Above the mage

Chapter 17 [Acid Splash]

Gao De once again entered a meditative state, his thoughts immersed in the magical starry sky.

The first star was successfully fixed in place, serving as the origin.

Capture the second star and begin moving at coordinates (4/3, 1, 1/4).

Capture the third star and begin moving to coordinates (2, 3/2, -1/4).

The second star has shifted, with its coordinates changing to (4/3, 9/8, 1/4). The position of the second star has been corrected.

Corrections complete.

The fourth star, coordinates

The third star has shifted and is undergoing correction. Correction complete.

Oh no! I was so focused on the third star that I forgot the first one had shifted.

The position of the first star has shifted. Attempts to correct the position were abandoned, and the attempt failed.

Somewhat discouraged, Gao De exited the meditative state, rubbing his temples to regain his senses as he pondered.

The construction of the spell model was proceeding smoothly as Gaode had planned, but when the first star shifted, Gaode had to stop the attempt.

Because a problem he hadn't considered before arose.

The coordinates of the first star are established based on it, and the coordinates of the other stars are determined accordingly.

While the positions of other stars can be corrected by referring to the origin when they shift, what if the position of the first star shifts?

The first star has no reference point and cannot be corrected in position like the other stars—but it can be deduced from the coordinates of the other stars that have not shifted, which leads to the location of (0, 0, 0). However, this raises a new problem:

Without an origin point for reference, how can we ensure that the positions of other planets have not shifted?

Doesn't that mean we have to start all over again?

Gaode did not give up on its idea because of this.

Problems arise and problems are solved.

Regardless, his approach to spell model construction is more efficient than the original approach:

At least in the case where the first star deviates, it is necessary to start over. In other cases, the spell model can be continued by correcting the position of the deviated star in time.

But this exception is precisely what Gaode finds extremely irritating.

If it's just a trick, that's fine. After all, a trick's spell model only has a maximum of ten stars, so starting over is fine too.

However, when it comes to first-order spells or even second-order spells, spell models composed of dozens or hundreds of stars, if you have to start all over again after completing more than half of them because the first star has shifted, it can really make people feel irritable.

"If only we could find a fixed point," Gaode muttered.

However, in the sea of ​​spells, there is nothing but spell stars and spell models, and spell stars are definitely moving randomly, so where can you find a fixed point?

Fixed point, fixed point...

"Wait!" In a flash, Gao De caught a crucial point: "The spell sea contains nothing but stars and spell models. That's someone else. But there's something else in my spell sea!"

His eyes suddenly brightened!

"Wind Spirit Moon Shadow"!

Yes, it's Feng Lingyueying.

Gao De did not know the origin of Wind Spirit Moon Shadow, but it quietly and steadily floated in the very center of his magical star sea, radiating a pure white light.

Not moving at all.

Isn't this a ready-made origin?

Gao De picked up a charcoal pencil and disassembled the coordinates of the nine nodes of the acid splash spell model.

With Wind Spirit Moon Shadow as the new origin, the first star is no longer considered the origin, and its coordinates are no longer (0, 0, 0). Gaode sets it to (1, 1, 1) as the equidistant scale for the spell model.

Based on this, the coordinates of the second star are (7/3, 2, 5/4), and the coordinates of the third star are...

Soon, Gaode added nine new coordinates to the spell recipe.

He spent a few minutes memorizing the nine ternary numbers again, enduring the slight throbbing in his head, and entered a meditative state for the third time to construct the spell model for the acid splash.

Gazing directly at the radiant, moonlit shadow, I try to spot the first wandering star around it.

Using the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow as a reference point, the first star successfully moved to position (1, 1, 1).

第二枚星子（7/3，2，5/4）.

The third star.

The fourth star.

The coordinates of the second star have shifted; correction has begun. Once correction is complete, continue capturing the fifth star.

The fifth star has successfully moved to its coordinates. The first star has shifted and is beginning to correct itself.

Gao De was completely immersed in building the spell model, just like solving an interesting math problem. For a moment, he was so engrossed that he didn't even feel the throbbing pain in his head caused by the depletion of his mental energy.

The sixth star.

The seventh star.

The eighth star.

