Although the cost was astonishingly high, Magus never hesitated when it came to investing in his own strength. To him, resources spent on power were never a waste—only a shortcut toward survival and mastery. Thus, after obtaining the rare ingredients and materials he needed, he synthesized and consumed a newly made Super Energy Potion, a top-tier aid meant to amplify a wizard apprentice's meditation efficiency to a shocking degree.
The moment the potion's warm, radiant energy coursed into his body, Magus could feel every part of himself being subtly refined. His perception sharpened, his thoughts flowed more clearly, and even the smallest strand of wandering spiritual force became easier to control. The difference was dramatic.
After a single four-hour meditation session, the results spoke for themselves.
The proficiency of his Star Ring Meditation surged by an incredible 514 points, and his mental power increased by 0.06. Compared to the training speeds he once struggled with in Blackstone City, this was more than a sixfold increase.
"As expected, the Super Energy Potion and godblood amber have truly exceptional synergy," Magus murmured in satisfaction. The two resources—one refining the body and nerves, the other strengthening spiritual flow—interacted with each other in near-perfect harmony. It was exactly the kind of effect advanced wizard texts often described but few could afford to sample.
The boost was not limited to meditation alone. The heightened state induced by the potion made learning spells significantly faster as well. Within just one day, Magus's progress in mastering Magic Missile exceeded five percent. At this rate, he estimated he would need at most twenty days to fully grasp the first-ring spell and imprint its casting method into muscle memory and spiritual instinct.
"As expected, high-level resources are the foundation of rapid strength improvement," he sighed with relief. The more he grew, the more he understood why truly powerful wizards hoarded materials like dragons hoarded treasure. Without resources—potions, reagents, artifacts—a wizard's growth was slow and treacherous. With them, the world opened.
Thus, Magus decided to remain temporarily at the Silver Moon Viscount's mansion, continuing his preparations before venturing into the eerie, corrupted manor where the rumored evil spirit lurked.
Days of Quiet Preparation
The following days passed in a rare period of peaceful routine. Magus settled into the mansion's guest wing, where he spent his time meditating, studying spellbooks, repairing magical items, and testing theories. He occasionally entertained Amy, the viscount's lively adopted daughter, with minor illusions or mechanical puppets. At other times, he wandered the estate's courtyards petting the viscount's many cats, who for some strange reason seemed particularly fond of him.
As for Hidden Dragon, his loyal but temperamental companion creature, Magus released it into the mountains around Stone Bell City to hunt freely. A wild, predatory beast accustomed to the open wilderness would never tolerate staying within a confined noble manor for long.
Under the combined blessings of the Super Energy Potion and the constant passive influence of godblood amber, Magus's Star Ring Meditation progressed at a speed that even he found astonishing.
By the thirteenth day, his meditation technique successfully advanced to Level 5, and he constructed his fourth Star Ring, bringing his spiritual foundation to a new height.
His status panel now read:
[Magus · Merlin, Human Male, 17 years old]
[Spirit: 17.34 / Constitution: 13.77]
[Skills]
• Star Ring Meditation – Lv5 (35 / 30000)
• Potion Making – Lv3 (727 / 6000)
• Biological Modification – Lv2 (319 / 3000)
• Puppet Refining – Lv2 (1701 / 3000)
"Thirty thousand proficiency… at this speed, I can reach the maximum level in under two months," Magus estimated. The thought of constructing the fifth Star Ring filled him with quiet excitement. Each additional ring expanded the capacity of his spiritual sea and improved his spellcasting potential.
By the twentieth day, he successfully mastered Magic Missile, his first offensive first-ring spell. The technique allowed him to gather high-density particles in the palm and transform them into missiles of pure force. The number and power of the missiles increased with mental strength and familiarity with the spell.
Given his current spiritual power, Magus could simultaneously launch three Magic Missiles, each one powerful enough to pierce a two-centimeter plate of black stone iron. Even a fully armored Great Knight would find such an attack devastating.
