Sigh...
'Iz, you really are a strange one.'
Lu Cang couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Lu Cang had been cramming what was considered common sense, yet everything Iz showed him seemed to defy it.
The Common Sense Book stated that the Magic Limit was 100.
But Iz had somehow guided him to shatter that Magic Limit.
He'd even raised it to 10,000.
Now, those 10,000 points had become the true upper limit for a Level 1 Mage.
And the evolution of his Magic should have been an effect exclusive to his own Divine Level Skill Evolution.
The cap of 100 was supposed to be a fixed limit.
But that guy, Iz.
He had long ago conceived of an existence beyond Level 100, of Beyond Magic.
Just thinking about it was normal enough.
What was terrifying... was that he had actually created a mechanism to test for it.
A testing mechanism for Magic that wasn't even supposed to exist.
"I'll continue," Lu Cang said, suppressing the awe in his heart.
"Mm-hm, go on," Kumironi said.
BOOM!
The moment the words left her mouth, lightning was already crackling on the training dummy.
Lu Cang could feel the dummy absorbing the spell's Magic Power.
[Thunder Flash (Level 101)]
[Thunder Strike Skill Evolution Path — Instantaneous]
A Thunder Spell's greatest advantages were its speed and Power.
Lu Cang's choice was to make his Thunder Strike Skill his fastest method of attack.
It required no hand gestures, nor did he need to draw Magic Power from on high.
Thunder Flash could detonate instantaneously, even at point-blank range!
The only downside was that he couldn't detonate Thunder Flash directly inside an enemy's body, or its destructive force would be even greater.
Kumironi announced with a proud smile, "Thunder Spell Mastery Level."
"Beyond."
Seeing Lu Cang's excellent results filled Kumironi's heart with joy.
After all, she was the one who had brought Little Lu Cang out of the Dungeon.
Kumironi would never forget when she first met Little Lu Cang. His life force was as faint as a flickering thread; if she had ignored him, he would have surely died.
But now, he was alive and well, and had even become a remarkable genius. Perhaps this was a miracle of life.
Ice Element Magic—Ice Shuttle
Thunder Magic—Thunder Flash
Fire Magic—Gathering Flame Ball
Wind Magic—Silent Wind Swarm
Light Magic—Everlasting Lamp
Light Magic—Holy Light Cross
Dark Element Magic—Curse Arrow
Earth Element Magic—Punching Pillar
...
Lu Cang continued without stopping, casting every spell he had learned one after another.
All eight types of Magic were at the "Beyond" level.
The entire field fell silent.
Izparut's test result back then was "Eight Arts Summit," which meant that every spell he had learned had reached a Skill Level of 100.
It was thought that this achievement was the absolute limit for a Level 1.
Even if some other astonishing Mage were to appear in the future, they would, at best, only be able to match Izparut's accomplishment.
Yet no one had ever imagined that, at this very moment, the eight-year-old boy before them would deliver a result beyond anyone's wildest dreams.
"Eight Arts... Beyond."
Although this term was being heard for the first time, everyone present understood exactly what it meant.
"How is that possible?"
"Kumironi! Has he really only been awakened for three days?!" the old man from the Divine Hall demanded.
A hint of pride touched Kumironi's expression.
"I swear on my name as the High Priest of the Life Church. I personally presided over his awakening Ritual. His day of awakening was exactly three days ago."
Kumironi's promise carried immense weight.
Lu Cang glanced back at the crowd. 'Honestly, I hadn't wanted to reveal my Level 101 spells.'
'In fact, I've always preferred to hide my true abilities.'
'Hiding some of my strength, not letting too many people know my trump cards to avoid unknown dangers—this was a principle of self-preservation that I had subconsciously developed.'
'A tall tree catches the wind. Drawing too much attention could lead to unforeseen disasters.'
But displaying Beyond Magic at the Promotion Ritual had been Izparut's idea.
Lu Cang still remembered it clearly: when he had attacked Izparut with Ice Shuttle the previous night, the expression Izparut had shown was one of... ecstasy.
The surprise attack last night had, unexpectedly, hit Iz directly.
The Ice Shuttle met no resistance, piercing straight through Izparut's body. Blood soaked his robes in an instant.
Lu Cang hadn't intended to seriously injure Iz.
He had assumed that a Level 5 Mage wouldn't be so easily harmed by him.
After all, the books described a Level 5 Magic Emperor as possessing Magic Power capable of Nation Destruction. How... how could he be wounded by his Ice Shuttle, and so grievously at that?
This one Ice Shuttle had passed completely through Izparut's body, leaving a gaping, frost-rimmed hole.
