"Why is your test longer than mine?" Benisek hurriedly whispered to him. "Am I missing a page or something?"

"You don't," Zorian replied in a low voice. "Nora was just testing me because ...... I'll tell you later. ”

Zorian sighed and continued to think about the advanced spell formula question in front of him. As if the original 60-question test was not enough! Thankfully, he had read all twelve of the books she had "recommended" in previous reboots, so he wasn't completely stumped when he looked at the piece of paper in front of him.

Good. It's nice to be able to confirm that he's really going somewhere and not wasting time.

A few minutes later, his calm was again broken by Benisec. It's a little annoying when the boy starts pestering him for answers, and despite being Zorrian's best friend (or at least the closest), Zorian finds himself gradually losing patience with the boy as he starts over and over again. It wasn't fair to Benisek – the fat boy wasn't worse than usual – but the time loop made Benisek's antics repetitive. He quickly wrote down the answers to a few questions on a piece of paper, then shoved it to Benisek, and quickly glared at him to shut him up.

"Alright, it's time. Nora said everyone put down their pencils, which caused a protest from the students. "Except for Mr. Kaczynski, he can go ahead and do the second special test I gave him."

Everyone's eyes turned to him in an instant.

Akogia hastened to collect all the tests and lingered near his desk for a while so she could see what exactly his "special" tests were. So he tried his best to block it out and continue to solve the problem.

When the class was over, Nora asked him to stay, and the others walked out of the classroom. As soon as his last classmate left, she immediately began to check his test, and Zorian watched intently as she reacted.

Nora is a very expressive woman. When she completed her first test, he could tell she was pleasantly surprised. Considering this is 100% true, she should be like this. However, when she began to check the second test, her face quickly turned to shock, followed by irrepressible joy. Apparently she liked it. Finally, she put the test aside and met him with a sharp gaze that made Zorian cringe. She seemed to exude energy and couldn't find a better word to describe it.

"Hmm......" she began. I didn't expect that. Do you know why I'm giving you a second test? ”

"Uh, no," Zorian said. "Is it to scare me?"

"Exactly!" Nora exclaimed. "Exactly!"

Zorian blinked, unable to believe that she had admitted it to his face.

"Spell formulas require courage! Fervor! Nora excitedly continued. Interesting. She waved the second test in front of him, "When we delve into the really difficult parts of the subject, he will definitely give up." You will not abandon me at any time. ”

He felt a little uneasy. Is he signing up for mantra formula counseling or a cult member?

"Of course, I don't actually expect you to get anything right," Nora said. "I just wanted to see if you'd leave it completely blank. I'm not complaining, far from it! Let's take a look..."

She returned to her desk and pulled out a stack of papers from a drawer. She flipped through them with a frown, clearly unhappy with their contents, and finally sighed and put them aside. After a minute of silence, she glanced at him and shook her head, as if suddenly remembering that he was still there.

"Tell me, what is a spell formula?" She asked him. "And I don't want to hear the textbook definition. I want to hear from you. ”

Zorian opened his mouth, thinking about what to say, and then quickly closed his mouth again.

"Come on," Nora encouraged. "Brave, remember? Also, I just want to know your opinion. There is no right answer. ”

Ha. There may not be a right answer, but Zorian knows from experience that there will always be the wrong answer. Always. But he believes that in this particular case, silence is the most wrong answer.

"It's the practice of modifying spells using geometric shapes and various sigils, usually to strengthen guards or enhance spellcasting," Zorian said.

"Really? How did they do it? Nora asked, feigning curiosity.

"Uh...... They restrict the flow of mana along a predetermined path? Tried Zorrian.

