Chapter 352

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Chapter 352: Life Skills

The next morning, Jesse came from the tavern to The Need of Alchemists, spent 46 silver coins to buy two Liferoo plants to bring to Ursula, and on his way back, he coincidentally met Amy coming out of the Wizard’s Sanctum.

"Amy, good morning," he waved from a distance.

Amy looked over and asked, "Jesse, it’s almost noon. Are you going to have lunch?"

"Then let’s go together, my treat this time."

Jesse took Amy to the Blue Hideaway, took the initiative to find a seat in a corner, ordered two glasses of milk, a pumpkin pie, some smoked ham, and bread slices.

"How is Dark Portal doing?"

Amy glanced outside and said, "It hasn’t been long since it started. I’m not sure about the outcome yet. Master Andromath told me to be patient. He said the situation at Dark Portal isn’t so bad that it requires so many apprentice mages… But I have a friend who is about to become an official mage soon. She left for Nethergarde the day before yesterday."

"Since we can’t control it, there’s no need to worry," Jesse said. "Speaking of which, I’ll be heading out again in a few days. I don’t know when I’ll be back, maybe one or two months? I can’t say for sure."

"Where are you going this time?" Amy asked.

"Menethil Harbor," Jesse said. "To the dwarves’ area."

"Maybe by the time you’re back, I still won’t be allowed," Amy sighed. "Sometimes I wonder if my father is blocking my application… But he shouldn’t do that."

"By the way, I heard him teaching you Counterspell last night, and he ended up turning you into a sheep… He actually turned you into a sheep," Jesse chuckled.

"He cast Polymorph on me, and that’s how I turned into a sheep. Isn’t that normal?" Jesse asked.

The female mage looked incredulous and said, "It’s not common to actually transform your own apprentice, especially not to teach Polymorph. It’s too risky. I suspect he may have violated the rules of the Wizard’s Sanctum."

Jesse sighed and said, "I can only blame my lack of skill for failing to successfully use Counterspell to interrupt his Polymorph, sigh…"

"Do you really think you can counter a spell from an archmage on your first try?" Amy said. "Counterspell is an offensive spell, Jesse. Your own skills are important, but your opponent’s skills matter too. It’s not like Arcane Intellect or Mage Armor. After all, you’re not battling against yourself."

"I understand," Jesse said. "It’s just that many beginners start by learning Counterspell. I also want to catch up with this lesson quickly, maybe I’m feeling a bit rushed."

Actually, Jesse was thinking that if he went to Uldaman and encountered some Rockjaw Trogg elementalists, shamans, or geomancers casting spells, he could counter them too. After all, those elementalists might know some strange spells like Lava Shield, and if one fire spell isn’t enough to take them down…

I wonder if there are any other spells that could help on this journey.

At that moment, the server placed a plate of ham and bread in front of Jesse, and a pumpkin pie in front of Amy. Amy picked up a spoon and said, "Maybe you should learn a more straightforward spell. By the way, I think you have a connection with fire elements."

Jesse picked up a piece of ham and asked, "Do you know how to create food with magic?"

"Of course," Amy said. "Even though I didn’t learn it in class, my father taught me a bit. This magic is not simple at all…"

"Could you show me a transformation spell?" Jesse asked curiously.

"Cooking magic uses a lot of energy, and I have afternoon classes." Amy said helplessly, "Anyway, the food I make is not enough to replenish what I use up."

"Then what’s the point of this magic?" Jesse asked with a mouthful of sandwich.

"It’s tasty, but only if you’re a master of magical creatures," Amy said. "It can give you some energy in exchange for magical power. It can slow down your hunger, but you can’t just eat magical food. You need real food too."

Jesse asked, "So what exactly is this magical food?"

Amy smiled, "Magical sausage can never be as nutritious as real meat. Magical apples and bread are all made of Arcane energy. It can replenish your energy in a magical way to make you feel full, without harming your stomach like pure arcane energy. If you only eat magical food for a long time, it can lead to problems. But it’s better than nothing."

