And then, just as I was about to leave, he appeared, Pin Zhoulun. This time, he was also carrying food, namely a couple of boxes of Chinese noodles. And this hag seriously thinks she can convince me that he's busy with work? No, excuse me, maybe sometimes he really is buried in research and work, but not all the time!
"Respected Pin Zhoulun, do you remember me?" I asked, rushing up to him.
"Huh?" He was slightly surprised, but after a close look at me, his eyes lit up. "Ah, is that you, Jiaxing Yun? The guy who discovered various star combinations?"
"Yes, it's me. You haven't forgotten our agreement, have you?" I asked, having serious doubts about its fulfillment.
"No, of course not. Let's go talk in the office," he said, heading for the door. This time, the hag didn't stop me, so I was able to pass freely.
"So, do you remember that you promised me a recommendation to participate in the university competitions?" I asked, sitting down opposite him.
"Yes, of course. It's just that you haven't been around much, and you've changed quite a bit, so I didn't recognize you right away. How are your successes in studying combinations?" he asked, justifying himself.
"I haven't progressed that much; I haven't had time," I answered honestly, as my studies with the old man took up a lot of my time. "I've completed that spell I showed you before; it's quite powerful and can be useful for emergency position changes. I tested it in battles with mid-level mages; thanks to it, I successfully evaded mid-level magic attacks from mages at the peak of their level," I said, without a shadow of a doubt. Of course, I hadn't fought mages at the peak of the mid-level yet; the last group of guardians was only close to the peak, but the difference shouldn't be significant.
"That's good. Is there anything else?" he asked with interest in his eyes.
"Only a spell for lightning magic. I called it 'lightning shock.' It's practically the same spell as 'lightning wrath,' but it only attacks upon contact with the victim. It's best suited for close-combat mages, though there aren't many of them," I replied, hesitating slightly. "And how are your successes?"
"Mine?" Pin Zhoulun's face suddenly darkened. "They are even less than yours. Immediately after you left, I intended to start research, but I was given an important job from above. And then another, and another. So I almost forgot about such an important discovery. And you haven't changed your mind about becoming my disciple? I could officially hire you here, give you a pass, and also assign you this research, as well as allocate funding," he said the last part in a conspiratorial tone. Analyzing his words, I decided he wasn't lying, as he wasn't the type of person to refuse such an interesting project.
"Ah, what exactly would I have to do as your disciple?" I asked, as this was the deciding factor in my decision, not the opportunity to receive resources from him. I valued freedom of action.
"Mostly, you'll be engaged in researching star combinations, and sometimes I'll give you simple tasks. You might have to come here sometimes and help me with research, but that's, of course, after your overall knowledge level is higher. Well, and you'll have to obtain some resources occasionally," he answered calmly, thinking for a moment.
"And what will I get if I become your disciple? You know, I'm planning to enroll in Mingzhu. There are also many renowned scholars there, especially Director Xiao. He is a very powerful water mage and understands it better than many," I remarked calmly. While his duties suited me, I needed something more substantial than a pass to his laboratory.
"First, I will personally oversee your training, provide you with all the necessary books, and you will also have access to some research and data that are classified from the general public. Second, I will officially hire you as my disciple, you will receive a pass and a monthly salary of one hundred thousand yuan. And third, you will receive your recommendation in a timely manner," he replied with a smile. The salary and pass weren't particularly necessary for me, but access to secret data was indeed interesting.
"This is a very flattering offer, but..." I paused for a moment, and his face darkened slightly. "I will have a couple more conditions. If the respected one doesn't mind, then I agree to become his disciple."
"What conditions? Speak, I'll think about it," Pin Zhoulun asked, slightly amused but maintaining a serious expression.
"First and most importantly, you will hire me under a pseudonym, but the recommendation, of course, will be issued in my real name. Second, and no less important, you will not disclose our connection to anyone; you will only tell everyone my pseudonym," I said confidently. Confidentiality was the most important thing for me; I absolutely didn't want anyone to reveal all my trump cards and connections. It's easier to keep them as far apart as possible.
"Isn't that a bit too much?" Pin Zhoulun said, slightly surprised by my conditions, to which I only shook my head. "All right, it's not that critical. What pseudonym will you take?"
"Favonius, the west wind, one of the wind gods from Western mythology," I replied calmly, as I had already chosen this pseudonym for myself just in case.
"Good, then fill out this document. I'll give it to my secretary, and she'll make you a card. In the meantime, we'll go down to the laboratory, and you'll show me what you've achieved in your research. Oh, and yes, one more of your duties: from now on, you must take notes on all your developments regarding star combinations," he said, handing me a form for personal information.
"Of course," I replied, taking the form and quickly filling it out, then adding as I returned it, "Respected Pin Zhoulun, may I ask for your advice?"
