Through Little Richard's eyes, the world around him had already become digitized. After overcoming the initial confusion, Richard had started to understand how to utilize these numbers. Under the influence of his "Precision" talent, he could accurately perceive the magic energy of an ordinary level-one mage. He defined that standard quantity as "10." By comparison, his current magic energy measured about "8." Although he did not yet grasp the significance of this seemingly endless quantification, this was precisely how the digitization of magical systems began.

  Casting a Fireball spell required "15" units of magic energy, whereas general level-three spells required approximately "20." Richard now understood that Fireball stood out among low-level spells precisely because it offered greater destructive power and simpler casting at lower energy cost. However, he also knew that a certain amount of magic energy would inevitably dissipate or be wasted during the casting process. Moreover, it was dangerous for a mage to fully deplete their magic reserves in one spell, as it could severely harm the body. Thus, Richard instinctively sensed that the standard Fireball had considerable room for improvement.

  After several sleepless nights of experimentation, Little Richard discovered that after multiple refinements, the magic energy consumption of Fireball could actually be reduced to "8," assuming the spellcasting was executed flawlessly without shortening its three-second casting duration. Lowering energy consumption also slightly reduced the Fireball’s power; originally at "15" units, its destructive force would drop to around "10" units at the reduced energy consumption of "8." However, in terms of damage inflicted per unit of magic energy, this optimized Fireball was evidently superior. Even with reduced power, its strength vastly surpassed typical level-one spells, which maxed out at "5" units.

  Curiosity was a dangerous thing—by the second night, Richard attempted his first Fireball, and astonishingly succeeded. His heart nearly stopped as he watched the slightly smaller, vividly crimson Fireball drift slowly towards a steel dummy twenty-five meters away.

  The Fireball exploded spectacularly, flames bursting outward in a fiery ring, sending waves of scorching heat even toward Richard. The steel dummy, designed to match the defensive capabilities of partial plate armor and to measure spell potency, was visibly distorted, bearing lingering magical flames. Clearly, had it been a warrior in partial plate armor standing there, the Fireball would have been fatal.

  Success!

  It was the first spell Little Richard had cast in his life, and a tremendous joy instantly overwhelmed him. He wished to leap in excitement, but instead, his legs buckled beneath him as he slid slowly to the ground. His body felt utterly empty, every muscle disobeying his commands; he couldn't even lift a finger.

  The price of successfully casting his first real magic was spending the rest of the night lying on the cold floor. Richard tasted for the first time the absolute emptiness of total magic depletion. Completely drained, he couldn’t even meditate and had no choice but to wait passively for his magic energy to regenerate.

  Exactly three hours and six minutes later, his magic energy automatically recovered by "1" unit—another precise answer given by his talent. Only then could Richard stand and begin to meditate.

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  During these monotonous three hours, Richard found himself meticulously reviewing his magical knowledge. He realized that higher mental strength indeed reduced a spell’s magic consumption. Higher mental strength meant finer control, enabling numerous subtle enhancements to magic. Those Metamagic skills all required sufficient mental strength to wield. For instance, Richard identified at least sixteen areas needing improvement in his Fireball casting: four to save energy, three to boost power, and more. He prioritized energy savings first, diving into lengthy, tedious calculations. It was at this moment that Richard truly appreciated the value of mathematics. After half an hour, he identified one viable improvement, successfully lowering the Fireball’s energy cost to "7" without reducing its power.

  Now he would still be standing after casting, perhaps even able to jog a few steps, rather than collapsing as before. Another benefit of the "Precision" talent was the accurate awareness of his physical condition. If he found a suitable reference, even mental strength could be digitized.

  For the first time, Richard felt genuine joy. He eagerly anticipated his magic energy’s full recovery, excited to test his improvements. The happiness from exploration and discovery felt like a ray of sunlight piercing the gloom that constantly surrounded him. Richard realized, for the first time, just how marvelously intricate the world of magic was, vast enough to spend a lifetime barely scratching its surface.

  As his magic slowly accumulated, finally reaching "1," Richard struggled into the meditation room, consumed a mana recovery potion, and began meditating. Several hours later, as soon as his magic reserves were almost replenished, Richard eagerly rushed out, once again casting a Fireball at the damaged dummy.

  As the Fireball formed between his hands, his magic swiftly drained, leaving him depleted. The trembling Fireball flickered but eventually launched toward the dummy. Again, his experiment succeeded—his method was effective, though minor emotional fluctuations during casting caused slight imperfections, slightly increasing energy usage. Richard collapsed again but found comfort in knowing the potion accelerated his recovery, needing only an hour's rest this time.

  He spent that hour in constant calculation. By the time he stood, dawn had broken.

  Today's lesson was Magical Mathematics, and Richard listened attentively for the first time, genuinely recognizing beauty amidst endless numbers. Unlike Fu Jia’s obsession, Richard genuinely understood mathematics’ practical value—he lived within numbers, after all.

  Throughout the entire day, his mind ran tirelessly. Though the lesson wasn't difficult for him, he noted classmates struggling, suggesting perhaps that the wisdom bestowed by the Moon Goddess Elucia indeed played a role.

  It was month's end. Upon returning to his quarters, the female apprentice who'd once shown him around Deep Blue awaited him by the door. Smiling sweetly, she handed Richard a pale silver metal badge detailing his monthly financial status. It could be inspected on the laboratory’s alchemy table or activated with magic.

  The girl had a charming face and a naturally graceful presence. Richard glanced at her, thanked her briefly, and walked straight through the imposing metallic gates into his area.

  As the heavy metal doors closed, the girl angrily stamped her feet. She briefly considered blasting the doors open with magic, but knowing the anti-magic alloys and protective enchantments, realized even a level-six Disintegration would fail. Even empty land here was priceless.

  "That jerk! We've met twice, and he never even asked my name!" the girl muttered furiously. Then, recalling Richard's mere ten years of age—far too young for romance yet old for magic initiation—she sighed helplessly, turning away bitterly. Yet competition was fierce in Deep Blue, and if she waited until Richard was fully grown, her chance might already be lost.