Because he believed Iz was far stronger than he was, Lu Cang hadn't held back at all.
Seeing that large, blood-and-frost-stained hole in his body, Lu Cang's mind went blank—
'I didn't mean to hurt him...'
Lu Cang immediately canceled the Magic.
But... Iz showed not a trace of surprise or anger.
The expression on his face... was one of excitement, of ecstasy.
"Beyond Magic! You actually used Beyond Magic!"
Lu Cang, however, was frantic. "Iz, your wound!"
Even if the blow hadn't hit his heart, it had pierced his chest, punctured his lung, and probably even gone through his spine... The injury was extremely severe.
"Can you hold on? Iz, I'll go get Kumironi right now!"
But Iz paid his wound no mind. He simply teleported over, grabbed Lu Cang's shoulders... his expression fervent.
"Tell me, how did you comprehend it?"
"This wound doesn't matter."
"Compared to your Beyond Magic, this injury is nothing."
Kumironi arrived quickly.
Held fast by Iz, Lu Cang had no chance to go get help.
But Kumironi came anyway.
And Iz truly didn't look like he was seriously injured; he remained in his excited state right up until Kumironi's arrival.
When Kumironi got there, she just gave a helpless smile. Green energy swirled, and the gaping hole in Iz's body underwent Rebirth in a remarkably short time.
Lu Cang watched with his own eyes as his internal organs reformed, his bones materialized from thin air, and finally, his flesh and skin were restored, leaving no sign that anything had ever happened.
He only learned afterward that Iz had sensed the release of his Ice Shuttle the very instant it was cast.
But his first reaction upon sensing the Ice Shuttle was to drop all the defenses he normally maintained.
He had voluntarily abandoned all protection to take the full force of the blow head-on.
He did it just to experience Beyond Magic for himself, to feel what it was truly like to be struck by such a spell.
'I have to admit,'
'he's a terrifying person.'
After that, he proposed the idea that Lu Cang should use Beyond Magic during the Promotion Ritual.
His reason was one that Lu Cang couldn't refuse.
Iz explained the fundamental nature of the Promotion Ritual to Lu Cang.
Every Promotion Ritual has a corresponding core principle.
[Mage Promotion Ritual]
The core principle is "The Process of Pursuing the Root Source of the Demon Dao."
The Promotion Ritual is a demonstration of one's efforts in pursuing the Root Source of the Demon Dao.
The Ritual acts as a witness.
It grants rewards corresponding to the "achievements made in the pursuit of the Root Source of the Demon Dao" that the Mage displays.
This is what the [Promotion Ritual] is all about.
"So, during the Promotion Ritual, it's best to fully display your achievements on the Demon Dao."
"You must display your Beyond Magic at the Promotion Ritual."
This was Izparut's stance.
...
Lu Cang was completely convinced by Iz's words.
Gaining more strength was more important than hiding his abilities.
If demonstrating Beyond Magic could yield greater rewards in terms of power, then hiding that extra power would still count as hiding something.
The three tests were complete.
The final test was the Proof of Battle Experience.
This proof was the simplest of all. Lu Cang presented a snake's eye.
It was proof that he had killed the Shadow Giant Snake.
The Proof of Battle Experience was simply proof of having been in a fight, and the requirements for a Mage weren't strict.
One only needed to have experienced a single battle with a Demon. Whether in a Dungeon or in the wild, even a battle with a weak Slime would count.
Lu Cang's proof of having slain a Tier Two Lord from a Dungeon was more than sufficient.
Kumironi took the snake's eye.
In her hand, it dissolved into an ethereal radiance and vanished.
'Huh...'
'It actually disappeared? That was a material I could have sold for 3 silver coins.'
Iz had specifically saved that snake's eye, saying it would be needed later.
'So this is what it was for.'
The radiance ascended and slowly showered down upon Lu Cang, as if affirming the battle he had endured.
'Heh... So there's an anti-counterfeit mechanism?'
'That makes sense. Otherwise, people would probably just use a purchased Dragon Scale or something to pass the battle experience test.'
Kumironi closed her eyes as if intoxicated, her voice like a chant as she proclaimed, "I have witnessed an Apprentice's journey in pursuit of the Root Source."
"It is a path of relentless seeking."
"You have lifted a corner of the veil of the Demon Dao, a pioneer embarking on the path of transcendence."
"This is not the end."
"It is the beginning."
The sky was neither cloudy nor clear; only a vibrant aurora danced above.
The Root Source of Magic seemed to be right before his eyes.
The eight-year-old child had completed his Mage Promotion Ritual.
Lu Cang completed his promotion, becoming a Level 2 Mage.