After two days and two nights, Sain finally stepped out of his secluded room, now an intermediate apprentice with over thirty points in both mental and magical power. The long hours of meditation left him feeling deeply fatigued; while meditating sometimes served as a substitute for sleep, it was certainly not the same as resting properly. In fact, Sain had only taken two of the nutritional potions gifted to him by his senior sister, Phyr, leaving him completely worn out.
As he exited the room, he was greeted by an alchemical puppet constructed by Master Mosido. The mechanical figure grasped a broom that emitted faint magical vibrations, its head flickering with a red light as it began to clean the space he had just vacated.
Looking around, Sain noticed that the living room on the first floor was empty; neither Master Mosido nor his senior siblings were present. Pushing open the laboratory door without caution could potentially disturb them in the midst of conducting experiments or magical research. Consequently, Sain quickly tidied himself up and left the area.
Being an intermediate apprentice in the Dark Magic Academy of Mosbra City placed Sain among the higher echelons of apprentices. Statistically, intermediate apprentices represented roughly the top twenty percent of all apprentices. With enhanced magical skills and powers, they possessed a certain level of self-defense capability within the perilous underground world. Furthermore, once they reached this level, the dark sorcerers of the academy would be less likely to unjustly harm them.
However, with greater power and access to more academy resources came corresponding responsibilities. Every two months, the academy imposed mandatory tasks on its apprentices. Some of these were straightforward and relatively safe, such as guarding the city walls of Mosbra. Yet, these roles often required connections and influence to secure.
Others were considerably more perilous: venturing deeper into the underground to gather magical materials or hunt specific magical beasts. In contrast, the lower-tier apprentices faced mandatory tasks only once a year. For intermediate apprentices, these risks increased significantly, making these mandated missions a frequent cause of injuries or fatalities among them. However, successful completion of these tasks also resulted in a greater accumulation of academy points.
These points were vital for intermediate apprentices, as they enabled them to access resources such as the public library or trade for urgently needed magical materials.
On the second day of his status as an intermediate apprentice, Sain returned to Master Mosido's laboratory, where he was finally granted permission to enter the experimental space that his mentor and seniors frequented.
"Here are a few magical texts for you to go over in your own time," Master Mosido said, handing Sain five hefty tomes. "For today, assist your senior sister in observing and recording the energy data from that experimental platform over there."
The five magical books at first glance exceeded the size of the "Fundamentals of Fire Element" and "Introduction to Alchemy" that he had previously received by at least two-fold. They were titled: "The Shaping Characteristics of Fire Elements," "On the Integration of Alchemy and Elemental Forces," "Ankhad's Annotations," "The Nature of Magical Power," and "Overview of the Continental Foundations in the Wizarding World."
Their weight felt particularly impressive, especially the last book, which was nearly half a meter long and almost reached Sain's shoulder in height. Was this what one meant by the weight of knowledge?
Another detail caught Sain's attention: when his mentor produced these books, they seemed to materialize out of thin air before him. Having assisted other formal sorcerers with experiments during public lessons, Sain recognized this as a rare piece of spatial equipment.
The five books represented only a small fraction of the knowledge he would need as an intermediate apprentice. Even someone as talented as Lina had spent nearly fifteen years accumulating the necessary foundational skills before pushing into the advanced apprentice realm. Sain had discussed this with Lina during their time together; she explained that the transformation from intermediate to advanced apprentice required not just an increase in mental and magical power but also a continuous acquisition of knowledge.
Only by mentally constructing and organizing a complete advanced spell could intermediate apprentices have the foundation required to challenge for the advanced apprentice level. Given the complexity of advanced magic, the knowledge required was not only vast but also intricate. Merely memorizing a model for an advanced spell did not guarantee advancement. Without understanding the underlying principles, the likely outcome would be a backlash of magical energy that could severely disrupt the mental sea or even result in death.
Lina had taken years to cement her foundation and begin constructing spell models. For intermediate apprentices, it was crucial not to be blindly arrogant and recklessly pursue more advanced spells. Diligence and the accumulation of knowledge were the true stepping stones for their growth.
Typically, achieving the status of an advanced apprentice by the age of thirty could truly be considered talent. However, in the Dark Magic Academy, the average age for apprentices transitioning to this status was between forty and fifty. Sain had not inquired about his senior sister's exact age, but sorcerers often possessed means to extend their lifespans or maintain eternal youth, particularly female apprentices who placed significant importance on this aspect.
Sain struggled to carry the five hefty magical books to a corner of the laboratory, where he would wait until he could return them to his dormitory after assisting his mentor with the experiment. Phyr was already waiting beside the small experimental platform.
A complex apparatus was situated on the compact workspace, and Phyr explained that their primary task was to observe a translucent, round crystal atop the platform and record the specific energy values that the intricate device emitted.
This small experimental setup was just one part of Master Mosido's larger experiment, with the most critical component located at the main experimental table in the center of the lab. In total, there were three main tables in the laboratory: one occupied by the mentor, one by Sain and Phyr, and the final medium-sized table monitored by the eldest senior apprentice.
Unique magical luminescence glimmered across the dimly lit laboratory, and Sain felt his heart race as he saw Master Mosido embed a dazzling energy crystal into the main experimental table—one that rivaled the bribe provided by Master Felina to the vice president in its brilliance.
"Senior sister, what exactly are we experimenting with here?" Sain whispered to Phyr beside him.
"Hm… According to the eldest senior brother, we are creating four elemental fission generators. The one before us is nearing completion; this seems to be a task assigned to the mentor by the academy," Phyr replied in a hushed tone.