Chương 7: Chapter 7: Mastering Basic Magic, Joan’s Attempt!

Spending nearly 50,000 gold coins in one go left Dean Bruce feeling a bit pained. He decided not to linger in the marketplace and headed straight back to the academy, making his way to the training room.

He wanted to test the system's functions, which required using the magic talismans. Doing so in the dormitory could easily disturb the other instructors.

The so-called training room was essentially an empty chamber, equipped with arrays that could isolate both magical energy and aura. This allowed mages to cast spells freely without worrying about causing damage to the surroundings.

Even so, the use of training rooms was strictly controlled by the magic academies and even some magic guilds.

Each instructor had a set amount of time allocated per month, and once that time was up, they could no longer access the room unless they paid extra.

Reflecting on this, Dean Bruce felt a surge of relief. [It's a good thing I never used the training room out of curiosity before. All that unused time has accumulated, giving me plenty of hours to work with!]

Though this was a world of magic, human thinking hadn't fallen behind. A sophisticated system of identity verification had been created using magic. To activate the training room's arrays, one had to insert an identity crystal, imbued with their own soul essence, into the core of the room's array. This would trigger the array, sealing the room and starting the time counter.

Following the instructions in his memory, Dean Bruce completed the process. The training room shuddered as several arrays activated, emitting a brilliant light that illuminated the entire space.

After taking a curious glance around, Dean Bruce composed himself and laid out all the magic talismans he had purchased.

"According to the novels I've read, these kinds of items should activate just by tearing them. Let's give it a try!" he murmured to himself. He picked up a Fireball spell talisman and, gripping it tightly, tore at it with both hands. A sharp "zzzzz" sound echoed, but the talisman remained perfectly intact.

Dean Bruce frowned, surprised. Could it be that the rules here are different from those in the novels?

If tearing the talisman didn't work, how was it supposed to be activated?

"Ding!"

"System Notice: Basic magic talisman Fireball Spell detected. Would you like to consume 1 mana point to activate it?"

Seeing the system prompt, Dean Bruce suddenly realized the truth. He finally understood why magic scrolls were so much more expensive than talismans!

A talisman that requires no infusion of one's own mana and can be activated simply by tearing it is far easier to use than one that demands the consumption of personal mana. No wonder there's such a price difference!

With this realization, Dean Bruce mentally summoned his status panel. Seeing that his mana had increased to 5 points thanks to the nurturing effects of the Dragonheart Pendant, he didn't hesitate any longer. He chose to consume a mana point to activate the Fireball spell talisman.

Whirr—

A strange energy rippled through his body, making Dean Bruce's head tingle and his hands heat up. The talisman began to burn, emitting a bright orange glow, before transforming into a fireball that shot toward the direction of his gaze.

Boom!

The fireball collided with the wall, exploding with a resounding crash. Dean Bruce gasped for breath as a wave of fatigue washed over him.

It was clear that even though 1 point of mana seemed like a small amount, it still took a toll on him.

Fortunately, the training room was equipped with a mana-gathering array. As soon as he expended his energy, a soft glow surrounded him, like a mother's gentle touch, soothing his body and slowly replenishing his mana.

Mana consumption is reversible—as long as you increase your maximum mana capacity, you can always recover up to your previous limit, no matter how much you use.

As for the maximum limit?

That's tied to your level and rank!

Even though Dean Bruce wasn't deeply versed in magic, he knew the basic mana ranges for the initial levels.

1 to 10 mana points correspond to the level of a Magic Apprentice, and 11 to 100 mana points mark the level of a Novice Mage. Each level comes with an increase in mana, and the gaps between levels grow progressively larger!

Beyond that, the finer details were beyond his current understanding. But at this moment, he didn't need that knowledge. Now that he knew how to activate the magic talismans, he proceeded to activate the remaining four Fireball spell talismans in one go!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

In an instant, fireballs formed and erupted within the training room, their explosions filling the air with a continuous roar.

"Ding!"

The crisp sound of the system notification rang out, sending a surge of excitement through Dean Bruce.

"System Notice: Congratulations to the host for activating Fireball Spell five times. You have successfully mastered the basic magic spell Fireball!"

