Training-Addicted Mage In A Progression Fantasy-Chapter 73: Valley of Souls (3)

Leon’s consumption of Magic Power accelerated after bestowing the Curse of the Black Night.The curse required a continuous infusion of Magic Power to increase its potency, demanding even more power as its level rose.While it normally took at least 5 minutes for the physical pain to peak, Leon, wielding both the curse and the Brilliance of Creation, couldn’t afford such a luxury.

The Blood Mage clutched one arm as he dodged the Wooden Sword, baring his teeth with a feral growl.

Is he even Human?

Though humanoid in appearance, it behaved more like a beast driven purely by instinct.

Leon swiftly recalled the Wooden Sword and multiplied it into 10.He then retrieved the Golden Wings and donned them.

In that instant, blood-red spears materialized around the Blood Mage and hurtled toward Leon.But this wasn’t the Blood Mage’s only assault.A sharp Crack- rang out behind Leon as a blood-red lightning bolt surged toward his back.

The Blood Mage had cleverly used the spears to divert Leon’s attention before launching another spell.

However, such tactics proved futile against Leon, who had foreseen it.As Leon gracefully evaded, the Blood Mage’s face twisted in frustration.

Leon had expected an immediate charge, but seeing the Blood Mage continue casting from afar convinced him that his opponent truly feared the Wooden Swords.

Leon launched the 10 Wooden Swords one after another toward the Blood Mage.

The exact path his opponent would take to dodge played out in Leon’s mind beforehand.

Leon fired the next Wooden Sword ahead of that predicted trajectory.

“...!”

Though the Blood Mage barely avoided the Wooden Sword with his uncanny physical abilities, such fortune couldn’t last indefinitely.

Finally, one Wooden Sword grazed the Blood Mage’s shoulder, leaving a shallow wound.From that wound, Magic Power began seeping out.

The Blood Mage, who had been gripping his arm, now clutched his shoulder, but couldn’t stem the flow of leaking Magic Power.

This phenomenon was entirely new to Leon since the Wooden Sword had absorbed the two Fragments.He’d assumed the Blood Mage feared some restriction on his magic, but clearly that wasn’t the case.

Does Mana leak from his wounds?

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Moreover, the pain spreading from the Blood Mage’s arm appeared to intensify, as his movements grew increasingly erratic.

Leon instantly employed Acceleration to close the distance.

Though the Blood Mage belatedly attempted to dodge, Leon had already driven the Wooden Sword deep into his chest.

The Wooden Sword pierced clean through.

A momentary hush fell over the battlefield as all eyes fixed upon Leon and the Blood Mage.

The confrontation concluded as the Blood Mage’s Core was absorbed into the Wooden Sword.

[Oh? Food!]

A woman’s voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

[...? Are you awake?][....]

No further words followed that initial cry for food.It seemed the consciousness within the Wooden Sword had drifted back to slumber after that single utterance.

Does it require more Cores?

He had countless questions to ask when it next awakened.About the Wooden Sword’s current capabilities, detailed information about their contract, and its true origins.

Well, I can’t simply absorb any Mage’s Core at will.

It might be quite some time before he could converse with the Wooden Sword again.At least, not unless confronted by another Blood Mage or Black Mage threatening his existence.

Leon deactivated both the Brilliance of Creation and the Curse of the Black Night.Had he maintained the curse, people would have completely forgotten the Blood Mage’s existence, with no memory of this battle even after his death.

But such measures weren’t necessary.

While it might have helped conceal his Realm, keeping such knowledge to himself seemed unwise when so much about the Blood Mage remained unknown.There was no telling what complications might arise later.

Leon contemplated the battle while replenishing his depleted Core through controlled breathing.

I never expected to run so low on Magic Power.

The strain of simultaneously casting multiple SSS-Grade Magic was truly immense.

Beyond that, he’d gained valuable insight into utilizing the Curse of the Black Night.

