Ivan and Olivia gradually stepped into the towering Academy Library once more.The ancient structure remained as silent and solemn as ever. Endless shelves stretched deep into the distance beneath the enormous domed ceiling, while soft golden crystal lamps floated quietly in the air like drifting stars. The faint scent of old parchment and magical ink lingered throughout the vast hall.
At the entrance desk, the old apprentice was still half-asleep in his chair, exactly as before.Ivan almost suspected the old man had never truly moved.
Without disturbing him, Ivan and Olivia scanned their bronze badges at the front desk. A faint ripple of light swept across their bodies before the library barrier quietly opened for them.
The moment they stepped inside, a faint humming sound echoed from above.A circular Magic Eye construct suddenly descended before them. Soft blue rune lines glowed gently within its metallic pupil as a calm mechanical voice rang out through the quiet hall.
"Greetings. I am a Magic Eye construct assigned to assist within the Academy Library.""If assistance is required, please state the category and title."
Ivan glanced calmly toward the floating construct.
"We are looking for wizard path descriptions related to wood, water, and earth affinities."
The Magic Eye construct remained silent for a brief moment before slowly floating toward a distant section of the library.
"Please follow."
Ivan and Olivia quietly followed behind it through the enormous rows of bookshelves.
While walking, Ivan slightly recalled the information Nova had gathered about Olivia when she visited his dormitory in the morning. Soon afterward, a transparent blue panel quietly appeared before his eyes.
Naturally, neither Olivia nor the Magic Eye construct noticed anything. Nova was directly transmitting data into Ivan's visual nerves, making the screen visible only to him.
Name: OliviaAge: 16Race: HumanPhysique: 1.2Agility: 1.1Constitution: 1.0Mental Energy: 3.6Wizard Aptitude: Top Tier, Third ClassElemental Affinity:High-Level WoodMid-Level WaterLow-Level Earth
Looking at Olivia's information once more, Ivan quietly fell into thought while continuing to walk beside her.
A moment later, he calmly gave Nova an order within his mind.
"Select the wizard paths most suitable for Olivia according to her elemental affinities, future growth potential, and resource consumption."
After receiving the command, Nova immediately began calculating.
Several seconds later, accompanied by a faint hum, a list of names quietly appeared before Ivan's eyes.
Druid.Wood Wizard.Water Wizard.Earth Wizard.Potion Master.Poison Wizard.Steel Vein Wizard.Frost Wizard.Earthwood Guardian.
Ivan silently scanned through the list before giving another instruction.
"Filter out the paths requiring excessive resources and unsuitable elemental compatibility with Olivia. Choose only the paths most suitable for her."
A few moments later, the list shrank considerably.
Druid.Potion Master.Frost Wizard.Steel Vein Wizard.Earthwood Guardian.
Seeing the final results, Ivan quietly began analyzing each path within his mind while following the Magic Eye deeper into the library.
Not long afterward, the construct finally stopped before a massive bookshelf section. Ancient silver letters shimmered softly above the shelves beneath the magical lights.
Wizard Paths.
Rows upon rows of bookshelves stretched endlessly into the distance. Countless books filled the area, separated into various affinity categories—fire, water, earth, wood, lightning, wind, darkness, light, poison, ice, and many other rare elemental branches.
The entire section felt vast and ancient, like a sea of knowledge accumulated throughout countless years of wizard civilization.
The Magic Eye construct hovered quietly in the air before speaking once more.
"This is the Wizard Path section.""Please return all books after reading."
After speaking, the construct floated away soundlessly into the distance.
Olivia looked around at the enormous collection with slight amazement visible in her emerald eyes.
"So many books…"
Ivan gave a small nod while glancing across the countless shelves.
"This is probably only a fraction of the academy's true collection."
Then he turned slightly toward her.
"You should first read the paths you're interested in. I'll help look for paths suitable for your affinities."
Olivia blinked softly before nodding obediently.
"Okay."
Soon afterward, the two separated slightly and walked toward different sections of the shelves.
Ivan directly headed toward the wood affinity category. His gaze slowly swept across countless books before pausing upon a dark green leather-covered volume. Golden lines shimmered softly along the side of the book.
The Druid Path.
Ivan immediately pulled the book from the shelf before opening it. Page after page quickly flipped between his fingers while Nova simultaneously scanned and organized every piece of information directly into Ivan's consciousness.
Soon, Ivan gained a basic understanding of the Druid Path.
Wizard Path: Druid
Requirements:At least Mid-Level Wood Affinity.If one's secondary affinity is water, this path is highly recommended.
Resource Consumption: Moderate
School: Nature School
Main Focus:Nature spells.Plant manipulation.Botany.Treant summoning.Rare plant cultivation.Beast transformation.
