Warlock Of The Magus World FF: Dark Lord

Leylin calmly walked into Dorotte's dimly lit experiment lab, the air thick with the scent of alchemical reagents.

Flickering candlelight cast eerie shadows against the shelves stacked with ancient tomes, dusty vials, and peculiar magical artifacts. The soft scratching of a quill echoed in the quiet chamber as Dorotte, hunched over a torn parchment, barely acknowledged his apprentice's presence.

"Leylin, I told you to take a few days off to practice your alchemy. Have you encountered any problems?" Dorotte asked, his raspy voice betraying mild curiosity.

"No, Sir." Leylin inhaled deeply, his fingers tightening around the object in his hand. "I created it."

Dorotte's hand paused mid-stroke, the green-amber glow in his sunken eyes flickering. "What?"

He turned fully toward Leylin, his withered fingers twitching slightly with anticipation. "Although your talent in Rune Crafting has exceeded my expectations, to successfully complete the Basic Reinforcement Rune in just six months is—" He let out a dry chuckle, shaking his head in disbelief. "Not to mention your breakthrough to Acolyte Level 2, and judging by your aura, you are also close to becoming a Knight in physical strength as well. Outstanding. Simply outstanding. Even the Principal would be envious of my luck. Hahahaha!"

Dorotte's laughter was filled with genuine amusement and greed. After half a year of teaching Leylin, he had already sensed his apprentice's frightening rate of improvement. He had answered countless questions, each more complex than the last, revealing Leylin's insatiable hunger for knowledge. But what truly shocked him was that, despite investing so much time and energy into meditation, Leylin had excelled in runes as well.

'To master both fields at such a monstrous speed…' Dorotte's mind raced. 'Leylin is no ordinary talent. He is among the top in the entire academy. A future core member of the council, at the very least.'

"Did you bring the completed artifact?" he finally asked.

"It's in here." Leylin took out a wooden rune plate, carefully carved with the Basic Reinforcement Rune, and handed it to his professor.

Dorotte pulled out a magnifying glass, the flame in his eyes dancing with excitement. He traced his finger along the rune's grooves, and a faint, stable glow ignited.

Closing his eyes, Dorotte analyzed the spiritual force structure. His brows furrowed briefly before relaxing into a satisfied smile.

"The use of erkin wood as a rune plate was a smart choice," he murmured. "More stable, though it requires a higher expense of spiritual force. Not an issue for you, of course. With your current level, even using standard materials, you could only practice this twice before exhausting yourself."

He nodded approvingly before continuing, "But there are flaws—your control over spiritual force has left minor damages to the rune's properties, and the stabilizing agent was slightly off. All in all, there are a few errors, but you've succeeded as a whole! Congratulations!"

Dorotte's jubilant grin widened.

Leylin bowed slightly. "It was all thanks to your guidance, Professor."

"Hahaha! No, it was your talent. But remember, Leylin, this is merely the most basic rune we practice. More advanced runes require different carving techniques, a different state of mind, and precise control over your spiritual force. Do not become complacent." His voice grew serious. "Perfection is the only path forward. Keep refining your skill."

Leylin nodded, absorbing his words. With a final farewell, he turned and left for the Trading Post.

Dorotte looked at Leylin retreating back with a mysterious glint in his eyes. 'That boy Jayden would be so incensed...hehehe...so very interesting but Leylin my boy, sometimes only talent can't achieve everything. Lets see out of you two, who can survive in the end. Unfortunately I can't really interfere in the battle of my apprentices, after all decades ago the first acolyte I killed was also my senior apprentice...hahahahaha.'

....

Leylin walked through the chaotic market district, his boots crunching against the uneven stone pavement. The air buzzed with energy—acolytes haggled over rare ingredients, traders shouted out their wares, and the scent of burnt herbs mixed with the dampness of old parchment.

Despite his growing reputation, Leylin was careful to blend in, avoiding unnecessary attention. Magic crystals were scarce in his possession, and with constant failures during experimentation, his losses had been substantial. Now, however, it was time to recoup his investment.

He stopped before a familiar stall, where a plump, greasy merchant greeted him with an eager grin.

"Leylin! It's you again!" Woox rubbed his hands together, his beady eyes shining with excitement. "Come, come! I've already prepared all the materials you usually buy."