The curse wasn’t particularly efficient for immediate combat situations.While effective against enemies who could regenerate from direct magical attacks, it proved less useful against those who couldn’t.

It would be far more potent to secretly curse an object bearing the enemy’s essence without their knowledge.Then they would suffer mysteriously, eventually fading from existence entirely.

In many ways, that was far more terrifying.

After the Blood Mage’s defeat, the situation steadily improved.The Beast hordes no longer posed a significant threat to the Mages.While the encircling enemies and Blood Mage had been concerning, Leon’s Golems had prevented the encirclement while he handled the Blood Mage.

Eventually, all the Beast hordes were eliminated.

Leon levitated the Blood Mage’s corpse using Basic Psychokinesis.Storing a corpse in his Magic Orb wasn’t feasible in this situation.

A putrid stench of death assaulted his nostrils.Such decay seemed impossible for a fresh corpse.

As Leon pondered these peculiarities, Chris, the disheveled Mage, approached.

“Th-Thank you.”

Unable to meet Leon’s gaze, he appeared ashamed of his inability to assist after being knocked back by the Blood Mage’s attack.

“We should return to Asteria quickly. We can’t be certain how long the Golems will hold.”“Understood.”

There was no guarantee the Blood Mage had acted alone.

The Mages swiftly flew toward Asteria, following Chris’s lead.

Two nights later, they encountered another group of Mages who had come as reinforcements.They had discovered the damaged Teleportation Magic Circle and were rushing toward the Valley of Souls.

After Chris provided a detailed report of the events, he bid farewell and returned to Asteria.

The support group, including a Mystic Mage, proceeded directly to the Valley of Souls to assess the situation.

***

Before submitting the Blood Mage’s corpse, Leon privately examined it within his Magic Orb.

Fighting back nausea from the overwhelming stench, he thoroughly searched the corpse’s clothing for clues.However, contrary to his hopes, he found nothing of note.

“Hmm....”

Leon sighed in disappointment.

In truth, he held considerable interest in Blood Magic.Just as Black Magic had yielded useful techniques like Shadow Assimilation, Blood Magic might contain elements he could effectively utilize.Particularly if the enhanced recovery and physical capabilities didn’t require sacrificing a Mage’s Core like Black Magic, they could prove invaluable.

Finding nothing from the corpse was truly regrettable.

The Blood Mage’s remains were handed over to Asteria.

“Well done, Leon.”

These were Arpina’s words when they met after his return to Asteria.Her expression carried hints of apology.She clearly felt responsible for involving him in this predicament.Only after Leon’s repeated assurances did her expression finally soften.

“It seems several Blood Mages had been hiding in the Valley of Souls.”“Some suspected another Magic Tower’s involvement, but that appears unlikely now.”“It’s premature to draw conclusions. We haven’t caught whoever damaged the Teleportation Magic Circle. There might even be Blood Magic practitioners hiding within the School.”

As the conversation turned to Blood Magic, Leon voiced his curiosity.

“This is my first encounter with Blood Magic.”“Hmm... Consider it the predecessor to Black Magic for easier understanding.”“Predecessor?”“Blood Magic practitioners have existed since Ancient times. Their art defies natural law. Even those without talent in Attribute Magic can wield it and raise their Realm. But the consequences are equally severe. Think of it as trading lifespan for immense power.”

The description bore striking similarities to Black Magic.

“Blood Magic’s creator was an Ancient Mage.”“A Mage?”“Indeed. You know the saying that Magic is a Fragment of God? Blood Mages revered that creator as divine. They believed he still lived and sought his resurrection. They even attempted to force Blood Magic’s recognition among the eight natural Attributes, but were ultimately annihilated by other Mages. Many forbidden spells used by modern Black Mages are actually modified versions of ancient Blood Magic techniques.”“Then how have these long-vanished Blood Mages suddenly resurfaced?”“Our investigation continues, but I’ll share our findings once complete. I hear they’ve captured several Blood Mages hiding deep within the Valley of Souls.”“Please keep me informed.”

