Mage Armor, a Zero-Ring spell.

  It is a relatively common spell, yet its effectiveness varies wildly depending on the caster. When cast normally, the skin reacts to magical stimulation by generating a layer of mystic hide, providing a degree of protection. Furthermore, one can use pre-prepared casting materials for targeted effects—such as the bark of a Black-Thorn Treant or various types of demon hides. Utilizing these materials not only bolsters the spell's potency but can also grant the caster certain supernatural traits associated with the source.

  Theoretically, using materials that match the caster's rank reduces both the mana cost and the difficulty of the spell. Conversely, if a caster chooses materials far above their own rank, the difficulty skyrockets, bringing a significant risk of spell failure.

  Tars held the book on Mage Armor open in his hands. Since the half-man expected him to learn it and had already provided the materials, he had no reason to refuse. He had already internally ranked it as his next priority after Frost Ray. Given his small stature, he didn't mind having extra layers of defense; if given the chance, he planned to learn at least eight or ten more spells that would help him take a beating from every conceivable angle. Of course, the task of expanding his makeshift shorts into a full suit of armor was also high on his to-do list.

  This was his final moment of calm before tackling the last hurdles of Frost Ray. He leafed through the Mage Armor book just to give his brain a change of pace.

  Yesterday, after the female elf left, he had considered drinking one of the Elixirs of Lucid Mind to accelerate his progress. However, feeling his mental state wasn't quite right, he had spent another day simply reading and organizing his thoughts.

  He swallowed a piece of slightly overcooked meat-grub, then uncorked the white vial and downed the elixir. It was sour and slightly bitter, with a faint trace of sweetness lingering on the finish.

  According to Karyu's diary, the wizard always ate before using this elixir. In his words, the potion induced a state of transcendent, extreme focus that accelerated the body's physical drain. It would be utterly foolish to have one's profound meditations interrupted by something as mundane as a stomach growl while under the elixir's effects.

  The potion took hold. Tars had never experienced anything like it.

  Holding the Frost Ray manual, the sections involving multi-step logic gates—areas where he used to make frequent errors—now seemed laughably simple. He began to grasp the true difference between a spell one was "attuned" to and one that was not. An attuned spell didn't require this much rational deduction; it was more like reading a familiar story. One naturally harmonized with the "mischievous sprites" of the spell and understood the rules by instinct.

  After breaking through several difficult points in rapid succession, he decided to flip back to the very first page. He re-read the basics he had already mastered, feeling them out and re-understanding them from scratch. That mysterious Light of Spirituality flickered again, confirming that this was the right path.

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  The simplest opening sections, which he usually breezed through, actually took him the longest to process this time. But as he passed the midpoint of the book, his pace accelerated. He began flipping pages faster and faster, like a charging beast—a complete reversal of his usual study habits where he would slow down the further he went.

  The swish-swish of turning pages echoed through the silent tunnels.

  Whoosh—

  He raised both hands and slammed the book shut with a loud thud, exhaling a long, pent-up breath. He tilted his head back, rolling his neck and producing a series of satisfying cracks.

  Wasting not a second, he set the book by his leg and entered meditation to recover his mental energy. As soon as his state was adjusted, he began constructing the spell model for Frost Ray.

  Since he started learning this Zero-Ring spell, he had attempted this countless times. Yet he had always failed to grasp the big picture. Without total mastery, every tiny detail required manual deduction, a process so grueling it could drive a person to despair. It was only thanks to the legendary resilience of a wizard apprentice's mind that they didn't all end up as raving lunatics.

  But this time, he felt a sense of effortless control. What was there to deduce? It was all visible at a glance, including the chain reactions that would occur many steps later.

  He completed the construction of the spell model in one go, and the potion's effects hadn't even worn off yet. After a quick meditative recovery and a hastily swallowed piece of grub, he opened the book on Mage Armor.

  The value of the Elixir of Lucid Mind was evident in the sheer amount of ink Karyu had spilled praising it. It was a potent tool that couldn't be taken in quick succession. Though Tars had one vial left, he needed to wait a few days between doses. He had to make the most of this current window to master Mage Armor.

  While Mage Armor hadn't received the "spiritual guidance" that Frost Ray had, it felt much more "friendly" to him. Its attunement level felt several times higher. In what seemed like moments, he had already absorbed more than half the book.

  Just as he prepared for a final push, the world tilted. Sitting cross-legged, he nearly toppled over as a wave of intense vertigo washed over him.

  "That damn Karyu... he never mentioned the post-potion crash in his diary..."

  Tars clutched his forehead and flopped onto his back, arms and legs spread wide, completely unable to move.

  With Frost Ray now fully empowered, he aimed a test shot at a nearby rocky corner. A few seconds later, he had produced a small pile of shaved ice. He scooped it up and slapped it onto his forehead with a splat.

  Tars mused that someone really ought to write a book on using low-level spells for daily life. Karyu's diary mentioned "fools" who either forgot to use magic in their daily routines or became far too dependent on it. He recalled an anecdote about a student specializing in Illusory Sound who, when needing to wake a companion during a crisis, instinctively started casting a spell instead of just shouting. Karyu had ended up screaming at the top of his lungs, breaking the student's concentration and waking everyone up. There was also a former knight turned apprentice who only used Great Strength in combat, his utility limited by his old way of thinking.

  Now, Tars faced a difficult choice.

  Should he stay here to finish mastering Mage Armor before visiting the half-man, or should he stick to his original plan and head out for the "legacy" now that he had Frost Ray?

  Scavenging a legacy was best done as early as possible. However, the half-man had specifically invited him, and Mage Armor would make the journey much safer. He had a premonition that once he saw the half-man, something big would happen that might keep him occupied for quite some time.

  After much hesitation, he decided that safety came first. He would master Mage Armor, head out to claim the nearby legacies while offering a "sincere blessing" to the departed wizards, and then return to see the half-man as quickly as possible.