Two days had passed since Ivan signed the Apprentice Development Contract.
At this moment, he was sitting inside the same classroom, quietly waiting for the teacher who would conduct today's lesson.
Originally, Ivan had planned to rest for a day before returning to the D4 Resource Zone and continuing his hunt for poisonous spiders. A week of continuous hunting had left him mentally exhausted.
Although his physical condition remained excellent, the constant vigilance required while hunting magical creatures had placed considerable strain on his mind. He had therefore planned to spend a day relaxing before returning to the resource zone.
However, his original plan had to change.
The reason could be traced back to the previous night.
After spending the entire day relaxing and practicing some Knight skills, Ivan had just completed his daily meditation and was quietly enjoying the feeling of his increased Mental Energy when his academy badge suddenly chimed.
Ivan glanced at it.
A notification had appeared.
It was a notice regarding a class that would be held the following day.
At first, Ivan was not particularly interested.
During the previous week, two classes had already been held, but Ivan had not attended either of them.
Both classes had focused on basic theories.
For Ivan, who had already mastered almost all of the basic theoretical knowledge taught at this stage, attending such lessons would simply be a waste of time.
However, as he continued reading the notification, one detail suddenly caught his attention.
The class was related to spell theory.
And there was an additional note.
While teaching the theoretical content, the teacher would also teach one spell to all the Wizard Apprentices attending the class.
A spell.
Ivan's attention was immediately caught.
Ever since he had learned that the wizard path allowed people to wield supernatural powers, there had been one particular thing that had always interested him.
Spells.
Especially the iconic Fireball.
After all, who had never imagined themselves holding a wooden stick in their childhood and shouting—
"Fireball!"
—and imagining a blazing sphere of flame shooting through the air?
Ivan certainly had.
Although his understanding of the wizarding world had long surpassed the childish fantasies of his previous life, that curiosity had never completely disappeared.
It had simply been buried beneath countless other matters.
Perhaps, deep inside, every man still retained a little bit of the child he once was.
And Ivan was no exception.
Now that an actual spell was going to be taught, there was naturally no reason for him to suppress that curiosity any longer.
Thus, instead of returning to the D4 Resource Zone to hunt poisonous spiders, Ivan found himself sitting inside the classroom.
Ivan quietly leaned back in his seat.
Beside him, Olivia was also waiting for the lesson to begin.
She had been somewhat surprised earlier when she saw Ivan enter the classroom.
During the previous two classes, Ivan had been completely absent. Therefore, Olivia had naturally assumed that Ivan would probably skip most of the academy's basic lessons.
She had not expected him to appear today.
Ivan casually glanced around the classroom.
Unlike the previous lessons, the entire classroom was packed.
Every seat was occupied.
The Wizard Apprentices were chatting with one another. Although their voices were relatively low, Ivan could still hear fragments of their conversations.
Most of their discussions were related to the same topic.
The spell they were about to learn.
Clearly, the promise of learning an actual spell had attracted almost every apprentice.
Even Ivan was somewhat curious about what kind of spell the academy would teach them.
At that moment, a shadow suddenly fell across the entrance of the classroom.
Soon afterward, a middle-aged Wizard Apprentice slowly walked inside.
Judging from the badge on his chest, he was a High-Level Wizard Apprentice.
He appeared to be around thirty to thirty-five years old. His face was slightly lean, and a faint scar stretched across one of his cheeks, adding a trace of roughness to his otherwise ordinary appearance.
His short black hair was neatly combed, and his expression remained calm and indifferent.
He was the kind of person who would disappear into a crowd without attracting anyone's attention. There was nothing particularly remarkable about his appearance, yet his steady movements carried a quiet sense of composure.
His entire body was covered in a black wizard robe.
The High-Level Wizard Apprentice walked toward the center of the classroom without saying a word.
He simply stopped there and looked across the room.
His gaze was calm and scrutinizing.
As his eyes swept across the apprentices, the chatter gradually disappeared.
One voice after another fell silent.
The High-Level Wizard Apprentice continued observing them.
