Chapter Summaries

Gao De used Divine Guidance+ to accelerate his studies and continued strengthening his magic, then sought out Jerica to sell Water of No Leakage and fund future courses. He arrived at her dormitory with fourteen pints of the drink, hoping to earn around one hundred and forty gold coins.

• After lunch, Gao De studied General Spells and Herbology Basics under Divine Guidance+ and absorbed more in an hour than he had over the previous half month.
• On Mistfrost Month, 23rd, Gao De asked Jose to double his daily study load and proved his ability during the day's inspection.
• On Mistfrost Month, 27th, Gao De made his third minor breakthrough in the Guiding Method, gaining enough mana to cast eleven cantrips in one breath.
• Gao De decided to sell Water of No Leakage to pay for future course fees and chose Jerica over Sadie as his prospective buyer.
• On Mistfrost Month, 28th, Gao De visited Jerica's dormitory with fourteen pints of Water of No Leakage, which he estimated could earn him about one hundred and forty gold coins.

Gao De sold Jerica fourteen pints of Water of No Leakage Fruit Drink for 150 gold, then spent 120 gold selecting eight more courses. He left the course counter studying sixteen courses at once, with twelve credits from the new courses intended to offset the disadvantage caused by Yulan's early advancement to 1st Circle Mage.

• Gao De visited Jerica and sold her fourteen pints of Water of No Leakage Fruit Drink for 150 gold.
• Gao De returned to his dormitory and counted his savings, noting that the money would ease his expenses during his first academic year.
• Gao De went to the course selection counter and chose eight additional courses, including Magical Ink Extraction and Production, Merchant Guild Management and Trade Practices, and Race History.
• Gao De paid 120 Sien Gold Coins in course fees, leaving the old scholar stunned that Gao De was enrolled in sixteen courses at once.

Gao De began studying sixteen elective courses at once, drawing concern from Jose and attention from other students. After a clash with the young prodigy Yulan over first place in freshman credits, Gao De calmly accepted the competition, while Yulan doubted he could pass all sixteen courses.

• Gao De explained to Jose that his first eight electives had been easy and that he had chosen eight more because he still had energy to spare.
• Jose warned Gao De not to let his other courses interfere with his Runelore studies.
• Gao De attended his first Magical Medicine and Pharmacological Studies classes, where Yulan watched him from across the room.
• Yulan introduced himself after class and said he would no longer yield first place in freshman credits to Gao De.
• Gao De replied that they should compete through their own abilities, and Yulan angrily insisted that sixteen courses were too many for Gao De to pass.

Gao De drew the academy’s attention by taking sixteen courses and clashed with Yulan over freshman credits, then used Divine Guidance+ to study intensely. His challenge prompted Jerica to reconsider her own course load, while Chairman Su Sang discovered something startling in the academy’s records.

• Gao De declined to provoke Yulan, who vowed to claim first place in freshman credits before leaving.
• Gao De studied course materials for two hours under Divine Guidance+ and stopped when exhaustion set in.
• Jerica told Gao De that Yulan had signed up for seven courses and that students and mentors were watching his progress; Gao De urged her to bet on him.
• Jerica decided to add more courses and headed to the Committee.
• Chairman Su Sang reviewed course attendance records and furrowed his brow at something astonishing in the documents.

Su Sang learned that Gao De’s sixteen-course schedule had spurred the Academy’s students to take more courses, but suspected Gao De was merely putting on a show. Meanwhile, Gao De advanced in Meditation Art and completed the Zero-Order Basic Runes, beginning his study of Composite Runes.

• Su Sang heard that Gao De’s course choices had encouraged freshmen and older students to enroll in more classes, but judged him to be grandstanding.
• Gao De manifested his tenth Lotus Petal after his Guiding Method’s recent breakthroughs and the stimulation from Divine Guidance+ and entering a flow state.
• Gao De mastered all 651 Zero-Order Basic Runes in two and a half months, astonishing Jose.
• Jose taught Gao De what made Composite Runes effective and gave him diagrams of thirty-six classic designs to imitate and study.

