Advancement III

Plop!

With a sound akin to a champagne cork popping, the entire white sphere was drawn into the sigil in a blinding flash of light, illuminating the room for a moment before fading away. In its wake, Zack felt a weight lift from his shoulders, as if he had just unshackled himself from a burden.

"Oh, so that's what it is!" Zack exclaimed, his realization dawning upon him. The shackle he had felt earlier must have been his physical body. Now, with his essence, consciousness, or soul—whatever it may be—safely stored within the sigil, there was no critical part of his body to worry about. If he lost a limb, he could regrow it. If his heart were to fail, he could simply regenerate it, utilizing the information stored within his soul. With his body's blueprint safely ensconced within the sigil, he could rebuild himself whenever necessary, albeit at the cost of a significant amount of mana.

But the advancement was far from over. As the sigil spun faster, each circulation of mana through the infinity core resulted in a purer form of mana, causing the size of the infinity core to diminish gradually. When it reached half its original size, the shrinking halted, and the sigil emitted a brief, intense glow before dimming once more.

It seemed to be a signal of sorts, as the mana cores closest to the blue core shot out streams of mana towards it. Instantly, the infinity core within the blue core expanded back to its original size, albeit with a slightly diminished purity. However, the sigil immediately resumed its refining process, causing the infinity core to shrink again, this time to three-quarters of its previous size. The cycle continued, with the sigil glowing brighter and dimming repeatedly as it refined the infinity mana.

Finally, the infinity mana remained at its full size, but now its purity was twice what it had been before. Just as Zack thought he had completed his advancement, the sigil flashed once more. However, this time, instead of the other mana cores sending their mana, the blue core sent its purified mana to the cores closest to it.

The process repeated itself again and again, resembling the rhythmic beating of a heart. With each beat, mana flowed from the surrounding cores to the blue core and then back out to the neighboring cores. Occasionally, mana from the surrounding sea of mana was also drawn into the cycle.

Zack couldn't help but cover his face in exasperation. "Oh my days, this is going to take forever, isn't it?"

Despite the advancement process unfolding somewhat differently from the descriptions provided by the wizards' predecessors, Zack remained unfazed. "Heh, compared to my past advancements, this is child's play," he remarked confidently. Recalling his harrowing experience during his level 2 advancement, where the mana cores unexpectedly resonated and rapidly expanded, he shuddered. Back then, he had underestimated the amount of mana required by a long shot, sending him into a panic.

Now, with nothing to do but wait, Zack found himself growing bored. Diverting some of his attention to observe the outside world, he realized his body remained immobile as usual, a defense mechanism to ensure his advancement remained undisturbed.

From the outside world, Zack floated a meter above the ground in the center of the practice room. His form remained fixed in a cross-legged posture, an embodiment of serene concentration. Occasionally, pulses or waves of energy emanated from his body, causing his robe and hair to flutter before settling back into calm. This pattern repeated itself rhythmically.

Yet, apart from these subtle fluctuations, no other disturbances occurred—no swirling vortex of mana typically associated with wizards absorbing copious amounts of energy during advancement. This absence puzzled the observers, accustomed to such phenomena during such rituals. However, Zack's utilization of the mana stored within his infinite mana heart meant that he drew no external mana from his surroundings.

This surprised the wizards observing him from the other room through the one-way mirror. Thanks to his integrated soul, Zack's senses had heightened to the point where he could detect slight vibrations in the air on the other side of the room, even through the barrier of walls and formations.

"It's been a day already. Has his advancement begun?" Sir Cedric inquired, breaking the silence that had settled over the room.

"I'm not certain. A few hours ago, he began floating, emitting pulses of energy at regular intervals. But apart from that, there's been no other activity. Is this indicative of the advancement starting or not?" Sir Archibald admitted his confusion.

"What are your thoughts, Sir Cedric?" Lady Evangeline turned to him for insight.

"I'm as clueless as you are. That's precisely why I asked," Sir Cedric replied.

"If you, who witnessed the previous tower master's advancement, are unsure, how can we expect anyone else to know? Nonetheless, it is indeed peculiar for so much time to elapse without any discernible phenomena," Lady Evangeline remarked pointedly.

Zack cursed inwardly as he overheard their conversation, a hint of panic creeping in. "Oh crap, I forgot to absorb some mana from the surroundings to make it look normal."

Quickly rectifying his mistake, he began siphoning mana from the surroundings and funneling it into his mana heart.

"He's started, he's started!" Sir Cedric exclaimed excitedly.

"Indeed," Sir Archibald remarked calmly.

Only Lady Evangeline wore a skeptical expression at the sudden turn of events. 'Something began happening as soon as we mentioned there was an issue? That's peculiar.'

Despite her doubts, Lady Evangeline went along with the consensus. "Yes, it seems to have started. And Sir Cedric, please maintain decorum in front of the juniors," she added, casting a reprimanding glance at him. Sir Cedric shrunk back sheepishly, while Fannie stood awkwardly by. The three outsider wizards maintained their silence, their lips curled in small smiles.

As he heard Sir Cedric's exclamation, Zack breathed a sigh of relief. "That was close. Luckily, I decided to keep an eye on the outside for a bit. Although it would be ideal if I could extend my wizard sense to monitor the other room, I can't afford to expend that much effort."

While the advancement process continued at a leisurely pace, Zack remained vigilant, keeping most of his attention focused on ensuring that everything proceeded smoothly.

