Chapter Summaries

Ron learned that his neighbor Darund had bought a potion to strengthen his brain in hopes of completing a Conception for a Sonic Spell, and he worried about Darund’s deteriorating condition. After improving his meditation and sword practice, Ron sensed something watching him as eerie sounds came from Darund’s room.

• Ron overheard Candidate Apprentices say Darund had bought a brain-developing potion to complete the Conception for a Sonic Spell.
• Ron recalled Darund’s musical background, his struggle to make sound waves affect the mental field, and his recent emaciated appearance and unsettling behavior.
• Ron meditated using Mrs. Allen’s teachings and triggered Rhythm Resonance, improving his meditation experience.
• Ron practiced Corona Swordsmanship and found his movements coordinating more smoothly with the breathing technique.
• As Ron was falling asleep, he felt watched and heard eerie, agonized sounds coming from Darund’s room.

Ron discovered that Darund had transformed into a dangerous Aberrant and fought him in the corridor. After trapping Darund briefly with Slime Splash, Ron found an opening and thrust his sword toward the exposed brain.

• Ron heard Darund’s room erupt with monstrous sounds and tried to leave before the Enforcement Squad noticed the danger.
• Darund burst through the wall as a Giant Brain Monster, briefly recognized Ron, then attacked him with sonic shockwaves.
• Ron dodged Darund’s charge and struck his leg, slowing the monster, but a sonic attack numbed his arm and left him bleeding.
• Ron cast Slime Splash to bind Darund’s feet, then dodged the monster’s attacks while watching for an opening.
• Ron circled behind Darund during the pause after a sonic attack and thrust his sword toward its exposed brain.

After Ron killed the aberrant Darund in self-defense, he recovered Darund’s Sonic Spell research and passed the School’s inspection. Secretly, the School’s leaders watched the fight, marked Ron as a promising candidate, and revealed that they engineered the deadly competition and Catalyst Aberrations to cultivate apprentices.

• Ron killed Darund, searched his remains, and found notes that unlocked the prototype skill Sonic Oscillation.
• Holt and the Enforcement Squad arrived, confirmed Darund had suffered a Catalyst Aberration, and tested Ron for contamination; Holt told him the School rewarded useful Sonic Spell research.
• Holt recorded the killing as self-defense and left Ron to recover in his room.
• School wizards reviewed the recorded battle, awarded Ron seventy-five points, and considered him for next year’s key Observation List because of his potential and faint sunlight aura.
• The Vice Dean and other wizards revealed that they controlled the Black Vipers and used Mental Catalysts and dangerous competition to provoke apprentice growth, then ordered the next batch’s formula adjusted to reduce aberrations.

After surviving Darund's transformation, Ron studied Darund's notes on Sonic Oscillation and sought a way to stabilize his mental power. He reunited briefly with Trish at the Herb Shop, then began learning to brew a simplified Stardust Liquid from Mrs. Allen.

• Ron recovered from his injuries while studying Darund's notes, gaining experience in Sonic Oscillation (Prototype) and deciding to practice it.
• Ron asked Mrs. Allen about mental-stabilizing elixirs, and she offered to teach him a simplified Stardust Liquid recipe as a Potion Brewing test.
• While processing Evening Primrose, Ron met Trish, now an Intermediate Apprentice, and they exchanged brief greetings and good wishes about the final assessment.
• Mrs. Allen began teaching Ron the simplified Stardust Liquid recipe and showed him Moonlight Crystal as a substitute ingredient for Star Essence.

Ron learned to brew Simple Stardust Liquid and used its rhythmic properties to advance his swordsmanship and meditation. After killing Darund, he became the focus of the other Candidate Apprentices, who crowded him in the dining hall before someone familiar intervened.

• Mrs. Allen taught Ron to make Simple Stardust Liquid, and he successfully brewed a bottle for his spell experiment.
• Ron reflected on how the potion's ideal rhythm related to mental power, then practiced swordsmanship and meditation, raising his progress.
• Ron struggled to sleep as he recalled Darund's death and realized other Candidate Apprentices had secretly watched the fight.
• At the crowded dining hall, Candidate Apprentices whispered about Ron's victory and asked to see Darund's spell or receive his guidance.
• Ron tried to leave when the apprentices crowded around him, but a familiar voice ordered them to move aside.

