Chapter 223: Hello, Totil! How are you, my old mentor?

With this distance, I can finally begin the communication method my mentor showed me before...

I paused for a moment.

If I wanted to know what was really happening inside the Tower, there was no reason to rely solely on rumors spreading through the magical markets.

I needed to hear from someone I could trust.

My expression turned serious.

I reached toward the storage belt fastened to my clothes and took out a small red potion.

The liquid inside the bottle appeared extremely thick. When I moved the container, the red substance slid down the glass walls like blood.

I removed the stopper.

Then I crouched down.

I carefully poured a small amount of the potion onto the ground.

With precise movements, I began drawing a rune.

Its lines resembled a worm writhing across the earth.

I had studied this technique before, but I had never had a truly safe opportunity to use it.

As soon as I finished the final stroke.

Sssii!

Red smoke began rising from the rune.

At first, there were only a few thin wisps, but then the smoke rapidly increased, forming a red column that twisted before me, until it finally took the shape of a large red crystalline sphere.

My gaze remained fixed on it.

The next moment, I heard a voice.

—Who is this?

—This wave of energy?

The voice reached my ears accompanied by several bursts of static.

It was a strange sensation.

The distance between us was enormous, and the communication spell was clearly suffering from interference.

Even so, I immediately recognized that voice.

A smile appeared on my face.

—I'm the one, Professor.

There was several seconds of silence.

Then the voice on the other side changed completely.

—That voice... those waves of magical power...

It seemed Totil had finally recognized my presence.

—Are you George?!

His voice carried a surprise that was difficult to hide.

—You really became a Level 3 Acolyte!

I remained silent. There was no need to boast. But I could perfectly imagine the expression on Totil's face at that moment.

For a mediocre three-star talent Acolyte, advancing from Level 2 to Level 3 required an absurd amount of time.

Normally, at least ten years of elemental meditation were necessary to continuously strengthen the magical runes within the Sea of Consciousness.

I, however... had managed to accomplish it in only three years.

Totil continued:

—You're only seventeen years old this year, yet you've already entered the realm of a Level 3 Acolyte!

The normally steady voice of my mentor carried clear emotion.

—A Level 3 Acolyte before the age of twenty has an enormous chance of advancing to become an Official Mage.

—The number of Acolytes capable of reaching this level at such an age is extremely small.

If he knew that I had reached this level only a year and a half after leaving the Tower...

He would probably be even more surprised.

But quietly surprising people had already become something of a habit for me.

I slightly tilted my head.

—I was just lucky, Professor.

—I found a rare Legendary Lambimia Flower and also managed to obtain some Concentrated Mana Potions during my mandatory missions.

It was an excuse I had prepared long ago.

Thanks to the data collected by the Biochip on various mysterious plants, I had already constructed a plausible explanation for my advancement.

The Legendary Lambimia Flower was exactly the kind of resource that could justify such rapid advancement.

Its petals had a lightning-like blue coloration.

For a mage attempting to advance in rank, its stimulating effect on magical power was extremely powerful, and more importantly... it was a mysterious plant.

Its reproductive laws were completely unusual. It could appear practically anywhere on the continent. There were reports of Mages finding traces of this plant at the bottom of the sea, while others claimed to have discovered specimens near volcanoes.

Once its petals were plucked, the entire stem would immediately burn, disappearing without leaving any trace. In other words... there would be no physical evidence to contradict my story.

Besides, I wasn't making up something completely impossible.

Other Level 2 Acolytes had already used the Legendary Lambimia Flower to assist in their advancement to Level 3. It was simply a matter of luck.

—Legendary Lambimia Flower?

Totil's shock traveled through the communication formation.

—A magical resource that precious was actually found by you...

He paused.

—This is a high-grade material.

—A single petal can cost several thousand magic crystals.

—And under certain circumstances, it can even help a Mage advance...

I didn't answer.

I simply maintained a calm expression.

After all, luck in this world was something impossible to predict.

After confirming that the petals had been completely consumed, Totil apparently had no choice but to accept my explanation.

We talked for some time.

I told him about my travels and spoke about some of the experiences I had gone through. Naturally, I didn't mention everything. There were things I preferred to keep hidden.

When Totil learned that I had successfully completed my mandatory mission, he congratulated me.

I was genuinely happy to hear his approval.

However, near the end of the conversation, my expression became serious again.

There was a question I needed to ask.

—Professor...

My voice became lower.

—About returning to the Arcangrove Tower after completing the mandatory missions, there won't be any problems, right?

I paused for a few seconds.

I could have asked the Tower directly.

But I didn't want to do that.

There was a possibility that returning was a trap.

Perhaps the president of the Arcangrove Tower had some hidden plan, or intended to gather a large number of Acolytes only to sacrifice them in some conflict.

Totil remained silent.

The red crystalline sphere continued floating before me.

The silence lasted for several seconds.

Then he finally replied:

—The Acolytes' summons was approved by the president and the administrative council.

—I can guarantee that there are no traps involved in returning to the Tower.

My heart relaxed slightly.

But Totil wasn't finished yet.

—However... Originally, if you were still a Level 2 Acolyte, I probably wouldn't have approved your return to the Tower.

—However, now that you're a Level 3 Acolyte, things are different.

—Tell me, George. Do you want to advance to become an Official Mage?

My eyes narrowed, after all, this was something every Acolyte in the world desired deep in their heart.

—A Level 1 Mage is often merely the starting point for someone who wishes to pursue the truth.

My voice came out low.

—I definitely want to advance.

The crystalline sphere trembled slightly.

Totil replied:

—If that's the case, then come back.

I remained motionless.

—When you're here, I'll tell you everything. We don't have much time now...

The next moment, the red crystalline sphere began trembling violently.

Crack!

It exploded.

A massive amount of red smoke spread through the air, slowly dissolving.

The communication had ended.

But before the connection disappeared completely, Totil's voice echoed one last time.

—Listen to my words, George!

—This opportunity is extremely rare, but it also comes with danger.

—If you want to walk the path of a Mage more safely, come back quickly!

I stared at the dissipating smoke.

I said nothing.

I simply remained there, lost in thought.

The Tower had indeed freed itself from the immediate danger.

However, it now seemed that the Tower was in a state of Cold War, where war could break out again at any moment.

Besides... Totil had mentioned an opportunity related to advancing to become an Official Mage. This affected me deeply, because during my missions, I had visited several magical markets and always asked about techniques, resources, and methods of advancement.

I was willing to spend an enormous amount of magic crystals. But no matter how much I offered... no one possessed any truly useful information about how to advance to become an Official Mage.

It was as if... an invisible hand had deliberately removed all information related to advancing to become an Official Mage.

To be able to monopolize information of this level... They must have the support of, at the very least, a large number of Mages belonging to the major organizations throughout the entire world.

...

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