Chương 68: B2 - Chapter 10: Happy Birthday

Zeke had always felt like a simple boy from a small village at heart. But as he grew older, he became more and more aware of the limited opportunities such a life had to offer. As he walked through the streets of the capital today, he couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia wash over him. He had come so far since leaving home, and yet it seemed like only yesterday that he had been just a farmer's son with dreams of becoming a mage.

He made his way to the crafters quarter, where he knew his childhood friend, Markus, was working as a blacksmith. The boy had always been a good friend to Zeke, even when the world seemed to have turned against him, Markus had remained a steadfast supporter. Zeke was excited to see his friend again, even though Markus was reserved with other people, he had always been like a reliable older brother to Zeke.

"Markus!" he exclaimed as he stepped into the smithy and found his friend polishing a sword in the far corner, "You're still as ugly as ever!"

"Hey! Watch it," Markus laughed, "It's good to see you too, you little runt. Are you going home over the weekend?"

"I wouldn't miss moms birthday meal for anything," Zeke said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm just glad you've come to visit, so I can finally get a rematch in our arm wrestling competition, all this blacksmithing has been doing wonders for my biceps," Markus teased.

"You wish," Zeke grinned, "I've been training as well, I'll still whoop your butt, and I always will."

"Oh please, look at those puny noodles you have for arms, mage boy," Markus laughed.

"I know they don't look like much," Zeke replied, looking down at his own arms and then comparing them to Markus much bulkier looking arms with a grimace, "But let's see you talk big after you had a proper taste of my noodle-arms. That'll teach you some respect."

"Is that so? I can't wait to see you try," Markus grinned.

"I've missed the old days, all the nonsense we used to pull. It's good to see you again," Zeke said with a smile as he finally reached his friend and gave him a warm hug.

"I've missed those days too," Markus said, "But look at you now. You're a mage, a warrior. I couldn't be more proud of the young man you've become." Markus wiped a fake tear from his eyes, acting like a proud father. Zeke rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah. You just missed having someone around who puts up with your shit."

"You bet I do, it's all hard work for me as well," Markus laughed, "Now, come on, let's catch up on what's been happening, you can tell me all about how you're still failing at Elementium. And I'll tell you all about the tales of that dashingly handsome new blacksmith called Markus, who has taken the crafters quarters by storm in exchange." Zeke rolled his eyes again, "You're such a cunt, you know that?"

"I know," Markus grinned, "But you love me anyway." Zeke couldn't suppress a grin as he started telling his stories with excitement clear in his voice, "Yeah, I do. Now, let me tell you how I kicked Leo's butt yesterday during combat class." And so the two friends spent the day catching up, teasing each other, and laughing about the old days. Markus was overjoyed to see his old friend, and he couldn't help but be proud of how well Zeke seemed to be doing now.

As the day came to a close, Markus presented Zeke with his birthday gift. It was a heavy-reinforced staff, crafted by Markus himself. The staff was made of dark oak wood and was reinforced with iron bands that ran along its length. The iron bands not only added strength to the staff, but also gave it a menacing look. The staff had a dragon skull shaped metal orb at its head, which was enchanted with earth magic to increase its weight and impact.

The staff also had an iron-tipped bottom which could be used as a spear tip. Zeke was overjoyed with the gift, knowing how much effort Markus had put into creating it for him. He admired the craftsmanship and the amount of detail that Markus had put into it. It was not only a weapon, but also a symbol of their friendship to Zeke. He thanked Markus and promised to put it to good use. As he boarded the carriage for his journey home, Zeke held the staff closely.

The weight of the staff made him feel more powerful, and he couldn't wait to test the weapon in combat. As the carriage rolled on, he held the staff and closed his eyes, feeling the vibrations of the iron bands and the wooden shaft. He imagined the different ways he could use it in battle, and the different ways he could make it his own. He was excited to start training with his new weapon and to see how it would enhance his already formidable abilities.

After arriving home, Zeke was immediatly attacked by his family, hugs and kisses raining down from all sides. He knew that he would have to return to the academy soon, but for now, he was happy to be home. On the evening of his birthday, his mother cooked his favorite meal, as was tradition in his household.

