Chapter 350: The Runes Revealed
A few days later, the Magic Association issued a notice that shook the entire capital and quickly spread throughout the continent:
For mages who passed the Association's Level 1 Mage assessment, the Association would grant them a special reward—the Life Core Rune of Immortality Magic.
Furthermore, these runes were given thoughtful explanations. These runes pointed directly to the essential mysteries of life's composition, serving as the key to understanding and ultimately altering life forms and breaking through lifespan limits—the ultimate realm.
It was also these runes that had helped this legendary magician survive from the ancient mythological era to the present day.
One stone stirred up a thousand waves.
After the initial shock and doubt came unparalleled fervor.
Eternal life!
The word that existed only in legends was presented to all who longed for it in such a tangible way for the first time, and more importantly, it was acknowledged by Kurtz himself.
Although the announcement emphasized that these were just magical runes, not magic itself, and that magicians still needed to study them, it was enough to ignite everyone's desire.
As a result, the entire magical world of the capital city instantly erupted in excitement.
Reclusive old mages suddenly appeared, elite teachers of the magic academy submitted their resignations, powerful mages who had been traveling abroad rushed back day and night, and even many mages who originally focused on other fields began to frantically study the knowledge related to holy magic.
Even more remarkably, many warriors who were originally unrelated to magic began to try to sense magical power and learn the most basic magical knowledge.
Suddenly, the prices of all books related to magic enlightenment in the capital skyrocketed, and other magic books suffered as a result. Every mage began thinking about how to improve their strength as quickly as possible to reach the standard required to participate in the seemingly unattainable Level 1 assessment.
The threshold of the Magic Association was breached three times in just a few months, forcing them to heighten and reinforce it. The lobby on the first floor was bustling with people, as noisy as a marketplace.
The number of mages applying to participate in the assessment had grown exponentially, including many gray-haired veteran mages who had been famous in other fields for many years. They had put aside their pride and arrogance just to gain the opportunity to access those core runes.
The pressure was like an avalanche, pressing down on the association's management, and Serie, as the apparent manager, was the first to bear the brunt.
She had to personally step in, coordinate manpower, and develop more strict assessment methods. Even Flamme, who was originally responsible for guarding and studying Solis, was called over by her to conduct qualification reviews.
In a short period of time, the reputation and influence of the Magic Association expanded at an explosive speed, completely replacing the St. Katia Magic Academy and becoming the true holy land of magic on the continent.
In the association's headquarters, in Kurtz's quiet research room, which was completely out of place with the outside noise, Serie finally found a moment to come and "question" him.
Serie took a deep breath, collecting her composure.
"Look what you've done! It's practically turned into a vegetable market outside! At the assessment site with Flamme, two old mages almost got into a fight over who get to stand in line! If you don't come up with something soon, these people will tear down the association!" The elf lady's face was filled with obvious anger.
"Just tear it down and rebuild it. Whoever damages it has to pay for it anyway," Kurtz laughed.
"That's not the point!" Serie's tone was reproachful. "That's your greatest research achievement in a thousand years, a field we've only just begun to explore! How could you just publish it so easily?"
Upon hearing this, Kurtz raised his head, his face expressionless, and simply said, "They're just some unimportant runes. It's fine to take them out."
His tone was so casual that Serie was momentarily stunned.
Unimportant?
That involved the very essence of life, the secret to immortality! How could it not be important?
Then she noticed Solis standing quietly in the shadows behind Kurtz. The demon, who had been brought here from the basement at some point, was now standing quietly, watching Kurtz's movements without blinking, like a delicate doll.
Serie could feel the mental magic she had cast on the other person was still there, which made her feel a little relieved, though it was still strange that Kurtz had her by his side.
"Not important?" Serie snapped out of her daze, her voice rising slightly. "Don't try to fool me! That's an extension of the goddess of life's authority! It's unique—"
"That's why," Kurtz interrupted her, "others can't learn it."
Serie was stunned.
She remembered.
She remembered Kurtz's special nature.
He was not only a legendary magician who had lived for thousands of years, but also, in a certain sense, a holder of divine authority.
He held a portion of the Goddess of Life's authority, which also enabled him to decipher those runes. Others, even if they obtained the runes that constituted the magic of the life core, would find them useless because they did not have this authority and were unable to decipher or study them.
"You... you're just giving them a phantom they can see but can't touch?" Serie's tone became complicated, her anger subsiding and replaced by understanding and helplessness.
"That's one way to look at it." Kurtz nodded, a smile playing on his lips. "Since they're so preoccupied with it that they can't eat or sleep, why not give them a clear goal to pursue?"
"At least, in the process of trying to crack the code, they will strive to improve themselves, abide by the association's rules, and no longer hide their ambitions. The overall level of magical civilization across the entire continent might also be propelled forward by this opportunity."
"As for whether they will ultimately achieve anything..." He paused. "That depends on their individual fate. Perhaps among millions, one or two geniuses will emerge who forge their own path, and that would not be an uninteresting thing."
Understanding dawned on Serie's face.
Serie understood. It was a conspiracy, a blatant conspiracy.
Using rewards that were impossible to truly obtain to restrain people's ambitions could both divert attention from problems and promote development, while also keeping potential enemies under surveillance.
It was indeed a good idea, but the fact that he hadn't told her beforehand made Miss Elf furious, wishing she could bite him.
Kurtz noticed Serie's unhappiness, so he placed his hand on her head and comforted her. "It's okay, it's my fault. I should have told you in advance. Next time I will."
"You're treating the association and me like a mule!" Serie complained irritably, but her tone had softened. "Do you know how exhausted I've been these past few days? I suspect that every human mage on the continent could come here."
"Isn't this better?" Kurtz said with a hint of anticipation. "A more lively atmosphere brings life. A stagnant magic world isn't what you want to see, is it?"
The elf was silent for a moment, then finally sighed and nodded. "You're right. It's just a bit too noisy. Never mind! I have to go now. I have a lot of things to do." She waved her hand, turned, and left.
[End of Chapter]