Magnus walked down the stairwell of the main academy, casually twirling the white mask on the tip of his finger as he descended. His eyes stayed fixed on it until he reached the first floor. Then, with a small flick, he tossed it into the air and caught it with one hand. The moment his fingers closed around it, the mask vanished in a flash of light, slipping into the space of his storage ring.
So... I guess I just agreed to become a phantom thief, huh? Definitely not how I thought that conversation with Luden was going to go.
Either way, most of his business regarding Nightshade was settled for now. Luden had told him—well, indirectly—that he'd reach out again once whatever he was planning came to fruition. As for his other lead, Eveline was working on extracting information from the vampires he'd captured. No clue how long that would take, though. Until one of them came back with some kind of progress, any move he wanted to make against Nightshade was on hold.
For now.
Which was why he was walking through one of the side halls of Takerth Academy's main building. The polished marble floors reflected his face with each step, every footfall echoing in the quiet corridor with a soft, satisfying tap.
Anyway, now that I'm done gathering intel, I can finally focus on the other things I've been meaning to do. Like upgrading [Arcane Matrix] so I can use Adept-level mana formations.
If you looked at magic purely from the perspective of mana formations, the difference between Apprentice-level and Adept-level came down to one thing—control. You needed better mana control and deeper knowledge to make the leap. That level of finesse only came with reaching Adept-level cultivation. It was that simple.
Then there was mana scaling—how much mana you needed, and how dense it had to be, to actually do something. Take psychokinesis or elemental magic, for example. There was a minimum amount of mana required just to affect the physical world. Mental magic had its own threshold too, different from elemental. You couldn't just swap them out.
But for Magnus, that wasn't really a problem. He could generate as much mana as he wanted and shape it into whatever size or density his mind could handle.
So scaling? Not an issue.
Once I understand the rules behind higher formations, the possibilities open up. Right now, with only Apprentice-level knowledge, I can modify spells to create variations—adjust things like the speed of a mana sphere or the strength of a barrier. I can do all of that so precisely that it basically outclasses all Apprentices. Honestly, even Adepts probably can't fine-tune spells like I can. That's probably one of the reasons people think I'm a Pseudo-Master. But... as useful as that is, I still can't do the complex stuff Adepts can.
It left him in a strange position—both above and below Adept-level mages. In game terms, it was like mastering every basic technique so perfectly that they could rival, even outperform, mid-tier abilities. But no matter how sharp or flawless those basics were, they still had the same limits. Same flaws. Same weaknesses.
That was about to change.
Magnus made his way to the library, heading toward one of the many doors tucked between the shelves. With a quick shift in his mental state, he stepped forward and opened it. In an instant, the scene around him changed—he was now in the Mage's Adept Compendium.
It was noticeably quieter here compared to the Mage's Apprentice Compendium. Fewer people overall, especially teachers or larger groups. Most of the students at this level had been at Takerth Academy for years, unless they were exceptions like Luden or Nithra.
Watching a small stream of students heading toward or away from the assignment room, Magnus turned his attention to the walls lined with books, scrolls, and everything in between. He began to circle the main room slowly, picking up the occasional book or scroll before putting it back. The spells here were a lot more diverse than what you'd find in the Apprentice section. There were more categories, too—some even brushing the edge of Space-Time Magic, though none of it was applicable in combat just yet.
After about thirty minutes of browsing, he reached a section that held the more foundational spells of the Adept-level.
Perfect. These should work.
He didn't need anything flashy or overly complex. Once he upgraded [Arcane Matrix] and [Library of Babel], he could recreate those on his own. What he needed now were fundamentals—the bedrock spells that supported everything else at this level. Just like how Apprentice-level spells laid the groundwork for everything below Adept, he needed the Adept-level equivalents to study the structure of more advanced mana formations.
In the end, he gathered about twenty materials, mostly books, along with a few scrolls and an old teaching diagram. It looked like it had once been for instruction, though it hadn't seen much use in a long time.
He laid everything out on an empty desk and took a seat. Just like in the Mage's Apprentice Compendium, he immediately drew attention.
Learning a couple of Apprentice-level spells at once was already unusual, but technically doable. Adept-level spells, though? Those were another story. Unless you were already at the Master-level, you were supposed to take them one at a time.
"Maybe he's just studying, not actually trying to learn the spells?" One student guessed, watching from a nearby table.
Someone else shook their head.
