After registering his new quests with Melina, including the daily ones, Thorian proceeded with his routine morning activities. Harnessing his formidable powers, he guided a group of advanced goblins through the initial three layers of the Verdant Labyrinth and the inaugural layer of the Thunderous Citadel. This undertaking was more of a warm-up for him. Later, he reconvened with his primary team to delve into the deeper challenges of the fourth layer of the Labyrinth and the second stratum of the Thunderous Citadel. The rigorous exploration of these dungeons yielded ample experience, enabling Thorian to level up both his species and class.

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Ding

I’m on the cusp of breaching the 150 mark in agility, Thorian pondered internally. Once the abyss is accessible, these statistics will appear even more astounding than they currently are.

His cultivation and racial traits synergistically amplified his Strength and Agility, allowing these attributes to burgeon without Thorian having to allocate many of his free points. In contrast, his Mana stat required direct enhancement from the points accrued through class leveling, hence its comparatively slower progression.

Now that I've mastered the manipulation of all four elements, augmenting my mana directly bolsters my power, Thorian reflected.

With that resolution, he invested all his available free points into Mana, anticipating the surge in power that would follow.

Mana: 113 -> 163

As Thorian allocated his points, a surge of energy erupted from within him. The mana cloud, previously orbiting his heart, grew denser and more expansive. Reaching the 200-point threshold will allow me to condense this cloud into an actual mana heart. It'll be modest in size, but certainly a start, he contemplated, envisioning his progress in the near future.

Lost in thought, Thorian's steps unconsciously led him to the magus guild, where he planned to spend a significant portion of the afternoon. Upon entering, he was greeted by Fizzlegrin, who awaited his arrival.

"Is today the day?" Thorian inquired, alluding to his anticipated guild rank advancement.

"Indeed, my lord," the Guild Master responded with a cheerful grin. "Complete your quests, and you'll be eligible for the ranking exam."

Without further ado, Thorian made his way to the leftmost room, his mind already on other pressing matters. "Let's not dilly-dally," he declared.

Over the next two hours, Thorian busied himself infusing depleted stones with mana. Upon completing this task, he felt unusually rejuvenated. His mana pool remained surprisingly ample, and his mental acuity was razor-sharp.

A high mana stat certainly sharpens the mind, but this level of clarity is extraordinary, Thorian mused. It's likely that my recent evolution plays a part in this as well.

Thorian, seasoned in his experiences, understood that status windows and descriptions only revealed part of the story. His speculation about the influence of his evolution was not unfounded – there were always subtleties and nuances that defied simple explanation.

"My lord, witnessing your daily growth in efficiency is truly remarkable," Fizzlegrin's voice pulled Thorian back from his contemplations. "You have ascended to the stature of a master. Your success rate with the stones now exceeds 40%."

Thorian responded with humble gratitude, "Thank you, Guild Master." Yet inwardly, he wasn't overly impressed with his own performance. Even peak-level second-advancement magi, not to mention Grandmagi, nearly always succeed with these stones. It's a basic rite for beginners, he thought to himself.

Fizzlegrin, hopping down from his chair, energetically suggested, "Now, my lord, let's complete your quests and commence the ranking exam."

"I could ask for nothing better," Thorian replied with a chuckle, following the Guild Master's diminutive figure. Fizzlegrin's hopping gait seemed endearing, almost childlike. But Thorian was well aware that beneath this adorable exterior lay formidable power. Any individual who held the title of Guild Master was at a minimum a fourth advancement in their class. This small, lavender-furred being could lay waste to Locksley with a single spell, were it not for divine regulations restraining such might.

"All your quests are now marked complete," Fizzlegrin announced, then glanced towards a room beyond his desk. "Shall we begin the test?"

"Absolutely, Guild Master," Thorian agreed promptly.

They proceeded into the inner chamber, a vast library where shelves upon shelves lined every wall. Thorian's gaze swept across the room, quickly tallying the hundreds of books and innumerable parchments that filled the space, a testament to the vast repository of knowledge and power that the Guild harbored.

In the center of the chamber, four crystal balls caught Thorian's attention. Their size and hue mirrored the one he had encountered in the mana control chamber.

Fizzlegrin explained the task at hand. "The test is straightforward. You are to imbue these crystal balls with your mana. The complexity lies in the requirement to use elemental mana. You may opt to use a single element, or challenge yourself with all four for greater rewards."

The Guild Master then added with a sigh, "My lord, there's no shame in failure, given the novelty of this task. It's uncommon for anyone to pass this exam on their first attempt without prior experience or training. In fact, magi often fail five or six times before they successfully advance."

As Fizzlegrin offered these words of consolation, Thorian couldn’t suppress a chuckle. "Fate indeed spins a curious web."

Fizzlegrin, puzzled by his remark, furrowed his brow. "I'm not quite sure what you mean, my lord."

Thorian casually dismissed his previous comment with a shake of his head. "It's nothing significant," he assured. "Just that yesterday morning, this task would have been an insurmountable challenge for me. Now, it seems like the simplest gift fate could have bestowed."

Fizzlegrin watched, perplexed, as Thorian approached the first crystal ball. Placing his hand upon it, Thorian engaged his Fire Manipulation skill, gently channeling his fire mana into the orb. Gradually, it glowed with a vibrant orange hue, intensifying with each infusion of mana. Sensing the limit of the ball's capacity, Thorian ceased his flow of mana just in time.

"My lord, your abilities never cease to amaze!" Fizzlegrin marveled, stepping closer. "You’ve mastered Fire Manipulation? That’s astounding!"

"It's merely a boon from someone I encountered," Thorian replied with a chuckle, recalling his interaction with Tza'har. "And fire isn’t the only element I've been gifted with."

Without further elaboration, Thorian moved to the next crystal ball, filling it with water mana. He then proceeded to imbue the remaining two spheres with wind and earth mana, respectively.

Glancing back at Fizzlegrin's astonished expression, Thorian inquired, "Does this conclude the exam?"

"Yes, indeed," Fizzlegrin nodded, his excitement palpable. "You've passed spectacularly!"

As he spoke, a curious glimmer flashed in Fizzlegrin's eyes. Almost simultaneously, a notification materialized before Thorian.

The congratulatory message floated before Thorian's eyes:

[Congratulations! You have passed the Magus Guild D-rank Exam.]

[As you fulfilled the additional criteria, your rewards have been enhanced!]

Upon reviewing the rewards, Thorian's lips curved into a smile. The first two options were redundant for him, given his already acquired elemental manipulation skills and his reliance on the Emberstrike Cane. Consequently, the last option emerged as the most practical and beneficial choice.

After making his selection, another notification confirmed his decision:

[Congratulations, the proficiency of all eight of your first-advancement skills has increased by 30%.]

"You seem quite pleased with your reward," Fizzlegrin observed, bringing Thorian back from his contemplation of the newfound enhancement.

"I am, indeed," Thorian acknowledged with a nod. "The rewards are quite aligned with my needs."

"The timing couldn't have been more impeccable," Thorian remarked. Without further delay, he summoned his status window to examine the enhanced proficiency of his Fire Pillar skill.

The sight of the proficiency reaching a flawless 100% brought a satisfied smile to Thorian's face. Given his infrequent use of Tornado and Fire Pillar independently, it was a significant achievement to see their proficiency levels equalized.

Seizing the moment, Thorian activated his Elemental Synergy skill. With a focused intent, he mentally commanded, Combine “Tornado” and “Fire Pillar”.

A prompt appeared, confirming the successful integration:

[Skill Fusion Complete]