To the border 3

There are three realms and nine ranks a mage could be placed in, of course, the higher the rank the higher the prestige. The strongest mage in the human continent is within advanced Arcane in the Arcane realm. 

Leonard, who throughout these two years is within the Bishop realm, has the rank of apprentice Bishop rank. The reason for this is that he has been taking in any type of ambient mana. 

"Do you understand why sentient beings get stronger once we practise or stress our overall magic power?" Zhar'kerut asked. 

"The magic circuits get exercised?"

"Yes, correct. But that's not all. Every being had its peak magical condition and aptitude. It's natural affinity that stops us from being God but that's not all. Our flesh can be modified to accommodate a higher affinity."

Zhar'kerut looked at Leonard. He then drew a glyph in the air and a ball of pure mana formed. 

"The difference between flesh is their primordial blood."

"primordial blood?"

"The being that makes ourselves."

Leonard figured out that it was DNA he was talking about. Primordial blood is easy enough to surmise. 

"Primordial blood could be changed to a high degree." Zhar'kerut then drew another glyph in the air. With the same bright blue light, a parasite came into view. With high precision, the pure mana ball engulfed the parasite. "A good primordial blood could absorb mana like a sponge, the worst off? This."

Leonard observed how the parasite just writhes and twitches on the floor, it has blue to greenish veins surrounding its body. Leonard was not just scared, he was outright terrified. 

Mana below the dungeon was dense, very dense that he felt like a snail every day in his time in the dungeon. One reason was that he is not a dungeon born, and the second he wasn't accustomed to the mana density. 

But that parasite? That thing lived in here, dwelled even, in the deepest depth of the dungeon. The fact that it started writhing from the mana that injected it is terrifying. 

"Good primordial blood can absorb mana properly, bad primordial blood absorbs mana at a snail's pace."

Leonard nodded. He surmised that he had good primordial blood as Zhar'kerut says. The proof is the fact that he could store three types of mana in his body without a problem. The only problem is the amount he could store. 

"You see the point of transmutation?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Good. Now, how it's done…"

In their journey, Leonard learned how a Xyn got transmuted. Their entire body turns to liquid mush, like a butterfly. But of course like a butterfly they turn from a worm to an insect. 

A big change. 

The specifics, however, are very very deep. Leonard felt like listening to quantum mechanics. By the end of the lesson that Zhar'kerut was giving away for free, he was tempted to buy something from the system to record all that. 

But instead, he didn't, he just persisted through that arduous lesson. Digesting it within a single lesson is just wishful thinking. He might review this once again and study it later. 

But before he does, Zhar'kerut pulled out a circular coin with a hole for a thread to come through. Leonard looked at Zhar'kerut puzzlingly. 

"I recorded all of our lessons, I like the fact that you're eager to learn."

Leonard accepted the recording token with a smile, he was very delighted that the grumpy arthropod did such a thing. He then kept it in his pocket for a while. For now, he still has his points to buy dimensional storage in the system. But he'll save it for later. 

"Anyways, we're here."

Leonard looked around, he couldn't see anything till Zhar'kerut grabbed his head and turned it in a singular direction. He squinted his eyes. All he saw is a grey spire… the size of a bead. 

"H-how far…"

"Since you walk at a snail's pace you might say we can get there in a day."

"If I run, how fast can we get there?"

"2 hours."

Leonard only asked that in pure curiosity, however, Zhar'kerut seems to spark an idea. Leonard did not miss that expression from Zhar'kerut. He already regretted such a decision. 

Zhar'kerut didn't even warn Leonard, he just zoomed, Zhar'kerut was so fast that Leonard needed a full second to process that he just ran. Of course, Leonard followed in a hurry. 

But the fact that the mana around him is too thick wasn't helping. He was running underwater and it presented all of its disadvantages. 

Chasing after Zhar'kerut humbled Leonard about his speed. He was fast, for sure. Leonard could even run after cars. But the Xyn are just different. If Leonard could run after a car Zhar'kerut was just walking. 

"Ziquir… Ziquir!"

"Make full use of the potion I gave you!"

Zhar'kerut didn't halt, he just kept up a pace that was normal for his standard. Leonard tried to catch up, he kept his pace reserving his stamina to last a while. 

But of course, his biology failed him. Not only 30 minutes into the fast chase he was already wheezing. The environment was not helping at all. 

Zhar'kerut took a circular bronze object out of his satchel as he walked slowly towards Leonard. 

"30 minutes. Not bad."

"Zi—wheeze—Ziquir… how far?"

"If we run again in an hour and a half."

"Ugh…"

"Sit up and meditate," Zhar'kerut commanded. 

Of course, Leonard wouldn't disobey, he kept benefiting from this discourse so he wouldn't mind following Zhar'kerut. He sat up and crossed his aching legs and closed his eyes. 

He started channelling mana around his body trying to rejuvenate his aching legs. Of course, this process is slow. Slower than the potion. But he was told to do so, he is sure something will come out of this. 

Then he got cramps, in both legs. 

"Agh! Ack!"

He twitched in pain, but Zhar'kerut who never experienced cramps nor ever learned about them looked at Leonard like a fool. 

"I'm having cramps!"

"What in the Four Hells is that?"

"Muscle ache!"

Zhar'kerut frowned and pulled out some herbs tied in stock and shoved them at Leonard's mouth. Leonard ate it and he started finding respite at the chaos his legs are giving. 

"Ugh…" Leonard felt like shit. 

Though, that wouldn't stop him from moving. He had to set camp with aching legs. They have to rest while the border city is already there. 

Just a bit more to their destination. Just a little bit, that's what Leonard tells himself.