Chapter 29: The Youngest Novice Mage (Please Keep Reading!)

Chapter 29: The Youngest Apprentice Mage (Please Follow!)

"Cheating! This is absolutely cheating!"

Alan shouted.

He glared at Earl, roaring, "You've gone too far—how dare you cast a first-tier magic shield on him!"

Earl didn’t know who had done it, but he certainly wouldn’t admit to anything.

A gauntlet match was already humiliating enough; winning by cheating would never be recognized by the Mage Association.

"Don't slander me!" he retorted. "Lewin didn’t cheat!"

Alan sneered. "Hmph. Are you saying he knows the first-tier Magic Shield spell?"

Earl fell silent. Lewin looked so young—how could he possibly master such a spell?

That magic shield was likely cast secretly by some apprentice or full mage.

Hearing their argument, Lewin stepped forward.

"Magister Alan, Magister Earl—the shield isn’t first-tier Magic Shield."

Both turned sharply toward him.

"Not?" Alan narrowed his eyes. "Then what is it?"

"It’s the zero-tier spell *Invisible Armor*," Lewin said calmly.

Earl’s pupils contracted violently. "What?! You know *Invisible Armor*?"

"Blast it! How could Old Orn ever allow you to learn this spell?" His face twisted in disbelief.

Alan frowned. "Orn taught you this?"

After a moment of silence, he said, "Cast it before us. Show us how it works."

"I need a target," Lewin replied.

With a flick of Alan’s wrist, a stone golem rose from the ground.

"Cast it on that."

Lewin hesitated deliberately. "I’ve only just mastered this spell. It may take a moment to prepare."

"We’re not in a hurry," Earl said, watching intently.

Others gathered around, curious—what kind of miraculous spell was this *Invisible Armor*, whose defense seemed so formidable?

Lewin delayed intentionally, taking nearly five or six minutes before completing the incantation.

A faint magical glow shimmered over the golem, cloaking it in an invisible layer.

Alan and Earl reached out, touching the air around the golem, puzzled.

Then Earl raised his hand and fired a small fireball.

Boom!

The invisible armor held firm.

His eyes sharpened—he now knew Lewin hadn’t lied.

His fireball far surpassed those cast by ordinary apprentices.

It could shatter any novice’s zero-tier magic shield in one strike.

Yet it failed to penetrate Lewin’s *Invisible Armor*.

Earl raised his hand again. Moments later, a larger fireball formed in his palm and shot forward, striking the golem.

Boom!

Flames erupted, waves of heat rolling outward.

Lewin stepped back, startled by the sheer force.

He hadn’t expected a first-tier fireball to be so vastly more powerful than its zero-tier counterpart.

The invisible armor shattered. Cracks split across the golem’s surface.

Alan waved his hand, dispelling the stone construct.

He turned to Lewin. "Alright. You win. We lose."

"That *Invisible Armor*… it’s truly impressive."

Lewin smiled faintly, saying nothing.

Impressive? Yes—but *Invisible Armor* wasn’t inherently exceptional in defense.

Its true strength lay not in raw power, but in Lewin’s amplified mana and high skill proficiency.

To an ordinary apprentice, the spell offered protection no stronger than a basic magic shield.

But here, under Lewin’s command, it became something else entirely.

Unfortunately, Alan and Earl had no one else to compare it with.

They could only believe what Lewin told them.

And deep down, they refused to accept that someone so young could alter a spell’s potency so drastically.

Alan pulled out a short-handled staff and handed it to Lewin.

"This is your prize."

Lewin looked surprised, then glanced at Magister Earl.

Earl smiled. "You brought victory to Maple City’s Mage Tower. It belongs to you."

By Mage Association rules, a challenger who lost must leave behind an item as recompense.

This staff had been Alan’s offering.

Until today, he’d never imagined he’d actually have to give it up.

Lewin took the staff from Alan’s hand.

Lyle approached, staring at the weapon in Lewin’s grip, his expression heavy with disappointment.

That staff was meant for him—a gift prepared by Alan for when Lyle ascended to full mage.

Now, it had become a forfeit, won by Lewin.

Alan glanced once at Lewin, then swept his gaze over the other apprentices and junior mages.

Without another word, he turned and walked back the way they came.

Same path, same return.

At the door, he paused. Turned.

His voice cut through the quiet.

"I remember you, Lewin."

"Even without *Invisible Armor*… you’re strong."

"I’ll be staying at the Adventurer’s Guild for a while. If you ever wish to join Midnight City’s Mage Tower—come find me anytime."

With that, Alan turned and left.

El’s expression shifted—Alan actually intended to poach from Maple City Mage Tower.

El looked at Li Wei and asked, “How fast can you cast your firebolt spell?”

Li Wei replied, “Nine seconds.”

After Alan’s reminder, El suddenly recalled something else.

Li Wei’s casting speed for the firebolt spell had apparently already reached the standard of an apprentice mage.

Because Lyle was faster, no one had paid much attention to how long Li Wei took to cast his spell.

Only afterward did Alan realize that Li Wei might become the youngest apprentice mage in Maple City Mage Tower’s history.

That was why he’d proactively extended an invitation.

Now El understood it too. The moment he learned Li Wei met the apprentice standard,

he said without hesitation, “Li Wei, from today onward, you are an official apprentice mage of Maple City Mage Tower.”

He pulled out a badge symbolizing apprentice status and handed it to Li Wei.

No matter what, bind Li Wei to the ship of Maple City Mage Tower first.

Even if Li Wei were lying, even if he hadn’t truly reached the standard—it didn’t matter.

Given the strength he’d shown, becoming an apprentice was only a matter of time.

El then passed Li Wei a vial of magic potion. “This is the reward for first place in the apprentice trial.”

Li Wei accepted both the badge and the potion.

Earlier, he’d thought skipping ranks would be difficult—but now Archmage El had offered him the promotion himself.

Holding the items, Li Wei said, “Archmage El, I haven’t even taken the apprentice trial yet.”

El smiled. “You’ve already defeated Lyle. First place is rightfully yours.”

“Still, for fairness, go measure your magical power intensity. I’ll assign your official ranking.”

Li Wei nodded and walked toward the magic stele.

Placing his hand upon it, he channeled his mana into the stone.

The stele illuminated, displaying the number “222.”

Archmage El froze mid-step, staring at the glowing figure above, stunned into silence.

Dawg looked up, eyes glazed with disbelief.

Guzer, seeing Li Wei’s power level, stood rooted in shock.

Li Wei glanced up at the number atop the stele, surprised.

It far exceeded his expectations.

He’d thought reaching over a hundred would be good enough—never imagined it would be this high.

Turning back, he asked, “Archmage El, could the magic stele be malfunctioning?”

But El didn’t hear him. Snapping out of his daze, he stared at Li Wei and asked, “How long have you been in the Mage Tower again?”

(End of Chapter)