"What exactly is this [River of Destiny]?" a student asked.
"I already told you what it is, but if you're asking me to give you a detailed definition or explanation of the [River of Destiny] itself, then I'm afraid I can't help you. Such a question is beyond my understanding," Professor Burbank shook his head.
"But you just said with confidence that the origin of life is this [River of Destiny]. You can't just leave us hanging after dropping such a heavy bomb on us. What is the source of your claim?"
"Like you, I'm still a student in this long journey that is magic. And when it comes to topics such as this, I can only iterate knowledge that has been verified by even more powerful mages than I. Many Archmages and Sages have written detailed records on these topics. If you are interested, you can check them out."
"I'm sorry, professor, but I can't accept such an unprofessional answer on a topic of this magnitude."
"Things are getting interesting," Zane thought. So far, the tower has presented a fairly open academy atmosphere, but is this its true nature? What happens when there is a confrontation with the recruits? When they question the things the tower teaches? Will the atmosphere remain so fair and open? Well, this interaction should reveal some crucial information.
Professor Burbank looked at the student: a woman in her late 20s dressed in a blue sweater and long skirts, with a gold cross as a necklace. Her short brown hair hung on her shoulders, and her spirited and defiant eyes glared at him.
"Religious?" Professor Burbank asked, and the woman nodded after a brief pause.
"In this extraordinary journey that you've just started, there will be countless things that challenge your worldview and beliefs. If you want to prevent any psychological problems, my advice is to learn to separate your faith from everything else. Faith — and I mean individual belief, not religion — is a personal matter. If you keep it close to your heart and remain unwavering, it will sustain your soul in this long journey. However, if you allow your experience and the gloom of organized religion to get a grip on you, then your life will be filled with torment and anguish."
The classroom was dead silent. Earth has more than 6 billion people who identify with one religion or another, meaning that, statistically speaking, most of the recruits are believers. Of course, there is a difference between identifying with a religion and actually practicing the teachings. Regardless, with so many people with deep religious ideas, there are bound to be issues. Zane already ran into a small one when he spoke to Ricardo.
"What a standard and rehearsed answer," Zane thought, secretly shaking his head. It wasn't hard to tell that Professor Burbank's answer was most likely a part of his training by the tower. Regardless, this conversation revealed much to him.
"Alright, let's continue with the class," Professor Burbank stated, swiftly changing the conversation and diffusing the tension. "Divination is not an easy field to study, and any decent mage knows it's in their best interest to find ways to protect their information. I recommend that, at some point, all of you buy anti-divination enchanted items to protect yourself. Although they are expensive, they are a worthy investment."
Zane took note of these words. Whether it is Ancient or Modern warfare, intelligence or information has always been a crucial factor. And with magic allowing people to obtain it at the blink of an eye, it will become paramount to learn counter-intelligence measures, such as anti-divination.
"Sir, I have a question."
"Go ahead, Ms. Kyle."
"If I suspect my boyfriend is cheating, can I use divination to find the truth?"
Professor Burbank suddenly paused for a few seconds, "The answer is yes, but I will deduct 1 point from you."
"What? Why?"
"For asking such an obvious and disruptive question."
"But, professor, it's a valid question. Plus, I only have zero points."
"Now, it's -1," Professor Burbank calmly stated. "Anyone else? You'd better be careful what you ask." No one said anything for a while, so Professor Burbank decided to continue with the lecture.
"The Field of Transmutation is all about the control, manipulation, and transformation of non-organic matter from one state to another. As you may deduce from the way it's written on the board, Transmutation is closely associated with the profession of Alchemy.
"Of course, Alchemy is not just how you Earthlings described it; alchemists don't just try to turn lead into gold. In ancient times, Alchemy was a broad term for all magical professions. However, over time, professions such as potion refining, enchanting, scroll making, and runescribing became independent. But to this day, alchemy remains a broad term for many magical professionals, especially among mage engineers, who are also called artificiers."
"Engineering? Is Alchemy going to be my chosen magical profession?" Zane thought, his eyes shining with intense fervor.
"Sir, I don't know if this is a stupid question or not, but is the concept of a Philosopher's Stone real?"
"It is, and if someone wishes to gain the title of [Grand Alchemist], they must create their first Philosopher's Stone," Professor Burbank nodded.
"Dully noted," the student nodded.
"Any more questions? Yes, Ms. Johnson."
"I notice that there are regular minerals and magic minerals: what is the difference?"
"What do you think?"
"…One has mana, and the other doesn't?"
"Not necessarily mana, but extraordinary minerals have unique extraordinary energy woven into their molecular structure."
"Regular minerals can also turn into extraordinary minerals, correct? How does that work?" Zane asked, remembering what Lysana had told him.
