"This is a notebook I used before, containing the casting methods of all basic-level spells from first to third tier.." Valensa handed Sorinus a thick notebook.
Opening it, he found neat handwriting filling every page. Each elemental branch of magic was documented, especially the water element, accompanied by detailed insights and techniques.
It seemed Valensa was a water mage.
Sorinus couldn't help but sigh inwardly; this was what a magic notebook should be. Compared to this, the notes Randal had given him were nothing but rubbish.
Sorinus flipped to the pages on fire magic.
"First-tier fire magic, Illumination spell.."
There weren't many first-tier spells, and Illumination was a very practical auxiliary spell, useful in dark environments. Sorinus read through the incantation method and the principles of casting, understanding them clearly.
He snapped his fingers crisply.
His right hand burst into dazzling light.
Valensa's eyelid twitched.
"Did you learn it just by looking at it? Although Illumination is simple, this is too exaggerated," she said.
Sorinus muttered to himself, "The brightness of this light could serve as a flashbang.."
"A flashbang?! What's that?" Valensa blinked.
Meanwhile, Sorinus had turned to the pages detailing second-tier fire magic.
"Second-tier fire magic, Exploding Fireball.
Second-tier fire magic, Fire Ring.."
The variety of learnable second-tier magic was much greater, with significantly increased power.
For example, Exploding Fireball, an advanced version of Fireball, could be controlled with mental power after being cast, creating a splashing effect upon explosion.
Sorinus began studying.
He extended his fair, slender right hand. Without a wand, he had to use his hand instead.
There seemed to be no movement.
"Sorinus.." Valensa couldn't help but speak up. "The difficulty of casting second-tier magic has increased significantly. It's normal to fail several times. Don't be disheartened; your talent is excellent.. I also failed several times when I first learned second-tier magic.."
Valensa's encouraging words were cut short. Sorinus's hand suddenly emitted a ball of fire, expanding rapidly like an inflated balloon.
It was darker in color than the fireball released by Fireball, with more lively flames and a hint of ferocity.
Success...
Valensa blinked, dumbfounded, as Sorinus raised his head, puzzled. "What did you just say, Valensa?.. You failed several times?"
"Uh, yeah.. I failed over a dozen times before I succeeded in learning second-tier magic for the first time. You're very talented, Sorinus!"
"Oh." Sorinus lowered his head again, unaware of Valensa's blushing face.
Valensa lied. The first time she learned second-tier magic, she failed over three hundred times, spending three days before barely succeeding.
She had always been proud of it.
But compared to Sorinus..
She felt like a fool.
Sorinus succeeded with just one attempt.
Even though he had the foundation of Fireball.
But his talent in fire magic was terrifying.
Valensa noticed Sorinus attempting Fire Ring again.
Fire Ring was an area-of-effect magic, creating a ring of fire around oneself, pushing outward to damage everything around.
The casting difficulty was another level higher than Exploding Fireball.
Valensa wanted to tell Sorinus to take it slow, but she stopped herself.
Forget it, it's better not to say anything; she might be proven wrong again.
"Swoosh.." Another fire ring emerged around Sorinus, flickering like a dazzling band of fire.
Indeed..
Valensa sighed weakly.
Was second-tier magic really that easy? It had to be fake!
Suddenly, another ring of fire appeared.
Valensa widened her eyes, blinking vigorously.
How was this possible?!
Multi-layered fire rings belonged to the realm of third-tier magic!
Sorinus deducing the release of third-tier magic with just second-tier magic?!
Was he a freak?!
Valensa was terrified.
The third ring slowly condensed, halfway through, it suddenly burst.
Sorinus waved his hand, dispersing the gathered fire elements, regretting, "No, summoning three fire rings is still too taxing for my current mental strength.."
He seemed dissatisfied.
Valensa felt powerless to comment.
Sorinus.Alduran! Are you even letting others live?!
Releasing third-tier magic with second-tier proficiency was already monstrous enough!
Still unsatisfied? Do you want to ascend to the heavens?!
Valensa now understood the true meaning behind the phrase "superior talent."
"Sorinus!" Valensa quickly stopped Sorinus's desire to study the next second-tier magic.
She had been beaten down enough.
She felt like if she stayed with Sorinus any longer, her confidence in magic would be completely shattered.
"You wanted to learn about magic potions, right? Follow me.. You can study this notebook later when you're back."
Sorinus hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"Alright."
He almost forgot his original purpose for seeking Valensa, so engrossed was he in magic.
Learning the production methods of mental potions as soon as possible was the most important thing right now.
"Encyclopedia of Magic Materials, Introduction to a Hundred Magic Potions, Basic Potionology.."
Valensa handed Sorinus several books.
"Take these back and read them. If you encounter any problems you don't understand, come ask me."
Sorinus nodded in agreement.
Flipping through them casually, Sorinus couldn't help but ask, "Valensa, is there no method for concocting intermediate potions?"
Valensa looked puzzled for a moment, but quickly understood.
Sorinus's strength was about to break through to the third tier, and first-tier potions wouldn't be of much help to him. It wasn't unreasonable for him to want to learn about intermediate potions in advance.
"I don't have any here.. You can try looking in the library of the academy."
She replied.
"Alright, thank you, Valensa."
Sorinus expressed his gratitude to Valensa, then left.
He needed to visit the library as soon as possible.
Valensa watched Sorinus's retreating figure, her face filled with complexity.
"What a monster.."
...
"The most magnificent palace in the world is the library with the most hidden treasures." Sorinus remembered a famous person saying such words in his past life.