"Yes!" Nora agreed. "They restrict, and that's exactly what they do! I can't tell you how many mages think they're some kind of inherent amp or something. I'm telling you, drive me crazy. Of course, the special materials used by most modern craftsmen are inherently amplifiers, but that's another story entirely. Anyway, you know the gist behind structured casting, right? ”

"The smaller the effect of a spell, the more efficient it is. Structured magic creates a spell boundary that forcibly narrows the effect space to what the human caster can manage. ”

Nora said. "Since mages can take their time while developing spell formulas, their limits on mana flow are much stricter than your typical spells. This means greater potential benefits, but also makes the spell more inflexible. Of course, tighter spell boundaries mean fewer errors, so designing a valid spell formula is much more difficult than designing a valid call. ”

Zorian wasn't quite sure why she was telling him these things—basic theories he'd heard and read a thousand times—but wouldn't interrupt. Unfortunately, it seems that he must wait to hear what is the point of her asking this little question?

Nora suddenly looked at the clock hanging by the door, and when she realized how much time had passed, her face turned pale.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kaczynski, I think I got carried away. You'd better go to the next class, or I'll get you in trouble. Nora said apologetically. Zorian shrugged - he had planned to skip the next class, but if he told her that, he probably wouldn't have impressed her too much. "I need a few days to make a schedule, so I'll tell you the details through Ilsa. It is foreseeable that our cooperation will be very pleasant. ”

He was about to leave when she suddenly spoke again.

"Oh! I almost forgot. Find a time to meet Ilsa today – she has something she wants to talk to you about. You owe her a favor to repay her for her arrangement......"

Why does this sound a bit ominous?

。。。。。 Two....

There is always a sense of rush at the Kooria train station, which is either annoying or exhilarating, depending on his current mood. When he got out of the car, it was like a bucket of cold water that woke him up from a long sleepy journey, which he welcomed. He felt depressed and unwelcome when he was just standing on platform 6 waiting for the train to arrive, and he wished he knew how to suppress it. Especially since this damn train was two hours late!

Finally, finally, interrupted by the screeching whistle of the incoming train, Zorian scanned the crowd of disembarkers, looking for his target. Technically, he should have waited with a sign in his hand, but he believed he would spot the person without any problems. After all, there won't be many white-haired teenagers on the platform.

In fact, this request made to him by Ilsa, admittedly, would have wasted an entire day of helping transfer students carry their luggage and take him around the city...... But on the bright side, he can skip today's lesson! In addition, it also gives him a reasonable excuse to approach the transfer student, Kyle-

He sees Kyle get out of the car and walks over to help him carry his luggage. He can only use one arm to maneuver the heavy bag. The other hand was holding a little girl, who clinged to Kyle's side like a barnacle, observing everything around her with childlike concentration.

Kyle is surprised when Zorian silently begins to help him, but quickly agrees. The little girl next to her was staring at Zorian with undisguised curiosity, and Zorian wanted to know who she was. Is this his sister? Her vivid blue eyes certainly reminded him of Kyle, as the Morok had the exact same eye color, but her hair was jet black, and to Zorian, she didn't look much like the Moro. In any case, this boy would definitely not go with such a young child, right? Zorian had been expecting her mother to get out of the train and pick up the little girl from Kyle, but somehow, none of that ever happened.

The last bag stands on the floor, and Kyle finally turns to him.

"Thank you." The boy said politely.

"I'm Kyle and it's difficult for me to carry my luggage with one hand. Kana is clingy today, and I can't bear to pry her open. I'm afraid this move will be too stressful for her. ”

"No problem," Zorian said. "After all, Ilsa Ziletti sent me here to help you with your luggage and show you around the city."

Kyle gave him a surprised look and clung to the little girl as if Zorian was going to snatch her away.

"I don't mean to offend."

Kyle gave him a puzzled look and finally made some kind of decision.

"You didn't do anything, Mr. Kaczynski, and it's me who should apologize," Kyle said finally. "Allow me to introduce myself once again: I'm Kyle Tverinov, and this is my daughter Kana."

Zorian stared at Morlock for a moment, then at his ...... Daughter. Kana waved shyly at him, she was only about three years old, but Kyle wasn't much older than Zorrian. This means that Kyle was about 13 years old when he was born. Hehe. Talk about being a young parent.