Leylin smirked. "You've earned a lot from me, Woox." He leaned in slightly, his piercing gaze locking onto the merchant's. "But today, I'll be the one earning from you."

Woox's smile faltered. "Oh?"

Leylin pulled out the wooden rune plate and placed it on the counter. "Look at this."

Woox's eyes widened. He picked up the rune plate carefully, his fingers trembling. "This is…" His jaw went slack. "You've succeeded?"

Leylin crossed his arms. "Was there ever any doubt?"

A moment of stunned silence passed before Woox erupted in excitement. He grabbed his magnifying glass, his plump fingers moving deftly to inspect the craftsmanship. When he confirmed its authenticity, his mouth twitched in disbelief.

"Seventy or eighty attempts… You've only tried seventy to eighty times, and you've already succeeded?!" He exhaled sharply. "This level of talent… This is on par with, or even surpasses, Merlin's talent in potioneering!"

'Ahh this feeling of awe from professor and peers alike, been so many years since I felt it not that it matters much now.'Leylin said nothing to Woox compliment, just raised an eyebrow. "Who's Merlin?"

Woox blinked. "You don't know? Hah! Well, that's not surprising, considering it's you, Lord Leylin."

Leylin frowned slightly at the title. "Explain."

Woox chuckled. "Merlin is another genius, senior to you. His specialities in potioneering under Professor Kroft. He's been the shining star of his field and one of the best magus prospect—until now, that is."

"I see." Leylin shrugged, dismissing the information. Merlin was of little concern to him. "And what's with the 'Lord' prefix?"

Woox laughed. "That's what some acolytes call you now. You're the best student in your year, probably even in the senior years. No one can match you."

Leylin's expression darkened. His reputation was growing too fast.

Though he had always kept to himself, never forming alliances or factions, his progress alone had drawn attention. Geniuses attract envy. And envy breeds trouble.

'It was good that I stopped considering going out for training with some student.' Leylin thought.

To take academy mission and go out, its recommended that one should have a party of Acolytes Level 2 but very few of Leylin's year-mates have even reached Acolyte Level 2. Even fewer have mastered a spell. Acolytes without spells are as good as dead weight.

Leylin knows that some people are keeping an eye on his movements, although most don't seem malicious its best to practice caution. This is why he resolved to create some trump cards before steeping outside, although Leylin is not fearful of mos but unpreparedness is unbecoming of a magus.

He exhaled, "Alright lets talk about the price Woox."

"Suee, I will be able to give you 11 magic crystals for this Basic Reinforcement Rune, how about it?" The fatty asked.

Although the Basic Reinforcement Rune was priced at 15 magic crystals, Leylin craft was still a bit clumsy and considering the profit that was to be made by the stall 11 magic crystals was a fair pirce.

"Ok, exchange the magic crystals for more ingredients and also a vial of blood of Red-Eyed Rabbit."

"Red-Eyed Rabbit?" Woox looked at Leylin confused, the blood of Red-Eyed Rabbit is a potioneering item, at least Woox didn't knew of any use of it's blood in acolyte-level rune crafting.

"Yes, don't you have it?" Leylin looked at him seriously, obviously not very keen to answering his doubt.

Red-Eyed Rabbit is the common name used for a beast called Blood-rabid Mole, its blood is usually used for berserk potion.

"I obviously have it, but its expensive. It would cost you 5 magic crystals alone for a vial."

"Thats okay just prepare it."

"Alright, and Leylin If you wish to sell any more runes in the future, I will buy them all at fair price." Woox's eyes flashed.

An acolyte of Leylin's genius with a Rune Crafting talent was akin to a magic crystal mine that had yet to be excavated.

Leylin nooded as Woox shook hands with him, and after collecting the items, he walked out from the hut.

'Today I'll breakthrough to Knight realm.'

The path of a Knight required the ignition and refinement of the Life Seed, a process typically triggered through life-or-death battles. But for Leylin going outside and fighting is unnecessary.

There's a better way as Leylin had found an alternative.

His lips curled into a knowing smile,'Stressful situations…? There are other ways to force the body to evolve.'

Leylin has turned all his attention these past few months to meditation, classes, assisting Dorotte, self study and alchemy, that is why his Knight training has been quite stale but he has found a way to progress in Knight path without spending too much time.

....

