Chapter 524: The Four-Star Mage

The first thing Iris noticed upon entering the magical training chamber was that Sage Alistair had stopped destroying the practice targets.

That alone represented considerable progress.

During their earlier sessions, the Guildmaster had frequently relied upon the tremendous quantity of Mana available through his Divine Grade Mana Veins, producing spells whose destructive power far exceeded what the exercises required.

Now, however, four separate magic formations hovered around him, each maintaining a different elemental spell without disturbing the others.

A small flame burned steadily above his right shoulder. Several stones floated near his left hand, while a gentle current of Wind Mana circulated around them. Beneath his feet, thin green vines emerged from the prepared soil, winding around a wooden support.

None of the spells appeared particularly impressive.

That was precisely what made the demonstration remarkable.

Iris stood beside the entrance for several moments before approaching.

"Your control has improved considerably, Guildmaster," she observed, studying the formations. "Last week, maintaining all four elements simultaneously required almost your entire attention."

Sage opened his eyes without interrupting the spells.

"An unfortunate reminder that having plenty of Mana doesn’t automatically make someone good at using it," he replied. "I’ve spent several days correcting that misunderstanding."

Iris examined the flame more closely.

Its size remained unchanged despite the continuous circulation of Mana.

"How long have you maintained these formations?"

"Nearly an hour," Sage answered.

Iris raised her eyebrows.

For an ordinary 4-Star Mage, sustaining four different elemental spells for that long would have been exhausting.

Yet Sage appeared perfectly comfortable.

His extraordinary foundation was beginning to reveal its true advantages.

---

Sage dismissed the formations and approached the table where Iris had placed her books.

"There’s something I’d like you to examine," he said, presenting several sheets of parchment covered in carefully drawn runes. "I’ve been comparing the formations I used before our training with the ones I’m using now."

Iris studied the drawings.

The differences were immediately apparent.

Several unnecessary runes had been removed, while others had been rearranged to improve the movement of Mana through each formation. The changes were relatively small, but their combined effect was considerable.

"You’ve simplified the outer structure," Iris remarked. "And you’ve altered the sequence controlling the release of Mana."

Sage nodded. "Previously, I was compensating for imperfect formations by supplying additional Mana. It worked well enough, but I suspect that habit prevented me from noticing weaknesses in my spell construction."

Iris turned another page. "Most Mages would require months to make these adjustments."

"Fortunately, I’ve had an excellent instructor," Sage replied.

Iris shook her head with a faint smile. "I’ve offered suggestions, Guildmaster. You’re the one who has been practicing them."

Sage accepted the compliment without further argument.

The improvement had required considerable effort.

For several days, he had divided his time between Guild responsibilities and prolonged training sessions, often returning to his chambers late at night to continue examining the circulation of Mana through his veins.

The results were finally becoming noticeable.

---

Their next exercise involved Earth Magic.

Sage raised a stone barrier near the center of the chamber, carefully shaping its surface into several interlocking sections.

Rather than increasing its thickness, he reinforced the points where the sections joined, distributing Earth Mana throughout the structure.

Iris approached and examined the barrier.

"Stronger than your earlier attempts," she observed. "And you’ve used considerably less Mana."

Sage placed his palm against the stone. "Because the formation is supporting the structure instead of forcing Mana into every portion equally."

Iris nodded approvingly. "Precisely. At higher levels, spell construction becomes increasingly important. A poorly designed formation can consume enormous quantities of Mana without producing a corresponding increase in effectiveness."

Sage considered that observation.

It explained much of what he had encountered while approaching the Grandmaster threshold.

His Divine Grade Mana Veins provided an exceptional foundation, but their capacity alone couldn’t compensate for incomplete understanding.

He needed to control the Mana flowing through them with far greater precision.

"Then let’s make this more difficult," Sage suggested.

He summoned three additional barriers, each possessing a different arrangement of supporting runes.

Iris examined them before selecting the weakest structure.

"This one," she said, indicating the barrier on the right. "Its reinforcement is uneven."

Sage inspected the formation and immediately recognized the problem.

He adjusted two runes.

The barrier stabilized.

A small correction had accomplished what he previously would have attempted through additional Mana.

Fire Magic followed.

Sage formed a crimson circle before his palm and released a narrow stream of flames toward a reinforced target.

The attack struck precisely where he intended, leaving a concentrated mark upon its surface.

He repeated the spell several times, gradually reducing the Mana supplied to the formation while maintaining its destructive effect.

Iris watched carefully.

"Your control over the flames has improved," she remarked. "But I think you’re still treating Fire Magic primarily as an offensive element."

Sage considered her words. "You’re suggesting there are other applications I haven’t explored sufficiently?"

"Naturally," Iris replied. "Fire can illuminate, heat, protect, and control an opponent’s movements. Understanding an element requires more than producing its strongest attack."

Sage smiled. "Then perhaps I should stop imagining every Fire Spell as an opportunity to burn something."

"That would be an excellent beginning," Iris answered.

They spent the next hour examining smaller formations.

Sage practiced maintaining several flames at different intensities, controlling their positions without allowing them to spread, and adjusting their heat without altering their overall shape.

