Sovereign of the Ashes

Chapter 344: Arcanist

The legion of two hundred thousand plant creatures on the Viridian Venom Flame World battlefield definitely left a lasting impression on Sein.

His ability to capture a living engineer from the Neisse Civilization was also made possible by the power of those plant creatures.

After learning that those giant plant creatures had actually originated from this world laboratory before him, Sein’s admiration and yearning for Lorianne’s formidable capabilities and extensive knowledge deepened.

So, this was the prowess of a divine tower master and a Rank Four mage.

Compared to Sein, a mere Rank One mage, Lorianne existed on a plane far beyond his reach.

To lesser beings, Lorianne’s power seemed almost mythical, explaining why entities of such magnitude were revered as “gods” by the ignorant inhabitants of other planes.

The awe and wonder in Sein’s gaze filled Lorianne with satisfaction.

Indeed, this was the pleasure of being a mentor.

While Lorianne appreciated Sein’s admiration, she remained composed and waved her hand.

“My world laboratory is still far from completion and has significant areas for improvement. Addressing those gaps will require extensive research,” she replied nonchalantly.

However, Lorianne’s “humility” scarcely lessened the awe in Sein’s eyes.

“Even so, your world laboratory far exceeds what ordinary mages can conceive. I’m sure this is a very rare feat among the other mages in the Magus World,” Sein commented.

His flattery was evident, but Lorianne could not help feeling a sense of pride.

With modesty set aside amidst Sein’s praise, Lorianne allowed herself a moment of self-appreciation and said, “Indeed, even among other divine tower masters, none have delved into mysteries on par with my world laboratory.”

“This method, designed to breed a vast legion of cannon fodder in the laboratory, involves complex knowledge. Once refined and presented to Sky City, I’ll surely earn the title of Rank Four Arcanist,” Lorianne declared confidently.

Arcanist was a very special profession within the Magus World.

Professions like elementalists, summoners, bloodline warlocks, mechanics, and others were on the same level as alchemists and apothecaries.

Securing the title of an Arcanist was notably more challenging than becoming an alchemist or apothecary, as it required acknowledgment from the Arcane Light in the Sky City.

The Arcanist title was not determined by the spellcaster’s prowess or life level, but rather by their accumulated wisdom and knowledge.

For instance, in the annals of Magus World’s history, there was a prodigy who achieved the title of Rank Four Arcanist while only being a Rank Two mage.

His expertise in magic alloy significantly advanced the development of space fortress’ exterior armor across the Magus World.

However, such geniuses were rare.

Most mage’s Arcanist rank was either a level below or equal to their life level because progressing through the Arcanist rank had become increasingly difficult.

While the evaluations for the Rank One and Rank Two Arcanist could be conducted within any divine tower, Rank Three and above required a journey to Sky City.

Despite her recent advancement to Rank Four and her status as a genius among her peers, Lorianne was currently only a Rank Three Arcanist.

Sein had yet to explore the path of an Arcanist, as he had been extremely occupied since attaining Rank One, leaving him with little time to worry about other things.

Moreover, the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring did not particularly cultivate an Arcanist-focused environment. A majority of Rank One mages within the divine tower had yet to earn an Arcanist title.

Conversely, Sein learned from Lorianne that all the three deans in the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring possessed significant Arcanist ranks, especially Dean Archimedes, who was also a Rank Three Arcanist just like Lorianne.

Within the mage community, the higher a mage’s Arcanist rank, the greater the respect they commanded.

Although the knights and most extraplanar beings might judge a mage solely by their life levels, it was Arcanist rank that commanded esteem among mages instead of raw power.

“To earn your qualifications as an Arcanist, you could either submit a piece of original research or compile and present an inventory of all the knowledge you’ve mastered to the Arcane Light. However, if your contributions overlap with previously submitted knowledge, the Arcane Light will assign a lower evaluation score.

“For instance, the novelty of the verdant flame magic was what helped your grandmaster earn the title of a Rank Six Arcanist. If you were to submit contributions related to verdant flame magic, the evaluation score would likely be minimal. The key lies in pioneering your innovations on the foundation of verdant flame magic that the Arcane Light will deem as significant contributions,” Lorianne explained.

Her explanation granted Sein a more profound understanding of the Arcanist profession.

Sein began to consider the potential evaluation the Arcane Light might assign to the Verdant Flame Tempering Body technique he had developed over recent years. Furthermore, his Solar Eye spell could also be considered an original enhancement of the spell model.

He was quite sure that the Arcane Light would award him some points for them.

“In ancient Magus World, mages guarded their knowledge like treasured secrets, sharing it only with apprentices they personally mentored. This practice greatly hindered the progress of our civilization. However, the inception of the Arcane Light by a visionary genius and the introduction of the Arcanist system catalyzed a rapid growth in the Magus Civilization,” Lorianne explained.

Her explanation provided many insights to Sein.

He frowned and asked, “Master Lorianne, are you saying that the unique magic knowledge we submit to the Arcane Light will become accessible to other mages at a certain cost?”

"Yes. The cost is usually substantial, as it involves the trade and application of Arcane points," Lorianne confirmed.

The corner of Sein’s mouth twitched upon hearing Lorianne’s response.

That explained the Arcanist system’s limited adoption among organizations like the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

The notion of sharing one’s unique magic was not easily embraced by many, particularly lower-ranking mages who valued their knowledge dearly.

In contrast, higher-ranking mages or divine tower masters, with their broader perspectives, might be less concerned about sharing general knowledge.

Sein speculated that Lady Feylis, his grandmaster, might have chosen not to disclose certain aspects of verdant flame magic to the Arcane Light.

After all, no one would readily divulge research results obtained through extensive effort and time.

Nevertheless, the implementation of the Arcanist profession and system undoubtedly propelled the advancement of the entire Magus Civilization, despite the challenge posed by traditional views and individual self-interest.

Knowledge was indeed invaluable.

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