Chapter 3: Lesser Fireball Spell (Recommendations Please)

Chapter 3: Minor Fireball (Seeking Recommendations)

Three days after cultivating magical energy, Li Wei sought out Gu Ze.

"Master Gu Ze, I wish to choose a spell to begin practicing."

Gu Ze replied, "You haven't cultivated magical energy yet—you can't practice spells."

"I have cultivated it."

Hearing this, Gu Ze lifted his head in surprise, staring at him with disbelief.

Half a month ago, he had paid considerable attention to Li Wei and knew full well his progress in cultivation.

Though later, as his impression of the boy soured, his attention waned.

Yet such a drastic change within half a month seemed impossible.

He fell silent for a moment, then said, "Release your magical energy—let me see it."

Li Wei nodded, opened his palm, closed his eyes, and focused his mind, guiding the energy within to emerge.

The energy surged into his hand, stirring the surrounding elements into agitation.

But without casting a spell, it caused no tangible effect—only unrest among the nearby forces of nature.

Though Gu Ze could not sense fire, he clearly perceived the subtle disturbance in water elements caused by the energy.

Only then did he believe—Li Wei truly had cultivated magical energy.

Suddenly, Gu Ze recalled what Li Wei had said half a month prior, and gazed at him with complex eyes.

"Perhaps I never truly understood him," he mused inwardly.

After a quiet sigh, he told Li Wei, "Very well. You've become a mage apprentice. By the tower's rules, you may now select one zero-tier spell to learn."

"Which element do you feel most affinity with?"

"Fire."

Gu Ze pondered briefly. "There are two zero-tier fire spells currently available in the tower—one is *Minor Fireball*, the other is *Ignition*. Which would you choose?"

Li Wei hesitated, then asked, "Which would you recommend, Master?"

"*Minor Fireball*," Gu Ze answered. "It will make advancing to higher-tier fireball spells easier later. As for *Ignition*, there is no advanced model available in the tower at present."

Li Wei nodded. "Then I'll take *Minor Fireball*."

Gu Ze led him to the library of the mage tower, ascending to the second floor—a place Li Wei had never been allowed before.

The librarian guarding the upper level was also an apprentice mage, older than Gu Ze by far.

With deep respect, Gu Ze said, "Master Luo, my student has just cultivated magical energy. He comes to claim the spell model for *Minor Fireball*, zero-tier."

Upon hearing this, Master Luo smiled kindly, glanced at Li Wei, then retrieved a book from the shelf and handed it to Gu Ze.

Gu Ze bowed slightly. "Thank you, Master Luo."

He passed the spellbook—containing the *Minor Fireball* model—to Li Wei.

Before coming, Gu Ze had already explained the rules.

Li Wei opened the book immediately, concentrating fiercely, reading it with his spiritual awareness.

Spell models could not be recorded in words.

Within the book lay a permanent, fixed *Minor Fireball* spell—an eternal miniature flame bound into the pages.

Only through spiritual perception could one read it.

After a long while, Li Wei successfully imprinted the spell model into his mind.

At that moment, fiery script appeared upon the book’s pages—visible only to him:

[Minor Fireball (Zero-Tier Beginner)] 0/1000

He closed the book gently, and returned it with both hands to Master Luo.

"Thank you, Master Luo," he said.

Master Luo smiled. "Most apprentices need to read the book four or five times before fully memorizing the model. When you feel it fading, come back to read again."

Li Wei nodded. "Understood."

In truth, he already remembered the model perfectly—utterly, completely.

It would never fade.

But to avoid drawing suspicion, he decided he would return every few days as if reviewing.

As they left the library, Gu Ze said, "You may reread the *Minor Fireball* model as many times as needed until you master it—no contribution required."

"But for any other spell models, each reading will cost contribution. A zero-tier spell costs about twenty contribution per reading. Usually, one needs around a hundred to fully memorize it."

Li Wei quickly asked, "Master Gu Ze, how does one earn contribution?"

"When you can stably cast your first zero-tier spell, you may take on tasks within the tower. Completing them earns contribution."

"For now, don’t rush. You’ve only just cultivated energy. It’ll take at least a year before you can cast your first spell, and two years before you can do so steadily."

"For now, focus on cultivating energy and studying spell models."

He paused, then added, "Ah, since you’ve just become an apprentice, you may go to the storeroom and claim an *Incense of Calm Mind*. It will greatly aid your cultivation."

"Thank you, Master Gu Ze," Li Wei said gratefully.

Back in his dormitory, he held the incense stick with eager anticipation.

He had desired this for so long—but could never afford it.

Carefully, he lit it. A faint, soothing fragrance slowly filled the room.

One breath, and his mind grew tranquil, all distractions vanishing.

Meditation began.

With the incense’s aid, he entered deep meditation in merely five minutes.

Forty-five minutes later, he emerged.

The first thing he did upon opening his eyes was extinguish the incense.

Staring at the stick—now burned a fifth of its length—he winced inwardly.

"Just one session, and nearly a quarter of my wealth is gone!"

Li Wei shook his head, almost reluctant to use it again.

Yet when he considered the time saved, his heart stirred.

After over half a month of relentless effort, his spiritual power had grown by thirty percent, and his time to enter meditation had shortened to twenty-four or twenty-five minutes.

Now, only five minutes to enter—forty minutes of cultivation.

Each session saved nearly twenty minutes.

Twice a day—that was forty minutes saved.

The time saved alone nearly equaled the time spent cultivating.

The *Incense of Calm Mind*—its effect was undeniable.

Staring at the incense stick, now burned down to a fifth of its original length, Li Wei pondered deeply.

"How do I make money? How?"

His eyes drifted toward *The Legend of the Mage 5* lying on the table.

"Does it want me to return to my old trade?"

Before his transmigration, he had been an obscure novelist.

Not successful by any means, but enough to scrape by—never famous, never celebrated.

Yet in this world, with his knowledge of storytelling tropes and narrative structures, the local novels seemed primitive, utterly outclassed.

He enjoyed *The Legend of the Mage* series—not for its plot, which he often mocked—but for its depictions of magical geography and arcane lore. The story itself? Full of flaws.

Take the protagonist: a thirty-something mage from the very beginning. Who the hell could relate to that?

Oh, right—there were plenty of apprentices in their thirties and forties still struggling to become proper mages in the towers. So maybe it made sense here.

As literature, *The Legend of the Mage* was well-crafted, grounded in realism.

But as fantasy? It fell flat.

Li Wei’s mind raced. He narrowed his target audience: wealthy young heirs, privileged and bored, craving escapism.

The poor here could barely afford food, let alone books.

Scratch, scratch, scratch—the quill danced across paper. A tale took shape: a young noble reduced to ruin, stumbling upon a miraculous opportunity, rising through trials, avenging his family, restoring their honor. Classic, yet effective.

Three days later, he submitted his thirty-thousand-character manuscript to the Spark Literary Society in Maple City.

Now, all that remained was to wait.

(End of Chapter)