Blind Guessing

Ten minutes later, a "very simple" blue-and-black magic array appeared in Niedern's Magic Book.

The circle was packed with dense lines and complex geometric patterns.

On closer inspection, one would find that every line was clean and powerful, while every pattern brimmed with wondrous charm, filling the Magic Array Diagram with marvelous beauty.

It was just a little dizzying to look at.

Suye looked at Niedern, wondering if he had been joking just now.

A Golden Mage had spent ten uninterrupted minutes drawing a Magic Array Diagram, and called it simple? "How long do you need to draw a Golden Magic spell?" Suye asked.

"If luck is on my side and I don't fail once, two hours."

"What about a Legendary magic diagram?"

"One month."

"I finally understand why art is a Major Course," Suye said.

"It's fine if you can't draw it well. The first Magic Array Diagram I successfully carved onto Magic Tree Leaves was crooked too. Later, after meditating and practicing over and over again, I eventually reached this level. Here, let me show you my first Magic Array Diagram. I've kept it to this day."

As Niedern spoke, another Magic Array Diagram appeared in his Magic Book.

Suye was stunned for a moment. This Magic Array Diagram could not even be considered circular. It looked exactly like a deformed potato, with the lines and patterns inside resembling a child's scribbles.

Looking at the diagram, Suye remembered what his first cube had looked like after he began learning sketching. It had been clumsy and rough, but he had drawn it with great seriousness.

"I see joy in this Magic Array Diagram of yours," Suye said.

"I've forgotten whether I felt joy at the time, but I still remember the feeling of Thucydides's spit plastered across my face," Niedern said.

"Your teacher wasn't as good as mine," Suye said solemnly.

Niedern's gaze warmed before he said, "The next time you see Teacher Thucydides, don't forget to say that."

Suye looked up at the sky and said nothing.

Thucydides was a famously bad-tempered old man, completely different from Plato's refined and gentle manner. Whenever the Plato Academy needed to use force to deal with an incident, Thucydides was usually the one who stepped in. He was known as the executioner of the Plato Academy.

To mages, offending Plato was preferable to offending Thucydides.

"Give it a try. You don't need to draw it all in one go. Take your time and draw something roughly similar," Niedern said.

"Can I make a draft first?"

"No."

"Could you switch back to the previous diagram?" Suye carefully concealed his subtle dislike.

Niedern silently waved his finger, and the perfect Magic Array Diagram from before appeared on the page of the Magic Book.

Suye placed the Magic Book on the magic carpet and drew while looking at Niedern's Magic Array Diagram.

Suye drew very slowly, but he was serious and excited.

It made Suye feel as though he had returned to when he had first learned sketching. Although that cube had looked like several chopsticks stacked together—thick and messy—as long as one ignored the minor details, everything was still fine.

Niedern watched quietly.

A full half hour passed before Suye withdrew his finger and exhaled.

Suye's Magic Array Diagram was far inferior to the one Niedern had drawn earlier, but it was still far better than the diagram he had drawn back then.

"This is a level even last year's top art student couldn't reach," Niedern said.

Suye said calmly, "If you spent half of your summer vacation practicing drawing on a beach by the sea, I believe you could reach my level too. Besides, I'm good at drawing lines."

Practicing hatching while learning sketching had not been easy.

"I can tell. Your foundation in drawing lines is very deep. In some details, you even surpass me." Niedern stared at Suye.

"Knowing shame leads to courage. If people called you one of the Three Idiots every day, you'd work hard like me too." Suye remained expressionless.

"Very good. I'll pretend to believe your nonsense."

"..."

"However, there's a problem with your lines. Both your starting and ending strokes are too light. Pay attention to that next time."

"Yes." Suye thought to himself that this was a basic sketching technique, yet it had become a flaw when used to draw Magic Array Diagrams.

"Good. You can now try carving the Magic Array Diagram onto your Magic Power Tree," Niedern said.

Suye asked in surprise, "I can do it now?"

"If I don't let you experience failure now, how can I teach you in the future?" Niedern asked seriously in return.

Suye was both amused and exasperated. Although he had not yet learned the second chapter of Basic Magic Study, he still understood the basics. To draw this Magic Array Diagram well, even Rolon, last year's top art student, would have to practice for half a month.

Suye was just about to enter the Magic Tower when he suddenly said, "Teacher, the Magic Tower looks like a mass of mist to me, all hazy and indistinct. I can't find the leaves of the Magic Tree at all. How am I supposed to carve it onto one?"

"Guess."

Suye froze for a moment and asked, "What did you rely on the first time you drew one?"

"Luck."

Suye fell silent.

"Teacher, may I offer a small suggestion? Could we have a proper lesson?" Suye asked.

"That was exactly what Teacher Thucydides said back then. He said Master Plato taught that way too."

Suye vaguely understood. It was not that the mages refused to teach properly; the magic system was simply too vast and complicated. Everyone could only study one particular direction, making it impossible to cover everything.

"A vile tradition passed down through the generations... But how do I record this Magic Array Diagram?"

"You're already a Magic Apprentice, so you can expend magic power to copy the Magic Array Diagram and bring it into the Magic Tower, but it can last for no more than a day."

"Then send the diagram to me."

Niedern placed his finger on his own page and swiped right. The Magic Array Diagram disappeared from his page, but the same Magic Array Diagram immediately appeared on Suye's page.

"The specific method is very simple. Imagine the power of the Magic Tree flowing into your brain, then stare at this Magic Array Diagram. Once you sense your magic power being consumed, it will be complete. This requires concentration, so you may fail a few times."

Suye nodded. An image of the Magic Tree appeared in his mind. Before he could take the next step, he felt a warm current appear between his brows, then vanish.

At the same time, an image flashed through Suye's mind: a Magic Array Diagram had appeared out of nowhere and landed inside the Magic Tower.

"Hmm, you succeeded." There was something more in Niedern's tone.

"I felt it. Thank you, Teacher."

Suye sat down on the magic carpet once again and once again entered the Magic Tower through meditation.

Suye's Spirit Body stared at the Magic Tree Leaves, so clear that even their veins could be seen, and fell into deep thought.

"Should I continue keeping a low profile, or amaze everyone with a single brilliant performance?"

Countless images surfaced in Suye's mind.

"I'll give it my all! I have no time to waste! Besides, compared with those geniuses, compared with Aristotle and the others, I can only be considered ordinary." Endless light burst from Suye's eyes, brilliant as a galaxy.

While looking at the Magic Array Diagram floating to his left, Suye slowly drew on the Magic Tree Leaves with his mind.

Suye had not expected his drawing ability to improve tenfold in the spiritual world. In terms of technique alone, he was in no way inferior to Niedern.

Suye did not become arrogant because of this. Instead, he suppressed the restlessness in his heart and immersed himself in carving it seriously.

Twenty minutes later, another Magic Array Diagram appeared on the Magic Tree Leaves.

Although this Magic Array Diagram still had flaws, it was not only far superior to Suye's first diagram; it had even reached eighty percent of Niedern's level.

Looking at the Magic Array Diagram on the Magic Tree Leaves, Suye's heart filled with joy. "It's all thanks to the years I spent practicing meditation on Blue Star that the Magic Tower is so clear now."

Suye left the Magic Tower with a radiant smile.

"Teacher, I'm done drawing it."