Sorcery Testing

"Chip, calculate how many sorceries I can solidify!"

[Calculating]

[Estimated sorceries the subject can solidify: 5]

"Five? Not bad." Looking at the Chip's result, Green began considering which spells to solidify. The number was not fixed. As a Wizard's Mental Power grew stronger, he could solidify more sorceries.

A Formal Wizard knew at least a hundred sorceries, but could solidify only around ten, most of them defensive.

"I already have a Grand Knight's Life Barrier. Apprentice Level defensive sorcery is no use to me now. That's why my teacher had me study offensive sorcery, so I'd have a stronger position in a fight."

[Ding. Model optimization complete. Begin solidification?]

"Optimization's done already? Begin!"

The Chip's alert interrupted Green.

"Solidification beginning!"

The Chip took control of Green's mind. A vast Sorcery Model gradually took shape in his Mental Space. Compared with the previous model, this one was noticeably more intricate, and its energy efficiency had improved by more than a little. But Green also found that the optimized model demanded far greater Mental Power to construct.

Even if an ordinary apprentice knew this model, he'd probably struggle to build it. This model depends entirely on the Chip's immense computing power and control. Green studied the model in his Mental Space.

[Wizard's Hand solidification complete]

[Wizard's Hand — Zero-Level Sorcery.]

[Mental Power consumption: Output strength can be adjusted freely. Minimum consumption: 1 unit of Mental Power per hour.]

[Effect: Controls objects within 30 meters.]

[Cast time: 0.2 seconds]

The biggest change is its range. That'll be useful for large-scale experiments. The change in consumption matters less. Green studied the optimized Wizard's Hand data.

Following the same pattern, the Chip soon solidified Treant Summoning and Lesser Energy Fireball.

[Treant Summoning — Zero-Level Sorcery.]

[Mental Power consumption: 3]

[Effect: A treant summoned from pure energy can exist for only 30 minutes. Summoning with a modified tree seed extends its duration to three hours and grants it certain special abilities based on the seed.]

[Cast time: 1 second]

[Lesser Energy Fireball — Zero-Level Sorcery.]

[Consumption: 1]

[Effect: Summons a fireball to attack a target within 200 meters. Improvements have added an explosion and a lingering burn.]

[Cast time: 0.1 seconds]

With the sorceries solidified, Green opened his eyes, rose, and looked out the window. It was pitch-black outside.

It seemed he would have to wait until tomorrow to test their power.

The next afternoon, after finishing all his classes for the day, Green went to the Sorcery Testing Area.

The Sorcery Testing Area had been built by the Academy specifically for apprentices to test the power of their sorceries. After all, many sorceries caused energy corrosion. Positive Energy sorcery was manageable, but Negative Energy sorcery often triggered strange changes. If an ordinary apprentice used Negative Energy sorcery in a graveyard and failed to clean up afterward, a Wraith might even be born.

For safety, the Sorcery Testing Area had been placed at the very edge of the Academy.

At a glance, its castle was clearly taller and thicker than the Academy's other buildings. It looked far sturdier.

All sorts of runes were carved into its walls. Green glanced over them and immediately identified three main functions. The first isolated energy radiation to prevent leaks. The second strengthened the walls. The third automatically balanced energy to prevent any kind of imbalance.

"Here to test a sorcery?" As soon as Green reached the entrance, a smiling apprentice in a gray robe came forward.

Not everyone was like Green, free from the financial pressure of needing Magic Stones. The gray-robed apprentice had evidently taken an Academy assignment to work at the reception desk.

In fact, if Lilian had not favored Green, he too would be scrambling to earn Magic Stones. Alchemy was a profession built on piles of them. The initial investment in a Potion Laboratory alone would make even a Formal Wizard wince.

"I do need to test some sorceries. Is there a testing area you'd recommend?"

"The testing area is divided into two main sections, one for apprentices and one for Wizards. You can only use the section that matches your level. There are also private and shared areas. Private areas have no one else to disturb you, but they cost more. Shared areas accommodate several people at once and are cheaper."

"I see. How much does a private room cost?" Green asked.

The gray-robed apprentice's eyes lit up. Private rooms were expensive, and he would earn a sizable commission for renting one out.

"One Magic Stone an hour. Each private room has a dedicated energy-testing device that can accurately measure a sorcery's performance. It also has an Energy Puppet, so you can see its destructive power firsthand... You're guaranteed to get accurate information on your sorcery!"

Green had no shortage of Magic Stones. The tutoring classes he ran on weekends were extremely popular, and he had accumulated over a hundred stones. Since carrying them was inconvenient, he had even obtained a Magic Stone Card from the Academy.

"I'll take a room for three hours." Green pulled his Magic Stone Card from his coat and handed it to the apprentice.

The gray-robed apprentice became visibly more respectful the moment he saw the card. He hurriedly accepted it with both hands.

"Please wait a moment!" He rushed to the nearby counter, swiped the Magic Stone Card through a device, then took a black crystal card from beneath the counter and handed both cards back to Green.

"This is your room key. Just swipe it to open the door. Your room is number 33!"

Green nodded, took the two cards, and headed for the Sorcery Testing Grounds.

Glowing crystals sat atop the white stone pillars on either side of the shared testing areas. Green could clearly see apprentices testing sorceries inside, yet not a sound escaped. The only noise in the corridor came from his footsteps on the floor.

