Above the mage

Chapter 186 (excerpt)

"Does reaching the third-level mage apprentice level mean immediate promotion?" Hearing Gao De's words, He west confirmed, "No more time for reflection?"

Normally, after reaching the third-level apprenticeship of a mage, it is best to settle down for a period of time before starting to advance.

"I had already settled down quite well before I became a third-class mage apprentice," Gao De said, feeling embarrassed to completely brush off He Xi, and told some truths. "I learn things quite quickly, including magic."

"I see." He west couldn't refute Gao De's statement.

He thought for a moment, then offered, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Mentor, I mainly want to ask you about your experience when you were promoted to a first-ring mage."

Gao De hesitated for a moment, then spoke up, "If possible, could you see if you have any magic tricks that aren't in the academy's library?"

He hesitated for a moment before asking Hosie for the spell recipe, which was somewhat "offensive".

After all, in most cases, the spell recipes a mage possesses are simply one of the spells he has mastered.

Moreover, spell recipes that even the academy doesn't have are clearly rare spells.

However, Hosie clearly didn't take it seriously.

He thought for a moment and said to Gao De, "Please wait a moment."

He west walked to the experimental table in the center of the workshop, picked up paper and pen, and wrote down two spell formulas for Gao De on the spot, then handed them to Gao De.

[Druid Trick] (Alteration, 0 Ring):

Whisper to the soul of nature and create one of the following effects:

Create a tiny, harmless sensory effect to predict the weather conditions in your location for the next 24 hours. This effect could be represented by a golden ball symbolizing a clear sky, a cloud symbolizing a rainy day, or snowflakes drifting down a snowy day, etc.

It can instantly make a flower bloom, a seed hatch, and a leaf bud sprout.

Create a tiny, harmless, immediate sensory effect, such as falling leaves, a breeze, the sound of a small animal, or the faint scent of a skunk. This effect is only effective within a 5-foot cubic space.

It can immediately light or extinguish a candle, a torch, or a small campfire.

[Seizing the Initiative] (Prophecy System, 0 Rings):

You extend your hand and point your finger at a creature within casting range, instantly seeing through the target's defenses with magic.

"Actually, I was able to learn more than just these two spells that the academy didn't have, but," He Xi said matter-of-factly, "I'm a runemaster, and I spent most of my energy learning runes, so I neglected learning spells a little."

"In short, he's just a secondary profession master with a high level but no combat power," Gao De subconsciously thought, then quickly accepted the two handwritten spell recipes and expressed his gratitude to He west.

With these two spells, the number of spells he has mastered will reach "44", which is very close to 45.

It's basically stable now.

"As for advancing to the first-ring mage level..." He west thought for a moment, carefully recalling events from hundreds of years ago, and slowly began to speak:

"The process of upgrading the blood circulation is actually divided into four stages. The first stage is to cleanse the blood and increase vitality."

"Generally speaking, the younger you are when you are promoted, the more vigorous your blood and energy are, and the smoother the process will be. That's why it's said that the golden age for promoting to a first-ring mage is before the age of twenty."

"And the purpose of this stage is to increase your lifespan after you advance to the first-ring mage level."

Increased lifespan is a highly tempting phrase for anyone.

Whether it's emperors and generals, Taoist practitioners, or even a monkey, everyone seeks immortality.

Similarly, Gaode Maps is no exception.

"How long will a first-ring mage's lifespan increase?" he couldn't help but ask.

"The theoretical lifespan limit for mortals and apprentice mages is 75 years. The theoretical lifespan of a first-ring mage increases to 150 years, a second-ring mage to 225 years, a third-ring mage to 375 years, a fourth-ring mage to 600 years, and so on."

150 years old. And only a first-ring mage.

Increased lifespan has always been an advantage of superhuman strength over technology.

Gao De was somewhat moved.

After answering Gao De's question, He Xi continued, "The second stage is the liquefaction of mana."

"At the level of a mage apprentice, the magical power you cultivate is actually not much different from the magic power that roams the outside world."

"Such magic power is of very low quality, which results in an extremely limited number of spells that a mage apprentice can cast. Even a third-class mage apprentice can only cast twenty spells in one go."

"However, once you are promoted to a first-ring mage, even if you have just been promoted, you will be able to cast more than 80 spells."

"The reason why the difference is so great is that during the process of ascending the ring, the magic power you cultivate undergoes liquefaction, and its quality is transformed."

"At this stage, the higher the concentration of magic in your environment, the higher the success rate of mana liquefaction."

In Gaode's layman's terms, the "energy" is reprocessed, thus greatly improving the "range".

"The third stage of the ring upgrade is to remove impurities from mental energy."

"Once you complete the third stage, you will have precise perception abilities, able to sense every tiny improvement and change in yourself, and even be able to measure the growth of your mental strength with precise numbers."

"Finally, it is about expanding the magical star sea and opening up a first-ring star sea, which is considered a successful advancement to a first-ring mage."

"This is also why mages are ranked according to the number of rings they have."

"The Water of Ascension is a comprehensive magic potion that can provide assistance in each of the four stages, increasing the success rate of the ascension."

"Of course, you don't need to feel pressured. Even if the ring upgrade fails, it won't affect anything."

"Anyway, the golden age for advancing to a 1st-ring mage is before the age of twenty. You can try again after a year." He Xi reassured Gao De, telling him not to be too nervous.

For someone like He west who's been through it all, advancing to the next level is no big deal, but he still remembers the nervousness he felt when he was trying to advance.

If we were to draw an analogy, advancing to the next level is like taking the "college entrance exam." Although there are many more challenges in life afterward, most people always have a particularly deep impression of the college entrance exam.

"I understand," Gao De said gratefully.

"Wait a minute, I have something for you," He west said again.

After saying that, he went into the laboratory and soon took out a document, which he handed directly to Gao De.

It was clearly prepared in advance.

Gao De took a look and found that it was a third-level cultivation room usage application form, with He west's signature at the bottom.

"When you advance, it will be done in the third-tier training room. With the help of the rising spiritual water, it can almost guarantee that you will successfully complete the second stage," He west said.

"You don't need to worry about the cost. The academy allocates a certain amount of free use time for the third-tier training rooms to us instructors every year. I haven't used it even once this year, so it's enough for you," he added.

That would indeed be a waste, that was Gaode's first thought.

Then, he quickly thanked He west.

"Don't be so polite with me," He Xi said with a smile. "I have no wife or children. You are my student. After I leave, everything should be inherited by you. As for the things that cannot be inherited, use as much as you can while I'm still here."

As he said this, He west looked at some details in the workshop.

Everything here was pieced together by his own hands.

"Don't let the academy benefit from this," he concluded.

"Okay." Gao De thought of his previous mentor, "Sedda," and felt a pang of emotion. At the same time, he subconsciously glanced at He Xi out of the corner of his eye.

Although the old man has been in excellent spirits lately, as if he has become decades younger, it is visibly that the number of yellowish-brown spots on his face is increasing.

This gave Gaode a bad feeling.

(End of this chapter)