"When my spiritual strength becomes high enough to fire dozens of missiles at once… the resulting barrage will be terrifying," he reflected with satisfaction.
Magus then reviewed the remaining spell models inherited from Amy's late master. There were eight in total:
Magic Missile, Burning Hand, Magic Alarm,
Ray of Enfeeblement, Comprehend Languages,
Magic Disguise, Prismatic Spray, and Feather Fall.
Among them, the combat-oriented spells were Burning Hand, Ray of Enfeeblement, and Prismatic Spray. After some thought, Magus chose Ray of Enfeeblement as his next study target. While rune gems were powerful, each activation consumed materials worth at least ten gold coins, and an intense battle could easily burn through fifty or sixty gold coins. It was simply too inefficient.
He decided that henceforth, he would rely more on his own spellcasting and particle manipulation in combat. Rune gems would only be used against particularly troublesome foes.
"It's a pity that metamagic techniques require far greater mental reserves. I'll have to wait until I advance to a Third-Level Wizard Apprentice before I can even begin training Silent Cast or Instant Cast," he regretfully noted. Such techniques allowed spells to be cast faster or without incantation, a massive advantage in real combat.
Completion of the Magic Item Repairs
On the twenty-fifth day, Magus finally completed the repair of two mysterious magic items entrusted to him by the viscount.
After placing the restored artifacts into his magic cube, detailed information surfaced on the floating panel:
[Protective Ring (Alchemy / Sub-magic item):
When activated, forms an invisible protective force field around the wearer's body. Charges: 3/3.
Can be restored by injecting mental power or absorbing free particles.]
[Magic Coin (Alchemy / Sub-magic item):
When activated, randomly summons a creature from another world.
The creature obeys the user for 30 minutes or until death.]
The Protective Ring appeared deceptively plain, resembling nothing more than a tarnished copper band. But this, Magus knew, was typical of wizards—functional design over ostentatious appearance. A magical item that looked like jewelry invited attention and caution from enemies. A simple ring, however, was easily overlooked, allowing its defensive effect to catch attackers by surprise.
Magus tested it, and the resulting force field was remarkably strong—comparable to a heightened version of the Shield spell. Unlike Shield, which defended primarily from one direction, the ring's barrier enveloped the user entirely, providing full 360-degree coverage with no blind spots.
Paired with his already existing ring-type artifact, Magus now possessed two reliable sub-magic items.
The Magic Coin, on the other hand, belonged to a much rarer category: summoning artifacts. Its effect resembled the Summon Monster spell, but was considerably stronger. The creatures it summoned possessed power levels equivalent to a Primary Grand Knight up to a peak Great Knight—a tremendous asset in battle.
In Magus's judgment, the Magic Coin's capabilities approached that of a Glimmer-level magic item, a classification far above ordinary apprentice tools.
Additionally, during the repair process, his learning progress for Magical Item Creation reached 100%, allowing him to fully master the skill.
"It's just in time," he said to himself with satisfaction. "Once I return to Blackstone City, I can finally begin crafting my own magic items using the knowledge from 'Compendium of Low-Level Magic Items.'"
A powerful wizard always possessed a wide assortment of magic items because no individual could be strong in every aspect of combat. These artifacts filled in weaknesses, broadened strategic options, and ensured survival in overwhelming situations.
With the Protective Ring and Magic Coin added to his arsenal, Magus felt significantly more confident about confronting the evil spirit haunting the Kubeiro Estate.
The Viscount's Relief
When the Silver Moon Viscount learned—through his butler—that Lord Angge (Magus's alias) was finally prepared to take action, he felt an immense weight lift off his shoulders.
Although Magus had explained early on that he required time for preparation to ensure success, the viscount had grown increasingly anxious as days passed. Each day the evil spirit remained undisturbed, it grew stronger, more malicious, and potentially more uncontainable. If too much time passed, even a wizard might fail to exorcise it.
Yet now, at last, Magus was ready.
"Mobilize the men," the viscount ordered immediately. "We depart for the Kubeiro Estate at once!"
The long-awaited confrontation was finally about to begin.
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