It's been two weeks since the lecture on how to cultivate mana, and Van has been working hard on creating his first mana core. With the help of Lorenzo, he was on the brink of taking his first step into mage hood.

Right now Van was sitting in a circle, surrounded by mana orbs filled with energy and a pile of mana cores in front of him. With a will, Van sucked in the mana from the orbs and crushed the cores, absorbing all they had to offer.

With his brow furrowed in concentration, Van very slowly formed his mana core. Immediately he felt a change in his soul realm. One of the available slots changed to accommodate the new core. The core was slowly enclosed in some sort of black metal sci-fi open-air device. With readings and buttons to press. Four empty canisters formed around the structure, as if to hold extra mana from the core.

Van was so surprised by this that he almost lost concertation but was able to see it to the finish anyway. “Huh… that seems useful.” referring to the four extra canisters. “I wonder how much they hold? Can I upgrade the slot like the other ones and make it even more efficient?”

He ruminated on these thoughts and decided to check back in his soul realm later. For now, he wanted to tell Lorenzo the good news. Opening his eyes, he did just that, much to Lorenzo’s joy.

“That’s great to hear. Finally. You have taken your first step into becoming a proper mage.” Lorenzo said not hiding his pride in his pupil at all. “Now it's time to decide what kind of mage you will be. Or at least, what other kinds of mage you want to be.”

“What do you mean?” Van asked, getting up from his sitting position.

“Well, you are already a natural-born sorcerer, so there really isn’t any reason for you to learn other methods on how to become a mage like many others have unless you want to. But if I had to be honest, the only other type of mage I think will best suit you, is as a summoner.” Lorenzo clarified.

Van still didn’t understand what Lorenzo was trying to say. “No, what do you mean I can’t become other types of mages. What do you mean by that?”

“Well… as you're a natural-born sorcerer, you don’t need to learn other methods of mage craft like most people do. You are already the pinnacle, the end goal of what most mages want to be. Most people do not have your naturally large mana pool or mana affinity. They have to work decades, maybe more, to get where you are now. Even I am not a sorcerer yet, and I’ve spent most of my life studying and learning everything I can about magic.” Lorenzo explained.

“Is it really that hard to become a sorcerer? Even I have a hard time sometimes with using magic on the fly.” Van said.

“And that's the difference between you and most people. Even the common people have a hard time using simple cantrips. You on the other hand have only some difficulty with them, and most of the time you use them no problem.” Lorenzo said.

“Then what do most people do if they don’t have a large mana pool or mana affinity?” Van asked.

“Well… there are many different types of mages. For example, I am a scribe and staff mage.” Lorenzo then began one of his lectures.

“Scribe mages,” Lorenzo said, bringing out a book from his soul realm. “Through the use of runic and geometric magical formulas, use spells. A scribe mage spends a considerable amount of time and money on his book of spells.” he then began flipping the pages of his book and revealing magical formulas and circles that have been meticulously drawn onto each page to Van.

“It can take days, weeks even, to make a proper formula for a lower-tier spell. But once made all that it requires is an input of mana. For once a magic circle is properly drawn, it stays in the book and can be reused as many times as the mage wants. The only downside, other than the time it takes to draw the magic circle. Is how much mana the formula can take. The higher the tier of spell, the more mana it takes, sometimes taking days to fill or weeks. The good news is, once the spell is filled, you can save it for later use. Because of this, some scribe mages add redundant pages filled with their favorite spells, and over the course of any downtime they have, will recharge their spellbook back up again.” Lorenzo finished.

Van was amazed by such a thing. The ability to simply store spells for later use sounded like something that anyone would want. “And staff mages?”

“Staff mages are for those who have a large mana pool but not a lot of mana affinity. Some scribe mages, such as myself, who have decades growing their mana pool, also become staff mages while also being scribe mages. Staff mages have runes inscribed in their staff that only has a small part of a magical formula. Once activated they finish the incomplete formula with anything they want. For example a formula for a fireball, but instead the fire part of the formula is absent, and the mage can simply replace it with wind or water, changing the spell on the fly as necessary. The staff literally acts like a pen to the incomplete magic formula. Staff mages have dozens of incomplete magical formulas on their staff. They are also known as equipment mages because you don’t necessarily have to have a staff. Some use wands, rods, and even specialized mana orbs. The point is the equipment makes up for the lack of affinity to mana for the mage and adds versatility.”

“Are there any other types of mages?” Van asked curiously.

“Yes, there are also chanters, tamers, runic mages, and summoners. As well as a few more. And technically speaking, alchemists, enchanters, artificers, and ritualists are also considered mages. And finally, the warlock, though there is some debate on that.” Lorenzo said.

“Can I know what the others do? And what's wrong with a warlock?” Van asked.

“Sure, but I'll try to be quick, as for what's wrong with warlock. Well…” Lorenzo took a deep breath in preparation for everything he was going to say.