"Ah, are there any difficulties in your research?" he asked in surprise, heading for the exit.
"No, but there's another problem," I replied, following him. "My magical energy is leaking from my inner world through my body into the external world, and it's not a completely controlled process."
"What?!" He stopped in a stupor. "But how is your body not being destroyed by such a flow of energy? You're just a mid-level mage. And why don't I see any visible energy overflows? They should be there."
"I don't know the answer to the first question, but the energy isn't overflowing from my body right now because I'm controlling it, making it circulate through my body, returning to my inner world. But I would like to resolve this issue more thoroughly," I replied calmly, lying about not knowing why my body wasn't being destroyed.
"I see. We'll conduct some tests in the laboratory, so maybe we can understand your problem. Let's go," he said and confidently walked out of the office.
After giving a couple of orders to the old hag secretary, Pin Zhoulun and I took the elevator down to the fifth basement floor, to his laboratory. There, using instruments unknown to me, he conducted some measurements and tests on me, after which he became deeply thoughtful. I, on the other hand, remained to study the instruments that were used. Most of them registered deviations in magical energy and its various characteristics. It should be said that they were quite new and highly accurate.
"Everything is very complicated," Pin Zhoulun finally said after half an hour. "It's as if, besides magical energy, another energy is circulating in you, which takes away some of the magical energy and pours it into the body. This energy also restores everything that magical energy destroys," he said, without emerging from his deep contemplation. And Pin Zhoulun is quite smart; he managed to find the internal energy based on the instrument readings alone. "But I also think the reason for this is not in this unknown energy itself, but in something else, in the very essence of your inner world and body. But it's impossible to understand this with just this data; more extensive research is needed. But I can say one thing with absolute certainty: this circulation of energy in your body inexplicably strengthens it, making it stronger. But I have another question for you: I noticed a trace of spatial energy also circulating through your body. Of course, it might be your innate element, which you can awaken at a high level. However, I'm curious, do you also possess space magic?"
"No, how can a mid-level mage possess it?" I asked him in surprise. These instruments are very accurate, and he is too smart, but as long as space doesn't become too strong, I can easily deceive him.
"I see. Now, can you show me the completed spell and lightning shock?" he asked, emerging from his thoughtful state and entering a state of burning eyes. This transition, though natural, slightly frightened me.
"Yes, but we might need a mannequin," I replied. "And the wind spell I showed you, I named it 'wind rush.'"
"A good name, it describes its essence," he nodded. "Don't worry about the mannequin; we have plenty of them."
We went into a white room, the walls of which were made of a very strong material. It was the same room as last time. Standing in the middle of the room, I quickly completed the wind rush spell, holding a dagger in each hand. Soaring almost twenty-five meters up, I used the remaining energy to send two daggers on either side of Pin Zhoulun. Such a lightning-fast attack even shocked him slightly, and he was a high-level mage!
"Wind rush can be used like that? This is an incredibly powerful spell," he said, examining the daggers that had flown in. Landing, I approached him and saw that where the daggers had hit the floor, there was a small crack, almost imperceptible, but still there. Well, yes, this material is primarily designed to absorb magical attacks, not physical ones, and such a blow could have left a scratch even on the supreme commander.
"It can be used like that, but it still needs to be learned," I replied calmly, picking up the daggers.
"And now for lightning shock, right?" asked Pin Zhoulun, pointing to a pair of white, flat mannequins brought in, imitating a human. As he said, the material they were made of could withstand any magic up to the peak of the mid-level.
I approached them and, almost instantly, completed one lightning shock, transferred its energy to my right hand, and then to the dagger. With a quick strike, I hit the center of the mannequin's chest precisely. An electric crackling sound was heard, and the whole thing was enveloped in a net of lightning, leaving considerable burn marks all over its body.
"If you stab the head with a dagger, you can burn the brain of any monster, but it's very dangerous and mainly suits my fighting style," I said calmly, seeing the small effect my magic had left.
"This is already a considerable effect for a beginner-level magic. These two spells alone will significantly increase the strength and capabilities of mages," Pin Zhoulun said confidently. "I think if we dig deeper and analyze in detail your understanding of star path composition, generalize it, and make it accessible for everyone to learn, it could revolutionize the understanding of magic. And I have a question for you: have you ever tried to form two star paths simultaneously? According to my assumptions, you should be capable of it."
"Yes, but it's difficult," I replied confidently, then formed two lightning shocks at once and struck both mannequins simultaneously. "It's true that some spells like lightning shock seem made for dual formation. I also haven't been able to create three spells at once yet. This requires a much greater understanding, and I also need to feel my body much better. And most importantly, for precise control of three spells simultaneously, it is necessary to improve the perception of the surrounding space, otherwise the magic can go awry and all efforts will be in vain," I calmly announced the results of my observations.