Pierce didn't dwell on the familiar matter for long. He didn't have a deep understanding of this specialized area yet, so it was best to ask someone with experience. Someone like Yuna.

  I will head out to buy a Familiar Contract Scroll tomorrow and ask Senior Yuna for advice while I am at it. Having made his decision, Pierce pushed the thoughts of familiars aside and focused on his upcoming cultivation plans.

  The advancement criteria for a Rank 3 Apprentice required the construction of 12 Will-Runes and a Spirit level of 50 units. His primary focus for the immediate future remained the systematic construction of runes and the steady improvement of his Spirit. With his spiritual strength having increased significantly from the advancement, the analysis time for his three ongoing tasks had shortened further.

  "Eye of Omniscience, accelerate the analysis of Will-Rune 7."

  [Acceleration active. Estimated time remaining: 1 day, 18 hours, 23 minutes.]

  Pierce nodded to himself. One more acceleration tomorrow would finish the analysis. As for the optimizations of Acid Splash and Touch of Fatigue, they would still take about thirty days. The battle with the Corrupted had taught Pierce the sheer power and utility of optimized spells. Regardless of other arts, he was determined to optimize Acid Splash, Touch of Fatigue, Daze, and the Flare spell he had yet to master.

  There was no rush, however. He only needed to finish them before the Freshman Trials. For now, he intended to analyze as many Will-Runes as possible to rapidly boost his Spirit. Sharp tools make for quick work; the higher his Spirit, the faster the Eye of Omniscience's analysis speed and the more potent the acceleration.

  Pierce looked at the empty potion bottles beside him. The third bottle of Spirit Spring Potion had only yielded a 0.35 unit increase. Judging by that diminishing return, a fourth bottle would likely have a negligible effect, and a fifth would probably do nothing at all. He suddenly recalled that Rank 2 Apprentices could begin learning the basics of Alchemy. Perhaps he should give it a try? He decided to ask Yuna about that as well.

  The next morning, Pierce woke early, feeling a surge of vitality. His mind was clearer than ever before. Currently, his physique had been tempered to over 8 times that of a normal human. One of the perks of a post-human physique was a significantly reduced need for sleep; just two or three hours was enough to leave him fully refreshed.

  After cleaning himself through the manipulation of water and fire energy particles, Pierce donned his apprentice robes and stepped out.

  Caw! Caw!

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  A series of harsh, grating cries erupted from above. Crows circled over the rooftops, and many dark silhouettes were perched atop the streetlamps like sentinels. Looking at the sheer number of crows, a thoughtful expression crossed Pierce’s face. Using a crow as a familiar didn't seem like a bad idea. In some mythologies, crows were known as "Death-Bringers," symbols of the Grim Reaper. In the world of Arcanists, any creature linked to ancient myths likely possessed a bloodline that was anything but simple—perhaps harboring a trace of power inherited from primeval ancestors.

  Upon arriving at the academy, he headed straight for the Logistics Department to exchange his Credits for a contract scroll. The white-haired elder was at the desk as usual. Sensing someone’s arrival, he looked up from a thick stack of documents. When his eyes landed on Pierce, he paused.

  "It is you."

  The elder suddenly pointed a finger, and a ball of white light sank into the badge on Pierce’s chest. "Since you managed to take down a Corrupted on your own the other day, the academy has decided to award you 300 Credits for your contribution."

  Pierce was overjoyed. A combat mission to hunt a beast at the Junior Knight level only paid about a hundred Credits. An award of 300 was a generous gesture from the higher-ups.

  "What are you looking to exchange for this time?" The elder’s voice pulled him back from his excitement.

  Pierce answered without hesitation, "A Familiar Contract Scroll and forty-three Soul-Nurturing Leaves."

  With 300 Credits in hand, he was flush with funds. He decided to stock up on everything he needed in one go. Forty-three leaves would last him until the end of November—right up to the start of the Trials. As for Spirit Spring Potions, he decided against them. Given the diminishing returns of the third bottle, a fourth would likely provide less than 0.2 units of Spirit. He was already gaining 0.2 units per day through meditation. It was better to ensure his steady supply of meditation resources than to gamble on a weak potion.

  "A Familiar Contract Scroll?"

  The elder looked at Pierce with a hint of surprise. A faint blue light flickered in his eyes for a split second, and his expression shifted.

  A Rank 2 Apprentice!

  He remembered that it had only been a month since Pierce had collected his free spell models. To advance from Rank 1 to Rank 2 in a single month... that kind of aptitude put him at the very top of the freshman class. No wonder Master Julian had thought so highly of him.

  "Wait here," the elder said, his tone noticeably warmer. His lips moved silently as he cast a Message spell. A moment later, a small, thin student hurried over, bringing the scroll.

  Stepping out of the building, Pierce bumped into some familiar faces.

  "Pierce!" Xavier greeted him with a smile. Marcus, Gwen, and several others were behind him. They looked like they had just finished a lecture. Among the dozen or so members of the Astral Spirit Society, Pierce was the outlier. While the others attended lectures together, he was always in the library or Garden No. 8.

  "Are you all here for exchanges?" Pierce asked casually.

  Xavier nodded. "I am here for a Spirit Spring Potion." He paused, then suddenly asked, "Pierce, how many Will-Runes have you constructed now?"

  Since being outperformed by Pierce last time, Xavier had been pushing himself to the absolute limit. Just yesterday, he had successfully finished his Fifth Will-Rune. Such a result would easily place him in the top hundred—perhaps even the top fifty—of the freshman class. He was desperate to know: had he finally caught up to Pierce? Or perhaps... had he already surpassed him?