"I am the one who bridges the path between two worlds..."
To ensure the success of his first summoning, Rhode rarely recited the full incantation of the spell.
"Crimson Marked Tree Monster!"
As soon as Rhode uttered the name of the wild creature, the ground burst into red light, and the creature's body grew rapidly from the ground like a tree.
Its limbs were like thick tree trunks, with red claws growing on its feet.
A ball of light shimmering with red light was on its back, surrounded by clusters of green leaves.
The entire creature was about the size of a small house, appearing tall and menacing up close.
The Crimson Marked Tree Monster, commonly known as the Red Buff, Red Flame Symbol, etc.
Compared to creatures like the Three Wolves, it was considered a relatively strong wild creature.
Furthermore, because it could provide good beneficial effects to those who defeated it, it held a significant strategic position.
As for the effect once it was summoned, its size and appearance already exerted a formidable sense of oppression.
With its arrival, the entire courtyard seemed much narrower.
Moreover, this summoning drained more than half of Rhode's magic power, maintaining its existence as if releasing water through a floodgate; it wouldn't be long before he'd be too weak to stand.
Just from the energy it consumed, Rhode believed it couldn't be weak.
"Is this... a Wood Element creature?" Makarov fixed his gaze on the big creature summoned by Rhode.
In his perception, the creature's magic power level was quite impressive, appearing to be of the Wood Element.
"The name is Crimson Marked Tree Monster, so I guess it counts as Wood Element?"
Rhode issued a few simple commands like "sit" and "rise," then approached to try to make contact after seeing it obey.
This fellow's big head seemed like a block of wood, except its eyes were glowing red.
Quietly feeling the tree monster's power for a moment, Rhode said:
"It seems able to use some Wood Element magic, but what it excels at is a beneficial magic called 'Crown of Embers'."
"Beneficial magic?"
"Yes." Rhode pointed to himself, "Crown of Embers."
The 'big bulb' on the tree monster's back flashed and cast red light over Rhode.
Three red, semi-transparent light patterns appeared around Rhode, swirling around him like a dragon.
When he attempted to throw a punch, the three light patterns automatically covered his fist, transforming into red flames.
Heaven be praised, Rhode finally had an attack effect!
Makarov, knowledgeable as he was, immediately recognized the type of magic:
"Is this Additional Magic? Granting magic to others, it has already touched the realm of high-level Additional Magic."
"So this is what Additional Magic feels like, would you like to try it?"
Makarov nodded, and Rhode patted the tree monster's front leg, pointing at the President: "Crown of Embers."
With a sweep of red light, the President was surrounded by the same light patterns Rhode had.
However, at this point, the red light on the tree monster's back dimmed, as if unable to provide such benefits to more people.
Makarov tried throwing a punch, and then enlarged his fist and punched again.
The red light seemed able to generate enough flames to cover the entire fist, no matter how big it was.
Makarov said, "A remarkable enhancement, and I feel even the body seems more invigorated."
Rhode pondered, the Crown of Embers not only provided additional damage but also included a life recovery effect.
Though the effect wasn't very strong, if he used it on the President daily, could it lead to longevity and rejuvenation?
As these thoughts ran through his mind, Rhode suddenly felt dizzy and weak, collapsing to the ground.
Soon after, the Crimson Marked Tree Monster also vanished from its place.
"Magic power is drained." Rhode clutched his forehead, "Couldn't even last five minutes, seems it can only be used as a trump card for now."
"Such a strong effect justifies the magic power it consumes." Makarov commented,
"If you put in a bit more effort, you might have the chance to partake in this year's S-Class promotional exam."
"S-Class? Me?" Rhode couldn't believe it; never mind other things, he was far behind in magic power alone, right?
Makarov nodded, "Yes, if you can receive it."
"Receive it? Forget it, I can take the S-Class exam next year." Rhode smiled wryly, receiving a wild creature required more magic power than summoning.
Just summoning took more than half of his magic power, and he couldn't even complete an initial reception.
Not to mention maintaining combat state after reception, he could collapse from it, oh, here it should be called magic deficiency syndrome.
He really needed to focus on improving his magic power.
"Keep at it." Makarov was pleased with Rhode's reaction.
Indeed, even faced with the allure of reaching S-Class, he showed no sign of being impulsive.
If it were Natsu, learning that receiving a creature could grant access to the S-Class exam, regardless of magic power, he would try on the spot.
This was precisely why he was willing to mention the S-Class exam to Rhode.
The boy's intellect and character could to some degree make up for the lack of magic power.
Natsu, on the other hand, was the contrary; his strength wasn't enough to compensate for issues in character and experience.
It was mid-September now, three months until the S-Class exam, and Makarov was eagerly anticipating Rhode's growth.
"By the way, how long can this 'Crown of Embers' effect last?"
Rhode said, "If the tree monster is present, it can last about ten minutes. If not, it only lasts about two minutes."
Two minutes were already sufficient; battles between mages often concluded quickly.
Sometimes, encountering an opponent with advantageous attributes could end the fight in a single move. Experiencing unfamiliar magic, they might not even realize what happened before finding themselves defeated.
Long-term sustained combat situations were rare, often occurring in wars or strategic maneuvers between well-known opponents.
Thus, a powerful enhancement lasting a few minutes was quite significant.
Makarov, content, returned to the tavern with the red glow, thinking Rhode had great potential.
Yet, Rhode himself was unsatisfied, summoning a tree monster only for a few minutes before running out of power. What if it couldn't be a quick victory?
He had always been progressing steadily and comprehensively in his cultivation, in physical strength, magic power, Summoning Magic, Receiving Magic...
Everything was advancing simultaneously, with magic power steadily increasing as he unlocked more creatures, unexpectedly falling short today.
Or not, the inadequacy of magic power had already become apparent after he began learning Receiving Magic.
Rhode sat cross-legged on the ground, pondering for a while; he needed to focus on boosting his magic power.
The methods: Meditation and extreme physical training.
Extreme physical training both improved physical fitness and honed willpower, greatly beneficial for enhancing magic power.
The downside was that it was arduous and risked harming the body.
But what if he covered himself with a Crown of Embers after extreme training?
Its slight life recovery effect might offset some side effects?
For the sake of increasing magic power, maybe it was worth the effort.