The Dark Mage Of The Magus World-Chapter 41: The Dark Energy Shield

Larry flicked his fingers, and a steaming cup of coffee floated effortlessly through the air, settling onto the table before Hutson.

"Freshly brewed," he said casually.

Hutson glanced around the cluttered alchemical lab, where racks of potions and vials filled with strange, bubbling liquids surrounded them. Then, he eyed the coffee with mild suspicion—the very air smelled of brewed herbs, alchemical compounds, and arcane reagents.

Larry chuckled. "Relax. I follow proper safety protocols when conducting experiments."

Hutson let out a small, awkward laugh, took a tentative sip... and found that the coffee tasted normal—rich and smooth.

"Follow me."

Larry set down the yellow-liquid-filled test tube he had been holding, sealed it with a wooden stopper, and carefully placed it onto a nearby rack.

The next room housed a large wooden desk, stacked with ancient tomes and neatly arranged parchments.

From the desk, Larry retrieved two books—one thick and bound in black leather, the other a well-worn notebook filled with handwritten notes.

"This is the Dark Energy Shield spell model," he said, handing the first book over. "And this notebook contains everything I recorded while studying it as an apprentice. Hopefully, it’ll help you understand the spell more quickly."

Hutson took the weighty notebook, flipping through its dense, handwritten pages.

Its thickness was nearly equal to the spellbook itself—a testament to the sheer effort Larry had once put into mastering this spell.

"Thank you, Master Larry!"

Hutson knew that for most wizard apprentices, mastering a spell wasn’t just about reading a book—it was a process that required endless hours of trial, error, and refinement.

The sheer amount of time and energy needed to construct even a single spell model was staggering.

Larry nodded. "Dark Energy Shield is highly practical—but it’s also quite advanced. For someone at your level, it’ll take time.

"Don’t rush it. Study it thoroughly before attempting construction. If you force the process, you could damage your mental faculties, which will cripple your future progress."

He then spent an hour sharing his own experiences, pitfalls he had encountered, and mistakes to avoid.

When Hutson finally left Larry’s home, he couldn’t help but marvel at how much valuable insight he had gained.

"Just that lesson alone was worth two mana stones."

Even though AI chip could construct spell models for him, Hutson understood that real mastery came from personal understanding.

Even though Partial Petrification and Corrosive Arrow were already part of his arsenal, he continued to study and refine their spell models—ensuring he wasn’t simply relying on AI chip without understanding the mechanics himself.

Only by truly grasping the underlying principles could he push his limits and expand his magical potential.

The Construction of the Dark Energy Shield

Back home, Hutson immediately instructed AI chip to begin analyzing the Dark Energy Shield spell model while he carefully read through both the spellbook and Larry’s notebook.

Minutes later...

"Dark Energy Shield spell model and related data successfully analyzed. Spell construction is ready to begin."

Hutson took a deep breath.

"Begin constructing the Dark Energy Shield spell model."

"Task initiated. Estimated time: 45 minutes. Estimated mana consumption: 48%."

Hutson’s expression turned serious.

Forty-five minutes.

That was significantly longer than the construction time for either Partial Petrification or Corrosive Arrow—not to mention it consumed far more mana.

As he read further, the reason became clear.

Unlike his previous spells, Dark Energy Shield was incredibly complex—it contained over ninety different parameters and more than sixty advanced formulas embedded within its structure.

Moreover, it required a deep understanding of dark energy manipulation, something that overlapped with elemental magic theory.

For an ordinary wizard apprentice, this spell would have been far beyond reach—a daunting undertaking that could take months or even years to master.

Hutson resolved to properly study the related theories before fully committing to its usage.

AI chip could accelerate his progress, but if he wanted to surpass his limits, he needed to comprehend every aspect of the spell himself.

Forty-five minutes later...

"Dark Energy Shield spell model successfully constructed."

Hutson put down his book and activated the spell.

A dark-purple energy barrier surged into existence around him, forming a seamless sphere of protection—a full 360-degree defense.

"AI chip, analyze the shield’s defensive capacity."

"Based on calculations, it can withstand three standard Fireball spells cast by you."

Hutson nodded.

"Three Fireballs... not bad."

