My monster cards can evolve infinitely.

With the wooden peg locked, all the noise from the outside world was shut out.

This is a small but tidy single dormitory room, with a wooden bed, a table and chair, and a wardrobe as the only furniture.

Xiu Qi sat cross-legged on the bed with his eyes closed.

In front of him was a notebook containing spells, and in his palm was a meditation stone the size of an egg.

He is ready.

Tonight will be the moment to witness a miracle.

Incitement;

A powerful surge of spiritual energy flooded into the ocean of consciousness like a tidal wave.

As he chanted incantations in a low voice, his thinking speed suddenly increased.

Some details that seemed obscure just moments ago are now clearly understood.

Immediately afterwards;

An invisible arcane energy began to respond to the call, gathering around him.

The rapidly circulating arcane energy is beginning to construct the spell model of the deflection force field.

The movements were clumsy and weak.

"Just one last step... and it will be complete..."

With a soft "pop," it burst and scattered like a bubble.

Only a gentle breeze remained.

First attempt at casting... failed.

It wasn't that easy after all.

Xiuqi's face showed no sign of discouragement, but rather an excited eagerness to try again.

This was only his first time casting a spell, and he had already made such progress.

"As expected, he truly deserves to be called a genius of the defensive school..."

With his intelligence rising to 8 points, he also plans to learn another public version of the Protection School's magic trick.

Instead of rushing to try it, he carefully reviewed the spell he had just cast.

"The problem likely lies in the flow of magic between the nodes..."

He adjusted the rhythm of his magic output, attempting to make the flow of arcane energy more continuous and even.

"Again..."

A transparent force field rippled out from his heart, covering roughly half of his chest.

Did you make it?

Before you can even feel happy, it starts to fluctuate violently the very next second after it forms, and then collapses, lasting for less than half a second.

"The stability is too poor..."

The second spellcasting attempt failed.

"Again!"

......

The fifth attempt to cast the spell failed.

......

The tenth spellcasting attempt failed.

......

......

Despite experiencing numerous failures, Xiuqi's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

Because he could already sense that the forbidden gate of the [Primary Deflection Field] had been pushed open more than halfway.

His spellcasting movements became increasingly fluid, and his chanting of incantations became more concise and powerful.

"Again!!!"

Almost instantly, an invisible force field, more solid and with a wider coverage area, quickly took shape!

One second... ten seconds... one minute...

This time, the spell held steady.

Furthermore, compared to previous spellcasting methods, the cost of the spell is significantly reduced.

He lowered his head and examined himself.

It was completely empty, seemingly no different from before.

But if you pay attention, you'll feel a surge of powerful and solid arcane energy flowing and surrounding you.

An indescribable sense of accomplishment welled up inside me, overshadowing the frustration from the series of failures.

"finally..."

"It's a success!"

A surge of ecstasy welled up inside me, followed by a wave of exhaustion that swept over my entire body.

At this moment, one could clearly feel an invisible arcane field covering his entire body, like a loyal guard, ready to defend against any attack.

Immediately afterwards, a "ding" sound rang in his ears.

That was a royalty notification from the Magic Network.

"Use the shovel..."

"Not even two silver coins will be spared..."

Xiu Qi's smile froze instantly.

The notification sound for this royalty payment is probably even faster than an instant-cast spell, right?

Although they offered words of blessing, their hearts were filled with respect for that lady.

Based on the current situation, royalties are only payable if the spell is successfully cast.

Although the previous failures did not trigger royalties, they still consumed a lot of mental and magical energy.

Even with a physique of 8 points, he was covered in sweat at this moment.

"Thank goodness I bought this exquisite meditation stone; not only has my meditation and mana recovery speed doubled!"

"I must master it as soon as possible..."

Xiuqi suppressed his distracting thoughts and cleared his mind of all ideas.

Place the meditation stone in your palms once more, and let your mind enter the magical realm of magic.

As a surge of powerful spiritual energy flowed in, both the body and the spiritual sea felt a sense of comfort.

All the fatigue vanished instantly, and my mind became clear and sharp again.

"This meditation stone is damn useful!"

"No wonder those geniuses, at such a young age, completely outclass me in intelligence and magic..."

Thinking back to how stingy I used to be with regular meditation stones, costing only 15 gold coins each, I don't have that worry anymore...

Absorb as much as you can, meditate intensely, and recover with all your might...

There is absolutely no burden in using it.

Based on his estimation, this psionic crystal, which was originally intended to last for three months, would probably not last more than two months in his hands.

Who cares, let's just build it up first.

He did not stop, and began chanting and constructing spell models again.

"puff--"

An invisible force field rippled outwards, lasting for more than three minutes before dissipating, demonstrating significant progress.

Upon casting the spell again, the force field stabilized and took shape, expanding its coverage to the entire body, and its duration was significantly longer than before.

……

With the aid of exquisite meditation stones, Xiuqi's efficiency in practicing spells was astonishingly high.

By repeatedly performing the spell, his understanding of "Midas's Primary Deflection Field" deepened rapidly.

The construction of spell models has become increasingly sophisticated, and this series of spell casting processes has become muscle memory.

At the same time, he did not forget his old friend – [Blade Protection].

This long-mastered trick has now undergone a transformation.

In fact, [Blade Protection] is simpler than [Basic Deflection Field].

Its core magic lies in constructing a hard arcane protective layer.

In the past, it took Xiuqi about two seconds to perform this trick.

But now...

Incitement;

This time, no incantation was chanted; a tight arcane shield instantly appeared around him and quickly covered his entire body.