One minute passed.
Then another.
Nearly five minutes later, the entire classroom had become completely quiet.
Nobody dared to speak.
Only then did the High-Level Wizard Apprentice finally open his mouth.
"I am High-Level Wizard Apprentice Bran."
"Today, I will be teaching you Spell Theory."
He paused briefly.
"Along with the theoretical lesson, I will also teach you one spell."
A faint ripple of excitement spread through the classroom.
Ivan's expression became slightly sharper.
Bran continued.
"If you have any questions during the lesson, raise your hand before speaking."
"Do not interrupt the lesson."
His words were simple and direct.
Ivan silently evaluated the teacher.
Straightforward.
That was the impression Bran gave him.
He also did not seem like someone who enjoyed speaking unnecessarily.
Without saying anything else, Bran raised one hand.
Instantly, a three-dimensional magical projection of a human body slowly appeared in the center of the classroom.
The projection was extremely detailed.
The internal structure of the human body could clearly be seen within it.
"All of you should have already learned the basic magic theory."
Bran's gaze swept across the classroom.
"So today, I will begin the lesson with a question."
The apprentices immediately focused their attention on him.
Bran raised one finger.
Several lines of text slowly appeared beside the magical projection.
"Can anyone tell me why only Intermediate Wizard Apprentices can cast spells while Low-Level Wizard Apprentices cannot?"
The classroom immediately became lively.
Several Wizard Apprentices exchanged glances.
Some quietly discussed the answer with the people sitting beside them.
The question itself was not difficult.
Anyone who had properly studied the basic magic theory could answer it.
After several seconds, a female Wizard Apprentice sitting near the front slowly raised her hand.
Bran nodded toward her.
Seeing this, the female apprentice slowly stood.
"Teacher," she spoke carefully.
"In the Low-Level Wizard Apprentice realm, our bodies are still essentially mortal bodies. They haven't adapted enough to withstand the effects of spellcasting."
"Although Mental Energy and mana gradually strengthen our bodies during this stage, our bodies are still adapting to magical power."
"After we break through to the Intermediate Wizard Apprentice realm, this adaptation process will be almost complete. Our compatibility with magical power will also increase."
"At that point, magical power can circulate throughout our bodies much more efficiently, allowing us to safely construct spells and withstand the power produced during spellcasting."
Bran gave a simple nod.
"A standard answer."
The female apprentice visibly relaxed.
Bran turned his attention toward the rest of the classroom.
"So, in the Low-Level Wizard Apprentice realm, your bodies are still adapting to magical power."
"Therefore, you cannot safely use spells."
"That is the basic understanding."
He paused for a moment.
"But now, I am going to tell you something that seems completely contradictory to this understanding."
Bran's words immediately attracted everyone's attention.
He looked across the classroom.
The apprentices' eyes were filled with curiosity.
"Although your bodies are not sufficiently adapted for spellcasting in the Low-Level Wizard Apprentice realm, you have already opened your Soul Sea."
"And as long as you possess a Soul Sea..."
"You can cast spells."
The moment those words fell, the entire classroom erupted.
"What?"
"How is that possible?"
"Low-Level Wizard Apprentices can cast spells?"
Several Wizard Apprentices looked at one another in disbelief.
They had studied the basic magic theory.
It clearly stated that Low-Level Wizard Apprentices could not cast spells.
Bran's expression remained unchanged.
He gently raised a hand.
The discussion quickly died down.
"In the basic magic theory, it is stated that Low-Level Wizard Apprentices cannot cast spells because their bodies cannot withstand the magical power."
"But nowhere does it say that casting a spell is impossible."
"It only means that your bodies cannot bear the consequences of doing so."
The apprentices became even more confused.
"Let me give you a simple example."
"In the Low-Level Wizard Apprentice realm, your bodies are still essentially mortal bodies."
"They are fragile."
"However, your Soul Sea has already been opened, meaning you possess the ability to learn spells."
"Suppose you have learned a Fireball spell."