“Warlocks are people who make contracts with more powerful mages or beings in exchange for magic, mana, and spells. They essentially do the bidding of their contractor in exchange for power. So sometimes it is looked down upon, some say they are no different from witches in that regard. But others say they are also similar to priests and clerics who gain power from their patron god or goddess and therefore are more of a religious class than a purely magical one. There is a whole debate on the matter.”

“Chanters are those who use their voice in order to use magic. A very interesting profession, they do not require books or staff, but like everything, there is a downside. Chanters have the spell they are going to use, known by the enemy before it hits them. Obviously, because chanters have to say it out loud, though that doesn’t mean everyone knows what a chanter is saying, considering it's in a special language meant for chanting. Another drawback is the fact that the higher the tier of magic, the longer it takes to chant. There is one amazing aspect of them though, and that is the ability to chant alongside other chanters, amplifying their power and sometimes even cutting down on the time it takes to cast a spell. A choir of chanters are sometimes used to cast high tier siege magic during war.”

“Tamers should be self-explanatory, they tame monsters and beasts and use most of their mana pool to bond their companions. This is different from them becoming a familiar, though not by much. I’ll get into the difference between the two at a later time. There is also some debate in some circles that tamers shouldn't even be considered mages because they can't use proper magic.”

“Runic mages can create runes in mid-air using mana. They string the runes to create spells that they can fire at will. The more runes they use, the more mana it takes, but they have amazing flexibility as whatever they write can become a reality. Runic mages are also the people, alongside enchanters, of course, you want to go to in order to enchant items. Runic magic is also the basis of most mages, as its learning is required for scribe and staff mages and other mages.”

“Then there are the ritualists, most mages are considered ritualists. Mostly because of the use of magic circles. Like the one, we used for your awakenings. But it's also for those who can easily link up with other mages to pull off some extremely high-tier magic that they couldn't alone. This is sometimes used with chanters and staff magic. Combining all these different types together in order to pull off magic that can change entire landscapes!”

“Finally, there are the alchemists and artificers and enchanters. Enchanters are like runic mages, but take the profession of enchanting to a higher degree. Alchemists are those who create fantastical potions, items, and materials. And artificers are considered the magical engineers of our world. Though that is not all they do. For example, let's say you want to make an airship, you go to the alchemist to order specially made wood that only alchemists can make. Then to the enchanter to enhance the wood further and then the artificer in order for them to use their own special brand of magic to help create your airship. Artificers are those who have taken runic, enchanting, alchemy, and many more courses and passed them all with flying colors. Being an artificer is like being a sorcerer in some regards.”

“Oh! And conjurer, they are a bit unique in that they can create things with mana, but that's a story for another time.”

Van listened intently to everything Lorenzo was saying. Amazed by the large world of mages and all the different kinds of them that are out there before realizing something. “Wait. what about a summoner?”

“Ah yes. The summoner. That is a very unique profession, very powerful, very difficult to master.” Lorenzo said with some thought. “But I also believe it is something you can do. You have a very large mana pool and affinity to mana, as well as a good handle on mana manipulation. All that is left is some basics on ritual magic and you can probably be able to use summoning no problem. It is also the method I have been thinking about to get you another familiar with.”

Van perked up at that as Lorenzo continued his lecture.

“Summoning has six aspects to it. Mana form, alchemic, spirit/contract, summoning, creation, and others.

“Starting off with mana form. Mana form is when a summoner creates a facsimile of a creature or object. Let's say a wolf, a summoner creates a wolf out of pure mana and imagination alone. The only downside to it is that mana forms are the weakest of summons and cannot pass through mana barriers. Though they can also be whatever the summoner wants them to be.”

“Alchemic is when a summoner uses ingredients to increase the power of his creation. They can pass through mana barriers with some difficulty and are usually stronger and harder to defeat. They also have the benefit of being cheaper, magically speaking, but more expensive on your pocket. Essentially you pay less in mana, but more in money for the resources. Thought you could also just use a bunch of dirt and rock to create a golem using this method. Cheap and effective! It's a mixed bag where your knowledge and skill determine whether a summon will be very powerful, very expensive, or very cheap.”

“spirit/ contract and summoning are sometimes the same thing. Summoners can help mages or themselves, contract spirits. Contracting a spirit, such as an elemental of earth, is a great way to increase your power. Just be careful that you know what you're doing. Some spirits will demand certain things, a trial, tribute, or even proof of worth through combat. If you summon something too powerful, there's a big chance you will die. A regular summoning thought, can summon anything from a plank of wood to a dog, there are even cases of summoning people! But that's largely it. Contracting can also be used for things other than spirits or elementals, if you form a contract with a dragon, for example, you can summon him whenever you want. Though keep in mind that the dragon may want something in return.”