"Even then, studying over a dozen at once is still asking for trouble. You know what- whatever. Not our problem." At the Adept level, the only way forward was to reach Master. And getting there was like climbing a mountain. Either you made steady progress every single day, or you'd never reach the peak in your lifetime. There wasn't time to waste worrying about how someone else chose to climb.
[I'm ready to begin trials for improving the Magic Simulation Space, Master. I've temporarily suspended the scripts for [Library of Babel] and [Arcane Matrix] so there's no overlap between them.]
Alright, then. Let's get started.
Magnus grabbed the first book and opened it in front of him. He began reading, though at this point, it was more like flipping. Back when he first created the Mind Simulation Space, it took a couple of seconds to process a single page. Now, it barely took one. His mind still had a little room for improvement back then, but he'd long since hit the ceiling. A hundred-page book only took about two minutes for him to read, memorize, and translate into usable data for the Magic Simulation Space.
He could feel it as he read—the difference was obvious.
Mana formations at the Adept-level were nearly ten times more compact and complex compared to the Apprentice-level ones. That alone meant it would take much longer for the spirit suppression effect to wear them down. It also meant the spells themselves could take more external pressure before destabilizing, even without the caster actively maintaining them. As for how much pressure exactly—that was something he was still figuring out, running simulations in the background while he absorbed more and more.
Inside his mind, Basker was already hard at work. He was integrating the fundamental rules that applied to all Adept-level spells—rules that held regardless of type, complexity, or purpose—into the existing framework from their Apprentice-level studies. If something didn't line up—if a simulated spell failed because it broke one set of rules while trying to follow the other—then it meant Magnus was missing something. His knowledge wasn't complete yet.
Only when both sets of rules—Apprentice-level foundations and Adept-level bedrock—could merge seamlessly into a functioning spell would the system be complete.
Only then would he have truly reached the Adept-level and mastered it the same way he had Apprentice Class Magic.
Just mastering Apprentice-level was already enough for people to think I was at the Master-level... I wonder what they'll say after this?
Magnus wasn't the type to chase attention, typically. But the thought gave him an extra push. Inside his mind, the process looked like some intricate machine humming at full power—Basker and the Command Console working in sync as hundreds of simulations fired off back to back. Rules combined, deleted, rewritten, and refined at a speed no one else could match.
That's when another benefit of Magnus's new body started showing itself.
Before, Magnus would hit a wall after running simulations in his mind for about four hours straight without a break. The mind might have been technically infinite, but it was still tied to the brain, and the brain was painfully limited. That had always been one of his biggest weaknesses.
The Command Console helped with that. It adjusted its parameters depending on where it was being used. Inside his own mind, it could operate almost without restriction, so long as it didn't break any high-level source code rules.
Reality, though, was another story. Visualizations there had to follow the rules of what was physically realistic.
In this scenario, Magnus's brain could only handle a single simulation at a time. Any more than that, and it would fry itself. The Command Console helped avoid that immediate meltdown, but it couldn't go beyond the brain's natural cap. So instead of running multiple simulations simultaneously, it just ran hundreds back to back in rapid succession.
That workaround kept him safe from the usual consequences of forcing a human brain to handle simulations like this, but it still came at a cost. His mind would get exhausted from processing all the information, even if the structure didn't break down.
But now? Things were different.
With his upgraded body, greater stamina, and boosted mental thresholds, Magnus could feel it. He was not only running more simulations in a shorter span of time—he was doing it without burning out nearly as fast.
And more importantly, I'm not starting from scratch this time.
When he'd first tackled Apprentice-level magic, he had nothing to go on. Every discovery had come through trial and error. But now? Now he understood how magic worked. The basics were already solid.
Adept-level spells are still built on the same core, no matter how complex they look. If you dig far enough, you'll find the same Apprentice-level principles at their foundation.
It had only been about an hour, but he could already feel the difference. The loop of failures and successes was tightening. A few of his simulations were already producing working Adept-level spells. Some were lucky breaks, but others were genuine, repeatable progress.
Damn, this is going way faster than I thought. It took me over five days last time... but now? I might finish this in just a couple of hours!
And he wasn't wrong. By the time he passed the one-hour mark, he'd already finished reading through every book, scroll, and teaching diagram he'd pulled from the shelves. But he didn't get up to grab more. He didn't need to.
He could feel it.
He'd gathered enough. The rules of Adept-level magic were no longer out of reach—they were right there, within his grasp. More material might speed up the process a little, sure, but at this point, it was already a done deal. He'd hooked the fish. There was no chance of it slipping away now. All that was left was to reel it in.
By the time the fifth hour passed, Basker's voice echoed through his mind.
