Four Omens

  The corridor of the laboratory was deep and dark, with a smell similar to that of a hospital. Zhan Huashi walked in front, probably already accustomed to it. Penny kept guessing that the middle-aged man had fixed some kind of dim vision magic on his robe, but he didn't have such skills. With a wave of his hand, a not-too-clear syllable came out of his throat, and a light source floated above his head.

  If this skill were seen by other apprentices, they would mostly be stunned into stupidity.

  The practice of magic is roughly divided into studying magical principles, casting spells, and creating objects. Among them, spellcasting as a way for magicians to demonstrate their power is an elegant and meticulous art.

  A novice mage who wants to use a magic net to guide and complete a zero-level spell, how long will it take?

  This is not a small number.

  Taking Bright Magic as an example, to completely release it, including speech and gestures, at the average standard of a zero-level Ferulen magician, would take about fifty-seven seconds.

  Don't be surprised, the reason Penny can release the spell in half a second is that she has already completed the 56.5 seconds of guiding behavior for this spell during her morning meditation and preparation.

  It's just like a gun loaded with bullets. The mage uses magic, the loading work has been done, and when encountering an enemy, he only needs to pull the trigger.

  However, some players are careless when reloading and dragging their feet when shooting, compared to some agile players with neat movements, which creates a gap in level.

  Because casting is indeed a very difficult technique to grasp.

  Taking a spell that requires sixty seconds to chant as an example, it is impossible to chant in battle, otherwise enemies hundreds of meters away would rush up and kill him several times over before he even finishes the spell.

  So most of the work in these sixty seconds must be done in the spell preparation procedure, equivalent to dividing a spell into two segments, preparation and casting.

  The question is, as a spellcaster, how long can you spend guiding the preparation of spells to ensure that the casting time is sufficiently short?

  Because spell guidance has continuity, it is impossible to interrupt at will. Dividing a spell into two segments is not a simple matter. At which gesture or syllable of the incantation you interrupt, you must ensure that the spell can continue to release with guaranteed quality when continued, and no accidents such as going out of control or misfiring occur. If an accident occurs, it may cost your life.

  Generally speaking, a 60-second spell, preparing the first 30 seconds in advance and leaving 30 seconds for casting time, is something that any novice can do. Because most spells prepared to this extent have not yet reached the effective period of linking with the magic net, they can be dispelled at any time. Even if it's not successful, it won't cause serious consequences. The interval point between preparation and release is also easy to find.

  However, if the preparation time is extended to forty seconds, for some mages, it's not an easy task. The spell has been prepared to this extent, and the magic signal has accumulated in the spell slot linked by the soul and the magic net, ready to affect the magic net at any time. If an error occurs, it will cause a certain degree of damage to the soul link, which is a possible demotion injury for the mage himself.

  Able to extend the preparation time to fifty seconds, this is something that about one-third of the number of mages can't do. The spell has been prepared to such an extent that the magical signal is already eager to try on the magic web, ready to form a magical effect in the material world at any time. Such spells are difficult to control, and the breakpoints are not something that mages with insufficient casting talent can grasp accurately.

  At this level, which is the standard for qualified adventurers, ten seconds may seem like a long time or a short time, but it's already enough to add many possibilities to adventures and battles.

  As for extending the preparation time to fifty-five seconds and compressing the casting time to less than five seconds, such a mage is a naturally skilled caster, and only less than one-sixth of mages can achieve this.

  Not to mention how difficult it is to master the preparation and casting of the spell, just the courage to put a large bundle of explosives that could explode at any time on the end of the link between the soul and the magic net is worthy of admiration from all mages.

  It can now be known that Apprentice Panni's magical skills are at least astonishing in terms of his attainments in the Bright Arts.

  Moreover, the technique of spellcasting cannot be taught by instructors, as individual physical differences and connections to the mana network also differ. The same spell, when cast by anyone, will have subtle differences in its guiding program. As a rigorous technology, even tiny mistakes can lead to astonishing disasters! Exchanges between mages can deepen research and understanding of the mana network, but it is difficult to improve one's spellcasting level.

  However, Zhan Huashi was clearly unimpressed by Penny's technique. A dull voice seemed to come directly from the silhouette and into Penny's ears: "No matter how skilled you are, it's just a zero-level spell."

  Panni was slightly surprised to raise his head, feeling that today's principal seemed a bit different. Since he often cooperated with this principal, he didn't mind showing off his rapid spellcasting skills, but he had never received any evaluation before. Today, however, he suddenly heard such a long string of words and couldn't help but be surprised.

