Chapter 32: Starting Backward
By the way, harpies are classified as B-grade monsters. Their ability to fly makes them particularly difficult to deal with. For a knight to achieve flight, they must be at least at a high level, but even then, it’s only for a short time; only a Zodiac-level knight can fly freely. In contrast, a mage can use a levitation spell to float once they reach the intermediate level. Noticing that his students were distracted, Balrog snapped his fingers, sending a shockwave through the room to regain their focus.
"I won’t bore you with nonsense like saying knights are better than mages—that’s simply dismissive. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, just like our knight class. Never underestimate them. Together, we complement each other, watching each other’s backs. There’s no room for discord because our ultimate goal is survival."
Every cadet nodded in acknowledgment of their teacher’s words. It was true that knights often looked down on mages, considering them weak and in need of protection, but as Balrog pointed out, it was a thing of the past. It was best not to underestimate a mage; like the knight class, they also had their own strengths and weaknesses.
"Who can tell me about the different stages?" At this basic question, everyone raised their hands. Their teacher simply picked someone—a young man with a burly physique named Leto.
"The basic steps are as follows: Accumulation, Condensation, and Manifestation. After that, you become a Low level, then Intermediate, followed by High level, and finally the apex level—the ultimate level," Leto proudly explained, his eyes shining as he spoke about the last level. His goal was clear: to reach the ultimate level, a goal shared by everyone present, though only a few could actually achieve it, as reaching this level was extremely difficult.
"Not bad," Balrog said. "As Leto mentioned, we begin by going through three stages known as the basic stages. Accumulation: In this stage, you gather ambient primordial energy, imbuing it into every fiber of your body in preparation for the next stage, the Condensation stage. Here, you use the accumulated energy to create a core that will house the energy for your future use. Lastly, by utilizing this energy and receiving a blessing, you can manifest outside your inherited law, this is the Manifestation Stage; only then can you be considered a Low level Knight or Mage. After that, by accumulating more energy as your core grows, your level rises. To become an Intermediate grade Knight or Mage, your core must be as large as a basin.
If you’re wondering how this is possible, considering the core is nestled within the human body, let me explain: after creating your core, it exists in an independent world of its own, even though it’s inside the body. Nobody knows how this is possible, but it is."
The cadets nodded, now understanding how the core could grow without causing the body to explode.