Noting Leon’s unexpected interest, Arpina tilted her head briefly before nodding and steering the conversation in a lighter direction.

“I heard you repelled massive Beast hordes with Golems and even defeated a Blood Mage?”

Pride colored her voice.

“The Personal Disciples speak highly of your actions.”

Valley of Souls guard duty typically fell to Personal Disciples.The task’s ambiguous difficulty made it unsuitable for weaker Mages, yet too burdensome for the extremely powerful.

“That’s... because my life was in danger.”“You could have escaped alone, couldn’t you?”

Arpina remarked with a knowing smile.

“This news will reach Glios’s ears. Consider what reward you might want in advance. Since you returned largely unscathed, merit-based recognition seems likely soon.”

***

As Arpina predicted, Leon soon received a summons from the Tower Master.

Originally, he’d planned to skip the Personal Disciples’ gathering.However, when the Tower Master decided to formally recognize Leon’s achievements at that event, attendance became mandatory.

The commendation would be brief, given that the Valley of Souls incident remained partially unresolved despite avoiding major casualties.

In the banquet hall’s center, Glios regarded Leon with a benevolent smile.Various elders, high-ranking Mages, and their Disciples encircled Glios and Leon.

“Leon, brave and valiant Mage, your indomitable courage enabled our precious Disciples’ safe return from danger. In recognition of your meritorious service in repelling countless Beasts and protecting our future, I present you with the Staff of the Lake.”

Applause rippled through the assembled Mages.Glios continued while gesturing to present the Staff.

“And... I understand your Golems played a crucial role in repelling the Beasts. Hundreds of them, I’m told?”“...That’s correct.”“You must have invested considerably in Mana Stones, creating them with personal funds.”“...”

Though Leon tried to respond modestly, this fact proved impossible to deny.Seeing Leon’s hesitation, Glios laughed heartily.

“Henceforth, the School will provide materials for your Golem creation.”“You mean... complete support?”

The quantity of Mana Stones Leon required was astronomical.The stones used for his 500 Golems could have purchased several Advanced Essences and more.

“I hear you’re assisting with the Chief’s research... Such versatility at your age benefits our School immensely. We’d be remiss not to support you.”

Glios seemed well-informed about Leon’s recent activities.Whether this stemmed from prior interest or recent investigation remained unclear.

Leon grasped the bestowed Staff of the Lake.The two-meter silver wood staff bore a transparent blue water droplet crystal at its crown.

This B-Grade Artifact not only amplified Magic but uniquely purified mental pollution.

It also enabled teleportation to water surfaces, analogous to Shadow Assimilation but with water instead of shadows.

Naturally, like all Artifacts, these abilities had usage limits and cooldown periods.

“This concludes my official reward as Tower Master. Do you have any personal requests?”“Personal requests?”“Indeed, speak freely. You’ve earned it.”

Leon, about to decline politely, suddenly recalled something.

“I understand a Personal Disciple Sparring approaches.”“Correct.”“Might I be excused from this particular Sparring?”

Personal Disciple Sparring existed in Widia as well.A traditional event testing and exchanging magical prowess.Unlike Widia, however, Asteria had hundreds of Personal Disciples.The Sparring couldn’t possibly conclude in a single day.

Glios appeared dumbfounded that Leon’s grand request was merely exemption from the Sparring.

“What’s your reasoning?”“I hesitate to mention it, but I gained some insight in the Valley of Souls. I’d like to focus entirely on Training to raise my Realm.”

Indeed, his Realm advancement had stalled while learning various Magic simultaneously.The time had come to concentrate on reaching Advanced Arcane.

“Is that truly all you wish to request?”“Yes, it is.”“...Truthfully, I’d hoped for another teaching exchange like before.”

Glios sighed reluctantly before continuing.

“...Since you ask, I’ll grant your request. And should you ever desire my teachings, my door remains open.”

Glios turned away, his words tinged with lingering regret.