[Congratulations, Master. We've successfully completed over one hundred simulations with no failures or errors. [Arcane Matrix] and [Library of Babel] are now fully capable of generating and editing Adept-level spells.]
Magnus didn't respond to Basker right away. Instead, he opened his eyes and raised one finger.
With a thought, mana gathered—strands pulling together and layering over one another until a miniature mana sphere formed at his fingertip. It was deep blue, like the ocean. Normally, a mana sphere would radiate energy in flickering waves, almost like flames. But this one was still. Silent. Controlled.
And it didn't stop there.
The usual glow at the center of the sphere dimmed slightly, replaced by a shifting surface. Smooth at first, then rippling—small ridges appeared, then holes, then vanished just as quickly. It was like watching liquid metal morph in real time. The sphere cycled through nearly twenty different forms before Magnus finally let it fade. He exhaled softly, lowered his hand, and smiled to himself.
I can already feel the variations building up in the [Library of Babel]... but I can't test them like this. I need something—or someone—to use them on.
As he stood, he began returning the materials to their proper places. Scrolls slid into their slots, books into their shelves. Just as he was putting the last one away, an idea struck.
Right... the twins have been waiting to rematch me, haven't they? In that case, why not finally accept their challenge? If I had to guess, they're probably at the Academy Arena. They've been training and sparring with other students a lot lately.
The Academy Arena was usually reserved for official use, but after class hours, it doubled as a dueling space for students. A professor was always stationed there during those hours to act as duel master, and anyone could set up a match if they wanted. It was a convenient way to train, burn time, or just blow off steam. The duels weren't official, so there were no real consequences—no titles gained or lost, no records updated. Just practice.
Once he stepped out of the Mage's Adept Compendium, Magnus looked around to make sure no one was nearby, then slipped on his mask.
In an instant, his appearance shifted.
Cain was back.
He emerged from between the bookshelves, heading for the library exit. Students scattered throughout the room—reading, browsing—glanced up at the sound of his steps. Their eyes widened as recognition set in.
Cain had been missing for weeks. Other than a few who knew about his mission with Seraline, his sudden disappearance had gone unexplained. He'd vanished from Takerth Academy without a trace.
But now?
Now he was back.
Ignoring the gawking and whispers behind him, Magnus stepped out of the library and headed straight for the arena. Before long, the looming structure of the Academy Arena came into view, its high stone walls casting a long shadow over the walkway. The flags of Takerth Academy rippled in the wind above, fluttering in time with the chatter of students lingering outside. Some were entering or leaving, others stood around in groups, chatting now that classes were over for the day.
As Magnus walked by, heads turned. Those who recognized him pointed, nudging their friends and whispering.
"Wait- Cain's back? I thought he disappeared."
"Maybe he was on an assignment?"
"Sure, but if he's here... does that mean he's planning to duel? Who the hell would sign up for that?"
Their voices faded into background noise as he stepped into the arena through one of the side entrances. He climbed the stairs, moving through the halls until he reached the spectator stands. There weren't many people up here—nothing like the crowd during the Live Examination—but small groups were scattered here and there, watching the matches or just killing time.
Down on the dirt field, a duel was already underway between two Apprentice-level mages. A professor stood off to the side, monitoring the match. Magnus didn't recognize them, but it was clear they were keeping things under control, ready to intervene if needed.
Alright... where are those two?
His eyes scanned the stands, moving from group to group until he spotted them—Sylas and Syrna, seated a few rows higher up. They were talking to each other, not even watching the match. Their uniforms were slightly scuffed, hints of dust and wear showing they'd already had a few rounds today.
As Magnus made his way toward them, Sylas was the first to notice, pausing mid-sentence and tilting his head. Syrna turned to follow his gaze—and the moment she saw him, her expression lit up in surprise, quickly shifting to excitement. She waved him over, even though he was already walking straight toward them.
"Hey, what the hell are you doing here? I didn't even know you were back in Takerth Academy," she asked.
"I've been recuperating since my assignment with Seraline. I imagine you're both aware of the details?" Magnus adjusted his tone, slipping into his usual Cain persona.
"Yeah, it's still hard to believe someone as strong as Seraline lost an arm," Sylas commented.
"Shocked me, that's for sure. Luckily, she's getting it healed at the church soon. But anyway, seriously, what are you doing here? Are you finally ready to fight us?" Syrna asked. At this point, her bringing it up every time they met felt almost like tradition. Both Sylas and Syrna looked poised for Magnus to shake his head, but this time, he surprised them.
"That's right. I came here to duel you two."