『 Ice Series: Frost Crash! (✦ 6th-level Spell ✦) 』

I started with the sixth-level spells.

And this was none other than the first spell I found.

This spell… it’s not as fancy as some others, but damn, it’s quite effective.

It creates a wave of ice that crashes down in a huge surge, freezing anything in its path. It’s perfect for wiping out groups of enemies in one go.

You hit them with it, and it’s like a flood of ice, freezing them solid before they even have a chance to move.

Good for crowd control.

And the other I found was none other than a defense spell.

『 Shield Series: Winter’s Barrier! (✦ 6th-level Spell ✦) 』

This one creates a thick, hard shield of ice that can protect you from just about anything—arrows, magic, or even physical attacks.

It’s tough and resistant, but it takes a lot of mana to maintain.

The downside?

Once the barrier’s broken, it shatters like glass. But when it’s up, it’s like a wall of ice, solid and unmovable.

Basically, it’s an upgraded version of the third-level spell Ice Wall; however, you can manipulate it and move it to where you want it to go without casting another spell.

And now…

Only two spells were remaining.

A seventh-level one and an eighth-level one.

Alaine told me that the library didn’t have too many high-level ice magic spells since ice was a deviant element.

Just like lightning or metal.

“Oh…?”

The seventh-level spell had quite the eye-catching name.

『 Ice Dragon: Breath of Frost! (✦ 7th-level Spell ✦) 』

And it sounds cooler than it actually is.

You summon the essence of an ice dragon, and it breathes a freezing blast of air that turns anything it touches into solid ice.

I’d say it’s perfect for taking out a few strong targets in one blow.

The power behind it is incredible, but the range is a bit limited. It’s all about getting close enough to hit your target.

Finally, the eighth-level spell… the one that’s beyond anything I’ve seen before.

“Ah… damn it.”

I sighed, furrowing my eyebrows.

“Another spell that uses a lot of mana…”

I really needed to increase my mana reserves.

『 Eternal Winter: Frozen Apocalypse! (✦ 8th-level Spell ✦) 』

Eternal Winter, huh?

I didn’t expect to find a spell like that in the academy library.

Normally, spells are divided into four main categories, each with its own rules and limitations.

First, we’ve got Series Spells.

These are your standard, go-to spells for each magic type. They’re what most people learn early on, and the downside is, they’re used by everyone.

You can’t really evolve them beyond their basic form.

For example: 『 Ice Generation! (✦ 1st-level Spell ✦) 』.

It’s simple, reliable, and gets the job done, but you can’t really force it to grow into something more powerful on its own.

Next, we have Non-Series Spells. These are basically the same as the Series Spells but modified.

They have more flexibility and can evolve depending on the mage’s strength and creativity.

A good example would be something like 『 Minor Frost Explosion! (✦ 5th-level Spell ✦) 』 evolving into 『 Frost Explosion! (✦ 6th-level Spell ✦) 』.

It’s the same concept, but now it packs much more power than before. These are the spells you see evolve over time as you grow stronger.

Then, we have Mixed Series Spells.

They’re normal spells, but they can interact with other elements to create a whole new effect. You mix the power of two different types of magic and combine them into one spell.

For example, if you take 『 Mixed Wind Series: Wind Tornado! (✦ 4th-level Spell ✦) 』 and add in 『 Mixed Fire Series: Fire Tornado! (✦ 4th-level Spell ✦) 』, you’d get something like Fire Wind Tornado—a massive storm of burning wind that tears through anything in its path.

It’s a combination of both elements, and it can be much more powerful than the base versions of each spell.

Finally, we’ve got the Unique Categories.

These are the special ones.

This is where a mage creates a completely new spell or series of spells, often unique to their own magic style. These are the rarest and most dangerous types of magic.

You won’t find them in a typical spellbook.

A great example of this is 『 Ice Dragon: Breath of Frost! (✦ 7th-level Spell ✦) 』 or 『 Eternal Winter: Frozen Apocalypse! (✦ 8th-level Spell ✦) 』.

These are the kinds of spells that push the boundaries of magic—created by only the most powerful mages.

The reason I was so surprised by the series’s name, Eternal Winter, is that it was created by the Frost Empress hundreds of years ago.

She was one of the most feared and respected mages in history, and her magic was as deadly as it was beautiful.

So, finding this kind of spell book was really a great find!

Well…

Into the spell…

It was more terrifying than I had ever thought.

It’s the kind of spell that can wipe out a whole battlefield.

You unleash an enormous blast of cold energy, and everything within range gets frozen instantly. Not just frozen like in a quick frostbite, but frozen solid—everything from the ground to the air.

It’s powerful enough to freeze an entire city, making the ground and everything frozen as hard as a diamond.

The downside?

It takes a lot of mana to cast, and the backlash from it can be dangerous if you’re not careful. But if you nail it right, you’ll have the power to destroy anything.

“Alright…”

I closed the last book.

I had memorized everything. Now, I just needed to put it into practice and build my proficiency.

“Master, you’re already done?” Alaine looked up from her book, one eyebrow raised.

“Yeah,” I nodded casually.