As he spoke, Bran slowly raised his hand.
A circular spell circuit appeared above his palm.
The spell circuit flashed.
A moment later, a fireball roughly the size of a tennis ball formed in his hand.
The moment the fireball appeared, the attention of every apprentice was immediately captured.
The blazing sphere of flame hovered quietly above Bran's palm.
Even from a distance, the apprentices could feel the terrifying heat radiating from it.
Bran continued speaking.
"Although you can cast spells in the Low-Level Wizard Apprentice realm, your bodies are still mortal."
"They cannot withstand the effects produced by those spells."
"You can see that I have cast a Fireball."
"The temperature of this fireball is extremely high."
"It can even melt metal."
Bran looked at the fireball.
"Now imagine placing this fireball directly upon your mortal hand."
"What do you think would happen?"
Several apprentices instinctively imagined the scene.
Bran answered his own question.
"Your hand would be burned almost instantly."
As his voice fell, the magical projection of the human body suddenly changed.
A Fireball appeared directly above the projected hand, perfectly recreating the scene Bran had just described.
The moment the Fireball appeared upon the projected hand, the flesh was instantly engulfed by intense heat and flames. The surface of the hand was rapidly charred, while the surrounding flesh began to show severe signs of burning.
The intense heat continued spreading through the projected arm, causing further damage to the surrounding flesh.
"The intense heat would not only incinerate your hand. The resulting damage would spread through your body as well."
"Your body simply cannot withstand that level of temperature."
"So, although you possess the ability to cast spells in the Low-Level Wizard Apprentice realm, doing so is not worth the cost."
"You may even permanently cripple yourself."
"That is why the basic magic theory states that Low-Level Wizard Apprentices cannot cast spells."
"It is not because casting spells is absolutely impossible."
"It is to prevent reckless apprentices from injuring themselves."
The apprentices gradually nodded.
The confusion in their eyes disappeared.
They finally understood the reason behind the seemingly contradictory information.
Bran extinguished the Fireball.
"Now that you understand the basic requirements for casting spells..."
He paused.
"What exactly is a spell?"
"And how does it actually work?"
The classroom became quiet once again.
This question was considerably more difficult.
Some apprentices began discussing it among themselves.
Others lowered their heads and silently contemplated the answer.
This time, the waiting period was considerably longer.
Finally, a young Wizard Apprentice sitting near the middle slowly raised his hand.
After receiving Bran's permission, he stood.
"Teacher, spells are a method of channeling supernatural powers."
Bran nodded.
"From an observational perspective, your answer is correct."
"But theoretically speaking, it is not the right answer."
"You may sit down."
The apprentice respectfully sat down.
Another Wizard Apprentice stood.
"Teacher, a spell is a pathway that allows us to channel our mana and perform various forms of wizardry."
Bran nodded again.
This time, there was a faint trace of approval in his eyes.
"Your answer is also not completely correct."
"But you have already reached halfway toward the correct answer."
Several more answers followed.
However, none of them completely satisfied Bran.
Finally, Bran spoke.
"All right. Most of your answers are quite close, but none of them are exactly correct. Let me explain what a spell actually is."
"A spell acts as a medium that allows us to produce various forms of wizardry, such as Fireball, Water Arrow, and Acid Spray. These are all different manifestations produced through spells."
Bran paused for a moment before continuing.
"But here is the real question. How do these effects actually appear? How can a simple spell circuit produce something like a Fireball or an Acid Spray?"
Bran's gaze swept across the classroom.
The apprentices stared at him.
Nobody spoke.
Then Bran continued.
"A spell is merely a simplified manifestation of a Law."
The classroom instantly fell into silence.
The apprentices were stunned.
Laws!
That single word was already far beyond their current level of understanding.
Laws were not merely some advanced form of knowledge.
They were the fundamental principles that governed the world and the various forms of magic within it.
Only powerful wizards could truly comprehend and understand such profound principles.
For Wizard Apprentices, Laws were something almost completely out of reach.
Seeing the astonishment on everyone's faces, Bran calmly nodded.