  To know, this mentor is a typical taciturn person, rarely speaking. Even when doing experiments and instructing Penny, the tone of his words was roughly like this: 'Head!' 'Trachea, cut three inches' 'Liver, chop and mix.' For Penny to say such a long sentence, it's indeed rare.

  Although surprised, Penny didn't say much. He wasn't qualified to do so yet, and he was well aware of that. So he tread more carefully, indicating that he was listening to the elder's teachings.

  However, today's Zhan Huashi seemed to have a lot to say. He continued, occasionally getting tongue-tied because he didn't speak often, but his words were very clear: "Today's experiment is very important. If you can help me complete it, I might be able to fulfill your wish."

  Fulfill my wish?

  Pang Ni's heart thumped twice, what was his wish?

  What else is there besides leaving this godforsaken place?

  He didn't doubt that the instructor saw clearly, because they were familiar with each other, and he also knew that Jian Hua Shi generally didn't fool people.

  He finally knew where the auspicious sign came from last night.

  However, he did not become more excited, but instead calmed down even further. He knew that for Zhan Huashi to be so serious about this matter, it was definitely not a simple thing.

  He gazed at the back of the red-robed monk, shifting his attention in a disorderly manner to try and relax himself, as being too tense all the time wasn't good.

  Leng Zhanhuai was of medium build, about five feet seven inches (1.71m) tall, with a pair of dark gloves on his hands all year round, emitting an aura of death that entered Penny's perception, possibly related to his expertise in spirits, and his back was thin, not suitable for scaring people by pretending to be a ghost.

  There is an even more obvious characteristic, and like all Red Robe Masters, Leng Jia Huan is bald.

  The patterns on the top of the head are the symbols of the Red Robe Masters, which can be broadly divided into eight major categories, corresponding to the eight major schools. They contain special powers and resonate with the arcane produced by the brain, which can enhance the power of a certain type of magic for the Red Robes. However, the scattered powers will also produce some side effects - such as more strongly interfering with the wizard's perception of other types of magic, forming a forbidden school that specializes in Red Robe.

  It's laughable and tear-jerking that this law will cause all the dense hair on the red-robed cultivator's neck and above to fall out naturally and stop growing - for example, beards and hair, so all the red robes are undoubtedly bald, without a single eyebrow, and the image is very strange.

  The mere thought of becoming like that one day made Penny Sein shudder.

  Sel, the Red Robe who was zealously pursuing magical power, didn't care whether he himself became bald or not. However, Penny was never a person who could give up everything for power; otherwise, he wouldn't have hesitated to connect to the deeper layers of the magic net for safety and instead wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.

  "But if you can't satisfy me, I'll find another way to grant your wish." Renge Jinguji said the third thing he'd say to Penny today.

  Pan Ni's expression didn't change, but in an instant his mood calmed down again. He decided that today he would definitely bring out 120% of his standard to complete this task, using all his strength.

  He absolutely doesn't want to stay in this place anymore.

  Since he was six years old and came to this closed college, for eight whole years, he had never stepped out of the outside world even a single step.

  Sometimes he sat on the lakeside of Serland Bay, gazing at the fish swimming in the water.

  Sometimes he opens the window of his bedroom, over the not very high wall of the courtyard, and looks up at the birds flying in the sky.

  There were countless nights when he secretly ran to the gap in the low wall of the college, only to stop in his tracks.

  There were countless midnights when he wrapped his head with a tattered quilt and wept silently in the dead of night.

  He gazed longingly at freedom with infinite pain, hating his own cowardice and fear, struggling and suffering in this purgatory-like place.

  Finally, everything is going to end.

  Penny Sienn was convinced of this.

  But as they got closer to Dr. Jenning's laboratory, Penny's keen senses had picked up on something being off, her face paling slightly, and her footsteps seeming heavier.

  Leng Zhanhua pushed open the laboratory door, and the brilliance of the light technique spilled in. A beautiful body was restrained on the bed by a secret method, with an iron hoop engraved with mysterious characters. The chest rose and fell, clearly still alive. Under hair the color of oak leaves, amber-colored eyes blinked at the two people standing in the doorway, their gaze more curious than fearful.

  Penny's enthusiasm suddenly cooled down a bit.

  "Today we're doing a live experiment, I'll go prepare, you also get ready." Zhan Huashi said, then turned around and walked into the preparation room next door, leaving only a stunned Penny and the bound person on the bed.