Chương 70: Optimization

That thick stone wall... Even if he hit it directly with an Arcane Missile, it would only blow a large crater into it. Compared to Flame Breath's sustained wide-area damage, and Arcane Missile's piercing explosive properties, Cutting Water focused entirely on one thing— Slashing. The highly compressed water flow possessed terrifying destructive power. There was no doubt that it was a specialized tool for breaking through defenses. Each of the three spells had its own ideal battlefield.

Moreover, Zelier could clearly tell that Cutting Water consumed an enormous amount of mana. After completing the spell, Riely looked far more exhausted than he had after consecutively casting ten Tier-2 spells. The water blade itself only lasted for a brief moment. After completing its slash, it immediately dissipated. What a feast! Today's spells were truly amazing!

"Very well done." Marven nodded.

"Among all Tier-3 Elemental spells, Cutting Water's difficulty is definitely ranked near the top."

"But..." Marven's tone shifted.

"It's still not enough. Your casting time has already exceeded five seconds."

"Your understanding of this spell circuit hasn't reached the limit yet. The shape of the water blade is also unstable. There are still areas that require refinement." As he spoke, Marven patted Riely's shoulder.

"Keep working hard. Use meditation to strengthen your mana control. Your progress today has already been tremendous. I believe it won't be long before you take that final step." Riely's expression became slightly disappointed, but he quickly adjusted his mindset.

"Yes, Mentor Marven!" Although he had failed the assessment, the mages in the stands still applauded him.

"You were already amazing, Riely!"

"Keep going! You'll definitely pass next time!"

"You'll become the youngest Novice Mage in the Blackstone Town branch!" Words of encouragement echoed throughout the arena. Riely waved toward the audience in thanks. Marven also followed his gaze upward. However, his eyes immediately found Zelier among the crowd. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. A faint smile appeared on Marven's lips. Then he waved toward Zelier. The other mages followed Marven's gesture, and soon numerous gazes gathered on Zelier.

Zelier was completely confused. He had already added all those spells to his analysis queue and was preparing to quietly leave. He pointed at himself and asked uncertainly,"Mentor Marven, are you calling me?"

"It's you. Come down." Marven nodded. Zelier had no idea what was going on, but he still followed the stairs down from the viewing platform and entered the arena.

"Come on. Both of you are outstanding mages among your generation. Get acquainted with each other." Marven gestured between them.

"Hello, my name is Riely Schwarch." Riely extended his hand.

"Hello. I'm Zelier." Zelier... Riely's thick eyebrows lifted slightly.

"Zelier, how has your magic training been recently?" Mentor Marven asked.

"Pretty good, I suppose. I've been working hard every day." Zelier answered honestly.

"Then come on. Mentor Manlin already told me you can use Flame Breath." Marven motioned toward the arena.

"Show me your Tier-3 spell. I'm quite curious." Riely's interest was also piqued. He had heard Mentor Marven mention Zelier before, saying that he was a mage with exceptional talent. But wasn't he only recently certified as a Mage Apprentice? He had already mastered a Tier-3 spell this quickly? And supposedly, he was also an adventurer... While constantly going out on missions, did he really have enough time to meditate and train? Zelier thought for a moment before speaking.

"Mentor Marven, I'd like to demonstrate a different spell. Could you give me some guidance on my Arcane Missile?" Mentor Manlin had told him that Marven was an Upper-tier Arcane Mage. Naturally, his understanding of Arcane magic should be far deeper. Both Flame Breath and Arcane Missile were Tier-3 spells. But Zelier could cast Flame Breath in just over six seconds, while Arcane Missile still took more than seven. He had never figured out what exactly caused the difference.

Casting an Arcane spell in front of Mentor Marven might earn him some unexpected advice.

"Oh? You know Arcane Missile too?" Hearing this, Marven became even more surprised.

"Come on. Let me see it."

"Then I'll begin." Zelier adjusted his breathing. He cleared his mind of distractions and focused completely. Following the established path, he began constructing the spell circuit of Arcane Missile. Mana flowed out from the Fountain Seed, surging rapidly under the guidance of his will. Threads of light had already begun gathering in Zelier's palm. They condensed into a crystalline prism radiating a dangerous aura. Arcane Missile!

"Shing!" The crystalline projectile shot forward and struck the stone wall Riely had summoned earlier.

"BOOM!!!" A violent explosion erupted. Stone fragments scattered everywhere. The raging mana blast tore through the wall, leaving behind a crater roughly the size of a basin. The apprentices in the stands let out waves of shocked whispers, their eyes filled with envy. This mage apprentice named Zelier looked even younger than most of them. Yet he could already control Arcane Missile so skillfully.

Although he had not reached the Novice Mage standard of completing the spell within five seconds, his execution was already extremely impressive. And the power was astonishing.

"Hmm... impressive." Marven's face was full of approval.

"Your strength is far beyond what I expected. You actually mastered the Tier-3 spell Arcane Missile this quickly."

"Why didn't you come ask me for guidance earlier? Did you think this old mentor of yours couldn't teach you properly?"

"Not at all... I just wanted to slowly improve on my own." Zelier scratched his head awkwardly.

"Normally, increasing casting speed relies on slowly optimizing your spell circuit yourself." Marven became serious.

"But during your casting just now, there was a major misunderstanding that greatly reduced your efficiency."

"Arcane magic and Elemental magic have fundamentally different casting methods."

"Take Riely's Cutting Water for example. He first needs to sense the water element, then gather and guide it, and finally complete the release."

"This is a process that goes from outside to inside. That is the casting philosophy of Elemental magic."

"But Arcane magic is different."

"The primary vessel of Arcane magic is your own mana. It does not rely on the outside environment, nor does it require sensing any element."

"In other words, when casting Arcane magic, you do not begin from the outside and work inward."

"You start from within yourself and construct the spell directly."

"But when you were casting just now, I could feel that you spent at least one second sensing your surroundings."

"That step is only useful for Elemental magic."

"For Arcane magic, it is completely unnecessary." Marven gave his final correction.

"Remove that step. Focus only on the circulation of mana inside your own body." Zelier carefully processed Marven's words. Then his eyes widened. I see... So that was it!