Outside Grayrock Town, on an open patch of land.
Gauss gripped his staff tightly and closed his eyes, focusing his mind.
He was attuning himself to the new spell imprinted in his will—Mage Armor.
One major benefit of spells rewarded through the Adventurer’s Manual was that, compared to regular apprentices, they skipped the long and painful initiation phase.
It felt more like reclaiming something he’d once known, rather than learning from scratch.
From what Gauss had learned through the Night Owl team, for most people, even if they acquired a skill book, it would still take several months just to reach the point where they could barely cast the spell. And achieving real proficiency could take years.
But Gauss didn’t need that long to go from novice to proficient—thanks to the Manual, he had a serious head start.
His first two spells, Mage Hand and Magic Missile, didn’t take long to reach lvl. 2 either.
With his eyes shut, he mentally reviewed everything he knew about Mage Armor.
He recalled details from Andeni’s notebook from earlier.
Each spell was a unique magical effect.
These effects could create tools, weapons, damage, protective barriers, and more—generally falling into one of eight schools of magic:
Mage Hand was Conjuration, Magic Missile was Evocation, and the new spell he was training—Mage Armor—was from the Abjuration school.
This spell could be cast on oneself or another target via touch. However, casting on others required more experience and was generally less effective than casting it on oneself.
Once cast successfully, it created a protective magical field around the body.
After quickly reviewing that, Gauss began his first attempts.
He focused his attention, guiding the mana within his body.
The spell imprint embedded in his will gave a subtle response.
Gauss let out a slight breath of relief.
To get that sharp, resonant click of sensation on the first try was a good sign. It meant the spell wouldn't be difficult to train.
Any feedback was a positive sign.
Gauss repeated the process several times.
He could feel the spell was almost ready to manifest—it was right there, just out of reach.
Of course, saying the spell name wasn’t required for casting. But spellcasting demanded intense concentration, and vocalizing the incantation acted as a mental trigger. It helped shift focus instantly.
Everyone's experienced it: the more you try not to think about something, the harder it is to suppress it.
Focusing with a clear, undistracted mind is harder than it sounds—especially when you’re not yet familiar with the spell.
That’s why certain words, motions, or chants were often used to center the mind. Even for spells he had already mastered, like Mage Hand and Magic Missile, Gauss would still silently recite their names to stay focused.
After a short break, Gauss took a deep breath.
He felt like he was just one step away.
He gave his face a quick slap to re-energize himself.
His brain sent a clear signal through his body, and the magical imprint for Mage Armor began to glow faintly.
Mana surged through him, gathering at the bone staff in his hand, and then flowed outward, merging with ambient mana and forming a barrier on his skin.
With the expenditure of mana, the magical field completed its manifestation.
Level 1 Spell: Mage Armor Lvl.1 (1/10)
Gauss exhaled, relieved.
Once Mage Armor was successfully cast, it didn’t need constant focus—it remained active with just minor upkeep.
He could now clearly feel the magical field surrounding him, shielding him from harm.
It didn’t feel like leather or metal armor—there was no weight, no texture. It was like a thin, invisible membrane of pure energy.
Hesitating for a moment, Gauss pulled out a dagger.
Carefully, he pressed it against his fingertip and made a shallow cut.
The magical barrier emitted a subtle hum.
At the point where the blade met his skin, a faint white light shimmered briefly—and that was it.
It didn’t even break the skin.
It was like trying to cut through an invisible film that absorbed the force entirely.
Of course, that description wasn’t quite right, but Gauss couldn’t think of a better one.
“No bleeding. No damage.” Gauss stared at his finger with an excited smile. “That’s a very clear effect!”
This was the protective power of abjuration magic.
It didn’t amplify his strength, conjure items, or manipulate people’s minds—but it could protect.
“I think the barrier weakened a little just now...” Gauss assessed.
Mage Armor could absorb hits, but each attack would slightly diminish its power.
Which made perfect sense.
You couldn’t expect Mage Armor to tank every hit forever. It was still magic—it had its limits.
So just because he had Mage Armor now didn’t mean he could be reckless.
It’d be foolish to charge into attacks and rely entirely on the shield.
Especially since his current level of proficiency was still low.
If an attack could be dodged, he should dodge it.
That way, the barrier wouldn’t be worn down by unnecessary hits, preserving its integrity for when it was really needed.
Gauss kept his thoughts clear and organized.
“Next step: test the damage threshold of Mage Armor.”
It was crucial to know the limits of his own spell.
Only by understanding what kinds of attacks he could withstand would he be able to make sound tactical decisions in real battle.
Now that he’d seen the spell’s effects firsthand, he felt more confident.
Without hesitation, he gave himself another small cut.
Back before he had Mage Armor, this would’ve drawn serious blood.
But now, the blade simply skimmed over his skin. A faint shimmer, and no injury.
It struck the barrier again—unseen, but unbroken.