Jordan, a scion of the ancient and noble Staranse clan, had seen unimaginable wealth. She had held countless precious jewels and lived in the most magnificent palaces. Still, this was the first time she had ever seen seventeen high-grade Mage coins in a single place.
In the supernatural world, traditional currencies like the sterling, euro, and the almighty dollar were still used, but only by the poor. The truly rich used Mage coins concentrations of pure magic forged by powerful Legendary magicians nearing the mythical realm.
The levels of magic comprehension were separated into Novice, Apprentice, Master, Supreme, Legendary, Mythical, and Divine. To become a Legendary magician required not just talent, a powerful bloodline, and determination, but also a measure of luck. Legends were said to be able to warp reality, move through time, and teleport across space with ease. This was a level of power some believed belonged only to the gods.
None of the judges present had reached the Legendary realm; even the chairman of the Avalon society was only at the Supreme level. This highlighted how difficult it was to achieve the Legendary rank.
Only Legendary magicians could create a Mage Coin, which was why they were so rare. Legends typically didn't waste their time on such tasks, creating just a few coins when their families needed money. Some greedy Legendary magicians attempted to create hundreds of coins to become rich, but this was a foolish endeavor. It was said that a piece of the creator was absorbed into each coin. Cate didn't know much about the specifics, but she was sure that a magician could only create a handful of coins in their lifetime. Creating too many could lead to death or a significant reduction in lifespan; a price no reasonable magician would pay for overnight wealth.
Mage coins weren't just valuable because of their rarity; their true worth lay in their utility for casting spells. When a magician casts a spell, they draw on either the magic in their blood or the power in the world. In both cases, there was a limit to how much magic could be used in a short period. This limit was determined by the purity of one's bloodline—the reason for the vast divide in magical power between mage clans and wandering magicians. Mage clans strove to keep their bloodlines pure, which was why the real Catherine Staranse's family had rejected her as a bastard with a questionable bloodline.
When a magician reached their limit, Mage coins showed their true value. With a single coin, a magician could cast hundreds of additional spells, depending on the coin's quality.
Mage coins were divided into Low, Middle, High, Supreme, and Divine grades, with the grade depending on the power of the Legendary magician who created them. A Legendary magician could produce Supreme-grade coins at their peak, but Divine-grade coins could only be created by Mythical and Divine-level magicians.
In short, Mage coins were incredibly valuable, and for Cate to produce seventeen high-grade coins and hand them to Jordan was truly astonishing.
Jordan looked at the coins with desire, and she wasn't the only one. All the other participants were eyeing the coins, their eyes darting with the thought of snatching them and fleeing. With these coins, they could become nobility in the supernatural world or kings and queens among humans. Even some of the judges looked at the coins with longing.
"Should I take the coin?" Jordan wondered. She had an image to maintain, yet the coins shone so brilliantly. While questions filled her mind, her eyes remained fixed on the treasure.
"Since you can't make up your mind, I'll help you," Cate said, stepping forward to place the coins in Jordan's pocket.
This action snapped Jordan back to reality, but it was too late, and Cate had no intention of letting her return the coins. Cate looked at the tall female examiner. "Those of us who want to continue with the original test should be allowed to do so. All the losers can be sent into the Edgeless Forest to tame beasts," she declared.
The examiner, shaken by the coins but recovering faster than most, responded, "Since you are so confident, you should move forward and cast your spells. Should you die, all responsibility will be placed on your grave and no one else."
Cate smiled at the woman, then nodded to Mary to step forward.
When people saw that Mary was the one presenting the new spell, they were confused. Cate offered no explanation, and neither did Mary, who simply brought out various items to begin concocting her potion. Mary was a witch whose ability was prophecy; she was a seer.
As Mary pulled out herbs and began mixing strange liquids in a large cauldron, the other participants backed away. They wanted to be far from the stage when things inevitably went up in smoke. They recognized the potion as being similar to the one Mateo Vargas had made just the day before. Mateo was the young man who had tried to summon the World Tree, only to summon an evil, warped demonic tree that killed him and dozens of other participants. That spell had been a catastrophic failure, and everyone feared Mary was on the same path.
Very few people could see the subtle differences between Mateo's potion and the one Mary was concocting. Mary moved with confidence, each step taken with meticulous care yet at an incredible speed. She mixed countless liquids, added numerous strange herbs, all while chanting in the language of the Mountain people. When she was finished, her potion was a vibrant red, unlike the green one Mateo had made.
It was finally time for her to use the potion and spell. By this point, only Cate and the Mage Born remained anywhere near the stage. Even the judges had moved backward, clearly unwilling to die with Mary.
Cate gave Mary an encouraging nod. Mary began chanting without any fear, knowing that Cate had created this spell for her. After witnessing Mateo's spell, Cate had been inspired to attempt summoning the World Tree. Unlike Mateo, however, Cate knew her limits. She realized summoning the World Tree was beyond her power. Instead, Cate decided to create a spell to summon a demonic tree. She then taught the spell to Mary to present. Since the rules only required a participant to present a new spell and said nothing about the person having to be the original creator, Cate saw no problem in helping Mary pass the test in accordance with their deal.