"If you're worried, I'll go around telling all our classmates that you have a daughter, you don't have to worry – I understand caution."

Kyle breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Zorian said, waving him away. Considering that the child's mother was not present, there could be a very tense story there.

"I'll cast a quick spell to carry your luggage, and we're off to go."

'Floating Disk' spell, a ghostly horizontal circle flickered in front of them. This is a very useful spell, it is similar to the "shield" spell in mechanics, which dutifully follows them when they walk out of the train station.

"Interesting," Kyle said. "Is this what the average third-grader looks like?"

"Well, no," Zorian said. "I was actually well above what a third-grader should be. Although my skills are not unique......"

Kyle snorted thoughtfully.

"Why would you be lacking in education, anyway?" Zorian asked.

"My education is...... Unconventional," Kyle said. "I am an informal apprentice of a village mage. People who are not members of a guild. Her skills are somewhat specialized, so my proficiency in magic is largely the result of my personal efforts. In other words, I'm basically self-taught. ”

After hearing this, the respect rose a few more points. With proper guidance, magic is hard to learn. For a young boy, it is important to do all this alone and get enough grades to make it into the third grade class...... Talented......

"But why am I going to Kooria now?" Kyle guessed. "I got an invitation from the academy and no one stopped me from leaving. My parents died when I was very young, and my teachers ...... She got sick while crying. The same goes for my wife. Kana is the only family member I have left. ”

Zorian flinched. "Oh my God, I didn't mean to-"

Kyle shook his head. "Don't worry, Mr. Kaczynski. If I break down every time someone brings up the topic, I have to be a hermit and avoid people altogether. It's natural to be curious about these things. ”

Zorian still feels bad. He almost thought that Kyle had impregnated some girl and had to take on the responsibility of raising the child. But no, this guy is already married and so on. In this day and age, getting married and having children at such a young age is a bit shocking, but it's not unheard of.

In the silence, he looked at Kyle out of the corner of his eye. The boy looked very delicate, with a pale complexion, a curly figure, and soft facial lines. Coupled with shoulder-length white hair, he looks quite ...... Womanly. Still, after so many people have lost their lives to terrible diseases, if the boy is still going to move on, he clearly does not lack inner strength.

"There's no need to have pity on me, Mr. Kaczynski." Kyle said, interrupting his thoughts.

"Oh, I don't pity you," Zorian said. "In fact, I think you're very inspiring. You're a single parent and you've also managed to find time to teach yourself magic so much that world-renowned institutions like Kooria College have recognized your potential. They gave you a scholarship, didn't they? ”

Kyle nodded. "Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to participate."

"They rarely offer scholarships, you know?" Zorian said. "There are about 5 to 6 a year. It's amazing that you're able to grab their attention in this way. ”

"It's mostly my medical expertise," Kyle sighed. "I'm ...... Well, you swear to yourself after you know. I swore to myself that I would be the best healer of this time and make sure that the many tragedies never happen again. ”

Belch...... Wow. For such a thing, Zorian did not know what to say.

"I'm a little immodest, but I've made a lot of progress in this area." Kyle said. "But...... Well, it's complicated. If you're still interested, we can talk about that later. We are tired from the journey, so let's take a rest. ”

Zorian suddenly notices that Kana is starting to doze off on Kyle's shoulder. She had been so quiet that he had almost forgotten that she existed. If only my little sister could be so docile.

"I'm sorry," Zorian apologized. "I got carried away. Next time I'll have to show you around the city. ”

They spent the rest of the journey in comfortable silence.

。。。。 Three.....

"You were absent yesterday."

Zorian glanced at Akogia in exasperation. She doesn't grieve him for that, does she?

"I know," Akoja said. "I just want to know where you are.

He felt strange sensations from Akoja, as if she were ...... care about him as much as ...... This reminded him of his conversation with Zach before he realized the time loop, as well as another boy's comment on Zorian's behavior in a previous reboot.

"I'm doing Ilsa a favor," Zorian said. "Take our newest transfer student on a tour of the city and more."

