've got you here and out of Lex's earshot, I have something that I need to give you,” Jason said solemnly. ”Teacher?” Saleen asked nervously, noticing that Jason's familiar gentle expression was now replaced by an unusually grim one.
”You're my only student so far, Saleen, and even then I've failed to guide you properly. I don't foresee a second disciple in the future because I just don't have time. The time will come where you will be my successor,” Jason said grimly.
Saleen felt a twinge of pain in his chest. He felt his heart constrict heavily in pain. Everything seemed unreal to him at the moment. What Jason meant to say was that… he would be inheriting all of his mentor's powers and secrets.
Every mage had their own unique items, techniques, and materials, and each of them would only pass them down to one to three of their students. It took time for a mage to successfully groom a student. To have three students under his or her belt would already be pushing the limits, meaning that if he or she were to take on more students, another fellow mage would have to come help out, and the one-on-one attention given by said mage would diminish to almost none.
The way Bitter Water Prefecture coached its students also allowed more people to learn about magic. However, the sorcerer would only lecture this group of people once a week as it just was not possible for those students to stick around twenty-four seven. That was why most mages valued these inheritances more than anything in the world, Saleen included. Even though Saleen had been personally coached by Jason, it had only lasted for a little while, and even during these sessions where he would hone his magic under the guidance of his mentor, the latter would mostly force him to memorize mundane words and commit them to memory.
The good thing was that Saleen was a hardworking mage who seized every second of the day to memorize and digest the basic fundamental knowledge of magic. Jason had only decided to impart higher-order magic skills to him after witnessing Saleen's positive attitude towards his studies. This was how mages like Jason were able to successfully pass down their knowledge for generations.
”Saleen, mages like us focus on studying the art of water magic. However, mages in the past few generations have converted to studying fire magic in hopes of capturing fire elves. That is totally off-tangent from what we're doing. However, after I stayed on the Myers Mainland for a short period of time, about a year or so, I managed to understand the importance of balance. The six magical elements cannot exist without one another. But now the question is, why would the six grade-10 mages who created Alchemy City only study one magical element?”
Saleen listened intently to his mentor's words, imprinting every last one of them into the crevices of his mind.
Jason continued, ”The reason why the six element space is so important is because it can allow even the most dishonest mages to understand the concept of harmony. Plus, mages spend eighty-five percent less time honing magic there compared to anywhere else. I'm not in a rush to locate the interdimensional space, because I understand the concept of balance. Even if the six element space no longer exists in the future, I will not be led astray anymore. Please don't think that the knowledge I'll be imparting to you is what magic is all about. Keep in mind that even my mentor did not advance and become a grade-10 mage. Thus, you must remember that the boundaries of magic are limitless. Do not limit yourself to your predecessor's achievements.”
”Yes, I understand,” Saleen replied seriously. Jason took off the greyish-black ring from his finger and handed it to Saleen. ”This ring contains the experiences, reflections, and epiphanies from mages dated up to thousands of years ago. Just remember to properly read through them in the future. When we meet again, you can ask me anything you don't know,” Jason said, sighing towards the end. It was a shame that he could not follow Saleen through his journey as a mage. Saleen's hardworking attitude and receptiveness to hardships were qualities rarely seen in the mages on Sregl Island. Alas, he could not always be there for Saleen.