A Sorcerer's Journey 356 Stigmata Gears II

Three months later.
At the highest floor of the lower sorcerer's tower of the void fortress.
The Myna felt uncomfortable as it was placed in the center of a huge hexagram-shaped magical array that was drawn around it, beyond the reach of the mana pool by the Bone Bell Tower Stigmata Sorcerer. The Stigmata Sorcerer was drawing up supportive arrays around the main one.
The magical array was packed filled with magical runes that were glowing in a mysterious, green color.
"This… this feeling!"
Grimm mumbled to himself in shock. Beneath the Mask of Truth, his elemental eyes almost went blank. He was in disbelief.
So, the mana pool of a sorcerer's tower had been collecting the magical power of the sorcerers in the tower either intentionally or otherwise and to become the stigmata sorcerer's seemingly unending source of mana.
The results that came after a stigmata sorcerer has gotten his own mana pool…
Grimm took a gulp. He reached out a finger. A strain of elemental light appeared. He was carefully scrutinizing with his elemental eyes.
A while later, Grimm took a cold breath.
"Is this the energy structure of a Stigmata Sorcerer who has gone through the elemental transformation?"
At this moment, Grimm could feel that he could mobilize ninety out of his hundred points worth of mental strength!
Under normal circumstances, Grimm could only use up about twenty points of it.
Going by this logic, a Level-3 sorcerer with a mental strength of three hundred points could only use one-seventh of it at any one time, about forty-five points. But once he transcends to a Stigmata Sorcerer, and after building his own sorcerer's tower, he would be able to use four hundred points' worth of mental strength!
This was almost a ninefold increase!
"Yes, when you become a real sorcerer, did you choose to leverage the potential of your body using mental strength?"
The Bone Bell Tower Stigmata Sorcerer was manipulating some green soul fires and drawing up soul-protection runes beside the Myna as he asked Grimm.
Grimm respectfully nodded. A deep voice came from beneath his Mask of Truth. "Yes."
"Oh."
The Bone Bell Tower stigmata sorcerer nodded as well as he calmly continued. "Well then, even with the blessing of the source of mana from the sorcerer, you may only use up ninety percent of all your mental strengths. It was your choice, you gotta pay the price."
Grimm pursed his lips under the Mask of Truth.
Although he knew that there would be consequences regarding his choices after he became a real sorcerer, he did not think that it would turn out this way.
If he became a stigmata sorcerer, would there be a ten-percent penalty to all his elemental spells?
The difference, at this moment, would be like if Grimm's fire bat spell was replaced by the firebird spell.
At this moment.
Grimm felt that if he willed it and tap into the mana pool of the sorcerer's tower with his principal will, he would have the blessing of unlimited mana. If it weren't for Grimm's overly low leverage multiples in terms of elemental sorceries, he would have far exceeded all the Level-3 sorcerers.

