The journey to the capital city was a blur of new sensations for Aelius. The forests and open plains were full of life he had only read about, and the bustling roads filled with merchants, travelers, and adventurers were a sharp contrast to his solitary existence. He had learned to hide his dragon-like senses, to suppress his overwhelming awareness of the world, and to act like a regular human. His companions, Garen, Alana, Dex, and Rowan, had been kind and helpful, guiding him through this unfamiliar world.
A week later, they arrived at the capital, a sprawling city of stone and spires that gleamed under the sun. It was at the center of the Neutral Zone, a place where all races—humans, elves, dwarves, and demi-humans—coexisted for trade. There were countless guilds, shops, and stalls, but at its heart stood the imposing structure of the Magic Court.
Garen and his party led Aelius to the local Adventurer's Guild. While they were there to register their completed quest, they also traded the core fragments from the goblins for currency. Aelius learned that the world's universal currency was a tiered system: 100 copper coins made one silver coin, 100 silver coins made one gold coin and 1000 gold coin made one platinum coin. The goblin core fragments they collected were each worth 5 silvers.
Garen insisted on giving all the silvers to Aelius, but he refused. "It's my responsibility," Garen said. "We would've been dead without your help."
Aelius, however, simply smiled. "I'm just happy to help," he replied. "Besides, I have my own way of getting money." He then secretly activated his Dragon's Void skill, pulling a fist-sized mana stone from his pocket.
Garen's eyes widened. "A mana stone? Where did you get that?"
Aelius shrugged, feigning ignorance. "It's a family treasure. My mother gave it to me." He handed the mana stone to the guild trader. The trader, a gruff old man with a squint, assessed its value with a careful hand. His eyes widened, and he adjusted his spectacles. "This mana stone... it's pure. And the size of it... this is easily worth 20 gold coins."
Garen and his party gasped in shock. They had never seen a mana stone so large, let alone so pure. It was a fortune beyond their wildest dreams. Aelius, however, was unfazed. He simply took his coins.
"I will escort Aelius to the Magic Court for his registration," Garen announced to his party.
Aelius said his goodbyes to Alana, Dex, and Rowan, knowing it might be a long time before he saw them again. With a final wave, he and Garen headed toward the Magic Court, ready to face his next challenge.
The Magic Court was a hive of activity. Mages of all ages and races stood in lines, their mana signatures a colorful tapestry in Aelius's senses. Garen guided him to a testing room. The proctor, an initial 7-star mage, sat behind a large desk with a crystal orb on it. That orb was a Mana Classification Crystal, an artifact used to measure a mage's mana level. The crystal's main characteristic was its ability to accurately classify a person's magical talent, regardless of their mana reserves.
"Name?" the proctor said, his voice curt. "Age?"
"Aelius," he replied, his voice calm. "And I'm 15."
The proctor sighed, looking annoyed. A 15-year-old was a waste of his time. At that age, a normal person was just beginning their mana gathering stage, and a genius might have just entered the initial stages of a 2-star. He assumed Aelius was here just to find out his element, a mundane task for the orb.
"Place your hand on the orb," the proctor instructed.
Aelius placed his hand on the orb, and instantly, a brilliant, vibrant green light filled the crystal. The proctor's eyes widened. "A wind mage," he said, his voice laced with surprise. "And the color... it's so pure and solid." He studied the orb intently. The crystal pulsed with the rich green hue, a sign of a mage at the peak of his rank. "Aelius," the proctor said, his voice a mix of respect and confusion, "your talent is unprecedented. You are officially classified as a peak 4-star mage."
The proctor stamped a card with Aelius's rank. The card glowed with the same vibrant green as the orb. Aelius was surprised. A 4-star mage? He was at the peak of the 7-star dragon level, so he should have been classified as a 7-star mage. He knew there had to be a mistake.
The proctor looked at him intently, a flicker of something resembling awe in his eyes. "Aelius," he began, "with talent like yours, you could become a pillar of this court. I want to personally invite you to become a member of the Magic Court."
Aelius politely declined. "I'm grateful for the offer, but I have my own path to follow."
The proctor didn't press him. He simply handed Aelius the mage card. "If you change your mind," he said, his voice softer now, "you can find me here."
Aelius nodded and said his farewells. He and Garen left the Magic Court.
As they walked away from the Magic Court, Aelius turned to Garen. "What does it mean, a 4-star mage? I don't understand the ranking system."
Garen, still in shock from the earlier events, explained the system. "It's based on your element and what rank you are. The purity of the color in your card also indicates your mana's quality. For example, a peak 4-star mage will have a rich, solid color, while a beginner will have a faint, translucent one."
Garen then explained the full classification of mages and their corresponding mana colors. A mage's rank is determined by their element, and the color on the classification crystal signifies this.
Mages from 1-star to 4-star are categorized by the four basic elements:
Wind (Green),
Fire (Red),
Water (Blue), and
Earth (Brown).
A 5-star mage has an enhanced element, such as:
Ice (a refined form of Water, represented by a Cyan crystal),
Gravity (Enhanced Earth, Black),
Lightning (Enhanced Fire, Yellow), and
Sound (Enhanced Wind, Silver).
A 6-star mage has learned a second type of magic. Because of this, their magic crystal changes to show both of their powers. It will be split into two colors. For example, if a mage has mastered Ice and learned basic Wind magic, their crystal will be half cyan (for Ice) and half green (for Wind). If they master both and have Ice and Sound magic, the crystal will be half cyan and half silver.
A 7-star mage possesses a Deviant Element, which is a combination of two basic elements. The combinations and their colors are as follows:
Geyser (Fire & Water, Violet),
Lava (Fire & Earth, Orange),
Plasma (Fire & Wind, Magenta),
Wood (Water & Earth, Olive Green),
Typhoon (Water & Wind, Teal), and
Petrify (Earth & Wind, Gray).
The highest known mages are those with three and four-element combinations. An 8-star mage can combine three elements, such as:
Magma (Fire, Water & Earth, Maroon),
Storm Front (Fire, Water & Wind, Gold),
Volcanic Ash (Fire, Earth & Wind, Charcoal), and
Clay Golem (Water, Earth & Wind, Slate).
Finally, a 9-star mage can combine all four basic elements, and the crystal will display the Final Element, a prismatic, swirling light that contains all the colors of the spectrum.
Aelius was utterly confused. An enhanced level of a basic element? And mages who could combine multiple elements? This was completely different from what he had read in his mother's books. The books only mentioned that monsters have monster cores, while humans have mana cores. Could that be the reason for the difference in their magical systems? He had so many questions, and he knew he wouldn't find the answers in Garen's simple explanations. He had just taken his first step into the world of human magic, and it was a step that would change everything.