Kade rolled out of bed clutching his abdomen. His entire body ached like never before. The last three days had been torture with the old coot continuously whipping his ass.

He couldn't help lament his situation as he rubbed his slick head. The old bastard was brutal and even went as far as to burn off his hair.

'My poor eyebrows.' He went from looking like a handsome young man to a weird monk. The only solace was the fact that his determination beat the old coots. And he only had to lose his eyebrows and dignity to achieve the win!

He stood up with difficulty and checked his appearance in the mirror. His face and torso were bruised all over, and the odd lack of hair caused him to cringe. 'This shit better be worth it!' He thought as he ground his teeth.

He threw on the simple robe provided and tied a bandana around his bald head before leaving the room. He walked down the hall, down the stairs, and to the training room. One of the perks of his situation was that he was allowed to stay in Wompus's abode.

It wasn't fancy by any means. If anything, the old coot could be said to be a minimalist. The only grandeur apparent in the building was the size and the library. However, that fit Kade's preferences. He wasn't here on vacation and the fewer distractions the better.

He plopped down on his mat and began meditating. Wompus didn't follow a schedule, instead preferring to show himself when he felt like it. So, rather than idle around, Kade decided on self-improvement.

He focused on cultivating by strengthening his Altar and training his Altaris control. Doing so would increase his level and therefore the amount of altaris he had to use, but otherwise was a minimal improvement. Even so, this was the most important training he could do.

Training his understanding and control over Altaris was necessary to reach the point where he could cast spells without a guide, but until he made that breakthrough, the benefits seemed rather lackluster in comparison.

He honed in on the altaris within his body and began controlling it, sending it through his channels with familiarity as he felt a comfortable warmth fill his veins.

He had decided to pick up where he left off by attempting to release altaris from any point on his body. Doing so would allow him to cast spells from any point on his body, which would open up many possibilities.

While he wanted to be able to manipulate altaris from a range, he knew that would be overreaching right now.

'Circulate the altaris until it reaches the foot, then contain and release it.' He knit his brows in concentration. Though it sounded easy, the truth was anything but. Unlike releasing altaris from the hand which was instinctual, doing so for another limb was difficult. It didn't act how he expected.

He was beginning to grasp the issue though. Up to this point, when controlling altaris he did so as if it was a part of his body, but he subconsciously linked the feeling to moving his hand. Leading to the incongruous feeling when he tried to release altaris with his foot.

The difference in feeling was minimal, but it was enough to throw him off. Regardless, this was a good discovery. It allowed him to see how much more he could improve on his control.

He lost track of time as he repeatedly failed. He didn't have to worry about danger in the surroundings and could wholeheartedly focus on his meditation.

With every circulation, he could feel his altaris pool growing slightly like a consolation prize despite his failures.

"Disciplined."

He was snapped from his meditation in a shock as his eyes locked onto the old coot crouching in front of him.

"Isn't it taboo to interrupt someone's meditation?" Kade asked grumpily

"Pfft, as if." Wompus waved dismissively "It would have been a taboo for me to allow your pitiful failures to continue."

"Oh? Does that mean you're going to teach me the error of my ways?" Kade replied.

Wompus held a derisive expression "Don't be stupid. You already know that everyone has their method for controlling altaris. Such things cannot be taught. I can advise you though."

With those words, he flicked his hand and a book soared across the building and into his hand. "Learning to manipulate altaris is trial and error. So, you are on the right path. However, learning more about the properties of altaris will go a long way to help you."

He tossed the book to Kade "After training, all of your time will be spent reading that book. Once you finish, return it to me and I will provide another."

He stood up "Now, on your feet. Let's begin." The old coot showed some of his skills as he extended both arms, causing tens of spell traces to form.

"These are the inferior spells in the manual that Graakas provided the trainees. Point out the ones you learned and use."

Kade studied the traces and quickly found the ones he used. "Primarily these three, but I also learned all of these." He pointed to them one by one.

"Not bad choices. All of them are well rounded for combat." Wompus assessed his choices "Keep in mind that there are plenty of useful spells that aren't combat-oriented and don't discount them for that fact."

He snapped his fingers, causing a ball of light to form and hover over his shoulder "This is the light spell. Simple. It isn't useful in combat, but it's invaluable when exploring the darkness. This versatility is what makes the mage class great."

Kade nodded. He understood this fact and would love to learn some practical spells if time allowed it.

"What is your evaluation of the inferior spells you've learned?"

Kade didn't even need to think "Underwhelming!"

"Indeed." Wompus nodded "Why is that?"

"Uh, I guess the altaris requirement?" Kade frowned "early on, I ran out of altaris incredibly quickly. Even now, I can only cast fourteen or fifteen times."

"You're on the right track. These spells are weak because they require so little altaris. For someone of your level, of course, it seems like a lot. However, this much is meager."

