Training hall.
Aldrich was completely dumbfounded.
He felt like he needed to recalibrate his emotions.
"This kid is a freak—there's no explaining him with common sense."
"With how freakish he is, breaking through a Sanctum's magical defenses so cheaply is… normal, I guess."
Aldrich thought to himself.
Damn it!
Normal my ass!
This is not power a mortal is supposed to have!
It took Aldrich a long while to finally accept that reality.
"Aldrich-sensei, is there something wrong with my magic?"
Karl asked very modestly.
Karl might have talent, but he was still a beginner.
He didn't think his experience could compare to Aldrich's.
So he asked in an extremely low-key manner.
Hearing that—
Aldrich forced a smile onto his face.
"No problem. You did very well."
Even though he knew a normal person should never be able to breach a Sanctum's defenses so effortlessly, nor do it so easily—
in a certain sense,
Karl's magic really didn't have anything "wrong" with it.
It was just a little too absurd, that's all.
Aldrich gathered his thoughts and spoke.
"Karl, you did very well."
"With Portal magic, you're already not below my level."
Aldrich even felt that, for his entire lifetime, his level might never catch up to Karl's.
But what he said wasn't wrong, either.
Karl, on the other hand, had no reference point, so he naturally didn't realize it.
He only replied modestly.
"Not at all, not at all. I still need to learn from you, sensei."
"Alright, we don't need to be so formal with each other."
"Since your mastery of Portal magic has reached this level, you can start training new magic again."
"The usual training pace for ordinary sorcerers probably doesn't suit you."
"You're a genius, so you should have a genius's way of training."
Aldrich said with clear appreciation.
"Aldrich-sensei, you flatter me. I'm just a bit more hardworking—that doesn't make me a genius."
Karl said modestly.
Aldrich's mouth twitched.
You're not some genius.
You're a freak.
Karl didn't pay attention to Aldrich's expression. Instead, he asked:
"Aldrich-sensei, Kamar-Taj has endless spells."
"What do you think I should train first?"
Hearing Karl ask, Aldrich nodded in satisfaction.
In magic cultivation, the biggest taboo is practicing blindly on your own. Even geniuses can run into danger—and the chance of danger can be even higher.
Karl knew to ask him, and that pleased him.
"Karl, as the saying goes, a towering building rises from level ground."
"Fundamentals are always the most important thing for a sorcerer."
"I suggest you start by training Kamar-Taj Combat Arts. This is the beginning of our Kamar-Taj lineage of close combat."
"It's a pity the Ancient One-sama and Baron Mordo-san aren't in Kamar-Taj. Otherwise, they really should be the ones to teach you personally."
Aldrich said with a hint of regret.
Hearing this, Karl suddenly understood.
Right.
Kamar-Taj's biggest difference from traditional sorcerers—
is that they're all melee sorcerers.
In their eyes, magic isn't some overwhelmingly powerful attack move; instead, it's more like a weapon.
Eldritch Whip, Tao Mandalas—those are all spells meant to create advantages for close combat.
Take the Sorcerer Supreme, for example—
she only displayed a single spell, and it beat Kaecilius and his Zealots until they were scrambling in panic.
But is that reasonable?
Forget everything else.
If the Ancient One-sama's raw power weren't enough, just two Zealots would be able to push her into a life-or-death crisis.
But in reality, that wasn't the case.
Even when several Zealots worked together to restrain the Ancient One-sama, she broke free with ease.
That showed just how terrifyingly strong her physical body was.
And that naturally had everything to do with magic.
Now it seemed clear—
this was the effect of Kamar-Taj Combat Arts.
Karl's eyes lit up. He wanted to learn this too!
He bowed low-key toward Aldrich and said:
"Aldrich-sensei, please enlighten me."
Aldrich stopped lamenting, waved his hand, and said:
"Kamar-Taj Combat Arts aren't complicated."
"It's called 'combat arts,' but in reality it's a method of tempering your body by absorbing the natural power of other dimensions."
"Then, combined with corresponding combat training, you raise your battle capability."
"But you must remember: this is a long-term process, not something achieved in a day."
"You need continuous training to cultivate it to a profound realm."
"By all logic, this magic has no upper limit."
Aldrich said seriously.
"I understand, Aldrich-sensei."
Karl agreed just as seriously.
"Alright. I'll demonstrate it once. Watch and learn carefully."
Aldrich said.
As he spoke, he stepped back.
Golden energy began to ripple through the surrounding space—
like fireflies.
Those golden motes surfaced directly from an unknown space and flowed into Aldrich's body.
Then something strange happened.
Aldrich's body seemed to turn transparent; inside him, a golden galaxy appeared, slowly circulating.
"Etch the energy's circulation path into your mind."
"Let the natural energy of the universe continuously permeate and nourish your body."
"Remember—don't push too hard all at once, or your body may not be able to endure it."
He maintained it for a moment.
After seeing that Karl had memorized the path, Aldrich returned to normal.
"Alright, Karl. Now it's your turn to try."
"Don't worry. This spell is difficult, but most people can get started in a few days."
Aldrich said.
[Ding!]
[Detected that the host is learning Kamar-Taj Combat Arts. God-tier talent triggered a critical strike.]
[You have mastered Kamar-Taj Combat Arts.]
The system prompt sounded inside Karl's mind.
A smile appeared at the corner of Karl's mouth.
"Please guide me, Aldrich-sensei."
Karl said a single line—
then began driving the magical power within his body.
Golden points of light surfaced from the void.
Aldrich: ??
He hadn't even finished talking!
Is "genius" this freakish?!
Kamar-Taj Combat Arts really aren't some complicated magic.
But getting started isn't easy.
Among many spells, it's actually considered relatively complex.
Because it requires controlling cosmic energy to circulate within the body.
There's a certain risk, so you have to be extremely careful.
Lose focus for even a moment, and you fail.
So this magic often takes days, or even months, slowly adapting and gradually manipulating more power.
But Karl learned it in the blink of an eye.
"Is this… the world of geniuses?"
Aldrich simply couldn't understand it.
(End of Chapter)
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