There were six days in a week on the Myers Mainland. The seventh day that Saleen had been at the viscountess’ residence happened to be the day that the lessons started.
Sika and Nailisi were both not mages and had no right to listen to the lessons. Even if they had been there they would not have understood anything. Faerun personally escorted Saleen to the hall, causing the other low-grade mages to turn red with envy.
The architecture of the study hall was nothing like the schools for the wealthy. It had open space architecture, almost like an altar. It was spacious and clean, and many pillars lined the hall, a stone platform at the center.
Faerun’s position was closest to the center. Saleen sat right beside him, causing the other mages to speculate amongst themselves.
"Who is that guy?"
"No idea, never seen him before."
"Could he be Mage Faerun’s student?"
"Nonsense. You know his standards too. If he was accepting anyone, he would have accepted someone earlier."
Saleen had sensitive hearing and even though he heard everything, he did not take it to heart. He understood how these mages felt. Even though they were able to listen to a Grade 8 mage give them guidance every week, it was not the same as having a grand mage by their side coaching them.
The stone platform was filled with intricate magic patterns and an elder sat on top of it. Saleen knew this elder who lacked a beard was the Grade 8 mage. The elder had his eyes closed, resting. Just as Faerun took his seat, the elder opened his eyes. They were blue and piercing, clear as water, and there was no air of authority being emitted from them.
Saleen took a seat beside Faerun, not saying a word and quietly waiting. The sorcerer’s gaze lingered on him before he shut his eyes wordlessly.
The hall immediately quieted down as Saleen heard soft footsteps.
A figure walked onto the stone platform as all the mages waited quietly. Saleen saw Viscountess Lex in a mage robe, her footsteps light as she approached Faerun’s side, sitting to his right.
She opened her mouth and said, "It is time. Teacher, please begin."
Even though Saleen was used to the authority that Viscountess Lex commanded, seeing the magic robe she wore, he still found it unbelievable. She was clad in a grey magic robe, two lines of magic symbols on her chest.
A Grade 5 mage?
According to what Faerun had said, Viscountess Lex had left Holy Rock City when she was seven. She couldn’t have been older than seventeen.
A seventeen-year-old grand mage?
Saleen could not understand it. He could understand that the royal family had the greatest amount of resources on the mainland and could afford to nurture a mage however they wanted. However, the viscountess had been chased out of Holy Rock City. Why had she been treated so generously?
If the emperor didn’t like her, he could have left her to fend for herself. Why had he given her a Grade 8 sorcerer as a teacher?
However, the sorcerer was about to start his lecture and Saleen did not dare ask Faerun about it now. The elder on the stone platform opened his eyes and gave a slight smile. He slowly opened his mouth and said, "Today, I will impart Water Magic to you. Grade 3 Ice Blade magic."
Nobody dared make a noise, but Saleen heard the breaths of the hundreds of mages. It was an amazing feeling. Many could not hide the disappointment in their hearts. Only a few quickened their breathing, obviously excited. Only one person’s breathing remained calm and the same, and that was Viscountess Lex’s. As for Faerun, even though he sat beside Saleen, he could not feel Faerun’s breathing or heartbeat.
Ice Blade magic was an ordinary Grade 3 magic and was nothing special. This magic could create various crescent shaped water elements to use to attack. Comparing their attack strengths, it was not as strong as the Phoenix spell of Fire Magic.
Saleen had been able to learn it by himself. He had memorized the magic spell, including the hand movements and some of the important elements of casting the spell. However, he knew that what the sorcerer was about to impart was definitely not about the content. Those mages who had grown excited definitely understood that too.
"As everybody knows, the Fireball spell is the most common offensive magic and is the most powerful magic among magic of the same grade. If studied further, the Fireball spell can be upgraded alongside a mage’s level and can become high-grade magic. However, as the saying goes: A mage who can only shoot fireballs is not a good mage."
The sorcerer’s voice was calm and slow. Saleen listened intently, afraid that he would miss out on even a single word.
"From the magic spells already known, most of them have already gone through thousands of years of tempering and cannot be replaced. The Fireball spell is one of them. Today, I want to let you all know that the Fireball spell is not the only one. Faerun, please demonstrate."
Faerun nodded and he flicked his finger lightly. A blue fireball rose from the sky and rushed in the direction of the stone platform, towards the sorcerer.
There was a shocked gasp from everyone in the hall. A blue fireball spell was already stronger than what most of them knew. This fireball moved in a curve and was almost like a ball of flame that had gone out of control.
The sorcerer instantly gathered a crescent shaped blade and threw it into the air, smashing it into Faerun’s fireball. It was almost as if the fireball had curved and collided into it. The ice blade had not been upgraded and was not more powerful just because it had been cast by the sorcerer. However, it shocked Saleen to see that after being struck by the ice blade, the blue fireball silently dispersed. The ice blade on the other hand, did not. It came rushing down towards Faerun’s head.
