Training Addict Magician in a Growth-Focused Story

Training Addict Magician in a Growth-Focused Story

EP.14 Legendary Talent?

Leon had never mentioned the All-Attribute Constitution before. There was no need to. He never expected it to appear. When he first read the introductory book on mana, there was a brief mention of the All-Attribute Constitution. It was just one line.

[It is a talent only spoken of in legends, so there is no need to consider it.]

This meant that having talent in all attributes was practically impossible. It wasn’t just a top-tier talent; it was a unique, one-of-a-kind talent. Expecting it would only lead to disappointment.

But now, it was right in front of his eyes.

With trembling hands, Leon pressed ‘Apply.’

Unlike the moment when he transitioned from a single-attribute constitution to a three-attribute constitution, applying this constitution made his mind reel. It felt as if a black hole had formed in his head. In the swirling consciousness, he sensed a suction power that seemed to draw in everything.

Then, as if the primordial universe was being born, something compressed exploded with a bang.

“Ah.”

In that moment, Leon was engulfed in ecstasy. It was a fantastic sensation incomparable to the joy he felt when he first awakened mana. It was as if his brain had been dipped in cold water and then pulled out, leaving a refreshing feeling. His awakened senses spread out, seemingly covering the entire city.

He felt as if he could bring every mana particle in the atmosphere under his control. It was a feeling of omnipotence, as if he could take anything with a mere wave of his hand.

With his heightened senses, Leon absentmindedly raised his hand, repeatedly clenching and unclenching his fist.

This was like…

‘It feels like I’ve become a god.’

Leon felt that sensation for a brief moment. The heightened sensitivity, as if his hair was standing on end, gradually subsided. Although the initial feeling of omnipotence also faded, the sense that he could control the surrounding mana at will remained. To put it differently, it felt familiar. It was as if a new sensory system had been added to his body.

Leon recalled the Arpina magic he had been self-studying. The previously incomprehensible aspects began to click into place like interlocking gears.

‘Ah, so that’s what it meant…’

New insights also emerged. In fact, Leon had been feeling a gradual wall with Arpina’s magic. It made sense, as Arpina’s basic magic started to deal with fire at the three-star level, and Leon lacked talent in the fire attribute. This was one of the reasons he desired a new constitution. He felt that if he reached three stars as he was, his growth would slow down.

‘Wait… could this be…’

As his understanding of Arpina’s magic became more refined, Leon began to feel a subtle, almost elusive sense of the magic’s structure. It was as if he could create a more efficient spell formula. However, this feeling remained a vague, elusive notion. It seemed that Leon’s absolute knowledge of magic was still insufficient to find the answer.

Leon decided to let go of that ambiguity for now.

‘This means I need to focus on my training!’

He believed that through continuous training, he would eventually understand that ambiguity. The rewards for his consistent training had been ample. From that point on, Leon immersed himself even deeper into his training.

‘Let’s push through to the third rank this time.’

Another month passed. Leon consumed all 20 of the F-grade elixirs he had been saving just in case. As a result, his mana quality increased from E-grade to E+ grade. This was thanks to consuming nearly 100 F-grade essences. If he had consumed E-grade essences, he could have raised his mana quality in one go, but he hadn’t expected that from the start. Leon decided to be satisfied with the fact that his mana quality had improved.

One thing he realized as his attributes changed and he consumed elixirs was that the amount he could digest varied, even for the same elixir.

‘Does this also depend on talent?’

While Leon discovered this new fact, he also felt a sense of frustration. Talent really was everything… That’s why he needed to train even harder.

His progress was astonishingly rapid, and within a month, Leon was on the verge of reaching the third rank. It had been five months since he reached the second rank. With 30 hours left to use the Orb of Time and Space, Leon ascended to the third rank.

——————————————————

Growth Assistant

Information

▶ Name: Leon

▶ Rank: Apprentice 3rd Rank

▶ Mana Quality: E+

▶ Attribute Constitution: All-Attribute Constitution (Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Wood, Electricity, Light, Darkness)

General Quest

▶ Basic Magic Training (Completed)

Reward

▶ Artifact (Change)

Breakthrough Quest

▶ Rank Ascension (Completed)

——————————————————

Leon, now accustomed to the breakthrough quests, completed it smoothly.

▶ Reward probabilities have increased due to rank ascension.

▶ 300 hours of the Orb of Time and Space have been provided.

▶ Please select an additional rank ascension reward.

▶ Artifact (D+ Grade Guardian Golem Summoning Flute) / Magic Book (D+ Grade Basic Mental Purification Magic)

Was there a specific criterion for the additional rewards of rank ascension? Leon had subtly hoped for an essence that could raise his mana quality to D-grade, but the rewards had changed. He briefly recalled the E-Grade Triple Fireball Scroll he had used against Forn. If E-grade worked well against an apprentice third-rank mage, then D+ grade should be effective against fourth or fifth-rank mages.

After some contemplation, Leon chose the artifact that could summon a golem. A green flute with a bizarre pattern engraved on it appeared in his palm. He thought that at his current level, he needed more physical defense tools. The D+ grade mental purification magic seemed less likely to be useful. Even if a situation involving mental contamination arose, he couldn’t guarantee that the basic purification magic would be effective.

