Chapter 104: The Angry Earl

Net? 'Qi' filtering?

If it were anyone else, they probably wouldn't have understood a word Boen was saying. But the Count understood perfectly. It was precisely because he had grasped the meaning that his expression turned so strangely peculiar.

"Hm? Grandfather... is there a problem?"

Boen noticed his grandfather's odd look.

"Who taught you this method?"

"No one taught me. I worked it out on my own!"

"..."

Only then did the Count realize that no one had instructed him in purifying magic power; Boen had discovered the technique entirely by himself. No wonder it felt so simple and crude. Yet the very idea of harnessing 'qi' to filter it was brilliant.

Think of elements as ordinary citizens. Then an individual's elemental affinity is their natural leadership and charisma. By leveraging that affinity to draw in elements, imprinting them with willpower and converting them into usable magic power—soldiers, in effect.

The higher one's own level, the more soldiers one could command. Since they were soldiers, there were naturally ranks: the masses, the elite, the true elite. Meditation, in ordinary times, was simply about sensing magic power. In truth, it served to sharpen control over that power—training soldiers. Most recruits were first gathered, then drilled in battle until they evolved into hardened elites.

Boen had taken a far bolder route, sweeping 'qi' back and forth through his body, brushing against the destructive properties of the element. Any magic power that survived was unquestionably strong; those that could not endure simply perished...

That explained why the purification rate had been so high.

The Count's own thoughts were also unusual. At first he had sensed something amiss, but gradually he accepted Boen's unconventional practice.

Purification itself had been invented by mortals. Boen had even spun out an entire profession from the idea. A simple 'purification' was hardly beyond acceptance.

A true genius...

Genius perspectives were always singular.

Ordinary people meditated merely to kill time, or turned to potions and special magical artifacts to intensify the practice. The first option was practical and common; the second belonged to those with hidden fortunes.

Most mortals reached only about fifty percent purification before advancing to higher ranks.

Of course, there were special methods such as Boen's, but they did not rely on 'qi'. The Nesser world's power systems were manifold—many and increasingly chaotic in later ages.

Special meditations like the Crystal Meditation Method also existed, akin to the martial-arts techniques found in novels. The day-elven royal house and the dwarf royal house both possessed secret inheritances of such methods. Later, as Nesser developed and enslaved beings from outer planes, meditation became fiercely competitive. In time, the realm produced hundreds of meditation variants of differing strengths, even rendering the purification process itself unnecessary.

Boen's crude approach had somehow avoided triggering any 'soldier revolt' or magical backlash. Luck, perhaps.

"Someone else's method may not suit you," the Count said slowly. "Yet you may try gathering magic power in the usual way!"

This was the technique most practitioners used, and even in meditation one sought out places where elements were abundant.

Boen blinked, then gave a bitter laugh. He had been absurdly foolish—possessing a highly useful magic-power storage device yet choosing not to employ it, and instead posing such a stupid question to his grandfather.

Fortunately, their minds ran along different paths, and the discussion ended without further elaboration. Boen seized the moment to mention his need to experiment with the new five-ring arcane.

"You've already constructed a five-ring spell?"

The Count's tone betrayed surprise. How recently had Boen advanced to mid-tier arcanist? So soon he had already built a five-ring spell.

"Yes, Grandfather."

Boen answered respectfully and then recounted the process of upgrading and deducing from the "Domain Mechanism" chapter.

"The Domain Mechanism Chapter? Did you read the whole thing?"

The Count asked quickly.

"Yes, Grandfather. I read it entirely, more than once!"

Boen added proudly, thinking the Count must be astonished.

"Who gave it to you?"

The Count's face remained expressionless, yet Boen sensed the smoldering fury beneath his grandfather's eyes.

Boen realized something was amiss and quickly summarized how Rodney had lent him the complete set of Nesser scrolls, "Domain Mechanism" chapter.

"Excellent! My worthy student indeed!"

The Count's voice was ice-cold. Within a meter of him, frost formed rapidly, thick and solid.

Although the Golden Scroll had laid the foundation of Nesser’s magical civilization, in its earliest days it had also destroyed countless prodigiously talented spellcasters. In the eyes of true arcanists, knowledge was the most wondrous and seductive treasure in the world. For that reason, when the Golden Scroll was first uncovered it sparked an enormous scandal. Almost no one could resist the temptation. Those who read it anyway either went mad or suffered grievous internal injuries; even the mildest case left them unable to cast another spell for the rest of their lives.

It was for this reason that the high nobles had decided to store the scrolls in separate locations.

The royal family, the temple, and certain renowned scholars each received a portion to guard.

Even if one secretly read their own fragment, they would not perish from overloading on information.

"Rodney actually collected the entire chapter! What were those temple brutes eating? They didn't even know about this? Openly defying Lord Gyles's rules!"

The Count grew visibly agitated, unable to restrain the vast magic power surging within him. The wild energy radiated outward like magic bullets, centered on him.

Boen had never seen his grandfather so furious. It was difficult to reconcile with an arcanist who prided himself on rationality; the Count was clearly beyond anger.

Yet Boen caught an unfamiliar name.

Lord Gyles.

Gyles, Vanwick, Kieran, Gustav, Morrigan, Nassif, and Jaanick—seven surnames that had once been the seven great nobles of Nesser’s founding age. In truth, they had originally been the names of seven fishing villages.

At the time they had merely united to repel the orc hordes, seeking warmth in numbers. Each village had added its own name after the surname to distinguish itself. Who could have guessed that a band of rough villagers would grow like cheat users, swelling into a mighty force.

The tradition of using village names as surnames had endured, forming Nesser’s earliest nobility. Most nobles today were branches of those seven houses.

And one figure could not be overlooked: Serene Gyles. Even the academy itself was named in his honor.

Nesser’s first arcanist.

The most renowned and respected person of that era, second only to Little Nesser and the shaman who called forth spirits.

The Count’s unnatural aura startled Boen.

Boen checked the chip’s records and discovered that the Count’s current strength far exceeded what he had shown when slaying the foul chemist—and not by a little.

Had Grandfather held back during that fight?

The impropriety was too glaring. Strength had advanced at an abnormal pace.

Grandfather’s growth was even swifter than his own cheating. Truly, he had seen a ghost...