The Outset (VIII)

Breathing deeply, Maverick gave the order for the system to add one Magical Energy unit to his total, making it 100.

The response came as expected, but it felt more notable this time.

Along with the sudden burst of energy, he felt strength and vitality that flood his senses like never before. It was as if every cell in his body was humming with power, ready to be unleashed at a moment's notice.

Ordinarily, such a small increment would not elicit such a response.

He opened his eyes, feeling more alive than ever before. Even time appeared to slow down. The candle's flame in the corner flickered more slowly than usual.

Subsequently, he noticed slight ripples in the surrounding air, followed by the formation of tiny, bubble-like light spots near his skin.

An external observer would have noticed these small points of light encircling him.

These minute energy clusters then began converging into his skin. And for the first time during the addition of system points, Maverick experienced a slight discomfort, akin to an itch emanating from all over his skin.

Pain. It came suddenly, enveloping his entire being. It was intense enough to make someone scream or pass out, but for him, it never quite reached that point.

Clenching his teeth, he endured. He knew—or hoped, or prayed—that whatever was happening was something good. His mind wandered to the fantasy stories he had read, where characters endured suffering before a breakthrough.

He wished this was what was happening to him. He had no other option. He knew nothing about what was happening. No book he had read in the past few months had any recored of this.

He couldn't, or rather, wouldn't scream or call for help. He had too many secrets, and he'd rather endure the pain than risk even the slightest exposure. So, he suffered in silence, hoping this was some form of evolution.

The pain and suffering dragged on for what felt like a long, long time, until everything finally settled. He lay there, panting, on the verge of fainting, sweat covering both him and the floor.

It was only after the pain subsided that his thoughts began to clear. Slowly, he opened his eyes, and his vision came into focus. The first thing he noticed was the multitude of virtual system screens, but he dismissed them all.

Gradually, he pushed himself up, standing to assess the changes in his body.

He examined his body, then took a good look at his hands and noticed that, like his clothes, they were drenched in sweat.

With a flick of his fingers, a convenient Scouring Charm took care of the minor inconvenience, allowing him to fully focus on the changes.

To begin, he walked over to the mirror on his small wardrobe and studied his reflection. He felt a bit disappointed as he couldn't notice any visible changes. His height, hair, and even his skin color remained exactly the same.

Turning around, he once again looked at his hands and clenched his fists.

"Hmm... maybe... probably stronger than before," he mused, before walking over to his handy dumbbell—or rather, dumb-bed.

With surprising ease, and using only one hand, he lifted one side of the bed. If not for the risk of making too much noise, he would have tried lifting the whole thing, and he knew he could do it now.

He estimated his raw strength to be on par with modern-day powerlifters. 'My physique has definitely gotten stronger—at least three or four times,' he thought happily as he gently set the wooden bed back down.

He also noticed a shift in his perspective as he began to focus more intently on the changes. His vision had noticeably improved, but there was something else, something he couldn't quite pinpoint.

"According to the Advanced Magical Theory books, wizards are supposed to gain innate talents after achieving Magus rank," he recalled. "But the intensity with which these skills manifest seems to depend on one's talent. A Magus should acquire something akin to a sixth sense and an ability similar to psychic powers. The books mention that the higher you rank, the better control you gain over magic.

All of these abilities are essentially more advanced forms of manipulating magical energy."

"Let's see..." he muttered as the system appeared before his eyes with just a thought.

First he took a look at the messeges.

[ Body adaptation complete. ]

[ Rank up: Mage Apprentice — Magus ]

[ Name: Maverick Caeser ]

[ Class: Wizard ]

[ Rank: Magus ]

[ Magical Energy: 479 (+) ]

[ Points: 119 ]

[ Extraordinary Characteristic Points: 0 ]

[ Extraordinary Characteristics: Excellent grade spellcasting ]

[ Talents: ]

[ Magical Energy Manipulation (Beginner +) ]

[ Magical Sense (Beginner +) ]

[ Transfiguration (Advanced +) ]

[ Potions (Beginner +) ]

[ Alchemy (Beginner +) ]

[ Spells: ]

[ .... ]

After carefully going through his status screen, Maverick gave a satisfied nod before focusing on the plus sign next to Magical Sense

[ Would you like to invest 10 points to upgrade the Talent "Magical Sense" to intermediate? ]

'Yes!'

