After extracting the Beginner Meditation Method, Edwyn nearly passed out on the spot. But clinging to his willpower, he forced himself to begin meditating with the new technique.
Once his Spiritforce recovered, he began practicing the method in earnest.
Compared to the basic version, the beginner technique introduced seven new mental runes. While these allowed Edwyn to remain longer in the Sea of Souls, they also made the process twice as difficult.
He failed many times before, finally, with a bit of luck, successfully constructing all ten mental runes.
Now, the Beginner Meditation Method allowed Edwyn to remain in the soul sea for four hours, double the time granted by the basic version.
And that extra time mattered. The longer one could remain in the soul sea, the greater the benefit. Those two extra hours gave him more progress than six hours with the old method.
But meditation couldn't be repeated too frequently. Doing so risked the soul getting lost, unable to return.
So after meditating, Edwyn chose to head back to the library.
The academy's library was open 24/7. Even at night, there were still plenty of apprentices reading and studying.
Edwyn had much to learn, and what he had now, was time.
The entrance exam came to a close. In just ten days, over half of the nearly ten thousand participants had died. Those who survived were admitted to the academy.
During this time, Edwyn used the library's free books to build a foundational understanding of the Magus World and its customs. His Spiritforce also grew, from 15 to 15.1, thanks to the beginner method.
With the exam period over, the academy began offering free lectures.
Each student received four free classes per month. After that, classes required Mana Stones to attend.
For the first three years, the academy would issue one Mana Stone per month to each new student. If they wanted more, they'd need to complete academy-issued quests or trade with other students.
The first three years were considered a "newcomer phase." During this time, no assignments were mandatory.
But after that, if students wanted to stay, they'd have to pass a review:
Engrave at least one spell sigil.
Reach 20 points of Spiritforce.
Only then would they be recognized as Elementary Apprentices.
Dong, dong, dong!
The heavy bell echoed through the academy. It was 8 a.m.
Even in another world, Edwyn hadn't escaped the curse of early classes.
Today was Introduction to Alchemy, Edwyn's first official lesson.
He sat in a stepped lecture hall on the third floor of the Central Black Tower. Elia sat beside him. The room was packed.
"Edwyn, where's the teacher? They're late..." Elia asked, looking at his profile, her thoughts drifting.
They'd been at the academy for six days, yet Edwyn still acted distant, always buried in books or meditating. The only time he went to the dining hall was when she invited him.
...Am I really that unappealing? she wondered.
"Maybe something held them up," Edwyn replied, flipping through Foundations of Spellcasting, barely paying attention.
He wasn't interested in Elia's concerns. Right now, he was immersed in knowledge.
The book fascinated him. Elemental magic, soul magic, necromancy, curses, each type had its strengths. It also introduced the concept of a combat system.
A powerful Mage always had a defined combat system, centered around a core spell, with a range of supplementary spells for different scenarios. That way, they could adapt to any threat in planar wars or Mage duels.
If he were to build his own system, it would have to start with...
Thud, thud, thud...
Footsteps echoed outside the lecture hall. The chatter died instantly.
Bang.
The classroom door slammed open.
In walked a tall woman in a Mage's robe, black leather boots clicking against the floor. Her long hair framed a cold, alluring face with narrow eyes that gave her an air of mystery.
A black cat in human form. That was Edwyn's first impression.
She stepped up to the podium and wrote a bold line on the blackboard:
"What Is a Mage?"
"Good morning. I'm Agnes Darkwood, apprentice of Mage Joron of the Alchemy School. My mentor was supposed to teach this class, but he's in the middle of a critical experiment. So, I'll be your lecturer instead."
Her voice was calm but carried undeniable authority.
"So, who can tell me, what is a Mage?"
She scanned the room with her pointer. Though she stood below the students, it felt as if she were looking down at everyone.
"You, answer."
She pointed at one student.
"Um... a Mage is someone who can use magic?" the student said uncertainly.
"A valid trait," Agnes replied. "Anyone else?"
She nodded and motioned for him to sit, then pointed to another.
"I think a Mage is someone who uses mana to change the world."
"Also good. But still surface-level."
She asked several more. None satisfied her.
Then her pointer landed on Edwyn.
"You, what do you think a Mage is?"
Edwyn met her eyes. Unlike the others, who had avoided her gaze, he faced her directly.
Her sharp stare seemed to bore a hole through him, but he didn't flinch.
Taking a deep breath, Edwyn answered:
"I think a Mage is a madman in pursuit of knowledge. Magic and mana, they're just byproducts of that pursuit."
The room went silent.
Everyone stared at Edwyn. His answer seemed absurd, magic and mana were what defined Mages. How could they be mere side effects?
"Very good," Agnes said.
She gestured for him to sit, then wrote his words on the board: "A Mage is a madman in pursuit of knowledge."
"This sentence is the key to whether you become a Mage or not. My mentor once told me this. Now I'm telling it to you."
Her words stunned the class. Becoming a Mage was their ultimate goal.
But what did this mean?
Everyone interpreted it in their own way.
Edwyn looked at Agnes. The quote he gave wasn't his own. He had read it in a book, spoken by none other than the Chairman of the Council of Truth, ruler of the Magus World.
At first, Edwyn thought the guy was just showing off.
"I only seek knowledge. Magic and mana? Oh, I picked those up along the way."
But hearing Agnes say it today… he understood it differently.
"Why madman? Why not just call them scholars?"
Looking at the board, Edwyn wrote a line in his notes: "Perhaps it's not that madmen chase knowledge, but that to chase knowledge, one must become a madman."