The Dark Mage Of The Magus World-Chapter 61: Ascension

Hutson studied Larry’s expression closely—it was clear the alchemist had no intention of leaving Moonlight Woodland.

If war truly broke out, even full-fledged wizards wouldn’t be able to escape its grasp.

"And you?" Hutson asked.

Larry chuckled, his tone light, but his eyes sharp with calculation.

"Me? I’m support personnel." He leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping idly on the wooden armrest. "When war erupts, my alchemical knowledge is far more valuable than my combat skills. If the fighting ever reaches the point where I have to pick up a staff and join the front lines... well, that’s when I’ll start planning my escape."

Hutson frowned slightly. "Aren’t full-fledged wizards also bound by contracts with Moonlight Woodland?"

Larry smirked. "That’s the advantage of being a master alchemist. My contract isn’t the same as the others." He swirled his cup of tea lazily before continuing. "Technically, I’m a hired consultant. The restrictions on me aren’t nearly as tight."

Hutson exhaled softly. So that’s the power of having a rare skill.

An expert in a valuable field would always be sought after, no matter the situation.

"Enough about that." Larry’s voice shifted back to business. "Let’s go over everything you need to know about your ascension."

He leaned forward, his eyes sharp.

"There’s an old saying in the wizarding world—no two ascensions are ever the same."

Hutson listened carefully.

"It means that every wizard’s ascension is unique. During the process, you may encounter various phenomena, and you’ll have to rely on your knowledge to adapt to the situation."

He paused, then added, "Of course, you’re only advancing to a second-tier apprentice. The risks are much lower at this stage. But never forget—knowledge is a wizard’s greatest weapon. More than magic, more than power, it is knowledge that will save your life."

Returning home, Hutson spent two days reviewing everything Larry had taught him.

When he was finally ready, he took out the Dawn Elixir—his key to ascension.

"AI chip, initiate full-body monitoring. If any anomalies arise during the process, notify me immediately."

"Task registered."

A three-dimensional model of his body materialized before him—a real-time representation of his physical state, surrounded by an array of shifting data points.

Hutson took a deep breath and uncorked the vial.

A wisp of violet mist coiled into the air, carrying a faint, bitter scent.

With no hesitation, he tilted his head back and drank.

The liquid burned as it slid down his throat—bitter, laced with a sharp sting that spread through his chest like a creeping frost.

The moment the potion entered his system, a surge of energy erupted from within.

"Heart rate increasing—current heart rate: 157 bpm."

"Toxic compounds detected. Body damage at 3%. Abort ascension and purge toxins?"

"No. Continue."

Hutson clenched his fists, closing his eyes as the elixir’s magic began reconstructing him from within.

Suddenly, violet flames flickered to life across his skin.

They emitted no heat, didn’t burn his clothes, but he felt them in his soul—an unseen fire tempering his existence.

"Current heart rate: 267 bpm."

"Body damage at 10%."

"Genetic structure destabilizing..."

Hutson’s entire body trembled, his veins pulsing like molten threads, but his mind remained unshaken.

He knew this was part of the process.

"Genetic structure reconfiguring..."

Then—

A whisper.

Soft, like silk brushing against his ear.

"Hutson, look. What do you see?"

A woman’s voice.

Hutson ignored it.

The voice persisted.

Then came more voices—overlapping, chaotic, echoing from every direction.

"Odd function remains unchanged, pay attention to the quadrant..."

"Wake up! You’re going to miss roll call!"

A barrage of disjointed phrases, pulling at his mind, trying to break his focus.

But Hutson’s will was unyielding.

He remained anchored in the present, drowning out the voices, focusing solely on the ascension.

Suddenly—

A detonation inside his skull.

It felt like his mind had shattered and reassembled in the same instant.

His perception shifted.

All around him, he saw particles of energy floating in the air—swirling, pulsing, breathing.

"Wind-element particles... fiery red, likely fire element... and black... dark energy?"

Before, Hutson could only sense ambient mana, unable to distinguish between different magical elements.

But now—he could see them.

Each particle had an identity, a signature.

"Then, which element is mine?"

