A Completely Different Method

[Believer's plea for help detected. Mission objectives updated!]

In Bacon's mind, the mission information for learning the spell [Hada's Hunger] quietly reorganized itself, revealing more detailed content:

[Mission One: Activate the Weave]

[Description: Perceive the magical energy leaking from the Weave into the surrounding environment and establish a connection with the Weave.]

[Current Progress: 0%]

[Mission Two: Construct the Spell Model]

[Description: Based on the spell's characteristic information, draw upon energy from the Weave to complete the construction of the spell model.]

[Current Progress: 0%]

[Mission Three: Maintain Stability]

[Description: Form a stable field through resonance between magical energies and complete the casting.]

[Current Progress: 0%]

With the appearance of the three new missions, more importantly, this so-called "mission information" also came with detailed instructions for completing them. As long as Pete focused his mind on the corresponding mission description, he could see knowledge broken down into specific steps.

Just by quickly reviewing the tutorial for [Activate the Weave] in his mind, Pete felt the magical worldview he had built over the past few years suffer a tremendous blow.

"Wait, what? You can activate the Weave like this?"

Pete could hardly be blamed for his shock. The methods taught in these tutorials were vastly different from the ways he had previously learned to practice magic!

In orthodox spellcaster teachings, most of the material concerning the Weave was related to one's affinity with the Goddess of Magic. Before casting a spell, one had to pray to the Goddess of Magic. Only after receiving a response could one resonate with the Weave.

The Weave was not gentle by nature. Resonance alone was far from enough. A spellcaster had to try to communicate with it, find magical energy willing to cooperate, and only then could they move on to the next step: arranging that energy into a model according to specific patterns.

But the information that had appeared in Pete's mind offered an entirely different method:

"First, perceive the magical energy leaking into the environment. Examine it carefully, and find a unique signature code within its fluctuations?"

"Decode the signature code according to a specific format, then use the code table to translate the decoded information into a key?"

"Focus your mind, use that key to call upon the Weave, wait for its response, and establish a temporary connection with it?!"

Pete gathered his courage and glanced at the aberrant monster slowly approaching him. He tried his best to ignore the few unlucky people left in the cave, who had been frightened out of their wits and had completely lost any will to resist. Then he took a deep breath.

"Fine, fine. Whether this method is real or not, whether it works or not, I have no other choice now. Trying is better than doing nothing and waiting to die!"

At this life-or-death moment, Pete's survival instincts finally kicked in. He entered a calm, perceptive state almost as quickly as he could, successfully locating the scattered bits of magical energy drifting through the surrounding environment without any independent consciousness.

Pete remembered that a legendary archmage had once defined this leaked energy in one of his textbooks, claiming that it was "energy that had detached from the Weave due to coincidences during its fluctuations. It cannot be actively used, but it is drawn in by a spellcaster's spells and thus passively returns to the Weave."

During normal spellcasting, when establishing a connection with the Weave, believers with higher affinity were more likely to receive a response after praying. Only in that state could they use the Weave to perform magic.

Although those scattered magical energies could also establish a connection, the fluctuations in their responses allowed spellcasters to perceive nothing but strings of disordered information.

Following the steps in his mind, Pete decoded the disordered information he had gathered one by one, transformed it into a new string of information, then cautiously tried to call upon the Weave.

The door to a new world had opened!

The world he perceived became incomparably clear in an instant!

"Goddess of Magic... no, great deity whose name I don't even know, above! This method actually works!"

It was as though someone had suddenly put properly prescribed glasses on a nearsighted person. Never before had Pete perceived the shape of the Weave so clearly!

"So clear! So... unbelievable!!"

If his former self had been like someone begging and pleading with the lofty Weave, only to be treated with the cold indifference of an aloof goddess, then the Weave now was responding to Pete's request with unparalleled enthusiasm!

Within the range of his perception, every thread and every fluctuation of the Weave felt within reach!

Establishing a connection with the Weave in mere seconds was something the old Pete would never have dared imagine. The success of the first step greatly boosted his confidence.

The progress for [Mission One: Activate the Weave] in his mind became 100%. The methods for the following two missions were likewise completely different from the spellcasting knowledge Pete had learned in the past, but encouraged by the success of the first step, he did not hesitate to continue following the described instructions!

A few minutes later.

[Mission Two: Construct the Spell Model]

[Current Progress: 100%]

[Mission Three: Maintain Stability]

[Current Progress: 100%]

The three missions were completed one after another. Each time a step's progress gradually reached 100%, Pete felt immensely encouraged. Although this was only his first attempt, he had a feeling that he was not far from successfully casting a third-tier spell!

A sphere of energy filled with blackness and cold took shape unsteadily in his hand. Pete had to expend a great deal of mental strength just to barely maintain the stability of the violent energy within it.

With the mental strength of a second-tier spellcaster, forcibly casting a third-tier spell made Pete feel waves of discomfort after the magic had existed for only a few seconds. He felt hollowed out, dizzy, and on the verge of collapsing.

At last, he saw the words [Mission: Learn Spell [Hada's Hunger], Current Progress: 100%] appear in his mind. Daring not to delay any longer, Pete hurled the completed spell in his hand at the aberrant monster that had already approached him!

"Monster! Stay away from me!"

A frigid, pitch-black spherical field that completely enveloped the aberration abruptly expanded!

"Screee—!!"

All the monster's mouths let out agonized screams at that instant. Its tentacles thrashed wildly around it, clearly suffering immense torment! The rotting flesh that had emitted a foul stench rapidly turned blue-black, and then signs of frostbite and acid corrosion began spreading across its body.

Tentacle after tentacle was frozen and completely lost its vitality. The flesh tumors and eyeballs also burst one after another under the spell's effects, spraying disgusting yellowish-brown pus. The aberration tried to squirm out of the area, but it was as though something bound its body. Its movements were incredibly sluggish, and it could do nothing to stop the all-pervasive damage from eating away at it!

"Pant... pant..."

The aberration's movements grew slower and slower. Pett Chinar gasped for breath, staring fixedly at its dying struggle until he heard another chime ring out in his mind.

[Mission progress updated.]

[Eliminate the divine aberration, (1/1)]

His taut nerves suddenly relaxed. His mental energy was severely depleted, and Pete's vision went black as he collapsed unconscious on the spot.