Coiling Dragon (Book 1)

Chapter 13

Book 1, Chapter 13 – The Will of the Mighty (part 2)

At dinnertime, the three members of the Baruch clan and their housekeeper, Hiri, all shared dinner together. Little Wharton raised a cute ruckus at the dinner table, filling it with laughter. By the time dinner came to an end, the old housekeeper carried Wharton back to his room, while Linley and his father, Hogg, began to chat.

"Right. Father, which one is stronger? A magus, or a warrior?" Linley was curious.

Hogg glanced at Linley. Chuckling, he shook his head and said, "Linley, magi and warriors each have their own strengths. At the same rank, a magus is perhaps slightly stronger than a warrior. But the most important thing is that the status of a magus is a full rank higher than that of an equivalent warrior. For example, that dual-element magus of the eighth rank, in terms of social standing, is perhaps slightly superior to even a warrior of the ninth rank."

"If they are only slightly more powerful, why is there such a big discrepancy in status?" Linley was curious.

Hogg laughed. "Before discussing this, first you should understand the ranking system of the magi. There are nine ranks. First rank and second rank magi are considered junior magi. Third and fourth rank magi are considered mid-level magi. Fifth and sixth rank magi are considered senior magi. The three ranks above them; seventh, eighth and ninth? These are all terrifyingly powerful people. And of course, above the magi of the ninth rank are the Saint-level magi!"

"The reason why magi have such social standings is because the destructive potential their spells have is enormous." Hogg picked up a glass of juice and continued talking while sipping at it.

"Destructive potential?" Linley looked at his father.

Putting down the glass of juice, Hogg nodded. "A single warrior, even a Dragonblood Warrior, can at most kill a hundred people with the swipe of a sword. When faced with a million man army, at best he could kill their leader, but when a leader dies, he can simply be replaced. But a Saint-level magus? If he chooses to utilize one of those powerful forbidden spells, he can annihilate an entire town or wipe out an army of hundreds of thousands. With an entire army destroyed, even if its leader survived, what's the use? Thus, to a kingdom, a Saint-level magus is more terrifying than an entire enemy army."

Linley immediately understood.

"Let's not discuss Saint-level magi for now. Even a magus of the eighth or ninth rank would be capable of using spells which contain shocking power and are able to change the course of a battle. This is why magi have such a high social standing." Hogg said with a light chuckle.

Linley quietly nodded.

In the war-torn land of the Yulan continent, one could imagine how important the magi were to a kingdom.

"Oh, right. Father, I read in one of the books that compared to a warrior, a magi's physical strength is much weaker. But just then, I watched that magus jump down from the back of the Velocidragon with ease. How could his body be physically weak?" Linley pursued.

Hogg replied, "Let's discuss this question later. Linley, you should know that in the Yulan continent, an average person's lifespan is around 120-130 years. Powerful magi and warriors can live for longer, usually up to two or three hundred years, or sometimes even four hundred years. The absolute limit to a person's lifespan is five hundred years. Only those who have attained the legendary power of Saint-level combatants can live eternally, unbound by the dictates of time."

Linley nodded.

He had read of this in his books as well.

"But Linley, do you know the reason why powerful warriors and magi enjoy such a long life-span?" Hogg followed with a question.