The month of scrolls—August—was known across the legends of the Starlight Continent as the month of knowledge and wisdom. As it began, Magus threw himself fully into study and self-improvement.
Learning New Spells
His first goal was to master new spells.
At present, he only possessed two First-ring spells: Charm Human and Shield.
The function of Charm Human was obvious from its name.
As for Shield, it could conjure an invisible, tower-sized, intangible barrier that hovered around him, rotating freely in all directions to deflect attacks. Because it was based on a force-field principle, even ethereal or non-physical assaults—such as mental shocks or soul-based damage—were effectively neutralized.
Considering his own safety, Magus naturally chose to prioritize learning Shield first.
"[Reading 'Shield Spell Model,' 'Shield' learning progress +0.02%]"
First-ring spells, however, were far more complex than Zero-ring spells.
Even with the aid of Active Potion, Magus estimated it would take at least forty days to master Shield. The time required to learn Charm Human would likely be similar.
Crafting Rune Gems
His second project was the creation of Rune Gems.
Since it was his first attempt, Magus decided to work with a stable and familiar energy type—Earth Energy Particles.
For the gemstone carrier, he selected black opal, a gem known for its compatibility with force-field protection effects.
"It's a pity Starry Sapphire is so expensive," he thought ruefully. "A single piece costs over a thousand gold coins. If I could use Starry Sapphire, the results would be at least twice as effective."
But that was simply beyond his current means. Despite his growing influence, he wasn't wealthy enough to squander such sums, so he settled for black opal.
Black opal—a deep green gemstone with dark spots and golden specks—possessed an uncanny, mysterious beauty.
As Magus infused the condensed, earthen-yellow Energy Rune into the gem, a hazy light bloomed within it. The glow lasted only a few seconds before fading, leaving the gem seemingly unchanged. Upon closer inspection, however, faint and intricate rune-like patterns could be seen etched onto its surface.
"[Successfully created Rune Gem, 'Magical Item Creation' learning progress +0.5%]"
"Huh?" Magus blinked in surprise.
He hadn't expected to trigger a new skill—Magical Item Creation.
After a moment's thought, he understood why.
Energy Runes were technically a branch of enchantment, and combining them with gems to create magical effects indeed qualified as rudimentary magic item crafting.
"I thought I'd need to study relevant materials before unlocking this skill," Magus mused. "Didn't expect to stumble upon it by accident."
He examined the completed Rune Gem.
The small, bean-sized gem contained a condensed mass of Earth Energy Particles. Once activated, it would instantly form a protective layer of earth-element energy around the user—far faster than casting a spell manually.
Instant activation made Rune Gems extremely practical in combat, though they were expensive to produce.
Considering that he already possessed a defensive spell like Shield, Magus decided to craft only two Earth Rune Gems for emergencies, then shift his focus toward creating offensive Rune Gems.
Forging Offensive Power
His offensive repertoire so far consisted only of Zero-ring spells—now falling behind his current rank. Rune Gems would conveniently fill that gap.
He prepared four categories of offensive runes: Lightning, Fire, Frost, and Shadow.
For the Fire Rune, he used red zircon—the gemstone with the highest affinity for fire energy. The remaining three, suitable for evocation-based attacks, were crafted using rubies.
He created three of each type as spares, along with two Plant-type Rune Gems for healing wounds.
Including those ruined during experimentation, Magus ultimately used eighteen gemstones, worth over three hundred gold coins in total.
"Rune Gems are a bottomless money pit," he sighed.
It was fortunate that Blackstone City still provided financial support; otherwise, he wouldn't even be able to afford basic wizard tomes, let alone such expensive materials.
Meditation and Advancement
By the time Magus finished his crafting session, the night sky had already deepened. He used energy particles to cleanse his body before returning to the Meditation Room, preparing to recover his mental energy through deep meditation instead of sleep.
Since his last advancement, he had maintained a disciplined regimen of four hours of intense meditation per day. Yet, as his mental energy continued to grow, progress had noticeably slowed.
Now, even with Active Potion, his daily improvement was merely 0.01 to 0.02 points.
"To advance to a Third-level Wizard Apprentice, I must construct nine Star Rings and raise my mental energy above 30 points," he calculated.
At this rate, it could easily take over ten years—perhaps longer—to reach that threshold.
On the Starlight Continent, achieving such advancement within ten years was already considered extraordinary.
But Magus was not satisfied with being "extraordinary." His ambitions reached far higher.
He contemplated synthesizing higher-grade potions to enhance his meditation efficiency. But that, of course, meant increasing his monthly expenses even more.
Even with his family's mining wealth, sustaining such extravagant consumption indefinitely was unrealistic.
"Unless…" he murmured, narrowing his eyes.