Gao De took his first course completion assessment at Ceres Academy and finished the General Spell Recognition exam quickly with exceptionally thorough answers. The supervising old mage judged that Gao De’s paper deserved at least ninety-five points, leaving him poised for a strong start to exam week.

• Jose gave Gao De materials for the third- and fourth-stage Runelore courses and left him to study independently.
• Gao De maintained his packed schedule of classes, Runelore study, and cultivation as Icebound Month came to an end.
• Gao De sat the closed-book General Spell Recognition assessment and answered each question without difficulty.
• Gao De submitted his densely written paper after finishing the final forty-point question in a few minutes.
• The old mage reviewed Gao De’s answers, found no errors, and estimated that the paper deserved at least ninety-five points.

Gao De took the Herbology Basics final assessment after finishing General Spell Recognition early, and answered its detailed questions about medicinal plants with ease. He finished all twenty questions in about fifty minutes and left the examination hall early again.

• Old Mage recognized Gao De's name on the General Spell Recognition paper and reconsidered his doubts about Gao De's ability and seriousness.
• After handing in his General Spell Recognition paper early, Gao De went to the Herbology Basics examination hall and waited while recalling Composite Rune diagrams.
• The students entered the Herbology Basics exam, where light shields isolated each examinee from the others and the supervising mentor instructed them to identify and analyze numbered herbs.
• Gao De used his knowledge to answer questions about Violet Down Grass, Evergreen Ivy, Bitter Ivy, and the other plants without getting stuck.
• After completing all twenty questions in about fifty minutes, Gao De left the light shield, handed in his paper, and departed early.

Joseph Bohr graded Gao De’s Herbology Basics examination and awarded him the course’s first perfect score. Rhode learned that Gao De had now earned perfect scores in three examinations, leaving both instructors impressed by the freshman’s abilities.

• Joseph Bohr reviewed Herbology Basics exam papers and set aside many failures.
• Joseph found a paper with flawless answers and gave it a perfect score.
• Rhode visited Joseph and told him that freshman Gao De had earned perfect scores in two courses.
• Rhode explained that Gao De had also enrolled in Joseph’s Herbology Basics course and asked how he had done.
• Joseph realized the perfect-score paper belonged to Gao De and told Rhode that Gao De had earned a perfect score in his course too.
• Rhode reacted with disbelief when he learned Gao De had perfect scores in three examinations.

Gao De harvested his Taro Fruit and Thorn Fruit after earning another perfect score in Magic Plant Cultivation, bringing his total credits to seventeen. He sold his share to the academy for fifty-one gold coins, while his mana also advanced to the level of twelve cantrips.

• Gao De tended his thriving herb field and calculated that his share of the eventual harvest would be profitable.
• After fifty-three days of cultivation, Gao De's total mana reached the level of twelve cantrips.
• Gao De earned a perfect score in Magic Plant Cultivation, raising his credits to seventeen and disproving claims that he excelled only at theory.
• Sadie oversaw the harvest and inspection, then rounded Gao De's share to two pounds of Thorn Fruit and seven pounds of Taro Fruit.
• Gao De sold his share to the academy, and Sadie paid him fifty-one gold coins.

Gao De spent the New Year focused on study and cultivation, completing several courses and raising his credits to 24. Over the next three months, he advanced his Guiding Method and began designing Composite Runes for Jose’s review.

• Gao De reached 107 gold and 18 silver after the harvests and decided he wanted to take Magic Land Utilization and Reclamation once he had enough credits.
• Jerica gave Gao De a New Year's gift, and he welcomed Nolan Calendar 9656 at the academy while setting a goal of completing his Guiding Method cultivation.
• Gao De completed several subsidiary courses, bringing his credits to 24, while Yulan’s projected first-year total remained two credits lower.
• On day 14 of Awakening Month, Gao De’s Guiding Method advanced until his total magic power could support thirteen cantrips.
• Gao De mastered Jose’s thirty-six classic Composite Rune diagrams and study materials, then began designing a rune each day for Jose to review.

