The spell shop was also located on the 50th floor of the Central Black Tower, but compared to the library, it was much smaller.
As Edwyn stepped through the door, the first thing he saw was a counter. Behind it stood a mechanical automaton similar to the ones at the Seven Luminaries Consortium, though this one was rougher in construction. Many of its mechanisms were exposed, and a dense array of gears could be seen turning inside.
Behind the automaton were rows of shelves holding spell models. Edwyn counted only three rows, far fewer than the library.
"Please state the spell models you wish to purchase," the mechanical attendant rasped in a voice that sounded like grinding metal.
"Lesser Fireball and Ice Spike," Edwyn replied. He had decided on these spells in advance.
The power of Lesser Fireball spoke for itself, it was considered a deadly weapon among low-level apprentices and was one of the most expensive first-circle spells, valued at 100 Mana Stones. As for Ice Spike, Edwyn had his own theory.
Though the name Ice Spike was straightforward, those who had cast it knew that its damage came primarily from speed, not the inherent power of the ice. That detail had caught Edwyn's attention.
If Ice Spike's lethality came from kinetic force, then its spell model must contain a component responsible for generating momentum.
And Edwyn had some interesting ideas for that component.
"Total: 1,100 Academy Credits."
Edwyn handed over a stack of Academy currency he had exchanged on the way. The automaton opened its chest compartment, inserted the notes, and verified the amount with a short grinding sound.
"Amount verified. Please wait."
The automaton turned to press a few buttons on the shelves.
With a metallic clatter, a pipe descended from above the counter, echoing with internal movement.
Clang!
Two scrolls shot out from the pipe. The automaton caught them midair.
"Please receive: Lesser Fireball spell model, Ice Spike spell model."
"Pneumatic tube delivery," Edwyn muttered. He recognized the system immediately. To think another world would use something so familiar.
He stored the scrolls carefully. Unlike crystal orbs that transferred information directly to the mind, these scrolls were written on parchment. This allowed the academy to add curses to prevent reselling, and it also avoided the cost of expensive transfer crystals.
Back in his dorm, Edwyn handed the Ice Spike scroll to Elia. Since he hadn't yet opened it, the curse hadn't triggered, and the scroll could still be transferred.
"You want me to isolate the part that provides kinetic force?" Elia asked, puzzled. Everyone else tried to add effects to spells, why was Edwyn trying to dismantle one?
Edwyn nodded. "Yes. Take that component and give it back to me. I've got some experiments in mind."
As an alchemy-focused Mage, Edwyn knew he couldn't match Elia's understanding of Evocation runes. That was one of the limitations of being an apprentice, time was short, and unless one had a mentor, dual-specialization was almost impossible.
"Alright. Give me three months. I promise I'll figure it out." Elia accepted the scroll without hesitation, then added casually, "Oh, and by the way, Lady Susanna officially accepted me as her apprentice."
"Already? That's great. Congratulations!" Edwyn offered her a formal gesture of celebration. Elia becoming a formal apprentice of a powerful Mage meant his investment had paid off.
Unlike Joron, most mentors didn't charge Mana Stones for knowledge. Once someone became a formal apprentice, they received a significant, or even complete, portion of their master's legacy.
"That's it?" Elia puffed up her cheeks. "That's all you've got to say?"
"Uh… was I supposed to do something else?" Edwyn scratched his head. Maybe she wanted him to treat her to dinner? But wasn't she supposed to treat him instead?
"You… you… you're not even going to compliment me?!" Elia looked like an angry pufferfish but then deflated. "Ugh, forget it. You're always like this. Still, say something nice. Now!"
Edwyn couldn't help but chuckle. After a few offhand compliments, Elia finally let him go.
Back in his room, Edwyn didn't rush to read the scroll. Instead, he grabbed a handful of iron pellets and headed to the balcony.
"Moony! Come get your snacks!"
The moment he spoke, a green-eyed raven swooped in and landed on his arm, eagerly pecking at the iron pellets.
"Moony" was the name Edwyn had given his Death Raven. After a year of feeding and care, the creature had grown quite affectionate.
It wouldn't be long before he could safely implant a soul seed.
Once Moony was fed, Edwyn returned to his room and unrolled the Lesser Fireball scroll.
A Mage's soul could only hold a limited number of spell imprints. The more spells stored, the greater the burden on the soul. But this limit increased with Spiritforce.
As a student, one could hold at most four spells. While they could be erased later, removing an imprint required an expensive ritual.
That made each spell choice extremely important.
Lesser Fireball was considered one of the most cost-effective First-Circle Evocation spells, excellent for both elemental and physical damage.
The scroll showed a complex two-dimensional diagram filled with densely packed runes. But from a distance, the outer layer of runes formed an almost perfect ring.
This ring was where the term "circle" in spell levels came from.
However, the circle only indicated complexity, not power. Among Mages, there was a saying: "There is no best spell, only the most suitable."
Spells were tools, and a tool was only useful in the right situation.
Memorizing a spell was a long, risky process. One had to engrave the model directly into the soul in a single sitting. Interruptions meant failure, and sometimes, even permanent mental damage.
Fortunately, Edwyn had the Infinite Forge.
With just 5 points of Spiritforce, the Lesser Fireball model was etched firmly into his memory.
Once memorized, the rest was easy.
He sat cross-legged on the bed and entered a meditative state. Inside his soul space, he constructed the spell runes one by one using spiritual energy, arranging them according to the model.
Then, he filled each rune with more Spiritforce, slowly merging them into his soul.
The process took all night.
At dawn, as the last rune fused, Edwyn felt a sudden pressure, not on his body, but on his soul.
This weight meant one thing: the imprint had settled. He had succeeded.
"Finally… Now let's see how strong this raw version of Lesser Fireball really is."
Edwyn's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
He needed to blow something up, now.