Chapter 8 - Curse

"After my Da was killed by the assassins, they came after me, and I escaped through the river. My memory is jumbled after that, but I ended up in the Summoner Village. They took me in because my Ma was raised there and raised me to become a Hunter. After a Magical Core appeared in my heart, I came to this Academy because my Da recommended it in his last words." Nero explained to the Headmaster.

Many details were omitted and altered to protect the Village, the Dragon Girl, and the revelations about his Father. Even though the Headmaster didn't like the Emperor, Nero wanted to play dumb for now.

"I believe what you say is true. But it is not the whole truth. Which is fine... we just met for the first time, and I doubt you share the same abilities or qualities as your Father. So I wish to get to know you better. Why do you wish to become more powerful as a Mage?"

"Doesn't everyone want to become more powerful?"

"That is true... but everyone has different motivations. Some wish to become famous, gain wealth, make a mark on history, create their Dynasty or obtain the power to slaughter their enemies. I would assume you have revenge in mind to punish those who killed your Father. Am I wrong?"

"You are not wrong... I did want revenge for a while. But I want to become a Battle Mage to protect myself against the best the Empire throws at me. Though I am not sure if that is possible anymore."

"What makes you say that?"

"I only have a White Grade Magical Core worth 100 Mana and a Pyromancy Spell Tome."

"Is that a barrier you cannot overcome?"

"The Emperor permits those who have Non-Elemental Spell Tomes like the Ancient ones to use the Divine and Demonic Crystals to raise the Grade of a Magical Core to the highest level along with their Tomes. As for my four affinities, Solarmancy and Lunamancy are extinct, while Soulmancy and Chronomancy are Forbidden. I am stuck with Pyromancy only, so I can't fuse it with any other Spell Tome to become stronger like Madame Teresa's Terramancy."

The Headmaster smiles and chuckles at Nero's sullen mood.

"Allow me to dispel your negative opinion about your potential as a Mage.

First, let's address the fundamentals that some of the teachers in this Academy skip over on the first day. A Magical Core absorbs Mana from the environment and circulates it into your bloodstream. But like most items made by Craftsmen, they vary in quality depending on the environment and tools used to create them. Magical Cores are affected by the base material, our blood.

Even if your body is perfectly fit and has the muscle mass of a Bull. There are impurities invisible to our eyes or senses. Those impurities clog up the Magical Core affecting the Mana Pool size and access to the number of Spells. The Colors of the Rainbow were used to identify the state of the limiter. The Magical Core in your heart has no color and is transparent.

Divine and Demonic Soul Crystals use their positive and negative energy for Blood Purification. If you manage to purify the blood, it will change the quality of the Core Grade automatically. Any Mage can reach Violet Grade, which gives them acess to 8 Spells per Tome and 800 Mana to spend as long as they understand this truth.

Second, let me address the different categories to classify spells. Forbidden Tomes are just Spells seen as Evil in human eyes, while Ancient spells are those that died out or are too few to find. Elementals have less value because they are easy to obtain.

Look at this common flower on my table which is worth 1 copper. If the Emperor declared it evil and illegal, its value might jump to 10 Gold in the black market. What if the Emperor says it is the last of its kind? Wouldn't the value shoot up to 1000 gold coins? Similarly, the worth of Spell Tomes has been valued the same way.

All of them are tools to harness the Mana circulating in our blood through formulas. But in the end, they only provide instructions on what form the Mana should take or target to apply. At each level-up, they are being modified for better efficiency, duration, and results.

So the Type of Spell Tome you have should not matter."

"But I can't create Fused Spell Tomes with only one."

"You believe Solarmancy and Lunarmancy are extinct? My Bloodmancy should be extinct, yet you experienced it yourself with my handshake. Even if you can't find a mage using an Extinct or Ancient Spell Tomes. The books might be dormant in some ruin or treasure chest, waiting for the right Mage to find them. Now let me address your concern over your low-Grade Magical Core. You assume you won't find a Divine or Demonic Crystal Soul Crystal outside this office or the Emperor's vault. Where do you think they were obtained from?"

Nero thought hard, and his mind recollected the Dragon Girl showing off her collection of coins from ancient civilizations. But she complained about how the Empire sent its armies to occupy all the known ruins to scavenge for Soul crystals. At the time, Nero did not ask for further details, but now it gave him a clue.

"I should find and explore ancient Civilization ruins?"

"Yes! I would also suggest focusing on a Divine Soul Crystal. Your Cursed blood might get strengthened by a Demonic one. Even without it, your inheritance will not be easy to control once fully awakened. Oh! Don't pretend you are clueless. The Curse in your blood is still dormant, but you cannot deny its existence from a Bloodmancer."

"Fine! Then tell me what will happen when the Curse wakes up?"

"It is not an 'if'! It is a 'when'! Do not think your situation is unique. The Emperor and his family assassinated many 'Royal Battle Mages' similar to your Father over several centuries when they had gone out of control. One descendant always awakened the ability soon after. Without proper training, they would lose control of the Curse and let it possess them."

"If I die without having a child... won't the Curse die with me?"

"Unfortunately, the Curse won't allow you to die until you sire a child to inherit it. Have you had incidents where you questioned how you survived after losing your consciousness?"

"How do you know that?"

"Look at all the books on that wall. I have been researching the true powers of the Royal Battle Mages since I was your age. The ones who lived for centuries were celebrities. The moment they gave into temptation, the Emperor would kidnap their children and keep them locked away on some remote island to use as hostages or a backup in case a Royal Battle Mage went rogue or got killed. I suggest you choose celibacy if you wish to take advantage of being unable to truly die."

"I should stay away from girls, and I can revive infinitely?"

"If you can, then you will be the first to refuse the instincts of the Curse. Now it is time we get started on raising your White Core to a Red or Yellow."

End of Chapter 8