"Oh," Arkoya said, glancing at Kyle. The white-haired boy sat a few rows behind Zorrian, as silent and indifferent as ever. He barely showed that he knew Zorian was in the classroom, but Zorian could feel Morlock watching him from time to time. "Who the hell is he?"

"Kyle," Zorian replied.

"I don't mean his name," Akoja said in a huff, and after a few seconds of silence, he realized he wouldn't say anything more.

"I don't know what else to tell you," Zorian shrugged. "To me, he sounds like a good guy."

"He looks a little arrogant," Akoja said. "And girlishness."

"You're so picky," Zorian said with a frown. "You're a bit arrogant, you know?"

With that, she stamped away, glaring at him viciously.

It's hard to understand people.

。。。。 Four.....

Professional seminars? In general, students are not allowed to enter without special permission from the teacher. Nora motioned him forward, excitement and enthusiasm on her face.

"Ah, you're so quiet!" She complained. "Courage, Zorian, courage!"

"All right," Zorian half-heartedly agreed.

"We'll train you to be a qualified craftsman, you see!" Nora said angrily. "But first, let me summarize the discussion from last time. I'm a bit verbose, but what I've been trying to build is that the spell formula is ...... Support magic. Magic affects other spells. On its own, even the most elegant mantra formula is merely a theoretical exercise. Before using it, you need to actually cast spells and anchor them to the spell formula. ”

"A teacher," Zorian finally said.

She smiled. "Anyway, I think we should let you start learning the beginner's Rubik's Cube."

That should be a perfect cube of grey stone, about 10 cm long on each side, completely blank, smooth, and they will do things such as heat, glow, or float in the air. Basically, each finished cube is a primitive magic item, using a few simple spells and lots of spell formulas to make a neat little toy. They are standard training tools.

Zorian wanted one as soon as he saw it. Giving Xiaomei such a blatant magic toy might keep her away from his hair for hours. This will be his secret weapon against her!

Moreover, a small floating cube will be more challenging for his magic missile practice than the boulders and tree trunks that he usually practices.

"It's too easy for you," Nora concluded. "No, I have more interesting things for you to do. Over here. ”

She handed him another cube, though it did have the spell formula covered in it. Zorian noticed with increasing fear that he couldn't understand it. Gosh, many of the sections look like just placeholders, not valid spelling formulas, but nothing more than stylized pictograms. Await...

"As you may have noticed, I compressed the spell formula a little," Nora said. "There's not enough space on the cube to represent it exactly in its original form, also to discourage you from simply copying the entire thing line by line."

"Isn't that the point?" Zorian asked. "Let me study a working example and see how it's done, yes?"

"Absolutely. But blindly copying spell formulas from one cube to another is not good. I'll have you transcribe a dozen or so simple things to get started, but I'm sure you've gone beyond that. It will take a lot of time, so it is better to learn an example directly. ”

"Well, I've never come across those cubes," Zorian said. "But yes, I use spell formulas every now and then. Mainly to build an alarm range around my bed in my second year – I have a very nosy roommate – also to make some free lights and heating plates. ”

If Zorian wants his alarm spell to last all night, or if his temporary light doesn't blink every hour or so, he must stabilize the spell boundary. A spell formula is the simplest and most reliable method, as long as someone has made a stable formula for that particular spell and made it available to the public.

"It's not surprising," Nora said. "They are mainly used for theoretical exercises. Not very useful. Most mages don't really care about how spell formulas work—they just care about which one to apply and when. ”

She took a deep breath and a pleasant smile on her face before turning her attention back to him.

It seems that there is not a single sane teacher in this school. Zorian wondered if it was the pressure of teaching that caused this effect,

"But I digress," Nora said happily. "I guess I should stop wasting time and tell you what I want you to do. Come, let me demonstrate......"

。。。。。 Five.....

Essentially, it is a gorgeous lamp based on a simple "torch" spell. It has three different brightness settings. It conserves mana by not emitting light from any side that is covered by something – for example, the side placed on the floor will not glow, while wrapping it in a blanket will cause it to turn itself off. Each individual side can be opened and closed with two quick consecutive clicks. Specific people can command.

