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After putting away the commendation and medal, Patrick picked up the package from the Royal Academy of Arcane Arts. The inscription stated that it was a reward specially approved by Master Sailervor in recognition of Patrick's achievements in battle.

He opened the Runes-inscribed package, revealing two Sixth Ring Arcane Codices.

Patrick was pleasantly surprised. This reward pleased him more than gold would have, especially since it contained the Sixth Ring metamagic he urgently needed.

School of Transmutation: Energy Disjunction,

School of Conjuration: Spell Sequencing.

Judging by their contents alone, these were mid- to high-level Sixth Ring metamagic techniques. Energy Disjunction combined three large Magic Rings, connected by 343 arcane circuits, with 112 small arcane nodes between them. Once activated, the Magic Rings would produce annihilating energy over an area, eliminating and disintegrating the target the Spellcaster had locked onto.

The School of Conjuration's Spell Sequencing was comparatively more complex. It combined five large Magic Rings, connected by 742 arcane circuits, with 65 large arcane nodes and 247 small ones. The numerous, complex Magic Rings and the many arcane nodes requiring mana infusion placed more stringent demands on the Spellcaster's mana and mental strength.

However, the Spell Sequencing Magic Ring could combine multiple spells into a composite spell. Internally, it assembled multiple spells into an arcane matrix, manifested in three dimensions within the Spell Sequencing Magic Ring.

Patrick was overjoyed to have obtained new metamagic techniques.

He instructed Quelrintis to purchase materials such as arcane dust, spell essence, and mana fragments for his experiments in inscribing Magic Rings.

Patrick concentrated his spiritual power to drive a large quantity of mana. Threads of spiritual power filled with pale blue arcane energy interwove around him, and a new Magic Ring slowly took shape, surrounding him. His mental energy surged as he continued infusing mana, maintaining and stabilizing it, while his spiritual power began inscribing the Magic Ring's nodes and arcane circuits.

Before the spell inscription was even halfway complete, a conspicuous crack began appearing on the Magic Ring. The crack grew wider and wider, followed by a crack-snap. The Magic Ring surrounding him shattered, instantly losing the magical effects it contained.

Patrick was drenched in sweat, his face flushed red with strain. Bracing himself against the wall, he exhaled in great gasps. Once the mana had completely dispersed, only some node fragments, mana fragments, and the like remained on the floor.

"Where exactly did it go wrong? I really did start inscribing it in the order given in the Arcane Codex." Patrick was somewhat baffled. He had truly followed the spell's requirements step by step, so how had that caused the Magic Ring to shatter?

[There was nothing wrong with your steps. The problem lay in your mana control. You were wholly focused on inscribing the arcane circuits and arcane nodes and paid no attention to mana control. Although the total amount of mana you supplied did not change, the arcane energy in certain parts of the Magic Ring grew thinner and thinner, and the Magic Ring grew increasingly fragile. When it could no longer bear the strain, it naturally cracked and shattered.] Lady Ellen promptly offered her commentary, explaining to Patrick why the Magic Ring had shattered.

"How can I avoid that? If I divide my attention to control my mana while performing arcane inscription, I can't properly inscribe the arcane circuits." When he devoted himself fully to drawing the contents of the Magic Ring, his mental focus would slacken somewhat in other respects. It was truly difficult to avoid.

[This situation is difficult to manage. Perhaps you could try shaping the Magic Ring's arcane energy perfectly first, rather than merely sustaining it with mana output. Once the Magic Ring is evenly formed, use mental restraint and Forcefield Construction to keep it stable. That should ensure its stability.]

Ellen Moonsaint was not absolutely certain he could solve this problem either. This sort of lapse in mental focus was difficult to avoid, just as some people temporarily lost even their sense of pain when wholly absorbed in a task, only realizing afterward that some part of their body had been injured.

If Patrick had to maintain the Magic Ring while also adding the two super spells, mental restraint and Forcefield Construction, his mana and spiritual power consumption would increase by more than forty percent, and the burden on him would grow ever heavier.

Patrick casually drank a bottle of potion to ease his highly strained mind.

Then he began gathering arcane energy again, and a brand-new Magic Ring began revolving around him. This time, Patrick did not rush for results. Instead, he constrained it again and again, ensuring the Magic Ring's stability before inscribing its contents step by step.

Failure. He tidied up and tried again.

Another failure. He searched for the cause and continued.

Patrick had already lost count of how many times his mana had run dry. His spiritual power had weakened to the point that he nearly fell asleep. After enduring difficulty after difficulty, inscribing the Magic Ring again and again and watching it shatter time after time, he slowly grew more practiced, slowly gained mastery, and slowly improved. At last, he managed a preliminary inscription of his first Magic Ring.

The Magic Ring, filled with arcane circuits and arcane nodes, revolved around him, forming a powerful energy forcefield. Patrick was absorbing the arcane meaning contained within it.

The fruit of knowledge was delicious, containing a wealth of profound knowledge. Patrick absorbed it in rapture, utterly immersed.

When Patrick walked out of the laboratory, his face was covered in stubble, and his hair resembled "Einstein's." Only spellcasters could sense that his mental energy had grown ever more vigorous and his mana fluctuations ever stronger.

Entering the library, Patrick placed the materials he had collected this time inside for Idonis, Quelrintis, and the others to consult. Looking at the library's meager collection, he felt there was still a long road ahead.

He happened to notice a few new books bearing Telestra's name. Since moving into the Sunlight Temple, the female Elf had spent all her time in the library or conducting spell experiments. Like the four others, including Idonis and Quelrintis, she also contributed spellbooks she had transcribed, as well as Arcane Codices.

Telestra was rather quiet and extremely dedicated to studying arcane knowledge. Patrick also understood that, as a mage pursuing three disciplines, Telestra needed to accumulate far more knowledge than ordinary mages. At present, her strength was only average, and she would not reach the rank of Grand Archmage until after the Battle of the Sunwell. By High Elf standards of time, that was a remarkable achievement.

Returning to his office on the fifth floor, Patrick brewed himself a cup of tea and asked Yanida to prepare a small snack. He would give himself the afternoon off to rest.

The late-autumn sunlight fell on him, bringing a little warmth. Outside, the Rangers relieved from guard duty were still holding a party. Quite a few had drunk themselves into a stupor, indulging themselves thoroughly during their time off.

"I came back this time to find a few companions to go adventuring with me." An Elf raised his wineglass and took another sip, the smell of wine spreading around him. "In the Badlands to the south, we discovered a magnificent ruin. We learned from the dwarves that it was a ruin of the ancient Titans. There must be treasures left behind by the Titans inside."