Leo settled into a cross-legged position, palms flat against the stone beneath him. The sensation flowing through his body was unlike anything he'd experienced before. His magic core pulsed with steady, rhythmic energy—a miniature heartbeat of power in his lower abdomen.
"I never imagined it would feel like this," Leo said, wonder filling his voice. "Without your guidance, I'd have taken shortcuts. Pills, potions, whatever promised quick results."
Old Stone's energy flickered with what might have been pride. "Most do. They achieve the title of mage but sacrifice their potential."
Leo closed his eyes, extending his awareness outward. The earth responded to him differently now—not as something to be commanded, but as an extension of himself. He could feel every pebble, every grain of soil, the layers of bedrock stretching deep below. The sensation was intoxicating.
"I can feel everything," he whispered. "The earth... it's like it's part of me now."
With a casual thought, he lifted several boulders simultaneously, arranging them in complex patterns without strain. The apprentice spells he'd struggled to master now flowed effortlessly.
"Your apprentice techniques remain valuable," Old Stone observed. "Many new mages abandon their earlier skills, thinking them beneath their new status."
Leo shook his head. "That would be foolish. Earth wall, stone skin, earth bullet—they're the foundation everything else builds upon."
"Correct. The difference isn't the spells themselves but your capacity to empower them. Your magic core allows you to channel more energy with greater precision."
Leo demonstrated by forming an earth wall—a spell he'd used countless times. But now, instead of the thin barrier he once created, a massive fortification erupted from the ground, perfectly formed and twice as dense.
"It's the same spell," Leo said, amazed. "But the result..."
"Is proportional to your increased power and control," Old Stone finished. "Your apprentice spells were limited by your capacity. Now they're limited only by your imagination and the magic you choose to invest."
Leo dissolved the wall, feeling the earth return to its natural state. He'd never felt so connected, so in tune with his element. The earth wasn't just responding to his commands—it was collaborating with him, eager to be shaped by his will.
Old Stone's energy pulsed with a sudden intensity that drew Leo's attention. The familiar sensation of impending challenge filled the air.
"You've achieved what few do, boy. But this is merely the beginning."
Leo straightened his posture. "What comes next?"
"The rest of my inheritance. Knowledge spanning centuries. Techniques that can level mountains and redirect rivers." Old Stone's voice grew harder. "But first, a final test."
Leo's stomach tightened. He'd been through this before—the pattern was clear.
"Another fight to the death?"
"Of course. Did you expect congratulations and easy rewards?" Old Stone's energy flickered with what might have been amusement. "You have two months to acclimate to your new powers. Use them wisely."
"What am I facing this time?"
"Something beyond anything you've encountered. The tiger golem was a warm-up compared to what awaits." Old Stone's presence dimmed slightly. "I've existed for centuries waiting for a worthy inheritor. Many have reached this stage. None survived the final test."
Leo absorbed this information without flinching. "Then I'll be the first."
In the weeks that followed, Leo immersed himself in mastering his newfound abilities. The mage core in his lower abdomen hummed constantly, a reminder of his transformation. He practiced with relentless dedication, pushing his earth manipulation to extremes.
Leo discovered that his former apprentice spells, when fuelled by his mage core, became devastating weapons. An earth bullet now carried the force of a battering ram. His earth wall could withstand impacts that would have shattered walls.
During the day, he practiced combat applications—earth shackles that could instantly immobilize opponents, earth crusher techniques that could pulverize stone. At night, he refined his control, manipulating smaller and smaller fragments with greater precision.
"Your progress is acceptable," Old Stone commented after watching Leo split a massive boulder into perfect cubes with a thought. "But remember—power alone won't save you."
Leo nodded, sweat beading on his forehead despite the cool mountain air. "I know. Strategy matters more than raw strength."
"Good. Because what awaits you won't be defeated through brute force alone."
Leo continued his training with renewed determination. His life depended on it—and beyond that, the accumulated knowledge of a being who had witnessed centuries of magical development. The path to becoming an arch mage lay just beyond this final challenge.
The morning arrived with a stillness that felt almost unnatural. Leo rose before dawn, performing the breathing exercises that had become second nature over the past two months. His mage core pulsed with steady power as he channeled earth energy through his body.
"It's time," Old Stone's voice echoed in his mind.
Leo nodded, following the familiar path to the arena carved into the mountainside. The ancient testing ground had witnessed countless challenges over the centuries, its stone walls absorbing the echoes of battles long past. As he entered, the rising sun cast long shadows across the circular space.
What waited at the center stopped him cold.
A colossal golem towered before him, its massive form dwarfing anything Leo had previously encountered. Standing ten meters tall, the construct was formed from what appeared to be seamless obsidian and granite, its surface reflecting the morning light with an almost metallic sheen. Despite its enormous bulk—easily weighing several tons—the golem moved with fluid grace as it turned toward him.
Leo's mouth went dry. "This is what I'm supposed to defeat?"
"Your final test," Old Stone confirmed, his voice betraying no sympathy. "The Colossus of the Deep Earth."
The golem's eyes flared with emerald light as it assessed Leo. Its proportions were perfect—not the lumbering, awkward construct he might have expected, but a masterpiece of magical engineering. When it took a step forward, the ground trembled, yet the movement carried a dancer's precision.
"How am I supposed to—" Leo began, but the words died in his throat as the golem suddenly accelerated, covering half the arena in two swift strides.
Leo barely managed to throw himself sideways as a fist larger than his entire torso smashed into the ground where he'd stood. The impact created a crater three meters wide.
"It's fast," Leo gasped, scrambling to his feet.
"And you are small," Old Stone replied. "Use that."
The golem pivoted with impossible agility, its massive body somehow defying its own weight. Leo summoned an earth wall in desperation, but the construct shattered it with a casual backhand, sending stone shrapnel flying in all directions.
This wasn't like the tiger golem. This was something else entirely—a perfect fusion of overwhelming power and lethal precision. As the colossus advanced again, Leo felt genuine fear course through him.
The final test had begun.