There's a Soundproof Barrier too! Makes sense. Fire Element tests usually involve explosions. Without proper insulation, the whole Academy would never have a moment's peace.

He soon reached the private area. Its safeguards were clearly better. Nothing inside the rooms could be seen, and each room was fully separated from the others.

Green nodded in satisfaction. He quickly found his room in the private area and swiped the black crystal card.

Click! The door opened, and a screen of light appeared over it with two lines of text.

[Time remaining: 2 hours 59 minutes]

[Please watch the time. The equipment will shut down automatically when your time runs out.]

Green entered. The room was larger than he had imagined, about the size of a university sports field from his previous life.

Several targets stood around the edges and in the middle of the field, marked "leather armor," "plate armor," and "beast."

A sign stood by the door. It said apprentices could attack the targets directly with sorcery. Each target was covered with a different type of defensive sorcery and would automatically record and display the power of any sorcery that struck it.

"Let's try Lesser Energy Fireball first!"

A fireball suddenly appeared before Green, its red flames radiating heat.

"Go!" The fireball shot toward a target and struck the one marked "plate armor."

BOOM!!!

A deafening explosion rang out. Flames scattered from the fireball, and some clung to the target, continuing to burn. The flames that landed on the ground quickly went out, as though something had stopped them.

After burning for several dozen seconds, the flames finally died. A projection appeared over the target.

[Fire energy attack. Initial attack strength: 5. Lingering burn: 1]

"Chip, update your internal units to match this energy-measurement system."

In the Wizarding World, sorcery power was measured by the radiation released by one unit of non-attributed elemental energy.

[Updating]

[Adjusted data: Life Barrier can withstand an energy attack of 30 degrees.]

Seeing the remarkably high value of his Life Barrier filled Green with a sense of security. Unlike other Knights, he had far surpassed his peers at every stage, so his Life Barrier also exceeded those of other Grand Knights.

An ordinary Grand Knight could probably withstand an attack of only five to seven degrees. Second-Class and Third-Class Apprentices both used Zero-Level Sorcery, which generally ranged from three to five degrees and never exceeded five. That was why Mentor Lilian thought Green had no need to strengthen his defenses further. An Apprentice Level attack would struggle to break through them.

What Mentor Lilian had failed to anticipate was just how different Green was from other Grand Knights. The First-Level Spells cast by Formal Wizards generally measured fifteen to twenty degrees and never exceeded twenty-five. Green's Life Barrier could easily withstand a First-Level Wizard's sorcery. Combined with his formidable physique, it meant an ordinary Formal Wizard who faced him head-on would be walking straight to his death.

Of course, Green had no intention of actually fighting a Formal Wizard head-on. Wizards had strange methods. If his opponent knew Curse-type sorcery, Green had no idea whether his Life Barrier could resist it.

His exceptionally strong defenses eased his anxiety about lacking firepower, at least for the moment.

"Mm! Now that the values are calibrated, I won't need to come to the training grounds anymore. The Chip can calculate a sorcery's power for me!"

Green nodded in satisfaction and began testing his other sorceries.

"Pure-energy treant first!"

Green energy gathered before him, slowly forming the shape of a treant. Finally, the energy turned solid, and a treant appeared in front of him.

The treant stood a full three meters tall. Green could feel a mental connection to it. At a thought from him, it charged straight at a target and slapped it.

[Physical attack. Attack strength: 2]

That was no weak attack. Even a Knight Apprentice could not take many hits from it.

Green had the treant continue attacking. Every subsequent strike registered a two.

His Chip provided more precise readings, ranging from 1.9 to 2.1 each time, with little variation.

"This treant is roughly as strong as a Formal Knight, but it doesn't get tired or injured. Every blow lands at full strength, putting it far above an ordinary Knight. It would take at least three to five ordinary Knights to beat it."

"But against an apprentice who can cast sorcery, a treant of this strength can only block attacks and buy time. Defeating an opponent would be too difficult. A sorcery of around three degrees could destroy this one." After calculating for some time, Green reached that conclusion.

He dispelled the sorcery, scattering the treant before him. Then he tossed out an acorn and cast Treant Summoning.

The instant the sorcery activated, free-floating Life Elements in the air streamed into the acorn.

Whoosh!

A seven-meter-tall treant sprang from the ground. Its enormous form dwarfed the previous one.

"Mentor Lilian was right. When I use the normal process to summon a treant, it's far stronger than those summoned by other apprentices."

"Chip, show me this treant's attributes."

[Treant. Strength: 5. Speed: 3. Constitution: 6. Mental Power: none]

[Talent 1: Nature Aura] (Rapid recovery; increased Fire Element resistance)

[Talent 2: Resistant Skin (6)]

[Skill: Entanglement] (Branches grow rapidly to bind enemies)

Even Green was stunned by the impressive panel. An ordinary apprentice stood almost no chance against this treant. With Resistant Skin rated at six degrees and the rapid recovery granted by Nature Aura, an apprentice could exhaust all his Mental Power and still struggle to hurt it.

Bang!

[Physical attack. Attack strength: 5]

"Its attack has reached the peak of Zero-Level Sorcery. Looks like I should find more Life-Type Sorceries. With my Elemental Affinity, they might undergo even more Qualitative Transformations." Green beamed at the figures displayed over the target.

After several more rounds of testing and checking the data, Green hurried to the Academy's sales area to buy a few Zero-Level Life-Type Sorceries.