21 Magic

Dean had to properly learn more about Magic if he wanted to continue schooling.

Learning from Leonard's book would give Dean a head start and allow him to skip some books if the book has the summary of Magic.

He already had the knowledge that he has an affinity for Dark Magic but that meant nothing to him as there was no similar thing he could compare it to.

Reading the book, Dean finally got the knowledge he wanted.

Magic could be entitled to 5 types that are further branched into sub groups with their own special techniques

Conjuring allows a magician to make things from nothings. The only cost is their Magic Essence and time limit that gives them the opportunity to create weapons and utilities that can help them. A constraint would be the balanced kit they have and that they can't make perishable items.

Enchanting was Magic that reinforced a magician's body, weapon and tools. It is noted that they are similar to rune writers but instead of Qi it's Magic essence. It strengthens what the user wants, allowing versatility for any situation.

Summoning Magic consisted of exchanging Magic Essence for the presence of a beast or a spirit.

In Dean's mind they were frankly quite weak. The magician would have to hide behind his monster and hope for the best. At best they could borrow enchanted items but that was about it.

Transmutation Magic followed the laws of changing the state of any substance. Rock could be changed into a sticky rubber like texture given enough Magic Essence and mainly relied on the creativity of its user.

Last of all was Elemental Magic. It was quite self explanatory as it was just Magic that leaned towards a certain element. Dean's Dark aptitude would go under this branch of magic.

Dean inspected through the branch of magics and felt that all of them had opportunities to be great if the person had imagination to bring forth the best of Magic.

Magic was a study filled with complicated tests that relied on the user to be wise and cautious and well as strong willed.

Martial Arts focused more on the subject of the physical body that could break past mortal limits however in the end it still needed strong will.

One path lead to infinite paths yet the risk of unexpected accidents

The other was one that seemed much more inferior.

Dean felt that the point of view on Martial Arts was a little questionable but at the end of the day he couldn't be resolved to quit Martial Arts just because a few words were written to him.

Enlightenment can be reached by a person's thoughts.

But if enlightenment is brought forth through the use of a another's point of view then it is nothing more than a dead end on your path for success.

Referring back to an old book. Dean remembered the contents that strictly followed the adherence to the teachings within large sects.

One of the most powerful reasoning that made him memorize that passage was the strong impression it made.

"A teacher is a guide for the next generation. Yet they aren't the creators of the future."

Below this phrase was an explanation that Dean interpreted on his own.

Thinking back to his own master, there was just hidden motivation over malicious words and no advice for his cultivation techniques.

This meant that he could be the only person that decides his journey with other factors as sources to look back on.

Following this line of thought caused Dean to temporary stop looking down on Summoning Magic with only a single thought.

'There are bound to be overlapping features between the realms of magic, so until I fight a magician first hand, can I begin to make a call.'

Reading further on it started to explain more mediocre topics.

What caught Dean's interest was the subject labelled: Cultivation Level.

Body Refiner, Magic Gathering, Magic Condensation, Foundation Establishment, True Essence, Nascent Soul, Spiritual Transformation, Void Shattering and Ascension

They were equivalent to the Martial Arts cultivation with a few minor differences.

Qi would be exchanged for Magic Essence and in order to hold the energy, a person must have a vessel strong enough to store that energy.

All the stages had the exact name with probably a similar process of breaking through.

Pressure, Life & Death situations, Enlightenment, etc.

The only stage changed was Core Refiner.

Instead it was replaced with True Essence with an explanation below the page to describe the main reason for change.

[A magician does not create a Core for their Magic Essence like a wild beast but instead refines it into whatever they see fit within their limitations.

Reflecting their future development and uniqueness, their potential will seem even brighter. This is declared to be the state where a human's desire can finally be revealed and physically placed inside of a person.

True Essence]

The first paragraph indicated that there was some-sort of prejudice against Martial Arts that lit a flame inside Dean.

If he was still naive then his mind would be fogged by the bias view of books.

Ignoring the discrimination, there was a list that further defined what it meant to be a magician at the True Essence level.

When developing True Essence, a magician will begin to create a real purpose and meaning towards their Magic Essence.

Essentially gaining a type of nature for their Magic.

Many magicians can control the water element however as soon as they reach True Essence cultivation will there be a large divide in strength.

Their Magic Essence could be calm, making them suitable for Healing Magic.

Sharp and sturdy Magic Essence could suggest creating weapons from Water Magic.

Realizing that some examples can overlap with other branches of magic meant that a person could potentially learn a new dimension of magic.

An example given was a Enchanting Magician that had a Magic Nature of spirituality making them able to use summoning magic.

Combining that together created an enhanced monster.

Dean finally took back anything he held against Summoning Magic but this brought further question to Leonard's ability

Did Leonard write this book?

He did mention that this book contained notes that he had taken down.

Feeling regret for not asking where Dean could find the original book that contained those questionable passages.

But this was just the beginning of regret as Dean continued to think up anymore questions that could be asked tomorrow.

What level is Leonard at?

Dean clearly saw him use a water base magic technique that shot water drops against him during their fight yet this raised another flag

Is Leonard dual cultivating?

If so, then in the future Dean would be at a disadvantage with those that had versatile skills in their arsenal.

Dean quickly cut this thought out as he realized that a fortune of resources would be needed to cultivate in both areas as well as a natural talent.

That short moment of imagining numerable deadly forces brought a tinge of fear that disappeared in a heart beat.

Sighing at the lack of answers, Dean felt frustrated for Leonard making him wait for answers however this could be interpreted as a training for his patience.

Finding a new ally made it less difficult to know that Rose was in his class and that he had yet to raise a hand against her yet.

The whereabouts of Pierre, Ayesha, Anne and Christian had yet to be heard of but Dean awaited for the sudden rise of their popularity within the year.

The basis behind this was that they were originally not weak and with what he guessed, they had stolen a large amount of treasures.

Although their strength would not be the reason for their fame but it was still a way for the school to find interest within the youth.

Recalling that he had a Dark aptitude, there was a sense of curiosity to find out how to use Magic.

It was unfortunate for Dean as he hadn't found any notes that talked about the process of cultivating Magic Essence but there was more discrimination about Martial Arts as he went further through the book.

Going to the middle of the book were ripped pieces of paper that had Magic Propaganda, defaming Martial Arts as a whole.

Leonard either had a weird fascination with discrimination or he just found it interesting.

To hate Martial Arts would be a stretch as Dean even saw Leonard's blade-work that could've killed him if he wasn't strong enough and the unusually fast reactions showed his talent in the works.

Using this information as a head start for Magic, Dean could finally learn more about his unknown aptitude and compatibility with the [Battle Intent Manual].

Ending his studying period, Dean prepared for his search for information.