[Your student Carrie feels deep reverence for you. +50 Reverence Points]
Lucian glanced at the girl before him, her eyes shining with enthusiasm, and the corner of his mouth lifted.
"Commendable spirit," he praised, but his gaze shifted toward an empty spot in the clearing. "However, I think you should make up for the time you just wasted. Otherwise, I might have to extend today's lesson."
Carrie looked at Lucian's "kind" smile and suddenly felt that her mentor could switch between saintly and devilish in an instant.
"Yes…" she muttered, somewhat deflated, as she obediently resumed her tedious practice.
...
Bang—
With a soft explosion, a pale blue "Chuchu Gel" floated up from Carrie's right palm.
"Lucian, I did it!" Carrie cheered.
But Lucian didn't smile. Instead, he looked perplexed, as no notification from his system had appeared—no upgrade to his knowledge, no notification of a bond being formed.
Curious, Lucian pulled up Carrie's progress panel.
[Instruction Progress] Scorching Fire II (90.00%) {Theory: 100%; Practical Application: 0%}
"So that's it… Unlike teaching meditation methods, spell instruction seems to require not only mastery but also some practical experience." Lucian nodded to himself, then smiled.
Practical experience? That could easily be arranged.
"Lucian?" Carrie looked at him, her expression hopeful.
"Not bad," Lucian said, giving her a gentle pat on the head.
[Your student Carrie feels deep admiration for you. +1 Reverence Points]
"But it's not enough," he added lightly, watching as Carrie's head dropped slightly.
"Mastering a spell means more than just being able to cast it theoretically. You need to test it in real combat," Lucian said, smiling at Carrie. "Get some rest this afternoon; we'll go on a mission and see how well you perform in practice."
Carrie looked up, a slight pout in her voice. "Lucian, were you just teasing me?"
"Of course not, don't be ridiculous," he replied with a mischievous smile.
The mission and trade areas of Greybone Academy were always bustling.
"This one should be good," Lucian said, selecting a mission for Carrie from the list.
[Extermination of Blood Crows]: Hunt 50 adult Blood Crows (bring their beaks as proof)
Posted by: Greybone Academy
Description: Recently, Blood Crows in the northern Greybone Forest have overpopulated. Some need to be culled to maintain ecological balance.
Reward: 2 Mana Stones
Although the reward was modest, and hunting 50 agile Blood Crows would be a tiresome task, they were an ideal "sparring partner" for Carrie at her current level.
Blood Crows were a type of low-level magical creature, a crossbreed of one-eyed crows and ordinary ravens. Lacking the intelligence to communicate with wizards, they couldn't serve as magical familiars, but the academy kept them around the forest perimeter as feral magical creatures, granting them dominance within Greybone Forest.
These creatures were fast, small targets, with sharp claws and beaks. As magical beings, they naturally wielded a soundwave spell, emitting a screech that could nauseate and unsettle, often disrupting an apprentice's spell model construction. But, if Carrie could successfully cast a spell amidst their interference, it would be clear that her combat skills were solid.
As Lucian turned back with the mission token, he saw Carrie practically vibrating with excitement.
"Are we heading out now?" Carrie asked, her face lighting up in contrast to the other apprentices who were reluctantly taking missions for the points.
Lucian looked her over, noting the simple robes that marked her as a newcomer.
"First, let's get you some equipment," he said, shaking his head. With her thin clothing, she'd have little protection outside the academy, and even weak creatures like Blood Crows or Rockfire Lizards could pose a real threat to her.
Lucian had no intention of losing a student on their first outing…
Suddenly, Lucian's expression changed.
It occurred to him that he didn't have any extra student slots in the system. In other words, if Carrie had an accident, his system would likely shut down as well.
"Hiss…" Lucian took a deep breath, looking at Carrie as though she were suddenly made of porcelain—a fragile doll!
And it was a doll that seemed eager to dive into danger!
What's worse, he'd been the one to propose this mission and encourage her.
His expression shifted, a classic realization dawning on him.
What a disaster—
"Lucian?" Carrie's voice brought him back to reality.
Looking down at his "fragile doll"… no, at Carrie, Lucian gave a warm smile. "Carrie, let me share your first lesson in field combat!"
Lucian's sudden solemnity made Carrie hold her breath and lean back in anticipation.
"First lesson: whenever you're going into battle, be fully prepared," Lucian said, patting her shoulder. "Only if you stay alive can you keep casting spells."
Carrie blinked.
An hour later.
"Good," Lucian said, inspecting Carrie, who now looked much more "cautious," and feeling slightly more at ease. He nodded in satisfaction.
If her small frame could support heavy armour, Lucian would have happily outfitted her in it. In his mind, the best gear for Carrie would have been a paladin's suit of "iron-clad protection."
Since heavy armour wasn't an option, Lucian had spared no expense on her current outfit.
This alchemically reinforced light armour had cost him eight mana stones! It was strong enough to withstand a spell attack from a second-level apprentice.
"Mentor…" Carrie looked down at her light armour, a conflicted expression on her face. She felt that her upcoming mission wasn't quite what she'd envisioned.
"Let's go." Lucian patted her shoulder, handing her a sturdy metal shield.
Carrie looked down at the heavy shield, tilting her head in thought. She couldn't deny that Lucian's advice made sense, but for some reason, something felt odd.
Especially when she saw other wizard apprentices in much lighter attire; the feeling became all the more pronounced.