How do Mages rise in rank?
Hadrian wondered, as he stood above the fog.
I can grow by obtaining higher ranked vessels, but that would be difficult. Especially since they get more powerful with each rank.
Since my vessels are not dead and I have an intact essence core, perhaps there's a way I could cultivate to rise in power.
If the method does exist, I doubt it would be easy. Otherwise, every mage I met would be a higher ranked mage.
The reason he'd entered this space was due to his intuitions flaring. Now that he was here, he sensed it had to do with the fog.
Looking down on it and its vast stretch, he suddenly got the premonition of great horror. Like he'd been playing with something he does not understand.
For a moment, the fog seemed to rise to him, expanding.
With a swallow, he cut the optical illusion off and looked back onto his vessels.
Something has definitely changed.
Hadrian thought.
He summoned the rank one elemental technique core from Alia.
As it spun in front of him, fog rose from beneath him circling the core.
Hadrian sighed.
Indeed, that does not work.
Once, when turning the infant, the current main vessel Hadrian, he'd been able to imbue it with his own essence to turn it into his vessel.
Summoning the fog, tendrils rose and wrapped around his hand.
However, nothing happened. This was only superficial. While he could control the fog to some extent, it was more of a cover and no direct merging.
The misty dancing information was different. His only control was the initial yearn for it, the rest the space would handle it for him.
Twirling, he fell out of the space.
The sun was still high and hot, the market area was loud and filled with a variety of smells.
Hadrian bit his lip. He'd lost sight of his observers. Well, it could not be helped. The interference in the dull white space was like an itch, he had to see what it was about.
These Districts, like this city, are too big.
What he needed was to find the two Mages, Truston and Haldon.
Doran's street, with possible connections to the magloire mob.
Of course, his other vessels always kept a look out.
I suppose I could try finding out about how mages rise in rank.Perhaps with my specialness I might have an advantage or loophole I could exploit. After all, even in these hunter vessels, there're no memories of magic like mine.
Not having eaten earlier, he substituted some rat vessels for meals.
My vessels work and don't work in certain settings.
He thought this of his horse vessels. They could not be too far outside the hundred metres radius, and well, horses aren't inconspicuous.
In fact, through some areas in the district market, chaotic as it was, it was practically impossible and all he would achieve is have people yell and throw things at him. Even feces.
Cloaked up in different coloured robes and in opposite directions, it didn't matter. One is seen as thinking highly of themselves to not walk down on the muddy filthy road with the rest.
Even on such a hot summer day, the road manages to be muddy.
All in all, it slowed down his mobility, which Hadrian had thought would be the least of his worries with the abilities he has.
Perched on some thatched one story building rooftop, Hawk Hadrian's head tilted from side to side. The rat vessels scurried as they observed.
Managing to spot suspicious members of the magloire mob, he still did not achieve much in his goals. These low ranked members were at most debt collectors.
He did manage to notice three rank one mages. He did not plan on confronting them, yet.
With a heave, he turned to one specific direction, leaving the market area. He intended to find somewhere he could learn about mages rising in power, anything. A bloody manual.
Eh!
After about an hour of research, he found it was hard finding verifiable information.
From word of mouth to scrolls being sold, they all smelled of ignorance and scam. Not to mention they all had different methods. All sorts of rituals, from blood sacrifice and eating babies to sexual orgies.
Well, I still have two methods I could trust in.
The first was aristocracy and their schools of magic and mages.
While education was meant for all, the common populace could barely afford it and as such it was specifically reserved for nobility.
While he'd always had some faint idea of this, the aristocratic world had been something too distant for him to even approach before.
Now, he'd obtained some fragmented memories from his more experienced hunter vessels.
The second method, and easier, was to simply approach the mages and reveal himself a mage and say he wants to join the mob or be of service.
He planned to use the Alia vessel for this.
As part of his plan, while he could use the abilities through any of his vessels, to maintain a sense of order for his already corrupting consciousness each vessel needed a strong identity.
As of right now, the Alia vessel will be the main owner of the elemental first rank core.
This will also help in consistency in the future in case someone starts catching up to my secret.
Taking some dozen steps forward in a specific direction, a large palm landed on main vessel Hadrian's right shoulder. It was gentle at first then proceeded to give him a squeeze.
"Quite the spender, are we?" A grating voice resounded. You could hear the smirk on the words.
Another pair of hands grabbed him by his left bicep. The two assailants began pushing him into a specific direction. Hadrian offered little resistance.
He was brought and thrown at the feet of one of the mages.
"Now, how does a little child like you obtain such wealth?"
A gentle male voice sounded in Hadrian's ears and he lifted his head to see a short handsome man with his arms behind his back smiling down at him.
The man let out a sigh.
"In truth, I don't care. But in these parts, you will learn to pay your fines."
Hadrian's sight altered and he peered into the man's essence sea.
A rank one mage. I wonder what path he belongs to.
"Sorry to disappoint," Hadrian spoke in a friendly tone, "but you missed your opportunity."
The mage's facial muscles twitched.
"I don't think you understand your current position very well."
The mage flicked his wrist and a small dagger flickered into existence in his hand.
The "carry" ability. Hadrian noted. A space technique Mage.
Focusing his eyes on the dagger, his sight altered.
No regular dagger. A mystical artifact.
This was different from the enchanted weapons of the hunters.
"My friend has always had a heart too kind for his own good."
A young feminine voice came from behind them.
Alia Hadrian took confident steps with her back straight.
She looked much better than she had ever before. She was well fed, if you count the substituted rats, bathed and wearing clean clothes.
"That wealth is from a recent hunt." Said Alia with her hands hanging by her sides.
The men seemed to ignore this.
"Bringing yourself to us, that's a first." Said the tall man who'd squeezed Hadrian's right shoulder as he took heavy steps towards Alia.
He grabbed her cheeks tilting her face left and right.
"You are, pretty, too."
The next moment, his hand jerked back with one quick motion.
The girl's skin had suddenly become too hot.
"A mage it seems." The space technique Mage spoke while the tall man took quick steps back away from Alia.
"I've never seen you before."
"I recently awakened." Alia shrugged.
"Well, your…. Friend, is in our territory. He'll do as we say."
"Does everyone pay a fine to walk these streets?" Alia's brows pinched, her high-pitched voice with a tight tone.
"No." The space technique Mage shook his head with a smile, "but he will."
"I can't allow you to bully my friend."
The space technique mage's eyes narrowed. "You're a rogue mage, even if you win…. Which you won't, considering you said you've recently awakened, you'll be hunted down for attacking a member of the Magloire mob."
Alia Hadrian sighed then pressed her lips tightly before speaking.
"Perhaps, there's a simpler way to resolve this."
The space technique mage's brows rose with interest, his neck tilting slightly to the left.
"I can offer my services to the mob. For a fair amount of time, you could cut my pay."
The man let out a laugh. "Why not?" A smile lingered on his face.
"It is not for me to decide." He flicked his wrist and the dagger disappeared. "I'll take you to Bagdona and he'll…. Evaluate your worth."
On the ground Hadrian's eyes darted.
Bagdona, I'd heard that name before. From the inn owner.
Alia Hadrian licked her lips. "Sure."