Garrett Nordmark carried his newly acquired oak staff back to the Mage Tower. As soon as he entered, he tossed aside thoughts of being a knight or anything similar.
- He had treated countless patients in his past lifesome were cured, some weren't, and some couldn't be saved despite his efforts. If he held onto every case, would he still be a doctor?
Returning to the Mage Tower, he climbed familiar stairs to the second floor and headed to his room. Upon entering, he found it completely empty. Clothes, bedding, paper, pens, and the book he was reading halfway through last nightall gone. Garrett stood still for two seconds, puzzled: What's going on? Did they kick me out?
- My surgical tools! My alchemical equipment! The medical records I wrote! The books I copied!
- I need all of those back!
"Mage Nordmark!" A cheerful voice sounded behind him. Garrett turned to see the servant who had brought him strawberries yesterday, running towards him, bowing at a 45-degree angle.
"Your room has been moved to the third floor! Come, take a look. If there's anything you don't like about the arrangement, we'll fix it right away!"
"Third floor?" Garrett was surprised. The third floor was the domain of official mages. He had originally estimated that it would take at least another month or two before he could move up.
"I'm just an apprentice mage!"
"Oh, but you're already an official priest!" The servant bowed even lower. "It was Master Elliott's suggestion, and Lord Gelman approved. You can move up with confidence!"
Maintaining a 60-degree bow, the servant smoothly turned 90 degrees on his heels. The movement was so seamless and fluid that Garrett couldn't help but admire the talent among the servants. In every trade, there are outstanding individualsgiven that, he decided to visit the third floor.
The third floor was bustling. Both Master Elliott and Master Karlan were present, directing servants in a flurry of activity. Two servants, under their command, were spinning around, sweating like raindrops falling, and Master Karlan was complaining:
"Be careful! Don't dirty the floor! Wipe your hands, they're all sweaty. Don't touch the parchment! Ah, Garrett, you're here?"
Garrett greeted them with a smile. He walked into his new residencea bedroom and a living room, the floor area doubling compared to downstairs.
What's even better was that the suite included a bathroom, unlike the second floor where only a shared one was available. Washing face, brushing teeth, bathing, and using the toiletall had to be done outside the room, reminiscent of student dormitory days.
According to the standards of his previous life, a one-bedroom, one-living-room space would have a starting floor area of at least 50 square meters.
"Thank you for your effort," Garrett sincerely expressed his gratitude. He invited the two mages to sit in the living room, and immediately, a servant brought beverages and two plates of snacks. Master Elliott laughed as he waved his hand:
"Oh, it's nothing big! You're already a Level 1 priest, equivalent to a Level 1 mage. Moreover, with your talent, breakthroughs will happen in the blink of an eye."
"Let's hope so with your good words," Garrett smiled.
"I also hope to breakthrough in one or two months. I..."
Afraid of getting stuck again, Garrett hesitated. On the sofa across from him, both Elliott and Karlan suddenly sat up, their tone anxious:
"I... seem... to be about to breakthrough..."
With a swish, the two mages stood up simultaneously. Elliott dismissed the servants, and Karlan ran upstairs, shouting:
"Teacher! Your Excellency Archmage! Garrett says he's about to breakthrough again!"
Footsteps, calls, door closing sounds. Garrett ignored all of that, leaning back on the sofa, assuming his most comfortable meditation posture.
The surroundings quieted down. During his first meditation two months ago, Garrett's mentally drawn "self" reappeared, glowing in the dim environment.
After two months, Garrett observed his meditative self again and immediately noticed numerous imperfections. No bones were missing, but the shapes of joint sockets were left to chance, lacking meticulous sculpting. Muscles were blocky, not made of individual fibers; blood vessels outlined only the major ones, with smaller branches and even capillaries appearing blurry in the meditative setting.
So, I have to actively shape these, not just "know" about them?
This is a big project!
Patiently, Garrett used his mental power to create pens, knives, and molding clay hands, meticulously shaping from top to bottom. Starting with the skeletal part, skull, cervical vertebrae, thoracic vertebrae...
Just as he finished shaping the third thoracic vertebra, his head buzzed, and concentration became increasingly difficult. Is this... mental exhaustion? Do mage apprentices have such limited mental power?
Biting his tongue to stay alert, Garrett made an effort to revitalize himself. Suddenly, a warm flow surged through his limbs and torso, converging from the back of his neck. Garrett's spirit lifted instantly, and in the meditative scene, the final stroke of the third thoracic vertebra formed a smooth curve, completing it flawlessly.
With the help of this warm flow, Garrett swiftly outlined the entire spine. Opening his eyes again, he casually released a freezing beam. The frosty light fell into a water glass, creating a continuous grinding sound, freezing the water completely.
The magical power was noticeably higher than the previous days!
Garrett pumped his fist, letting out a joyous cheer. With a bang, the door was forcefully pushed open, and a group of people rushed in, led by the old mage. He immediately asked:
"Little Garrett, did you break through? Mage or priest? Hurry, meditate and let me see!"
Following his instructions, Garrett began meditating. The old mage also immersed himself in the meditation environment, sensing the elemental changes around him:
"Weird... Your mental power and affinity with magic seem to have increased by a tiny bit. Though it's just a tiny bit..."
He slightly parted his thumb and forefinger, revealing a 2-millimeter gap, indicating "just this much":
"But affinity, this kind of thing rarely changes. The records I've seen before mention encountering significant opportunities, consuming precious items, or having a breakthrough between life and death. Your affinity should increase due to such circumstances, but what's the reason in your case?"
The old mage paced around Garrett, twisting his head. His gray beard floated with each turn, and his gaze at Garrett seemed as if he could dissect him
"Why? Why? What's the reason for this?"
You're asking me? I've been here for less than two months after crossing over. I completely don't understand the rules of this world, and my knowledge of magical basics is only at the most fundamental level... Garrett felt like rolling his eyes. The old mage moved to the third circle, suddenly grabbing his shoulders:
"Right! When did you start feeling the urge to level up? Why did this feeling suddenly arise?"
"I... This morning, the teacher took me to plant the oak staff... But yesterday, when I took out the Aen Stone, I had a slight feeling..."
back and forth by the old mage, his words turning into three fragmented pieces. The old mage released him with a long sigh:
"That should be it... Creating new magic, crafting new magical items, establishing new theoriesmages who can achieve these innovations usually level up faster than others. The masters before us always had a speculation that such mages, who create these innovations, are favored by the world..."