Wizard Bloodline

"It's rare to find a water source like this..." Ronan remarked contentedly as he soaked his feet.

"Remember this spot for future runs."

He usually fetched water from the lakeside, filling two large storage jars at a time, which lasted him three to five days.

"Rustle!"

A sudden noise reached his ears.

Ronan quickly turned his head, spotting a lightly swaying bush.

Probably a startled animal.

Ronan didn't pay much attention, but a lingering unease led him to dry his feet, put on his shoes, and walk cautiously towards the moving bushes.

Pushing aside some short shrubs laden with red berries, he walked about ten meters and spotted a small, dark green treehouse in his view.

"Someone lives here?!"

Startled, Ronan halted and slowly retraced his steps.

Encountering other wizards in the treehouse district was common. Whenever Ronan saw signs of habitation, he kept his distance. He hadn't expected anyone to live in such a secluded spot.

"Can't come back here...need to adjust my route."

With this decision, Ronan hurriedly left.

Having worked up a sweat, he returned home for a brief rest. It was still not yet nine in the morning.

Ronan's studies continued.

"Meditation is currently my only way to enhance my strength. The book says meditating after depleting your mental strength significantly boosts the effect."

Sitting under his oak tree, munching on some wild fruits picked from the forest, Ronan studied his meditation book.

The book explained that the soul is like a vessel, with mental strength being the water it holds.

When you drain the water and refill it, the vessel's capacity noticeably increases.

The key was...

How to quickly deplete mental strength.

"All wizard activities require mental strength.

Common ones include alchemy, enchantment, forging, runic inscription...

The biggest drain, of course, is casting spells."

Ronan set aside the meditation book and picked up another black-covered wizard book—"The Complete Guide to Zero-Level Spells."

This book was also obtained from the Hoddam Academy by the original owner.

Despite its title, it only documented the casting methods for five zero-level spells.

These were Fireball, Iceball, Energy Missile, Charged Weapon, and Detection.

Reviewing the five spells, Ronan focused his attention.

His primary issue was his lack of combat power, or rather, his nonexistent combat power.

Learning a combat spell was urgent.

Ronan carefully reviewed the descriptions of each spell and eventually chose Energy Missile as his primary learning target.

Being non-elemental, spells with strong elemental tendencies like Fireball and Iceball were not ideal choices.

Charged Weapon required a weapon, and Detection was a support spell, making the non-elemental ranged spell Energy Missile the best fit for him.

The principle behind casting Energy Missile was simple: through incantations and gestures, mental strength resonated with the free energy particles in nature.

But in practice, it was anything but easy.

"Urulu... Babazi."

Ronan stumbled through the incantation. Each syllable needed to pair with a corresponding gesture, but he often focused on the words, neglecting the gestures, or vice versa.

After hours of practice, Ronan was drenched in sweat and parched, yet he failed to cast a single Energy Missile.

"Darn it, this is too hard!"

Ronan eyed the thick spellbook, doubting if he was practicing incorrectly or missing a crucial trick.

Typically, having someone to guide you would be ideal.

The Hoddam Academy offered such services.

If you enrolled in the Energy Missile class, an experienced wizard would thoroughly explain the spell's release techniques, saving you a lot of detours.

But Ronan lacked the funds.

Ten low-grade magic stones were a fortune to him.

"Guess I'll have to keep practicing on my own..."

Ronan sighed and continued his arduous practice.

He missed lunch, alternating between practicing and meditating when tired.

He practiced until the sun began to set, around four in the afternoon.

"Urulu Babazir Dam!"

A string of strange syllables flowed smoothly from Ronan's lips, his plump fingers deftly forming gestures in perfect sync with each sound.

As the incantation and gestures completed seamlessly, Ronan felt a buzzing vibration in his ears.

His lively, clear mental strength was siphoned away in a significant chunk.

In the next instant, a distortion appeared in the air before him, and a ping-pong ball-sized colorful orb materialized, shooting off with a "whoosh."

It struck a nearby unfortunate oak tree, exploding with a "bang" and scattering wood shavings.

"It worked?!"

The sudden success left Ronan momentarily stunned.

Seconds later, a tidal wave of joy and accomplishment enveloped him.

"It worked!"

Ronan eagerly approached the impact site of his Energy Missile.

A deep, plate-sized indentation remained on the oak tree's trunk.

"This packs more punch than a shotgun!"

Ronan marveled, repeatedly examining the damage, feeling a mix of emotions.

Wizard!

At this moment, he finally considered himself a true wizard.

Possessing extraordinary power beyond mortal reach.

A newfound sense of confidence settled within him.

"Whoosh—"

Exhaling deeply, Ronan unexpectedly felt calm.

Choosing not to indulge in the euphoria of success, he resumed his practice.

With his current mental strength as a Level 1 Wizard Apprentice, he could cast Energy Missile about twice before exhausting himself.

The time needed to cast two Energy Missiles was just over two minutes.

His goal of quickly depleting mental strength was achieved, and everything seemed to be falling into place.

After a quick dinner, as fireflies lit up the forest, Ronan continued practicing spells.

Oddly, after his first successful Energy Missile, subsequent attempts went remarkably smoothly.

His incantation speed increased, and his gestures became smoother.

He rarely failed, with only one unsuccessful attempt due to mental fatigue causing erratic mental strength fluctuations.

Late into the night, Ronan dragged his weary body into the treehouse, immediately collapsing onto his small bed, and opened his character panel.

[Name: Ronan Damien]

[Age: 16]

[Affinity: Non-Elemental]

[Level: Level 1 Wizard Apprentice (88%)]

[Skills: Basic Meditation Techniques (Beginner 11/100), Energy Missile (Beginner 14/100)]