Chapter 79: The Legendary Archmage

The "power of myth" was once concentrated within the ancestors of all intelligent beings, humans included, granting them the ability to move mountains and fill seas. With this mighty force, the forebears of all living creatures survived the primordial era rife with floods and monstrous beasts, using mythic power to transform nature and shape environments better suited for survival and propagation. Thus, they carved out spaces where future generations could live and prosper.

The great ancestors of the world of Vares remain vivid in epic tales and mythic legends, immortalized by their descendants as demi-god idols to be revered and worshipped. Unable to replicate such extraordinary achievements, later generations inevitably question the authenticity of their forebears’ feats, dismissing them as exaggerated "myths"—equating the term with superstition or even falsehood. Yet this skepticism arises merely because the descendants have lost the mythic power their ancestors possessed; from their own frail and insignificant perspective, they cannot fathom the magnitude of such strength.

Without the wisdom and toil of these noble ancestors, humanity in the world of Vares would have long since perished during the endless ice ages and the deluges that followed. In fact, countless intelligent species vanished into the river of history; some, at their peak, were far more powerful and prosperous than human civilization. But as they gradually declined, generation after generation becoming weaker, indulging in pleasure and forsaking the spirit of exploration, the mythic power in their blood thinned, and extinction drew ever closer for these once-great races.

To be precise, all extant intelligent creatures carry traces of mythic power within them—a legacy from their illustrious ancestors. Sadly, in most beings, this power is so diluted that it lies dormant like a dead volcano, utterly useless. Only those who awaken the sleeping mythic force within—such as Soul Thieves and Shrecks—can be called true "mythic creatures." Unfortunately, such exceptions are exceedingly rare, perhaps one in a hundred thousand. Fortunately, mythic power is not solely inherited by blood; even ordinary people, if they chance upon the inheritance of a mythic profession, can awaken the mythic force slumbering within.

Joan belongs to the latter group. After completing the "First Tier Mythic Trial," he received the exclusive inheritance of the "Mythic Archmage" from the treasury of knowledge within the "Tears of the Gods," activating the mythic power in his body.

Joan's mythic tier is currently only at the first level, and the mythic power within him remains weak; at most, he can use it five times a day. With each rise in mythic tier, he will gain two additional uses per day.

"Mythic power" is the most primordial, pure, and also perilous energy in the multiverse. Harnessing it is no simple matter, and different mythic professions offer different avenues for its use. Since Joan has embarked on the path of the Mythic Archmage, it is only natural that he should bind this energy tightly to arcane magic.

The first path (profession) ability of the Mythic Archmage, "Wild Arcana," answers a pivotal question: What use is mythic power to a wizard?

The answer is both simple and exhilarating. Through "Wild Arcana," the Mythic Archmage can spend one use of mythic power to cast any known spell without expending a spell slot!

This means that mythic power can be converted into spell slots at will, with no restriction on spell level or need to prepare the spell beforehand. Joan, after reading the description of "Wild Arcana," activated a strand of mythic power with skeptical excitement, attempting to use it in place of a first-level spell slot to cast "Lightning Claw." Blue-white bolts hissed from his fingertips, filling him with ecstatic delight. As a humble first-level wizard, Joan's greatest torment was the scarcity of spell slots—he could cast only two first-level spells per day. Now, as a Mythic Archmage, this predicament is vastly alleviated: five uses of mythic power per day are equivalent to five extra spell slots of any level. Moreover, the "Tears of the Gods" stores ten units of energy that can also be converted to mythic power. Joan's magical endurance is now so formidable as to be almost monstrous—a veritable "walking artillery."

The second ability granted by the first-tier Mythic Archmage, "Elemental Substitution," reveals another use for mythic power: Whenever Joan uses mythic power to replace a spell slot in casting a spell with acid, cold, electricity, or fire properties, he may freely switch the spell’s element to any of these four types.

"Elemental Substitution," simply put, is the ability to use mythic power to alter the attributes of elemental spells at will. Of the spells Joan currently knows, only two possess elemental properties: the zero-level "Frost Ray," which is ice-based, and the first-level "Lightning Claw," which is electric. With "Elemental Substitution," Joan can modify these spells—for instance, against creatures immune to cold and lightning, he can spend one use of mythic power to turn "Frost Ray" into a "Flame Ray," or "Lightning Claw" into "Acid Claw," thus overcoming the enemy’s elemental resistance and even adjusting the spell's properties to exploit their weaknesses, inflicting double damage.

The final professional ability of the Mythic Archmage is "Mythic Spellcasting," more precisely a method for improving spells. By employing this technique, the Mythic Archmage may attempt to refine spells already mastered into "mythic" versions, which must be cast using mythic power in place of spell slots. Mythic spells are stronger than their ordinary counterparts but follow the same rules and use the same material components.

Naturally, researching mythic spells requires a considerable investment of time and money, and not every spell can be developed into a powerful and practical mythic version. Whether such research succeeds depends mainly on the wizard's intelligence and resources, with a dose of luck as well—for inspiration is not always rational.

...

Joan carefully examined his newly acquired mythic abilities, maintaining his meditation while casting the zero-level "Introspection," reviewing his current overall status. A glowing text appeared in his mindscape.

...

Current Status: Healthy
Level: Wizard 1 / Mythic Archmage 1
Spell Slots: 0-level – unlimited; 1-level – 2 (Intelligence bonus +1)
Path Abilities (Mythic Archmage): Mythic power 5 times per day, Wild Arcana, Mythic Spellcasting, Elemental Substitution
Attributes: Strength 10, Dexterity 12, Constitution 9, Intelligence 17 (Tears of the Gods +4), Perception 14, Charisma 16