That familiar sensation, akin to recalling forgotten memories, washed over him as knowledge of how to utilize magical energy to perform the Magical Sense talent flooded his mind. It took only half a minute for the sensation to fade, leaving him with a newfound understanding of Magical Sense.

Closing his eyes, he followed the instructions in his mind and spread his magical energy, careful not to extend it too far. As expected, it felt as though he had a third-person view of his surroundings, with a range of no more than three meters on all sides.

He remained cautious, aware that his proficiency in using the talent was only at the intermediate level, and there could be other wizards nearby who might detect his probing.

The books mentioned that using Magical Sense indiscriminately is considered a serious offense among wizards. However, only wizards of Great Magus rank or higher can pinpoint who is using the talent, which is why no law exists criminalizing its use.

Moreover, while these talents awaken at the Magus rank, they often seem redundant among most wizards at this level. The two talents, Magical Energy Manipulation and Magical Sense, are regarded as extremely difficult to master. It is only after reaching the Great Magus rank that one can truly begin to utilize these abilities.

'It's true that before I upgraded the proficiency to intermediate, I had no idea how to use the talent. Only after the proficiency increased did I start to grasp how to use this talent,' Maverick thought, recalling what he had read about these innate abilities.

A confident grin spread across his face as he once again selected the option to upgrade the innate talent.

[ Would you like to invest 100 points to upgrade the Talent "Magical Sense" to advanced? ]

'Yes!' he exclaimed inwardly. 'Sure enough, the system is simply a cheat.'

Memories—yes, that was a more fitting description. Instead of mere knowledge, it felt more like fragments of memories flooding his mind. More insights into utilizing Magical Energy for the talent "Magical Sense" came into his awareness, and this time, it even gave him a slight headache. The memories—or knowledge—felt profoundly complicated, and it took over half an hour for the assimilation to settle down.

'What a useful skill to have in my arsenal. Now, as long as it's not an Archmage, I can confidently scan my surroundings. And this method of concealing my Magical Energy—or my unique magical signature—will be extremely useful for my future endeavors,' Maverick remarked in his mind while feeling his newfound understanding of the talent Magical Sense.

Once again he brought up the system panel for an overview.

[ Name: Maverick Caeser ]

[ Class: Wizard ]

[ Rank: Magus ]

[ Magical Energy: 479 (+) ]

[ Points: 9 ]

[ Extraordinary Characteristic Points: 0 ]

[ Extraordinary Characteristics: Excellent grade spellcasting ]

[ Talents: ]

[ Magical Energy Manipulation (Beginner +) ]

[ Magical Sense (Advanced +) ]

[ Transfiguration (Advanced +) ]

[ Potions (Beginner +) ]

[ Alchemy (Beginner +) ]

[ Spells: ]

[ .... ]

The two talents Potions and Alchemy, he ignored for now because they were unnecessary for him at this point.

Unlike Transfiguration, they are highly practical. The system has recognized the two talents after he had read the theory books, and he could always upgrade them anywhere anytime when necessary.

Putting aside the talents, his attention then moved to his Magical Energy value.

"Four hundred…" he muttered subconsciously.

It was then that he realized the significant increase in his Magical Energy value.

'I remember adding only one point to raise it to 100... Hmm...' he pondered. 'It seems that my rank-up, combined with my body's adaptation to it, has significantly boosted my Magical Energy.'

He recalled passages from the books he had read, and one particular line came to mind: when a wizard crosses a rank, their body frantically absorbs magical energy from their surroundings.

'During a breakthrough, pure magic itself becomes physically visible… Perhaps that was what I experienced—those countless tiny, energy ball-like entities entering my skin,' Maverick concluded, putting his doubts to rest.

He glanced out the window and saw that it was still dark, so he decided to get some rest.

"I suppose it's time to have that talk and finally do something about my wizarding identity," He said quietly to the room, his expression carried with determination.