A scorching fireball manifested before him and violently launched forward!
Moreover, having restructured part of the redundant circuitry, Zelier's casting speed was noticeably faster than it had been in the Ashwood Forest.
He had compressed the casting time from around five seconds down to a little over four, without diminishing its power in the slightest.
*Bang!*
The fireball struck the crystal pillar, bursting into a shower of sparks.
"Hoh..." Marvin's brow lifted slightly.
A promising seedling indeed.
Bev's casting speed across those three spells had averaged around six seconds, yet Zelier had unleashed Fireball in just over four.
A difference of a second and change was not to be underestimated; an ordinary caster might spend an entire year of hard practice just to shave off that much.
Clearly, Zelier's mana control surpassed Bev's.
"Not bad. Keep going," Marvin said, gesturing with his chin.
"Uh..."
Hearing this, Zelier scratched his head in mild embarrassment. "Pardon me, Instructor Marvin, but this is the only spell I know."
"The only one?" Marvin frowned.
"Yes."
There was no helping it; the original owner's family had simply been too impoverished.
The money used to buy that battered Fireball scroll had taken years of odd jobs to scrape together. As for other spells, they had been entirely out of the question.
"Your Fireball is quite good. It easily meets the standards of a Magic Apprentice."
Instructor Marvin rubbed his chin.
"However, under the guild's evaluation rules, even if your mana and casting proficiency meet the mark, you must master three Tier 2 single-layer spells to officially become a Magic Apprentice."
Depending on their spell structures, magic was divided into two broad categories: single-layer spell structures and multi-layer spell structures.
A single-layer structure could be conceptualized as a flat plane—a two-dimensional surface.
All magical pathways were inscribed on this two-dimensional plane, representing the most fundamental magical configuration.
For a significant span of history, mages across the Candia Continent had only known how to use single-layer spells.
Yet across the vast river of time, brilliant prodigies inevitably emerged.
Through continuous exploration and development of spell structures, multi-layer spells—possessing greater power and broader applications—were eventually invented.
Compared to the two-dimensional plane of a single-layer structure, a multi-layer structure was a three-dimensional construct formed by multiple intersecting planes.
With far more spatial capacity, its complexity increased exponentially, making it considerably harder to master.
Based on the intricacy of their circuitry, both categories were further divided into tiers from one to nine.
Spells like Fireball, Wind Blade, Water Ball, and Light were all Tier 2 single-layer spells.
Bev showed a look of regret.
From the test just now, she could tell that Zelier's magical capability was definitely higher than hers.
Knowing only a single spell was likely due to the constraints of his family background.
Want to learn new magic?
It was simple enough: spend money to buy spell scrolls inscribed with the corresponding structures.
A high-quality Tier 2 single-layer spell scroll sold for around five gold coins—nearly a full year's income for an ordinary commoner family.
The Fireball scroll the original owner had bought from the wandering bard had been so dilapidated that he managed to snag it for forty silver coins.
The residual mental imprint on it had been exceedingly faint, which was why it took the original owner so long to decipher the structure—a terribly inefficient process.
"I understand. I'll work hard to master two other spells and come back for another evaluation," Zelier said.
Though he hadn't passed, he wasn't disheartened.
After all, he had already acquired three new spells from Bev. Once the parsing was complete, officially becoming a Magic Apprentice was only a matter of time.
"Wait a moment," Marvin called out suddenly, stopping Zelier. "I'd like to ask you a few questions... They're somewhat personal, of course, so feel free not to answer."
"What is it?"
"What does your family do? Are they merchants, or...?" Marvin asked.
"I come from a small border village in the Kingdom of Ther. My parents were farmers, but they have passed away," Zelier answered truthfully. "Right now, I'm an adventurer, making a living by taking commissions."
"Is that so..."
Marvin lowered his head, seemingly lost in thought. After a moment, he spoke again.
"In that case, I can pass your Magic Apprentice evaluation early. But you must promise me that within three months, you will come back to me for a second evaluation. I expect you to have mastered three new spells by then."
Hearing this, Zelier froze.
"Huh...?"
What did this mean?
"Why are you daydreaming? Hurry and thank Instructor Marvin! He's looking out for you," Bev urged, nudging Zelier with her elbow. "Once you become a Magic Apprentice, you can collect the guild stipend—a whole gold coin every month!"
*There's a benefit like that?*
Only then did Zelier snap out of it, hurriedly offering his thanks.
"Thank you for looking out for me, Instructor Marvin! I definitely won't let you down."
"The path of a mage is long, arduous, and full of hardship. With your talent, I would hate to see you fall through the cracks," Marvin said encouragingly. "Remember our agreement: find me for another test within three months."
"Understood."
Zelier suddenly remembered the condition for unlocking his second innate ability: becoming a low-rank mage.
This was the perfect opportunity to ask and clear things up all at once.
"Instructor Marvin, I'd also like to know what standards are required to pass the low-rank mage evaluation."
"You've only just become an apprentice, and already you're aiming for low-rank mage?" Marvin chuckled.
"Ambitious little guy, aren't you...? You must master at least ten Tier 2 single-layer spells and compress their casting times to under three seconds.
"On top of that, you must master one Tier 3 single-layer spell with a casting time under five seconds. Those are the requirements for a low-rank mage.
"As for learning the spells, I need not explain—you'll have to collect spell scrolls and grasp them on your own. As for compressing casting speed, that demands years of relentless practice."
Marvin adjusted his monocle.
"What you need to understand is that spell structures are not set in stone. As long as your mana manipulation improves, you can naturally optimize the original structure and speed up your casting."
"Like straightening out a winding, twisted path into a direct line?" Zelier said, recalling what he had felt moments earlier.
"An apt comparison." Marvin nodded. "Original, raw spell structures are often convoluted—a messy jumble of twists and turns, to borrow your phrase. One could easily get lost in them.
"Only by refining your mana manipulation can you streamline them step by step, ultimately reaching the pinnacle of any single spell: instantaneous casting."
"I see..." Zelier nodded thoughtfully.
Chapter 14