In a short while, the girl named Celine, as Anthony had called her, entered, holding a book. After placing the book aside, she quietly left the room.
Anthony picked up the book and turned to Adam. "The profession of sorcery is one of the extraordinary vocations. Its primary focus is on the manipulation of material forces through spiritual energy—the mind's power."
"The ultimate goal is to unravel the mysteries of the soul."
"There are many uses for mental energy," Anthony continued. "It can enhance one's presence or be used to directly control and manifest power through will alone. However, such uses are inefficient, representing a great waste of potential."
"Thus, people developed magic, by studying the forces of nature, linking their spiritual energy with those forces to manifest extraordinary miracles."
"However, most magic cannot be performed instantly. And so, the grimoire was created." Anthony opened the book, revealing not pages of paper but hard plates made from an unknown material.
"The pages are crafted from rare minerals that can retain spiritual energy, pre-programmed with simplified rituals. When the time comes, they can be activated to release magic."
Holding the book, Anthony pointed to the first page, where a circular array had suddenly appeared, etched into the surface.
"I have left a spell here. You can connect it with your own mental energy to cast it. Though due to mismatched spiritual frequencies, the spell's power will be halved, it will still provide a shield of dustlessness for about three minutes."
"This is now yours." He placed the book in front of Adam, allowing him to feel the power of its presence.
Truth be told, Adam had never held anything of significant value in his hands for nearly fourteen years since his reincarnation. Yet today, he was handed a grimoire, a piece of treasure that emanated value just by its mere appearance.
Reflecting on his apprenticeship under Alva, where he could only toil with manual labor, Adam couldn't help but contrast it with Anthony's approach: with a mere mention of being his student, he was handed a grimoire, complete with a protective spell.
In that moment, Adam felt a sense of confusion, but he quickly accepted the grimoire. As an outcast, his origin could never be changed. If he were an ordinary person, perhaps he would have settled down and focused solely on his training here.
"You should part your hair a bit," Anthony smiled, noticing the scar on Adam's face. He shook his head and added, "People need to be confident; it's just a scar."
"...I've grown used to it," Adam responded with a small smile, lowering his head slightly.
"Come with me," Anthony said, rising and heading for the door. Adam quickly followed.
"I've created an inner space based on the reflection of the clock tower," Anthony spoke as they walked, occasionally turning to Adam. His words carried a hint of pride. "I call it the Reflection Tower. We're currently in an inverted state."
"I live at the top, the twelfth floor, where my laboratory is located," Anthony continued, offering Adam a glimpse of the space.
"Altogether, there are twelve floors, each with its own purpose. The area we just passed is the reception level," Anthony gestured at the door, where a glowing symbol appeared: "Unfortunately, there aren't many visitors."
Along the way, Anthony instructed Adam on how to use the coin, which was wrapped in a chain, to access the various floors of the tower. Each floor of the Reflection Tower had its own purpose, but Anthony had only granted Adam access to the first, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth floors.
As for the others, Anthony mentioned they contained dangerous elements not suitable for Adam to explore.
Their destination was the tenth floor, where a library awaited, and most of the future lessons would be held there.
After summoning a book, Anthony placed it in front of Adam. Unlike Jin, who focused on practical knowledge and breaking everything down for Adam, Anthony began with a tale—the history of sorcerers.
"A pair of twins, a boy and a girl, were born to three siblings, named Di and Yi."
"Di and Yi came together and birthed forty-nine children."
"When Yi gave birth to the fiftieth child, the blood flow would not stop, and her belly shriveled, but the child never emerged."
"Yi, in her agony, gathered the blood-soaked soil and, despite Di's objections, began to research how to bring the fiftieth child into the world."
"On the first day, Di brought all forty-nine children but Yi did not open the door."
"On the second day, Di brought forty-eight, but Yi did not open the door."
"Until, on the third day, Di and the first child knocked together, and Yi, now skeletal, held the crying fiftieth child in her arms."
"When Di received the child, he realized Yi had died."
"One life born, one life died." — From "The Divine Word: Chronicles of the Children"
Anthony read aloud this passage with a somber tone before addressing Adam.
"To the uninitiated, Yi's actions have been interpreted in various ways. Some regard her as a saint, others as a sinner."
"But for sorcerers, Yi is considered the origin of our kind."
"The fiftieth child symbolizes the entirety of sorcery."
"Is that why you ask, 'To the departed'?" Adam recalled the question Celine had asked when they entered the Reflection Tower.
"Yes, more or less," Anthony replied with a smile, closing the book. "The term 'sorcerer' is a modern label, but in ancient times, there was no such distinction between sorcerers, shamans, and others who practiced spiritual powers or researched the force of resurrection. They all referred to themselves as the departed or the fiftieth child."
"And the earliest meditation methods stemmed from this," Anthony continued, tapping the book. "Di and his children knocked daily at Yi's door, yet they could never get in."
"This is where the most crucial aspect of being a sorcerer comes into play: focus."
"Likewise, meditation requires blocking out all other senses and focusing solely on those born of the soul, allowing you to gradually sense the existence of spiritual power."
"Our brain is like that house, and our soul is the door. We close it to achieve results, then open it once we've succeeded."
"However, this step is perilous. Yi succeeded, but she died in the process."
"From this foundation of meditation, subsequent generations refined and expanded the methods, leading to the various advanced meditation techniques we use today."
"Since you have already awakened your spiritual power, you can skip the basic meditation and begin with advanced techniques," Anthony continued, his voice calm. "Now, I will teach you the advanced method I practice—'The Soul's Soil'."
Anthony shared the secrets of his meditation practice without hesitation, explaining that the power derived from the Soul's Soil was rooted in the study of both the soul and life itself.
"Through this technique, your spiritual power will lean toward controlling the soul and transforming life," Anthony explained further. "This also opens pathways to creation, summoning, curses, and necromancy—though be wary, as curses and necromancy are forbidden by the church."
"The magic I used to build the Reflection Tower falls under creation. The magic I will teach you will also focus on creation and summoning," Anthony concluded, his voice steady and clear.
"Understand that you should not rush in your training, and if you encounter any abnormalities, come straight to the Reflection Tower."
"I understand, Master Anthony," Adam nodded, full of respect. Anthony was undoubtedly a figure worthy of admiration.
"There's one more thing," Anthony said, pausing for a moment. "Once we leave here, you don't need to hide your sorcerer identity, but don't tell others you're studying with me. If anyone asks, say that Alva is your teacher. He'll also apply for a position for you at the church."
"And don't mention that I'm still alive."