Wizard: My skills can be upgraded indefinitely.

"After countless experiments, the ancient wizards discovered that constructing the initial foundation of spiritual power with three will runes was the most perfect and stable structure."

Three is a remarkable number—it's the simplest stable planar structure and the starting point for building complex three-dimensional models.

Ian levitated the light spot model in mid-air and continued explaining:

"When an ordinary person successfully condenses their first will rune in their mental sea through meditation, it marks the official beginning of their journey as a wizard."

But that's not enough, because a rune is isolated and unstable, like a single tree that can't support a tree.

A second and a third rune must be formed, allowing the three runes to resonate and support each other, creating a self-consistent cyclical system.

The light from the triangular model became bright and stable.

"Only then did the spiritual lake have real 'dams' and 'rivers', and only then could it operate and grow."

This is why condensing three Will Runes is the official mark of entering the ranks of junior wizard apprentices.

Dora raised her little hand: "Mr. Ian, why are there three? Can't we have four? Or five?"

"A very good question." Ian nodded approvingly.

"The ancient wizards experimented with various numbers and found that fewer than three resulted in an unstable structure that was prone to collapse; more than three meant that the 'bearing capacity' of spiritual power was insufficient in the initial stage, and forced condensation would lead to a distorted rune structure and a weak foundation. Three was the optimal solution for both efficiency and stability."

He paused, letting Dora process the concept, before continuing:

"As cultivation improves and the spiritual energy lake expands, a more complex and powerful structure is needed to support and operate it."

Therefore, with each advancement in cultivation level—from low-level apprentice to intermediate, intermediate to advanced, and finally to formal wizard—the number of Will Runes increases by a factor of three.

Ian tapped his finger lightly, and new points of light appeared next to the triangular model.

The three triangular structures interlock to form a larger six-pointed star, making the light more concentrated.

"Intermediate apprentices need nine Will Runes to form two layers of nested triangles, while advanced apprentices need twenty-seven to form a three-dimensional rune array prototype."

As for formal wizards… Ian shook his head. He didn’t continue, as he himself hadn’t reached that level yet.

That level of attainment is still too far from their reach; it requires a complete array constructed from eighty-one runes.

Talia listened intently. Although she was an intermediate apprentice, no one had ever explained these fundamental principles to her so systematically.

Having come from a self-taught background, she relied entirely on intuition and luck to condense runes back then.

"The increase in the number of runes is not simply a matter of stacking them."

Ian emphasized, "With each order of magnitude increase, the way runes are connected and the paths of energy flow become exponentially more complex."

However, the efficiency of condensing and increasing mental strength will also be greatly improved.

Like a sophisticated machine, the more parts it has and the more complex its structure, the more powerful and efficient it becomes.

Dora's eyes lit up: "So... meditation teaches us the blueprints for 'manufacturing' these parts?"

"We're very close." Ian smiled. "The meditation method consists of two parts: one is the specific method of condensing will runes, and the other is the path of mental power operating and growing in the rune network."

Different meditation methods result in different forms of condensed runes and different operating paths, which leads to... differences in attribute growth.

Everyone's innate talents and abilities differ, and the effects of meditation vary in degree. Therefore, it's important to choose a meditation method that aligns with your own talents.

For example, his "Star and Moon Meditation Method" has a light attribute affinity, which provides some bonuses during meditation.

Dora subconsciously touched her chest: "So... I detected a natural affinity, should I learn a meditation method based on natural attributes?"

“That’s right.” Ian nodded. “That’s the meaning of ‘talent affinity’.”

Practicing meditation methods that align with one's own affinity attributes will make the condensation of runes smoother, the conversion of spiritual energy more efficient, and the future cultivation of witchcraft of the same attribute will be twice as effective.

He looked at Talia: "Dora's moderate natural affinity means that she has a natural deep resonance with plants, life energy, the rhythm of the earth, and so on."

If she enters the 'Silver Ring,' she will likely be assigned to a branch specializing in natural sciences and receive the corresponding meditation techniques.

Talia breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

"But be careful," Ian changed the subject, "attribute affinity is just the starting point. True power lies in the control of mental energy, the understanding of rune structure, and the insight into the essence of witchcraft."

Attributes are merely tools; the wizard is the one who uses those tools.

He dispersed the light spot model, and the tent returned to calm.

"Having discussed meditation and attributes, the last thing to talk about is the witchcraft model."

Ian's expression turned serious. "This is the bridge through which wizards transform their spiritual power into actual strength."

The light at his fingertips suddenly changed color. The original milky white light turned partly into a pale gold and partly into a light green.

"The primordial magic of heaven and earth has no inherent attributes."

Ian made the two colored dots float side by side.

"It's like the purest water, colorless and tasteless. But when magic is transformed through specific magical models, it acquires 'characteristics'."

The golden light spots exude a warm and bright feeling, while the light green light spots evoke images of forests and vitality.

He raised his hand again, and this time what condensed was not a point of light, but an extremely complex three-dimensional structure.

Countless glowing lines and nodes intertwine, like the inside of the most intricate clock.

"The magic model is essentially an 'energy conversion and output program' that reorganizes, arranges, and stimulates attributeless magic according to specific rules, ultimately releasing specific magic effects."

The model begins to operate, and magic flows along the lines, converging and transforming at key points.

"Let's take the simplest [Ignition] spell as an example." Ian snapped his fingers, and a wisp of flame ignited at his fingertips.

"Its model structure is very simple: it draws magic power, converts it into fire attribute, compresses it at three nodes, and then releases it through an activation rune, while things like the [Secondary Frost Ray]..."

The flame at his fingertips instantly turned into an icy blue ray, and the temperature inside the tent plummeted.

"Its model is more complex. It requires first building an energy guiding channel, setting up six compression nodes, and having stability runes to prevent energy from running wild. Finally, there is a ray shaping and emission structure."

The more complex the model, the greater the power and the more refined the effects of the magic, but the greater the difficulty in constructing it and the greater the mental strain it consumes.

Dora stared wide-eyed at the icy blue ray, her little face filled with longing.

She was unaware that most wizards needed to temporarily construct a complete spell model in their minds before casting spells, and then use their mental power to guide magic to fill it in order to successfully release it.

This process takes time and requires a high degree of concentration, which is often a fatal weakness in combat.

To shorten the spellcasting time, the caster needs to use an assistant's gestures and chant incantations in Tua language that can invoke magic, thus casting the spell quickly.

The goal is to simplify and refine the magic model, ultimately condensing it into a complete rune that is permanently fixed in the mind's sea.

This is an achievement that most advanced apprentices cannot accomplish in their entire lives.

He didn't tell Dora about this, lest he hurt her tender heart.