“First of all, Third-Tier magic has the largest number of spells and the widest variety of categories of any tier. There are so many that simply keeping count of how many exist is an impossible task. At the same time, Third-Tier magic has the most well-rounded effects; you can find a spell for almost any effect you can think of in the Third Tier.”
“Also, unlike the previous two tiers, the amount of time you will spend in the Third Tier is bound to be far longer than the first two combined!”
“So, even if it takes a very long time for you to reach B-Class in the future, don't feel discouraged, because that is perfectly normal.”
After listening to Semilis's warning, Shulim fell into deep thought for a moment before looking up and speaking slowly:
“...Don't worry, Semilis. I won't let that happen.”
Semilis smiled. “Seeing how confident you are, I feel like my warning was completely unnecessary. Alright! That being the case, there's one last thing about Third-Tier magic, and it's also what you need to learn next—composite magic!”
“Composite magic?”
“What, you don't know what composite magic is?”
“No, I know what it is.”
Shulim shook her head.
Simply put, composite magic refers to unique elemental magic formed by blending and mutating multiple elemental attributes. It is a special type of magic that only those with multi-elemental affinities can use. Because individuals with multiple affinities make up a small portion of the population, composite magic is rarely seen under normal circumstances.
The more common types of composite magic include ice magic and lightning magic, which are formed by combining wind and water elements, and wind and fire elements, respectively.
These two types of composite magic have the highest frequency of occurrence among multi-affinity mages, and the spells developed for them are also the most numerous among all composite magics.
When it comes to rarity, the most scarce composite magic of all is Nature Magic. This is formed by the co-existence of the four great natural elements of wind, fire, water, and earth. The threshold for using it is so astronomically high that it is virtually impossible to cast. If not for the records passed down in ancient texts, people probably wouldn't even know that such composite magic existed.
Besides that, there is another reason why composite magic is rarely seen in daily life: its learning threshold is also extremely high.
To learn composite magic, the prerequisite is to be able to manipulate at least two types of magic elements at the same time. Doing so requires the user to possess a considerably high amount of mental strength, which typically belongs to those who have already reached C-Class.
In other words, although there are E-Class and D-Class composite spells, the user must reach C-Class before they can actually learn them.
“I was just a little surprised. Since I've only dealt with the seven basic elemental magics so far, I never thought about composite magic. But thinking about it now, I can learn composite magic too.”
“Hehehe~ It's not just a matter of 'can'! There probably isn't a single type of magic in this world that you can't use, is there? It would be such a waste to squander such rare talent! To sum up, starting today, you will be learning composite magic in addition to the seven basic elemental magics!”
“Oh my~ Now you've got quite a lot of things to study! Prepare yourself, Shulim!”
“Okay!”
Shulim nodded vigorously.
“Excellent! Then our Third-Tier magic lessons begin now!”
“First up, the first spell!”
“Since both First-Tier and Second-Tier magic started with fire-element magic, the Third Tier naturally should as well. I choose you—”
“—Great Fireball!”
Semilis shouted as she stretched her right hand forward.
Whoosh!
A massive fireball suddenly materialized in mid-air and shot toward a nearby stone cliff at an extremely rapid speed.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion rang out, and the entire stone cliff was blown to pieces.
Although both shared "fireball" in their names, the power and speed were on completely different levels.
“Well, what do you think!”
Semilis put her hands on her hips and raised her chin.
“...Even if you ask me what I think...”
What is she doing all of a sudden?
Shulim hesitated as she looked at Semilis.
“Uh... wow, that's amazing?”
“Right? Amazing, isn't it? You'll have to achieve this level too, you know!”
“Huh?”
Shulim's smile froze instantly.
“Don't worry, I controlled my output mana. The power is about the same as a normal C-Class mage!”
“...”
Shulim glanced at Semilis, then at the collapsed stone cliff in the distance.
This is... about the same?
What was the effect of the Great Fireball spell recorded in the books again?
It definitely wasn't supposed to be this powerful!
“Watch closely, this is the activation method for the spell I just used!”
Semilis projected a schematic of the active mana circuit directly in the air, then began explaining the spell's incantation to Shulim.
As for the objections lingering in Shulim's mind, Semilis remained completely oblivious to them.
Soon, Shulim was also captivated by the lessons and began throwing herself into them.
...
Time flew by.
Shulim began her life of studying and training deep within the Monster Forest. Unfortunately, what she had predicted at the very beginning came true: Semilis indeed seemed to have intended for this to double as a wilderness survival course.
In addition to practicing magic, she also had to spend some time every day adapting to the wilderness. This included setting up camp safely, identifying medicinal herbs, knowing what was edible and what insects were poisonous, and of course, seeing with her own eyes all sorts of unique creatures and dangerous monsters native to Shimulir.
Shulim had once asked Semilis:
“Why do I need to go through this training?”
“You'll find it useful in the future... Ah! You added too much of that herb! If you add too much, it'll have a completely different effect.”
Semilis brushed her off like that, refusing to give a concrete reason.
Why is she so sure that the day I'll use these skills will definitely come? Has she never considered the possibility of me joining some large official organization in the future, sitting in a safe room reading books and reviewing documents, without ever stepping foot outside?
Oh, and she was also taught how to brew some relatively simple potions.
Potions meant to cause unconsciousness or paralysis didn't seem like things used to deal with monsters at all...
Despite harboring all kinds of doubts, there were also satisfying aspects.
For instance, she had basically adapted to the ultra-high-speed flight back and forth every day.
Well, at the very least, she no longer screamed in terror...
In addition, her magic studies were progressing incredibly fast. This was different from when she was learning Second-Tier magic. Back then, Semilis had focused more on the growth rate of Shulim's mana, which was why she only started practicing Second-Tier magic after her mana reached D+-Class.
Now, it was the exact opposite: mana growth had become secondary, while mastering as many spells and skills as possible became her top priority.
When Shulim asked Semilis about this, the fairy explained that mana growth slowed down significantly after reaching C-Class, so she didn't need to pay too much attention to it. Instead of wasting time on that, she should acquire as much knowledge as possible.
I see. I remember Semilis mentioning from the very beginning that C-Class would be a very long stage.
Shulim accepted this explanation for the time being. Although Third-Tier spells were extremely mana-consuming now, preventing her from practicing them in large numbers, there was still the subject of composite magic. Various low-tier composite spells kept her training time from shrinking drastically.
Still, having so many things to learn brought a bit of pressure.
Often, even after returning home, she still had to spend quite a lot of time practicing in her room, otherwise, she wouldn't be able to keep up with the teaching pace.
Currently, Shulim was busier than she had ever been, her daily rhythm almost entirely filled with various arrangements.
Every morning, she woke up early to practice her swordsmanship, then made sure to arrive at school just in time. After school, she hurried out of town, only to be whisked away by Semilis to train deep within the Monster Forest. Once training ended and she returned home, she had to spend time in the evening reviewing what Semilis had taught her.
This tight daily routine made Shulim unconsciously lose track of time.
By the time she realized it, she had already mastered a shocking number of spells.
Rate on N.U.