Zeke enjoyed the dinner and didn't have the heart to tell his mother that he had found several dishes during the time in the capital that he liked a lot more than the simple fare that they used to eat here in the village. The moment he saw how much love and attention his mother had put into the meal, even the thought of requesting something else died on the spot. Zeke smiled at his mother, who looked at her son with a gaze full of warmth and affection, as she presented him with the biggest plate of food.

The dish that was a combination of rice, vegetables and some sparse strips of meat had once been something that Zeke looked forward too for weeks before his birthday. Now, though, what he really appreciated was the love his family had put into the meal instead of the taste of the dish itself. After the meal was over, Zeke spent the rest of the evening telling his family all about his adventures in the academy.

He always left out the negative events when talking about his life in the capital and made sure that his family only ever learned of the bright side. He could see in the way his parents sometimes exchanged glances that they were suspicious, but neither of them ever pressed him for more details. Despite being home for his birthday, Zeke still spent the majority of the time training with his new staff and focusing on his magic.

He was catching up to the other first years, but the lack of any real offensive long range spells was really holding him back. Zeke had decided not to try to compete where he was weak though and instead decided to double down on his strengths. He had always been fascinated by the intricacies of the human body and how it related to magic.

And so, he had made it a priority to create a spell that utilized his ability to exactly see the body of another person, in order to determine his opponent's strengths and weakness in just the blink of an eye. He had begun by studying the anatomy of the human body and how it related to magic. He had already read countless books and scrolls from the growing collection of his mental library, and practiced his magic until his mind was bleary.

He was determined to use this weekend to develop a system that would allow him to quickly and accurately assess the strength of another person. Eventually, he succeeded in defining a system that he called the "body composition assessment." It was a scale of values that let him look at the composition of another person's body and assign weighted numbers to the various findings. For example, he would assess the strength of a person's bones, the density of their muscles, and the elasticity of their tendons.

He would also take into account the person's overall health and any physical or magical abnormalities. With this system, he could quickly determine the distinguishing features of another person's body and how it related to their effective strength. The idea was that it would eventually be able to predict how well they would perform in battle and what kind of magic they were most suited for.

He was excited to put his new system to the test and to see how it would help him in his quest to become a top-ranked mage at Elementium. But for as long as he was home, he would practice the spell on his little sister, who was eager to help him out.

"Alright, little sis," Zeke said, holding his sister up in front of him.

"Time for your body composition assessment." He closed his eyes, focusing on the spell [Analyze]. He could feel the magic flowing through him, and he could sense the aura of his sister's body. He opened his eyes, and began to assess her body, measuring her weight, muscle mass, bone density, and overall health. Finally, after adjusting and analyzing all the data he deemed necessary, he got a result he was happy with. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

[Results of Analyze] First name: Maya. Last name: von Hohenheim. Age: 10. Gender: Female. Height: 1. 3m. Strength: 3 Constitution: 4 Agility: 6 Intelligence: 6 No Magic core detected, (no affinity), Rank: none, engraved spell: [None].

"Hmm, not too shabby," he mumbled to himself.

"But we can do better." He continued to focus on the spell, comparing her body to a baseline he had defined. He had measured a lot of common, healthy farmers and taken the results as the average. He designated the value of 10 in every category for a healthy grown man. The data he received was useable, and he made mental notes of what he could improve on. He also developed a diet and training plan for both himself and Maya, based on the data he had collected.

"Alright, little sis," he said, setting her down on the ground.

"Looks like we've got some work to do. But don't worry, with my help, you'll be the strongest ten-year-old in the empire in no time." His sister giggled, "I'm going to be stronger than you, Zeke!"

"We'll see about that," Zeke replied with a grin.

"But for now, let's get you some food and rest. We've got a long road ahead of us." After enjoying a hearty lunch, Zeke sat cross-legged on the grass, his sister mimicking his position across from him. He began to guide her through the meditation technique he had developed as a child. His sister had been meditating with him for years, but he had never taken the time to properly show her how it was done.

Though he was uncertain of its scientific validity, the technique had worked for him after all, so he saw no harm in teaching her. As he watched her breath and focus her mind, he noticed something peculiar in the way the ambient Mana interacted with her body. Through the use of his [Perfect Body Control] and [Perfect Spatial Awareness] abilities, he could observe a change in the flow of Mana around her. He realized that his intuition had been right all along.

