Spiritual Power Manifestation

"We've been taking classes together for almost two years. We could say we've built up some friendship, right?"

"Now that you're moving to the third floor, don't forget about us."

"Senior Roy!"

Everyone began talking over one another, and some were already shamelessly calling him Senior.

Roy smiled. "Don't worry. If there are any benefits in the future, I definitely won't forget everyone."

After all, it didn't cost anything to make empty promises, so of course he chose the nicest words.

After chatting for a while, Renion took the initiative to speak up, displaying considerable tact. "You're moving to the third floor this time, right? I'll help you move!"

These were chores that should have been handled by servants, but he insisted on lending a hand, carrying a large chest toward the third floor.

Even Roy's Cauliflower Snake, which he had previously kept as a pet for fun, was brought along.

"Once all 24 Will Runes are manifested, your Mental Strength will exceed 3 degrees.

"The Spell Power you can draw on should be around 6 degrees.

"When that happens, just standing beside you will probably make me tremble in fear!"

On the way, Renion couldn't help flattering him.

The "drawing on" he referred to was a technique and set of rules by which Spellcasters made use of Natural Magic Power.

The higher the quality of one's spirit, the higher the energy level one could draw upon, and Spell Power would exhibit terrifying Exponential Growth!

If the Apprentice-level was merely the starting point of the Supernatural Path, then entering the Formal Wizard stage—or even becoming a Level 2 Wizard or Level 3 Wizard...

That was when one truly became a nonhuman existence!

Why settle for merely trembling in fear?

Without controlling the Witchcraft Energy in one's body, one's radiative contamination would erupt directly, instantly killing a large group of ordinary people.

Even if one unfortunately died by accident and became a corpse, the radiation from that Witchcraft Energy alone would still pose a fatal danger in the eyes of ordinary people!

After finishing the miscellaneous tasks involved in moving, Roy arranged to meet Renion again in a few days, then went to the study room.

He was about to begin learning an extremely important basic ability that could only be mastered at the Advanced Apprentice stage—Spiritual Power Manifestation.

This was somewhat similar to the Arcane Empire's Magic Tricks and Mage Hand. All of them were quasi-spell abilities with extremely simple models but a certain threshold for learning.

Once mastered, it could provide a degree of insight into a wide range of derived skills, including transmitting sound over distances, moving objects with one's mind, Secret Rune, Mental Shock, Mental Scan, Rapid Reading, and more.

Take the most crude and direct improvement—in terms of attack, for example. At close range, he could unleash a Spirit Thorn, directly inflicting severe wounds or even killing a weak target.

As long as the other party's spirit was below his own by a certain margin, he could accomplish it with ease.

He could even transmit Secret Rune over a distance to monitor and punish others!

A few days later.

In the Advanced Apprentice suite.

Roy fixed his gaze on the glass before him.

His thoughts surged, and the red glow in his eyes suddenly flared like a lamp being switched on, flashing once.

"Snap!"

The glass seemed to have been struck by an invisible pebble, and tiny cracks suddenly appeared across its surface.

In the blink of an eye, the cracks rapidly spread, snaking outward like a spiderweb.

Roy tightened his Spiritual Power, and the glass seemed to be crushed by an invisible giant hand, shattering into pieces with a sharp crack.

But the shards did not scatter across the floor. Instead, they continued to be drawn together by a mysterious force, tightly clutched in one place.

Only after a moment, when the glass fragments had been crushed into powder, did the invisible giant hand release them and dump them all into the trash bin.

"Spiritual Power Manifestation. I've finally gotten started!"

Roy smiled faintly.

From this moment onward, he could finally transform roughly 3 degrees of Spiritual Power into tangible offensive and defensive means, as well as employ it in many flexible ways.

He could even inject it into his hair and other Witch Body entities for rapid use.

However, this was easy to learn but difficult to master, and required a long period of training.

After resting for a while, he temporarily set it aside and began reading a set of notes titled "Advanced Apprentice Handbook."

"I see. So-called Quasi-Wizards and Elite Apprentices aren't actually descriptions of strict realms. The Witch Tower has never had such a sequence.

"However, manifesting all 24 Will Runes so that they could appear externally in the form of a three-dimensional projection was indeed a further refinement, worthy of being called elite.

"At that point, Mental Strength would rise above 5 degrees, allowing one to draw upon even greater Spell Power!

"After that came condensing one's own 'Source of Magic Power,' then using the 'Wizard's Maxim' to elevate one's body, mind, and soul, thereby achieving wizardhood..."

The "Source of Magic Power" was an Energy Core similar to a Magical Beast Core, except that it was intangible. It was the key to advancing to become a Formal Wizard.

Once successfully condensed, the amplification of the power used to "draw upon magic power" would become even more exaggerated, entering an entirely new energy level.

That was also the source of Witchcraft Energy radiation.

As for the "Wizard's Maxim," it was a mark engraved deep within the soul. Based on Roy's understanding, it was equivalent to a creed, vow, precept, or something similar.

Once formed, it could not be changed.

To a great extent, it would determine his future path.

The "Handbook" made everything sound easy and simple. His predecessor, as a Low-level Apprentice, had also heard some of it before, making it seem ordinary and commonplace.

But in reality, countless apprentices spent their entire lives yet still failed to complete the Supernatural Path summarized in those few short sentences.

"My aptitude isn't particularly good either. I'll still have to rely on alchemy!"

Roy's thoughts shifted slightly. He remotely manipulated the "Handbook" and placed it beside him, then walked out the door.

"Next, I should earn a sum of money first. Only then will I have enough resources to put my abilities to use."

The Spell Model he currently had under control was "Animate Witchcraft," from which he had derived a series of Animate Witchcraft spells built on that foundation.

The Reinforced modification he had already begun consisted of the Hair Ghost Witch Body, constructed from free materials provided by the Witch Tower, as well as the Low-level Knight enhancement he had achieved with the Blood Persimmon Potion.

Continuing to improve these things would require resources.

Without sufficient resources, even after advancing to the Advanced Stage, he would be unable to make any progress.

"Besides, the Reinforced Potion and healing potion formulas commonly used by Advanced Apprentices...

"I also have to find a way to get them and study them."

As he was pondering this, Sailen walked over from the other side of the tower's ring corridor and said to him, "Roy, Lady Sophia wants to see you."

Roy's heart stirred slightly, and he followed her to Sophia.

Sophia was not at her residence now. Instead, she spent all day in a long-term rented laboratory, conducting in-depth research into her own Witchcraft.

When Roy entered, he saw her standing with her back to him, gazing thoughtfully at something resembling a massive glass tank.

Following her gaze, Roy turned his attention toward it and saw that the "glass tank" was filled with a pale red liquid resembling blood.

In the middle was a small girl with golden hair and pale skin, less than a meter tall. Like a stripped doll, she was curled up and suspended in the liquid.

At her navel and the center of her back, vine-like flesh tubes were connected to her, and a powerful Witchcraft Energy radiation faintly emanated from within.