"Unless I reclaim Iron Throne Territory and expand its income."
The thought flashed across his mind, but he quickly shook his head, dispelling distraction. For now, meditation came first.
The Great Lizard Experiment
The following day, Magus entered the chamber that housed the Great Lizard.
For over a month, the creature had been confined in a cramped metal cage, its blood and essence drawn daily for experiments. Once ferocious and defiant, it now lay weak and lethargic, its eyes dull with despair.
When Magus approached, the Great Lizard merely lifted its eyelids, then lowered its head again, too weary to resist.
Without a word, Magus opened the cage.
A wave of mental power from his Wizard's Hand lifted the creature effortlessly, transferring it to a massive experimental table more than ten meters long—custom-built for its size.
Although Magus had decided to make this creature his familiar, he did not rush into the ritual.
He knew that any being transformed into a familiar would awaken at least one spell-like ability, typically influenced by its innate traits.
For example, feline-type familiars tended to awaken illusion or shadow-stealth abilities; serpentine familiars gained poison or venom abilities.
This Great Lizard, carrying a diluted Dragon Lizard bloodline, would most likely awaken some kind of physical enhancement ability.
Unfortunately, for a Wizard Apprentice, such an ability was among the least desirable.
There were many artificial ways to enhance one's body—potions, enchantments, and alchemical grafts. Sacrificing a familiar's awakening potential for something so mundane would be a waste.
Thus, Magus decided to perform physical modification on the Great Lizard before the familiar transformation, hoping to alter its innate potential and broaden the range of abilities it might awaken.
The inspiration for this came from a book he had recently obtained—
"Extraction and Modification of Green Chameleon Abilities."
"Although you aren't a chameleon," Magus said softly, "you're still a lizard. Your bloodline should show high compatibility with chameleon traits."
He extended a hand, and another cage floated over from the laboratory shelf, landing gently in his palm.
Inside was a Green Chameleon—a rare species, though not classified as a magical creature. Acquiring enough specimens for experimentation had required help from Tyrion of the Fire Fox Merchant Guild.
The Operation
With a faint motion of his wrist, Magus summoned a scalpel into his grasp.
At that moment, the Great Lizard, sensing danger, began to thrash violently. But its prolonged confinement and daily blood loss had left it too weak to resist the telekinetic hold of Wizard's Hand.
Its tail twitched helplessly; its claws scraped against the metal table.
A low, despairing hiss escaped its throat, its reptilian eyes shimmering with a strangely human fear.
"Don't worry," Magus said calmly, his tone almost gentle.
"When the experiment is over, you'll become much stronger."
He cast a Sleep Spell, and the Great Lizard's eyelids fluttered briefly before closing. Within seconds, its massive body fell still.
Magus exhaled softly, adjusting the precision tools laid out before him.
Under the sterile glow of magical lamps, the laboratory seemed suspended in time—silent except for the faint hum of energy crystals powering the equipment.
Then came the faint shink of steel against metal as he lifted the scalpel.
The blade descended.
A soft slice echoed through the room as flesh parted under precise, deliberate movements.
The smell of blood mixed with the sterile scent of alchemical reagents, filling the air.
Runic energy flared briefly at his fingertips as Magus began extracting specific tissue samples—glands and nerve nodes related to the chameleon's color-changing and stealth mechanisms.
Each sample was meticulously preserved in crystal phials lined with preservation runes.
Then came the integration stage: transplanting, connecting, and infusing the chameleon's biological essence into the Great Lizard's body—guided by both surgical precision and spellwork.
Complex arrays of biomancy sigils glowed faintly on the lab floor as the procedure continued, their pulsing rhythm synchronizing with Magus's heartbeat.
It was delicate work—one wrong rune or unstable energy fluctuation could destroy both subjects instantly.
But Magus's concentration never wavered. His mind was razor-sharp, his hands steady as he worked, blending science, magic, and intuition into one seamless act of creation.
Hours passed.
Finally, Magus stepped back, wiping a trace of sweat from his brow.
The Great Lizard lay motionless on the table, but faint green and gold ripples of energy pulsed across its scales—evidence of successful fusion.
If his calculations were correct, once it recovered, the creature's physiology would adapt to its new traits, gaining latent abilities similar to the Green Chameleon's camouflage and adaptive skin modulation.
That, in turn, could influence the outcome of the familiar transformation, possibly granting it stealth or illusion-type awakening abilities—far more valuable than raw strength.
Magus looked down at his creation with quiet satisfaction.
"Step one… complete."
He extinguished the glowing runes, cleaned the surgical tools, and noted his results in the experimental ledger.
As he turned away, the faint light of dawn filtered through the narrow window of the lab.
Another long night's work had ended.
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