2 months later… 

The vortex swirling inside the advancement room had grown larger, now swallowing up the entire space. Over the past month, Zack had been splitting his focus, trying to control the influx of mana into his mana heart.

With the massive amount of mana he'd absorbed, the concentration in the advancement room had skyrocketed from 50 times to 100 times the normal level. Zack was even considering increasing his suction speed again, despite knowing it could strain the room's mana gathering formation. He had no choice; last time he advanced to level 2, he'd put so much pressure on the room that it nearly broke, requiring Sir Cedric's intervention.

Considering the chaos caused by his level 2 advancement, it would be odd if his current leap to level 3 didn't cause an even bigger stir. Plus, he was also gradually increasing his overt mana level, shifting from max level 2 wizard to early level 3.

For reference, a max level 2 wizard has 10,000 mana points, while a level 3 wizard boasts around 40,000. Zack gauged the max level 2 mana level from Sir Cedric's projection and estimated the early level 3 mana level from books in the library and the pressure emitted by the saintess.

Anyway, splitting his attention made what should have been a somewhat relaxed advancement a bit hectic. But Zack was determined to make this advancement appear flawless to outsiders, unlike his messy jump to level 2. He didn't want the three level 2 wizards observing him from the other room to have any suspicions about his actual power like last time.

The mana vortex had grown so massive that it was slamming into the walls of the room, which, mind you, were as big as a football field. Yeah, it was massive. And not just the vortex, but the pressure from Zack's mana level was already nearing that of a level 3 powerhouse. It was putting so much strain on the room's formations that they were flickering on and off, and cracks were starting to show in the walls from the double pressure of the vortex and Zack's mana.

Inside the observation room.

As Lady Evangeline observed the strained conditions of the room, concern etched across her features, she couldn't help but voice her worry. "Sir Cedric, will the room be able to withstand this?" she queried anxiously.

"Don't fret, Tower Master," Sir Cedric reassured her, his confidence unwavering as he placed a reassuring hand on his chest. With the collaborative efforts of himself and Sir Zack, they had bolstered the defensive formation prior to Zack's advancement. Given their reputation for expertise in formations, particularly Zack's renown for mastery in both formations and spell patterns, Sir Cedric's confidence was well-founded.

"Even if the room struggles, I can reinforce it manually," he added confidently, ready to intervene if necessary.

Sir Archibald interjected with his own concerns, recalling the near-breakage during Sir Zack's previous advancement to level 2. "You mentioned this room was designed to withstand advancements to both level 2 and 3. Why then, is it struggling to endure Sir Zack's advancement? And I recall the last time Sir Zack advanced to level 2, the room was on the verge of breaking, wasn't it?" he pressed, seeking clarification.

Lady Evangeline's gaze turned to Sir Cedric, awaiting his response. As the supervisor of formation matters in the tower and a witness to previous advancements, Sir Cedric was the logical person to address their queries.

Observing Sir Zack within the room, Sir Cedric's usually cheery demeanor turned somber. "This is unprecedented," he began, his tone grave. "It's only during Sir Zack's advancements that the room has struggled to accommodate him. Throughout generations, there's never been a case like Sir Zack's. Moreover, the formation has been continuously enhanced over time, so it should be stronger now than during the previous Tower Master's advancement."

Reflecting on Sir Zack's immense pressure during his level 2 advancement, Sir Cedric continued, "Considering the intensity of Sir Zack's pressure during his previous advancement, I anticipate it being even greater this time. Frankly, I doubt the advancement room is currently equipped to withstand it, even after our attempts to reinforce it. I advise all of you to be prepared for any outcome."

Sir Archibald and Lady Evangeline adopted serious expressions, reflecting the gravity of Sir Cedric's words. Fannie, on the other hand, wore a curious expression, unaware of the concerns expressed by Sir Cedric and her companions. All she knew was what Zack had told her about his advancement in the past—that it had proceeded smoothly.

Meanwhile, the three outsider wizards maintained a stoic demeanor throughout the duration of the advancement. They remained silent, their expressions unchanged, with subtle smiles lingering at the corners of their lips, their thoughts and intentions veiled in mystery.

The Lightning Tower's level 2 wizards grew increasingly intrigued by the outsiders' behavior. Their unwavering presence in the room, without a single departure even during Sir Zack's advancement, raised suspicions. Only a level 2 wizard could sustain themselves solely on mana, unlike Sir Zack's disciple Fannie, who made periodic exits, presumably for sustenance or other needs.

Indeed, despite Fannie's status as a level 2 wizard, she adhered to her own needs during Sir Zack's duration. This was a direct instruction from Zack himself, who prioritized her well-being. He insisted that she maintain a regular routine—eating three times a day and sleeping once a week—even during his advancement. However, Fannie initially resisted, determined to witness every moment of his ascension out of concern for his safety.

Having missed her teacher's previous two advancements, Fannie was adamant about not missing a single second of his current one. Eventually, they reached a compromise: Fannie would attend to her basic needs, eating and sleeping once a week, to ensure her own mental health while still being present for Sir Zack's advancement.

Unknown to the three level 2 wizards from the Lightning Tower, Fannie had already reached level 2 herself. She concealed her true level using a magic artifact infused with Zack's mana, enabling her to activate the [Hidden Strength] ability and conceal her level. Therefore, they simply assumed that Fannie, as an apprentice wizard, needed to go out occasionally to eat and rest, unaware of her true capabilities.