Chapter 75: Destiny
"Just as I suspected before, Gauss, your magic is indeed quite special!"
"According to literature, this phenomenon has an extremely low probability of occurring, only appearing in individuals with unique magical power."
"To put it simply, your magic is more active than that of other casters."
"Your Mage Armor must also be at a fairly proficient level. Influenced by it, the vitality of magic within you increases, resulting in Magic Resonance."
"Your magic is beginning to unconsciously resonate more deeply with the structure of spells; in other words, it is reshaping the spell structure."
"Does this have any effect on me?" Gauss blinked.
"This is a good thing."
"This resonance, in itself, is not very harmful. You just need to understand and master this resonance phenomenon, and you will progress through the profession faster than other apprentices."
Upon hearing Andri’s explanation, Gauss felt relieved.
He had thought there was something wrong with his body, causing his progress with Mage Armor to halt.
Unexpectedly, it was due to overly active magic, which might also be influenced by innate Magic Resistance.
"By the way, Gauss, there’s one thing I need to remind you of," Andri continued. "Your proficiency in Mage Armor is sufficient. From now on, your focus in practice should no longer be on the number of castings, but on concentrating as much as possible during casting, carefully sensing the source and nature of that ’warm flow’ resonance and trying to guide its changes."
"You need to think thoroughly and gather a substantial amount of different types of actual impact feedback to experience Magic Resonance in response."
"However, I can’t help you with this; my magic intensity is too high and would only have a counterproductive effect."
Andri blinked and spread her hands, showing a helpless expression.
Gauss smiled, nodding thoughtfully.
He also began to ponder.
He suddenly realized that ever since his Mage Armor reached Level 2 and he became more adept at casting it, he seemed to focus less on experiencing the nature of the spell itself and more on accelerating the casting speed and strengthening the spell’s intensity.
This was clearly a short-sighted approach.
He hadn’t completely mastered this 1st-level Spell.
Perhaps this was also why his proficiency in Mage Armor was stuck at 19/20 and made no further progress.
The complexity of 1st-level Spells far exceeded that of 0th Ring Tricks. Mage’s Hand proficiency can be increased through constant use, but the more intricate and complex Mage Armor is not so simple.
He must return to the spell itself, rather than focusing his attention on spell application.
Looking at Gauss, who had fallen into reflection and had a look of understanding on his face, Andri, sitting in her chair, had a hint of appreciation and nostalgia flash in her eyes.
She glanced at Gauss, who was immersed in his own world, and suddenly a palm-sized book appeared in her hand, which she quietly began to read.
For casters, unlike Warriors or Rangers, immersive contemplation in the spiritual world is meaningful. While the effects of a spell are on the surface, the root cause lies in mental strength. Magic must be controlled by the mind.
Once Gauss finished his contemplation and his gaze regained clarity, Andri hastily put away the book in her hand.
"Ahem."
"Gauss, how has your harmonization with that White Bone Staff been going?"
Why bring up the staff all of a sudden? Gauss, just coming back to his senses, was momentarily confused, but he didn’t pay it much mind.
He took out the staff and caressed it.
With the infusion of his magic, the White Bone Staff seemed to become more radiant and even faintly exuded a sacred vitality.
"It has adapted very well."
After so many days of adaptation and harmonization, he felt the White Bone Staff had reached its optimal compatibility.
A hint of amazement appeared in Andri’s eyes.
Gauss might not realize it yet, but in her Magic Perception, although the appearance of the White Bone Staff had not changed,
internally, it had undergone a drastic transformation; it was almost as if the lifeless staff had become a completely different one.
Held in Gauss’s hands, it felt as if it was one with him.
She couldn’t help but shiver, and a strange thought surfaced in her mind.
It was as if it always belonged to him, a destiny she temporarily held for decades, only to return it to the final owner.
But soon, she shook her head and couldn’t help but smile wryly.
This kind of thought borders on fatalism, which she had always scoffed at.
Why would such an illusion arise suddenly?
Is it that, with age, she was inevitably affected by the imperceptible influence of others?
But for a Half-Elf, she was still in her prime.
"Make sure you use it well," Andri said, looking at the smooth, jade-like White Bone Staff in her hand. Her heart couldn’t help but feel a little reluctant, as she had kept it for decades, developing some sentiment.
Moreover, as a caster, who wouldn’t want to own a Magic Staff with a mysterious origin and immense potential?
If it weren’t for numerous trials confirming her magic and the staff were entirely incompatible, she’d be reluctant to let any other caster have it.
"I understand."
In the Thorny Hut, Andri taught Gauss a magic energy exercise route that could help improve control.
Then she answered some of Gauss’s questions about magic and where it could be learned, handed him two books on spell principles, and then issued a formal order to leave.
She needed to catch up on her sleep.
Gauss left the Thorny Hut and returned to his room at the inn.
Sitting on the straw bed, he once again activated Mage Armor.
This time, he didn’t pursue speed as he usually did; instead, he intentionally slowed down the release.
As if in slow motion, he carefully sensed the changes in the connection between spirit, magic, and spells at the moment of magic release and, after a spell’s success, the magical resonance of the warm flow.
With each attempt, he could faintly feel his understanding of this spell deepening.
It was like solving math problems in a past life; quickly writing an answer won’t yield a perfect score. It requires step-by-step deconstruction, listing various formulas, and computing the process to be a complete solution.
Is this a remedial lesson?
Gauss couldn’t help but wonder.
Although the Adventurer’s Handbook rewards speeding up spell proficiency fast, it’s precisely because it’s so convenient that sometimes it overlooks the specific process.
Gauss practiced in the room all day.
By dinner time, a hint of satisfaction finally appeared on his face.
Although the proficiency of Mage Armor had not increased, he could feel his understanding of it deepening.
As long as he continued like this, breaking through to Level 3 was just a matter of time.
Based on his guess, Level 1 is entry-level, Level 2 is proficiency, and Level 3 is mastery.
0th Ring Tricks, due to their low difficulty and simple transformation of magic properties, have their limitations. The progress from Level 1 to Level 3, without a significant change in magic quality, merely enhances the spell effect to a certain extent, and the increase isn’t substantial.
However, Mage Armor was different.
Each stage brings significant changes: Level 1 barely manages to use it, by the first half of Level 2, it’s proficiently usable, and in the latter half of Level 2, it can be cast on others with a slight increase in protection strength. Once it reaches Level 3, the effect should further be enhanced.
He had a premonition that when Mage Armor resonating with magic finally succeeds, it will be the moment he fully steps onto the path of the profession.
At that time, Mage Armor will usher in a new transformation!