“I need to remind you, don’t think that just because you’ve become a Gold-Thorn Apprentice now, everything will be smooth sailing from here on.

“The Hossens School today is not what it used to be. Even Gold-Thorn Apprentices are subject to elimination.”

The First-Rank Wizard gave a solemn warning.

Lynn’s heart tightened. He quickly put away the joy on his face and nodded earnestly.

“Furthermore, the selection of Gold-Thorn Apprentices isn’t over yet. The official list won’t be announced until two weeks later.

“You’ve only just advanced, and your Light of Knowledge still needs time to fully stabilize. Try to reduce your meditations for now, and lightly practice spells instead.

“A First-Rank Apprentice has already become the backbone of the school. At this stage, there are many duties you will need to shoulder, and no shortage of dangers to face. Having enough strength is of utmost importance.”

“Understood, teacher. Thank you for the reminder.”

“Good. Go back and wait for the formal notice.”

Lynn nodded and respectfully took his leave.

But instead of hurrying home, he made his way toward the school’s library.

According to the rules he learned back when he advanced to a Second-Rank Apprentice, upon reaching First-Rank Apprentice, he should also be entitled to receive a free spell from the library.

However, when Lynn arrived at the Hossens School library, he learned that this regulation had already been changed.

Originally, every apprentice who successfully advanced to First-Rank could obtain one ordinary-grade, zero-ring upper-tier spell for free from the school’s library.

Now, the rule had been altered, and only Gold-Thorn Apprentices were eligible to receive such a spell.

Silver-Thorn Apprentices, if they wanted more spells, would have to exchange contribution points or magic stones.

Fortunately, Lynn had already secured his place as a Gold-Thorn Apprentice, so it made no difference for him.

After presenting the badge he had just been given, Lynn smoothly entered the library.

By now, the school’s grounds had basically been rebuilt. Its location was still on the same hillside as before, though the terrain had been leveled into flat ground.

The library itself stood beside the central main teaching hall of the school, a two-story tower building, though Lynn was only allowed to enter the first floor.

Inside, rows upon rows of shelves were lined with countless knowledge crystals, each one protected by defensive spell-formations. Aside from their names and short descriptions, nothing could be seen.

Without hesitation, Lynn went straight toward the section dedicated to Flight Spells for Apprentices.

If the Light of Knowledge and strength of spirit were what truly distinguished a First-Rank Apprentice from Second- and Third-Rank apprentices…

Then, whether or not one could cast the flight Spell was one of the greatest visible differences between them!

I wonder if the school has the Golden Mist Phantom Technique… Lynn thought to himself, a trace of expectation flickering in his heart.

This particular flight spell was no ordinary technique. Not only was it incredibly fast, but it also carried a built-in damage-reduction effect. Along his journey, he had already saved him from several dangerous situations.

Lynn had a very good impression of this spell. If he had the choice, he would gladly pick it.

True, with the Golden Shadow Pendant, he could also unleash the Zero Ring high-grade spell Golden Mist Phantom, but that was merely a mechanical activation relying on the pendant’s embedded spell-formation.

In terms of flexibility, precision, and even sheer power, there was still a clear gap compared to casting it himself.

It was fine for dealing with Second-Rank Apprentices, but not nearly enough to face a First-Rank Apprentice!

Standing before the crystalline console in front of the bookshelf, Lynn placed his hand on the crystal sphere and began searching through the flight spells.

Before long, he found it the Golden Mist Phantom!

A smile appeared on his face, but it quickly faded.

Something was wrong… he didn’t seem to have permission to redeem it.

Looking more carefully, Lynn finally understood the situation.

Within the Hossens School library, the Golden Mist Phantom was classified as a superior-quality spell, the highest tier in the spell-grading system.

Naturally, such a spell did not fall under the free-redemption options granted upon advancement.

*Well, that makes sense. Not only does this spell contain a Zero Ring portion, but it also extends into the First Ring.

*Back then, it was precisely because of this spell that the Golden Shadow Wizard earned his title.

With knowledge this precious, it was never going to be easy to obtain.

Lynn sighed lightly and continued browsing other flight spells.

The library held two other Zero Ring high-grade spells, also rated as superior quality.

After skimming through their effects, he admitted they weren’t bad. One came with a stealth ability, and the other consumed very little mana.

But overall, compared to the Golden Mist Phantom, both were slightly inferior. More importantly, neither of them had a corresponding First Ring extension.

Of course, the Golden Mist Phantom wasn’t without drawbacks.

Its greatest flaw lay in its sheer difficulty to learn. The school had even added a special note in the introduction, explicitly warning apprentices that it wasn’t recommended, as it would demand an enormous investment of energy.

But for Lynn, that wasn’t a fatal drawback.

The transformation brought by his advancement to First-Rank Apprentice was still unfolding. He could faintly sense his source energy increasing as his life level rose.

And the amount of source energy determined how long he could maintain Insight. The longer Insight lasted, the deeper he could peer into the essence of knowledge.

In other words, his Insight itself was also improving.

Lynn read further down.

Compared to the three superior-quality flight spells, the rest, even those rated as fine quality, looked unimpressive and bland, let alone the ordinary ones.

After some thought, Lynn returned to the library administrator to ask about the requirements for redeeming the Golden Mist Phantom.

“Redeeming the Golden Mist Phantom… a superior-quality, Zero Ring high-grade spell…” the administrator muttered, flipping through the requirements.

“You’ll need 350 contribution points, as well as 200 primary-grade magic stones.”

Lynn nodded. The price was actually a bit cheaper than he had expected.

Knowledge, in this world, was extraordinarily costly.

Starting from the Zero Ring high-grade tier, the price of knowledge rose steeply.

A single ordinary Zero Ring high-grade spell could sell for at least a thousand primary-grade magic stones in shops outside.

For independent wizards, wild apprentices, even if they were lucky enough to reach First-Rank Apprentice, they still had to struggle and scrape together resources to purchase knowledge.

Many First-Rank wild apprentices often spent years saving up enough stones just to buy one ordinary high-grade Zero Ring spell, or else a lesser Zero Ring mid-grade spell.

In contrast, Gold-Thorn Apprentices of the Hossens School received one Zero Ring high-grade spell for free upon advancement. The difference in fortune was immeasurable.

I still have 265 contribution points left, and I have enough stones. I’m not too far from being able to redeem the Golden Mist Phantom…

After careful consideration, Lynn decided to temporarily set aside the idea of redeeming a flight spell.

Instead, he would use this one precious free quota to exchange for another spell.

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/AetherTL