But even then, with Grimm's ability to utilize ninety points of mental strengths as his base, which was almost twice as much as a Level-3 sorcerer, he earned the rights look at all the Level-3 sorcerers right in the eyes.
Adding up the gears that were handpicked by the many Stigmata Sorcerers for him, Grimm estimated that he now has the same power level as the Jyorongshan in the Shadow World, maybe even stronger.
After taking in a deep breath, Grimm asked," Great Bone Bell Tower Stigmata Sorcerer, should I be aware of anything when I tap into the mana pool?"
The skeleton was deeply engaged in his drawing of magical runes. He didn't even raise his head.
"Something to be aware of?"
The Bone Bell Tower pondered for a moment and calmly said, " At your power level, the mana pool in the sorcerer's tower would seem almost infinite to you, so there's nothing to worry about in terms of getting your mana."
He paused for a moment.
"But, you have yet to face the mind-reaping test of a Stigmata Sorcerer, your soul's but of a sorcerer's. For a stigmata soul, the source of mana is an infinite help, but for a sorcerer like you, it is a poison of high toxicity. Even with me as your soul guardian, you could only tap into the mana pool of the sorcerer's tower not more than four hourglasses' time. And you'll have to pay the price of losing the four governing souls during your time as a real sorcerer permanently."
Grimm knew about the consequences and the price that he had to pay. But he still had to ask the doubt that has been on his mind.
"If someday I were to become a Stigmata Sorcerer, would I be able to mend back these four governing souls?"
"Four governing souls? Heehee, heeheeheehee…"
The Bone Bell Tower Stigmata Sorcerer burst into laughter. He said in a cynical manner, " If you manage to attract enough real sorcerers into your own sorcerer's tower, a principal soul that is nourished by the sorcerer's tower wouldn't have a problem of recovering even four million governing souls."
On the other side, the Myna was feasting upon a selection of delectable cuisine meticulously prepared by Grimm. As it feasted, its eyes became teary.
"My beloved Master Grimm, I am doing all these for you, you must make it up to me, weep…"
Grimm quickly replied, "My good Myna, I will surely make it up to you, please, tell me what you want."
"I want to eat… bonito fish."
Grimm looked at the Myna. Since Gimm mentioned about the gourmet that is Master Peranos's bonito fish, this little guy had never once forgotten about it.
"Um…"
Grimm was hesitant and put in a difficult position. He didn't know if they sold those in the Holy Tower.
"Sob… sob... Master Grimm, this little Myna had risked death and paid so much for you, can't you fulfill just this little wish of mine?"
The little Myna set his puppy-eyed gaze upon Grimm.
Grimm clenched his teeth. "So be it, bonito fish it is then! If they don't have them in it he Holy Tower of the Seven Rings, I'll get some from Master Peranos in the sorcerer's world once we get back there! I will let you have a good taste of it even if I have to beg for it!"
"Yay!"
Myna was overjoyed. Just as Grimm had breathed a sigh of relief, and when he thought he had dealt with all that trouble, the little Myna once again turned into a pitiful manner. Its eyes were teary. "Also… I'd like a Soul Slave as my personal henchman."
"That…"
Grimm was once again put into a spot. "Little Myna, you know that my governing souls would soon be…"
"Master, I kinda like your Enigma #1!"
As the little Myna shrieked the chimera's name, Grimm was so annoyed that he almost jumped. So this little guy had been planning for this.
Grimm clenched his teeth in a fit of rage, his voice almost sounded like they were squeezed out from the tight gaps of his teeth. "Great, great! There's still some time before the third phase of chimera, take Enigma #1 with you! Is there anything else that you'd like?"
"Oh… there's still… oh, oh, nothing else!"
The little Myna saw Grimm's glaring stare beneath his Mask of Truth. It had to cut back on its third request.
"Good, if there's nothing else, stay here like a good boy."
Grimm was furious, but at the same time, he was about to burst into laughter as he said those words. He started to tap into the mana pool of the sorcerer's tower quietly and started to equip all his stigmata gears.
Black Isotta's pair of Essence of Black Isotta with fifteen thousand points' worth of attack power and a legion of a thousand intelligent Level 2 and above Soul Slaves.
The Ivory Fort Stigmata Sorcerer's True Ivory Armor with a defensive point of five thousand.
The Mandala Stigmata Sorceress's gift of elemental body and the Mandala Robes that come with the power of elemental blinks.
The Dark Realm Stigmata Sorcerer's Dark Realm Mirror and the Dark Realm Seal.
The Hourglass Stigmata Sorcerer's gift of Half-step Time and the Strings of Time.
The Bone Bell Tower Sigmata Sorcerer's protection of his soul while tapping into the mana pool of the sorcerer's tower of the void fortress.
Once he taps into the mana pool of the sorcerer's tower, within a period of four hourglasses, he would be playing by the rules of a Stigmata Sorcerer for a short period of time, mobilizing all mental strengths within his body!
For an Anatomy Refinery Sorcerer like Grimm though, it was about ninety percent of his mental strength.
Then, Grimm's fire dragonfly spell would be 90 points from his base mental strength x the leverage principle in the multiple of 12 + 80 points from the passive increase in fire attack of his Body of Flame + 300 points of additional damage from his Sabbatical Goat Staff = around 1500 points of base spell attack points!
And when Grimm cast his most powerful elemental spell that is the Explosive Fireblast, the attack points would reach a terrifying 3000 points!
No wonder…
No wonder there's a huge, structural difference in the energy level between a Level-3 sorcerer and a Stigmata Sorcerer, as well as a Level-3 creature and a World Lord.
There is a change happening within the governing law of energy.
Suddenly, the Bone Bell Tower Stigmata Sorcerer sensed something. He raised his head and said to Grimm, "Looks like your Rank-1 honor badge mission is about to start. Go on, Black Isotta is waiting for you outside."
Grimm's face turned underneath the Mask of Truth. He nodded without a word. He gave a final look to the Myna before leaving the sorcerer's tower. He didn't even look back.

Chapter end