Fireball was already one of the stronger Zero-Rank spells, and the fact that Dark Energy Shield could fully block three meant that it greatly increased his survivability.

Then, AI chip provided an additional assessment.

"Against Second-Class or Third-Class wizard apprentices, their spells would be stronger. Estimated durability: 1.5 Fireballs."

Hutson had expected that.

Against higher-tier opponents, his shield wouldn’t hold up nearly as well. And against a fully trained wizard...

It would be practically useless.

Even so—this was a major step forward.

Now, for the first time, he felt like he had a complete foundation for combat.

With both offensive and defensive spells mastered, his next priority was clear—

Money.

Without gold and mana stones, he would be unable to take new courses, purchase rare materials, or improve his arsenal.

He opened his Rune Stone and began searching for well-paying missions.

His criteria were simple:

Low riskPayment in mana stones

His search quickly yielded a result:

"Hunt the Giant Spirit Spider. Must ensure the silk sac remains intact. Reward: 20 mana stones."

Hutson clicked on the mission details, read a few lines... and immediately abandoned the idea.

Giant Spirit Spiders were a Third-Class Apprentice-level threat.

And worse—preserving the silk sac intact would make the fight significantly harder.

Realistically, only full-fledged wizards or elite Third-Class Apprentices could handle such a task.

He continued browsing.

"Necromantic Spell Experiment Assistant Required. Must have knowledge of Necromancy. Minimum requirement: Second-Class Apprentice. Reward: 5 mana stones."

Hutson grimaced.

Necromantic experiments?

Definitely not an option.

He kept scrolling, eyes searching for the right opportunity.

With Dark Energy Shield secured, Hutson had taken another step toward becoming a true wizard.

But his next battle wouldn’t be fought with magic.

It would be fought with strategy, negotiation, and survival—in the pursuit of wealth.

Hutson scrolled past yet another task—one he couldn’t take, wouldn’t take.

"Necromantic Spell Experiment Assistant. Must have knowledge of Necromancy. Minimum Requirement: Second-Class Apprentice. Reward: 5 mana stones."

He immediately dismissed it.

Not only was he underqualified, but necromantic magic was notorious for its high risk and instability. The failure rate for necromantic experiments was among the highest in all magical disciplines, and those who practiced it often paid the price.

Many necromancers became twisted by their own creations, their bodies and souls corrupted by the very forces they sought to control.

There was no need to tempt fate.

Hutson scrolled further.

"Assassination Squad Recruiting. Target: Third-Class Apprentice. Minimum Requirement: Second-Class Apprentice. Must have strong combat skills. Reward: 15 mana stones."

He sighed.

Another job he wasn’t qualified for.

Many missions required higher combat ability, better spell mastery, or simply greater experience—none of which he had yet.

The truth was undeniable—as a First-Class Apprentice, his options were painfully limited.

For two full hours, he searched, filtering through dozens of missions, rejecting each one.

Until finally—he found something.

A Job for an Apprentice

"Moonlit Forest Harvesting: Collect Sleeping Mushrooms.

10 mushrooms = 1 mana stone.Less than 10 will be exchanged at a rate of 10 gold per mushroom."

Hutson didn’t immediately accept the task.

Instead, he headed to the Tavern Bulletin, the gathering place for wandering apprentices, where wizards and students discussed ongoing missions.

There, he sifted through several posts related to this mission.

Slowly, he pieced together the full picture.

The Sleeping Mushroom was an essential alchemical ingredient, found in the deep woods of Moonlit Forest. It was used in many advanced potion recipes, making it highly valuable and constantly in demand.

The mission itself was issued every spring and summer, when the mushrooms were in season.

But despite the importance of this task, very few Second-Class or Third-Class Apprentices ever took it.

The reason?

It was slow, tedious work.

Sleeping Mushrooms grew underground, making harvesting them extremely inefficient. Not only were they hard to find, but their natural magical resistance made them immune to most detection spells.

Only First-Class Apprentices—who had few better options—were desperate enough to take on the job.

Hutson considered the facts.

The job wasn’t dangerous—which was a plus.

But...

It was time-consuming, low-paying, and required patience.

Still, gold was gold, and mana stones were mana stones.

For now, this was his best option.

Taking a deep breath, Hutson clicked "Accept."

It was time to head into the Moonlit Forest.