The two headed to the canteen, where one of the cooks prepared the rabbits for them. Since nothing interesting occurred during work, Lewis and Luz talked with each other the whole day. Through their conversation, Luz found out that Lewis' talent was in water magic, which is also neat.

The answer to what a magic talent, also known as the main element, is quite simple. To keep it short, every human gets born with at least one, and one has an advantage in that field compared to their peers.

Compared to one's peers, one's comprehension skills and damage output are roughly 20% higher in their field of talent. But that isn't all. One's talent element also uses 20% less mana.

To simplify it, here is an example.

Luz's talent is space magic. Therefore, his space damage output is around 20% higher compared to Lewis, while the latter still needs to use at least 20% mana more than him to employ the same spell. Also, Lewis would have to train 20% more to attain the same results.

"But how does one's talent get picked?" is an interesting question.

On the day of one's birth, the mana core chooses one of the elements as their talent. If one's parents are awakened mages, the chances of inheriting one of their talents are around 95%. However, if one's parents aren't mages, one's mana core automatically picks a random element from its surroundings. The concentration of elemental particles in the environment influences the magic talent assigned to one's mana core. A child born near a volcano is more likely to have fire as one's talent.

Author note: enough with the explanations, let's go back to the story.

Sitting in the canteen, Luz asked: "Lewis, if you're no longer a slave, why are you still here instead of reuniting with your family?"

The question made Lewis chuckle.

"Brian is my patron, and to be honest, this is my new home. I have no one left except for my friends here. I couldn't even go back, even if I wanted to," Lewis replied with a tinge of embarrassment.

Sighing, Lewis took a sip of his glass before continuing his explanation.

"Currently, I am apprenticing under one of the master mages here instead of attending a magic school. However, I enjoy networking and mentoring the younglings for some pocket money."

"How long did it take for you to actually buy your freedom?" Luz asked curiously.

"Around half a year. However, I chose the hard way. You can think of it this way, the first few jobs are just so you newbies can get used to the place here. Brian gives every newcomer the task to play the shepherd. Later on, one will be allowed to choose their own destiny," Francis explained to Luz.

"I see," commented Luz before taking a sip from his glass.

Lewis, on the other hand, simply continued with his narration.

"Some of the mages focus on a warrior career because they believe that only through conflicts, where they find themselves between life and death, can they reach new levels of evolution."It kinda sounds stupid if you were to ask me. I've never heard anything about such paths. What are the other paths that one could choose from?" Luz asked with a yawn.

"That's quite normal. There are other paths as well for us mages. Some of us believe that only through research can we reach the pinnacle of the world, which is why they opt out of the scientific path," continued Francis before chuckling.

"What's so funny about that path? If I'm being honest, it sounds boring," remarked Luz before taking another sip.

"These mages only agree that the human body is flawed. Unfortunally, they can't agree on how we should proceed to minimize our flaws. Some think that we should focus on the field of transhumanism moving forward. These magicians believe that we should augment our bodies with xenotransplants, gene editing, or mechanical enhancement.

Others think that our weakness is flesh and that we humans should shed our mortal souls. We should turn into free spirits or spirits bound to machines. All in all, it's complicated," explained Lewis.

A smile immediately appeared on Lewis's face upon seeing one of the cooks calling for them. "It seems like our meals are ready. Also, Luz, please don't think too much about these paths since you are still an apprentice mage with a bright future ahead of you," Lewis commented before the duo stood up to take their meal.

"I see. Sorry that I'm just asking questions without contributing anything to the conversation," commented Luz on their way there.

"Nah, that's fine. I also was once like you when I first came here," replied Lewis with hearty laughter.

After finishing their meal, Lewis asked carefully: "You haven't given up on finding your siblings, right?"

"Of course not. I plan on remaining here until I regain my freedom and raise enough money for my journey," Luz commented earnestly.

Lewis nodded before giving Luz a tip.

"My tip is to take Brian as your patron after becoming a free man again since you could mobilize his networking power and capital for the search. Nothing escapes the eyes of the strong mages, as their ears are everywhere," Francis told him with a wink.

"But why is Brian doing all of this for us?" Luz asked.

"One can't simply buy loyalty. But offering a chance for a new life when they are at the lowest point in their life is probably the easiest way to gain one's loyalty," Lewis replied.

Luz and Francis talked late into the night about all sorts of topics, and in the end, Francis even offered Luz to give him tips in mage training.

In Luz's body, the parasites in his mana core continued to evolve. They gained more and more individuality, and it didn't take long till they expressed weak urges among themselves in the mana core outside of food and hunger.

The hive's initial goal was to enter into a contract with the Host for a symbiotic relationship until they achieve the mental capacities to completely take over Luz.

Unfortunately, the narrator has no answers concerning how long that might take.