Using an Old Sorcerer to Grind Experience?

Master Carter's shield arm began to tremble violently, and her breathing grew heavier.

She stared at the young man across from her, his eyes blazing with excitement as though he knew no fatigue. Her shock was beyond words.

This guy had only been learning combat for a day?!

That seamless rhythm of attack, that killing instinct that fused magic and physical combat so perfectly...

He was a living weapon in human skin!

Under Raine's assault, Carter felt like a battered wooden boat struggling to stay afloat in a raging sea. She could capsize at any moment.

What made it even worse was the realization that...

If she used only apprentice-level magic, she was no match for this kid!

If Carter had known that Raine had nearly backed even Grand Mage Wong into a corner yesterday, she might have felt a little better.

"Raine, you've done very well."

"But it's not enough!"

Carter gritted her teeth. She knew she couldn't let this drag on.

A few more minutes, and her old bones would fall apart.

A crafty glint flashed in the old sorcerer's eyes.

The Magic Shield in her hand suddenly broke apart, transforming into two snake-like Golden Chains!

This was an advanced technique of veteran Sorcerers: Shield-to-Chain Transformation.

The chains slipped through gaps in the web of blade strikes and caught Raine's ankle and wrist from an impossibly tricky angle.

They snapped tight.

Bam!

Raine lost his balance and crashed to the ground.

The fight ended abruptly.

"As expected of Master Carter. That move was brilliant."

Raine lay on the ground, breathing hard.

He had thought a Magic Shield was only good for taking hits. He hadn't expected it to change form mid-fight and catch someone.

Experience really did make all the difference!

But Carter felt no joy in victory at Raine's praise. Her aged face was full of bitterness.

Had she won?

In truth, she had lost completely.

She'd been forced to pull out a high-level combat technique she kept in reserve.

All to subdue an apprentice who had only joined a few days ago?

If word got out, how could she show her face among the Sorcerers?

Looking at Raine on the ground, Carter seemed to see The Ancient One as she had been centuries ago: a dazzling prodigy who swept aside everything in her path.

The same suffocating presence.

The same overwhelming strength that drove others to despair.

This kid's future achievements would be no less than The Ancient One's!

Kamar-Taj was about to change.

"I'm not that impressive. I've just lived a few more years and picked up a few tricks."

Carter shook her head with a self-deprecating smile and dismissed the Magic Chains binding Raine.

"Raine, handing you over to Grand Mage Wong was the best decision I've ever made."

"With your current combat ability, once The Ancient One returns, all you need to do is pass the final trial."

"Then you can be promoted straight to a full Sorcerer and become my colleague."

At Kamar-Taj, once someone became a full Sorcerer, everyone stood on equal footing.

"You're too kind, Master."

Raine sprang to his feet and brushed the dust from his clothes.

"No matter how far I go, you'll always be the mentor who first set me on this path."

Raine meant every word.

After all, where else could he find a top-tier NPC like Carter, who was good-tempered, came with an experience bonus, and even made house calls?

"Hahaha! Training an apprentice like you makes my whole life worthwhile!"

The flattery left Carter feeling wonderful, sweeping away her earlier gloom.

"Come on. Get into a medicinal bath and recover. There's even tougher training waiting for you tomorrow!"

For the next two days, Raine turned into an emotionless training machine.

His daily task was to stay in his room and grind proficiency in every skill he had.

He had finally figured out how this system worked.

His skills could train on their own, but if he practiced alongside them, their training efficiency skyrocketed!

[Ding!]

[Your Sling Ring senses its host's diligence and is delighted!]

[Your mastery of Portal has increased significantly!]

[Ding!]

[Your Kamar-Taj Close-Quarters Combat is fired up by its host's determination!]

[Close-Quarters Combat has reached level 3!]

As the pleasant notifications rang out one after another in his mind, Raine threw his punches even faster.

Nothing felt better than having his hard work pay off!

In just two days...

Every basic skill on his status panel had broken through to level 3.

That was an astonishing achievement.

Most veteran Sorcerers at Kamar-Taj remained at level 3 their entire lives.

The only exceptions were a few old specialists like Carter, who had devoted themselves to a single branch of magic.

In broader areas such as Portals and close combat, many veteran Sorcerers could no longer beat Raine.

That presented a very real problem.

Raine had completely drained Master Carter of experience.

Now, no matter how much the old sorcerer instructed him, the system no longer showed any increase in proficiency.

If he wanted to keep getting experience for free, he needed a higher-level NPC!

Knock, knock, knock.

A steady knock at the door interrupted Raine's thoughts.

Raine lowered his hands, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and went to open the door.

"Grand Mage Wong? What brings you here in person?"

Standing outside was none other than Kamar-Taj's current second-in-command, the round-faced, impassive Wong.

Wong took in Raine's sweat-soaked appearance, which made it obvious he had just been training hard. A trace of approval flickered in his eyes.

"I was passing by, so I came to check on you."

Wong's voice remained as flat as ever.

"It seems your talent hasn't made you complacent. You've been training hard."

"But remember to balance work and rest. Push your body too far, and you'll only create problems for yourself."

Raine nodded repeatedly and replied with respect, "Thank you for your concern, Grand Mage. I'll be careful."

"Good."

Wong gave a slight nod and casually traced a golden ring of sparks in the air.

"Change into clean clothes and come with me."

Raine's eyes lit up. He quickly put on a gray apprentice robe and followed Wong through the Portal.

Light and shadow shifted.

The two of them arrived once more in the surreal Mirror Dimension.

The buildings around them still twisted and folded in ways that defied the laws of physics.

Wong clasped his hands behind his back, turned, and fixed Raine with a piercing stare.

"I'm not teaching you anything new today. I want to check your fundamentals."

"Geniuses often share one failing: they try to learn too much at once. Early on, they rely on talent to pick up new moves as fast as they can, while neglecting the most important thing—control over their energy."

"People like that advance quickly at first, but they never reach the threshold of a Grand Mage."

Wong spoke sternly. He was clearly warning Raine.

Over the centuries, Kamar-Taj had lost more geniuses than there were stars in the sky. Most had died because they grew blindly arrogant.

"So show me every spell you know."

"Start with the most basic Magic Shield. Let me see what you can really do."

Raine was delighted.

Checking my fundamentals?

This was a top-tier experience package walking right up to offer me a free boost!

He had already milked Master Carter for all she was worth. Now he could finally do the same to the Grand Mage.

"Yes, Grand Mage. Please don't hold back with your guidance!"

Raine suppressed his excitement and took half a step back.

With a flicker of thought...

Hum!

A dazzling golden Magic Shield, almost painfully bright, formed over Raine's arm in an instant!

The shield was already on the verge of level 4.

Its surface no longer glowed with scattered sparks. Instead, countless intricate Runes, arranged in precise order, wove together across it, giving it a solid, mountain-like presence.

The instant Wong saw the shield clearly, his perpetually impassive face twitched twice.

Damn it!

What miracle medicine had this kid been taking behind my back?

An apprentice could make a shield like this?

In terms of energy density and the precision of its Runes alone, more than half the veteran Sorcerers at Kamar-Taj would want to crawl into a hole in shame!

It was only a hair's breadth from Wong's own level!

Wong forced down his shock, took a deep breath, and put on the aloof air of a Grand Mage.