It would take the system a full week to update.
Yes—an entire week.
Alex didn't even wait until he fully exited the Wilderness. The moment the course officially ended, he triggered the system update.
He was simply too exhausted to care about anything else.
By the time he and Sherry reported back to the academy, they were still left with a five-day break. Five days might have sounded blissful… but the moment Alex tried to plan anything, reality hit him with a suplex.
He wanted to help Sherry find her parents.
But even with teleportation gates, reaching their last known location would take four to five days one way.
'So much for a relaxing break…'
And that wasn't the end of it.
Alicia had ventured into some labyrinth. Priscilla had been dragged back home for an "important family event," which probably meant she was being forced to act like a proper noble again.
With everyone gone and nothing particularly urgent calling for his attention, Alex resigned himself to his favourite task: learning magic of course.
And so, naturally, he dragged Aurora out. She owed him a Tier-5 spell anyway.
"Hey, Aurora," he said, stretching lazily, "isn't it about time you teach me some new magic spells?"
Aurora paused mid-air, blinking as if he had reminded her of a debt she'd hoped he'd forgotten. After a long second, she sighed lightly and nodded.
"You're right. With your current experience… you should be ready to learn more spells now."
She drifted lower until she hovered at eye level, her expression sharpening with sudden seriousness.
"The real question is… what kind of magic user do you want to become?"
Alex raised a brow. "There's a category for that?"
"There are several," she replied.
She lifted her fingers one by one, her tone turning instructional. "You can become a pure damage mage, unleashing destructive spells from afar. Or you might walk the path of a Dark Summoner, commanding a legion of undead. Or take the role of a support mage—weakening enemies with debuffs and curses. You could even follow the path of a Shadow Assassin—striking from the darkness with silent spells, slipping between shadows to appear behind your enemies, or killing from afar with curses that leave no trace of their caster."
She lowered her hand and floated in a slow, thoughtful circle around him. "Most people choose one or two paths. Their ability to learn spells is limited, after all."
Alex understood… mostly. But something didn't add up.
'Limited? Is there really a cap on how many spells someone can learn? And if that's true, why didn't she tell me earlier?'
He voiced his doubt aloud.
Aurora stopped mid-circle and stared at him with an expression that could only be described as stunned disbelief.
"Of course there's a limit!" she snapped. "That's common sense for normal people."
She crossed her arms, irritation flaring.
"And there are other restrictions too. Mages have to learn spells tier by tier—step by step. If you want a Tier-5 spell, you need Tier-4 first. Talent might let you skip ahead to Tier-3… but that's only when someone has exceptionally high affinity for magic."
Alex blinked. "...But I learned Soul Enslavement Seal after only a few Tier-1 and Tier-2 spells."
Aurora's eye twitched.
"Exactly. That rule just doesn't apply to you." She floated closer and poked his forehead. "You're the only anomaly who jumps from learning baby spells straight into learning Tier-5 magic like it's nothing."
Alex was left speechless.
He opened his mouth, ready to complain, but Aurora continued grumbling before he could squeeze a single word in.
"Well, I did teach you that spell in desperation," she muttered. "I wasn't thinking much at the time… but now that I look back, you're simply a variable in this world."
She straightened up and proudly puffed out her ample chest, "So? What type of spell do you want to learn? I know all kinds of dark magic spells."
Alex fell silent, turning the question over in his mind. After a moment, he voiced his decision.
"It seems I can definitely learn many more magic spells than others. Since that's the case, I'd like to learn all types of spells. It'll give me more options in battle… and I'll be able to traverse the Wilderness alone since I can fill any role."
Aurora's reaction was immediate.
A wide smile stretched across her face, as though she had been praying for exactly that answer.
She let out a gleeful, unrestrained laugh.
"That's the most exceptionally interesting thing I've heard in ages! I like it!"
She twirled upward in a graceful spin, her eyes glittering with excitement.
Inside her mind, she whispered to herself: 'I truly want to see it… what kind of terrifying mage you'll become on the battlefield.'
Aurora tapped her chin thoughtfully, "Let's start with Summon Skeleton Mage. It's a Tier-4 spell, and since you've already learned Summon Skeleton Soldiers, this one should come naturally. After that, we can move on to Tier-5 spells."
Alex nodded. That ordering made sense… or at least, as much sense as anything did when it came to him.
"This spell works similarly as to summoning Skeleton Soldiers," she explained. "But instead of five frontline fighters, it calls forth a single skeleton mage."
She held up a finger.
"Only one. But don't underestimate it. A Skeleton Mage is far stronger than ordinary summons. It can cast any Tier-1 and Tier-2 spell that you yourself can use."
Alex swallowed, excitement rising in his chest.
A minion that could cast spells on its own… 'This is basically having my own personal artillery unit.'
==============================
[The host has learned a new magic spell]
Tier: 4
Attribute: Dark
Mana Cost: 500
Mastery: F
==============================
"Good. Now that you've learned Summon Skeleton Mage… we can finally step into the realm of Tier-5 spells."
Aurora clapped her hands once. "Well then, let me teach you two spells that work beautifully together to bring chaos to your enemies."
She pointed forward, and a magic circle flared into existence. "Corrupt Mind. It twists the enemy's thoughts, forcing them to see hallucinations, illusions, or nightmares. They might even mistake their own allies for enemies, or see monsters where nothing exists."
Another circle materialized beside the first, swirling with darker, heavier mana. "And this… Dark Mist. It spreads a dense black fog across the battlefield, weakening everything caught inside. Their bodies, their senses, even their mana becomes corrupted—making it nearly impossible to cast spells."
Alex's eyes widened.
Both spells were powerful on their own… but together?
'This is broken. Completely broken.'
A grin tugged at his lips, impossible to suppress.
A vivid scene flashed through his mind—an entire battlefield swallowed by black fog, enemies screaming, stumbling, attacking shadows and each other while he walked through the chaos untouched.
'Perfect.'
==============================
[The host has learned a new magic spell]
Tier: 5
Attribute: Dark
Mana Cost: 5000
Mastery: F
==============================
==============================
[The host has learned a new magic spell]
Tier: 5
Attribute: Dark
Mana Cost: 2000, 500 MP/sec
Mastery: F
==============================
After he learned both spells, Aurora floated closer with an eager, almost excited glint in her eyes.
"Well," she said, practically bouncing, "now that you've learned two debuff spells, what do you want next? An attack spell? A stealth spell?"