Witch, Fireball and the Evil God of Steam

It was said that the home of the believers was personally built by the Knight Lord.

And now, the Otherworld, as one of the promoters of the Decay Period, has already fulfilled the criteria for "outstanding contribution."

"Huh? The Otherworld again?"

Rowena pitifully stared at Ethan, "Don't you think I'm too pitiful?"

In Old Sen's team, a Tier Four was obviously lagging behind the main force.

She still fancied herself a combatant, but if things continued this way, she would soon become nothing more than a mascot.

"Next, it's the rule set by the God of Trickery, Kadela."

Upon hearing this, Rowena's face lit up with joy, and she excitedly stretched out her arms. However, before she could stand up from her electric wheelchair, an ice arrow pierced the back of her head.

"Thud."

She collapsed to the ground in a perfect faceplant and struggled on the ground to write, "The culprit is the Lindong Witch" as her death message.

"Before that, I need to understand how a mage advances."

The "corpse" on the ground started speaking, "A Tier One Mage in the Astrology Guild is usually regarded as an apprentice, which, simply put, means preparing spell materials for the mentor and assisting as a drudge. If the mentor is in a good mood one day, they might teach them some simple magic like the Lighting Technique."

This is the current situation for most apprentices in the Astrology Guild, and Rowena felt no one else had a greater right to speak on it than she did.

She was born in a small village on the Empire's border. Her parents were killed in a bandit attack when she was very young, and she grew up on the charity of others.

She was thankful for her good looks and sweet talk, which made the villagers willing to give her leftovers.

This life continued until she was seven, when a mage claiming to be from the Astrology Guild passed through the village, believed she had good magic talent, and took her to the Guild to study.

That person later became her mentor.

Rowena once respected her mentor immensely and aspired to be like him.

Some unpleasant memories surfaced.

She continued, "Every apprentice receives a magic manual that contains 37 basic spells. When an apprentice believes they have mastered them, they can apply to the Guild for the Tier Two exam. The exam randomly selects five spells from the 37, and scores based on the apprentice's proficiency and completion."

But just like all other paths, until one becomes Tier Three, they are merely ordinary people with special abilities, far from the weighty title of "Transcendent" in many people's eyes.

The Empire's standard for a "High-tier Transcendent" is Tier Three.

"After passing the Tier Two exam, apprentices face the choice of disciplines, divided into 'Divination,' 'Transformation,' and 'Destruction.' Once all courses in one discipline are completed, they can apply for the Tier Three exam. I was good at Divination back then and was the first of my peers to pass the Tier Three exam."

Rowena believed it was due to her strong motivation.

Among the three disciplines, Divination Masters were the most lucrative. She heard that many great nobles were willing to pay handsomely to hire a dedicated Divination Master.

She always dreamed of becoming wealthy, hoping to repay all the favors she owed once she had the money.

"After Tier Three, one becomes an officially recognized Mage by the Guild, which means taking charge of the mentor's research topics and handling many chores. Many in the Guild jokingly referred to newly promoted Tier Three Mages as 'mules.'

Rowena had been one of those "mules," traveling between cities in the Empire for her mentor's projects, a task she couldn't refuse. "The Tier Four assessment is different from Tier Three, requiring a recommendation letter from the mentor."

If unable to maintain a good relationship with their mentor, many Mages might spend a lifetime unable to get evaluated for the Tier Four exam.

The recommendation letter's content on learning, research, and contributions is entirely at the mentor's discretion.

Rowena had seen many Tier Three Mages unable to get a recommendation from their mentor even into middle age.

"I remember you had a falling out with your mentor, right?"

Lindong asked.

Precisely, Rowena not only fell out with her mentor but also killed a fellow student of the same term.

"The Astrology Guild has an additional criterion—if a Mage can create magic outside of the books, they obtain an additional evaluation opportunity."

"The Cutting Magic should fall under the 'Destruction' discipline, right?"

Lindong's question left Rowena in silence.

A Tier Three Mage skilled in Divination suddenly creating Destruction-related magic was indeed against convention.

Unless she had some unfinished business to settle.

Lindong gave Rowena, who was "face-planted," a knowing glance. This was an outspoken girl who always adapted to circumstances, finding joy no matter where she went. However, Rowena never readily mentioned the grievances between her and her mentor, nor did she like others asking about her becoming a wanted criminal in the Empire.

If she couldn't avoid it, Rowena might complain that "the mentor tried to steal her achievements," yet Lindong always felt there was a deeper grudge beneath it.

How exactly did Rowena create the Cutting Magic?