Chapter 369: Offer from the Magic Tower Master

Solomon stepped out of the S-rank simulation chamber as the thirty-minute timer hit zero. He stretched his arms, feeling the satisfying burn in his muscles.

As he walked down the quiet corridor, he spotted an elderly, white-bearded man wearing multi-layered golden robes and a tall, pointed hat standing near the entrance of the S-rank sector. It was Cedric, the Tower Master of the Golden Radiance Magic Tower.

[James_hayes: bro looks like a wizard!]

[Mezz_3863: who is that!]

[1Fizzy: either a student or a professor here lmao?]

[sgtcwby:he doesn’t seem to be wearing color coded uniforms of the professors!]

[Foodball: watch out Solo Man, he looks powerful.]

Solomon glanced around the hallway and noticed that only one other S-rank chamber was currently active. He briefly wondered if Cedric was the one utilizing the second room, but he decided not to ask.

Cedric turned and greeted him warmly. “Ah, Solomon! Did you have fun in there?”

“I did,” Solomon grinned, patting his shoulder. “It was a good workout.”

Cedric’s eyes drifted to the silver owl hovering patiently over the boy’s shoulder. “I see you have already met with Gustav and received your upgraded drone. I must ask, Solomon… where were you last night? I was waiting patiently outside your dorm room for quite a while, but you never came back.”

[M00N: wait what?!]

[Nick: why was he waiting outside your room?!]

[Brerell: bro that sounds super creepy.]

[LazyCat: Solo Man explain yourself!]

[GoonLord: THE PRINCESS ALIBI!]

Solomon furrowed his brow, completely confused. “I spent the night somewhere else. Why were you waiting for me?”

Cedric didn’t answer immediately. He gestured down the hall, and the two of them began walking side by side through the Technomagic facility.

“Solomon,” Cedric asked, his tone shifting to a more academic curiosity. “Are you able to use your aura freely and control its circulation?”

“I have unlocked five cores,” Solomon responded casually.

Cedric stopped walking for a fraction of a second, visibly impressed. “Five cores? At your age? That means you have already reached the late stages of Qi Condensation. That is an incredibly impressive feat.”

Solomon kept his hands in his pockets and let out a quiet sigh. “Grading someone’s achievements or strength purely based on their age seems like an flawed and reductive way to view the world.”

He turned his head to look at the old wizard. “Age simply measures how many times you have orbited a sun. It does not measure the sheer density of your experiences, the agony of your training, or the weight of the burdens you carry. A person could live for two hundred years in complete peace and learn absolutely nothing about survival, while a teenager could spend a single, agonizing decade fighting for their life in the dark and master everything. Judging potential by a birth certificate completely ignores the actual sacrifices made to reach that strength.”

[Naturic: damn, Solo Man getting profound.]

[Vaelen: that is actually so true.]

[DaoistAlexkg: bro speaks from experience.]

[Joshua_Swofford: Bro changed off stream]

[trenthay: W philosophy.]

Cedric’s eyes widened slightly after hearing the mature response. He didn’t say a single word to counter the logic. He simply smiled, a look of deep respect settling over his wrinkled features.

“You are right, Solomon,” Cedric conceded softly. “Once you have fully ascended past the Qi Condensation stage and learned more about the flow of the universe, you will be able to control your aura completely freely. However, I am a mage. I cannot possibly explain the intricate mechanics of aura to you the way a true martial artist from the Eastern Realms would.”

Cedric paused, tapping his wooden staff against the floor. “What I am trying to say is that aura, depending on how one manipulates and projects it, is ultimately just another form of magic.”

Solomon stared at Cedric in genuine confusion. “I am not looking to become a mage right now. I have more to explore, learn, and master with my sword and my physical foundation before I even consider looking in that arcane direction.”

Cedric threw his head back and laughed out loud. “I cannot believe you are saying that directly to the face of a Magic Tower Master!”

“You still haven’t answered my question,” Solomon pressed. “Why were you waiting outside my dorm room last night?”

“I just told you,” Cedric smiled. “To discuss aura and magic.”

“I really do not think that was the actual reason,” Solomon replied, shaking his head. “It seems a bit too low-stakes for a Tower Master to personally wait outside a first-year’s—sorry, second-year’s—dorm room just to give a theoretical lecture on magic.”

[User12: Solo Man is not buying it.]

