Three Spells

"Self-taught?" Those words piqued Bev's interest. In her mind, magic was synonymous with luxury, perpetually tied to costly tutors, affluent families, and exorbitantly expensive tomes. A commoner teaching himself magic? It sounded almost unheard of. Just as Bev was about to ask more, a wooden door on the right side of the hall swung open. A mage wearing a monocle gestured toward Bev and Zelier. "You two are up." ... The evaluation took place in a room known as the Chamber of Serenity. The surrounding walls were constructed of white stone, and a crystal pillar stood in the center, giving the space a solemn, sacred air. The presiding evaluator adjusted his monocle and spoke in a clear, resonant voice. "My name is Marvin Kofeller, a high-rank mage, and I will be your evaluating instructor today." Though it sounded like an introduction addressed to both of them, Marvin was really speaking to Zelier alone. Judging by Bev's expression, she had known Instructor Marvin for a long time. "I am Zelier." Zelier placed a hand over his chest and gave a slight bow. Marvin looked faintly surprised to hear that Zelier had no family name, though the expression flickered and vanished from his face almost instantly. "All right, Uncle Marvin, let's get started already," Bev urged. Marvin glanced at Bev with a somewhat helpless look. "Bev, this is your third time taking the mage evaluation this month. If you fail again, I'll have to put you on a mandatory ninety-day cooldown." Bev curled her lips, her voice dropping significantly. "I'm definitely going to pass this time..." "The evaluation procedure for a Magic Apprentice is very simple," Marvin said. "First is the mana assessment, followed by spellcasting proficiency. I will judge whether you qualify based on your performance." Marvin raised a hand toward the crystal pillar. "Bev, you first." "Good luck," Zelier encouraged her with a smile. Bev clenched her fists and nodded firmly. "Mm!" She took off her lavender robe, setting it aside along with her wand. Items that amplified mana were not permitted during the evaluation. Taking a deep breath, Bev stepped up to the crystal pillar, pressed her slender palm against its surface, and channeled her mana into it. The pillar was made of a material similar to the crystal orb the gate guard had used, only purer, allowing for a much clearer reading of mana intensity. A blue glow sparked at the base and climbed steadily upward, gradually reaching the level of Bev's waist. Straining with all her might, she poured in every drop of mana she could muster. The blue light rose a fraction higher before coming to a complete stop. Zelier visually estimated the height. It was... around a meter or so? Roughly 1.2 or 1.3 meters. Marvin glanced over. "Passable. Just barely qualifies." The corners of Bev's mouth curved up, a delighted smile breaking across her pretty face. "Woohoo!" Last time, she hadn't even managed to pass the mana test. Next came Zelier's turn. He placed his palm against the crystal as well. A blue light sprouted from the base of the pillar and shot upward. Not only was it visibly faster than Bev's, but it also quickly surged past her previous mark. Bev blinked, looking as though she could hardly believe her eyes. Marvin was also somewhat startled, and the look he gave Zelier grew noticeably more thoughtful. In the end, the blue light settled just below Zelier's chest, a good twenty to thirty centimeters higher than Bev's. "Well done," Marvin nodded approvingly. "Your mana intensity fully meets the standard for a Magic Apprentice, with room to spare." "Thank you for the praise, sir." Zelier withdrew his hand. With a Spirit attribute of 71, it was indeed more than enough to meet the requirements of a Magic Apprentice. Had Zelier chosen Spell Surge among his talent options, the light in the pillar likely would have climbed even higher. "You... are you really self-taught?" Bev muttered under her breath. To think he was actually stronger than her. Next, Marvin had to evaluate their spellcasting proficiency, and once again, Bev went first. The procedure was equally straightforward: applicants simply needed to cast the spells they were skilled in, and Marvin would evaluate the results. Holding her palm forward, Bev began mobilizing her mana to sketch the spell structure in her mind. Marvin narrowed his eyes slightly, intently observing her casting process. *Whoosh!* The air warped slightly, and a pale-green blade of wind sheared forward! Wind Blade. Although there were no wooden dummies or targets to quantify the damage, Zelier felt the strike packed substantial force—at least on par with a slash from a standard sword. Next, Bev began outlining a second spell structure. After about six or seven seconds, a bright glow radiated from her palm. As Bev moved her hand, the light condensed into an orb that floated high into the air, illuminating a wide expanse around them. Light. Catching her breath for a brief moment, Bev moved on to drafting her third spell. This time, a head-sized sphere of water gradually formed before her. With a sharp pop, the water ball shot forward at high speed and slammed hard against the wall. Water Ball. "Haa... haa..." Casting three spells in succession had taken an obvious toll on Bev. Breathing lightly, she looked toward Marvin. "How was that, Instructor Marvin?" "It seems you haven't been slacking off lately after all," Marvin said with a slight nod. "You pass, Bev. From this moment on, you are officially a Magic Apprentice." "Yes!" Bev beamed with excitement. Bev was not the only one pleased; Zelier was quite delighted as well, for he could clearly see three new progress bars beneath Formula Deduction. Wind Blade: Parsing Progress — 2%. Light: Parsing Progress — 2%. Water Ball: Parsing Progress — 2%. This talent skill truly was convenient, sparing him the exorbitant cost and effort of tracking down spell scrolls. Moreover, compared to a relatively complex spell like Flowing Mist Veil, the three spells Bev had cast were parsing at a noticeably faster rate. Having reached 2% immediately upon entering the queue, they would likely finish parsing within just a few days. "Your turn, Zelier," Marvin indicated. Zelier stepped forward, exhaled gently, and visualized the spell structure of Fireball in his mind. Mana spread along the established pathways, ready to flow. Yet right at that moment, Zelier froze, struck by a sudden realization. Within his mind, the originally complete spell structure of Fireball seemed to contain several redundant sections that struck him as entirely unnecessary. Those winding, superfluous detours could be restructured into straight lines, allowing mana to flow much faster. *What's going on...?* Zelier could not help feeling bewildered. He had never felt anything like this when casting Fireball before. Rather than overthinking it, Zelier followed his instincts, reworked those redundant paths, and successfully finished tracing the modified spell structure.