Chapter 102: The Basics of Are Magic (Part 1)

  Rex was a man of a. That very afternooook Alex and Ikaros out of the temple and, through a mage’s teleportation array, brought them to a somewhat run-down mage tower.

  “From now on, the two of you will be staying here.”

  Though the room looked a bit old, it was at least . Rex didn’t seem to care about these "minor details." He cpped his hands in satisfa, then casually pulled out a book as thick as an encyclopedia and tossed it in front of Alex.

  “Start by reading this. Once you’re done, begin practig. How much you learn depends on your own ability. If you don’t uand something, e upstairs and ask me. But remember, if you see a sign on my door, don’t e in! If you get turned into charcoal, it’ll be your own fault, and no one will save you!”

  With that, Rex turned a, leaving Alex and Ikaros behind.

  “Mages really are just as difficult to deal with as the rumors say.”

  Alex picked up the heavy "encyclopedia" and gnced out the window. The bustling cityscape of the northern capital was now gone. Instead, he saw a vast sea of snowy forests outside. It was clear that this mage tower was built in some remote, desote pce… which seemed to be the typical setting fes.

  “Ugh, that guy! How dare he speak so rudely to Master!”

  Ikaros was clearly more upset than Alex. If it hadn’t been for Alex tellio stay calm, the little angel would have likely jumped up and fought Rex already.

  “He’s just a mere worm…”

  “It’s not that big of a deal, really,” Alex said, flipping through the "encyclopedia" and then sitting down on a nearby chair. Rex had been very clear—there was only one month. If Alex couldn’t earn Rex’s approval within that month, he would have no ce of entering the White Tower, which meaurning to the temple. Alex wasn’t eager to do that. Even though it hadn’t been explicitly said, both sides khat Alex didn’t have a strong sense of belonging to the temple. The only thi was for it to be openly aowledged. If he returned, where would his dignity go?

  For the sake of his pride, Alex couldn’t let this opportunity slip by!

  With that in mind, Alex began to carefully study the "encyclopedia" in front of him. Ikaros, after watg him for a while, sat down on another chair nearby, her eyes fixed on the man before her.

  Despite his sharp tongue, Rex clearly had a solid teag method. After skimming the introdu, Alex quickly realized that this book was essentially a beginner’s guide to magic.

  Acc to the book, Alex finally uood how mages used their soul power in battle.

  Unlike knights or other melee professions that directly el their soul power into ons or physical attacks, mages primarily used their soul power to dense magies. As described in The Guide to Magic, there were 69 magies in the world. These runes were akin to the periodic table of elements, each possessing unique properties and meanings. The process of casting spells involved mages densing these runes with their soul power, bining them into intations, and then releasing them as spells.

  To Alex, it felt a bit like a mix betweeris and Scrabble. If magies were like different colored blocks, then a mage’s task was to lihem up in matg patterns and clear them all at once.

  And as everyone knows, the more blocks you clear in one go, the higher your score.

  Simirly, the more magies a mage resonated with, the more powerful their spells would be.

  However, this didn’t mean mages could leisurely take their time and stack up as many runes as they wanted. On the trary, using soul power to dense magies was time-sensitive—each rune only sted for a few seds. This meant that a mage had to struct a spell’s intation quickly and fluidly. Otherwise, the spell could colpse, causing a backsh, or simply fail.

  Alex now uood why Charles’ spellcasting speed had been so quick during their fight. Of course, if mages were slow at casting spells, they’d be dead long before they finished.

  The book also went into detail about spell properties, spellcasting schools, and other reted topics… All in all, as a primer on magic, it was a well-crafted guide.

  And so, Alex threw himself into learning magic without hesitation.

  Fortunately, thanks to the enhas from the Zerg-restructured body, Alex had an abundance of energy. He could go without sleep for three days straight without the slightest hint of fatigue. Plus, with Ikaros by his side, it made things even easier. Acc to Ikaros, as an artificial angel, she had her own power sourd didn’t require rest or sleep either.

  Although The Guide to Magibsp;was plex, Alex mao thhly study it over two days. Once he had finished, he headed back up to the top of the tower where Rex resided and knocked on the door. Soon, Rex’s voice echoed from within.

  "The door’s unlocked, e in."

  "Sorry to bother you."

  As Alex pushed open the door and walked into the room, he saw Rex sitting casually in a chair, his eyes fixed on a boiling fsk in front of him. When Rex noticed Alex entering, he g him and spoke indifferently.

  "What, finding it too hard and want to quit? If you don’t want to learn anymore, just leave. I tell that old geezer, and we’ll be done here."

  "Actually, Mr. Rex…"

  Hearing Rex’s words, Alex rolled his eyes and pulled out the book that Rex had given him earlier.

  "I’ve pretty much mastered everything in this book. I wao ask what I should do …"

  "What?"

  Before Alex could finish, Rex turoward him with a mog and surprised expression.

  "You’ve mastered it? Kid, do you think this is just a book you memorize like the brainwashing junk they use iemple? You o uand—being a mage is…"

  Rex's sentence tly cut short as his eyes widened, staring at something in front of him—specifically, the glowing orb floating above Alex's hand.

  It was a zero-level spell, Light. For Rex, this spell was nothing remarkable; any apprentice mage could easily master it. But the issue wasn’t the spell—it was the fact that Alex had cast it! And from the moment Alex started learning magic, it had beehan three days!

  "A Light spell? Looks like you’ve been w hard… but…"

  Rex trailed off as Alex calmly pointed his fihe moment, a cold white beam shot from his fiip and struck a nearby table, freezing the dlesti it in a yer of frost.

  Ray of Frost!

  Rex was stunned, his mouth hanging open, speechless. After a long pause, Rex finally turo Alex and asked slowly.

  "How many of the trips in that book have you mastered?"

  "I’ve learned all of them."

  This recisely why Alex had e to see Rex. To him, the tents of the book were just the basics, and the spells recorded in it were all low-level trips—practically harmless and not even sidered true spells.

  Surely, now he could start learning some real magic.

  However, Alex was surprised to see that Rex's expression was far from pleased. In fact, it looked rather grim. This made Alex worry. Had he done something wrong? After all, it was his first time learning magic, so he had been cautious. Even though it only took him a day to grasp the material, Alex had asked Ikaros to help him review everything one more time. Only after ensuring that he hadn’t missed anything did he e to Rex. But judging by Rex’s rea… had he made a mistake?

  (End of the Chapter)

  ? Unlock the World of Stories with Early Access on Patreon! ?

  Hello, beloved readers and supporters!

  I am thrilled to offer you an exclusive opportunity to dive deeper into our captivating stories before anyone else. By joining the Patreon unity, you'll unlock a treasure trove of bes, including:

  ? Early Access to 20 Chapters: Be the first to explore neters, experieng the twists and turns of our tales well ahead ur readers. Your jourhrough our stories doesn't have to wait!

  ? ect with the unity: Join a vibrant, like-minded group of readers who share your passion. Engage iing discussions, share theories, and make new friends who love the stories as much as you do.

  ? Support the Creator: Your patronage directly tributes to the ongoing creation and improvement of the tent you love. Be a vital part of the creative journey!

  Patreon./anish_44