Kade knit his brows "What is the point of them then, and what level do I need to reach to cast better spells?"

"For training, boy. So you can familiarize yourself with the process using spells you can cast. If you want to use real combat spells, technically level 2 or 3 is enough, but a single cast would drain you completely. Level 5 is my recommendation."

Kade frowned as he pulled up his system. Level 2... In the six months since he had the system, he had leveled a single time.

"Don't get discouraged." Wompus said with a grin "This is where having a teacher shows its value." He waved his hand, causing another book to fly into it before using his free hand to create a huge trace that burned into the stone floor.

"So far, you've been feeling around blinding on your path. Today, I will correct you." He snapped his fingers and Kade was pulled to the center of the trace formation. "Sit."

Kade didn't argue, immediately sitting cross-legged.

"Keeping it simple for now, think of levels as a numerical indication of your Altar strength. At level 1, the average is 1000 units of altaris. At level 2 most cultivators would have around 1500 units. So roughly, a .5 times increase per level."

Kade raised a brow. Perhaps that was a sufficient way to calculate a mage's level, but what about a warrior who inherently had a smaller pool? He had a feeling that there was more to it, but he could learn that later.

Wompus continued "This means that it's important for a mage to strengthen their Altar as much and as fast as possible. Though, that's not to say that you should rush. You still have to build a good foundation."

"You already know that completing a cycle of circulation generates a small amount of altaris. The next step with that method is simple, infuse the excess Altaris into your Altar. A stronger Altar will generate more Altaris and increase the amount circulated in a full cycle. There are other methods too."

He waved his hand and his altaris drew an image in the air "Altaris is the energy we sapient humanoid being generate, but you can also absorb the energy from other sources and convert it into altaris as long as it's compatible."

"There is energy in everything. Plants, beast cores, treasures like minerals and gems, and even in the air we breathe." The image began to change rapidly, showing a humanoid with energy currents flowing in from outside of his body.

"Finally, you can use a catalyst to aid you in bolstering your altaris. You inject your altaris into it and circulate it in the catalyst a few times before bringing it back into your own body."

Kade absorbed the information the best he could before speaking "Which method is the best?"

"None of them. Each has their benefit and drawback. One might be faster but more dangerous, and vice versa. The one we will be doing today is the one shown." Wompus said as he gestured to the image.

"Absorbing natural energy?" Kade asked

"Natural." Wompus chuckled before continuing "Precisely. This method is one I can assist you in and the one that will give the greatest benefit at the moment. You'll understand soon." Wompus sat outside of the trace formation and pressed his hand on the outer circle

"Place your hand on the trace formation and circulate your altaris by injecting it in the trace, then reabsorbing it when it completes a full cycle. Then, complete the inner cycle and start from the beginning."

Kade nodded as he placed his hand on the floor and closed his eyes. Steadying his breathing, he willed his altaris to release from his hand, but it didn't enter the trace.

"You can't just emit your altaris. You have to connect it to the trace and allow it to flow in." Wompus advised

Kade didn't quite understand but doubted that any explanation would make the process easier, rather it would be something he would have to feel. Magic, or altaris manipulation, seemed to be all about feeling and experimentation.

Luckily, it wasn't as difficult as he assumed. Akin to how he 'willed' his altaris to move, he could also 'will' it to link with the formation. He couldn't help but presume this was actually 'intent'. Or possibly a version of it?

"Good, now your altaris will circulate through the formation. Stay focused on it and do your best to remember the feeling. When it finishes a cycle, reabsorb it and finish your inner cycle."

Kade did his best, but the moment the altaris moved a few centimeters he lost it. He knew it was circulating through the formation, but he couldn't feel a connection to it anymore.

That is until it completed a cycle and returned within a few centimeters of his fingers. The feeling was... incongruous. Even so, he ignored the feeling and reabsorbed it before finishing his inner cycle.

Surprisingly, the amount of altaris generated was more than double that of his normal cultivation cycle. If he became proficient in this method, his level would skyrocket.

Without wasting time, he immediately began a second cycle. Then a third. Time began to blur as he focused solely on cultivation, his altaris slowly beginning to form a steady stream that filled the channels of both the formation and his body.

This continued until his link with the formation broke. He could no longer inject altaris into the formation, but he could still reabsorb the altaris remaining.

After finishing the final cycle, he opened his eyes and turned his head to find Wompus hunched over with heavy breaths and a bit of sweat dotting his brows.

'Oh, that's right. He mentioned helping.' Kade thought. He had assumed this would be a cakewalk for the old coot, but evidently, it was far more difficult than he imagined.

"Damn greedy brat." Wompus mumbled as he carefully stretched his back.

"Sorry old man." Kade said with a grin "Didn't realize you couldn't keep up." He teased, happy that he was able to pull one over on the old coot.