"Instant cast?"

"No, it's still a little slow."

"But the casting time has been reduced by half!"

A hint of joy flashed in Xiu Qi's eyes.

Judging solely from the spells of the Protective School, he is a super genius standing at the very top of the pyramid.

His method of practicing magic was not to blindly copy, but to constantly draw inferences from one instance to another.

For example, you can alternate between casting the two spells and then experience their similarities and differences in shaping, energy, and construction.

【Blade Protection】focuses on "point" defense, dealing with precise, small-area physical attacks.

The [Primary Deflection Field] focuses on guiding the "surface" to deal with a wider range of physical and arcane impacts.

Time is like an old friend who cheated you out of 10,000 gold coins; it escapes very quickly.

As the first wisp of cloud on the horizon was parted, the warm morning light peeked in through the window.

Xiu Qicai slowly opened his eyes, ending a night of arduous cultivation.

His face was pale, a sign of excessive mental exhaustion, but his eyes were frighteningly bright.

Overnight, he not only gained a basic grasp of Midas's Elementary Deflection Field, but also pushed his already proficient Blade Protection to a new level!

[Blade Protection] upgraded to level 4!

The importance of this spell for improving one's cultivation is self-evident.

The upgrade from level 3 to level 4 represents a significant leap forward.

Level 4 Blade Protection not only increases casting speed to 1 second, but also increases resistance to blunt, piercing, and slashing damage from 60% to 65%.

And the duration was extended from forty minutes to fifty minutes.

"It's time to go."

Xiu Qi stood up and stretched his somewhat stiff limbs.

The all-nighter left him feeling listless, but the successful spell invigorated him.

So his current state is both listless and excited.

After carefully putting away his spellbook, meditation stone, and magic cards, Xiuqi changed into a set of travel clothes that were easy to move in, and put on a gray robe that was a one-to-one replica of the academy's black robe.

This was a style he ordered from a tailor shop in the Chamber of Commerce district, and it cost only one-tenth of the 5 gold coins that the Academy Black Robe cost.

He carried a bag containing dry food and water, along with magic cards and all his belongings, and quietly left the academy at the hazy dawn.

……

……

Harbour City awakens in the morning light.

Xiuqi walked on the street paved with huge bluestone slabs, and the moist sea breeze carrying the salty smell hit him.

The streets are lined with rows of stone and wood houses, with wisps of smoke rising from their short, stout chimneys.

The city is located next to Sword Bay and was originally named Troville.

It was originally an ordinary little fishing village.

Relying on the prosperous development of maritime trade during the Age of Exploration two hundred years ago, coupled with its excellent geographical location within the kingdom, it has gradually developed into a major metropolis of great importance within the kingdom and even the Silver Alliance.

One hundred years ago, it was renamed "Blessed Deep-Water Port", commonly known as Harbour City.

"Shallow Water" is the city's affluent area.

It brings together colleges, government agencies, and upscale residential areas.

The streets here are clean, and the houses are mostly stone buildings with an arcane style, with shimmering rune tiles inlaid on the high eaves.

In the distance, the "deep water area" is a bustling scene, with towering lighthouses guiding ships in and out of the port, and rows of passenger ships, cargo ships and fishing boats docked at the pier.

The shouts of loading and unloading workers, the cries of vendors, and the calls of seagulls mingled together, adding vitality and hustle and bustle to the city's morning.

Merchants, sailors, and fully armed adventurers from all over the world can be seen everywhere on the streets.

They are of various races, including humans, dwarves, orcs, and elves.

Occasionally, you can also see cat people and lizard people from desert countries.

This is a bountiful city full of vitality, but also fraught with hidden dangers.

Xiuqi had no time to savor the city's morning light. He walked straight through the bustling central market, effortlessly navigating the shaded alleys and rooftops, until he arrived at the junction of the shallow and deep water areas.

In the most prominent position on the street stands a sign for a business called "Swift Wind Together".

This is a passenger transport company famous for taming swift monsters to pull its carriages.

Several oddly shaped carriages were parked in front of the trading company.

The carriage was not driven by ordinary horses, but by a monster called a "chocobo lizard".

They have strong, ostrich-like legs and long necks, their bodies are covered in fine scales, and they run extremely fast with amazing endurance.

It is the best choice for long-distance travel.

Xiuqi walked to the counter: "To Summer Town, the fastest bus."

Summertown is the closest town to the Grey Forest, and most adventurers choose it as their base. He had been there once before.

"Perfect timing, we'll depart in fifteen minutes," the steward behind the counter said without looking up. "Five silver coins."

Xiu Qi's lips twitched slightly, but he still deftly took out 5 silver coins.

A regular carriage costs only 2 silver coins to travel from Harbor City to Summertown, but the journey takes at least a day.

Riding in this chocobo lizard-themed vehicle is more than twice as fast, and the comfort level is also more than doubled.

When he entered the carriage, he found that there were already three people sitting inside.

An elegant lady sat in the right-hand seat near the window.

Her face was lightly veiled, and she wore a well-tailored dark blue travel dress with a gray hooded cloak draped over her shoulders.

Her face, visible through the veil, showed a faint hint of weariness, but her back was ramrod straight, and her posture was elegant.

She didn't seem to be carrying much luggage, with only a small suitcase at her feet.

The woman simply sat there quietly, gazing out the window, naturally creating an aura of aloofness that kept strangers at bay.

It felt as if they were in a different world from the other people in the carriage.

Like a noble lady traveling.