Manifesting a spiritual storm within the Tower probably wasn't a good idea, no matter how many points it would earn him. Nick suspected that the wards wouldn't allow anything that could threaten the stability of the layers of reality anyway, so he didn't even attempt it.

No, what he was aiming for was something a bit different. It was the result of studying the cursed amulet he'd bought the other day, which had helped him deepen his understanding of spiritual magic in a new direction.

Using a new spell for this might be a little risky, but choosing [Spiritual Hurricane] or [Spirit Crush] could reveal too much. This should provide a hint of my abilities without arousing too much suspicion. Well, at least not too much. I'm fairly certain someone will get spooked no matter what I do.

The local ether was already flooded with the hopes and dreams of thousands of aspiring tower mages, and it didn't take Nick much more than a gentle nudge to pull a significant portion of that power toward him. It required little pressure to start twisting it on itself, giving it purpose and feeding it until it turned into an obsession.

For that was what curses were. Intentions taken to the absolute extreme, recursive and self-feeding, capable of clinging to their target for any length of time until their purpose was fulfilled in truth.

What he initially thought was a simple mistake in making the amulet was actually part of its design, meaning the object wasn't cursed afterward but was always meant to punish those who dared look too far.

Nick made sure to make it appear in his cloak's pocket so that anyone watching could see how he developed the magic he was working on.

Only a second passed in real time, but the spiritual mana had already started to manifest, flowing into the clearing as Nick directed it, until the spellcrafting process was finished and its effects became apparent.

The halfway manifested grass started to look greener and more lively. The birdsong grew louder, reaching brighter, more joyful notes. The wind turned into a gentle breeze, tousling everyone's hair. Where the ground had been scarred by the many spells cast upon it, new growth began to emerge, filling in the gaps and bringing the meadow back to a peaceful state.

The ambient mana reached a state of perfect stillness, so much so that anyone attempting to disturb the peace would find themselves unable to do so. There would be nowhere for their mana to go, as the space was saturated with positive energy. Not that they would want to.

"[Daydream]" Nick murmured, feeling the spell reach its completion. It wasn't the most visually impressive magic he could cast, no, nor was it as destructive as his other spiritual spells.

But considering the wide-eyed look Master Battera was giving him, he had achieved his goal.

After all, [Daydream] wasn't just a basic restoration spell, nor was it focused on creating a cozy environment. Instead, it transformed positive emotions into reality, amplifying the very aspects that made a space enjoyable to their absolute limit.

That meant wounds couldn't be inflicted, and destructive spells would fail to form. It was a forced peace that was just as much a curse as a place filled with angst and negativity. A rope tightening around one's neck, only this time, it was so comfortable that many would gladly let themselves be taken by it.

Truly, it was a terrifying piece of magic that he'd woven. Before it could entrench itself too much, Nick disrupted the flow of mana, sending the positive emotions back into the ether.

That's a lot more than I usually receive for new spells. I guess my high affinity causes them to start at a higher rank, so I gain the benefits of learning new magic and its complexity, but it still feels like a bit much. It must be a truly dangerous spell for the System to be so generous, and one that suits my Class well at that.

Perhaps that shouldn't have been so surprising. Curses were something Occultists were notorious for, and developing one that was so insidious naturally earned him some recognition.

"Well, that was something," Eulogius muttered, looking at the restored clearing with a furrowed brow. It was clear he sensed the magic wasn't all it seemed at first glance, but Nick could also see some frustration directed at himself for missing something, meaning the youngest proctor likely hadn't figured out all the implications, and knew it.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

Torrentia, resting her hand on her cheek, hummed contentedly, "Truly a pleasant spell. I always say that not every bit of magic has to be done with the intent to destroy, and you've shown us it is possible to go far with that in mind."

Nick's eyebrows lifted, and he was tempted to say the woman had simply missed the bulk of the spell, but one look at her eyes told him she knew very well what he'd done. And she likes it. I might have given a very dangerous person some inspiration.

Since the woman was a Mistress of the Healing Arts, she had to be highly knowledgeable in the darker magics, if only to combat them. Her reaction to the positive curse made him think she would soon come up with something very unique.

Finally, there was the one man who had seen everything from beginning to end.

Nick didn't think he had underestimated him, but he was still surprised to see Master Battera engaged in a fierce internal debate, with cold ruthlessness battling warm hope.

Though he wasn't aware of the man's thoughts, he didn't think it would be wrong to say that the old druid was deciding whether to kill him now, when he was still weak, or hope that he would use the terrible power he'd shown for good. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ NoveI(F)ire.net

Considering that [Daydream] was meant to be a very innocent use of his spiritual magic, Nick wondered what would have happened if he had actually gone through with it and cast [Spirit Crunch].