Overall Summary:
Druids were known as the children of nature and guardians of life, yet on the battlefield they were terrifying existences capable of overwhelming enemies through countless plant-based spells and summoned treants. They could also transform into various magical creatures for close combat.
Their understanding of plants, nature energy, and magical vegetation far surpassed ordinary wood wizards. A druid with sufficient spirit could single-handedly summon an entire army of treants capable of crushing a battlefield.
A mature druid could transform an entire battlefield into a forest of death—beautiful like nature itself, yet equally deadly.
After finishing the book, Ivan quietly continued searching through the other paths Nova had recommended.
The next book Ivan opened carried metallic silver patterns across its dark bronze cover.
Steel Vein Wizard.
Wizard Path: Steel Vein Wizard
Requirements:At least Mid-Level Wood Affinity and Low-Level Earth Affinity
Resource Consumption: Moderate
School: A fusion of the Nature and Elemental Schools
Main Focus:Metallic plant manipulationMetal manipulationBattlefield combatElemental giant summoning
Overall Summary:
Steel Vein Wizards were terrifying battlefield specialists capable of combining plant manipulation with metallic elemental power.
Through special techniques, they cultivated Steel Veins—rare metallic magical plants infused with earth and metal attributes. These plants possessed both flexibility and overwhelming destructive power.
Their metallic vines could pierce armor, drain vitality, and restrain enemies across entire battlefields.
A mature Steel Vein Wizard could summon multiple gigantic Steel Vein Elemental Giants for combat while simultaneously controlling countless metallic vines across the battlefield.
They were often called the Iron Roses of war.
Ivan quietly memorized the contents before opening the next book.
Frost Wizard.
Wizard Path: Frost Wizard
Requirements:At least Mid-Level Water Affinity
Resource Consumption: Moderate
School: Elemental School
Main Focus:Frost magicWater manipulationLarge-scale battlefield combat
Overall Summary:
Frost Wizards were a mutated branch of traditional Water Wizards specializing in both ice and water elemental fusion.
Their offensive power upon the battlefield was extremely terrifying. A powerful Frost Wizard could freeze rivers, conjure storms of ice shards, and transform entire battlefields into frozen wastelands.
Among the elemental paths, Frost Wizards possessed extremely high direct combat capability.
A mature Frost Wizard could summon endless ice shards to devastate a battlefield and create gigantic Frost Death Zones capable of controlling and suppressing countless enemies at once.
The fourth book carried heavy brown patterns resembling ancient bark.
Earthwood Guardian.
Wizard Path: Earthwood Guardian
Requirements:At least Mid-Level Wood Affinity and Moderate Earth Affinity
Resource Consumption: Moderate
School: A fusion of the Nature and Elemental Schools
Main Focus:DefenseEarth manipulationProtective spellsBattlefield protection
Overall Summary:
Earthwood Guardians were defensive specialists known as the moving shields of the battlefield.
Their spells focused heavily upon defense, durability, and battlefield protection. Through the fusion of earth and wood elements, they could create enormous defensive barriers capable of withstanding large-scale magical bombardments.
On many battlefields, Earthwood Guardians served as the frontline protecting allied wizards while devastating spells were safely cast behind them.
Finally, Ivan opened the last book.
Potion Master.
Wizard Path: Potion Master
Requirements:No strict elemental requirements
Recommended Affinities:WoodWaterFire
Resource Consumption: Extremely High
School: Potionology
Main Focus:Potion craftingPotionologyBasic alchemyResource creation
Overall Summary:
Potion Masters were highly respected support-type wizards capable of creating countless miraculous potions with special effects.
Healing potions, poison resistance potions, mental enhancement potions, body tempering potions, breakthrough assistance potions—all belonged to their field.
Void Spirit Water, one of the Potionology School's greatest creations, greatly increased the probability of High-Level Wizard Apprentices successfully breaking through into the Formal Wizard realm.
Because of this, Potion Masters possessed extremely high status throughout the wizarding world.
However, Potionology consumed enormous resources. Without sufficient wealth or talent, very few could persist along this path.
After reading through all five books, Ivan carried them with him and began searching for Olivia among the endless shelves of the library.
Several minutes later, he finally found her sitting quietly beside a bookshelf while reading a volume titled Frost Guardian.
Soft sunlight filtered through the crystal windows above, falling gently across her silver-white academy robe. Her emerald-green eyes remained focused so seriously upon the book in her hands that she did not even notice Ivan approaching.
Ivan silently stood there for a moment.
For some reason, the peaceful scene before him felt strangely calming.
Only after several seconds did he finally speak softly.
"I brought a few books that should suit you."
Olivia startled slightly before raising her head toward him. For a brief moment, her gaze appeared somewhat dazed before clarity gradually returned.
"Oh… Ivan."
Then her eyes landed upon the books in his hands.
"You found these for me?"
Ivan lightly nodded before sitting across from her.