"That’s why many archmages are slim. They eat a lot of magical food to save time for their work," Amy scooped a piece of pumpkin. "Master Andromath is an exception, he rarely eats what he creates, eats a rich diet every day, exercises regularly, unlike my father."

"Maybe there are mages in this world who can create real food with Arcane… but not me, or even my father. As far as I know, there are no mages like that in the Wizard’s Sanctum. Perhaps the Kirin Tor might have them. If Master Antonidas could conjure a plate of real fruit ice cream, I wouldn’t be surprised."

Seeing Jesse still looking hopeful, Amy said softly, "Forget it, I’ll make something simple for you."

After saying this, she whispered a spell, creating a square cookie from a ball of Arcane energy in her hand, and handed it to Jesse, saying, "Try my creation."

After listening to Amy’s explanation earlier, Jesse looked at the cookie in his hand and felt like it wasn’t a normal cookie, but some kind of low-carb, sugar-free meal replacement or something like that.

However, after taking a bite, he found it sweet and satisfying, without any strange taste, feeling completely normal.

"Is it delicious?" Amy asked.

"Of course it’s delicious," Jesse said, "If you hadn’t said anything, I would have thought it was a real cookie."

"Exactly," Amy took a sip of milk and said, "That’s why many mages become obsessed with their own magical food creations, refusing to accept treatment even if they are seriously ill and weak, not willing to eat real food. Arcane magic can make people lose their minds and become addicted to it, sometimes even stronger than shadow magic."

"Oh… maybe I shouldn’t have said that," she quickly added.

"That’s why there’s a warning in the Wizard’s Sanctum about how Arcane magic can be addictive for mages," Jesse explained.

"What about the water?" he asked again.

"You mean water conjuring magic," Amy said, "I’m much better at that!"

She quickly looked around to make sure no one was watching her at the counter, then said, "Finish the milk in your cup."

Jesse gobbled down the last sip in his cup, while Amy chanted a spell and pointed her finger into the cup. Suddenly, a swirl of icy water with a hint of milk foam popped up from the cup, filling it to the brim. It even had a frosty mist on top.

"Are you doing water creating magic?" Jesse took a sip and the water was so cold it made his teeth tingle. "Are you sure this isn’t some kind of ice magic?"

"Not much difference," Amy replied. "This is real water, completely different from the food created by Arcane magic."

"I want to learn this!" Jesse said eagerly.

"I’m not sure if I should teach you…" Amy sighed. "Oh well, it won’t hurt."

"Remember this spell, Jesse – Ward, Tika, Celtic. It’s about using Arcane to gather water elements from the air, not conjuring it out of thin air. You need to stabilize it and connect it with the Ley Line. When you’re not yet skilled, your gestures must be precise, too."

She finished her cup of milk, then chanted a spell and refilled her cup as a demonstration.

Jesse nodded, drank all the water in his cup, focused his mind as he had done before when casting Arcane magic, sensed the Ley Line, and chanted, "Ward, Tika, Celtic…"

Then he saw the bottom of his wooden cup turning black, with a little spark of fire appearing!

Amy widened her eyes in fear, and Jesse quickly used his finger to put out the faint fire on the charred edge, a hint of burnt charcoal smell wafting out.

"Hey, did you burn your hand?" Amy asked quietly, fanning away the charred smell.

Jesse glanced at his fingers and honestly, he didn’t feel much pain from the small spark.

After brushing off the ash from his fingers, there was only a slight redness left, nothing serious.

"It’s okay, Amy." Amy breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Jesse’s fingers were fine and no one else had noticed.

"I should confess my mistake to the boss proactively, or else I won’t dare to come in again in the future." Jesse looked at the burnt bottom of the cup and said, "I think with my skills, I’ll definitely make Master Andromath angry when I apply for the official mage position in the future."

Amy smiled and said, "This is just the first time, maybe you don’t have much experience with ice magic or water elements. But next time, don’t practice at The Blue Recluse, not only will the boss be unhappy, but if Dad finds out, he’ll definitely nag at you."