Translator: CinderTL
Before heading to Pine Wood Town, Roland had spent some time studying and learning under Bronson.
During this period, he learned from Bronson the key steps recorded in ancient texts for a wizard to cast spells.
First, one must master a meditation technique to cultivate mental power, thereby opening the Deep Sea of Consciousness within the mind.
Next, one must learn spell runes and use powerful mental power to imprint them within the Deep Sea of Consciousness.
Finally, one must master a special technique to draw the necessary Magic Element from the air, activating the spell runes within the Deep Sea of Consciousness and ultimately completing the spellcasting process.
However, Roland faced two insurmountable obstacles in his quest to cast spells and increase his strength.
First, he currently lacked a means to obtain a meditation technique.
Second, Bronson, expelled from the High Tower and never even a wizard apprentice, had never learned any spell runes.
Even if he had learned them, the High Tower's restrictions would have prevented him from sharing this knowledge with anyone.
Therefore, even though the world's Magic Elements are gradually reviving, Roland cannot become a true spellcaster in the short term.
In contrast, the conditions for performing tricks are far more lenient.
While tricks also require inscribing runes and drawing Magic Elements from the air, they only need to be inscribed on the Consciousness Shoal.
As for the Consciousness Shoal, anyone with slightly above-average mental power possesses this trait; the only difference lies in whether they can successfully awaken it.
Bronson's research on spell patterns has already provided a solution to the problem of drawing Magic Elements.
However, the smoothness and speed of casting spells or tricks are still constrained by a crucial factor: the speed at which Magic Elements are drawn from the air and their purity.
Theoretically, the purer the Magic Elements drawn, the smoother the casting process and the faster the casting speed.
Upon entering the room, Bronson had mentioned his improvements to the spell patterns.
Although their capacity had been reduced, the speed at which they drew Magic Elements had significantly increased.
If we were to carve the improved spell pattern onto this special bone...
Bronson immediately grasped the hidden meaning in Roland's words.
His eyes lit up with astonishing brilliance, and his left hand swiftly snatched a piece of parchment. The feather quill scratched across the surface with a rustling sound.
"Since the bone itself can contain such pure Magic Element..."
He muttered to himself, the quill tracing intricate patterns on the parchment.
"Then we can completely abandon the spell pattern's storage function and focus on..."
When the quill finally stopped, the scholar's fingers trembled with excitement. He grabbed Roland's shoulder, his voice low but unable to conceal its tremor.
"Roland! You're a genius!"
The ink on the parchment, still wet, shimmered faintly in the sunlight.
"Let the spell pattern specialize in absorbing Magic Element, while the bone serves as the carrier. This is a perfect combination!"
"Mr. Bronson," Roland said calmly, gently removing the hand from his shoulder. "You're just temporarily overwhelmed by excitement. Even without my reminder, you would have thought of this soon enough."
Noticing the increasingly bright light in the other man's eyes, he changed the subject at the opportune moment.
His fingertips lightly tapped the surface of the bone, producing a crisp sound.
"Mr. Bronson, based on your professional judgment, if we were to carve a spell pattern onto this bone, how many times would it hold enough Magic Element to release a trick?"
This question was like a splash of cold water, gradually cooling the fervor in Bronson's eyes.
He frowned, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the edge of the bone.
"Well..."
After a moment of contemplation, he rubbed his hands together with a slightly embarrassed expression.
"Roland, I'll need some time to make a detailed calculation."
At this point, the scholar suddenly grabbed Roland's sleeve with urgency, then quickly realized his lapse and let go.
"Could I keep this bone here temporarily? I swear..."
Bronson pounded his chest to emphasize his guarantee, but it triggered a violent fit of coughing.
"Cough, cough... I give you my word of honor that I won't damage it in the slightest."
"Of course, Mr. Bronson."
Roland raised an eyebrow slightly.
Even if the other man hadn't asked, he had planned to do just that.
Professional matters should be left to professionals.
With his current knowledge, even ten more years of study wouldn't catch up to this scholar, who had spent years in the High Tower and was obsessed with research.
"However... if the research progresses smoothly..."
Hearing this, Bronson hastily picked up the chipped wooden cup and gulped down several mouthfuls of water. After calming his breath, he solemnly promised, "As we agreed, all research findings will be at your disposal."
Wiping the water from his beard, his eyes gleamed with pure research fervor. "You know, I've always pursued truth itself."
"Deal."
Roland slowly pushed the white bone toward Bronson and then produced six silver coins from his waist pouch. The coins clinked crisply as they landed on the wooden table.
"This is two months' advance research funding, Mr. Bronson. I hope you won't disappoint me."
"Leave it to me!"
