Chapter 649 Sibling Rivalry
?The Archmage smiled at his reply and looked towards the Nyre Flower, at the tip of this glowing purple flower were seven floating rods that were a shade of purple that was so deep it was almost black, the scent of Vitality escaping from those seven rods were monumental and even the Archmage arched an eyebrow at this change.
This was not normal, but it should be the best tonic that Andar needed to become a Mage, this monster of an Acolyte was not only immensely powerful, but it would seem that he was unnaturally blessed with great luck.
"Well, it's about damn time, my dear little sister is about to go crazy you know." A young man beside Andar punched his shoulder playfully. He had curly black hair that reached his neck, and he was wearing the latest risque fashion trend. The metallic platform below them rang from the heels of his steel-toed feminine boot.
Andar smiled at his antics, having long gotten used to the eccentricities of this Mage, this man who had the attitude of an over-exuberant youth high in life was the brother of Mira and a Rank 9 Mage on the cusp of becoming an Archmage.
It would be a mistake to use his flippant character to judge his powers and talent, for this man was one of the most talented Mage that Andar had ever known, and for that reason alone, he respected him and endured his eccentricities.
"Thank you Mayu, you always remind me of that, every single year without fail. I'm glad that today I will be putting that aspect of our relationship to rest." Andar fearlessly rubbed his hand across the shaggy mop of hair of Mayu, who backed away in horror, he feared nothing more than for his stylish image to be rumpled.
Quickly summoning a mirror of water, he checked his appearance and sighed in satisfaction before quickly losing himself as he admired his appearance.
He was a twin, and his sister Mara was nearly the opposite in character to him, stoic and steadfast and also a Rank 9 Mage, she stood by the side of their father the Archmage, and silently observed their surroundings, she squeezed her hands in anger, as she hated staying close to her brother, but she was here as her duties required it.
It did not matter that her powers were significantly boosted whenever she was beside any of her siblings, she had always detested him, it also did not help that he was barely putting any effort into his practice yet he was at the same rank as her.
What would Mayu accomplish if he were to become more serious and focus on cultivating his Magus abilities, perhaps another Great Archmage might have been born from their family?
Andar did not know what was going on in the minds of the twins. At first, he would have laughed at the naming pattern the Archmage gave his three children, Mayu, Mara, and Mira, but he knew that their names were special, it was all part of a unique Great Spell crafted by their father that united their life force and talent, the details of which he was unsure of, but he knew it was very special.
The last person here with him was Zaros, the third Spirit Body they met during their Trials to become Acolytes of the Black Tower. Andar and Mira had responded in equal measure to the antagonistic behavior of Zaros, making him a rival to them, but sadly the proud man could not equal his acclaimed foes.
Presently Zaros was now a peak Rank 1 Mage, holding the title of the second Acolyte of their cohort to break through to a Mage after Mira. A great achievement that did not satisfy him in the least. During any period in history, he would be an acclaimed Mage, but now, he was barely mentioned, his glory stolen by two shining stars without any efforts on their part.
Due to the fact that he used the extremely popular Revolving Core Heavenly Fate Meditation Art, Zaros was able to progress quickly due to the tons of guidance he could gather on this Meditation Art, and as a Spirit Body, he quickly surpassed the average Acolyte with his practice speed. Yet the hatred in his heart for Andar and Mira slowly grew with what occurred during his time in the Body Farm.
During Andar's third year of his learning in the Body Farm, a strange phenomenon occurred, where Zaros could no longer practice his Meditation Art if he came near Andar. Any time he tried to do so, he would be on the brink of a spontaneous explosion. He could hardly rotate his Heavenly Fate Mediation Art and engrave Spells in his Spirit Matrix, it had been pure torture.
After countless tries, including taking permission to leave the Body Farm where the weird situation reduced, he was able to use his Meditation Art but not for long, and soon it was discovered that because the Revolving Core was derived from the Endless Vault Meditation Art Andar was utilizing, it could manipulate and control this lesser art to an extent, especially because Andar had merged with the Endless Vault itself.
When the weakness of his Meditation Art became clear to Zaros, the proud Acolyte fell into despair, but he was lucky to be placed under the mentorship of the Steward of the Black Tower, who also practiced the Revolving Core Meditation Art.
At Andar's present level, he was unable to affect the Archmage at all even if he wanted to, and so, under the influence of the Archmage, Zaros had been able to finally suppress Andar's touch on his Meditation Art and after a decade he had successfully transcended the Realm of Acolyte to become a Rank 1 Mage.
He was no longer influenced by Andar's Meditation Art anymore, but when rumors began swirling around the Black Tower that Andar was finally going to ascend to a Mage after many years of accumulation as an Acolyte, he wanted to be there in person, so he could know if Andar would be able to influence him again.
Zaros was very stubborn, he had prepared extensively over the years, beefing up his powers as a Mage, and was one of the most powerful Rank 1 Mage in the Federation, there was no way he would fall under Andar's mercy again.