[GamerGuy: bro is way too sharp.]

[NewbHunter: Cedric definitely wants something.]

[OldTimer: listen to the wizard, kid.]

Cedric’s booming laugh vanished instantly. His expression turned deadly serious. He stopped walking, planting his staff firmly on the ground, and looked Solomon directly in the eyes.

“Would you like to be officially affiliated with the Kingdom of Mistril?” Cedric asked.

[1Fizzy: THE RECRUITMENT PITCH!]

[James_hayes: another kingdom wants him!]

[Mezz_3863: Solo Man is in high demand!]

[sgtcwby : Mistril sounds so elegant.]

[Ferald: bro is collecting kingdoms like pokemon.]

Solomon furrowed his brow. He knew of the Kingdom of Mistril from his brief geographical studies. It was a fascinating, highly advanced nation located in a serene, isolated archipelago.

The kingdom was universally renowned for being centuries ahead of the rest of the world in arcane research, magical innovation, and technomagic integration. Their cities were described as neon-lit marvels where ancient traditions blended seamlessly with futuristic magical engineering.

The people were known to be incredibly polite, highly educated, and culturally refined.

Even visiting there as a tourist required approval and the waiting was over a few months. Yet, Solomon was made an offer no one could ever refuse.

However,despite the appealing description, Solomon simply shrugged his shoulders. “I have no desire to get involved with any kingdoms, political parties, or external organizations.”

“I am a direct descendant of the Mistril royal family,” Cedric revealed, leaning forward slightly. “I am the elder brother of the current reigning King of Mistril. If you agree to join our kingdom, I can personally ensure that you not only become the finest swordsman in the realms, but I will also make you a truly great mage.”

Solomon didn’t say a single word in response. He just kept walking down the corridor, unfazed by the royal revelation.

Cedric fell into step beside him. “I am sure you must have received similar recruitment offers from other factions recently. And it is one of the primary, unspoken purposes of this academy to allow the elite kingdoms to scout and recruit the highest-potential students. If you agree, you can continue staying at the academy. You will maintain your full freedom. It is only in the distant future, once you graduate, that you will officially have to join our ranks.”

Solomon still didn’t bother to respond. He kept his eyes fixed straight ahead.

Cedric stopped walking again. “No one else in this world will ever give you an offer to make you a mage, Solomon. And even if some other kingdom promised you that, it would be a blatant lie. But I can personally guarantee that you will become a mage.”

[Dakota_Smith: wait, how can he guarantee that?]

[Shadow: is that even possible without submitting to a god?]

[Sedrikk: Cedric is making huge promises.]

[Andy_Thornton: hear him out Solo Man!]

[Stephen_wood: bro is offering the ultimate dual-class build.]

Solomon finally stopped. He turned around to face the old wizard.

“I am not interested in becoming a mage,” Solomon stated, his voice completely flat. “And I am definitely not interested in becoming some god’s obedient slave just for a taste of magical power.”

The corridor fell completely silent.

All mages in the world were inherently prideful, though not all of them were arrogant. They possessed the right to be prideful, as they were literally chosen by the gods. The trace of divinity flowing through their blood acted as the sole catalyst that allowed them to wield magic.

They were, without a doubt, biologically and spiritually special.

So, telling a legendary mage who is a Magic Tower Master, directly to his face that becoming a mage meant becoming a ‘god’s slave’ was undeniably the worst, most offensive thing someone could possibly say. It was the equivalent of someone walking up to Solomon and telling him that swordsmanship was pathetic trash, or that the Eden Imperial Arts were completely useless.

Cedric stared at Solomon for a long moment. The air around the old wizard seemed to hum with suppressed arcane energy.

Then, Cedric let out a low, amused chuckle. “Do you not know that mages are incredibly overpowered?”

“Yeah,” Solomon nodded casually. “Mages are cool. Mages are too OP/”

“Then how about you become one?” Cedric asked, a persistent twinkle returning to his eye.

Solomon shrugged and turned back around to continue his walk. “I am just not motivated enough.”

[1Fizzy: HE JUST REJECTED A WIZARD KING!]

[sgtcwby: bro said ‘not motivated enough’ LMAO!]

[Mezz_3863: Solo Man officially hates magic.]

[GoonLord: ONLY SWORDS FOR OUR KING!]

[Ferald: Cedric is flabbergasted right now.]