Their teacher waited for the information to sink in, then continued,

“If Caim had been born at that time, upon awakening his affinity for fire, he would have perceived no difference in the world around him. Because no Fire Sorcerer existed before him, the Fire Mana produced by their Fire Spells during their lifetime and the dissolution of their Sparks at their death would not exist. This is why I say that whatever elemental energy you perceive comes from you and those who came before you. If you invent a spell that has never been used before you, no matter what elemental affinity you awaken, you will find nothing. So a first lesson we can derive from this is that trying to be original is not always a good idea. Too much talent, creativity and ambition can also backfire.”

It was a refreshing prospect for these students. Some of them had already been chastised by their personal instructors on this subject, but none had been able to clearly explain how it was wrong to be original and deviate from the norm.

‘Magnus, did you know about this?” Ikaris felt compelled to ask. It seemed so essential and basic that the old Vampire should have told him about it much earlier.

‘…’

‘Magnus?’

‘This Iannaril… He’s not a Sacred Magus for nothing.’ His mentor said mournfully. ‘If you remember, I already told you that there are several theories about what our Sparks become when we die if a Bloodspark is not condensed. Although many Archmagi like myself can sense certain things and have our suspicions, we have never dared to state it. The Confederation for one considers this kind of fundamental knowledge dangerous. Look at the expression of those scions of the six Ruling Houses… They too look shocked. This magic academy is famous, but it’s not supposed to teach this kind of controversial theory. I’ve heard several student whispers about this teacher and he is none other than the principal of the four academies on this campus. Why would such a renowned Sacred Magus come to teach a bunch of young Lords still suckling at their mothers’ tit? Something must have happened.’

‘The Great Wall’s fall? The Glenring invasion?’ Ikaris raised an eyebrow.

‘Maybe… In any case, take advantage of your stay here to learn like a sponge. If Iannaril is willing to share his own theories with his students, then he is serious and has decided to endure any future sanctions from the Confederation. I have a feeling that the status quo of the Forsaken Lands is changing and that a troubled era lies ahead.’

“Ikaris? Are you still with us?” Iannaril abruptly interrupted his telepathic conversation with Magnus, his sharp gaze lingering fleetingly on her ruby ring.

The boy’s heart skipped a beat, unsure why this teacher already knew his name. He could have sworn that the Sacred Magus was aware of the Vampire spirit’s presence. If Magnus was so insistent on hiding from Anaphiel, who was only a Master Sorcerer, then they should have considered that too.

‘I was reckless, hehe.’ The Vampire cackled bitterly. ‘Who knew a Sacred Magus would come and teach you on your first class…’

“You can both listen.” Iannaril stated enigmatically, his words confusing the other students.

Who was he addressing? Turning to the rest of the class as if nothing had happened, the professor thanked Caim for his participation, then continued,

“In your textbook, Introduction to the Five Major Arcana, you will also find a non-exhaustive list of the most common elemental energies and the benefits you can expect to gain from them. For those of you who read it when you were children, I hope that what I have just revealed will give your second reading of this classic new precious insights.”

Ikaris groaned silently. If he had known that, he wouldn’t have rushed to read all the textbooks last night. He had already forgotten that he didn’t really have a choice. To ignore his unquenchable hunger, he had to keep his mind busy, and those books happened to be nearby.

Iannaril persisted with the lecture, “Why is it that not being too original is your best bet for getting far on the Sorcerer’s path? Let’s take the Fire Element example again. Fire exists in nature without the intervention of magic. When Fire Mana did not exist, early Sorcerers could still use their fire affinity to draw energy from a campfire or candle. A Water Sorcerer living near a river or the sea will progress many times faster than another Water Sorcerer living in a barren desert. And of course I am not talking about their Divine Spark, but about their Water-related Sparks and their cultivation in that element.

Iannaril watched the faces of his students, each engrossed with the information he was sharing. He nodded in approval,

“Why is this important, you may be wondering? Because our Divine Sparks are actually what limit the Sorcerers. As we climb the realms, we get closer to our death. I may be considered the most talented Fae in the Warring Lands for the past five centuries, but the truth is that I would give everything I have to swap my place with you. The radiation emanating from my Divine Spark has recently surpassed my body and soul cultivation speed and I have begun to age. I can no longer compensate for the damage my own Divine Spark is doing to my body and mind. If I cast one more spell through my Divine Spark, the rate at which my body and soul are decaying will accelerate exponentially. Even with immense talent, a great bloodline and hard work, you can’t escape this ending. You can only delay it. Unless… Never mind. Try to prove me wrong.”

An uneasy silence settled in the classroom after their distinguished professor’s speech. Although he was smiling at them and speaking in a jovial manner, none of the students were in the mood to laugh. Neia’s Kiss. That was what this Divine Spark induced death was called on the continent.

Millions of confident geniuses had devised all sorts of training protocols and cultivation methods to escape this fate, but none had succeeded. The closest thing to cheating death was the method used by Saints and spirits like Magnus who cast their last spell to separate their soul from their Divine Spark.

On the surface, this was indeed cheating death, but it doomed the Sorcerer to stagnation. As Magnus had made clear to him, he could still cultivate his soul because he had managed to save a piece of his Soul Spark, but he would never develop any new abilities other than the ones he already had. The damage that his soul had suffered was also irreversible. In other words, his soul was an old man’s soul no matter how much spiritual energy and Soul Strength he managed to recover.

Noticing that a wind of depression had blown over the class, Iannaril clapped his hands to dispel their gloomy thoughts. A ray of mixed light shot out, then split into five more rays of different colors. Then these rays of light bent, until they formed 5 specks of light floating in front of their professor.

From left to right, the first was black, the second white, the third red, the fourth blue-indigo and the fifth gray. Each one had a distinct aura that attracted the attention of some students more than others.

Waves of gasps arose through the class. Elena beamed in happiness. This was it, this was real magic at work. The impossible becoming reality. She could just imagine the day when she’d walk by the see and the fish themselves would rise to greet her.

Ikaris and Danchun were equally amazed. If it was just light, they would not have been so shaken. These five specks of light embodied the five core concepts of magic.

“Magic can create extraordinary marvels.” Iannaril smiled, gratified to have brightened their mood. “No one can say for sure what is possible and what is not. Perhaps one of you will be the one to surpass all our predecessors, blazing a new trail for all Sorcerers. That is what I believe in or I would not be here to teach you today. This world needs a miracle. Now more than ever.

“Which brings me to the five Arcana a Sorcerer can specialize in. Destruction, Creation, Body, Psychism and Knowledge. The names of these Arcana are not arbitrary, but a feature of Neia. Depending on the spells you practice and the intentions behind your actions, each Spark will be tinged with one of these 5 attributes. When your Divine Spark reaches Rank 3, you will get your Specialization.

“So here is your first goal for today’s lesson: Decide right now what kind of Sorcerer you want to be. Only by knowing where you are going can you take the shortest route. Depending on what you decide, your schedules and the focus of your lessons will be reshuffled.”