Bronson's spirits immediately lifted at the sight of the silver coins. He instinctively raised his hand to thump his chest but froze mid-air. The recent coughing fit still lingered in his mind, so he sheepishly retracted his hand and scratched the back of his unkempt head instead.
"There's one more thing..."
Roland's knuckles tapped rhythmically on the oak table. "When can we begin learning Trick Runes?"
Bronson's hand, which had been caressing the silver coins, suddenly stopped.
"Wait, have you completely mastered the ancient script I taught you?"
The scholar's eyes widened in surprise.
Those complex ancient texts had taken him years to barely grasp.
"Not yet."
Roland unconsciously rubbed his temples.
Each time he studied the ancient script, it felt like he had taken a sleeping pill, making him drowsy.
Only by activating his focus trait could he barely stay awake.
Hearing this, Bronson exhaled in relief and placed the silver coin into his purse.
"Listen, Roland, engraving Trick Rune arrays on the Consciousness Shoal is an extremely personal art."
He picked up a quill and drew a demonstration pattern on parchment.
"You must first be able to independently decipher the ancient script—even if you only understand most of it—before you can adjust the rune array to suit your own needs."
The ink on the parchment snaked across the surface like a serpent in the candlelight. Roland stared at the lines.
"Then how does an ordinary person awaken their Consciousness Shoal?"
"As far as I know, there are three methods."
Bronson held up three bony fingers, their knuckles casting long shadows in the sunlight.
"The first is to practice the Echo Technique. It's a fragmented meditation technique the High Tower provides to every student free of charge, but you know..."
Bronson tapped his temple and sighed helplessly.
"Restricted by a prohibition, I can't directly transmit it to you."
"The second method is natural awakening."
Bronson frowned, struggling to recall the knowledge in his mind.
"In very rare cases, individuals with naturally active mental power may awaken their Consciousness Shoal under specific circumstances, such as a powerful mental shock or prolonged exposure to an environment rich in Magic Element."
"The third method involves consuming a secret medicine."
At this point, Bronson gently patted Roland's shoulder.
"Rest assured, I have all the necessary ingredients to concoct the secret medicine. It's just..."
Following his gaze, Roland saw a pile of debris in the corner that looked as if it had been swept through by a tornado. Amidst the chaos, he could vaguely make out various tattered pouches and unidentified instruments.
"Ahem... I might need some time to tidy up."
Bronson used his toe to kick a rolling ceramic jar back into the pile.
"And the brewing process..."
He turned back to the bookshelf and rummaged for a long time before finally pulling out a notebook stained with watermarks. He awkwardly shook out a few dried violet petals from its pages.
"I need to brush up on it a bit."
"I understand."
Roland wasn't disappointed by this explanation.
However, after glancing at the scholar's sunken cheeks and prominent collarbones, he couldn't help but sigh softly.
"Mr. Bronson, I'll have Matthew deliver meals to you promptly every day from now on."
Bronson tapped the rock-hard black bread on the table.
"No matter how important your research is, you still need to eat and sleep on time."
"Right..."
The unexpected concern left Bronson flustered. He could only rub his rough knuckles unconsciously across the table, leaving shallow scratches.
To ease the tension, Roland changed the subject.
"By the way, do you have any leads on the original owner of this bone?"
"It's definitely a demonic beast, but..."
As expected, the moment the conversation turned to academic matters, Bronson immediately forgot his earlier embarrassment.
His brow furrowed, and his fingers unconsciously twirled his beard.
"Ancient texts from before the Year of the Apocalypse mention many similar species of demonic beasts that possessed both fire element affinity and immense size. I'll need to consult some ancient texts for further verification."
"Thank you for your help, Mr. Bronson."
Roland nodded slightly.
"In that case, I'll take my leave now. I'll return later to study ancient script with you."
"Take care, Roland!"
Bronson said the polite farewell, but he was already practically shoving Roland out the door.
As the wooden door slammed shut with a bang, his excited muttering drifted through the crack: "Should I test the elemental conductivity first...?"
Hearing the immediate sound of frantic rummaging inside, Roland couldn't help but shake his head and smile.
He felt no disappointment about failing to master the trick in such a short time. After all, compared to true spells, tricks were laughably weak, at best serving as auxiliary attacks.
In Roland's view, the fastest way to grow stronger was to use the power of the Job Panel to quickly complete his warrior certification, awaken more skills, and unlock more classes.
With this thought, he quickened his pace, disappearing from the wooden hut in the blink of an eye.
(End of the Chapter)
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🔓 𝐰𝐰𝐰.𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦 — 13 Series (7 Ongoing) | 14+ New Chapters Daily | 7,200+ FREE