Durin waited at the Border Market platform for a few minutes before a massive noise flooded his ears—a clattering and clicking of metal scraping and gears meshing that made one's head ache.
The Public Lift rose from the bottom layer to the surface, slowly coming to a steady stop in front of him.
Durin entered with the others, and after paying the fee, he stood in a corner and waited quietly.
"Lift descending!" the administrator announced.
Then, he rang a large bell and began operating a wheel on a bright red console. The lift started moving slowly. Below, the iron spires of the Zaun towers and the green glass domes of the Cultivation Towers glowed like candles in the faint light.
The Public Lift hummed, carrying its weight of steel and glass as it creaked slowly down three thick vertical rails, with a puff of steam whistling from the vents at the top.
When the iron gate was opened by the administrator, Durin stepped out.
He looked around, realizing that only at the very bottom of the abyss could one experience what primitive darkness truly looked like. Fortunately, there were ever-burning Alchemical Streetlights that constantly emitted a cold light, driving away a small portion of the darkness.
The gray smog was exceptionally thick. It was now the early hours of the morning, and the Undercity was completely dark.
"Visibility is less than ten meters; you can feel the dust accumulating in your throat with every breath." Wearing his mask, Durin spat out a mouthful of gray phlegm, then readjusted it to cover his nose and mouth.
The continuous light from the streetlights formed a dim path. Following this row of lamps, Durin returned to his house, taking about an hour and arriving home around two in the morning.
As soon as he entered, Durin lay exhausted on the bed, and sleepiness washed over his brain once more.
...
The familiar darkness once again enveloped Durin's vision.
As a steady and powerful female voice spoke, the scene seemed to have its play button clicked, slowly drawing back the curtain.
"Miss Styraatu, since you are just beginning to learn spells, in this lesson, I will once again explain two Cantrips to you in detail. Furthermore, during the explanation, I will help you realize the true essence of magic."
The red-haired woman who had appeared before, Mentor Maya, sat on a high-backed chair dressed in a set of flame-like Mage Robes. Her expression was serious, her gaze sharp, and her tone left no room for doubt.
She already held a scroll in her hand, upon which several commonly used Cantrips were transcribed.
The scroll wasn't very thick; performing Cantrips didn't require complex rituals or postures, and the Spell Models were pitifully simple. Transcribing Cantrips didn't take up much space, so this scroll contained about a dozen of them.
Only after formally becoming a Mage does the complexity of spells increase geometrically. Some spells not only require chanting long Incantations but also necessitate complex Hand Seals and entire sets of precise movements; the absence of any single link could interrupt the casting. Such spells require several large, thick scrolls for transcription, and just reading the transcribed content could take two or three days.
"No problem, Mentor Maya."
Stellatus sat opposite Mentor Maya. Her posture was quite eye-catching as her two slender legs were crossed, fully revealing a figure that was neither too plump nor too thin.
She wore a long dress dominated by simple tones. It didn't have many decorations, yet the materials used were extremely luxurious and exquisite.
The ruffles and pleats in the details did not affect the overall tailoring; the flowing bias cut fully reflected the court-level skill of the tailor. Complemented by the dark floral patterns on the sleeves, Stellatus exuded a mature and noble temperament.
"Then let us begin with the simplest: Mage Hand."
With a Whisper from Mentor Maya, a book that was originally placed on the bookshelf actually moved out of thin air and then floated onto the carpet between the two of them.
"This is Mage Hand. As a creation of the imagination, there isn't just one Mage Hand; there can be two, three, or even countless. Usually, a normal Mage Apprentice can learn this Cantrip within two days. You only need to remember the Incantation and reach out toward the object you want to grab when casting."
Mentor Maya then continued: "Next, I will explain the spell structure for a Cantrip suitable for you, Miss, called 'Fire Splash,' starting from the most fundamental principles."
"You must listen carefully and master it as soon as possible, because I do not wish to waste too much time on such a simple Cantrip, which would also delay the process of you becoming a Mage as soon as possible."
"Yes, Mentor."
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