Seeing the anticipated notification, Dean Bruce, despite being utterly drained of mana and physically exhausted, couldn't help but pump his fist in the air with excitement.

He had done it!

He had actually learned a magic spell!

After the initial thrill, Dean Bruce calmed down and realized there was another problem.

He didn't know how to properly meditate or quickly absorb mana to replenish his energy.

Relying solely on his body's natural absorption would be far too slow—he didn't have that kind of time.

[Once I've got this down, I definitely need to hit the library and seriously brush up on my basic magical knowledge! ] he resolved to himself. With that decision made, Dean Bruce sighed, then lay down on the floor, stretching out completely. He emptied his mind, deciding to try a meditation technique from yoga.

Whether it was the meditation taking effect or the mana-gathering array doing its job, before long, Dean Bruce felt his strength returning, his energy fully restored.

Time was short, so without hesitation, Dean Bruce got back to his feet and continued activating the remaining basic magic talismans.

"Ding!"

"System Notice: Congratulations to the host for activating Wind Blade five times. You have successfully mastered the basic magic spell Wind Blade!"

With each new spell mastered, the process took its toll, leaving Dean Bruce sprawled on the floor once again, panting heavily.

Time passed slowly as Dean Bruce repeated the cycle of consuming and restoring mana, mastering one basic spell after another.

Meanwhile, in a luxurious estate, deep within an underground chamber, Joan Michelle knelt on a cushion, her eyes closed, surrounded by a swirling vortex of mana.

Though Joan Michelle had appeared so desperate in her pursuit of higher-tier magic, her talent and level were actually quite formidable. At a young age, she had already reached a mana capacity of 1,900. Unfortunately, without the proper avenues to learn advanced magic, she had been stuck at this stage for some time.

This was the way of the world—the Magic Guild held tremendous power and had established strict rules.

No matter how high one's mana capacity, if they hadn't learned the corresponding level of magic, they couldn't pass the guild's assessments, advance in their profession, or gain higher rewards and privileges.

To become a full-fledged mage, Joan Michelle needed more than just a mana capacity of 1,001 points—she also had to master an advanced magic spell.

Suddenly, Joan Michelle's eyes snapped open, and she softly chanted, "Love is patient, love is kind..."

As soon as the words left her lips, the surrounding mana surged, like waves crashing in a storm, drawing in countless brownish-yellow earth elements.

Bang!

But before the earth elements could fully coalesce, the turbulent mana lost its balance and stability, and everything exploded outward.

Joan Michelle's face turned ashen as she suffered the backlash of the disrupted spell, coughing up a mouthful of blood.

Clenching her fists tightly, her eyes filled with frustration and determination, she gritted her teeth and muttered, "Damn it, why can't I get it right? Every time, I fail at the step where the elements should come together! It doesn't matter if it's fire, water, or earth elements—I just can't do it!"

"What am I doing wrong? Or maybe I've misunderstood something?" Joan Michelle fell into a deep spiral of self-doubt. "Patience, kindness, protection, trust, hope, humility…"

She kept murmuring to herself, trying to piece it all together. "Trust? Could it be that I don't actually believe in my heart that I can cast this spell? Protection? Protecting what? Protecting myself from all attacks?"

"But isn't that in conflict with the idea of enduring attacks?"

"No, no, enduring means taking the hit, even if I don't like it, and not showing it. But if it's protection, that means I have to accept everything!"

"And what does 'love never fails' even mean in this context?"

As she wrestled with the spell, Joan Michelle felt like she was on the verge of a breakdown. It seemed as though the words could be interpreted in any number of ways, yet none of them led to the successful casting of the magic!

Thankfully, Dean Bruce's earlier bluffing had been convincing enough that she didn't doubt the validity of the incantation itself. Instead, she continued her relentless attempts, fixated on deciphering the meaning behind each word.

Compared to Joan Michelle's struggles, Dean Bruce was having a far easier time. He successfully mastered Fireball, Wind Blade, Ice Arrow, Earth Wall, and Vine Whip. In less than a single night, he had transformed from an ordinary person into a Magic Apprentice!