“Finally there is creation summoning. The rarest, most powerful, most difficult type of summoning. Creation summoning is essentially the ability to create something from nothing! You can create whatever your heart desires. In exchange for an absurd amount of mana. Some mages have let their imagination run rampant and have died trying to creation summon. After All, this is different from creating mana forms or alchemic summonings. You actually are creating a new life that will be absolutely loyal to you and grow with you. Though the risks are great, even creating a pebble could drain several mages dry, and that's with a normal pebble, imagine them trying to create mithril or something, they would all die before even a gram of it was made.” Lorenzo said, shaking his head.

Van’s mind raced with the endless possibilities of creating whatever you want. Though at the end there he realized how dangerous it was. Though it seemed Lorenzo wasn’t just done yet.

Lorenzo turned to Van with a large excited smile and snapped his fingers. Dozens of large mana orbs filled to the brim with mana dropped all over the place, astonishing Van and making him nervous with all this raw power laying right in front of him. “I may have taken the liberty of… borrowing a few mana orbs from the vault downstairs for a demonstration... How would you like to have another familiar?”

Van stared wide-eyed at Lorenzo, heart racing, before taking a quick glance at the small fortune in mana in front of him. “Are you sure you won’t get in trouble for this?”

Lorenzo’s smile widened. “Your father said I can use anything I deem necessary for your benefit.”

“I think he meant for when I still had a problem with my soul realm,” Van replied worriedly.

Lorenzo quirked a brow. “Come on, don’t you want to create the perfect familiar? Surely you have had some ideas on what kind of familiar you wanted to add right? This is the perfect chance to try out this kind of magic. I already prepared the magic circle and everything.” he said, snapping his fingers once more and revealing a magic circle that lit up next to Van.

“How did I not notice that!?” Van thought. He hesitated, but Lorenzo continued to assure Van that nothing bad would happen and in the end. Van agreed.

With a smile, Lorenzo instructed Van on what to do. “All you have to do is stand there, in front of the magic circle. I’ll act as support, just imagine what you want. The image of it, how powerful it is, what it is, even the very concept of it. You must know exactly what you want and picture it perfectly. Understood?”

Van was having second thoughts about this. “Are you sure we should be doing this? I haven’t trained at all for this kind of thing. I just got my mana core a few minutes ago!”

“Van… trust me… everything will be fine, I’ll cut you off if things go wrong, just think small and go from there, okay?” Lorenzo said, trying to soothe Van’s worry.

Van took a deep breath and let it out, nodding slowly, he felt like this was more for Lorenzo’s sake than his own, but he agreed to it anyway. “Okay…” And with that, the circle began to glow. Van concentrated with all his might on exactly what he wanted. He didn’t have to think too hard, he had been thinking about the kind of familiar he would want for a while now.

“I want a familiar with great darkness affinity. As a vampire, I already should have some affinity for it. But I want more so that I won’t be restrained like I was when I was raped. I want to be so powerful in it, that no one can use it against me. but that begs the question. What is darkness? Lorenzo said I also have to get the concept right, so this is also important…” Van thought deeply about that as he slowly formed a black shape in his mind and willed it to show within the circle.

“Darkness isn’t just the opposite of light, it's the lack of it. Darkness is the color of the void, so that's what I have to take into account. My familiar won’t just be a being of darkness, but one of true darkness, a being of absence and everything that goes with it. Like a fire can be both nurturing and destructive. I have to think of all the things that make darkness Darkness and add it to the concept of what I’m making here, I have to make it Perfect!” Van thought harder, using the knowledge of all his past lives that he could remember to create his perfect familiar.

Lorenzo began to pale as more and more mana was being drained into the now vortex of black nothingness that was forming at the center of the circle. He tried to tell Van to slow down but he was too into his concentration to hear. Forcing Lorenzo to bring out his own reserves of mana orbs just in case.

“Light always likes to think it travels faster than anything, but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it will find the darkness already there first, and is waiting for it.”

“There are many different kinds of darkness, the darkness that frightens, that soothes and that is restful. There is the darkness of lovers, and of assassins. It becomes whatever the bearer wishes it to be.”

“A man must dream, and dreaming is nursed in darkness.”

“When you light a candle, you also cast a shadow.”

“All things were born in darkness, and all things return to it.”

“I shall send you into a darkness so deep, not even the light of hope can reach!”

These and many more thoughts of poems and knowledge of his past live’s on darkness helped form the image that was beginning to take in the center of the circle. Slowly a woman with hair like stars but like a ghost began to appear in the circle. The image slowly became deeper and more solid. But it was too much, Van felt pain as his body and mind tried to create the perfect concept of darkness and even that of the void. But he was forced to shrink it.

Down it went, slowly, more and more. The image disappeared until a small ball formed. Out of that ball. Two blue glowing eyes formed, and the ball of darkness took the shape of a black cat. It stared up at her creator with expectant eyes.

“Your… name… is… Azra…” the circle finished its task. The familiar was completed. Van collapsed and everything went black.