Wompus snorted before waving his hand, sending Kade tumbling "You dare mock me brat? I'd like to see you guide foreign altaris in a full cycle without any anomalies!" He shouted in a higher pitch than normal

Standing up, he dusted off his baggy pants "You'd be kowtowing to me in fervor if you understood just how valuable my help was." He stroked his long mangy beard with a goofy grin "Of course since you're so disrespectful, I won't be assisting you for free."

Kade huffed as he flipped himself over and stood "O great and wise dust bucket, whatever would thou have me do to pay for this divine act of kindness thou hath bestowed upon this peasant?" He joked as he readjusted his bandana.

"Why, I'm glad you asked, young fool." Wompus straightened his back and tucked his arms behind him "Clean this entire building, top to bottom, daily. Run any errands I task you with. Since I'm a benevolent master, I'll consider such tasks as interest paid."

"You'll be paying me back monetarily too. Though, since Graakas is your teacher, I suppose he should pitch in as well."

Kade's expression tanked. He wasn't ignorant. He understood that the old coot's help was valuable and he was undoubtedly grateful. There was no issue with cleaning or being an errand boy. The problem was money.

He was poor as hell! Not to mention he would soon have to fund four other people's necessities. He didn't even know how much the old coot planned to charge!

"Well, we will discuss the repayment when your training camp is finished." Wompus said with a satisfied grin as he left with a pep in his step.

"Ah, wait!" Kade called on deaf ears as the old coot ignored him.

'He didn't even tell me what to do next...' Should he practice spell casting? Or did Wompus intend for him to immediately begin cleaning?

With a shake of his head, he left the training room to find supplies. The building was big, and if he didn't start cleaning early then he wouldn't get any sleep.

He managed to find a broom, dustpan, rag, and other supplies in a predictably massive closet. Thus, he started the monotonous job as Wompus's janitor.

...

Three hours later, he was finishing the first floor by sweeping the hall. His eyes darted to the door as it was pushed open by Graakas who stared at him in confusion.

"If you track in dirt, I'll fucking kill you." Kade hissed as his fingers tightened around the broom.

Graakas tilted his head before raising a foot and looking down at the sole of his shoes. "Seems clean to me." He chortled.

"You better be damn sure, or you'll be picking splinters out of whatever you consider an ass." Kade replied in a monotone voice as he tapped the broom handle.

Graakas found the situation funny, but he still aired on the cautious side. He knew that Kade was a fearless and impulsive person, and regardless of him being weak, Graakas didn't want to find out if he could make good on his threats.

As such, he left his shoes at the door before quickly running off to find his master.

Kade nodded curtly before continuing. The work he was tasked with was boring as hell. The only solace was simplicity. It took almost no mental focus to clean the building, which allowed him to practice manipulating altaris.

In other words, he turned cleaning into a form of training.

Soon, he made it to the stairs and swept each one as he made his way up.

-

"Master." Graakas called out respectfully as he bowed.

Wompus, who was sprawled out on a couch, opened his eyes "Graakas, do you have no shame? Shouldn't you have arrived sooner to teach your student?"

Graakas chuckled as he pulled over a simple wooden chair "We both know that you wouldn't allow me to teach much even if I did show up."

"Haa." Wompus sighed in exasperation "So unfortunate that most of my disciples are shitty teachers."

"Your standards are simply too high." Graakas shook his head "Phendral already has six respected disciples, Fleo has five. Even Calle decided to take a human as a disciple, claiming the human to be a genius in the magics."

"Narrow minds, all of them." Wompus said his dissatisfaction evident "Any decent smith can forge a sword from a mold, that doesn't make the sword special."

"How is that comparable?" Graakas asked in confusion.

"I've seen those 'Disciples', Graakas." Wompus shook his head "Cannon fodder, the lot of them. Phendral and Fleo both took in disciples and coddled them like newborn chicks. They guided every single step and now their disciples can cast a flurry of spells and light up the sky with beautiful colors."

Sitting up, Wompus glared at Graakas "But tell me, have you heard of any of those runts creating their own spell? Have they ever successfully modified a spell and improved it?"

"Admittedly, no. But doing so isn't easy by any means. I'm sure, given time, they will produce good results." Graakas retorted with hope.

"I'm not so sure. As a teacher, I've learned with every disciple. Being too 'hands-on' will hinder the student. Doing so stifles creativity and experimentation." Wompus smiled "Compare them with that brat Kade. He began cultivation six months ago, yet he has modified a spell. Even more impressive, he touched on the first truth with almost no guidance!"

"Yes, he is impressive. However, aren't you giving him too much credit?" Graakas asked skeptically "He did modify a spell, but his desired effect wasn't achieved. He failed, just doing so luckily."

"Hm, true." Wompus nodded "But he dared to do so. Besides, do you truly think that every spell mage's cast today were intended to have the effects they do?"