Chapter 51: Happy Birthday.

Chapter 51: Happy Birthday.

Zeke had always felt like a simple boy from a small village at heart. But as he grew older, he became more and more aware of the limited opportunities such a life had to offer. As he walked through the streets of the capital today, he couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia wash over him. He had come so far since leaving home, and yet it seemed like only yesterday that he had been just a farmer's son with dreams of becoming a mage.

He made his way to the crafters quarter, where he knew his childhood friend, Markus, was working as a blacksmith. The boy had always been a good friend to Zeke, even when the world seemed to have turned against him, Markus had remained a steadfast supporter. Zeke was excited to see his friend again, even though Markus was reserved with other people, he had always been like a reliable older brother to Zeke.

"Markus!" he exclaimed as he stepped into the smithy and found his friend polishing a sword in the far corner, "You're still as ugly as ever!"

"Hey! Watch it," Markus laughed, "It's good to see you too, you little runt. Are you going home over the weekend?"

"I wouldn't miss moms birthday meal for anything," Zeke said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm just glad you've come to visit, so I can finally get a rematch in our arm wrestling competition, all this blacksmithing has been doing wonders for my biceps," Markus teased.

"You wish," Zeke grinned, "I've been training as well, I'll still whoop your butt, and I always will."

"Oh please, look at those puny noodles you have for arms, mage boy," Markus laughed.

"I know they don't look like much," Zeke replied, looking down at his own arms and then comparing them to Markus much bulkier looking arms with a grimace, "But let's see you talk big after you had a proper taste of my noodle-arms. That'll teach you some respect."

"Is that so? I can't wait to see you try," Markus grinned.

"I've missed the old days, all the nonsense we used to pull. It's good to see you again," Zeke said with a smile as he finally reached his friend and gave him a warm hug.

"I've missed those days too," Markus said, "But look at you now. You're a mage, a warrior. I couldn't be more proud of the young man you've become." Markus wiped a fake tear from his eyes, acting like a proud father.

Zeke rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah. You just missed having someone around who puts up with your shit."

"You bet I do, it's all hard work for me as well," Markus laughed, "Now, come on, let's catch up on what's been happening, you can tell me all about how you're still failing at Elementium. And I'll tell you all about the tales of that dashingly handsome new blacksmith called Markus, who has taken the crafters quarters by storm in exchange."

Zeke rolled his eyes again, "You're such a cunt, you know that?"

"I know," Markus grinned, "But you love me anyway."

Zeke couldn't suppress a grin as he started telling his stories with excitement clear in his voice, "Yeah, I do. Now, let me tell you how I kicked Leo's butt yesterday during combat class."

And so the two friends spent the day catching up, teasing each other, and laughing about the old days. Markus was overjoyed to see his old friend, and he couldn't help but be proud of how well Zeke seemed to be doing now.

As the day came to a close, Markus presented Zeke with his birthday gift. It was a heavy-reinforced staff, crafted by Markus himself. The staff was made of dark oak wood and was reinforced with iron bands that ran along its length. The iron bands not only added strength to the staff, but also gave it a menacing look. The staff had a dragon skull shaped metal orb at its head, which was enchanted with earth magic to increase its weight and impact. The staff also had an iron-tipped bottom which could be used as a spear tip.Witness the debut of this chapter, unveiled through Ñôv€l--B1n.

First name: Maya. Last name: von Hohenheim. Age: 10. Gender: Female. Height: 1.3m. Strength: 3 Constitution: 4 Agility: 6 Intelligence: 6 No Magic core detected, (no affinity), Rank: none, engraved spell: [None].

He couldn't wait to tell Maximilian about his discovery. He had always been puzzled by his own abilities, and now he might finally have an answer. But before that, he had to test his theory further. He instructed his sister to continue with the meditation technique, and started to observe her progress closely.

He also knew that this revelation, if it turned out to be true, would have far-reaching implications. If his technique could be used to manifest magic cores in non-mage families, it would revolutionize the way magic was taught and perceived in the world. The possibilities were endless and exciting, and Zeke knew that this just might be the beginning of a new era of magic.

As he sat on the lawn behind his house with his sister, deep in thought, Zeke realized that his life had just taken a drastic turn. He couldn't wait to see where this new discovery would lead him and those around him. The world of magic had just become a lot more interesting.

He spent the next few days training and observing his sister and practicing with his new staff. Zeke knew, now more than ever, that he had to be at the top of his game if he wanted his strength to keep up with his scientific discoveries.

[Results of Analyze]

First name: Ezekiel. Mage name: None. Last name: von Hohenheim. Age: 15. Gender: Male. Height: 1.71m. Strength: 18 Constitution: 22 Agility: 16 Intelligence: 20

Blood magic (Perfect affinity), Rank: Mage, Engraved spell: [Perfect Body control].

Space magic (Greater affinity), Rank: Mage, Engraved spell: [Perfect Spatial Awareness].

Mind magic (Greater affinity), Rank: Mage, Engraved spell: [Perfect Sensory Recall].

Blood magic:

[Perfect Body Control] Active & Passive

This spell allows the caster to control his own body functions and gives the caster a complete understanding over the body.

[Blood Spike] Active This spell allows the caster to create solid spikes of blood that grow out of his skin. [Blood Whip] Active This spell allows the caster to manifest whips made of condensed blood. These whips can be used to strike and cut opponents, as well as to bind and control them. The spell requires a significant amount of blood to for it's initial cast, but the whips can then remain summoned for a minimal Mana cost.

Space magic:

[Perfect Spatial Awareness] Passive This spell allows the caster to have perfect awareness of everything happening in a radius around him. [Spatial Freeze] Active This spell allows the caster to stop people from moving by compressing the surrounding space [Spatial Barrier] Active This spell allows the caster to create a barrier in front of him for protection. [Air Step] Active This spell allows the caster to manipulate the surrounding space, allowing him to step on air.

Mind magic:

[Perfect Sensory Recall] Active & Passive This spell allows the caster to recall anything that happened within the area of his spatial awareness in perfect clarity. Analyze Active This spell allows the caster to view collected data in a comprehensive form.

Zeke returned to the academy, his heart light with the memories of the weekend's events. And as soon as he set foot on academy grounds, he was pleasantly surprised to find two familiar figures waiting for him. "Viola! Sophia!" he exclaimed, a smile creeping across his face.

The two girls, his closest friends at the academy, beamed back at him. "We've been looking all weekend for the perfect present for you, Zeke," said Viola, her face alight with excitement. "It's your job to judge who had the better present," added Sophia, a hint of a smirk playing at the corners of her mouth.

Zeke's heart swelled with gratitude as he looked at his friends. He knew that they both had a tendency to be competitive with each other, but he didn't want to have to deal with their rivalry when it came to his birthday presents. So, he thanked each of them from the bottom of his heart before taking their presents and fleeing home, promising that he would tell them whose present was better at a later date. Zeke, of course, had no intention of doing anything of the sort.