Lord of Charm

"So, who is willing to be his personal teacher?"

Alice asked the other mages in the room.

"I'm sorry, but his affinities are too low. Even if he managed to get to the fourth rank somehow, I doubt he can keep up the speed. The furthest he can go is the seventh rank like us."

The other magi were of a similar opinion.

"Don't worry Gale, I will be your teacher."

Alice told Gale when she saw none of the other magi agree. Although she had doubts too, she was excited about the possibility. If he could get to the mage phase so fast, there was no way the limits he showed were his true limits, right?

"Thank you, Professor Alice."

Gale bowed to show his respect. The rest of the magi left the room and Gale was left alone with Alice.

"Professor, could you clear some of my doubts?"

"Go ahead."

"Why should strengthening elite and ruler beasts enhance my casting speed?"

"Their intelligence is far higher than magic beasts', and that happens only when the mana strengthens their brain and mind in the fourth rank. As a human, your mind is already better than a beast's, so when mana sharpens it further, your thinking abilities and thinking speed will improve. As a result, your casting speed will improve."

"I see. And why can't people get to the mage phase within ten years with expensive potions?"

"Because beasts don't concoct potions. Once your connection was improved through potions, the world automatically judges you as a human. According to findings, if you try to feed elite or ruler beasts' cubs with potions, they will refuse to consume them before they're fully mature. It might be an instinct that lets them know they will lose their privileges if they consume them."

"I see, thank you for answering my questions. But how rare can someone become a mage under 10 years?"

"Without potions, there's around one person every century. Currently, our empire has 11 grand magi and 8 of them became mages under 10 years. It's said that anyone who achieved that can become a grand magus, and some believe it's even a requirement for becoming a great magus."

What she didn't tell him was that the strongest grand magus had done it in 8 years, so Lena's 6 years record, which placed her in the higher elite tier, is considerably better. Of course, there was no comparison when talking about Gale.

"All right. Normally, students have immunity to challenges for three months after their enrollment in the academy. However, since you occupy an important spot in the top 10, you aren't eligible for this privilege."

"Can I refuse challenges?"

"You must accept all challenges unless you've beaten someone of a higher rank than the challenger in the past month or had a duel that day."

"All of them? wouldn't it mean I'd be dueling people every day?"

"If so, it means you're not ruthless enough. But if someone from the top 10 challenges you, it'd already cut the number of people who can challenge you as long as you win. Only those under 35 are allowed to challenge you. However, as you are now, you will probably drop from the top 10. You will have to strengthen yourself with fire."

Alice took Gale to her personal training room, and he felt the extraordinary mana density.

"It's 30 MDU here, but generally you don't need such a room at your rank. However, It might help your strengthening process, which is why I brought you here."

Gale sat down, closed his eyes, and started focusing on the fire around him. Mana slowly started seeping into his skin and the process began.

"Generally the length of the process of strengthening for true mages is identical to the length when they were true magicians. Although the mana does a far stronger strengthening, it does it much faster."

Alice explained as Gale went through his process.

"However, I believe yours will be longer because of the ruler beast's boost."

Mana seeped through his skin to his muscles. The skin and the muscles kept burning and renewing in rapid succession. Although his control over mana improved leaps and bounds under Shana's teaching, it wasn't enough for the crazed rumbling mana inside his body.

"AHH!"

Just when it felt like his body might burn down, the mana started acting as if it got a command from above and limited itself to the right places with the right amount. The world which recognized Gale as a beast, helped him go through the strengthening in the most natural way.

The pain turned into pleasure, and Gale could barely hold back a moan as he felt his body turns stronger. In the end, he couldn't.

"Mmm…"

The mana entered deeper into his body, strengthening his blood vessels too. His blood flow turned smoother, it could easily keep his body at the right temperature now. He instinctively knew that he could survive in much hotter and colder environments after the strengthening.

Next were his bones. Compared to the strengthening they went through when he was a magician, this time waves of mana flooded his bones. His whole skeleton went through breaking, remodeling, and healing.

But none of those hurt. It was like a tingling sensation over his body, making him feel relaxed and comfortable.

Mana continued flowing to his organs and every other part of his body. Eventually, slowly and safely, the mana started seeping into his brain.

By closing his eyes and feeling the mana's movement he could visualize how it washed over his brain, enlarging and compressing it repeatedly.

The process continued for several hours before it ended. Alice was right; although he was strengthened for 4.5 hours as an expert magician, he was now strengthened for 6 hours straight only at the true mage stage, which was supposed to take only as long as strengthening in the true magician phase.

"Amazing! 6 hours! People with your affinity are normally done after slightly over an hour in your stage! And the mana manipulation, even I got inspired from seeing the world at work!"

Alice yelled excitedly when she felt the mana leaves Gale's body. His aura turned far more powerful than before, and although she didn't feel any danger, she could tell he gained a huge boost in his connection, intelligence, and body powers.

"Let's measure your affinities again."

Alice suggested with a pensive look.