Learned in Hours - My Supreme Magus System

Alex lay sprawled on the ground. If not for his fast, erratic breathing, an unsuspecting observer might have mistaken him for dead. He was utterly exhausted—so drained that even lifting a finger felt impossible.

Aurora floated down and hovered near his head, tilting her face curiously as she reached out and poked his cheek.

No response.

She poked him again. Harder.

Still nothing.

Alex was simply too exhausted to react to her antics.

He groaned faintly, eyes fixed on the ceiling. His mind felt just as empty as his mana pool. The past three days blurred together—Elena's training had been nothing short of brutal.

Mana Shield and Mana Wave weren't particularly efficient or powerful. But they could still reduce incoming damage—and in emergencies, they could save lives.

More importantly, the first exercise hadn't just been about defense.

It had been about perception instead.

Reading mana flow. Interpreting spell construction. Reacting to intent rather than motion.

Three days later, the results spoke for themselves.

Alex could now track Elena's mana with unnerving precision. Even as she moved, even as she attacked from blind angles, he could deploy Mana Shield at the exact instant of impact—or release Mana Wave with just enough output to deflect her spells without wasting mana.

That alone would have been impressive.

What truly surprised Elena was how quickly he had reached that level.

She stood a short distance away, arms folded, eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she observed him lying there. During training, she had limited herself to Tier-1 and Tier-2 spells—and even then, she deliberately held back.

Yet despite that restraint, the magic power behind her Tier-1 spells rivaled the Tier-3 spells of most students in the academy.

For an ordinary mage, attacks of that level would have been overwhelming.

Alex, however, had learned to deal with them—cleanly.

In a real fight against average mages, he could likely disperse their spells with a casual wave of mana.

As for Mana Bind and Mana Bullet, they were useful foundations—but not techniques he would rely on often.

Elena glanced down at Alex once more.

"…You did well." she said quietly.

Alex didn't have the strength to respond.

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Every day, out of sheer stubbornness—and no small amount of shyness—Alex somehow managed to drag his battered body all the way back to his room.

Elena had offered, once, to carry him.

He had refused immediately.

The mere memory of being carried by Alicia like a princess was still vivid enough to make his face heat up. There was absolutely no way he was letting that happen again. Not with Elena. Not ever.

So he endured it.

Step by painful step, leaning heavily against the walls, stopping far more often than he cared to admit, Alex made his way through the quiet corridors. By the time he reached his destination, his legs were trembling so badly he nearly collapsed in front of the door.

Fortunately, his room wasn't far.

To better facilitate his training, Elena had arranged for him to stay in one of the guest rooms within the same building. It was part of her personal quarters—a secluded block reserved almost entirely for her use.

That came with certain… privileges.

The entire building was heavily warded and isolated from the rest of the academy. No interruptions. No curious onlookers. Alex could train, recover, and move about freely without drawing attention.

Even meals were taken care of.

Food was delivered directly to his room at set times. He didn't have to worry about schedules, lines, or unwanted encounters.

Right now, though, none of that mattered.

Alex fumbled with the door, shoved it open, and barely made it inside before collapsing face-first onto the bed. The mattress swallowed him whole, and for a moment, he didn't even have the energy to groan.

Aurora drifted in after him, hovering above the bed as she looked down with mild amusement.

"…You know," she said lightly, "for someone who refused to be carried, you look about three seconds away from dying."

Alex muffled his reply into the pillow. "Worth it."

Aurora laughed softly.

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The next morning, Elena returned, a thin stack of scrolls and several books tucked under her arm.

"For now, we've covered the basics," she said, handing him the materials. "And I have a clear understanding of your current capabilities."

Alex glanced down at the pile in his hands.

"For the next week, this will be your focus." She tapped the scrolls one by one. "These contain Ice magic spells—one spell per tier, from Tier-1 to Tier-5. The books expand on theory, structure, and mana circulation specific to Ice affinity."

Alex blinked.

"Earlier, I considered acquiring Dark magic spells for you," she went on. "But since you'll be presenting Ice attribute magic affinity, fortunately, the academy has a respectable selection of Ice magic."

She straightened, her expression turning businesslike. "Try your best to memorize these spells." After a brief pause, she added, "I'll be occupied with administrative matters for the next few days. When I return, I expect you to have learned all five."

Alex tilted his head slightly. "All five?"

Elena met his gaze evenly. "With your talent, Tier-1 to Tier-3 should take less than half a day. Tier-4 and Tier-5 will be more demanding—perhaps a few days at most."

She turned to leave, clearly satisfied with the plan.

"Principal." Alex said suddenly.

Elena stopped and glanced back over her shoulder. "Yes?"

"I won't need a few days." he said calmly. "A few hours should be enough."

Silence followed.

Then Elena laughed—not mockingly, but with genuine amusement.

"I know you're talented," she said, shaking her head. "Exceptionally so. But let's not praise ourselves into delusion. Even geniuses don't learn Tier-4 spells in hours—let alone Tier-5."

She waved a dismissive hand. "Do your best. We'll talk when I return."

And with that, she left without another glance, her footsteps echoing faintly down the corridor. The past few days of relentless training had piled work onto her desk, and she clearly intended to deal with it.

The door closed softly behind her.

Aurora floated into view, arms crossed, watching the doorway for a moment before sighing.

"Poor Elena." she said, sounding almost sympathetic.

Alex looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"She still doesn't know," Aurora replied, lips curling into a mischievous smile, "that the scariest part of your talent is how effortlessly you memorize magic spells."

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Alex picked up the first scroll and carefully unfurled it.

An intricate magic circle was etched into the parchment—layered, complex, and dense with meaning. Beneath it were two short lines of text: the spell's name, and its incantation.

He studied it for a few seconds.

Then he rolled the scroll back up and reached for one of the books.

After flipping through several pages, his interest faded quickly.

The explanations were long-winded, padded with historical anecdotes, excessive safety warnings, and theory clearly meant for students still struggling with fundamentals. Each chapter even had a small sigil printed along the margin—scan it with a smartphone, and it would open recorded video lectures on the maginet.

Alex closed the book with a soft thud.

"I don't need this." he muttered.

He returned to the scrolls.

One by one, he unfurled them, committing each magic circle to memory. He didn't rush, but he didn't hesitate either. The patterns settled into his mind as naturally as breathing.

When he finished the last scroll, Alex glanced at the clock.

Barely two and a half hours had passed.

All five spells—from Tier-1 to Tier-5—were already memorized.

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