"What?"
I exclaimed confusion at the man's current statement.
"Ahem, well I suppose I should ask properly, I'd like for you to become my student."
The man coughed awkwardly at my dazed response, explaining himself further.
"Wait, are you the fuck that's been following me?"
This guy was the one that had been stalking me for days, and now he was demanding I become his student?
"...Apologies. I was simply curious."
The apology seemed half-hearted at best, but I was not about to argue with him over such a thing.
The blade in his hand gave off a terrible vibe and I had literally just seen him kill a dragon in an instant.
"How did you kill that dragon?"
At this question, he spoke with a slightly more positive tone.
"Ah, I'm just a little strong, I guess. If you become my student, you could do something like that one day. And also, it's a wyvern, not a dragon, a real dragon would be far more troublesome than that runt."
I dusted myself a little, removing the sand which had currently invaded every part of me as a natural side effect of me trying to hide in a pile of sand.
"You keep asking me to become your student, why?"
He had been watching me for several days, from my knowledge. All I had displayed were the capabilities of a first layer mage and my usage of magic bullet.
I had no idea of how powerful he was, but I had a feeling he would not lose to my father, an archmage.
"You probably haven't realised, but every time you cast a spell, you reveal an abyss of sorts. I could not comprehend how much mana you have in reserve."
'...Infinite mana.'
It was my trait, and I had now received a far stronger confirmation of its power than my simple tests.
I wasn't sure what move to make right now.
Should I be honest, and tell him I have infinite mana?
Should I lie, and say I have no idea what he's talking about.
Obviously, fighting him was not an option.
Staring at the blade in his hand, I decided to be honest.
"...As far as I know, I have infinite magic reserves."
"Infinite, huh? Well, even to me, it seems unending."
Before I could speak again, the man continued.
"Taking a further look at you... you really are a first layer mage, eh? So what's the deal with you only using magic bullet."
Answering his question honestly, I spoke oncemore.
"It's the only spell I can use, and when I say that, I mean it. I don't know if it's a curse or something, but I cannot use any other spell, even trying to construct a different magic circle causes me mental pain."
The man stroked his chin for a moment.
"No, it's definitely not a curse, I'd know if that were the case. But I've never heard of such a strange deficiency."
"You believe me?"
"People at my level, we're able to tell when those beneath us lie or tell the truth, you know?"
My thoughts drifted back to the offer the man had made.
Studying magic under such a person.
Even though he was terrifying, the offer was great.
"About being your student... I don't know, I don't have anything against dark mages, but I'd rather not live as a recluse on the run all my life?"
I was certain this man was a dark mage.
The sheer evil eminating off the blade in his hand, how could he not be?
And his appearence also lent credence to this idea.
For god's sakes, his skin was cracking open with spooky purple mana!
"Hah."
The man flicked his wrist, and the sword disappeared instantly.
"Well, that's definitely fair, I don't have any intention of forcing you anyway, but listen to what I have to say."
I nodded quickly.
"Firstly, who says I have to teach you dark magic. Indeed, it is my speciality, but I am well versed in many fields of magic. Secondly, if you train under me, you will progress far faster than whatever nonsense you are currently doing. And finally, it'd be in your best interests to follow me if you wish for your continued survival."
Was he threatening me? Or was that sincere advice?
"The last part, what's that supposed to mean?"
"As long as you choose to live as a mage, the second you run into someone of my strength, they too will recognise the power you have. Despite my appearance, I'm one of the nicer guys around. There are plenty of mages who would love to perform all sorts of horrible experiments upon you."
...That was definitely true.
The man had mentioned he could sense the mana inside Furio.
Furio had not known earlier that his 'infinite magic' could be sensed, even if he was not able to utilise all of it.
"Magic bullet, it's the only spell I can use, would you still wish to teach someone like me?"
Woah!
The dark mage had instantly appeared in front of me, flicking my forehead.
"I don't care about that, and regardless, if you can absorb my teachings well, even a magic bullet could shoot down a dragon."
"...Then, if you'll accept me, I'd be honored to become your student, master. My name is Furio."
LOG 10 - WYVERNS
Wyverns are considered distant relatives of dragons. They are inferior in every regard, with their main identifiers being their far smaller size and their arms being fused with their wings. Despite being inferior to dragons, they are calamities in their own right, easily requiring a group of sixth layer mages to take down just one.