Inside his dimly lit dorm room, Leylin sat cross-legged on the cold stone floor. The flickering candlelight cast long, restless shadows along the walls, illuminating the array of peculiar tools and vials scattered across the wooden table. Without hesitation, he dipped the tip of his ring finger into a small ceramic bowl filled with thick, crimson liquid—the blood of a Red-Eyed Rabbit.

He brought his stained finger to his forehead, pressing it against his glabella. A strange coldness seeped into his skin as he called upon the Cursed Bloodline Codex deep within his sea of consciousness.

A ripple spread through his mind. The world around him dulled, his senses retracting inward. Then, from the depths of his being, an ancient altar emerged.

It was a horrifying and enigmatic sight—carved from an unknown black stone, its surface pulsated with dark red veins, as if it were alive. Strange, arcane symbols spiraled across its structure, whispering forgotten secrets to the void. The air trembled around it, filled with the scent of rusted iron and something far worse—a promise of slaughter, a hymn of carnage, a covenant sealed in blood.

Suddenly, the altar trembled. The blood on Leylin's finger ignited in a radiant crimson glow, forming intricate patterns in the air. The light was mesmerizing—a beautiful, deadly dance of power and madness, an irresistible call to those with a heart strong enough to endure its horror.

Then came the chant, whispered by the very Codex itself:

"Codex shall call on thee blood,

Mere beast, present thy soul in the fiery pit.

Show thy brutal colors, thy bane awaits,

In the cold world, before the Hellsgate!"

A violent shudder ran through the altar. Blood-red mist spiraled into the air, taking shape—a grotesque figure of the Blood-rabid Mole emerged. Its fur bristled with a metallic sheen, eyes gleaming with savage hunger, its jagged claws twitching as though itching to tear through flesh.

Leylin's eyes snapped open. His chest heaved as the vestiges of the ritual lingered within him, his body vibrating with unseen energy. With steady hands, he grabbed the small glass vial placed beside him—a container of pure Blood-rabid Mole Essence.

Without hesitation, he drank it in one go.

The moment the liquid slid down his throat, his vision darkened. His consciousness twisted and stretched, spiraling away from his body as if being pulled through an endless abyss.

Then—he became something else.

He opened his eyes again, but this time, the world was different.

He was small, his body covered in thick, wiry fur. Razor-sharp claws dug into the cold ground. A sharp scent filled his nose—the stench of blood, filth, and primal fear.

He was no longer Leylin. He was an infant Blood-rabid Mole.

In his new body, he felt an overwhelming instinct—to kill, to survive, to consume. Around him, a dozen other newborns writhed and squirmed in the underground burrow. Their beady, red eyes gleamed with the same brutal hunger that now burned within him.

Blood-rabid Mole are strange kind of magical creatures only at the level of Acolytes Level 1 or 2, even Knights can kill them but they are very brutal by nature. When the infants of these beasts reach adulthood, it would fight against all its siblings till only one is alive, then it would eat it's fallen brethren fulfilling the ritual to become an adult Blood-rabid Mole.

Days passed. Time meant little. He grew, learned, adapted. The world of the Blood-rabid Moles was simple—kill or be killed.

Then, the time came.

The rite of adulthood—the slaughter of one's own kin.

The burrow turned into a battlefield of snapping fangs and slashing claws. The air was thick with screams, blood, and the scent of death.

Leylin fought with savage precision. His instincts, heightened by his human intellect, guided him through the chaos. He dodged, he bit, he clawed—he killed.

One by one, his siblings fell. Their torn bodies lay at his feet, their blood dripping from his fangs.

At the very moment he sank his teeth into the last living opponent, his real body in the dorm room trembled.

---

Leylin's body shone with a deep, bloody light. His muscles tightened, his bones creaked, and his very blood boiled with newfound power.

A strange heat erupted in his lower abdomen, rushing through his body like a storm. Every artery and vein expanded, flooding his limbs with raw strength.

His heart pounded. His breath quickened. The energy within him surged uncontrollably.

Then—agony.

A sharp, blinding pain struck his eyes. It felt as if two burning needles were stabbing into them. His vision blurred, a misty haze clouding everything around him. He clenched his fists, forcing himself to endure the pain.

Minutes passed. The pain faded.

He opened his eyes and the world looked different.

Leylin exhaled deeply, feeling the tremendous power coursing through his veins.

"…Finally."

He had broken through.

He was now a Knight.

___

A/N: Please give your valuable comments and reviews, hope you are enjoying. Tc