Mental Power: 29.7
Magical Power: 28.1
Physical Condition: 8.8
Elemental Affinity: Fire, Light, Darkness…
As Sain placed his palm upon the crystal ball, various colors of soft light flickered across its surface, and shortly thereafter, a brief message appeared in his mind. This wasn't Sain's first time using the academy's public crystal ball, so he understood exactly what to focus on.
"An increase of 3.7 in mental power, 2.6 in magical power, and even a boost of 1.2 in physical condition?" Sain pondered.
Over half a month ago, just before he set off for the domain of the saltwater crocodile, Sain had tested his mental and magical levels in the library. At that time, his readings were as follows: Mental Power 26, Magical Power 25.5, and Physical Condition 7.6. For a low-level apprentice, those figures were already quite impressive; no wonder he had dared to take significant risks against the saltwater crocodile.
The Black Magic Academy set a minimum standard for intermediate apprentices at 30 for mental power. With his current mental power at 29.7, he was just a step away from advancing.
As for magical power, it typically corresponds to a wizard's mental power level; it serves as the fundamental energy stored within a wizard's body. For instance, when Sain casts a spell, he utilizes his mental power to mobilize his magical energy, thereby successfully releasing a complete spell.
Through his years of learning and observation at the dark academy, Sain noticed that established formal dark wizards seemed less concerned about their magical power values and were more focused on their mental power. Generally, the criterion for apprentice promotion across the various ranks revolved around mental power metrics.
Of course, this does not imply that magical power is unimportant. From Sain's perspective, based on his current knowledge and understanding, he believed that magical power and mental power held equal significance. For example, casting a standard basic Fireball spell required both 10 points of mental power and magical power. In contrast, if he aimed to cast an enhanced version of the Fireball spell—which he had used against the saltwater crocodile—it would require 10 points of mental power and 15 points of magical power.
The higher magical expense indicated a more potent manifestation of the same spell. Naturally, the two types of Fireball spells had their differences. The former was a standard knowledge exchange that Sain had acquired through academy points, while the latter was a result of his own research and improvements based on his findings in fire element-related studies and tips received while assisting Lina during experiments.
Researching magic wasn't something that could be accomplished overnight. Sain's enhanced Fireball spell could hardly be categorized as a brand-new magic. In the eyes of other formal wizards, Sain's achievement was merely a slight modification of the original spell's structure to accommodate more magical energy, resulting in an increased effect—a trivial endeavor, really.
Yet, this so-called trivial endeavor had absorbed nearly three years of Sain's efforts, helping him become one of the top low-level apprentices.
As for the last item in the crystal ball test results, physical condition was something most people overlook. According to the explanations provided by wizards during the public classes on elemental fundamentals, a physical condition score of 5-7 is typical for an adult male human. At 16 years old, well before reaching adulthood, Sain had already attained a score of 8.8, surpassing the average—likely linked to the rudimentary breathing technique he had mastered from a young age.
A score of 10 in physical condition was a critical threshold distinguishing ordinary humans. Bull-headed warriors in the city of Mosobla typically boasted scores exceeding 10, enabling them to contend with low-level beasts. The already deceased Scarface Chock was a muscular brute known for his strength in close combat; Sain speculated that his physical condition likely surpassed 15, possibly even 20.
With his fiery elemental enchantment, it was no wonder he had seen Lina as a rival. Unfortunately, raw strength was insignificant in the face of magic. Sain's Acid Staff easily dissolved Chock's robust muscles into a bloody pulp.
The same reasoning could be applied to the bull-headed warriors stationed outside the city of Mosobla for defense. Though they possessed substantial physiques and strength, they still trembled in the radiant glow of magic. Even the bull-headed captain he encountered, who could rival high-level magical beasts, likely wouldn't withstand the corrosive acid from Sain's Acid Staff.
Brute force was ultimately a minor path; intelligence was the true king.
"Senior Sister Faye once said that danger and desperate situations can indeed stimulate the growth of mental power, and with the increase of mental power, magical power naturally rises as well," Sain reflected. "I previously spent nearly ten years slowly elevating my mental power from 11 to 26 points. This time, in less than a month, my mental power has increased by 3 points. Beyond the teachings of my master and Senior Sister Faye, those battles have undoubtedly played a crucial role."
No wonder the renowned apprentices at the Black Magic Academy flaunted their formidable and impressive achievements. Sain's notoriety was built upon the corpses of Ilk and Scarface Chock, which might impress some intermediate and low-level apprentices. However, to those standing atop the true pyramid of the academy—its senior apprentices—his feats were utterly insignificant.
Among the most distinguished senior apprentices, many boasted remarkable records, including personally slaying high-level magical beasts. Once one entered the realm of senior apprentices, they became entirely separated from those at the intermediate or lower levels of the academy.
They rarely appeared in public classes, and even in daily life, they were elusive figures.
Reflecting on the current statuses of Lina, Senior Sister Faye, and Senior Brother Zoro, Sain could easily guess that senior apprentices were either engrossed in experimental research or out undertaking perilous trials for the academy. The knowledge taught in the public classes of the Black Magic Academy primarily consisted of basic and rudimentary information, which naturally didn't captivate the attention of these higher-tier apprentices.
Especially since each senior apprentice typically had a formal wizard mentor behind them, if they were interested in any area of knowledge, they could approach their mentor directly—there was no need to attend public classes and lower their standing.
Currently, the primary participants in public classes at the Black Magic Academy were the entry-level and low-level apprentices, while intermediate apprentices only made up about twenty percent of the total. This discrepancy was partly because there were simply fewer intermediate apprentices compared to entry-level and low-level ones. Additionally, the vast majority of intermediate apprentices no longer needed public classes, having already learned most of the basic knowledge.
The usual routine for many intermediate apprentices would be to enhance their mental power, earn academy points to acquire new spell models, or complete tasks assigned by formal wizards to secure a mentorship—this was the standard for most of them.
If Sain hadn't been accepted as a disciple by Master Mosido, that might have been his life moving forward.