Chapter Ten: The Future

Advancing to the Fifth Circle caused quite a stir within the family.

Firstly, Old Phil Cabron was nearing his thirtieth century, and for a hundred years, no Fifth Circle mage had emerged in the clan. This meant that, after Phil’s passing, there might be no successor, and the family's mage tower could fall silent without a suitable arcanist to keep it running.

Secondly, young Cabron had not yet lived through his first century yet had already stepped into the Fifth Circle, which would greatly boost the clan’s prospects in Silvermoon City.

The family was sorely lacking in high-level arcanists. Besides Old Phil, no one truly understood how difficult it was for a medium-sized clan to seek advancement amidst the tangled webs of power in Silvermoon.

The Cabron family was the foremost in alchemy within Silvermoon City and also a leader in herbalism. Their alchemical products supplied both the council and the army, making them akin to a military-industrial enterprise.

Yet, no one in the family had entered the power core of Quel’Thalas, and they held little sway in Silvermoon. Still, the Cabron clan’s alchemical creations remained valuable, drawing the attention of major families like Dawnstar, Dawnblade, Sunwing, and Morningstrider.

Old Phil had no desire to become a vassal to another house and had long struggled to maintain independence, hoping that someday a high-level arcanist would rise from the family and break free from this fate.

Patrick rose and made his way to his father’s mage tower.

Word of Patrick’s advancement to the Fifth Circle had spread through the family, and everyone wore expressions of joy and confidence for the clan’s future. Those he passed nodded in greeting, their faces alight with hope.

Entering the mage tower, Patrick used a teleportation orb and was transported to the fourth floor, his father’s usual place of work and writing. The room was lined with bookshelves; a large desk stood at the center, with a sturdy wooden chest in front of it. Magical lamps illuminated the scrolls spread across the desk, where his father was engrossed in writing, while alchemical potions simmered on a nearby workbench.

“Father.” With a gentle voice, Patrick announced his arrival.

“Oh, Pat, your progress truly astonishes me.” His father rose and walked over.

“Yes, the Fifth Circle is only the beginning for an arcanist.”

“Quite right, my child. The Fifth Circle is just a start. Mages at this level begin to master the flexible use of arcane, and the projection of mental power; we start to sense a truer world hidden from ordinary sight.”

“Indeed, during the advancement, my mental power spread outward in something like enlightenment, and after gaining perception it returned to the sea of my consciousness.”

“My child, your arcane talent is exceptional, but alongside such gifts, you must work even harder. Diligent elves are rare indeed. Your perseverance will carry you far along the arcane path, granting greater knowledge, power, and status, and you will become a pillar of our people.” His father, delighted, spoke at length. “You will always be the pride of the Cabron family.”

The two talked for a long time. Patrick recounted his experiences learning from Daswither, while his father shared what had happened at home during Patrick’s absence. They enjoyed the conversation immensely.

When Patrick departed, his father handed him the large chest he had seen earlier in the study.

Inside were books and scrolls; among them, one scroll listed several Fifth Circle spells:

Transmutation: Arcane Resonance.
Conjuration: Teleportation.
Evocation: Force Construction.
Universal: Magic Stability.
Abjuration: Energy Resistance.

“These must be the highest arcane spells in the family,” Patrick mused. Old Phil was merely a Fifth Circle mage, yet possessed spells from five different schools—truly astonishing.

There were also formulas for Refined Wisdom Elixir, Superior Energy Elixir, Multiple Resistance Elixir, Potent Arcane Protection Potion, Anti-Magic Potion, Enhancement Elixir, Resilience Elixir, Giant’s Elixir, Arcane Power Elixir, Mongoose Elixir, and other top-tier potion recipes.

Additionally, there were books such as “The Connection Between Rune Studies and Enchantment,” “Rune Smelting Techniques,” “Alchemy and Elemental Transmutation,” and others, covering the family’s research in alchemy, runes, and enchantment.

Leaving his father’s tower and returning home, Patrick found himself in possession of all the family’s core knowledge. Yet, learning would have to proceed slowly.

[Soul Reading and Memory Touch—both spells can help you memorize the contents of these books. As for mastery, that depends on your own practice.] Allen popped up again, eager to assert her presence.

A flash of arcane light, and Patrick immersed himself in the ocean of books. The words from arcane scrolls and tomes projected themselves into his mind.

Though skills like Soul Reading could help a mage quickly memorize magic, such data-like memory import could affect the mind; too much information at once might cause mental chaos. In a way, Allen’s caster memories and the mental amplification she brought were of great benefit.

Patrick organized his mental recollections. The family’s alchemical heritage must be mastered, for it was the mark of the Cabron clan.

Diligent elves were rare; the ordinary elf’s life was one of pleasure, indulgence, and aversion to effort, with no concept of diligent study. The arcane masters of Silvermoon had perfected arcane constructs, and even farming required barely any physical labor, relying on the Sunwell’s radiance—endless energy sustaining Quel’Thalas in eternal prosperity.

“There is no eternity; all this will vanish someday.” Patrick thought to himself.

Having just entered the Fifth Circle, Patrick knew that relying on the family business would make his future development in Silvermoon City far easier. Yet, as a newly risen arcanist, he would inevitably receive invitations from major houses, and over time, might become a puppet of power, no different from those elves mired in Silvermoon’s political morass.

He had to break free from Silvermoon, cultivating his own influence elsewhere.

Silvermoon’s educational system was a failure—truly a failure. In Patrick’s view, the golden age of education was adolescence, when personal beliefs were still malleable and worldviews could be shaped, determining a person’s life trajectory.

Thanks to the rigorous schooling of his previous life, Patrick had once thought the burdensome coursework unnecessary. But after witnessing Silvermoon’s education system, he felt grateful for those very studies he had once resented—they had their merit after all.

He recalled how, in his previous world, some Western countries promoted unbridled freedom, encouraging students to “do whatever they wished,” liberating their nature. The result was much like Silvermoon: people becoming lazy, shortsighted, and pleasure-seeking, deaf to any other voices.

This was the standard method for stupefying the populace: on one hand, encouraging the masses to indulge themselves; on the other, ensuring their own children studied arts and sciences. Thus, class divisions began—the offspring of great houses became ever more accomplished and powerful, while ordinary people drowned in hedonism and lost themselves.

Silvermoon was already dominated by major families like Sunwing, Dawnlight, Dawnblade, and Windrunner. To break free, one must travel beyond Silvermoon, or find a place where one’s own value could shine.

“The road ahead is long and winding.” Patrick closed “Alchemy and Elemental Transmutation,” and began to carefully contemplate his future.