There are two parts to becoming a rank 2 acolyte.
The first requirement is reaching 120 runes.
Upon reaching this requirement.
Your chain will reach the 2nd layer of your soul.
The second requirement is forming a handle at the end of the chain that isn't in the soul.
You then form a template on this handle.
From this template is where you will cast your spells.
You construct the runes required on the template, then push mana through it.
This will cause you to cast the spell.
The elemental particles in the air will effect the strength of the spell.
But most spells can be cast purely using mana.
Slight amounts of particles will be drawn to the template either way.
You are limited to casting level 0 spells.
This is because you only have a single template on your handle.
Once you become a rank 1 magus.
You will gain another template.
This cuts spell cost in half and allows you to cast spells that take for example 360 runes, with just 180 mana.
It doesn't keep cutting cost in half as you level up.
The cost is based on the spread of the runes over the templates.
So if it cost 400 mana.
And you have 4 templates.
Then it'll cost 100 mana.
Becoming a rank 1 magi is when you'll be able to cast level 1 spells.
The level of the spell is based on how many templates is required to cast it.
1 template = level 0.
2 templates = level 1.
3 templates = level 2
And so on.
You must remember, that with each template.
Mana becomes more efficient.
So not only do you gain more mana from the runes as you get higher and higher.
But you're able to do more with that mana.
A rank 2 acolyte has between 120 and 179 mana.
A rank 3 acolyte has between 180 and 359 mana.
A rank 1 wizard has between 360 and 719 mana.
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A rank 2 wizard has between 720 and 1439 mana.
To cast fireball, would require an acolyte 60 mana.
It would require 60 runes constructed on their template.
For a rank 1 wizard it would only require 30 mana.
The runes would be split over both of the templates.
So 30 on the top and bottom.
If things are odd, then one template will have more then the other.
Otherwise it is balanced.
A rank 2 wizard only requires 20 mana.
Then 20 runes would be constructed on each of the templates.
Zero decided that he would go ahead and breakthrough to a rank 1 magus!
Although he needed to become a rank 2 acolyte...
So he returned to the chaos realm.
Here time both does and doesn't matter.
He doesn't need to worry about things the typical mortal needs to worry about while practicing.
He doesn't need to eat.
He doesn't need to sleep.
He doesn't need to breathe.
He is essentially a perpetual motion machine...
It is as if the chaos realm or the abyss is nourishing him.
His body itself isn't even replacing itself with different cells.
It is staying perfectly the same.
"Infinity... huh?"
He decides to stay in the chaos realm until he breaks through to a level 1 wizard.
Then he will find an opportunity to go to a level 1 dimension.
He spends every second of everyday meditating.
His efficiency is far faster then when he was teaching at the academy.
It wasn't like time mattered at all here.
A century passed.
He had did it!
He had become a level 2.
[ECHO]: {Name: "Zero #119", Species: Abyssal Paradox (Human), Energy: 1 GR, Strength: 11, Vitality: 21, Nanites: 3.05164e+13, Mana: 120. Spirit: 998, Soul: 97}
Now he just needed 60 more runes to become a level 3.
Another century passed.
He had become a level 3 acolyte!
Now he needed to meet two conditions to breakthrough.
1: He needed to inscribe 360 runes on his chain and reach the fourth layer of his soul.
2: He needed to carve the spell template around the sphere of the fourth layer.
This spell he would be able to control with but a thought.
Ordinarily, most mages don't make their own spells.
So they need to sign a contract with an academy to get access to rank 1 spells.
So it is impossible to become rank 1 for free.
But he had already created his own spell.
"Infinity."
It took him another three hundred years to reach 360 runes.
Once he did, he felt his soul shake as he pried it open with his chain.
He easily carved "Infinity" into his soul.
This spell required no mana and isolated him from the world itself.
It was as if he was layered in a dimension of infinity.
No attack would be able to reach him now.
Now he needed to test it out!
He walked around his bridge looking for the perfect door.
Eventually he found a white door with a globe on the front of it.
He opened it and stepped through.
He was in a forest.
"Nothing to test it out on here."
He opened up a portal to the chaos realm using his formation and went to different doors.
He didn't encounter any threats.
This surprised him.
After around a decade of doing this.
He finally found a civilization that was advanced enough to pose a 'threat' to him.
Their technology was so advanced, it was as if it was magic.
This civilization even had nanites!
He would normally feel bad about bullying such people.
But they attacked him first!
The moment he stepped through he was shot with lasers.
They crossed his body.
His clothes didn't even become wrinkled...
He casually walked as an entire army was firing at him.
"It's a success! Their attacks really can't reach me!"
"Entity is speaking known language. What do you want? What is on the otherside of that portal?"
"Oh? You can understand me?"
"I want you guys to give me everything you've got!"
I rush forward tossing the soldiers around like their puppets whose strings have been cut.
Eventually they retreat.
"Oh? Are you planning on using missiles?"
An explosion goes off with me at the center.
No damage is done to me.
"Alright, this spell is quite cool. It was worth shattering my soul for it!"
"I have an immortal soul and body. I also now have an invulnerable body..."
"Now I just need solid attacking power..."
"This should be enough to fight Owtz Right?"
As I'm talking a nuke goes off at my location.
Everything around me is vaporized.
I am standing on land that is elevated right in the center of a crater.
"You guys are too weak."
I attempt to use my nanites to fly.
But they are unable to cross the infinity.
It is probably a bad idea to disable my shield while in this place.
I'll need to get to rank 2 to be able to fly.
I see a man that looks similar to Eternus, he walks up to me.
I jokingly say.
"Let me guess, you are from Genesis."
"We are from what?"
"Your organization is Genesis."
"Here, catch!"
I toss him my pocket watch.
It flies through him and lands on the ground.
"That watch has the secrets needed for teleportation. You'd do well to study it."
I then open a portal and attempt to leave.
But he calls out to me.
"Just who are you?"
"Me? I am Zero."
I wave my hand as I step through the portal.