Chapter 16: Special Tier 0 Spell

Chapter 16: A Special Zeroth-Level Spell

Golden Shield Manor.

Late at night, Li Wei slowly opened his eyes and focused his mind.

Moonlight streaming through the window cast two lines of words upon the floor.

[Basic Meditation Method (Minor Mastery)] 869/2000

[Small Fireball Spell (Zeroth-Level Mastery)] 0/2000

Casting time: twelve seconds.

Li Wei sensed he could still improve—the Small Fireball Spell had ample room to grow. Seven seconds for constructing the spell model, five for filling it with magical elements. The latter, for now, was beyond his control. But the former—he believed that by increasing his proficiency, he might shorten it further. Once construction dropped below five seconds, he would meet the standard of an apprentice mage. Yet meeting standards wasn’t his goal. He wanted faster. Time was a mage’s life!

The next morning, after a breakfast carefully prepared by the Golden Shield family, carriages carried everyone back to the Mage Tower. Having stayed up late, Li Wei felt sluggish upon waking. Gu Ze glanced at him and asked, “Didn’t sleep well last night?”

Li Wei shook his head. “Stayed up a bit too late.”

Gu Ze sighed. “You’ve talent and diligence—no wonder your strength grows so fast.” He had sensed the ripple of magic from Li Wei’s room the previous night and knew exactly why.

Li Wei smiled sheepishly.

Before long, he returned to the Mage Tower.

Today was December thirty-first—the final day of the year. Tomorrow marked the new year—and the day stipends were distributed. Li Wei felt a quiet anticipation.

At noon, he arrived outside the Knight Academy.

After waiting a moment, he saw Laina stride out in full knight’s armor. Her pale golden hair was tied into a ponytail behind her head, making her appear far sharper and more commanding than the night before.

“This way,” she signaled. They walked into a narrow alley beside the academy.

As soon as they entered, she began removing her armor.

Li Wei froze, instinctively blocking the alley entrance. “What are you doing?”

She slipped off the armor, revealing a black bodysuit beneath, then pulled a spellbook from within the plates and handed it to him.

“I barely managed to smuggle this out hidden in my armor. Read quickly—I have to return it soon.”

Li Wei glanced at Laina’s striking figure now half-revealed, then shook his head helplessly. This girl had nerves of iron.

But the spellbook was right before him—he didn’t hesitate. Taking it, he flipped open the pages and began reading.

His mind absorbed the permanent spell model inscribed within.

“A zeroth-level spell—Invisible Armor!”

Ten minutes later, Li Wei had memorized the spell’s structure.

[Invisible Armor Spell (Zeroth-Level Beginner)] 0/1000

A few minutes passed. Laina urged, “Done yet? It’s almost time. Stay longer and my master will notice.”

Hearing this, Li Wei snapped the book shut and returned it.

“That’s enough for today. Let’s meet again in half a month. Probably three more sessions like this.”

Laina stuffed the book back into her armor and began dressing. “You mages are supposed to be scholars—why does learning one spell take so long?”

Li Wei smiled but said nothing. How would he know?

Once fully armored, Laina said, “I’m heading back. I’ll contact you when there’s another chance.”

Li Wei nodded. “Mm.”

Back at the Mage Tower, Li Wei couldn’t wait to begin practicing the new spell.

Thanks to his enhanced mana capacity, his first attempt at Invisible Armor went far smoother than his initial trials with Small Fireball.

After three failures, he succeeded.

He raised his arm—now encased in an invisible layer of armor, unseen by the eye. He squeezed hard, feeling its firmness. Just how strong it was, he couldn’t say. But he was certain—its defensive power would grow as his mastery increased.

Thud!

He slammed his fist onto the table. The wood trembled violently, yet he felt no pain. All recoil absorbed by the invisible armor.

A smile spread across his face.

This was the greatest difference between Invisible Armor and ordinary plate. More shield than armor, it was a form-fitting magical barrier.

“Now I have both offensive and defensive spells.”

Li Wei continued practicing, striving for a hundred percent casting success rate.

Unaware, two hours slipped by.

His mental energy depleted, he stopped training and prepared to sleep.

Just as he lay down, he suddenly realized—the Invisible Armor hadn’t vanished.

Startled, he sat upright.

He touched his arm. Still solid as stone.

“How long can this armor last?”

He remembered the textbook stating that a zero-level Magic Shield spell could last no more than half an hour.

Prolonged duration would cause the spell’s structure to collapse.

Yet the Invisibility Armor spell had already endured for two hours.

Li Wei, however, sensed that the spell’s framework remained solid.

He began to understand why Elder Mage El so desperately desired this Invisibility Armor spell.

Its structural integrity was extraordinary.

If one could unravel the secrets behind such stability and apply them to other spell frameworks, it might be possible to create far more durable high-level Magic Shields.

Deciphering the structure of a zero-level spell was extremely difficult for Li Wei.

But for a true mage, it wasn’t impossible.

After all, even the most complex spells were crafted by human hands.

Studying the wisdom of predecessors was always easier than forging entirely new magic.

"Just how long can it last?"

Li Wei’s heart burned with curiosity.

He did not dispel the Invisibility Armor, enduring its discomfort as he drifted into sleep.

The next morning, upon waking, his first act was to check the spell.

He ran a hand over his arm—the armor still clung firmly to his body.

His eyes lit up with astonishment and delight.

This time, he truly had unearthed a treasure!

With focused mental energy, he examined the spell’s framework once more—still intact.

After an entire night, its stability had diminished by less than ten percent.

That meant the armor could endure at least three more days.

And this was only his first casting of the Invisibility Armor spell.

As his proficiency grew, its duration would extend even further.

How long it might last in the future, he couldn’t say.

But even now, its endurance was astonishing.

At this rate, the Invisibility Armor spell would nearly rival a permanent enchantment.

Permanent spells, like magical arrays, could persist indefinitely—but required vast quantities of rare magical materials to sustain.

A permanent spell that needed no material components?

Li Wei could scarcely fathom the genius who had devised such a spell framework.

No mage in any teaching manual had ever achieved such a feat before.

It was akin to creating a perpetual motion machine in the world of magic.

Of course, true perpetual motion was impossible in this world.

There must be some principle hidden within the Invisibility Armor’s framework—one Li Wei could not yet comprehend.

(End of Chapter)