Corrosion Phenomenon

Leo opened the door and took the books from the Lizardman's hands.

Just as Leo was about to close the door, the Lizardman servant added, "Lord Danville, there is this as well."

The Lizardman handed over a badge and said, "This is your identification within the Tower of Dawn."

This badge had a gray base and no patterns whatsoever.

However, it bore the words Esmond Gathering.

Leo accepted the badge, and at that moment, it changed.

The badge's base turned silver, and above the words Esmond Gathering, a circle appeared with the number seven displayed inside.

The Lizardman explained with a smile, "Lord Danville, this number represents the dynamic change in your ranking among this year's wizard seedlings. The color of the base represents the dynamic tier of your ranking among this year's students."

"Outside the top hundred is gray. Within the top hundred is bronze. Within the top ten is silver. Within the top three is gold."

The Lizardman said, "Lord Danville, try to wear your badge whenever you go out. Lower-ranked badges may not be of much use, but a silver badge like yours can sometimes spare you a great deal of trouble."

Hearing this, Leo nodded slightly.

After the Lizardman left, Leo examined the badge for a moment before putting it on.

Returning to his room, Leo placed the books delivered by the Lizardman on the table.

The title of the book was: Melee Wizard Primer.

Leo opened the book. After reading it, a gentle prompt sounded in his mind.

Basic Body Fortification

Quality: Inferior

Effect: Uses spiritual energy to strengthen cellular capabilities, granting an explosive burst several times greater than one's own physical abilities.

Cost: 100 Refinement Points

Advanced Codex: Basic Spell Model

This book introduced the core ability of melee wizards: body fortification.

The combat style of melee wizards was very straightforward. They simply used spells to enhance every aspect of their body's combat ability.

Strength, speed, and defense—those were the three main areas they strengthened.

Basic Body Fortification was the most fundamental spell.

However, this combat style placed strict demands on the body, so it required wizards to possess strong physiques.

As a Prossian, Leo fully met that requirement.

Leo used the Codex and began learning Basic Body Fortification.

In an instant, Leo felt the strength, defense, and speed of his entire body receive a temporary boost.

When Leo threw a punch forward, the airflow it stirred even sent the curtains in the room fluttering loudly.

Leo took a deep breath. His physical capabilities had now increased by roughly one to two times.

That was an extremely exaggerated figure.

Especially since Leo was a Prossian.

However, after around ten seconds, Leo decisively dispelled the spell.

When he dispelled it, Leo's spiritual energy had been severely depleted.

Melee wizards were still wizards.

Casting spells likewise consumed spiritual energy.

Spells were techniques performed on the foundation of a wizard's spiritual energy.

At Leo's current level, if he wanted to use spells fully, he still needed to keep increasing his spiritual energy.

After resting for a while, Leo continued studying the Codex.

Improving the Codex's quality could reduce the cost of Leo's spells while also increasing their power.

If he wanted to improve his combat strength while lacking spiritual energy, this was also something worth considering.

Although he was in an environment with a strong atmosphere of study, this was the wizard world. Wizards still spoke through strength.

Therefore, Leo believed it was necessary to increase his combat strength while studying.

Some spells had materials that could assist cultivation, and Basic Body Fortification was one of them.

Melee Wizard Primer mentioned a kind of potion: the Withered Wood Potion.

The Basic Body Fortification spell could be cultivated in conjunction with the Withered Wood Potion.

The formula for the Withered Wood Potion was included in the book, and it was not difficult to find.

"Dried grass roots..."

After memorizing the names of the required herbs, Leo said, "Tomorrow, when I go to the market with Chris and the others, I can ask about the prices of the herbs in this formula while I'm there."

Leo only sampled the waters of Basic Body Fortification.

He devoted more of his time to Basic Spell Model and Arcane Hand.

Leo was very interested in the question Sally had raised.

The next day.

Inside Leo's room, his eyes flickered with the fervor of someone exploring the truth.

"So that was how it worked."

After exploring throughout the night, Leo had finally glimpsed some of the secrets hidden within spiritual energy.

Leo extended a hand and lightly touched the bed.

He unfolded Arcane Hand.

Rather than forming a longsword, he shaped it into a glove.

When the glove touched the bed, the area it contacted twisted and showed signs of corrosion.

Leo dispelled the spell and said, "This must be the secret behind how Lane killed that Prossian."

"After spiritual energy is materialized, it can itself release a spiritual ripple capable of corroding the surrounding matter."

"That Prossian was killed by this layer of corrosive spiritual ripples."

"And..."

Leo pondered slightly before saying, "It was not only Lane. The bodily abnormality that appeared when I met that powerful Formal Wizard and looked into his eyes was probably related to the effect of this kind of spiritual ripple as well."

Sally had been right not to tell Leo the reason directly.

If Leo had known the answer in advance, he might not have connected this corrosive phenomenon with the Formal Wizard he had encountered back then.

A thought crossed Leo's mind.

He put Arcane Hand over his own hand again, then touched the bed.

This time, Arcane Hand did not cause any corrosion to the bed.

Leo said, "As long as I understand the principle behind it, I can freely release this corrosive phenomenon whenever I wish."

"What a dangerous world, yet one that makes people unable to resist uncovering the reason behind its phenomena."

Having gained something, a smile could not help appearing on Leo's face.

Afterward, Leo packed his things, left his room, and came downstairs.

Chris and Molly were waiting by the entrance.

Chris was dressed much like Leo, wearing a white robe with casual clothes underneath.

Molly wore a light blue dress beneath a shawl draped over it.

Both of them wore badges.

Chris had a bronze badge, while Molly had a gray one.

Molly's gaze fell on Leo's badge, and a trace of envy flashed through her eyes.

Tactfully, Leo did not bring up the subject of badges. He said, "I'm not late, am I?"

"No, you're right on time." Chris said, "You really arrive at the exact last moment every time. No wonder your spiritual energy is so high—you work too hard."

Leo smiled, unconcerned by Chris's teasing. "Let's go."

The Tower of Dawn was located in the Half-Moon Strait.

The Half-Moon Strait was at the central border between two continents, and its territory was vast.

The residences of gatherings such as Esmond Gathering were located in the south. The central region was where Formal Wizards and wizard seedlings with level-six spiritual talent favored by them lived. To the north were numerous laboratories established by graduate students.