Chapter 85: Second-Class Mage Apprentice

Gao De left home early in the morning, and when he returned, he checked his pocket watch—it was nearly noon.

He boiled a simple lunch, finished eating, then opened the four newly purchased spell formulas and began “solving problems.”

In less than a quarter hour, Gao De decomposed all four spell models into coordinate sets only he could understand.

He then put away the spell formulas and took from his room’s cabinet a box containing Basic Magic Potion.

On Green Leaf Moon 22, Gao De purchased six sets (eighteen small bottles) of Basic Magic Potion from the Rose Alchemy Shop.

Except for the five days from Flame Flower Moon 25 to 29, when travel prevented him from practicing the Guiding Art, he consistently drank Basic Magic Potion to aid his cultivation.

Now, thirty-five days later, only one small bottle remains of those six sets.

At this stage, if he continues drinking Basic Magic Potion, his initial estimates suggest his Guiding Art will advance one minor level in just 43.2 days.

His last breakthrough in the Guiding Art occurred on Green Leaf Moon 13; by this calculation, today is precisely when it should break again.

Thinking of this, Gao De immediately felt energized.

Without hesitation, he raised the vial and drained its potent magical liquid in one gulp.

Then he calmed his mind, entered his cultivation state.

About an hour later.

Boom! A faint tremor echoed through Gao De’s body; his magical energy surged violently, becoming more active, forming a longer, more sustained pathway.

He suppressed his excitement and slowly calmed the restless energy.

The next moment, Gao De opened his eyes.

“Another step forward!” he said, beaming.

His magical energy now supported him in casting seven cantrips in a single breath.

Gao De’s spells had long been sufficient; the sole reason he had not ventured out to hunt earthline creatures for essence was his insufficient magical energy.

According to his plan, he needed at least enough energy to cast ten cantrips consecutively before even considering hunting earthline creatures.

The simplest example: when the burrowing worm was flipped onto its back, Gao De had to cast [Flame Arrow+] three times in succession to kill it.

Thus, until his “mana bar” could support ten cantrips, “hunting” was extremely dangerous.

After all, this wasn’t a game—die, and you’re dead, with no respawn or save file.

Moreover, Gao De’s current savings could sustain his cultivation for a long time; there was no need to rush.

After his mood settled, Gao De resumed cultivation.

This time, he practiced Meditation Art.

After the trials of travel, entering meditation had become as simple as eating and drinking.

In mere moments, his mind grew clear, all sounds vanished.

In this silent meditative state, Gao De’s spirit entered the vast sea of spell constellations.

Wind Spirit Shadow emitted a pale white glow; fifteen spell models hung like constellations across the vast starry expanse.

Additionally, a sixteen-petaled lotus, outlined in dashed lines, rotated slowly.

Gao De focused his spirit upon that lotus.

As his spirit gathered, the dashed lines of the lotus gradually solidified.

It was a strange sensation—fatigued yet mentally invigorated, and at every moment he felt his spiritual power growing.

Though the increase was minuscule, it was still growth.

Good things come in pairs.

As usual, Gao De attempted to manifest the eighth petal of the lotus.

To his surprise, today’s breakthrough came effortlessly—no resistance, no struggle—he unconsciously shattered the barrier and manifested the eighth petal.

In that instant, his spiritual power underwent a transformation.

His perception and control improved significantly.

For this breakthrough was not merely a minor advancement in Meditation Art—it was a rise in his overall realm.

Requirements for Second-Class Apprentice: Manifest eight or more lotus petals in Meditation Art, and possess enough magical energy to cast five cantrips consecutively.

Gao De now: manifests eight lotus petals in Meditation Art, and his magical energy supports seven consecutive cantrips.

He had met both requirements for Second-Class Apprentice.

Thus, Gao De was now officially a Second-Class Mage Apprentice. At this age, at this rank, what more could a “wild mage” possibly desire? Gao De savored the feeling of advancement.

First, his perception of external magical energy became clearer, and guiding it felt more intuitive.

He then tested his Guiding Art again and found the efficiency of converting magical energy had noticeably improved.

No wonder Pierre had said a Second-Class Mage Apprentice consumed one set of Basic Magic Potion every three days.

“As long as I have money, with Basic Magic Potion, my cultivation speed won’t slow down at all during the apprentice stage—I can keep advancing rapidly,” Gao De thought.

Yet even 300 Xien gold coins, though substantial, still fell short when poured into cultivation.

After two days of spending in Bremen City, his savings had plummeted to 275 gold and 4 silver.

Money still vanished too quickly.

Moreover, Gao De needed to reserve part of his funds for the journey from Bremen City to Shengxi City.

Though he had yet to verify the reliability of the recommendation letter or determine how to reach Shengxi City, he must set aside this money.

Furthermore, prices in Shengxi City would certainly be higher, expenses greater.

The “advertisement” on the notice board outside the Artisans’ Guild had only just been posted; it would take time to gain traction.

Thus, the entire afternoon, Gao De spent cultivating and attempting to construct spell models, without attracting a single visitor.

At around four in the afternoon, he rose and left home.

Across the street from Mrs. Misu’s residence at Kamengde 267, there was a small two-story eatery.

The eatery was plain and unadorned, sparsely decorated, offering a limited menu: rye bread, boiled beans, vegetable soup, salted fish, and cured meat.

It also served homemade apple wine.

But it was affordable and rare in its “serve-as-you-need” system—customers took only what they required and paid based on the type and weight consumed.

Thus, it was immensely popular with nearby workshop workers, often requiring shared tables and queues at meal times.

Of course, four in the afternoon was not yet the traditional meal hour.

So Gao De naturally secured a prime window seat on the second floor to enjoy his dinner alone.

As he attentively savored the eatery owner’s salted fish and sweet apple wine, he gazed out the window toward Mrs. Misu’s house at No. 267.

From above, with an unobstructed view, his eyes wandered continuously—not fixed on any single point—appearing merely like a distracted diner.

For Gao De’s target was not Mrs. Misu herself, but to confirm whether any hidden observers still watched her.

According to the letter’s hints, before leaving Bremen City, Master Seda had noticed suspicious watchers near his home.

Though over a decade had passed since Seda’s departure, who could guarantee those watchers had truly abandoned their vigil?

At least the mastermind behind it all might still be waiting for Seda’s return.

A profound lesson:

Never assume anything.

(End of Chapter)