Jia Treasure House, Eastern Business District…
In the eastern part of Milele town, there was a large treasure house the size of a small palace. It was an establishment that traded in all types of treasures with a particular focus on magic items and spell conduits. Standing at the entrance, Mwana and Kia were frozen by the majesty of the establishment’s name on the door plaque: The Boundless Drizzling Treasure House. This magic items shop also went by another simpler name, the Jia Treasure House. A madam of the Jia family, a prominent trading family in Toro, was the owner of the treasure house.
Walking inside, Mwana and Kia understood that this was not an ordinary magic shop. Its size on the inside was shocking compared to how it looked from the outside. It was basically a large hall.
“A pool!”
In the middle of the large hall, there was a pool of jade blue water that glittered as if filled with magical power. Additionally, the walls were all decorated with different colored gemstones and the floors had intricate magical patterns that produced various light effects. The whole sight made the two children feel like country bumpkins. For a moment, they almost walked out due to the intimidating atmosphere. After all, they were only here to window shop and waste away the day on their little date. They were nowhere near being rich enough to buy the magical items on sale.
The Jia Treasure House had 3 floors with the value of items increasing the higher one went up. While the lower two floors were open to everyone, only important business was conducted on the third floor. Within each of the floors, there were several elevated display platforms which held the magical items on sale. The two children walked around while inspecting the magic tools while chatting carelessly.
The Magic Tools on display had multiple purposes ranging from enhancing particular stats, boosting casting rate, reducing cast time, etcetera.
[Black Sapphire Earrings: Magic Power +25]
[Wood Fairy Necklace: Defense +20, Magic Power +15]
[Lightness Belt: Agility +10]
[Clarity Robe: Stealth Effect +5, Meditation Effect +20, Lightness Effect +10]
[Featherine Sandals: Speed +10]
[Serpent Robe: Defense +5]
[Shoga Necklace: Charm +2]
[Jirijiri Hairpin: Clarity +3]
[Azure Jelly Bracelet: Strength +10, Flexibility +30]
[Saturn Ring: Minor Spatial Tool]
[Zena Spell-caster Ring: Casting Time –5]
…
Each of the items tempted the two children so much that they almost decided to waste all their money. At the end of the day, most people would not be able to resist the allure of treasures especially those that enhanced power. In the case of those who practiced the magic arts, items which could improve strength were rare but valuable. Even the slightest increase in magical power or a reduction in the time it took to cast a spell could vastly boost a magician’s strength.
For example, in Mwana and Kia’s case they were just magic pupils. While their magic capacity was above average, it was not easy for them to cast powerful spells. This was because the magic capacity of most magicians below the magic student realm was not enough to cast spells worth anything. Therefore, they had to rely on magical items such as wands, staffs, and bracelets such as the Moon Bracelet.
Mwana was only able to cast spells like the [Linear Wind Spell] since his magic capacity surpassed his magic rank. While he was just a Magic Pupil in rank, his magic capacity had already surpassed 90 units. That was already well into the Magic Student rank. In Mwana’s case, it could be said that his magical talent was above average. While his talent for the magic was not as impressive as Motikatika’s or Fury’s magical talent, it still made him stand out among magic pupils as he did not need to use magical items to cast Rank 1 spells. Further, he could even support some weaker Rank 2 spells.
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The path of magic was long and arduous involving both talent and knowledge. A person’s magical capacity depended on talent while their rank depended on knowledge. Based on these two dimensions, a magician could utilize the various ranked spells. These spells ranged from Rank 0 spells, Rank 1, Rank 2, all the way to Forbidden Spells.