He has mixed feelings about Nora's teaching methods. On the one hand, she takes him seriously, which is good. On the other hand, to use an analogy, she seems to think that throwing people into the sea is a perfectly effective way to teach people to swim.

"Come in." But he prefers Nora's way of teaching to Xvim.

"Zorian, please take a seat," Xvim ordered, not even bothering to wait for an answer. Zorian expertly caught the pen the man threw at him, and then quickly let it float away from the palm of his hand, spinning gently in the air. Oh well, let's see what this guy will say.

"Let it shine." Xvim shouted without hesitation, completely untouched by Zo

ia

haunted by the tricks.

Zorian wasn't even surprised anymore. The pen immediately bounced back into his hand and erupted with a soft, ghostly glow. He cycles through various colors without Xvim prompts, occasionally changing the intensity of the light just to prove that he can.

Xvim raised an eyebrow at him. "I didn't say you could stop hovering pens."

A moment later, the pen swirled in the air in front of him, glowing.

Xvim tapped his fingers thoughtfully on the table. Is it possible? Did he really make the man stop? The end of the world is coming! Zorian watched expectantly, wondering what the madman would think of next.

"Your necessities...... Enough is enough. Almost not bad, though not quite. You'll still need to work on it, but I guess you're at least smarter than most unfortunate.

To Zorrian's bewilderment, Sivim handed him a strip of cloth. What should he do?

"Uh..."

"It's an eyepatch," Xvim explains. "You put it in your eyes so you can't see."

"And ...... Why am I blindfolded again? Zorian asked.

"We're going to train you in your ability to sense mana," Xvim said. "You're going to put on an eyepatch, and I'll throw you these mana-filled marbles."

Zorian looked at the man in disbelief. Did he really hear it right?

"I'm going to throw them either on your left shoulder, or on your right shoulder, or directly on your head. If you get hit by a marble, you lose a point. If you move, you lose a point. Otherwise you will get a point. When you get 10 points or we run out of time, we stop. ”

Yes, he did hear it right. Thank you very much Ilsa for her help, thank you very much!

。。。。 Five.....

The next two weeks were busy, but routine. He spent most of his energy mastering spell formulas, in large part because Nora was more than willing to pamper him - the harder he worked in class, the more enthusiastic she became to teach him. She even suggested that they do extra instruction on Sundays, and apparently he learned a lot, and he doubted that he would be able to stick with Nora's teaching for more than a month.

Interestingly, in this particular reboot, he seems to have caught the attention of teachers and students. Maybe it's the way he's impressed Ilsa, maybe it's the way he's quietly taking on the insane workload Nora has given him, or maybe it's Xvim saying something nice about him to the other teachers. Well, probably not the last part, as he has barely made much progress in mastering Xvim's current "exercises". Maybe there are some other reboots.

This attention comes with unfortunate side effects, ruining any chances of him becoming friends with Kyle, and frankly, even under normal circumstances, he is not sure if he will be able to be friends with the boy - Morlock has a daughter waiting for him at home, so he probably doesn't want to spend time socializing with friends after school.

However, Akoja is very happy with him. Zorian didn't quite understand why, but she did.

And then it happened. Suddenly, without warning, a painful sensation hit and everything went black. He woke up as usual, and the little sister lay on top of him again, looking proud.

Terrible, something someone killed him? So fast that he was dead before he knew it. He was skeptical, because he hadn't done anything worthy of assassination, and he couldn't think of any force of nature that could kill so suddenly and completely. He didn't even feel any pain before he died.

The second possibility is more likely, and more worrying. While Zach is in Theoria focusing on his business and learning spell formulas, he is somewhere in the world, doing extremely dangerous things. Zach is dead. When he did, his soul was dragged back in time to start over...... It also dragged Zorian's soul back.

This will connect Zorian to Zack's soul.

Damn it.