Leon stored the flute in his subspace and turned his attention to the general quests. Since obtaining his new constitution, he had been alternating between receiving elixirs and artifacts as rewards for the general quests. While the rewards hadn’t changed significantly, the increased probability meant he occasionally received E-grade elixirs or artifacts.

Imp Essence (E-) x 2

Imp Essence (E+) x 1

Additionally, 10 F-grade elixirs

He had already consumed five of these elixirs during his training. As his knowledge about elixirs grew, he learned that even the same Imp Essence could be divided into E- grade and E+ grade.

The difference in quality was due to variations in the manufacturing process.

One-Time Blink Scroll (E-) x 1

One-Time Flame Scroll (E-) x 1

Lesser Mana Enhancement Ring (E) x 1

Mana Recovery Honey Candy (F-) x 1

Additionally, 9 F-Grade One-Time Scrolls

The Lesser Mana Enhancement Ring was an artifact that slightly increased mana capacity, but Leon hadn’t worn it yet and kept it in his subspace to avoid drawing attention from other mages. The honey candy had a similar effect to the ring but was a one-time use item. For Leon, who could enter the orb to recover mana in any urgent situation, it wasn’t particularly necessary.

Leon pressed ‘Complete’ on the general quest as well.

▶ You have obtained the Bracelet of Hidden Magic (B+).

“Oh?”

Leon stared at the black bracelet in his palm. If it was called the Bracelet of Hidden Magic, did it mean it could conceal mana? Leon immediately put on the bracelet. He spent some time injecting mana into it and checking its various uses. Then, he realized why the bracelet was rated B+.

As he initially guessed, the bracelet could indeed hide mana. However, its effect exceeded his expectations. He could control it entirely at will. He could conceal his mana to appear as a second or first rank, or even make himself look like an ordinary person if he wished.

For Leon, who had been using low-grade mana concealment magic, this was the most needed artifact. A satisfied smile naturally formed on Leon’s lips.

“Hehe…”

Not long after obtaining the All-Attribute Constitution, Leon acquired the Bracelet of Hidden Magic.

‘Now I don’t have to worry about being discovered as an arcane mage.’

Leon, reveling in his joy, lay down right where he was. He was exhausted from staying up several nights to raise his rank.

*****

Having stocked up on scrolls needed for potential battles, Leon switched his rewards entirely to elixirs. With constitution now excluded from the options, choosing became much easier. He spent another month stabilizing his third-rank state and continuing his training.

Around the time Leon had been in Widia for a year, Ria came to visit him after a long absence. She met Leon in the waiting area where he worked. Ria seemed a bit more mature than before.

‘Is it because I haven’t seen her in a while?’

Ria was also scrutinizing Leon’s complexion. Leon was using the Bracelet of Hidden Magic to conceal his rank as a first-rank mage.

‘High-ranking mages can instantly gauge the rank of mages lower than themselves…’

Leon couldn’t ascertain Ria’s rank because he didn’t know how.

‘Is it one of those common spells that Arpina or Forn mentioned?’

While Leon was lost in thought, Ria seemed satisfied with her inspection and finally spoke.

“You seem to be doing well these days?”

“Really?”

“Yeah, you look good.”

Leon briefly touched his face. He had indeed been doing well. He had hit the jackpot with the gacha. Did it show that much?

“How have you been?”

“I’ve been training hard under my master. Lately, she’s been urging me to reach the second rank quickly. If I reach the second rank now, I’ll be one of the fastest among Widia’s disciples. She said that if I had started training a bit earlier, I would have been the youngest ever to reach the second rank.”

If being at the second rank at the age of 13 was considered fast, then the youngest ever must have reached it at around 10 or 11 years old. Considering Ria’s talent, it wasn’t a huge difference.

“What about that girl, Rowen?”

“Rowen is Master Mober’s disciple. She reached the second rank recently. So, although my master doesn’t say it outright, she subtly hopes I’ll catch up to Rowen quickly.”

“Really? Well, she must have started training much earlier…”

Leon spoke as if to console Ria.

‘Still, from the way she’s talking, it seems Ria is still at the first rank.’

“Yeah… But, Leon, are you interested in Rowen?”

“Huh?”

A question mark appeared on Leon’s face, lost in his thoughts. Interested in Rowen? He was only curious because he heard Rowen was a six-attribute constitution.

“I heard you met her a few times while working under master. Did you like her?”

Leon briefly recalled Rowen’s annoyed expression. Interested? Not at all. Leon shook his head firmly.

“No way. I don’t like her.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah. But why do you ask?”

“I was just wondering if you were starting to notice the opposite sex…”

Leon chuckled. If it was about noticing training rather than the opposite sex, he would have readily admitted it.

After that, Leon and Ria chatted about various everyday topics. Just as they were running out of things to say, Ria cautiously spoke up.

“Actually… I have a public sparring match with the professors’ disciples next week… Could you come and cheer for me?”

“…”

Leon instinctively pondered if he had any free time outside of his training next week. Perhaps because he didn’t answer immediately, Ria’s face fell.

“If you’re busy…”

“No, I’ll come.”

Leon replied hastily.

‘It would be too shameless to just take the subspace pouch and not show up…’