Chapter 5: Mage Guild
Chapter 5: Mage Guild
Deciding that sitting in one place and trying to research about mana was useless, John walked out of his house and wanted to explore a little more.
As John approaches the massive city, the first thing he notices is the stunning architecture. The buildings are constructed of finely carved stone, with intricate patterns and designs etched into their facades. The streets are wide and lined with trees, casting dappled shadows on the cobblestones below.
The city is bustling with life, with people of all ages and walks of life going about their daily business. Merchants haggle over goods in open-air markets, while street performers entertain crowds with music and dance. Children play games in the parks and plazas, while their parents chat with friends and neighbours.
Despite the lack of modern technology, the city is remarkably efficient. Water is drawn from wells and fountains, and waste is collected by horse-drawn carts. The city's infrastructure is carefully maintained, with clean streets and well-lit public spaces.
At the heart of the city is a magnificent palace, surrounded by lush gardens and sparkling fountains. The palace is home to the city's rulers, who are known for their wise and just governance. They are beloved by the people, who see them as protectors of their way of life.
As he wanders through the city, he can't help but feel a sense of peace and tranquillity. There are no blaring horns or ringing phones, no flashing screens or neon lights. Instead, the city is filled with the sounds of nature and human interaction, creating a harmony that is truly breathtaking.
Despite its lack of technology, this city is a marvel of human achievement. Its beauty and efficiency are a testament to the ingenuity and creativity of its inhabitants, who have found a way to live in harmony with the natural world.
Before he started his trip, John was able to memorise his house's location so he could eventually come back there.
After walking around for a bit, he had decided to gain more information about his situation. He needed a place filled with knowledge, and was better than a Library?
He asked around, and was easily able to find a place, literally called, [Library for mortals]
Walking up to the person who was guarding the place and taking the entrance fee, he asked," ma'am, is all the information stored inside of this library?"
The woman did not seem offended by this question, yet replied," Not all types. Anything related to Mages or Warriors is cut off, however, there are books about how to become a mage or a warrior. If you are able to sense mana, and are under the age of 16, I recommend you go to the Mage guild and become a Mage after checking your affinity. Also, to enter this place costs 5 mana scraps per hour."
John nodded, and then took out a Grade 1 mana crystal, something he had brought along from his house.
He didn't bring anything else, for fear that someone might steal his belongings, after all he knew nothing about this world's currency.
The lady simply took the Mana crystal, with a little surprise on her face, and returned 95 smaller pieces.
"Here, 995 mana scraps of change. You have an hour, will call you out after that."
John struggled to place the many pieces of scraps into his pouch, and quickly walked in, worried that people might see his money.
As he step into the olden library, he was immediately struck by the sense of history and knowledge that fills the air. The room is dimly lit, with tall wooden bookcases lining the walls and reaching up to the high ceiling. The musty smell of old books and parchment lingers in the air, giving the space a sense of reverence and age.
The shelves are filled with ancient tomes, some bound in leather and others in cloth, with titles and authors written in ornate calligraphy. The books are organised by subject matter, with sections devoted to history, philosophy, literature, and the natural sciences.
In the centre of the room is a large wooden desk, where a librarian sits with a quill pen in hand, carefully cataloguing new acquisitions. The librarian is a scholarly figure, with deep-set eyes and a furrowed brow, and seems to know the contents of every book in the library by heart.
As he walks through the aisles, he can't help but feel a sense of awe and wonder at the sheer volume of knowledge contained within these walls. Each book is a treasure trove of ideas and insights, a portal to other worlds and other times.
The library is a quiet and solemn place, with only the occasional rustling of pages breaking the silence. There are no computers or electronic devices here, only the timeless wisdom of the written word.
In this olden library, time seems to stand still. It is a place of deep reflection and contemplation, where the past and the present meet in a timeless union of knowledge and understanding.
Other than John himself, there were only 3 other people, the librarian and 2 other people reading books at a corner.
John walked up to a shelf, and saw the title of it was, History of Mages.
It was a relatively old book, with not a lot of pages, but John could summarise it fairly simply.
"Basically, the only path to Supreme power is Magehood. Warriors are not even mentioned as a path briefly. The only thing in existence are mages.
According to this book, the way to become a mage is to meditate, calm the mind and reach a state or serenity and then observe the world till mana can be sensed. Then after reaching the realm of adapt they have to take something called a mana source."
He then went onto the next book.
[Warriors]
"Not a lot is known about warriors. They only go up to the 3rd stage. It is known as the Soldier, General and then the commander stage. Anyone can become a warrior relatively simply however there is no known path to the 4th realm…"
For John, there was no concrete method on how to become a mage.
After reading a couple of more books, he walked out of the library back to the woman from before.
"Ma'am are you a mage?"
"Yes, I am a first ranked mage, known as Adept and am a part of the Mage guild. I am working for them as a librarian and saving up money for a mana source…"
John then realised that the woman in front of him was able to sense what he was reading, but he didn't ask any questions in fear of offending her.
John was trying to be as careful as possible in this unknown world.
"How do I become a mage?"
"Well it's fairly simple actually. You can do what I did, just pay 5 Mana crystals to the Mage guild and then they will help you become a Mage, unless you have an ineffective body."
"An ineffective body?"
"Yes, an ineffective body. A body that is unable to practise magic whatsoever."
"Could you guide me towards the Mage guild."
"Sure, just go straight from here for about a minute, stop at a place with nothing in front of you and just say out loud Amelia sent you."
John nodded and said his thanks as he walked in the way the mage told her.
Eventually he reached the place, and there was just an empty vacant lot
"Amelia sent me," He said, and then he felt an unknown power wash over him.
"Come in." Eventually a voice said, and he suddenly saw a massive building in front of him.
'What the hell, was that invisible?' Thought John as he walked in.
As John walked into the building, he saw plenty of people over there, which were literally just looking at each other and moving around.
"Why are you here at the Mage Guild?" John heard a voice in his mind.
"To try to become a mage. From my understanding, the Mage guild can help me with that."
The second he spoke, everyone, literally everyone in the hall turned towards John.
The man in front of him suddenly snapped his fingers, and some circles manifested in front of them.
"Mages use their spirit senses to communicate. Talking causes everyone in their range to listen to their conversations, it's okay though, you can talk normally now."
John nodded after understanding what the mage in front of him had said.
"Right, to become a mage here at the Mage Guild costs 5 Grade 1 Mana crystals. Honestly, it's over priced, considering it takes 5 years of an adept filling the crystals with mana to gain 5 Grade 1 crystals. The reason it costs so much is because it saves a couple months of boring time spent trying to sense mana for mages."
John heard his explanation and was able to learn some new things. Firstly, Adept Mages, the first rank of mages, had to pour mana into a crystal for a year to gain a Mana Crystal, that means that it would take a Rank 1 mage 5 years to gain the pay he was paying.