In the living room of his apartment.
Pierce sat cross-legged on the polished wooden floor, his eyes fixed intently on the delicate vial in his hand. Contained within the transparent glass tube was a verdant liquid, as crystalline and pure as a melted gemstone, shimmering with an enchanting, otherworldly luster under the warm lamplight.
A Spirit Spring Potion! A miraculous elixir valued at 200 Credits, capable of permanently increasing a Rank 1 Apprentice's Spirit by a full 1 unit. A single bottle like this would take Pierce nearly a month of grueling labor tending Garden No. 8 to earn. Only yesterday, he had been lamenting his inability to afford one, yet now he held three in his grasp, rewards for his calm competence.
"I didn't realize optimized spells were so valuable," Pierce mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He was even considering whether to sell a few more optimized models in the future to accelerate his wealth accumulation. He could always claim he found them in ancient, forgotten texts in the library; as long as he managed the frequency and didn't flood the market, it shouldn't arouse undue suspicion.
He pulled out the wooden cork with a soft pop and tilted his head back, swallowing the verdant liquid in a single gulp. It tasted like concentrated peppermint and raw mana.
As the potion’s power dispersed in his stomach, Pierce’s mind cleared instantly. An unprecedented sense of ascension suddenly swept through his entire body, as if gravity had momentarily lost its hold. At this moment, his senses sharpened to a supernatural degree: the clamor of the streets outside, the rhythmic clopping of distant hooves on the pavement, and the cool night breeze drifting through the window all seemed to become vivid and distinct, making him feel intensely alive.
The sensation lasted only a few seconds before settling.
[Spirit: 17.23] [Physique: 6.02]
As expected, his Spirit increased by exactly 1 unit, and his Physique followed with a minor symbiotic increase of 0.32. Pierce broke into a joyful smile and, without hesitation, downed the second bottle.
The familiar sense of ascension surged again, though this time the duration was noticeably shorter. His Spirit attribute only increased by 0.7 units.
"Drug resistance?" Pierce frowned slightly, then relaxed. This was normal for alchemical enhancements; the body adapted quickly. Fortunately, there was one bottle left, which would be just enough to push him over the threshold for his advancement.
Stolen story; please report.
Pierce drained the final bottle of Spirit Spring Potion. Perhaps because he was teetering on the verge of a breakthrough, the sensation this time was exceptionally violent and surging, swallowing his consciousness like a tidal wave of pure energy.
After an unknown amount of time, he slowly came to his senses, feeling as if he had been reborn.
[Spirit: 18.29] [Physique: 8.37]
Spirit had increased by 0.35, while Physique had jumped by a massive 2.12. From this moment on, Pierce was officially a Rank 2 Apprentice! Looking at the entire freshman class of thousands, this progress would surely place him within the undisputed top ten.
He began to examine the improvements brought by the advancement. Most obvious was the increase in casting speed. His Mage Hand used to take about 3 seconds to manifest; now, it only took 2. The preparation time had been reduced by a full third. Clearly, the 18-unit threshold was a critical turning point that triggered a qualitative change in a caster's capabilities.
Furthermore, due to the significant increase in spiritual strength, the raw power and stability of his spells had also improved.
His control over energy particles had become far more precise. With a mere thought, a layer of emerald-green light manifested around him, enveloping him like soft cotton. The minor scratches sustained in yesterday’s battle healed rapidly under the glow of Verdant Radiance, vanishing in an instant without leaving scars.
A Rank 2 Apprentice could already perform rudimentary, direct manipulation of energy particles without relying solely on spell models. Pierce snapped his fingers. First, a watery-blue aura flickered across his body, and a layer of mist appeared out of thin air, dampening his clothes. Then, a fiery-red glow lit up, and threads of white steam rose as the water evaporated instantly, leaving him feeling warm and refreshed.
Such manipulation was not only convenient for daily life but also potent in combat. For instance, attaching fire particles to a weapon for burning damage or wrapping wind particles around the body to increase movement speed. A Rank 2 Apprentice naturally possessed a physique comparable to a Junior Knight; combined with energy particle augmentation and spells, they could hold their own even against a High Knight.
More importantly, a Rank 2 Apprentice unlocked two crucial capabilities: the ability to contract a Familiar and the mana capacity to use Magic Items.
"Magic items," Pierce mused, shaking his head. Even the lowest-tier minor magic items cost over a thousand Credits. Higher-tier ones required Mana Stones for exchange—the universal hard currency among Formal Wizards, which he currently had no way of acquiring.
As for a Familiar, it was a magical beast that established a soul bond with a caster, gaining intelligence and special abilities while enhancing the master. A contract scroll was sold at the logistics department for 50 Gold Coins or Credits.
"The question is, what should I choose as a Familiar?" Pierce fell into deep thought.
Common familiar species included bats, cats, lizards, owls, snakes, and toads. As for the powerful mutated beasts roaming the wilderness, many arrogant apprentices had tried to contract them, but almost all had ended in failure or death due to the beasts' violent wills. Most prudent Arcanists chose to cultivate and strengthen ordinary animals from the start, molding them to their needs.
