Recaps

Gao De traveled to Saint Sien City, entered Ceres Academy of Magic through Jerica’s recommendation, and gave Mage Lahr his Spirit Ascension Water allocation. He completed the academy’s mining mission by collecting Maiden Mussels in record time and began choosing his courses under his new mentor, Jose.

• Maciej told Gao De that the Hogan Leyline was a Level 4 Leyline, and Gao De later asked Jerica to take him to Saint Sien City.
• Jerica brought Gao De aboard the Ancient Capital Airship as her servant, and he reached Saint Sien City after the airship repelled an attack by the Wind Elemental Iris.
• Gao De entered Ceres Academy of Magic with his recommendation letter and agreed to transfer his Spirit Ascension Water allocation to Mage Lahr in exchange for a spell formula, an elixir, and yearly payments.
• Mage Lahr guided Gao De through the academy, where Gao De received a lakeside cottage and studied the valuable Summon Familiar formula.
• Instructor Shahu told Gao De and five other freshmen to gather 3,000 kilograms of Aqua Gold Ore or collect Maiden Mussels as an alternative.
• Gao De used Detect Magic+ to find Maiden Mussels underwater, clashed with senior Gerry Harel, and kept collecting mussels despite the threat to his ore assessment.
• Gao De completed the enrollment task in nineteen days, setting a new academy record and earning enough credits to satisfy his first-year requirement.
• The academy assigned Jose as Gao De’s senior mentor, and Gao De reviewed his course options and their fees.

Gao De began academy life, impressed Jose Okenly with his insight into Rune Logic, and built a routine around runes, cultivation, classes, and poisonous insects. After earning the Vermin Swarm formula, he took a mountain patrol task and astonished Falon by repairing a Trial Golem with Mage Hand.

• Gao De selected eight courses, paid his fees, and began cultivating in the academy’s free basic room, where Create Water+ produced Water of No Leakage that eased his fatigue.
• Gao De reported to Jose Okenly, studied the Six Fundamental Runes Rules, and proposed an Interference Constant to explain why a theoretically sound Magic Array failed in practice.
• Jose recognized that Gao De’s proposed constant exposed a flaw in his formulas and resumed work on Rune Logic and Computation with renewed energy.
• Gao De discovered that fermenting Water of No Leakage with fruit preserved it, read Bjorn Otero’s thesis on specialty awakening, and sought academy work to fund more spell formulas.
• Gao De accepted Mentor Shoal’s poisonous-insect task in exchange for the Vermin Swarm formula, inspected eggs, and removed defective larvae as the insects hatched.
• Gao De drew basic runes with unusual skill, prompting Jose to call him a genius and take him on for direct study while keeping his progress secret.
• Gao De attended classes and maintained his study routine, advanced his Guiding Method, and completed Shoal’s task with a high insect qualification rate, earning the Vermin Swarm formula.
• Gao De accepted a mountain patrol task to deal with escaped Red-Eye Sparrows, studied Vermin Swarm, and used Mage Hand to replace a Trial Golem’s mana crystal, astonishing Falon.

Gao De expanded his spellcraft, studies, and cultivation while earning perfect scores and rising among the academy’s top students. He advanced in Runelore under Jose, but learned that his mage rank still prevented him from drawing a complete first-tier Magic Array as Jose pursued the missing Interference Constant.

• Gao De impressed Falon with his Mage Hand control, tested several enhanced spells, and hunted Red-Eye Sparrows for the Mountain Patrol mission.
• Sadie introduced Gao De to the Mutual Aid Society and the Mighty Lion Society, while Gao De refused help securing first place and offered discounted repairs to society members.
• Gao De bought seven spell formulas, cultivated his herb plot, and enhanced Divine Guidance so it could boost multiple learning activities for an hour.
• Gao De used Divine Guidance to accelerate his rune study, sold Water of No Leakage to Jerica, and enrolled in eight more courses despite warnings from Jose and Yulan.
• Gao De mastered all 651 basic runes, manifested his tenth Lotus Petal, and earned perfect scores in General Spell Recognition, Herbology Basics, and Magic Plant Cultivation.
• Gao De increased his credits and mana, mastered Jose’s classic Composite Rune diagrams, and became known as one of the academy’s three great prodigies alongside Yulan and Jerica Haynes.
• Mage Lahr asked Gao De to give his Spirit Ascension Water to Triv, and Gao De accepted a rare cantrip formula and gold after declining the payment at first.
• Jose praised Gao De’s revised Composite Rune work, rejected Tony Esar’s copied Magic Array design, and explained that Gao De needed greater Mental Strength to draw a complete first-tier array while Jose sought the missing Interference Constant.

Gao De advanced to First Circle Mage, chose the Evergreen Longevity Sutra, and gained Flora as his familiar. Jose died after leaving Gao De the Rune Workshop, but the Academy challenged Gao De’s claim and appeared poised to seize the workshop and Jose’s research.

• Gao De completed his studies with the highest credit ranking, accepted Jerica’s financial support, and bought rare spells while learning composite runes from Jose Okenly.
• Jose taught Gao De about Rune Constructs and the requirements for rune artistry, then entrusted him with his research and asked him to continue investigating the Interference Constant.
• Gao De reached Third-Order Apprentice, passed the tests for Spirit Ascension Water, and used it to advance to First Circle Mage, gaining the Adaptive specialty.
• Gao De examined formal cultivation methods and chose the Evergreen Longevity Sutra, then enhanced Summon Familiar and welcomed Flora after promising to help her plant trees.
• Flora showed Gao De the Yggdrasil Seed of Life and agreed to let him make it his sacred relic, so Gao De began looking for land to plant it.
• Gao De prepared spell elixirs and confirmed his choice of the Evergreen Longevity Sutra despite the Old Mage’s warnings.
• Gao De hurried to the infirmary when he learned Jose was ill, and Jose gave him his will, the Rune Workshop transfer agreement, its secret command, and a lead to property before dying.
• Gao De refused the Vice-Chairman’s demand for the Workshop’s secret command, while the Academy claimed the Workshop as its property and guarded it as Gao De suspected it sought Jose’s Rune Construct and research.