I probably would have been stopped by one of the masters. That spell can pierce through the layers of reality to hit a soul, and they would recognize it.

Luckily for his ongoing well-being, it seemed that Battera's trust in humanity was stronger than his caution, because he exhaled and closed his eyes, lips curling into a mildly amused smile. "I knew you weren't like the others from the start, but to go so far at such a young age… The world is truly vast, and you never stop learning."

"What is he talking about?" One of the sisters whispered to the other. "It was only a restoration spell that made it smell nice."

"I dunno, but it must have been more than that," the other answered, looking around to try to spot the difference.

She wouldn't find it, not now.

Tim, on the other hand, was looking at Nick with wide eyes, clearly having noticed more than the girls. Given his talent for buffs and debuffs, that wasn't so surprising, but it still exceeded Nick's expectations.

His level might not be very high, but he has a lot of talent. I guess he would need it to survive in Chandra's shadow.

All around the clearing, the hidden observers shifted, having seen through most of Nick's spell, partly thanks to the Tower's magic shielding them from its effects.

Most of them seemed to be various shades of interest, with a few bordering on gleeful at the discovery. That was exactly what Nick was aiming for, so at least he hadn't risked revealing himself for nothing.

Battera cleared his throat, gaining their attention. "Well, now that the second part of the exam is done, we can move on to the last. After that final display, I'm almost hesitant to go through with it, but the rules are rules."

The prospect of finishing the last part of the exam energized the would-be apprentices, and even Nick smiled, giving the old man his full attention.

"As Mistress Torrentia mentioned earlier, most casters make the mistake of thinking of magic as just a tool of war. It is a neutral force that we humans turn into something violent due to our nature, rather than it changing us. You will have opportunities during your stay here, if you pass, to develop that part of your skillset. Trust me, you will never regret it," Battera said, emphasizing his last two words.

Then, he sighed and smoothed his beard with a hand, looking almost pained. "But it would be incorrect to say that battle magic is something you can ignore altogether. Your pursuit of understanding will always put you in conflict with others, whether it's fellow mages or monsters guarding the resources you need. That's why one of the Tower's main goals is to forge young mages into powerful fighters who can traverse the wilderness and face any opponent. That's also why the third test is a duel, one between you and an instructor."

A moment of silence followed, during which Nick nodded to himself. He'd expected as much.

"Now, of course, we don't expect you to win. You lack the years of experience even the youngest among us have. But this won't be a practice bout meant to let you show off. No, this will be an intense fight, where we will push you to your limits in ways you have probably never experienced before. Know that unless you give it your all, you will fail." His eyes hardened, and he looked at them with steel in his gaze. "That is the life of a mage. To fight life's unfairness, to rage against fate, to stand proudly against the World itself. Unless you are ready for that, you won't pass."

And so, the true test arrives. Well, that might be an exaggeration, as they will undoubtedly use the information from previous sessions to plan our paths and determine our future. However, unless we perform well here, we won't pass.

"For this last test, you will be examined separately," Battera continued, and Nick's head snapped up. He hadn't expected that, and suddenly, mana gathered around the room into a massive dimensional spell, which resolved before he could do more than ensure [Blasphemy] was there to protect him.

It turned out to be unnecessary because the magic didn't even target him. On the other hand, Tim, the sisters, Eulogius, and Torrentia all vanished in a flash, teleported somewhere else inside the Tower.

"Not every participant makes it to the last test," Battera continued, unbothered by the sudden disappearance. "In fact, most fail to demonstrate mastery of the three basic spells and are turned away, and told to improve before their next try. Some simply lack focus and can't perform well during the second practical, but we don't send all of them away, instead selecting the gems in the rough. Only about ten percent reach this stage, so your group was quite impressive."

Though his appearance remained the same, his tone of voice had shifted into something colder, more calculating, and Nick couldn't help but narrow his eyes.

Dueling him won't be easy, especially since he saw the truth of [Daydream]. But that is why I chose to cast such a complex spell in the first place. Unless I manage to go beyond what's expected of a decent prospect, I'll never be considered a prodigy. And I need that fame.

At least he wasn't actually alone. About half a dozen hidden observers remained in the clearing, so he doubted the Prestige druid would do anything untoward. But Nick still didn't like how the atmosphere had changed.

"How many end up passing, on average?" He asked instead of voicing his fears, refusing to let anything but firm resolve show.

Battera's lips curled into a crooked grin, and he tightened his grip on his staff. "Around one in a thousand," he said, and his eyes started to glow.