Chapter 197 - 196: Mage Haddley
The delicious taste of the Minotaur Leg Meat was still fresh in his memory.
After collecting all the spoils, the party set out on the road back to Black Stone Town.
Mirror Lake was quite far from Black Stone Town. Between setting the bait and waiting, they had spent a lot of time, so by the time they finally returned to town, the sky was already dark.
"Hmm..."
Eira used a pick to count the spoils. "Everything’s in order. Here is your reward... Congratulations on completing your first Middle Level commission."
"As for the school of Sharp-Toothed Fish that escaped, I’ll report it to the guild... There were thirteen of them, correct?"
"Yes," Marcus replied with a nod.
"Alright."
Eira made a note of it. "You’ve worked hard."
The rewards from this commission were quite substantial.
Blood-Handed Demon Fish, a reward of sixty Gold Coins.
Blood-Handed Demon Fish Demon Core, a reward of twenty Gold Coins.
Newborn Tentacles, five Gold Coins.
Ten Sharp-Toothed Fish Demon Cores, two Gold Coins.
In total, it came to eighty-seven Gold Coins. Zelir’s share was thirty-four gold and eighty silver, which was still the largest portion among the party members.
Zelir was in a great mood.
He had enough to cover his Magic Robe loan for another two months.
...
「The next day.」
Mage’s Guild, Library.
"What is Magic?
It is the extension of will, the manifestation of rules.
Yet, the will of mortals is fleeting, and their memories perishable.
How can a flash of brilliant wisdom be transformed into an eternal flame that can be passed down for others to learn?
The answer lies in engraving—using Spirit as the carving knife and Magic Power as the medium to inscribe formless thought onto tangible matter.
This is the essence of a Magic Scroll.
Before we delve into the main topic, we must first answer a question that puzzles countless beginners:
Why can’t a Spell Structure be directly drawn with ink, to be copied and passed down?
The answer is that a Spell Structure is not a two-dimensional pattern.
Even a single-layer Spell Structure Magic has an internal structure that transcends a flat plane.
Furthermore, in the process of using Magic Power to sketch a Spell Structure, which parts should be done quickly, which slowly, and which require a greater output of Magic Power—
these are things that cannot be recorded with words and pictures.
Therefore, it must be engraved using one’s Spirit, recording the Mage’s own most tangible sensations. Only in this way can it be passed down."
"Moreover, not all materials can bear a delicate Spell Structure.
Such as ordinary wood-pulp paper or coarse animal hides.
Their internal structures are chaotic and disordered. Injected Spiritual Power will quickly dissipate, unable to form a stable circuit.
Thus, the first step of engraving is to select a Base Material with a high affinity for Magic Power.
For example, specially treated parchment, moonlit papyrus, or certain thin metal sheets, like secret silver.
The internal structures of these materials are naturally orderly, capable of guiding and binding the injected Spiritual Power, making them very suitable as Base Materials..."
Reading this far in *Basic Magic Configuration Analysis*, a question couldn’t help but surface in Zelir’s mind.
’Making Magic Scrolls... don’t tell me it has a failure rate, just like with Magic Potions?’
’For example, if you fail at engraving the Spell Structure too many times, the parchment becomes useless and you have to get a new one...’
’Is this another money-burning project?’
His gaze shifting down, Zelir continued reading the next section.
"Once the base is selected, we move to the most crucial and difficult step—the engraving of the Spirit Mark.
This process places extremely strict demands on the Caster’s total Spiritual Power, the precision of their Magic Power control, and their depth of understanding of the Magic being engraved.
The Caster must first visualize the Spell Structure they wish to engrave into its most perfect form within their sea of consciousness.
They must ensure that every rune and every circuit is perfectly clear.
Then, they must separate a stable and condensed stream of Spiritual Power and attach it to their Magic Power.
Next, using this ’carving knife’ of mixed Spirit and Magic Power, they must draw the entire Spell Structure onto the Base Material, stroke by stroke.
The entire process is extremely mentally taxing. Any fluctuation in Spiritual Power or instability in Magic Power could cause a circuit to break or deform, rendering all previous efforts void."
’Mixing Spirit and Magic Power... to engrave a Spell Structure...’
’It sounds like a really complicated job.’
’And if I just rely on reading and fumbling my way through it, who knows how long it would take to even get started.’
Zelir looked up, his eyes scanning the library, until he finally saw the person he was hoping to see.
Bev.
She had just walked in, stepping through the sunlight that pooled on the floor. Her features were delicate and beautiful, and her eyes were also searching for something.
Then, her gaze met Zelir’s.
A smile appeared on her rosy lips, and her steps became much lighter as she walked toward him.
"Good morning."
"Good morning," Zelir replied.
Bev sat down beside him with a familiar ease. "This is the first time you’ve asked me to meet... I thought it would be somewhere more romantic."
Before coming to the library today, Zelir had made a special trip to Alberti Manor and asked the guard at the gate to pass on a message that he wanted to meet.
Bev’s research was on how to create Magic.
Besides, Zelir had personally seen her engrave Magic before. Her experience in this area was definitely greater than his.
That’s why Zelir had thought to ask her for guidance.
"Because I wanted to ask you to teach me how to engrave Magic... You definitely know more about it than I do," Zelir said.
"Are you planning to become a research Mage too, Zelir?" Bev asked curiously.
"Not really. I just think I can make money by creating Magic Scrolls," Zelir admitted frankly.
"I knew it..."
Bev wrinkled her nose. "What kind of Magic are you trying to engrave?"
"A Level Four, single-layer Spell Structure," Zelir said.
"Level Four... that’s a bit high. I can’t teach you that," Bev said, propping her chin on one hand.
She was only a Magic Apprentice right now.
Although she had studied a lot of theory on how to create Magic, she was limited by her own strength. At most, Bev could only engrave Level Two Single-layer Spell Structure Magic.
Just as Zelir was about to say that was alright, Bev spoke again.
"But I do know someone who might be able to teach you."
"Who?"
"Remember Mage Haddley, who I mentioned last time?"
Bev smiled. "She’s a Middle Level Mage and has been on the research path for a long time. She can definitely help you."
"Oh... the Mage who assigned you the task of creating Fireworks Magic?"
Zelir remembered. "You also mentioned she was looking for me to help with some Magic experiments, right?"
"Yes, that’s her."
Bev took Zelir’s hand very naturally. "Come on, I’ll take you to her."
The two of them walked through the front area of the Mage’s Guild together, arriving at a quieter section in the back.