"These are probably the most suitable paths according to your affinities."
Then Ivan looked toward her before asking calmly,
"Have you chosen anything yet?"
Olivia softly closed the book in her hands before shaking her head slightly.
"I was only browsing for now.""I'm still not completely sure."
After speaking, she carefully accepted the books from him. Her fingers lightly brushed against Ivan's hand for an instant before quickly retreating once more.
A faint blush quietly appeared across her cheeks.
Soon afterward, the two walked toward a nearby table located beside the crystal windows. After sitting down, Ivan gently pushed the five books toward Olivia one by one before calmly explaining their basic requirements, strengths, weaknesses, and future potential.
Olivia quietly listened while carefully reading through each book. Fortunately, none of the books were particularly thick, allowing her to finish them relatively quickly.
Time slowly passed.
Throughout the entire process, Ivan did not disturb her even once. He simply sat quietly across from her while occasionally glancing toward the focused expression upon her face.
It was obvious Olivia genuinely liked reading.
Once she immersed herself within a book, the outside world seemed to disappear completely. Even Ivan staring at her for so long failed to attract her attention.
Nearly an hour later, Olivia finally placed down the final book before softly exhaling.
"All of them seem quite suitable for me…"
Then she looked toward Ivan before quietly asking,
"But which one do you think suits me the most?"
Hearing her question, Ivan remained silent briefly before lightly shaking his head.
"I can't choose your path for you.""I can only give suggestions.""The final decision has to be yours."
Olivia quietly looked at him for several seconds before gently nodding.
"I already have a rough idea.""But… I still want to hear your thoughts first."
Ivan quietly organized his thoughts for a moment before beginning his explanation.
"First is the Druid path.""It's honestly the most suitable path for your elemental affinities. Your high-level wood affinity and secondary water affinity fit extremely well with nature-oriented spells.""The resource consumption also isn't extremely high, so your progression speed should remain relatively fast.""With your talent, if you choose the Druid path, your future growth will likely surpass most of our peers."
Olivia quietly listened without interrupting.
Ivan continued calmly,
"Then there's the Frost Wizard path. It's a mutated branch of Water Wizards with very strong offensive power.""But compared to Druid, it doesn't fully utilize your wood affinity.""If you choose Frost Wizard, your future combat power would be extremely high, but parts of your talent would essentially be wasted."
"Next is Steel Vein Wizard.""This path also suits you fairly well because it combines nature and elemental techniques together.""Your low-level earth affinity would create some difficulties later on, but those problems could be solved through wizard tools and external resources.""Compared to Frost Wizard, it fits your affinities better."
"Then there's Earthwood Guardian.""It's mainly a defensive elemental path. With your affinities, you could progress very well there too.""The resource consumption is moderate, and your future survivability would become extremely high."
"Finally… Potion Master."
At this point, Ivan paused slightly before softly smiling.
"This path actually suits your personality quite well.""You're patient, calm, and naturally focused.""With your wood and water affinities, you'd probably achieve very good results in potion mastery.""But the resource consumption is extremely high.""Especially during the early stages, progressing along this path would be very difficult."
After finishing his explanation, Ivan quietly fell silent.
Olivia lowered her head slightly while silently thinking.
Time slowly passed.
About half an hour later, Olivia finally looked up toward Ivan before revealing a bright smile.
"I think I've decided."
Ivan looked slightly surprised.
"So quickly?""Aren't you going to think about it a little longer?"
Olivia gently shook her head.
"No need.""Your explanation already helped me understand things clearly."
Then she softly looked toward him before speaking seriously,
"I trust your judgment."
Hearing those words, Ivan froze slightly.
For a brief moment, the atmosphere between them became strangely quiet. The soft magical lights above reflected faintly within Olivia's emerald eyes while she quietly looked toward him without avoiding his gaze.
Soon afterward, Ivan lightly smiled.
"So what did you choose?"
Olivia's emerald eyes curved slightly as she answered,
"My main path will be Druid.""And I'll supplement it with Potionology.""I'll also study some secondary spells related to water and earth."
Hearing her decision, Ivan slowly nodded.
Honestly, this was exactly the path he believed suited Olivia the most. Most wizard apprentices normally chose one combat-oriented main path alongside a supplementary path used for support, research, or resource collection.
Professions such as alchemy, potionology, bloodline modification, rune crafting, and other production-oriented wizard paths consumed terrifying amounts of resources and often required decades before showing truly significant results.
But the wizarding world was never peaceful.
Countless planes were invaded, conquered, or destroyed every single day. Danger could descend at any moment, and because of this, most wizards focused primarily upon increasing their direct combat capability and self-defense methods first.
Only a small portion of research-oriented wizards devoted themselves entirely toward developing new spells, theories, and magical techniques while neglecting battlefield strength.
Very few abnormal existences like Ivan himself planned to walk such a difficult road.