Nearly half a year into the academy year, Gao De had become renowned as a learning prodigy while quietly advancing his Runelore studies under Jose. Jose realized Gao De was ready to begin Magic Array design but was held back by his mage rank, and he resolved to use the Interference Constant to change the limits of Runelore.

• Gao De's entrance mission record and top examination results established him as one of the academy's three great prodigies alongside Yulan and Jerica Haynes.
• Jose criticized Gao De's Composite Rune design for prioritizing efficiency over feasibility and compatibility, then assigned him a revision and a new task.
• Gao De returned to Building No. 30 and cast Create Water+ for his daily draw, receiving honey water again.
• Jose reflected that Gao De's Runelore skill was sufficient for Magic Array design, but his mage rank prevented him from constructing one.
• Jose decided that deriving the Interference Constant could overcome the mage-rank restrictions that shackled Runelore.

Gao De negotiated with Mage Lahr after Lahr asked him to give up his promised Spirit Ascension Water for Triv. Gao De accepted 100 gold and a rare cantrip formula, then left considering his gains and opened the formula.

• Gao De extended his cultivation room access and went to Mage Lahr's office to collect his payment.
• Mage Lahr asked Gao De to transfer his promised Spirit Ascension Water to Triv, offering 100 gold and promising future help with Gao De's advancement.
• Gao De declined the money at first and asked for rare cantrip formulas instead, so Mage Lahr gave him a personal spell formula and insisted he keep the gold.
• After Gao De left, Mage Lahr worried that Gao De might report him and reflected on Triv's failed advancement.
• Gao De reasoned that arguing would bring him little benefit, then opened the rare spell formula as he left.

Gao De brought Jose his revised Composite Rune diagrams and received further guidance, while Tony Esar waited outside the Rune Workshop. Jose criticized Tony’s Magic Array for imitating another runesmith too closely, leaving Tony’s rivalry with Gao De unresolved.

• Gao De considered Cat Claw Spell’s limitations and decided to learn it anyway.
• Gao De met Tony Esar outside the Rune Workshop and sensed the hostility behind his friendly manner.
• Gao De gave Jose his revised Composite Rune diagrams, and Jose praised their originality while pointing out ways to improve them.
• Tony Esar presented Jose with a First Tier Magic Array, and Jose criticized it for copying Quincy Ether’s style without showing Tony’s own ideas.
• Jose returned Tony’s diagram and remarked that its fine magic paper was wasted on the design.

After Jose rejected Tony Esar as a successor to his Rune Construct knowledge, Tony decided to take it after Jose died. Meanwhile, Gao De attended Philei’s Race History lesson on the origins of mage civilization.

• Jose rejected Tony Esar’s rune diagram and reflected that Gao De was the student he wanted to inherit his knowledge.
• Tony Esar left the workshop furious and resolved to take Jose’s Rune Construct techniques after his death.
• Gao De attended Philei’s Race History class, where Philei described the races and bloodlines of the Mage Plane.
• Philei explained that awakened human bloodlines first fought Leyline Creatures, and that Ancient Mages later developed the spell system and mage civilization.

Gao De learned that the Meditation Art’s eleventh petal was a known bottleneck, while Jose explained why Gao De could not yet learn Magic Array construction. Jose revealed that his Six Fundamental Runes Rules were an incomplete theory awaiting an exact Interference Constant, then began teaching Gao De a style of brushwork.

• Gao De manifested the Meditation Art’s eleventh petal after 149 days and asked Bowie I about his slow progress.
• Bowie I explained that advancing from ten petals to eleven was a major bottleneck in the Apprentice Meditation Art.
• Jose praised Gao De for mastering the current stage of Composite Runes but said he lacked the rank to draw a complete first-tier Magic Array.
• Jose explained that Rune Attunement required the Mental Strength of a 1st Circle Mage and that higher-tier arrays required higher ranks.
• Jose revealed that the Six Fundamental Runes Rules were his own incomplete conjecture and that he was deriving the missing Interference Constant.
• Jose told Gao De he would teach him a style of brushwork next.

Gao De practiced Jose’s demanding rune penmanship while his magic continued to grow. On the first day of Greenleaf Month, Create Water+ produced Soul Deep Sea Water, and Gao De immersed himself in a diluted bath to test its effects.

