Not Favored, the Essence of Spells Realized

"Alright, thank you for your guidance."

Though Nova had not answered directly, he had still given Leo a direction for his studies.

Once Leo returned, he would definitely have to study additional disciplines alongside his current ones.

And Magitech Studies seemed like a very good choice.

Nova's gaze remained as still as an ancient well.

Suddenly, he asked, "Danville, do you want to read a book?"

Without a moment's thought, Leo answered, "Of course. If you are willing to lend me books, I would be more than willing to spend time on them."

The books Nova read were all related to Wizards, and Leo was quite interested in them.

Every book might mean one or several new Codex entries to Leo.

Nova said, "Take a look at this one."

Nova handed over a book.

"Basic Magitech Studies?" Leo murmured as he read the title.

Nova said, "This book should broaden your thinking at your current stage. Though it may not directly help you solve the problem with Arcane Hand, it should still be of some use to you."

Leo hurriedly said, "Alright, I will study this book carefully."

Nova gave a slight nod and said, "Though reading carefully is a good thing, I can only lend you this book for a short while. You must return it when I disembark."

"Alright, Wizard Nova."

After receiving the book, Leo watched Nova return to his group of three.

The burly Kamon said, "Nova, you seem to think highly of that Wizard Seedling."

Nova said, "We merely hit it off somewhat. I rarely encounter someone who, like me, can immerse himself in a sea of books."

Fula said, "He is a Prossian, isn't he?"

"Yes, just like you."

Upon hearing that, Kamon looked at Fula and said, "Fula, why do I feel like you are less affected by this Wizard Seedling than Nova is?"

Fula said, "What reaction should I have? Though we are indeed both Prossians, that does not mean I have to look after him. We Prossians believe in handling our own affairs ourselves."

"Even when the Kingdom of Plos still existed, we Prossians taught children to use weapons at the age of six and sent them out to hunt wild beasts."

"He is already this old, so why should I still look after him as if he were a child?"

"Alright, alright, I won't argue with you about that." Kamon shook his head, curiosity appearing on his face. "Nova, Fula, how about we make a bet? Do you think this Wizard Seedling can help those knights hunt this sea monster?"

Fula said, "Stonefish is not an easy sea monster to deal with, especially for inexperienced Wizards. Though he has mastered Mental Radiation, he is the only one who can use it. I think the chances of his hunt failing are very high."

Nova said, "I think the same."

To be honest, though Nova thought fairly highly of Leo, he also believed there was a considerable chance that Leo would fail.

Hearing this, Kamon shook his head. "Oh my, I also think the chance of failure is huge. The three of us all think he will fail, so this bet cannot be made."

"But then again, a Wizard Seedling who chose to help a knight order at a time like this could only amount to so much."

"They must have found it difficult to earn Magic Stones through their disciplines, which was why they chose such a barbaric hunting method."

"When all is said and done, when cooperating with other organizations, we of the Tower of Dawn would rather sell them the Magitech Devices, potions, and other products created through our disciplines than fight for them as warriors."

"We are here to make them spend money, not to serve as their mercenaries."

"Even Prossians like you, Fula, chose this path rather than becoming Combat Wizards, because that was how you found a way to survive in the Tower of Dawn, wasn't it?"

Kamon said, "For these two Wizard Seedlings to come out and help the knight order hunt now, calling it a waste of their limited study time in the Tower of Dawn would not be an exaggeration."

Nova said, "Kamon, what you said is rather disrespectful to Fula and her Prossian people."

Fula spoke up. "Kamon is stating facts. I admit that as well."

"See? Even Fula thinks so. That proves what I said makes perfect sense. Haha." Kamon appeared expressionless as a stone, yet not only was he talkative, he also loved to burst into laughter while speaking.

Only after Nova left did Hughes come over. His face was full of admiration as he said, "Danville, you are incredible. You actually know Wizard Nova! My heavens, could it be that there is a Formal Wizard in your family?"

Leo said, "No, my family circumstances are very ordinary."

"That is truly astonishing! That was Wizard Nova! Even my mentor never stopped praising him, and often compared him to us new students. Someone so lofty actually took the initiative to speak with you. You are amazing."

Leo shook his head and said, "It was nothing."

Seeing that Leo remained unruffled by either favor or humiliation, Hughes was deeply envious.

Receiving guidance from a super-genius mentor like Nova was something many Wizard Seedlings dreamed of.

"By the way, Hughes, I have a question for you. What level is your Mental Power Talent? Of course, you do not have to answer if it is inconvenient."

Hughes said, "There is nothing inconvenient about it. I have a Level 4 Mental Power Talent. Not enough to compare with those above, but more than enough compared with those below."

Leo fell thoughtful at those words.

Even a Wizard Seedling like Hughes, with a Level 4 Mental Power Talent, had failed to master Mental Radiation. It seemed the difficulty of learning Mental Radiation truly was very high.

Perhaps, just as Wizard Nova had said, it was a technique only Wizards who had condensed a Spiritual Seed would master.

Afterward, Leo leaned against the railing behind him and said, "Hughes, I am going to start reading."

"Alright, alright, I will not disturb you. I will keep pondering Mental Radiation. This is a task Wizard Nova gave you, so you had better study properly."

Leo took out Basic Magitech Studies, a flicker of eagerness flashing through his eyes.

Among the disciplines, Magitech Studies was second only to Potionology in popularity, and it was also a field with an enormous audience.

Moreover, Magitech Studies had many Codex entries. Leo had already considered taking up Magitech Studies as an additional discipline going forward.

Now that Nova had lent him a book, Leo naturally would not waste this opportunity.

The swaying hull, the empty deck.

Leaning against the wooden side of the ship, Leo did not take his eyes off the book in his hands for even a moment.

At times, his expression was thoughtful; at times, delighted; at times, furrowed with a frown.

It was as if his entire attention had been drawn into the book.

Basic Magitech Studies gave Leo quite a few pleasant surprises.

The book mainly explained the principles of Magitech Studies: using materials and infusing them with mental energy to create unique Magitech Devices.

After reading it, Leo discovered that whether it was Magitech Studies, Potionology, or even spells, their principles were interconnected.

That was, all of a Wizard's abilities came from causing mental energy to react with matter.

In Potionology, potions combined mental energy with herbs to create potions with unique effects.

Magitech Studies, meanwhile, combined certain materials to create Magitech Devices with unique effects.

For example, the Eyeball Cube Leo had just bought was made by combining an animal's eyeballs with metal and infusing them with mental energy.

Though the principle was simple, actual application still depended on one's use of mental energy and choice of materials.