Gravity Spell

Thinking this, Zeliel suddenly realized another problem.

If he ever analyzed someone's secret signature technique in the future, he would have to be careful when using it. The original owner might come knocking to demand how he had acquired it.

"Then take your time studying. I'm heading out... Oh, and remember to come to the Comprehensive Affairs Office to pick up a task at the start of the month. Don't forget," Bev reminded him.

"Pick up a task? What task?" Zeliel froze.

"The subsidy isn't completely free, you know. In return, guild members have to complete one round of mandatory work every month."

Bev gave a brief explanation. "Don't worry, it's nothing difficult. At most, you'll be cleaning the library or gathering herbs."

"Oh..." Zeliel nodded.

Bev turned around, holding the heavy ancient tome.

Zeliel stared blankly at the ribbon swaying at her waist for quite a while. Only after Bev had completely vanished from sight did he come back to himself.

"Mm... I'll stop studying here for today."

Zeliel stretched, stood up, and returned the book to its proper place.

After leaving the library, Zeliel clasped his hands behind his back and began wandering around the guild. He first headed over to the training grounds for a look.

There were no lower-ranked mages enthusiastically blasting each other today. The vast grounds were completely empty.

Makes sense... He couldn't expect to freeload every day.

There was, however, a mage sitting in the stands.

He looked about the same age as Zeliel, but he had a shy expression, short brown hair, and an extremely thin pair of glasses perched on his nose.

"Hi." Zeliel greeted him first.

The boy pushed up his glasses. Clearly not expecting the other party to approach him first, he replied somewhat timidly.

"Hi..."

"My name's Zeliel. What about you?"

"Lant Taylor."

"Oh..."

Another noble with a surname.

Zeliel nodded slightly, then bluntly invited him, "How about we go down and spar?"

Let me see if you have any interesting magic.

"Huh?"

Lant was somewhat surprised by Zeliel's words and quickly shook his head.

"N-No, I'd better not. I only just finished meditating today. If you want... maybe next time..."

"Fine, next time then."

After saying goodbye to Lant, Zeliel wandered over to the trading area like an aimless loafer.

As always, the trading area remained exceptionally lively.

After walking around twice and taking a closer look, Zeliel learned that not everyone here was a mage. There were also many ordinary merchants who had obtained special permits.

Zeliel was still a mage with no equipment at all.

A fully equipped mage's set was not cheap. First came the wand.

No need to say much: finished wands started at fifty gold coins, while pricier ones costing hundreds or even thousands were nothing unusual.

Then came the mage robe.

Professional mages all had a suitable mage robe custom-made for themselves.

Much like wands, good mage robes could amplify magical power and shorten casting time. Depending on the material, they could also come with certain special effects.

Mage robes were just as expensive, nearly matching wands in price.

Zeliel recalled Bev's dark crimson wand and pale purple mage robe.

Just those two together... they were probably already worth several hundred gold coins, weren't they?

So rich... Zeliel shook his head with a sigh.

He had not come to the trading area today merely to browse around. He also wanted to choose a low-level spell.

It was not very realistic to rely on Spell Structure Evolution to analyze other people's magic for everything.

Ten low-level spells were no small number. If he relied solely on luck, who knew how long he would have to wait.

He might as well actively look for something suited to himself. The more magic he had, the more complicated the situations he could deal with would become.

After wandering around for a while, Zeliel stopped at an inconspicuous little stall in the hall to browse.

Many magic scrolls were neatly arranged on the small stall, though their quality did not look particularly impressive.

Magic could not be recorded directly on ordinary paper through drawings. A mage had to expend a great deal of mental energy to inscribe a complete spell structure onto a specially made scroll.

Depending on the complexity of the magic, the process could take as little as one or two days, or as long as several weeks.

Once a learner obtained the scroll, they only needed to channel their mental energy into it to comprehend the complete spell structure.

The stronger the inscriber's mental energy, the clearer the spell structure on the magic scroll would be, making it easier for the learner to master the magic.

Magic scrolls of better quality like this often sold for high prices.

There were also magic scrolls whose spell structures were not inscribed very clearly. Learners had to concentrate completely and study them carefully before they could recreate them.

Such magic scrolls were cheaper.

Zeliel glanced over the goods on the stall.

"Blinding Light Spell, Icebind Spell, Earth-and-Stone Barrier, Intimidation Spell... Heavy Pressure Spell."

Heavy Pressure Spell...

Zeliel's gaze settled on the Heavy Pressure Spell.

"You can channel your mental energy in to check the contents. There are descriptions inside," the stall owner introduced enthusiastically.

He was a lean middle-aged man with a thin mustache.

Perhaps it was his sixth sense, but Zeliel could tell that the other party was not a mage, merely an ordinary merchant selling goods.

He picked up the Heavy Pressure Spell scroll and slightly channeled his mental energy into it. A piece of information immediately appeared in his mind.

[Heavy Pressure Spell]

Magic school: Arcane

Structure type: Single-layer spell structure

Magic rank: Level 2

Effect description: Can impose a downward magical impact upon an area, slowing the target's movement due to the pressure.

In actual combat, Heavy Pressure Spell could exert a certain controlling effect on enemies, making it highly suitable for creating opportunities for teammates.

After reading the description, Zeliel raised his brows slightly.

This spell seemed pretty good... He was currently lacking a skill that could control the battlefield.

Marcus and the other teammates had always been the ones creating favorable conditions for Zeliel. With Heavy Pressure Spell, he could also give his teammates some room to attack.

"Boss, how much is this?" Zeliel picked up the scroll and asked for the price.

"Ah, young master, you truly have a fine eye!"

The mustached man's eyes lit up.

"This is my prized treasure, an extremely practical Arcane spell! Look at the texture of this scroll—it's made from volcanic goat hide and has excellent affinity for magical power..."

"Stop, stop."

Zeliel cut off the mustached man's boasting. "Just tell me the price."

"Well..."

The mustached man rubbed his hands together and held up four fingers. "A friendly price—four gold coins."

Zeliel immediately put down the scroll, turned around, and walked away.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't go!"

Seeing this, the mustached man instantly became anxious. He hurriedly sprang out from behind the stall and grabbed Zeliel by the sleeve.

"If you think the price isn't suitable, we can discuss it, right... Name a price you think is reasonable?"