• Jose taught Gao De intricate rune penmanship and assigned him to draw thirty-six Composite Runes on tiny Lacquer Jade Papers.
• Gao De practiced for days, gradually learning to draw more runes, while his Guiding Method rose a level and his magical power increased.
• Gao De cast Create Water+ and received Soul Deep Sea Water, which was said to cleanse and elevate the soul.
• Gao De diluted the two gallons of Soul Deep Sea Water in his bathtub and climbed into the deep-blue liquid.

Gao De used Soul Deep Sea Water to advance his Apprentice Meditation Art to fifteen petals, bringing his First Circle advancement closer. He then bought four more cantrip formulas from the Library Tower and studied them in his dormitory.

• Gao De absorbed the Soul Deep Sea Water’s power and formed the fifteenth petal of his meditation lotus.
• Gao De realized his Meditation Art was nearly complete while his Guiding Method still had six minor stages to go, and estimated he might attempt First Circle advancement this year.
• On Greenleaf Month, Day 2, Gao De visited the Library Tower and told the old mage he had nearly mastered the seven formulas he bought before.
• Gao De spent twenty-four credits on the formulas for Primal Savagery, Dancing Lights, Spark, and Produce Flame.
• Gao De returned to his dormitory and read the four new spell formulas.

Gao De mastered four new spells, tested their combat power, and discovered that his stronger Mental Strength also accelerated his Guiding Method cultivation. After earning thirty credits, he enrolled in two branch courses to protect his lead over Yulan in the freshman credit rankings.

• Gao De constructed the Spell Models for Spark and Produce Flame in one night, then mastered Primal Savagery and Dancing Lights over the next two days.
• Gao De tested his spells at the testing grounds, finding that Primal Savagery dealt 10 degrees of acid damage while Lightning Lure and several other spells dealt 8 degrees.
• Gao De realized his increased Mental Strength made each Guiding Method session one and a half times as productive, and calculated that he could reach Third-Order Apprentice during Icebound Month.
• Gao De earned perfect scores in Race History, Pharmacological Studies, and Basic Culture Studies, bringing his credits past thirty.
• Gao De enrolled in Magic Land Utilization and Reclamation and Extreme Environment Survival Techniques, spending 30 gold to gain three credits and widen his lead over Yulan.

Gao De excelled in his first-year assessments and finished first in freshman credits at Ceres Academy, while Yulan placed second and Jerica third. After completing his meditation training, Gao De neared the point where he could attempt to become a 1st Circle Mage, but his savings had nearly run out as he awaited his 100-gold-coin prize.

• Gao De set a new record in Spell Application and Combat, earning full marks on his Mage Hand and Flame Arrow assessments.
• Gao De passed his other final assessments with high scores and received full marks in Runelore after demonstrating his mastery of Zero-Order Basic Runes.
• Gao De finished the year with 36 credits and first place, ahead of Yulan with 31 and Jerica with 25.
• Gao De completed the Apprentice Meditation Art and brought his Guiding Method close to the level needed to attempt advancement to a 1st Circle Mage.
• Gao De's savings dwindled to 1 gold coin and 18 silver coins, leaving him unable to afford more Cultivation Room rental or spell formulas while he waited for his first-place reward.

Gao De, Yulan, and Jerica received their freshman academic ranking prizes and heard that the Court Mage Corps wanted to pre-recruit Yulan and Jerica. After leaving the Committee, Jerica offered Gao De private financial assistance, leaving him to consider her proposal.

• Councilor Rachel awarded Gao De, Yulan, and Jerica gold coins for their academic credit rankings.
• Councilor Rachel told Yulan and Jerica that the Court Mage Corps wanted to offer them contracts with resources in exchange for joining after graduation.
• Councilor Rachel warned Gao De against secretly contacting outside factions before advancing to a 1st Circle Mage.
• Yulan praised Gao De, and Jerica agreed that he was impressive as they left the Committee together.
• Jerica offered to provide Gao De with three hundred to five hundred gold coins per academic year in private financial assistance.