"You are correct, but I have no idea of the principle behind such a transmutation process. What to know is that only the Grand Alchemist has such abilities, which probably means the Philosopher Stone is involved."
Zane nodded. His desire to select Alchemy as his main profession intensified. With his background in materials science, he may do well in the field of transmutation. Furthermore, he has plenty of ideas that could never come to fruition because of the limits of science and technology. Maybe he could finally accomplish them after studying alchemy.
"Anyone else?" Professor Burbank surveyed the class for a few seconds before continuing. "As I said before, do not take these fields as absolute. There are plenty of unique magic that are not part of the official 16 fields. More importantly, truly unique magic is the combination of different fields.
"Lava magic combines Earth and Fire; Water and Fire can create Cloud Magic; Lightning and Wind form Storm Magic, and those are just the tip of the iceberg. The true limit of magic is your imagination — well, that's not true. You still need the knowledge to combine these different fields, but the point still stands: do not limit your mind to these 16 fields."
"Professor, what's the most unique magic you've come in contact with?"
"Oh, that's an interesting question. On top of my head, I can think of two. The first was the Void Flame. An old friend of mine combined Flame and Spatial Magic as a means to escape the spell Dimension Anchor, which blocks the surrounding space and prevents teleportation."
Professor Burbank had a dazed look, followed by a gentle smile that even he probably didn't notice. Then, he sighed softly before regaining his bearing.
"The second unique magic I have encountered was called Gluttony. I once almost died at the hands of a Devil that had learned a small portion of Gluttony Magic."
"Gluttony? As in excessive eating?"
"Gluttony Magic is a unique field created by one of the Nine Rulers of the Hell Dimension. It combines Space, Life, Darkness, Mind, and Soul Magic into one to create a unique spell that can condense a pocket dimension inside a person's stomach to devour everything: soul, mana, life energy, emotions, matter, and even concepts."
"Concepts?"
"Don't ask since I don't have answers. But that's what the rumors say," Professor Burbank shrank.
"Oh."
"What's the point of absorbing these things?"
"Of course, it's to nourish the caster," Professor Burbank explained. "Whether it is the soul, mana, or life energy, they all require a slow and boring process of growth. But through that magic, someone could swallow someone else to improve drastically."
"Doesn't that mean this magic provides a fast track to higher stages of meditation?"
"You wish," Professor Burbank sneered after seeing the excitement of these students; he had already guessed what they were thinking. "Demons, Devils, and Abyss creatures have the rare talent that allows them to absorb life energy and souls and convert them into different energies. However, such a talent is also what makes them crazy and chaotic — well, at least, for demons and devils. Abyss creatures are the embodiment of pure evil and chaos.
"Anyway, my point is that absorbing people's souls, mana, or life energy is the wrong path. Every individual is unique, which means even if you were to compare twins, at a micro level, their souls, life energy, and mana would be different. So, while absorption is fast, it also means polluting your own power."
"What about Light Magic Purification? Can it help the situation?" Zane asked.
"It will help in the early stages, but as the body and mind become too polluted, Light Magic will begin to view the individual as wicked, and its effect will not just purify their energies, but their very existence."
Zane frowned. After this conversation, he understood how Demon Lord Shakurri operates. With his race's talent to absorb soul and even life energy, Earth is nothing but a buffet feast for him. Once he descends into this dimension, he will enjoy himself until he is bloated. As for the issue of soul corruption? Zane doesn't believe for a second that someone as powerful as Shakurri doesn't have his own unique method of purifying himself.
Professor Burbank answered a few more questions before finishing the lecture, "Combination is not the only way. Cooperation is also another approach. Wind and Fire Magic are like lovers. Metals conduct electricity, making them great partners for combination spells. Water and Wind can create Weather Magic and so much more.
"I've read some of Earth's data-bank, and you have the concept of Yin-Yang, or opposite attract and mutually promote each other. Maybe you can even combine or force water and fire to cooperate."
Zane recorded every word the professor said to review later. He also took notes on the questions asked in class and even on some of the discussions he deemed valuable. Right now, he was thirsting for every ounce of information, so he recorded everything.
"Alright, that's all for the introduction of the magic fields," Professor Burbank announced after answering the last question on the subject.
"Chapter 1 in your book described each field in greater detail, so your assignment for tomorrow is to read it and write a 5-page paper on the possible applications of each field; it can be military use, civilian use, or the healthcare industry. I want to know your thought process."
Numerous grumbling voices echoed in the room when these students heard they had to write 5 pages by tomorrow. However, Professor Burbank ignored them, "I'm emailing you the rubric now. I'd better see your paper before tomorrow's class."
Zane opened his holographic screen to read the assignment. Five pages were nothing to him; he could probably do it in an hour. However, knowing his nature, he'll probably end up writing more than ten pages.