Element

James continued, "Under the current mage advancement system, the total amount of Mental Power is not a decisive factor, but its benefits are still enormous. At the same level, your soul can contain far more magic power and cast far more spells than others. It is not much help in research, but it is of great help in battle. If you can become a War Mage, you will have an easier time getting through the weak stage."

"A War Mage?"

James waved his hand. "Yes, that is the Mage Council's classification for mages after they become Formal Mages. It is still far too distant for you. You do not need to understand it now."

Adam asked doubtfully, "Mr. James, even if my total Mental Power is very high, that seems to be my own business, doesn't it?"

Beneath James's excited expression lay a trace of expectation. "No, no, no. It may be your talent, but it is useful to me as well."

"For example?"

"Come with me."

James grabbed Adam and pulled him deeper into the laboratory. Adam did not try to Break Free. As for resisting? The power a High Level apprentice possessed was certainly not something he could deal with now. He might as well see what James wanted to do.

A place like a laboratory had been an extremely important secret on Earth. Every researcher guarded their results closely, and the Mage World was no exception. James swiped his identity token three times along the way before bringing Adam to the innermost room.

Research knowledge clearly could not rely on idle speculation alone. Every conclusion required countless rigorous empirical verifications to support it, and Adam was curious about the mages' research environment. He had once imagined what a laboratory might be like: countless precise magitech instruments, rows upon rows of containers filled with Alien Race specimens, test tubes filled with strange colors, and so on.

"It looks rather ordinary?"

That was what Adam said in response to James's proud expression.

James's laboratory was a vast Pure Black room. There were no large instruments in sight; instead, the space was filled with layer upon layer of Optical Projections displaying all kinds of rune models. There were many Crystal Balls, and every Control Panel held thick "picture books."

Perhaps because Adam truly mattered to him, James shed the cold expression he had worn when they first met and said amiably, "Ordinary? You actually called this place ordinary? Have you seen other laboratories?"

Adam explained what he had imagined, and James said, "Those things do exist, but they are found in laboratories for other research directions. My main field of study is 'the structural stability of Mental Power Solidification Runes and the construction of complete Rune Arrays.'"

"In other words, research into Meditation Methods?"

James nodded. "That is right. It is also why I can serve as the first-year instructor for rune knowledge."

Adam swept his gaze across the room but did not rashly extend his Mental Power to record anything. Doing so would be no different from directly stealing James's research results, something James would never forgive. Still, he was very interested in this field, and it happened to be the direction he intended to focus on at his Current Stage.

Then, combined with his abnormal total amount of Mental Power, the reason James had sought him out was: "You want me to be your Test Subject?"

James shook his head. "Not a Test Subject, but an assistant participating in my experiments. During the process, I will share the gains with you and give you considerable compensation."

"An assistant? What do I need to do?"

Seeing that Adam had not refused outright, James excitedly patted his shoulder and said, "Very simple. Construct the Rune Arrays I create within your body, and then I will record your feedback. Based on that, I will determine whether the Meditation Method has value."

It sounded rather good. For Adam, allocating one thread to test different Rune Arrays would not harm his body. He could receive compensation, and he could gain knowledge by conducting research alongside a Senior Apprentice. There seemed to be no reason to refuse.

But Adam would not agree so easily. After all, he had only arrived at the academy a day ago and still did not understand many things. Making a rash decision was not a good idea.

"I will consider it carefully and give you my answer after the next rune class." Then Adam said to James, "Before that, Mr. James, about my question?"

James was somewhat disappointed that Adam had not agreed immediately. His earlier excitement and anticipation faded as he said in a dull voice, "After a mage with a soul inclination determines their path, they can try to incorporate the knowledge from the path revealed by that soul inclination into their Rune Arrays and construct their own Meditation Method. The Mage's Armor formed by this type of Meditation Method after advancing to Formal Mage carries a strong personal inclination and often possesses uniquely powerful abilities."

So that was it. In other words, as long as they met the minimum requirements, every apprentice had a chance to advance to Formal Mage. But the small number with outstanding talent would immediately possess greater strength after advancing, gaining something akin to innate spells.

After receiving his answer, Adam ignored James's gloominess, bid him farewell, and left. Today's classes were not over yet. There was still an elemental knowledge class in the afternoon, held on the other side of the academy, so he had to head there in advance.