Ron spoke with Andre, who warned him that Marcus and his brother Oliver might target him because of his growing abilities. Ron left determined to study Darund’s notes and grow strong enough to control his own fate.

• Andre dispersed the Candidate Apprentices who had gathered around Ron and invited him to his room for tea and muffins.
• Andre praised Ron for defeating Darund and remarked on how much Ron’s abilities and behavior had changed.
• Andre warned Ron that Marcus’s brother Oliver was a powerful High-level Apprentice who studied curse witchcraft and spells involving spiritual-power extraction.
• Andre said the black-market merchants had grown more restrained after Darund’s transformation but might act desperately as the assessment deadline approached.
• Ron planned to study Darund’s notes to advance his Sonic Spell and left Andre’s room determined to keep growing stronger.

Ron advanced his Corona Swordsmanship to the proficient level and gained the Sharpness trait. After detecting Danni’s attempt to steal his pouch, he severed her hand, but Marcus appeared and accused him of violating the School’s ban on internal fighting.

• Ron completed his swordsmanship training, breaking through to the proficient level and acquiring the Sharpness trait.
• Ron performed Breathing Body Tempering, then went to the public bathhouse and washed.
• Danni approached Ron on behalf of Marcus, asking him to share potion formulas, but Ron refused.
• As Ron left, Danni secretly cast Light-Handed Theft toward his pouch, and Ron sensed the spell’s energy.
• Ron struck Danni with his wooden sword, severing her right hand, and recovered his pouch.
• Marcus emerged in the corridor and accused Ron of severely injuring his servant and breaking the School’s rules.

Ron resisted Marcus’s Mental Interference and used his Ironwood Sword and Corona Swordsmanship to withstand Marcus’s Scorching Orb and crack his Energy Barrier. Captain Peter arrived and sentenced both Ron and Marcus to half a month in the Confinement Room, while privately telling Ron he had intervened at Holt’s request.

• Marcus tried to use Mental Interference and a Scorching Orb to attack Ron, but Ron resisted the interference.
• Ron blocked Marcus’s Scorching Orb with his Ironwood Sword and rushed in to strike.
• Ron’s sword triggered the “Sharpness” trait and cracked Marcus’s Energy Barrier.
• Captain Peter arrived with the Enforcement Squad and sentenced Ron and Marcus to half a month in the Confinement Room.
• Peter told Ron that Holt had asked him to look after him, and Ron silently remembered the favor.

While confined, Ron refined his understanding of the Sonic Spell and broke through Basic Meditation, transforming his mental power and reaching the Primary Apprentice threshold. He unlocked advancement information for the Wizard Apprentice profession, but still needed to master a spell at the Proficient level.

• Ron studied Darund's notebook and realized the Sonic Spell needed to develop its own rhythm rather than rely on forcibly boosted mental power.
• During nearly two weeks in confinement, Ron focused on meditation until he understood that the method required him to become the rune rather than control it.
• Ron raised Basic Meditation to Proficient and gained the Mental Circulation trait.
• Ron’s mental power transformed, his Spirit rose from 1.6 to 2.0, and he advanced from Knight Squire to Primary Apprentice.
• Ron discovered he could release Mental Interference and saw that he met two Wizard Apprentice advancement requirements, but still needed to master a spell at the Proficient level.

Ron planned to master Slime Splash and advance to Wizard Apprentice, but his thoughts were interrupted when Oliver arrived to secure his early release. Oliver apologized for Marcus and probed Ron about his research into Sonic Spells, leaving Ron wary of his interest.

• Ron realized he needed to raise Slime Splash to proficiency before advancing to Wizard Apprentice and planned to develop all three of his classes in parallel.
• Ron sensed a disturbing mental fluctuation approaching the Confinement Room and saw Marcus following a handsome High-level Apprentice.
• Oliver introduced himself as Marcus's older brother, apologized for Marcus's behavior, and unlocked the Confinement Room after paying for Ron's early release.
• Ron stayed inside the room's protective Magic Arrays and declined Oliver's offer to let him punish Marcus.
• Oliver praised Ron's curiosity and asked about his research into Sonic Spells, suggesting that they might exchange ideas about spells and curses.

After breaking through to Primary Apprentice in the Confinement Room, Ron learned from Andre that Oliver was known for dangerous Living Modification research. The chapter left Ron suspecting Oliver might be connected to the black market’s newly circulating curse-related potions and asking whether it sold special materials and formulas.

