A few days later...

It’s only the fourth day, so I should have three more days to sort things out here. 

Theo had sent word to the Magic Society the day after they had defeated the Arch Lich. Normally, they would have to return and report in person, but this situation was serious enough to warrant sending word ahead. Theo expected a senior investigator to be dispatched from Manavil immediately, and anticipated they would arrive in three days.

He gave himself that long to solidify his unstable circles.

Wuuuong...

Sweat beaded on his forehead as Theo sat in meditation. He had spent almost half a day attempting to calm his newly created 5th Circle, but it kept trembling inside him. Theo could only attribute his difficulty in stabilizing this new Circle to the fact that it had formed from Gluttony’s consumption of the Life Vessel and not through normal means. After all, it had taken Theo less than a fortnight to jump from the 4th Circle to the 5th Circle.

“... Hoo, it’s like they actively discriminate against taking shortcuts.” Theo grumbled as he rose to his feet and wiped the sweat off his forehead.

Still, it was fortunate that he could sense the trembling slowly subsiding. A magician’s Circles were...