Indeed, the Yageshtra Library resembled a magnificent palace. With two levels, the brown oak bookshelves were neatly arranged in an intricate pattern. Looking up, one could see the vast expanse of the starry sky, where countless stars rotated slowly like a gigantic vortex, symbolizing endless wisdom and power.
Sorinus pondered how to find the intermediate-level potion formula he needed.
"Excuse me," Sorinus called out to a passing girl, about to ask for directions.
Suddenly, he froze. He recognized the girl. She was the one with emerald-like eyes and icy-blue curls who had been sneaking glances at him in class.
It seemed the girl also recognized him. A hint of shyness and nervousness flashed in her eyes, and her fair face blushed crimson.
"Uh... is there something I can help you with?" Sorinus composed himself and asked, "I want to know how to find the book I'm looking for."
"Uh... you can... find a tutor," the girl stammered.
Sorinus nodded. "Thank you."
About to leave, Sorinus was stopped by the girl.
"Wait..." Sorinus turned around, surprised.
The girl looked embarrassed, as if she wanted to cover her face.
"I... I'm the library tutor," she confessed shyly.
Sorinus chuckled. A simple conversation revealed the girl's name as Valandra.
After some chatting, Sorinus learned that Valandra worked as a tutor in the library after classes. Her main job was to assist students in finding books and organizing shelves, all for earning credits.
"What are credits for?" Sorinus inquired.
Valandra tilted her head thoughtfully before explaining, "Each student must earn twenty-four credits per year to qualify for the next grade... Credits can be earned through participation in college association activities, serving as a tutor's assistant, meeting academic standards, and passing monthly tests... Violating college rules may result in credit deduction... Excess credits can be exchanged for magical potions, materials, and more at the Truth Society."
Sorinus nodded in understanding. Credits seemed similar to the concept of credits in universities in his previous life, but with broader applications.
Sorinus noticed Valandra sneaking glances at him and found her reactions amusing. He decided not to mention it.
"What book are you looking for?" Valandra finally mustered the courage to ask.
"The Complete Guide to Intermediate Potion Formulas," Sorinus replied. "Do you have something similar?"
"Intermediate?!" Valandra gasped in surprise, her eyes widening. "Have you already studied intermediate potion-making?"
Valandra's face showed a mix of envy and admiration.
Sorinus found Valandra's innocence adorable. "I just want to take a look..."
Sorinus joked, "Does the library have borrowing standards?"
"Yes," Valandra nodded seriously. "But only precious books above the advanced level have requirements. Only college mentors or honor-level students are eligible to borrow."
"All right," Sorinus said, hearing another term he didn't understand.
"Recognition from the college for strength and contributions allows students to receive personal recognition from Dean Grailston..." Sorinus nodded thoughtfully.
"Follow me," Valandra beckoned Sorinus, leading him to a three-meter-tall bookshelf.
Chanting a low incantation, a book automatically jumped out of the shelf, flying into her hands like a bird.
"Here, take it!" Sorinus took the book, flipping through a few pages to confirm it was what he wanted.
"Thank you!" Sorinus sincerely thanked Valandra.
"You're welcome," Valandra blushed again, lowering her head nervously, tugging at her skirt. "It's my job, after all."
Sorinus smiled and chatted a bit more with Valandra before saying goodbye and leaving.
Valandra watched Sorinus's departing figure, her eyes dazed, lost in thought...
Meanwhile, at the Yalistost Merchant Association, a tall woman was engrossed in reading a sheet of paper.
Her appearance was cold and elegant, exuding a sense of competence and shrewdness.
If Sorinus were here, he would be surprised to see that the woman had the same icy-blue hair color and a face that bore some resemblance to Valandra's.
"Sixteen years old... with exceptional talent in both mental power and magic perception... the most talented newcomer in nearly a century in Yageshtra... Oh, right..."
The woman lifted her head, looking at Cedric standing respectfully before her, and asked, "Did you say he effortlessly killed a knight with strength above the third tier, using instantaneous fireballs?"
"Yes," Cedric replied respectfully.
"Good job," the woman showed approval on her face, emphasizing, "It was a good idea to give him that elf as a handmaid."
"Miss..." Cedric raised his head excitedly, "Do you think we could win over Sorinus? With his help, the difficulties facing the association would surely be overcome..."
The woman shook her head.
"You're thinking too simplistically, Cedric."
"Sorinus is just a first-tier mage for now, and the problems we face are not something a first-tier mage can solve... Besides, a super genius like him, who appears once every hundred years, is not something our little Yalistost Merchant Association can win over..."
"However, being on good terms with him would already be a pleasant surprise for me."
"When Sorinus grows up, perhaps the Yalistost Merchant Association will be able to latch onto his greatness and repeat its former glory."
"So... should we pay him a visit to further show our goodwill?" Cedric hesitated.
"No rush," the woman replied. "I have my plans... and in a few days, Valandra will be back..."
"Miss, are you planning to..." Cedric's voice trailed off.
"Yes," the woman's eyes showed a rare gentleness, and she said lightly, "It would be much more natural to approach him as a classmate and wouldn't provoke his hostility. They say geniuses have peculiar tempers. If Valandra can..."
The woman coughed lightly. "That would be even better."
"Coercion" sounded too harsh; perhaps "mutual attraction" would be more appropriate.
Waving her hand, she motioned for Cedric to leave.
The woman breathed a long sigh, thinking about the difficulties facing the association. She muttered to herself, "Father, can I really do this?"