Chương 27: Gravity Pressure

While thinking about this, Zelier suddenly realized another problem. If he ever analyzed someone's signature spell or secret technique in the future, he would have to be extremely careful when using it. Otherwise, there was no guarantee the original owner wouldn't come looking for him and demand to know where he learned it.

"Take your time studying. I'll be leaving first... Oh, and don't forget to go to the General Affairs Office at the beginning of next month to receive your assigned task." Bev reminded him before leaving.

"Assigned task? What task?" Zelier was confused.

"The subsidy isn't completely free, you know. In exchange, guild members have to complete one mandatory assignment every month." Bev briefly explained.

"Don't worry, it's nothing difficult. At most, you'll be cleaning the library or gathering herbs."

"Oh..." Zelier nodded. Bev turned around, carrying the heavy ancient books in her arms. Zelier stared blankly at the ribbon fluttering around her waist for quite a while. Only after Bev completely disappeared from sight did he finally snap back to reality.

"Alright... that's enough studying for today." Zelier stretched lazily and stood up, returning the books to their original places. After leaving the library, Zelier wandered around the guild with his hands behind his back. First, he stopped by the training arena. There were no intense Novice Mage duels today. The enormous arena was completely empty. Well, that made sense. He couldn't exactly expect free demonstrations every single day. However, there was a mage sitting in the spectator area.

He looked about the same age as Zelier. The boy had short brown hair, a timid expression, and a pair of extremely thin glasses resting on his nose.

"Hey." Zelier greeted him first. The boy pushed up his glasses. Clearly, he hadn't expected someone to suddenly start a conversation with him.

"H-Hey..."

"My name's Zelier. What about you?"

"Lante Taylor."

"Oh..." Another noble with a family name. The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Zelier nodded slightly, then immediately asked:"How about we go down and spar?" Let me see if you have any interesting spells.

"Ah?" Lante was clearly caught off guard. He quickly shook his head.

"N-No... I don't think so. I just finished meditating today. If you want... maybe next time..."

"Alright. Next time, then." After saying goodbye to Lante, Zelier wandered over to the Trading Hall like someone with nothing better to do. As usual, the Trading Hall was bustling with activity. After walking around and carefully observing for a while, Zelier learned that this place wasn't exclusively for mages. Many ordinary merchants who had obtained special permission also sold their goods here. At the moment, Zelier was still a completely unequipped mage.

A full set of proper mage equipment was incredibly expensive. First came the wand. A finished magic wand started at fifty gold coins. More expensive ones could easily cost hundreds or even thousands. Then there were mage robes. Professional mages usually commissioned custom robes tailored specifically for themselves. Like magic wands, high-quality robes could amplify spell power and reduce casting time. Depending on the materials used, they could even provide additional effects.

Mage robes were equally expensive, almost matching the price of a wand. Zelier recalled Bev's crimson wand and pale purple robe. Just those two items together... They were probably worth several hundred gold coins. Rich people really were on another level. Zelier shook his head. He hadn't come to the Trading Hall just to browse. He was here to find a low-tier spell. Relying entirely on Spell Evolution to analyze other people's magic wasn't realistic. There were only ten low-tier spells.

Waiting for random opportunities would take who knew how long. It would be much better to actively search for suitable spells himself. The more spells he possessed, the more situations he could handle. After walking around for a while, Zelier stopped at an inconspicuous stall in the corner of the hall. The small booth was neatly filled with numerous magic scrolls. Although, judging from their appearance, the quality wasn't exactly impressive. Magic couldn't be recorded on ordinary paper through simple drawings.

A mage had to consume a large amount of mental energy to imprint a complete spell matrix onto specially prepared scrolls. Depending on the complexity of the spell, the process could take anywhere from a day or two to several weeks. Once a learner obtained the scroll, they only needed to channel their mental energy into it to fully understand the spell matrix. The stronger the inscriber's mental power, the clearer the spell matrix would be, making it easier for the learner to master the spell.

High-quality magic scrolls naturally sold for high prices. Some scrolls had spell matrices that were not engraved clearly enough. Learners needed to carefully study and reconstruct the spell themselves before they could reproduce the spell. Those scrolls were much cheaper. Zelier glanced over the options.

"Flash Spell, Ice Bind, Stone Barrier, Intimidation... Gravity Press." Gravity Press... Zelier's eyes stopped on that scroll.

"You can pour your mental energy into it and check the details. Everything is explained inside." The stall owner enthusiastically introduced it. He was a thin, middle-aged man with a curled mustache. Perhaps because of his instincts, Zelier could tell the man wasn't a mage. He was just an ordinary merchant selling goods. Zelier picked up the Gravity Press scroll and sent a trace of mental energy into it. A description immediately appeared in his mind.

[Gravity Press] Magic School: Arcane Structure Type: Single-Layer Spell Matrix Magic Rank: Tier-2 Effect Description: Applies a downward magical force within an area, slowing the movement speed of affected targets. In actual combat, Gravity Press can provide effective crowd control against enemies, making it highly suitable for creating openings for allies. After reading the description, Zelier raised an eyebrow. This spell actually seemed pretty good. He was currently lacking a proper crowd-control ability.

Until now, Marcus and the others had always been the ones creating opportunities for him. With Gravity Press, he could finally create openings for his teammates as well.

"Boss, how much for this?" Zelier picked up the scroll and asked.

"Ah, young master, you really have excellent taste!" The mustached merchant's eyes lit up.

"This is my hidden treasure! An extremely practical Arcane spell! Just look at the quality of this scroll. It's made from the hide of a volcanic goat, which has incredible mana conductivity..."

"Stop, stop." Zelier interrupted his sales pitch.

"Just tell me the price."

"Well..." The mustached man rubbed his hands together and held up four fingers.

"Friendship price. Four gold coins." Zelier immediately put down the scroll and turned around to leave.

"Wait, wait! Don't go!" Seeing that Zelier was actually leaving, the merchant immediately panicked. He rushed out from behind the stall and grabbed Zelier's sleeve.

"If you think the price is too high, we can negotiate! Right? Just name a price you think is reasonable."