The sixth star corrected for the offset

Move the ninth star to its coordinates. The nine stars are now in their positions, and the "connection" process begins.

Following the optimized steps, Gaode proceeded systematically and methodically.

The spiritual energy began to extend from the first star and connect to the second star.

Because the nine stars were already in fixed positions, there was no need to pull these unruly things to move, so the "star trails" connected at an exceptionally fast speed.

In the blink of an eye, Gao De's mental power connected the nine stars together.

In an instant, a stunning star trail appeared between the nine magnificent stars.

This star trail appears as a faint starlight, starting from the first star and extending as a long streak through nine stars.

Star trails formed, spell models appeared!

A brand-new, constellation-like spell model has appeared in the spell universe of Gaode.

The moment the spell model was successfully constructed, Gao De sensed that he had mastered a magical power.

"It worked? Just like that, it worked?"

Even though he was confident that his optimized spell model construction method was superior to the traditional method, he did not expect it to be so smooth, and he succeeded in constructing it on the second try.

Generally speaking, for a magic apprentice like him who hasn't been practicing for long, it would take at least six months and at most a year to master a magic trick.

Even for a seasoned apprentice like Master Seda, it takes more than a month to master a single magic trick.

And now, he only spends a fraction of that time.

one day!

Only a fully qualified mage can achieve this level of efficiency in learning spells.

According to the classification of mage levels, Gaode is currently still the lowest level of mage apprentice, the first-class apprentice.

The apprenticeship stage of a Dharma master is divided into three levels: first-class apprentice, second-class apprentice, and third-class apprentice.

The apprentice level is much simpler than that of a formal mage, and is determined only by two indicators: magical power and spiritual power.

Take the apprentice meditation method as an example.

A first-class apprentice is one who can conjure a lotus petal or more through meditation and perform a magic trick.

Those who can conjure an eight-petaled lotus or more through meditation and whose magical power can support the release of five magic tricks in one breath are considered second-class apprentices.

Those who can manifest a lotus with sixteen or more petals and possess the magical power to unleash twenty magic tricks in one go are considered third-class apprentices.

This shows that, although they are both apprentices of mages, the difference in strength between first-class and third-class apprentices is like heaven and earth.

"Let's see how it goes!" Having successfully built a spell model for the first time and mastered extraordinary power, Gao De couldn't wait to try out the new spell.

"Acid splashing," he thought to himself.

At this moment, his magical power surged from his lower abdomen, flowing into the sea of ​​magic. Using the newly constructed acid splash spell model as its trajectory, it transformed into new power, then surged out of his body, concentrating in his right hand under Gao De's mental guidance.

A ball of acid, about the size of a bowl, suddenly appeared, and Gao De was holding it in his right palm.

Immediately, Gao De waved his right hand and shot towards the corner of the wall not far away.

Zizizi!

When the sphere touched the corner of the wall, it was like a water-filled balloon being punctured, immediately splashing out in all directions. The objects that came into contact with the acid were instantly corroded, and blue smoke rose.

This phenomenon lasted for about three seconds before the acid evaporated as if it had never existed.

However, the burn marks on the corner of the floor and the slight corrosion marks on the wall both indicate the destructive power of the splashed acid.

Even wooden walls and stone floors cannot completely escape the acid, so how could the human body possibly resist it?

"This is so interesting!" Gao De exclaimed, filled with boundless joy and wonder.

Building a spell model is like solving a difficult math problem. Although the process is difficult and arduous, the thrill of finding the answer can be addictive.

The positive feedback from successfully constructing a spell model is ten or even a hundred times greater than solving a math problem—each spell model represents a brand-new, extraordinary power.

"Let's conquer the next spell!" Gao De was full of fighting spirit and was preparing to continue building a new spell model, but at this moment, his vision suddenly went black, his body swayed involuntarily and he almost fell. Then, a very empty dizziness and throbbing pain came from his head.

He belatedly realized that he had overexerted his mental energy.

The fact that Gao De had constructed the spell model three times that night had already exhausted his mental energy.

This kind of overexertion cannot be recovered through meditation; rest is necessary.

Although he was eager to master the other two spells, Gao De knew the importance of moderation, so he carefully put away the three spell recipes and obediently went back to his room to rest.

(End of this chapter)