• Oliver and Marcus visited Ron in the Confinement Room, and Ron noticed Oliver had left a strange magical imprint there before deciding to leave.
• Ron returned to his room, checked that nobody had entered, and told Andre that he had broken through to Primary Apprentice.
• Ron asked Andre about Oliver, and Andre warned that Oliver was a smiling tiger whose Living Modification research reportedly used slaves supplied by Marcus.
• Ron and Andre suspected Oliver might be interested in Darund’s Sonic Spell and discussed whether it could relate to his research.
• Andre told Ron that black market merchants had returned and that curse-related potions were causing more controllable mutations among Candidate Apprentices.
• Ron asked Andre whether the black market might sell special materials and formulas.

Ron learned about the Black Mist Forest’s underground markets and suspected that the mentors tolerated prohibited potions as part of a selection process for apprentices. When he visited the Herb Shop, he discovered that Mrs. Allen had transformed into a beautiful young woman.

• Andre warned Ron about the underground markets and explained their locations and the precautions needed to trade safely.
• Ron studied the School newsletters, noticed recurring cases involving prohibited potions, and theorized that the mentors allowed them as part of a Promotion Elimination Game.
• Ron researched Darund's Conception of the Sonic Spell, then went to the Herb Shop to speak with Mrs. Allen.
• Mrs. Allen first told Ron to return in the morning, then let him into the shop, where he found her transformed into a young woman.

Ron visited Mrs. Allen after breaking through to Primary Apprentice and asked about advanced Meditation Methods and Oliver. Mrs. Allen warned him about Oliver and showed him the Gem-Grade Whispers of the Star Eater, whose rune structure immediately drew Ron’s attention.

• Ron discovered that Mrs. Allen could briefly regain her youthful appearance during periods of strong magical fluctuations and sensed that she had reached the level of a Formal Wizard.
• Mrs. Allen recognized that Ron had become a Primary Apprentice, and Ron explained that confinement had helped him focus on Meditation and cultivation.
• Ron asked Mrs. Allen about higher-grade Meditation Methods and Oliver, then recounted how Oliver had spent Magic Stone Fragments to free him.
• Mrs. Allen warned that Oliver never showed kindness without careful calculation.
• Mrs. Allen opened a sealed drawer and introduced Whispers of the Star Eater, a Gem-Grade Meditation Method that could aid Ron’s advancement but carried risks.
• Ron studied the method’s rune structure and felt inexplicably drawn to it.

Ron sought Mrs. Allen’s Meditation Method, but she gave him a list of dangerous and restricted potion materials to gather as the price of her instruction. She warned him that Oliver might want to turn Ron’s Sonic Spell into a carrier for his Living Curse, leaving Ron resolved to protect his research and act before danger struck.

• Mrs. Allen refused to hand over the Meditation Method until Ron accepted the wizarding rule of Equivalent Exchange.
• Mrs. Allen gave Ron a list of rare and prohibited potion materials and told him to find a way to obtain them.
• Mrs. Allen warned Ron that Oliver’s Living Curse research might connect to his Sonic Spell because sound could carry curses through barriers.
• Mrs. Allen advised Ron to keep the Sonic Spell’s key points secret and hinted that he might need to strike first.
• Ron pocketed the list and left the Herb Shop resolved to gather the materials while guarding against Oliver.

Ron processed a batch of Hidden Thorn Vine as a small punishment from Mrs. Allen, discovered he could sense and work with the plants’ life rhythms, and earned extra Magic Stone Fragments. Mrs. Allen stopped him as he prepared to leave and asked about his Primary Apprentice qualification assessment.

• Ron visited the Herb Shop and disappointed Mrs. Allen by showing his preference for her youthful appearance.
• Mrs. Allen assigned Ron the tedious task of removing the thorns and knots from a batch of Hidden Thorn Vine.
• After Mrs. Allen demonstrated the proper technique, Ron improved and sensed a natural rhythm in the vines that helped him work faster.
• Mrs. Allen gave Ron a drink to counter the vines’ toxin, and he finished processing the entire batch before evening.
• Mrs. Allen praised Ron’s work and perception of the plants’ life rhythms, then paid him five Magic Stone Fragments instead of the usual two.
• As Ron prepared to leave, Mrs. Allen asked whether he was going to take the Primary Apprentice qualification assessment.

Ron retrieved the Artificial Star Dew and received Mrs. Allen’s recommendation letter to improve his access to the School’s resources. He underwent a private Primary Apprentice assessment, where his mental strength proved unusually stable and free of impurities.

• Mrs. Allen returned Ron’s Artificial Star Dew and gave him a recommendation letter that could raise his resource allocation access by one rank.
• Ron went to the School’s Central Hall, hoping to avoid attracting attention during his qualification assessment.
• Ron told the duty officer that he had broken through in the Confinement Room, and she found his Six-Rank Star aptitude record.
• The duty officer led Ron to a private testing room, where he released his mental strength into a Crystal Ball.
• The duty officer saw that Ron’s mental strength was unusually stable and nearly free of impurities, and asked how he had achieved it.

Ron passed the mental power assessment and sought resources from the School, where Mrs. Allen's recommendation raised his rating from Lesser Potential to Intermediate Potential. He received a Potions-focused assignment and chose brewing equipment and protective clothing.

• Ron told the attendant that he had discovered a more efficient meditation rhythm and had gained experience in Potions and swordsmanship.
• The attendant compared Ron's progress to Oliver's and registered his information and preference for Potions.
• Ron received a Lesser Potential resource list with basic items and strict conditions for advanced resources.
• The attendant read Mrs. Allen's sealed recommendation, consulted a wizard, and raised Ron's rating to Intermediate Potential.
• The School assigned Ron a monthly potion-brewing quota with relatively little other work, and Ron chose Potion Brewing vessels and a close-fitting protective undershirt.

Ron became a registered Primary Apprentice, received brewing vessels and a protective undersuit, and returned to his dormitory to study his new equipment. After drinking Simple Stardust Liquid, he began practicing Slime Splash with a new method for controlling his mental power, but the spell remained unfinished.

• Ron chose a set of brewing vessels and a protective undersuit, received his Primary Apprentice badge, and listened to the attendant warn him to keep a low profile.
• Ron returned to his dormitory and inspected the equipment, gaining Potion Brewing Experience from studying the brewing tools.
• Ron reviewed the requirements for advancing to Wizard Apprentice and confirmed that he still needed to master a spell at a proficient level.
• Ron drank Simple Stardust Liquid and began practicing Slime Splash, consciously adjusting his mental power’s vibration frequency.
• Ron’s spellcasting method optimization was detected, and the Simple Stardust Liquid slightly stabilized his Spell Model.

Ron advanced Slime Splash to Skilled, changed class to Wizard Apprentice, and discovered the benefits of combining his classes. He read that apprentices who reached Intermediate Apprentice within three years could enter the Candidate Wizard Sequence.

• Ron synchronized his mental power with his breathing technique, improving Slime Splash until it reached Skilled and gained the Viscous Toughness trait.
• Ron met the requirements and changed class to Wizard Apprentice, raising his attributes and unlocking Spell Construction and Mental Interference.
• Ron received synergy bonuses from his Wizard Apprentice, Knight Squire, and Potion Apprentice classes.
• Ron read the Primary Apprentice Must-Read booklet and learned that apprentices who advanced to Intermediate Apprentice within three years qualified as High Potential and entered the Candidate Wizard Sequence.

Ron learned about apprentice advancement, obligations, benefits, and the value of securing a mentor as he set his sights on becoming an Intermediate Apprentice within three years. Meanwhile, Oliver regretted that Ron had disrupted his scheme involving Darund and began viewing Ron as a potential key to his own advancement.

• Ron read that advancing to Formal Wizard required a dangerous brain-domain opening ritual and a scarce key potion, and he learned that higher apprentice ranks received far greater resources and privileges.
• Ron discovered that apprentices had to perform School tasks and duties in exchange for basic support, and that extra work and rare materials could earn credits for paid courses.
• Ron resolved to reach Intermediate Apprentice within three years and enter the Candidate Wizard Sequence, then looked out at the Black Mist Forest.
• Oliver learned that Ron had passed the Primary Apprentice assessment earlier than expected and lamented that Ron had ruined his plan to use Darund to injure Holt.
• Oliver injected a dark red liquid into Amanda's corpse, hoping to fuse it with Darund's brain tissue, and decided Ron's possible Special Talent could complete his path toward becoming a Formal Wizard.