The exhaustion from the seven consecutive Devourments faded rapidly, replaced by the exhilarating hum of raw, integrated power. Lencar continued his walk south, the canyon pass now silent behind him. He didn't waste the quiet time on physical training; he used it for analysis and recalibration.
His mind, cold and sharp, immediately turned to the objective assessment of his current strength, using the most objective rubric available from his meta-knowledge: the Heart Kingdom's Power Stages.
Lencar knew that the Clover Kingdom ranked Magic Knights by prestige, lineage, and service (Arcane Stage, Captain, Vice-Captain, etc.). The neighboring Heart Kingdom, however, used a pure, empirical metric known as the Power Stages (or Spirit Stages), which ranks mages numerically based on the total volume of their mana and the efficiency of their mana control.
This system has ten tiers, running from Stage 9 (lowest/non-mage) up to Stage 0 (Arcane):
Stage Classification Mana Volume & Control Correlating Clover Rank (Approx.)
Stage 9 Commoner / Mana-Poor Minimal to no active mana. Peasants, Magicless (Asta pre-grimoire).
Stage 8 Novice Weak, low-volume mana pool. Minimal control. Hage Village Mages, low-tier recruits.
Stage 7 Junior Mage Above average commoner mana. Basic control. Initial Magic Knight recruits (Sekke level).
Stage 6 Mid-Ranking Solid mana pool. Good fundamental control. Average Magic Knight, Junior squad members.
Stage 5 Senior-Ranking Large mana pool. High efficiency; able to perform complex spells reliably. (Lencar's Target) High-ranking squad members (e.g., solid senior knights).
Stage 4 Veteran Elite Very high mana pool. Excellent control; able to maintain sustained high-power attacks. Squad Vice-Captains (Luck, Magna, Sol).
Stage 3 Elite Vanguard Vast mana reserves. Precise, superior control; near Captain-level mastery. Prodigies (Yuno, pre-timeskip).
Stage 2 Vice-Captain Class Immense mana volume and mastery. Capable of devastating, large-scale magic. Mid-tier Captains (Jack, Charlotte).
Stage 1 Captain Class Colossal mana volume. Absolute mastery and efficiency; near-perfect control. High-tier Captains (Fuegoleon, Nozel).
Stage 0 Arcane Stage A rank reserved for mages whose unique magic types or unique skillsets are fundamentally outside the standard power curve (e.g., Secre, Yami, Julius).
Lencar walked through the quiet forest, focusing his analytical power inward. He had to be honest with his assessment. His mana volume alone was deceiving.
He had to be brutally honest, eliminating any bias from the colossal feeling of the Yuno Mana.
Mana Volume: "My current synthesized mana pool—a fusion of Yuno's capacity and seven absorbed magics—feels limitless compared to a commoner's. But if I compare it to the ambient pressure of the Captains I saw at the exam, it is merely large. It does not qualify as 'Vast' or 'Immense'."
Conclusion: The Replica Grimoire provides excellent Stage 5 volume, enough to sustain high-output spells briefly, but not the deep, overwhelming reserves of a Stage 4 or higher mage. The 40% increase merely pushed his synthetic capacity to the very peak limit of the Stage 5 Senior-Ranking class.
Control/Efficiency: "My Regulator v3.2 allows me to draw a thimble-full of power from the ocean, effectively granting me Stage 3 control over my flexible spells. But this control is a mental construct, not an intrinsic skill. If I falter for a second, I regress to the chaotic Towering Tornado blast."
Offensive Utility: "I possess nine flexible magics, capable of covering offense (Stone, Iron, Needle, Fire, Wind), restraint (Chain, Bind, String), and stealth (Concealment). This versatility is my true strength, offering Stage 0-equivalent utility in any scenario."
Defensive Utility: "My Concealment Magic makes me invisible to detection. My Heretic Mode makes me immune to magic. Both are Stage 0 assets."
Final Verdict:
Lencar smiled, a cold, self-aware expression. He was not a tank. He was a perfect, pressurized multi-tool.
"I am a Peak Stage 5 Mage who relies entirely on three Arcane variables: Concealment, Versatility, and the Heretic Toggle."
"I can be defeated by any true Stage 4 mage in a sustained fight, but I am lethal to anyone who assumes I am a simple, single-attribute opponent. I will not engage in slugfests. I will use the right tool for the right job, and if the job requires absolute defense, I will use Heretic Mode."
He engaged his newly integrated Concealment Magic once more, allowing the aura of the surging Stage 5 mana to go silent. He pressed deeper into the mountains.
"The Capital expects a Stage 7 hopeful. They will receive a silent, lethal Stage 5 Heretic."