I didn’t bother mentioning that I had an almost perfect memory—there was no need.

“What about you? Finished yet?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

“Ah… almost!” She was still absorbed in her reading, her fingers lightly tracing the page.

I chuckled softly.

“No rush. Take your time.”

“Mhm!” She gave a small nod, her focus snapping right back to the book in front of her.

That left me with nothing to do but watch her.

Her brows furrowed slightly as she read, her ears twitching every so often.

The way she bit her lip when she concentrated, the way her fingers danced across the paper like she was absorbing every word…

It was kind of cute.

I leaned my head on my hand, letting out a quiet sigh.

Well…

Guess I’d just sit here and admire the view for now.

“Aestrea.”

Or not.

I turned around and saw a red-haired girl standing there, looking hesitant.

Rose.

It was none other than Rose.

Honestly, considering her vengeful character, I didn’t expect her to strike up a conversation with me.

Maybe it was because she… liked me?

“Rose? Do you need something?” I asked, giving her a small smile.

“Y-yeah… actually…” She shifted on her feet.

“Could you help us with our studies?”

“Us?”

“Yeah… our group. We’re struggling with the material for the upcoming exam.” She rubbed her hands nervously, avoiding my gaze.

I looked at her for a second before sighing lightly.

“Sure.”

I turned to Alaine.

“You can keep reading. I’ll be back.”

“Mhm.” She simply nodded, flipping a page without looking up.

With that, I followed Rose to her table.

“Yo! Aestrea!”

Lucas was the first to greet me, flashing a wide grin.

I wasn’t sure how they were all so friendly after how badly I’d beaten them in a fight. If I got crushed that badly, I wouldn’t be smiling at the guy who did it.

Telmo and Leon, though? Yeah, they weren’t smiling.

Both shot me glares, but I ignored them.

Ella didn’t seem to mind my presence, while Iris and Maya gave me small waves.

“So, what do you need help with?” I asked, looking at Rose.

She sat down and pointed at her notebook.

“We’re all stuck on this problem…”

I glanced at the page.

The question was about advanced spell structures, specifically how to optimize mana flow when casting multi-layered fire magic.

It was a tricky one—for them, at least.

For me?

I barely even had to think.

“The answer’s twenty-eight percent mana efficiency with a triple-layered structure,” I said it immediately.

Silence.

They all stared at me, blinking.

Lucas’s jaw dropped slightly.

Rose’s hand, which had been holding her pen, froze mid-air.

Ella raised an eyebrow while Iris and Maya looked at each other in disbelief.

“Wait… what?” Lucas finally broke the silence.

I sighed and leaned forward.

“Alright, look. You guys are overcomplicating it. Here’s how it works…”

I picked up a spare piece of paper and quickly sketched a simple diagram.

“Mana flow is like water in a river, right?” I started.

“If you want to make it flow smoothly, you have to guide it properly. If you just let it rush in randomly, it’ll scatter and lose efficiency. That’s what happens when you cast a spell without structure—it wastes mana.”

They all nodded slowly, following along.

“Now, spell layers are like bridges. A single-layer spell is like one simple bridge—it lets the water cross, but it’s not the most efficient way. If you stack multiple bridges—triple layering the spell structure—the flow becomes more controlled, which increases efficiency.”

I pointed at my sketch, where I had drawn three layers guiding the ‘mana river’ into a concentrated path.

“But here’s the key: if you just stack the layers without connecting them properly, you create blockages, like logs getting stuck in a river. That’s why you need to optimize the transition between layers.”

I tapped my pen on the paper and continued.

“First, you start with the base layer—the core structure of the spell. That’s where most of the mana flows in first. Normally, a single-layer spell has around fifteen percent efficiency because most of the mana gets lost when it stabilizes.”

I sketched a rough percentage next to the first layer.

“Now, when you add a second layer, it redirects and recycles some of that lost mana. This pushes the efficiency up to twenty-one percent because instead of mana dispersing, it gets funneled back into the spell structure. But there’s still some waste.”

They all leaned in slightly.

“So, the third layer is where things get interesting. Instead of just stacking them directly, you stagger their activation. That means you don’t activate all three at once—you let the first layer settle, then the second follows right after, and then the third kicks in at the last moment.”

I drew arrows showing the activation timing, with slight delays between each layer.

“This staggered timing prevents the mana from clashing or overloading one area. The result? A smooth, controlled flow that minimizes waste, giving you twenty-eight percent efficiency instead of something lower.”

I put my pen down and stretched my fingers.

“That’s how you get the answer. You don’t just stack layers, you control when and how they activate.”

I glanced up.

Lucas was staring at the diagram, his mouth slightly open.

Rose was furrowing her brows, pen tapping against the table.

Ella nodded slightly, already seeming to get it.

Iris and Maya exchanged looks of realization.

Telmo and Leon… well, they weren’t glaring at me anymore.

“See? It’s not that hard.”

Lucas groaned, rubbing his temples.

“Man… you make it sound so easy.”

“Because it is easy.” I shrugged.

At that, they all frowned.

Yeah.

Probably not the best thing to say.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep