Ryan carried a deep-red, shellfish-like sea beast onto the deck. Harak landed on his shoulder.
The Wizard Freshmen on deck remained strangers to him. They glanced his way but showed no interest in talking.
On his way to the storeroom, Ryan happened to meet Anna coming out. She frowned slightly but said nothing.
Too many Wizard Freshmen acted strangely to catch her eye. It never worked.
They passed each other.
Ryan weighed the sea beast he had caught for food and entered the information. Next, he needed to work on improving Fearful Flame Wizardry.
Inside his room.
Ryan spread out his draft paper, sat down, and wrote out his understanding of Wizard Knowledge.
After testing Fearful Flame Wizardry and recording the results, Ryan had gained a firmer grasp of the knowledge behind it.
His weakness was his thin foundation. He understood how to use the spell but had not grasped its essence.
It was like knowing how to use a tool without understanding why it worked.
He needed to systematically study a great deal of Basic Supernatural Knowledge, such as the relationship between the activity and inertia of Elemental Particles, the effect of Fire Element Particle Energy's frequency and amplitude on a spell's power, the Theory of Elemental Essence, the Detailed Explanation of Wizard Particle Energy, and the Book of Dissecting the Supernatural.
On the bookshelf, Ryan found introductions to these fundamentals, along with slogans stressing their importance.
The Wizard Force of the Umbral Expanse had already begun investing in them aboard the Wizard Ship. The investment was subtle; it took a discerning eye to spot it.
For the Wizard Freshmen, the tests and trials had begun the moment they boarded the Wizard Ship.
The Eye of Truth was a shortcut, but building a solid foundation was just as important.
Ryan set down his Feather Pen. His plan for improving Fearful Flame Wizardry was complete.
It had two main parts.
First came proficiency. Ideally, he would cut the casting time to under two seconds.
Second, he needed to fill the gaps in his foundational knowledge and understand how Fire Element Particles formed a spell, and why releasing it produced its effects.
That would give him a clearer understanding of later Advanced Wizardry and even High-grade Wizardry.
He might even be able to build on what already existed and add something of his own.
The last glow of sunset sank below the distant horizon.
Ryan closed the window. The light in his room held back the darkness outside.
Notice: Analysis of the Fire Elemental Particle Energy Shield complete.
Ryan went to the washroom and washed his face. A flood of Supernatural Knowledge had entered his mind, leaving him slightly dizzy. After a moment, he absorbed it. The steps for casting the spell, the amount of Particle Energy it required, and its effects all became clear.
As its name suggested, it was an Energy Shield spell. Shields formed from different types of Elemental Particle Energy had subtle differences in their effects.
Energy Shields were vital in battles between Wizards. They could withstand a certain degree of an enemy's spell attacks.
Even when forced onto the defensive, a Wizard could rely on an Energy Shield to buy time and regain control of the fight.
According to the Legacy Wizardry Book, a fully cast Fire Elemental Particle Energy Shield could withstand one spell below fifteen degrees.
An ordinary metal blade would turn to molten iron the moment it drew near.
Only the supernatural could stand against the supernatural.
Time at sea passed quickly. With the Eye of Truth's help, Ryan mastered this Low-level Wizardry in about ten days.
Then, while testing the spell, something unexpected happened.
During a hunt for sea beasts, Ryan swam away from the Wizard Ship to a stretch of water with barely a wave.
He had gone even farther than he had for his last spell test. Perhaps having Supernatural Power had made him a little bolder.
Before he could test the Fire Elemental Particle Energy Shield, a faint gurgle drained the color from his face. He turned and swam toward the Wizard Ship as though he had seen a ghost.
He threw all his strength into swimming for the ship and summoned Harak to fly toward him.
Ripples suddenly spread across the calm sea. Countless green, grain-like objects rose from below and floated on the surface.
That was not the worst of it. Beneath the water, a vast Shadow Silhouette was drifting toward Ryan.
Looking closely, he could see a tiny black dot at the center of each green speck. The dots opened and closed now and then, like the eyes of some creature.
Notice: Information collected on the Mid-level Supernatural Creature, Azure Spirit Thousand-Eyed Jellyfish. Analyze?
The Shadow Silhouette beneath the water moved with the green specks on the surface. It was fast—faster than Ryan could swim.
The gap between them kept shrinking. Part of the underwater shape split away, and tentacles stretched toward him.
Every spell Ryan knew used Fire Element Particles. Out in the open sea, their power would be reduced, and this enormous creature was comparable to a Rank 2 Wizard Apprentice.
With his meager supply of Particle Energy Units, he would be hard-pressed to cast even one spell.
His life was in danger.
Ryan regretted coming out here, but more than that, the danger was a warning. Gaining power must not make him lose his Wizard Heart.
Be cautious. Be careful. Treat every unknown thing with absolute wariness and respect.
At least ten tentacles reached out from the Shadow Silhouette to coil around him.
Ryan's eyes darkened. He stopped swimming. At some point, an ancient-looking Parchment Scroll covered in Wizard Runes had appeared in his hand.
Only Wizards could read the words formed by those runes.
It was called Water Prison of Corruption—a Mid-level Wizardry spell!
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