"Yes."
"Spells are a simpler manifestation of a Law's effects upon magic particles."
"First, you must understand one thing."
"Simply gathering magic particles together is not enough to cast a spell."
"For example, if you gather a large amount of fire-elemental magic particles together, you will not automatically produce a Fireball."
"But if you use a spell circuit and imbue it with the appropriate amount of fire-elemental particles transformed from your mana..."
"A Fireball will be created."
Bran pointed toward the magical projection.
"The magical effects you see in Fireball, Water Arrow, Acid Spray, and similar wizardries are all manifestations of Laws."
"Our spell system is essentially a simplified way of reproducing the effects of those Laws."
"In fact, they have been simplified thousands of times."
The apprentices listened carefully.
"Every spell possesses an intricate design."
"Those designs are not merely for appearance."
"They guide magic particles into very specific configurations and produce specific effects that imitate the effects of a Law upon mana."
"Only after the correct procedures have been completed can the corresponding wizardry appear."
Bran paused briefly.
"In ancient times, when wizard civilization was still in its infancy, our predecessors had only recently opened their Soul Seas."
"They could observe the free-floating magic particles surrounding them."
"And they eventually noticed something interesting."
"Under certain circumstances, when free-floating magic particles gathered together, they could produce various effects."
"Our predecessors observed those phenomena, recorded them, and gradually discovered the conditions required to reproduce them."
"That was the beginning of spells."
"After tens of thousands of years of development, the spell systems we possess today were gradually formed."
Bran looked across the classroom.
"So, you must understand one thing."
"Every spell is ultimately a manifestation of a Law."
His explanation ended.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then the classroom gradually became lively again.
The Wizard Apprentices began discussing what they had just learned.
The realization that the spells they had always regarded as mysterious supernatural techniques were actually simplified manifestations of Laws left them extremely excited.
Some apprentices wanted to ask questions.
However, the questions they wanted to ask were already related to Laws themselves.
With their current knowledge, they could not even properly understand the answers.
After several minutes, the discussion gradually quieted down.
Bran nodded.
"Now that you have a basic understanding of what a spell is..."
"I will teach you a spell."
The moment those words were spoken, all thoughts about Laws and their deeper implications disappeared from the apprentices' minds.
Every gaze immediately focused on Bran.
Understanding how spells worked was important.
But learning an actual spell was far more important to them at their current stage.
Bran slowly raised his hand and pointed toward the three-dimensional magical projection.
Suddenly, the projection began to change.
The human body disappeared.
A series of circular patterns gradually appeared within the projection.
Lines began connecting with one another.
A complicated yet orderly structure slowly formed.
Soon, a complete spell circuit emitting a faint white glow appeared before everyone.
The spell circuit was not particularly complicated.
"Compared with the meditation rune they had spent the past several days studying, the spell circuit appeared surprisingly simple."
Bran began explaining.
"This is the spell circuit for a wizardry known as Wizard's Hand."
As he spoke, he gently raised his own hand.
A spell circuit almost identical to the one within the projection appeared above his palm.
It flashed for an instant before disappearing.
At the same moment—
A book lying on the desk of a Wizard Apprentice at the front of the classroom suddenly floated upward.
The apprentice froze.
The book slowly rose into the air.
Then it moved left.
Right.
Up.
Down.
It floated through the air as naturally as though an invisible hand were holding it.
After moving around for several seconds, the book gently descended and returned to exactly the same position from which it had been lifted.
The classroom was filled with astonished expressions.
Ivan was no exception.
The effect of this Wizard's Hand was remarkably similar to telekinesis from the movies and novels of his previous world.
An invisible force controlling objects from a distance.
He had never expected to see such a spell in the wizarding world.
At that moment, a thought suddenly crossed Ivan's mind.
He immediately raised his hand.
Bran noticed him and nodded.
Ivan slowly stood up.
"Teacher, if we cannot safely use spells in the Low-Level Wizard Apprentice realm because of their effects on our mortal bodies, then how can we learn and use this spell called Wizard's Hand?"