The meditation technique he had developed as a kid was more than just make-believe. It was a way to tap into the ambient Mana and redirect it to the center of the body, potentially leading to the manifestation of a magic core. Zeke couldn't believe it. He had started to assume that his ability to use magic was a fluke, a rare occurrence in his family with no explanation. But now, seeing the meditation technique work for his sister, he couldn't help but wonder if the same was true for his friends Markus and Lilly.

He had always wondered how it could be possible that all three of them had turned out to have a magic core. The statistical possibility for this to happen were astronomically small, since none of them had any mages among their ancestors as far as Zeke knew. He couldn't wait to tell Maximilian about his discovery. He had always been puzzled by his own abilities, and now he might finally have an answer. But before that, he had to test his theory further.

He instructed his sister to continue with the meditation technique, and started to observe her progress closely. He also knew that this revelation, if it turned out to be true, would have far-reaching implications. If his technique could be used to manifest magic cores in non-mage families, it would revolutionize the way magic was taught and perceived in the world. The possibilities were endless and exciting, and Zeke knew that this just might be the beginning of a new era of magic.

As he sat on the lawn behind his house with his sister, deep in thought, Zeke realized that his life had just taken a drastic turn. He couldn't wait to see where this new discovery would lead him and those around him. The world of magic had just become a lot more interesting. He spent the next few days training and observing his sister and practicing with his new staff. Zeke knew, now more than ever, that he had to be at the top of his game if he wanted his strength to keep up with his scientific discoveries.

[Results of Analyze] First name: Ezekiel. Mage name: None. Last name: von Hohenheim. Age: 15. Gender: Male. Height: 1. 71m. Strength: 18 Constitution: 22 Agility: 16 Intelligence: 20 Blood magic (Perfect affinity), Rank: Mage, Engraved spell: [Perfect Body control]. Space magic (Greater affinity), Rank: Mage, Engraved spell: [Perfect Spatial Awareness]. Mind magic (Greater affinity), Rank: Mage, Engraved spell: [Perfect Sensory Recall].

Blood magic: [Perfect Body Control] Active & Passive This spell allows the caster to control his own body functions and gives the caster a complete understanding over the body. [Blood Spike] Active This spell allows the caster to create solid spikes of blood that grow out of his skin. [Blood Whip] Active This spell allows the caster to manifest whips made of condensed blood. These whips can be used to strike and cut opponents, as well as to bind and control them.

The spell requires a significant amount of blood to for it's initial cast, but the whips can then remain summoned for a minimal Mana cost. Space magic: [Perfect Spatial Awareness] Passive This spell allows the caster to have perfect awareness of everything happening in a radius around him. [Spatial Freeze] Active This spell allows the caster to stop people from moving by compressing the surrounding space [Spatial Barrier] Active This spell allows the caster to create a barrier in front of him for protection.

[Air Step] Active This spell allows the caster to manipulate the surrounding space, allowing him to step on air. Mind magic: [Perfect Sensory Recall] Active & Passive This spell allows the caster to recall anything that happened within the area of his spatial awareness in perfect clarity. Analyze Active This spell allows the caster to view collected data in a comprehensive form. Zeke returned to the academy, his heart light with the memories of the weekend's events.

And as soon as he set foot on academy grounds, he was pleasantly surprised to find two familiar figures waiting for him.

"Viola! Sophia!" he exclaimed, a smile creeping across his face. The two girls, his closest friends at the academy, beamed back at him.

"We've been looking all weekend for the perfect present for you, Zeke," said Viola, her face alight with excitement.

"It's your job to judge who had the better present," added Sophia, a hint of a smirk playing at the corners of her mouth. Zeke's heart swelled with gratitude as he looked at his friends. He knew that they both had a tendency to be competitive with each other, but he didn't want to have to deal with their rivalry when it came to his birthday presents.

So, he thanked each of them from the bottom of his heart before taking their presents and fleeing home, promising that he would tell them whose present was better at a later date. Zeke, of course, had no intention of doing anything of the sort.