After deciding upon their paths, the atmosphere between them relaxed considerably.
The two continued discussing wizard paths, future growth, spell systems, and academy life for nearly another half hour. Occasionally, Olivia would ask questions while Ivan calmly explained the things he understood from the books he had read recently.
Olivia seemed somewhat surprised after hearing Ivan intended to focus primarily on alchemy as his future core path.
Still, she did not question him too much.
She merely sat quietly listening to his explanations while softly smiling from time to time.
Eventually, Ivan glanced toward the nearby bookshelves before asking,
"Do you want to continue reading here?""Or head back to the dormitory?"
Olivia lightly hugged one of the druid books against her chest before smiling softly.
"I still want to read some more books about Druids and Potionology."
Hearing her answer, Ivan nodded slightly.
"Alright.""Then I'll continue searching for some things too.""If you need anything, just contact me through the academy badge."
Olivia softly nodded.
"Okay."
For a brief moment, neither of them moved.
Then Olivia suddenly spoke quietly,
"Thank you, Ivan."
Ivan looked slightly startled before softly smiling.
"There's no need to thank me for something this small."
Soon afterward, Ivan stood up and slowly walked away from the Wizard Paths section.
After calling over another Magic Eye construct, Ivan calmly requested,
"Take me to the Meditation Method section."
The Magic Eye construct immediately guided him deeper into the library toward a much quieter corner.
Compared to the enormous Wizard Paths section, this area appeared surprisingly small. Only a few bookshelves stood quietly within the corner, filled with roughly five to six hundred books.
Still, Ivan's eyes immediately brightened.
Last night, while meditating, a thought had suddenly appeared within his mind. If Nova could optimize Knight Breathing Methods, then theoretically, it should also be capable of improving wizard meditation methods.
As long as enough data existed.
Without wasting any time, Ivan immediately began rapidly flipping through the books while Nova scanned everything directly through his eyes.
Book after book quickly passed beneath Ivan's fingers. Ancient pages continuously flipped while streams of information entered Nova's database at astonishing speed.
However, after finishing all six hundred seventy-two volumes, Ivan's brows gradually furrowed together.
All of the books here merely recorded Basic Meditation Methods belonging to different elemental branches collected by the academy.
Not a single true Low-Level Meditation Method existed among them.
Slightly confused, Ivan called another Magic Eye construct over.
Soon afterward, the floating construct quietly arrived before him.
This time, Ivan directly asked,
"Where are the Low-Level Meditation Methods stored?"
The construct immediately replied,
"Low-Level Meditation Methods are located upon the second floor of the academy library.""Access requires sufficient authority and payment through magic stones.""With your current rank as a Wizard Seed, you do not possess permission to enter the second floor."
After speaking, the Magic Eye construct quietly flew away.
Ivan remained silent for several moments afterward.
Soon, however, he understood.
Everything within the wizarding world carried a price.
Low-Level Meditation Methods might seem relatively common within the White Ring Saint Academy, but one had to understand that the academy itself stood among the strongest wizard academies within the entire wizarding world.
Outside such top-tier forces, even weak wizard families and ordinary academies treated Low-Level Meditation Methods as core inheritances rarely shared with outsiders.
Knowledge itself was a resource.
And resources naturally required exchange.
The White Ring Saint Academy was powerful, but even it would never distribute valuable resources completely free of charge.
The wizarding world followed the law of equivalent exchange.
If Ivan wanted Low-Level Meditation Methods or even higher-level inheritances in the future, then first he needed to become a true Wizard Apprentice.
Afterward, he would need to earn enough magic stones to obtain them.
Thinking this far, Ivan felt slightly disappointed.
Originally, he had been quite hopeful about allowing Nova to immediately optimize wizard meditation methods through massive amounts of data collection.
Unfortunately, reality was never so simple.
Still, Ivan quickly adjusted his emotions before calling another Magic Eye construct once more.
"Take me to the Knight Breathing Method section."
This time, the construct guided Ivan toward an enormous section far larger than before.
Rows upon rows of bookshelves stretched endlessly into the distance, containing thousands upon thousands of breathing methods and special knight techniques of various kinds.
Ivan was not surprised.
Within the wizarding world, wizards stood at the absolute center of civilization. Knight techniques might be treasured within mortal kingdoms, but inside great wizard academies, they were merely relatively common knowledge.
Soon afterward, Ivan began rapidly skimming through various High-Level Breathing Methods and special knight techniques.
One book after another continuously entered Nova's database.
Then suddenly—
Ivan's movements paused.
Among the countless bookshelves, one particular title unexpectedly caught his attention.
The Path of the Sky Knight.
Seeing the familiar words "Sky Knight," curiosity immediately appeared within Ivan's eyes.
Without hesitation, he pulled the book from the shelf and slowly opened it.