Advanced Apprentice Breakthrough

After practicing Crystal Energy Barrier, Ian did not stop.

He stepped before the target, rapidly chanted the spell, and began alternating between Scorching Ray and Lesser Frost Ray.

He focused on practicing rapid switches and coordination between the two.

Scorching Ray's proficiency had silently entered the mastery realm, and he had compressed its casting time to within 0.3 seconds.

The instant Frost Ray struck the target and ice spread across it, he would accurately fire Scorching Ray at the final central point of the ice layer.

The clash between extreme cold and extreme heat triggered a small-scale explosion, stacking their destructive power.

He also began attempting to cast spells while rolling sideways and making rapid changes in direction, improving his accuracy in complex and unpredictable environments.

Meanwhile, Frost Ray's "Twin" special effect allowed him to attack as he pleased.

Its proficiency had also accumulated to nearly halfway, and its maximum range had reached fifty meters.

The two rays could strike separate enemies or hit the same target simultaneously, producing a stronger freezing effect.

During breaks in his training, he used the Spirit Infusion Wizard's Hand to handle several simple potion ingredients at once, both training his precision of control and saving time.

Life in the camp was tense and oppressive.

During the day, aside from necessary brewing, repairs, and patrols, most apprentices cultivated bitterly in their residences or at the training grounds.

There was little conversation. Everyone hurried about with worry for the future and a thirst for power written across their faces.

The shadow of the Crimson Court hung over everyone's hearts.

Ian heard that two more family apprentices patrolling the outskirts had disappeared.

When the other patrols arrived, they found only signs of battle and shredded clothing.

A battle broke out on the outskirts of this region every few days. The Crimson Court's infiltration had never stopped.

In such an atmosphere, Ian trained with nearly everything he had.

Every night, he took a Limit Break potion and maintained six hours of Deep Meditation without fail.

Within his mind, more and more Will Runes appeared, small runes taking shape one after another.

The scattered Mental Power in the void was continuously gathered and tempered, joining the cycle and increasing its limit.

[Star-Moon Lower Meditation Method Proficiency +1]

[Star-Moon Lower Meditation Method Proficiency +1]

[Realm: Intermediate Wizard Apprentice (84%)]

[Skill: Star-Moon Lower Meditation Method: Mastery (442/800)

Looking at the steady yet slow increase in percentage on the Status Panel, Ian felt little joy, only an increasingly intense sense of urgency.

"Too slow."

Even with Limit Break potions, even though he maximized his meditation time every day, breaking through from an Intermediate Apprentice to an Advanced Apprentice was not so simple.

Ian estimated that it would probably take another twenty days or so to truly break through.

And the threats outside the camp might not give him that much time.

Time passed, and a month had gone by since Ian arrived at the camp.

Inside the potion room, he had just finished another round of high-intensity practice with Crystal Energy Barrier.

The shield's proficiency was also gradually nearing Limit Break.

But a vague sensation suddenly arose in his mind. Delighted, he ignored his exhaustion and hurried back to his bedroom.

After calming his mind, he sat cross-legged on the bed, drank a potion, and sank his consciousness into his Mental Sea.

Nine Great Will Runes shimmered with flowing light. Beside them, the final small Will Rune that needed to be traced was only a few strokes away from completion.

Tempered Mental Power continuously poured in from the void, filling the final gaps.

[Realm: Intermediate Wizard Apprentice (99%)]

"Just one last bit!"

Ian held his breath and focused all his consciousness on the small rune about to take shape.

His Mental Power moved slowly along a profound trajectory like the finest carving knife.

Bit by bit...

Buzz...!

A clear chime rang through his mind, and some kind of shackle shattered.

The twenty-seventh small rune suddenly lit up.

Brilliant light flooded the void within his mind as all the runes interlocked, forming a complex and exquisite three-dimensional pattern that slowly rotated.

Like the most perfect creation, it formed a complete, stable, self-contained cycle!