The exercises demanded far more concentration than their modest appearance suggested.

By the time he finished, Sage had developed a noticeably finer command over his Fire Mana.

And he had accomplished it without destroying another target.

Nature Magic presented an entirely different challenge.

Unlike Fire, which responded immediately to the release of Mana, Nature required Sage to guide living vegetation through a gradual process of growth and movement.

He began with several young plants arranged inside a prepared bed of soil.

Under his influence, their roots extended deeper into the earth while fresh vines emerged above the surface.

Previously, Sage would have encouraged rapid growth by supplying large quantities of Nature Mana.

This time, he concentrated upon directing the plants individually.

One vine extended toward a wooden support. Another wrapped around a stone pillar, while a third remained close to the ground, forming a dense network of roots.

Iris observed the results with interest. "You’re maintaining different instructions for each plant."

Sage nodded. "And doing so without allowing their growth to interfere with one another."

He gradually increased the complexity, guiding several additional vines through narrow openings in a wooden framework.

The exercise required careful attention.

Whenever he supplied too much Mana, the vegetation grew beyond its intended path. Too little, and its movement slowed.

Eventually, Sage achieved the desired arrangement.

A carefully woven barrier stood before them, its intertwined vines supported by a network of strengthened roots.

Iris approached the structure.

"That could be useful for restraining opponents," she remarked.

"Or protecting injured Adventurers," Sage added. "A defensive formation that can adapt to its surroundings would have considerable value during expeditions."

He examined the vines thoughtfully.

Nature Magic possessed possibilities that he had barely begun exploring.

Wind Magic occupied the remainder of the afternoon.

Sage summoned several currents around the chamber, directing them through narrow passages formed by the stone barriers he had created earlier.

His objective was simple. Maintain their speed and direction without allowing the currents to collide or disturb the surrounding formations.

The first attempt failed when two currents crossed unexpectedly.

Sage dismissed them and tried again.

This time, he altered the arrangement governing their movement, establishing separate paths while maintaining a consistent flow of Mana.

The currents circulated smoothly.

Iris watched the exercise before offering another suggestion. "Try changing their direction without reconstructing the entire formation."

Sage considered the problem. Previously, he would have dismissed the spell and summoned another current.

Instead, he adjusted the runes controlling its movement. The wind changed direction.

He repeated the exercise several times, gradually improving the speed and precision of those adjustments.

By the final attempt, he could redirect the currents almost immediately.

Iris nodded approvingly. "That’s closer to the control expected of a Grandmaster Mage."

Sage dismissed the spell. He could feel the difference himself. His Mana responded more naturally, requiring fewer deliberate corrections.

Yet the threshold of advancement remained beyond his reach.

---

That evening, Sage returned to the circular platform at the center of the chamber.

Iris remained nearby, examining his latest observations while he prepared to circulate Mana through his veins.

The four elemental formations appeared around him once more.

This time, however, Sage didn’t immediately activate their spells.

Instead, he directed his attention inward.

Mana flowed through his Divine Grade Mana Veins in powerful, continuous currents. Their extraordinary capacity allowed him to gather and circulate quantities that would overwhelm ordinary Mages.

But Sage had finally begun understanding the difference between capacity and mastery.

His Mana Veins were capable of supporting tremendous power.

His responsibility was learning to command that power properly.

He gradually adjusted the circulation, guiding Mana through several pathways simultaneously while maintaining a stable connection with the surrounding formations.

Fire responded first.

Earth followed, then Wind and Nature.

For several minutes, the four formations remained perfectly balanced.

Iris watched without speaking.

She could sense the tremendous Mana circulating through Sage’s body, yet almost none escaped his control.

That was what impressed her most.

His raw magical potential had always been extraordinary.

Now his precision was beginning to approach the level necessary to use it fully.

After nearly an hour, Sage felt the familiar resistance that had prevented his advancement.

He didn’t attempt to overwhelm it. Instead, he maintained his circulation and carefully examined the connection between his Mana Veins and the four elemental formations.

The resistance remained but something had changed. Where his previous attempts had encountered an unyielding barrier, he now sensed a faint opening, as though the Mana circulating through his veins had begun responding to a deeper understanding of his magic.

Sage maintained the balance for several additional moments before gradually withdrawing his Mana.

The formations faded.

When he opened his eyes, Iris was watching him expectantly.

"Did you feel anything different?" she asked.

Sage remained silent for a moment, considering the experience.

"Yes," he answered. "The resistance is weakening."

Iris smiled. "Then you’re getting closer."

Sage rose from the platform, feeling the accumulated strain of his training.

He was still a 4-Star Mage. His advancement had not yet occurred, and he understood that forcing the process would accomplish little.

Nevertheless, the path ahead was becoming clearer.

His elemental understanding had improved, his Mana circulation had become more precise, and his spell formations were approaching a level of refinement he had previously considered unnecessary.

For the first time, Sage could sense how those improvements were gradually coming together.

The threshold separating him from 5-Star Grandmaster Mage was no longer an incomprehensible obstacle.

It was a challenge he was finally beginning to understand.

And Sage Alistair had every intention of overcoming it.