The start of the magic path was a beginner magician, warlock, wizard, or witch. To elaborate, there were 5 beginner levels one had to complete before stepping into the Magic Pupil Rank. These levels were:
Level 1: sense magic in the surroundings
Level 2: absorb magic
Level 3: imagination realm: shape magic
Level 4: externalize magic
Level 5: use Rank 0 spells
After a magic beginner reached the 5th level, they could use Rank 0 elemental spells with the help of a magical item. Each of the rank 0 beginner spells was divided into 2 sections: the Elemental Control Spell section and Elemental Flow Spell section also called the attack section. The Rank 0 spells for the 7 core elements and wood element were:
Earth – [Earth Movement Spell] & [Rock Gun]
Water – [Water Controlling Spell] & [Water Hose Spell]
Wind – [Air Walk Spell] & [Wind Flow Spell]
Fire – [Fire Control Spell] & [Fire Palm spell]
Lightning – [Static Burst Channeling] & [Electric Current Flow]
Light – [Focus Light Beam] & [Light Setting Spell]
Darkness – [Dark Shadow Spell] & [Night Guardian]
Wood – [Friend of the Green] & [Vine-master]
In order to advance to a Magic Pupil, the beginner magician had to master the respective rank 1 spell for whatever rank 0 spell they mastered. For instance, if someone practiced the Fire element’s Fire Control Spell & Fire Palm Spell, they would have to study and master the Rank 1 Fireball Spell. Additionally, they would use their new understanding of Rank 1 spells to forge a Rank 1 Magic circle on their own bodies.
Although it sounded complicated, these beginner ranks depended on one's magical aptitude and even people with average talent could cross them quickly. Some geniuses even mastered all main rank 1 spells on the first try. The Rank 1 elemental spells in discussion were:
Tier 1 Spells [Main]
[Fireball]
[Water-ball]
[Rock Bombardment]
[Wind Blade]
[Thunderbolt]
[Paladin Flash]
[Dark Shadow]
[Tree Vine Spell]
The Rank 1 Spells were considered Primary Magic as each spell only utilized one element as opposed to Secondary Magic (Dual Element Magic) and Tertiary Magic (Triple Element Magic). These three tiers coincided with the 3 tiers of elementary warriors on the Purple Moon Star. Similarly, Elementary Magicians in the Zika world coincided with the magic ranks of: Magic Pupil —> Magic Teacher.
Above Elementary Magicians were Intermediate Magicians who ranged from: Magic Master —> Magic Sovereign. Last was the pinnacle of Magical power that no one had been able to achieve in the Sunken Zika world since the fall of the Creator Deity, the Advanced Magician Ranks: Magic Sage —> Magic God.
The low magical rank of children like Mwana and Kia necessitated them to seek out magical items in order to supplement their magic power when casting powerful spells and to offset the taxing feeling experienced during spell-casting. After all, even the action of casting a spell consumed power. So calculating a spell’s total magic cost, one not only had to consider the magic energy to power the spell but also the energy used up while spell-casting as well as the energy wasted. For this reason, although the two children could barely afford any of the magic tools, they could not help but go from platform to platform inspecting each and every item on display.
At the same time that the two children were admiring the various magical items, a luxurious carriage was speeding through the streets of Milele. This carriage had the insignia of the Jia family and was naturally headed to the treasure house. After it arrived, 4 extremely tall and large men got off from the carriage while carrying a large metal box. The men easily towered over everyone in the streets as well as everyone within the treasure house. They were obviously from the Cloud Piercer tribe, one of the founding tribes of Milele town. Even placed among their fellow tribesmen, these four would still be on the larger side.
The four men did not waste any time and carried the box into the treasure house and up to the third floor. Considering their strength, the fact that this box needed all four of them to carry it and even made them strain a little, showed how heavy the box and its contents were.
Further, seeing the box carried up to the secret third floor, it was clear to everyone that its contents were extremely valuable.
Expectedly, it was like the floodgates had opened as many forces local and external rushed towards the treasure house. If one had an aerial view of Milele, they would notice several carriages heading to the magic shop. Apart from the carriages, there were also people riding on their pet magical beasts and others simply moving on foot all heading towards the treasure house.
From the east, west, south, and north, they were like ants heading to the home after a day of hard work: a procession. It was clear that all these people had some prior inside knowledge about the contents of the box and its value.