Faerun was too shocked to react and the ice blade disappeared at his forehead. The magic elements dissipated but did not create any intense fluctuations. The gasps were gone. Faerun’s fireball skills had definitely been shocking, but the sorcerer’s ice blade magic was beyond what most mages could understand. The sorcerer was phenomenal at creating ice blades and had destroyed a high-grade magic with only a Grade 1 spell. His precision was sharp. If Faerun had been an enemy, the ice blade would have sliced open his head and would not have disappeared into thin air.
Most of the mages started getting excited. If they could learn this magic, they could possess immense offensive powers even at a lower grade.
"Can anyone tell me how I did it?" The sorcerer did not perform anymore magic and started asking questions.
Saleen did not raise his hand. Although he had been able to vaguely make out the sorcerer’s technique, he could not explain it in detail.
"Master, Lord Faerun’s Fireball spell is reserved magic and continuously gathers power. The further along it is, the stronger it becomes. It could even swallow up the power of a low-grade magic shield. A magic structure like this is loose and there are too many holes in between the elements that have gathered. So long as the holes are targeted, the fireball can be destroyed."
A Grade 3 mage had answered boldly. The sorcerer nodded his head and said, "Andreas, good. Who else?"
"Master, Water Magic is fluid and unstable, but it is still stronger than Earth Magic. The low temperature of the Ice Blade spell causes the fire element to instantly become less active, exposing its weaknesses."
"Scott, you’re partially right as well." The words of encouragement from the sorcerer were taken well by the mage named Scott as he bowed deeply, feeling good about himself.
"Saleen, give it a try. What do you see in this magic?" Being called upon by the sorcerer left Saleen in shock. He had no idea how the sorcerer knew who he was.
Faerun gave a light smirk and Saleen understood that Faerun must have said something to the sorcerer. He said cautiously, "Master, this must have something to do with the calculations for the arrangement of the elements. I cannot answer."
The entire study hall was silent. Who exactly was this Saleen? Being called upon by the sorcerer himself, this little guy didn’t know how to appreciate it. Any answer would have sufficed, and yet he had chosen to say nothing. What a dumb fellow.
The sorcerer looked at Saleen and suddenly raised his hands, slowly releasing a Fireball spell. The fireball flew slowly towards Saleen, the reddish-orange flames evidently being controlled at Grade 2 power. Moreover, the speed of the fireball couldn’t have been any slower, and there was no homing ability on it.
Even a normal swordsman could avoid an attack like this.
Saleen raised his hands and released a series of icicles. He was so familiar with his icicle magic that he no longer needed to think about it and could instinctively release them.
The first icicle struck the fireball and disappeared upon impact. The second icicle encountered the same fate, and so did the third and fourth ones.
Saleen’s magic chords had fully evolved, and he could now release fifty Grade 1 spells in succession. He was calculating rapidly in his brain. The icicles seemed to be never ending, and in the short span of a second he had already released thirty of them.
Another gasp erupted from the crowd. The speed with which Saleen was releasing his magic was at the theoretical limit. Was he even human? The control of his focus was astounding.
Instant magic could theoretically be completed within two seconds. However, when releasing it continuously, what mattered was how one prepared for the next spell while controlling the attack of the magic that had been released previously. Once one had released three spells continuously, most people would slow down their magic speed. It was too dangerous and difficult to control; the magic could easily explode in one’s hands.
The theoretical limit was something that few people could achieve, and those who could were usually mages around Grade 6 like Faerun. Now that something like this was happening with a Grade 2 mage, there was no doubt that this was a student of Faerun’s. He must have known the test question beforehand and come fully prepared.
Even so, Saleen’s skill left the mages in awe. Even if he had known the test question beforehand, they would not have been able to reach this stage anyway. It required one to have much training, a clear mind, and a large amount of focus as backing.
The fireball slowly approached Saleen and at last was pierced apart by the forty first icicle, dissipating into thin air. Saleen’s icicle disappeared as well. Saleen let out a long gasp. In the very last second, his brain had been working at maximum capacity and he had finally found the fireball’s weakness.
The sorcerer let out a smile and said to the mages in the hall, "Look. Once you have grasped the calculation, even a Grade 1 magic can stop the advance of a Grade 2 magic. A grade is not the only measure of one’s magic skills, and given enough time to calculate, even I could split a gold swordmaster in half."
Saleen was barely listening to the sorcerer. He was still deep in his calculations. Even without the sorcerer’s current explanations, Saleen understood how the sorcerer had defeated Faerun’s fireball.
Figaro’s formula! The weakness of any magic could be calculated using the formula. However, a battlefield was always changing and the magic of any mage would be different. Instantly calculating a spell’s weakness required so much talent!