Along the way, he encountered many apprentices who had just emerged from the rune knowledge classroom. They enthusiastically discussed the knowledge they had just gained, constantly comparing their level of mastery with others, shouting in excitement over the slightest progress or falling into disappointment and regret over the smallest mistakes.

Though it was noon, no one chose to eat lunch. The cost was too high, after all, and with the Physical Fitness of the lowest-ranked knights, one meal a day was enough as long as there was no intense exertion.

Someone noticed Adam, but no one came forward to greet him. Most had already decided that Adam was a fool. Friendship and social interaction were also investments, and investing time in Adam was undoubtedly unwise.

Adam did not care. He did not possess the emotion called loneliness. Being alone was quieter, and he did not have to waste precious threads on pointless communication.

The closer he came to the classroom, the denser the ether around him became. Adam could even feel "heavy" energy filling the space around him, forcing him to expend more physical strength just to walk. The other apprentices fared even worse. Conversation ceased completely as everyone struggled with all their strength against the pressure.

After several turns, Adam arrived before an enclosed building. The Light Screen at the entrance read: New Apprentices are strictly forbidden from dispersing Mental Power within the Elemental Experiment Building. Consequences at your own risk.

Mages did not issue warnings without cause. Since the academy had given the warning, no one dared disobey it. After firmly restraining his Mental Power, Adam entered through the first gate.

Another Light Screen met his eyes: Present identity token.

Adam did as instructed. After the scan, he felt a force attach itself to his body, completely suppressing his Mental Power within him. The Fireball Rune Array preserved in his standby thread vanished, and all the runes he was constructing but had not completed shattered. Even the one Adam had optimized himself was no exception, leaving behind only the few pages of Scale Fragments he had just completed experimentally.

As a large number of threads were released and his solidified Mental Power spread out, the scanning rays swept over Adam's body once again. Then, an even stronger suppressive force descended.

The other apprentices experienced the same thing, though they did not have Adam's complications. They were allowed through after only one procedure.

The interior of the Elemental Experiment Building was far larger than it appeared from outside, clearly an application of spatial folding technology. People hurried back and forth inside, looking exceptionally busy. Runes floated before every door, likely serving as seals.

Following the directions, Adam headed toward the underground classroom. The instant he stepped onto the stairs, a laboratory on the other side of the building exploded with a deafening boom. Fierce flames burst forth, and the powerful shockwave blew the apprentices behind him, who had not reacted in time, every which way. Those with weaker bodies had even been sent rolling into a heap.

"What happened?!"

"Heavens! That is terrifying!"

Panicked voices spread through the area. Everyone stopped and looked toward the laboratory. Several people had already been blasted out, their clothes burned to shreds. From the looks of them, they were already half-cooked.

High Level apprentices in gray robes raced toward the laboratory. Moments later, a figure flew out from inside, surrounded by surging Fire Element power, and cursed furiously in midair, "Idiots, damned idiots! Did I not tell you that the construction of that rune had to meet the requirements with absolute meticulousness? You idiots, not even fit to be pigs! Send them for treatment, and then—you are expelled! Never come near my laboratory again! Idiots!"

"So this is an Elemental Magic experiment?" Adam muttered to himself. Everything was fresh and valuable to him, and he did not want to miss a single scene. It was only a pity he had no way to enter the laboratory and observe it.

When he arrived at the classroom, Adam discovered that the instructor was actually an Acquaintance. After everyone had taken their seats, he said, "I am Black, a level-two Air Elemental Mage, and your elemental knowledge instructor for the first year."

This was a tiered classroom. Black Mage floated at the front and said to everyone, "I hope what you just witnessed did not frighten you too badly. Elemental Magic is full of charm; it is the most beautiful scenery on the path of mages. But it is also accompanied by extreme danger. The apprentices in Mage George's laboratory were fairly fortunate. Though they will need a long time to recover, at least their lives are not in danger. You should know that every year, many apprentices die in elemental experiments."

"There is only one elemental knowledge class each month. Over this year, you must come to understand what elements are and successfully construct the runes for three sets of Low-Level Elemental Magic."

"Believe me, this is very important. If you fail to display talent in other fields, such as Miss Ophelia over there, then you must learn at least three Low-Level Magic spells. Otherwise, you will be expelled."