Chapter 874 - 435: Eden’s Lair
Magic instruction from Hephaestus was not as smooth as Gauss had anticipated.
Indeed, its magical talent is strong.
With Gauss’s guidance, it quickly learned the 1st-level Spell and, after practicing a mere ten times or so, successfully mastered Burning Hand.
Everything related to fire seems like its instinct.
But when this magic was replaced with the 2nd Ring’s Scorching Magic Ball, it didn’t go as smoothly.
Even though Gauss also learned Scorching Magic Ball from a Spellbook, and due to limited use in daily battles, its proficiency in his many spells is not very high, only merely at Level 3 (39/50) proficiency, it should be more than enough to teach others.
In his judgment, Level 3 proficiency is considered mastery, able to stably cast spells in most combat scenarios.
Facing the slightly frustrated Hephaestus, Gauss gave a comforting remark.
He guessed the reason, which was likely unrelated to Hephaestus’s magical talent but rather due to its short exposure to magic, and insufficient foundational knowledge.
So, it doesn’t yet have enough basic knowledge to cross this 2nd Ring threshold; the complexity of 2nd-level Spell is indeed exponentially higher than that of 1st-level Spell.
One can glimpse a thing or two by looking at the initial learning groups they correspond to.
A Level 1 Caster can start learning a 1st-level Spell, even though Casters with Professional Level are seen as noble mages possessing mysterious magic in the eyes of ordinary people. But from Gauss’s perspective now, they’re merely newcomers barely awakened, even calling them amateurs wouldn’t be far off.
Don’t expect most Level 1 Casters to have a strong foundation in magic.
The 2nd-level Spell requires at least a Level 3 Caster to learn, often Level 4 and 5 Casters also frequently use 2nd-level Spells.
Casters at this level are often seasoned practitioners who’ve been immersed in the professional magic world for ten, twenty years, or even longer.
So, the gap between 1st Ring and 2nd Ring isn’t merely as light as increasing a number by 1.
Hephaestus’s strength during its Dragon Beast phase was indeed formidable, with the inherent advantage of a Giant Dragon body, even among Commander Level demons, it was considered capable, able to effortlessly slaughter enemies vastly outnumbering it by hundreds and thousands.
Moreover, many low-level demons would be intimidated by the dragon aura it exudes, only half of its true strength could be unleashed.
Thus, unless encountering an "exception" like Gauss, Hephaestus would rarely encounter enemies at Levels 6-10 that could kill it.
By all accounts, it’s already quite outstanding.
But after witnessing the mighty power of the King of Slime Eden, its Red Dragon Dragon Beast seemed somewhat underwhelming.
Continuing to rely solely on its physical superiority of the Giant Dragon body has a limit, and this limit will come quickly.
Even the Red Dragon, the strongest physically in the Five-Colored Dragon species, often struggles to attain extraordinary power after its Dragon Beast matures.
The reason is simple: although the Giant Dragon’s body is indeed strong, the growth of this physical level has its upper limit, dictated by the rules of the real world.
Without mastering higher-level power, it would merely become someone else’s living target.
Moreover, even those seemingly relying on "physical sanctity", though their manner might depend on brute force, ultimately that brute force’s origin might trace back to internal energies — whether Sword Qi, or Fighting Qi, it somehow inevitably combines with deeper energies.
Even an adult True Dragon’s invincible physique is affected by their gradually accumulated internal magic power.
Now, after fully gaining wisdom, Hephaestus’s internal magic power has also greatly inflated, and it can be predicted that in the upcoming period, its magic power will begin a significant surge.
One could say, it is now a genuine Red Dragon.
The difference from other Red Dragons might be the lack of its true name and the inheritance of its bloodline, yet once it learns more magic, these differences become difficult to discern externally.
Therefore, seeing it hasn’t mastered 2nd Ring magic temporarily, Gauss was not overly worried.
In his view, as long as he helps Hephaestus solidify a good foundation and patiently wait for its magic further development, it should naturally grasp higher ring magic — especially those related to the Fire Element.
"Alright, today’s lesson ends here."
"Hephaestus, your magic power is also running low, let’s take a break for now."
Although Hephaestus’s magic power is surprisingly large compared to ordinary Level 1 and 2 Casters, having just recently gained wisdom means its magic power is still awakening, so after a round of practice earlier, it’s nearly exhausted.
Observing its condition, Gauss promptly stopped Hephaestus from further practice.
It probably realized the beauty of magic power for the first time, markedly changing from its slightly lazy previous demeanor, showing commendable diligence in practice.
"Alright then."
Hephaestus reluctantly lowered its large head, its internal magic power indeed was almost drained.
A surging wave of hunger emanated from its abdomen.
"Gauss, I’m hungry."
Though it has gained wisdom, its emotional intelligence often appears child-like, relying on Gauss more like a child would depend on parents rather than partners.