Upon reaching the second-tier apprentice level, a wizard could resonate with one or more types of energy.

These particles would fuse into their body, becoming a permanent source of power—strengthening their constitution over time.

In turn, their radiation would affect the world around them—low-level wizard apprentices weren’t strong enough to harm others, but they would find it difficult to have children with normal humans.

Most importantly, once an element was chosen, all spells of that type would be vastly enhanced.

It didn’t mean other spells were unusable—but specializing in one would bring immense benefits.

Hutson exhaled slowly, stretching out his hands.

Instead of absorbing everything, he let the energy flow around him—letting his body decide which element resonated with him most.

Then—

A reaction.

The particles around him shifted, drawn toward his skin like iron to a lodestone.

Hutson narrowed his eyes.

Dark energy.

That was the only element his body recognized.

A sea of black particles coiled toward him, sinking into his bones, his veins, his soul.

The choice had been made.

Hutson was a Dark Wizard.

Dark energy.

A high-tier elemental force, fragmented into countless subtypes—negative energy, shadow energy, entropy magic... all of them existing beneath the vast, all-consuming domain of darkness.

"So, from now on, I must specialize in dark-energy magic."

For wizard apprentices, mastering their natural affinity was the key to efficient growth. Those who aligned their studies with their innate elemental resonance progressed twice as fast with half the effort.

And when reaching third-tier apprentice, the importance of specialization became even greater—it was the stage where wizards began preparing for the final ascension into a full-fledged sorcerer.

Hutson thought back to Locke, whom he had encountered before. His magic was heavily focused on earth-element spells—his foundation was strong, his magic solid, his spells efficient.

The same would apply to Hutson now.

"Current heart rate: 97 bpm."

"Body is undergoing slow recovery..."

The storm raging within his body had finally begun to settle. His flesh and bones adapted to the infusion of dark energy particles, reinforcing his physique while his mind synchronized with his new power.

"AI chip, analyze current physical status."

A translucent holographic display materialized before his eyes, revealing his updated attributes:

Hutson Merlin

Strength: 3.0Agility: 3.1Constitution: 4.8Mental Power: 11.0Mana: 40%

Hutson nodded to himself.

"Ascension successful. Just as Master Larry said, with my current mental power, advancing to a second-tier apprentice was never going to be an issue."

He lifted a hand and whispered an incantation.

"Dark Energy Shield."

A dark, translucent barrier formed around his body, pulsating with an eerie black glow—stronger, denser, more refined than before.

"AI chip, compare the current shield’s performance with its previous version."

A response came instantly.

"Calculations complete. Due to the integration of dark energy particles, shield durability has increased by 63%. Mana consumption reduced by 39%.

Hutson’s eyes narrowed in thought.

"No wonder second-tier apprentices start choosing their specialization. The efficiency gain is massive. A hundred percent effort now yields a hundred and fifty percent return."

He exhaled slowly.

This wasn’t just an incremental upgrade.

This was a fundamental shift in power.

But Hutson didn’t dwell in celebration.

He knew the path ahead was far from over.

Crossing his legs, he resumed meditation, allowing his mind to dive into the astral void.

In the endless starry expanse of his consciousness, six stars glowed brightly, their constellations forming the foundation of his power.

Four more remained.

Once they were fully formed, he would be ready to step into the realm of third-tier apprentices.

With careful precision, Hutson searched the cosmic void, selecting one of the remaining stars. He then focused his will upon it, allowing the power of the cosmos to flow through him.

But then, he noticed something—

The pace of his meditation was slower than usual.

"Without Meteor Grass, the process is significantly less efficient."

For the past several weeks, he had been using Meteor Grass to accelerate his meditation.

Now that it was gone, the sudden drop in speed was almost unbearable.

"Luxury breeds dependency. Now that I’ve experienced rapid meditation, going back feels agonizingly slow."

Meteor Grass had outlived its usefulness—it was no longer effective for his current level.

Hutson sighed, opening his eyes.

"I need a new method to accelerate my meditation."

Somewhere out there, he was certain, lay the key to breaking past his limits.

And he would find it.