(18) Advancement to B-Class Mage

Chapter 18: Advancement to B-Class Mage

A year had passed quickly.

During this time, under the relentless training from Erza and Mira, Silver's physical fitness improved dramatically, his magical power grew exponentially, and his close-combat skills saw significant enhancement.

Moreover, thanks to a year of knowledge infusion from his cheat ability, Silver's strength rapidly advanced to the level of a B-Class Mage.

With his rank upgraded to B-Class, Silver's magic also leveled up significantly.

He could now not only materialize objects he drew but also bring drawn creatures to life.

However, there was a drawback: the materialized beings lacked self-awareness and could only act under Silver's direct control.

Due to this, they could not utilize any of their original special abilities, relying solely on their physical attributes.

In essence, the materialized beings could only perform physical attacks based on Silver's fighting style, with no magical or special abilities of their own.

Even their combat techniques mirrored Silver's, merely utilizing a different body with varying physical attributes.

For instance, if Silver were to materialize Elfman, the materialized Elfman could only engage in unarmed combat under Silver's control.

The "Take Over" magic that Elfman excelled at would be completely unusable.

Even if Silver himself learned "Take Over" magic, he could not transfer it to the materialized version of Elfman.

This limitation applied to all other forms of magic, regardless of Silver's efforts to test and learn various types.

Realizing this, Silver shifted his focus to selecting characters from the many anime he had drawn meticulously in the past or still remembered in detail.

His criteria? Characters with exceptional physical combat abilities.

Given the need for detailed recollection and precise artistic skill, Silver's range of options narrowed significantly.

The first character he chose was Android 18 (Lazuli) from Dragon Ball.

She was Silver's favorite anime character and the only one from Dragon Ball that he had drawn numerous times.

However, despite his efforts, he failed to materialize Lazuli.

Whether it was due to the vast power gap or some other reason, her figure on the canvas gradually faded away after the failed attempt—along with Silver's memories of her.

In the end, Silver could only recall that he had attempted to materialize a beloved anime character but could no longer remember who it was.

This realization terrified him, prompting him to switch to less significant or less favored characters for further experiments.

After repeated trials and comparisons, Silver settled on Might Guy, also known as "The Blue Beast of Konoha," a character renowned for his physical prowess.

Might Guy was a straightforward choice due to the limited number of male characters Silver could draw in detail, and his relatively modest power level compared to others.

If not for Guy's incredibly inspiring final battle in Naruto, Silver might not have drawn him at all.

Successfully materializing Might Guy gave Silver the confidence to proceed cautiously.

He began drawing and materializing other lesser-known or low-powered anime characters for testing.

The tests proved successful, with no further failures.

However, to avoid potential risks, Silver refrained from taking on any guild missions during this period.

His days were spent in his room, tirelessly drawing characters that he still remembered vividly, transferring them onto paper.

...

One morning, after waking up and completing his morning routine, Silver sat down with his sketchpad and drawing paper, ready to begin his work.

A sudden knock, knock, knock interrupted him.

Opening the door, he found Elfman's towering figure completely blocking the doorway.

"Silver, I heard from my sister that you've been staying in your room for days, even turning down her mission invitations. Are you sick?" Elfman asked worriedly as soon as the door opened.

"Mira didn't tell you why I haven't been to the guild these past few days?" Silver asked in surprise while stepping aside to let Elfman in.

"All I heard from her was that you hadn't been to the guild and have been holed up in your room, so I came right over," Elfman replied as he entered Silver's home.

"I see." Silver pulled out a chair and placed it in the living room, pouring a drink for Elfman before explaining, "Everyone at the guild knows why I haven't been around. It's because I've advanced to B-Class Mage, and I've been at home these past few days making various preparations."

"What? Really? You've advanced to B-Class Mage?" Elfman jumped up from his chair, his face lighting up with joy.

As Elfman celebrated, another knock sounded at the door. Curious, Silver opened it to find Natsu, with Happy perched on his head, along with Gray, Lisanna, and Cana.

After letting them in, Cana adopted a triumphant stance and said, "See? I told you Elfman must have come to see Silver."

"What's this about? Are you all looking for me?" Elfman asked, confused by Cana's remark.

"Not really," Cana waved dismissively and explained, "Lisanna heard you'd finished your mission and returned but couldn't find you at the guild. Natsu guessed you'd gone to the forest to wrestle magic beasts. Gray figured you were exhausted from your mission and soaking in the baths. Happy guessed you'd taken your reward to have a feast. Hmm… an all-fish banquet. And me? I thought you'd come to Silver's place. So, here we are. Plus, it's a good chance to see how Silver's preparations are going."

"Oh, I see," Elfman nodded, finally understanding why they had all shown up.