Vast Mental Power surged from the cycle, sweeping through his entire Mental Sea.

The void Mental Power that previously required guidance to absorb now rushed into the newborn cycle like countless rivers returning to the sea, rapidly tempering and transforming itself.

[Realm: Advanced Wizard Apprentice (0%)]

"I finally broke through!"

Ian abruptly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing through them.

He felt that the world had become clearer than ever before.

The faint clink of armor as distant camp guards changed shifts, the tiny rustle of nocturnal insects crawling over grit in the corner, the subtle fluctuations and flow of ambient Magic Power...

Every sensation had been amplified several times over, distinct and clearly layered.

And it was not just his perception.

With a thought, Mental Power flowed out of his body. Everything within thirty meters around him became clearly visible, more than twice as powerful as before!

It was also more condensed and pure, obeying his control as naturally as his own limbs.

He tried controlling the Spirit Infusion Wizard's Hand to perform two different delicate operations at once.

Grinding, stirring, bottling—it was effortless, and the consumption was almost negligible.

Ian rapidly chanted a spell, and an eyeball condensed in the room, hovering beneath the ceiling.

Eye of Vigilance, which had previously required part of his attention to maintain, could now remain active for long periods.

Its consumption had also decreased further, effectively giving him another passive extension of his senses.

He stood and moved his body a little.

His flesh had fully adapted to Magic Power's corrosion. Although its strength had not increased much, his stronger, more condensed Mental Power meant he could control his body with even greater precision.

He could also use the strength and endurance enhanced by Rock Bear Potion more efficiently and accurately.

This was an all-around improvement!

"So this is an Advanced Apprentice..."

Ian lightly clenched his fist, feeling the power surging within him. It was a completely different sensation from before.

When he had broken through to Intermediate Apprentice, the primary improvements had been his total Mental Power and its density, allowing his Mental Power to initially sense the outside world.

With his current Mental Power, he could already make preliminary use of Arcane Mark. However, he did not have that spell in hand, so there was no need to rush.

This breakthrough into Advanced Apprentice was a qualitative leap in his overall strength.

His Mental Power forming its own cycle meant that his recovery speed, circulation efficiency, and carrying capacity had all increased greatly.

He could sustain stronger, longer-lasting spell consumption, operate multiple spells at once without quickly exhausting himself, and learn and analyze complex knowledge models faster.

If an Intermediate Apprentice had merely mastered the tools, then an Advanced Apprentice truly possessed the powerful arm to wield those tools, along with an endless source of power.

With a thought, Ian called up the Status Panel.

[Realm: Advanced Wizard Apprentice (0%)]

[Talent: Medium Light Attribute Affinity]

[Skill: Star-Moon Lower Meditation Method: Mastery (586/800)

Wizard's Hand: Limit Break 1 time (112/800) (Limit Break Effect: 1. Spirit Infusion)

Frost Ray: Limit Break 1 time (389/800) (Limit Break Effect: 1. Twin)

Scorching Ray: Mastery (177/800)

Crystal Energy Barrier: Mastery (795/800)

Awakening Potion: Limit Break 1 time (122/800) (Limit Break Effect: 1. potent)

Basic Potion Identification: Limit Break 1 time (15/800) (Effect: 1. Insight)

Lesser Healing Potion: Mastery (37/400)

Basic Antidote Potion: Mastery (8/400)

Other Skills...]

Looking at the rather "lavish" Status Panel, he was extremely satisfied.

"The shield's proficiency is nearly full too."

Ian's gaze burned as he looked toward the pitch-black night sky beyond the window.

Deep within the canyon, dark crimson light still flickered.

An Advanced Apprentice was still only a chess piece in this cruel land of war, merely one with a little more weight.

But at least he was one step closer to becoming a Formal Wizard.

The path to becoming stronger had no end.

And driven onward by war, his footsteps would only grow faster!