During dinner, the three members of the Baruch family and their steward, Hilli, shared the meal together. Little Warton's lively antics at the table filled the hall with constant laughter. After dinner, when the old steward Hilli carried Warton off to bed, Linley began a discussion with his father, Hogg.
"By the way, Father, who is stronger—mages or warriors?" Linley asked.
Hogg glanced at Linley and smiled faintly before shaking his head. "Linley, mages and warriors each have their own strengths. In terms of pure combat power alone, mages of the same rank are slightly superior to warriors. Most importantly... a mage's status is far higher—elevated by an entire tier compared to warriors. Take that level-eight dual-element mage we met earlier, for example. His status alone would likely surpass even a level-nine warrior."
"If their strength is only slightly better, why is their status so much higher?" Linley pressed, puzzled.
Hogg chuckled. "Before answering that, you must first understand the ranking system for mages. Mages are divided into nine levels: levels one and two are junior mages; three and four are intermediate mages; five and six are advanced mages. Levels seven, eight, and nine are all extraordinarily formidable. Of course, above level-nine mages exist the legendary Saint-level mages!"
"The reason mages hold such high status is their unparalleled destructive power," Hogg explained, lifting a cup of fruit juice for a sip.
"Destructive power?" Linley stared at his father.
Setting down his cup, Hogg nodded. "Even a warrior—say, a Dragonblood Warrior—could only slay a hundred enemies with a single strike. Facing an army of a million, he might at best kill the commander. But if the commander falls, the enemy simply appoints a new one. A Saint-level mage? One Forbidden Magic spell could destroy an entire city, annihilating hundreds of thousands of soldiers. If the army perishes, what use is a surviving commander? To a nation, a Saint-level mage is more terrifying than an entire military force."Linley suddenly understood.
"Not to mention Saint-level mages, even eighth or ninth-grade mages can exert astonishing power in warfare. Hence, the status of mages is exceptionally lofty," Hoge said with a calm smile.
Linley nodded slightly.
On the Yulan Continent, where "warfare" dominated as a central theme, the elevated status of mages was self-evident.
"Oh, right, Father," Linley added, "I recall reading in a book that mages, compared to warriors, have weaker physiques. But earlier, I saw that mage leap effortlessly from the Velociraptor's back. How... do you consider his physique weak?"
Hoge replied, "Let's address that question later. Linley, you should know that ordinary people on the Yulan Continent generally live to be 120 to 130 years old. Meanwhile, powerful mages and warriors often enjoy longer lifespans, typically 200 to 300 years, sometimes even 300 to 400 years. The maximum lifespan for humans is 500 years. Only by reaching the legendary Saint-level can one attain an exceedingly prolonged, nearly infinite lifespan."
Linley nodded.
He had read about this in books before.
"But Linley, do you know why powerful mages and warriors live longer?" Hoge pressed further.
Linley froze.
He had always accepted it as a given that formidable mages and warriors lived for centuries, never pondering the reason.
Seeing Linley's expression, Hoge chuckled. "Linley, first, you must understand that the world is filled with elemental attributes: fire, water, wind, earth, thunder, light, dark, and others. Both mages and warriors cultivate by absorbing these elemental energies. This is why both magic and battle-qi possess distinct elemental properties. If you observe closely, you'll notice that among the four male warriors in that mercenary squad, the red-haired leader's battle-qi was fire-attribute. The other three wielded wind-attribute and water-attribute battle-qi... Battle-qi is divided by attributes, and so is magic!"Linley, for the first time since birth, realized... that mages and warriors actually absorbed the same elemental energies from the world.
"Powerful mages and warriors live longer because when they absorb elemental energies into their bodies, refine and purify them into either 'magic power' or 'battle qi,' those elements naturally circulate through their organs, muscles, and bones. This continuously improves their physical constitution. A stronger body naturally leads to a longer lifespan." Hogg explained everything clearly.
Linley suddenly understood.
According to his father, a mage's body was also tempered by elemental energies, making it remarkably resilient.
"Father, then why do people say mages have weak bodies?" Linley asked, puzzled.
Hogg shook his head. "Isn't it obvious? When people say mages are physically weak, it's not that their bodies are truly feeble—it's just a relative weakness compared to warriors of the same rank. For example, an eighth-rank mage's body, even without physical training, would still match that of a second or third-rank warrior. But compared to an eighth-rank warrior, the mage's physique becomes a glaring weakness."
Linley smacked his forehead and smiled sheepishly.
He hadn't grasped such a simple point—his thinking had been too rigid.
"Still, while mages struggle in close combat, they have ways to compensate. First, they cast defensive spells like 'earth shields,' 'ice shields,' 'wind shields,' or 'light shields'... They block attacks with protective magic before countering with offensive spells!""And powerful mages have another method to subdue 'Magical Beasts'!"
Hearing this, Linley's eyes lit up.
Linley had also wanted to subdue a magical beast, like taming a mighty Velociraptor.
"A powerful magical beast can protect a mage, preventing enemies from approaching. This allows the mage to cast formidable spells and directly slay the opponent," Hogg said with a smile.
Linley immediately asked eagerly, "Father, how can one subdue a magical beast?"
Seeing Linley's expression, Hogg chuckled and explained, "To subdue a magical beast, two conditions must be met. First, the beast must willingly submit to you. Second, a Soul Contract magic array must be cast to bind the beast as your servant."
"The first condition is difficult. To make a magical beast submit willingly, you must defeat it in combat. For example, to tame a Velociraptor, you must first defeat it." His father's words left Linley speechless.
Could he, who wished to subdue a Velociraptor, even possess the strength to defeat one?
"The second condition, casting the Soul Contract magic array, is extremely complex. At the very least, one must be a seventh-level mage to have sufficient power to perform it," Hogg stated solemnly.
Linley froze. "Father, by your logic... does that mean only seventh-level mages or higher can subdue magical beasts?"