A trace of surprise appeared in Bran's eyes.
He had clearly not expected the question.
"You have asked a good question."
He looked toward the spell circuit projected in the air.
"Although I have already explained that casting spells in the Low-Level Wizard Apprentice realm can have serious side effects on the body, there are exceptions."
"Wizard's Hand is one of them."
"This is a non-ranked spell."
"It does not possess a specific rank."
"Its power depends upon the strength of the person using it."
The apprentices exchanged surprised looks.
A spell without a rank.
Even Official Wizards could use it.
Bran continued.
"The main reason you can use this spell is because it is an attribute-less spell."
"More importantly, it does not rely upon mana."
"It directly uses Mental Energy."
The apprentices immediately became attentive.
"Every ordinary living creature possesses a certain amount of Mental Energy from birth."
"For ordinary people, this amount is extremely low."
"But they still possess it."
"Even wild beasts possess Mental Energy."
"As for Wizard Apprentices..."
"You already possess sufficiently strong Mental Energy."
"Wizard's Hand directly uses this Mental Energy."
"Because your bodies are naturally compatible with Mental Energy, using this spell does not place the same burden upon your bodies as spells that rely upon mana."
"Therefore, you can safely use Wizard's Hand even within the Low-Level Wizard Apprentice realm."
The apprentices were astonished. They could actually use a spell at their current level—and not just any spell. Wizard's Hand was something even Official Wizards could use.
The excitement in the classroom became increasingly difficult to conceal.
Bran, however, quickly poured cold water over their enthusiasm.
"Of course, being able to use the spell does not mean that you can learn it carelessly."
He pointed toward the spell circuit.
"You cannot cast Wizard's Hand simply by imitating this spell circuit."
"You must understand the underlying theory and construction method behind it."
"Only after you understand how the spell circuit actually functions can you successfully construct the spell."
"Even a single incorrect line within the spell circuit can alter its effects."
"Some mistakes may merely cause the spell to fail."
"But others can produce completely different effects."
"In the worst case, the resulting backlash could directly cause your Soul Sea to collapse."
The excitement in the classroom immediately faded.
Bran's expression remained serious.
"So, before using any spell, you must be extremely careful. You need to understand its basic principles and construction, and make sure that every part of the spell circuit is correct before attempting to cast it."
After that, Bran spent nearly an hour explaining Wizard's Hand in detail.
He explained how the spell circuit was constructed, how Mental Energy flowed through it, and how the spell established a connection with its target. He also introduced its various applications and limitations, allowing the apprentices to gain a much deeper understanding of the wizardry.
The apprentices listened attentively.
For many of them, Bran's firsthand explanation was far more valuable than simply reading about spells in basic magic theory.
Before the class ended, Bran raised his hand. A faint spatial fluctuation spread through the classroom, and a thin blue book appeared before every Wizard Apprentice.
"This is the basic spell manual for Wizard's Hand."
"It is freely distributed by the academy."
"Although I have explained the important principles to you today, you must still carefully study everything written in this manual."
"Follow the instructions exactly."
"Do not attempt to modify the spell circuit before you have fully understood its structure."
"That is all for today's lesson."
With those words, Bran turned around and slowly walked out of the classroom.
The moment he disappeared through the doorway, the atmosphere inside the classroom immediately changed.
The Wizard Apprentices picked up the manuals in front of them and began reading.
Some flipped through the pages rapidly.
Others carefully examined the diagrams of the spell circuit.
A few had already begun discussing the principles they had just learned.
Ivan was no exception.
He opened the manual.
At the same time, Nova's scanning function quietly activated. With Nova's assistance, Ivan rapidly scanned the entire manual, recording and analyzing its diagrams, explanations, spell-construction procedures, and various precautions within moments.
As the information was processed, Ivan's face remained calm, but a trace of excitement could be seen in his eyes.
He had finally obtained his first spell.
Although it wasn't the Fireball spell he had been hoping for, it was still his first spell.
Wizard's Hand.