Chapter Forty-Four: The Examination of Magical Arts

The Mage Guild was located in the heart of Blackstone City, one of the city’s most important organizations. Although the magical web of this world was somewhat unstable, the situation was far better than that of the major churches. As a result, the status of most mages had not diminished; if anything, they were now held in even higher regard.

Not everyone in the Mage Guild was a spellcaster—most of the staff handling miscellaneous affairs were ordinary people. After all, it would be a waste for esteemed mages to squander too much time on such tasks. Only positions requiring professional expertise were entrusted to mages, and overseeing the qualification exams was one such responsibility.

Mages were not particularly numerous, so the qualification exams were held on a fixed day each week. Today happened to be one of those days. As the working day drew to a close, most staff were preparing to leave, and the other candidates had already completed their tests. As a result, Chu Yun did not have to wait in line.

After registering his personal information, Chu Yun followed a staff member to the testing chamber. Inside, apart from a fully qualified mage, there were a few apprentices observing.

“Master Anna, this is the last candidate registered for today’s exam,” the staff member said, handing the application form Chu Yun had filled out to the mage named Anna.

Chu Yun had already inquired about the guild’s promotion rules, which were straightforward: a mage's rank was determined by the spells they had mastered. Anyone who could perform a cantrip was considered a mage apprentice; mastering any one first-level spell and three cantrips qualified one as a first-level mage. To be recognized as a second-level mage, one needed to master any one second-level spell and three first-level spells.

Chu Yun had learned a considerable number of spells. By the guild’s rules, he could easily qualify as a second-level mage, which would grant him a higher stipend and more privileges than those at the first rank.

He had already listed his spells on the application form: for second-level, he could only cast Monster Pact; for first-level, he wrote “Burning Hands,” “Word of Healing,” and “Goodberry.” He chose Goodberry mainly because his supply was running low and this would be a good opportunity to replenish it. As for Word of Healing, with the churches in decline, mages who could cast healing spells were in great demand, and the guild would likely prioritize him for healing-related commissions.

Chu Yun knew that his own strength was still lacking, so he planned to stay in Blackstone City for a while. Taking on some tasks would help him meet more people, alleviate boredom, and earn some money. Although the rayskin from the thunderwater manta could fetch a good price, the life of a mage was expensive—whether it was equipment, scrolls, or alchemical preparations, all required a substantial investment.

Anna glanced at Chu Yun’s list of spells and found it rather odd—his repertoire was unusually diverse. Generally, spells of the same type were based on similar models, especially those woven through the magic web. Researching spells within the same school was more efficient, which was why most mages specialized.

“Monster Pact... This spell will take a bit of time, as we’ll need to bring a magical creature for the test. Let’s begin with the other spells first,” Anna said, her tone now much warmer toward Chu Yun.

Most of the earlier candidates had been apprentices, and given the instability of the magic web, their success rates were low. Many had failed and earned a stern rebuke from Anna. In fact, most of these apprentices were the students of the guild’s resident mages, so Anna knew them all well.

Chu Yun was different—a newcomer to the city, and one who had just registered for a temporary residence permit. Anna herself was a second-level mage, and she treated Chu Yun with appropriate courtesy and respect, since he was poised to join her rank.

“Let’s start with Goodberry.”

The Goodberry spell was uncommon, mainly because its underlying principles were quite complex. Although only a first-level spell, it required significant effort to master. Besides, most mages traveled with attendants and rarely had to worry about food. In practice, this spell was more often studied by druids and solitary mages. Anna had never seen anyone cast it before, but as a guild examiner, she was well-versed in its effects from her readings and could easily judge whether Chu Yun cast it successfully.

“May I use my own berry twig, or does the guild provide materials?” Chu Yun inquired.

Usually, candidates would register in advance, allowing the guild to prepare the necessary materials and prevent cheating.

“That won’t be necessary. The focus of the second-level exam is on the second-level spell. You may use your own,” Anna replied. She trusted her own abilities as an examiner—if he tried to cheat with his materials, she was confident she’d catch it. Besides, while the guild had a variety of magical supplies, they certainly didn’t stock anything as specific as berry twigs.

Chu Yun held a twig in his hand, began to chant, and directed his mental power to convert aether particles into the required magical elements. He then used the semi-transparent blueprints provided by his “Gamer” specialization to assemble these elements into the spell model. This auxiliary ability enabled him to study and cast spells with remarkable efficiency, rivaling even those with spell slots in terms of casting speed.

Berries began to sprout from the twig. Compared to his first attempt at Goodberry, Chu Yun now produced more berries of better quality—partly due to his improved attributes, and partly thanks to his increased familiarity with the spell, allowing for a more complete casting.

Anna picked a berry from the twig. Having spent the whole afternoon overseeing exams, she was a bit hungry herself.

“Mmm~ I didn’t expect these to taste so good!” Anna’s eyes lit up in surprise.

Not only were the berries delicious, but her hunger vanished instantly. She tried another, half-expecting to feel overfull, but instead, the energy in the second berry went to work soothing her fatigue after her hunger was satisfied. She was utterly delighted.

“Mealtime is a waste of time that interferes with magical research. If you add up the time spent on three meals a day, it’s far more than what you’d spend studying Goodberry. This spell is worth researching!”

“And it saves quite a bit of money, too,” Anna added, now genuinely interested in the spell both for its efficiency and its frugality.

She glanced at Chu Yun, who was waiting quietly for her verdict. She wondered if she should seek his guidance in the future—perhaps it would speed up her own research.

“This spell is satisfactory. Let’s proceed to Burning Hands.”

...

The tests for Burning Hands and Word of Healing went smoothly. Anna’s trust in Chu Yun’s abilities deepened, especially after witnessing the rapid healing of the volunteer’s wounds.

Even though Chu Yun was only level five, his intelligence attribute was quite high, so his spells were as effective as those of any second-level mage in this world.

After finishing the first-level spell tests, Anna began to fill out her assessment report. As she finished, the staff member arrived, bringing the subject for the Monster Pact test.

For this spell, it was not enough to form a pact with a magical creature oneself—it also required the ability to facilitate a pact for someone else, demonstrating true mastery.

The staff brought in a cat with three red tails and a cute little girl.