The Dark Mage Of The Magus World-Chapter 47: The Shielded Sorcerer

Maiken turned—just in time to see the gleaming blade arc toward him.

His lips parted in a desperate attempt to speak, but only gurgling, blood-choked gasps escaped.

Crimson poured from the deep gash in his throat, cascading down his chest like a waterfall. His body trembled, staggering as his eyes locked onto Hutson—shielded from head to toe, an impenetrable fortress of magic.

Why...?

That was the last thought in Maiken’s fading consciousness before he collapsed, his lifeless eyes still filled with confusion.

"Remaining mana: 3%."

AI chip’s voice rang in Hutson’s mind, a cold, analytical warning.

Hutson exhaled, his head heavy with exhaustion.

"Blink drains too much mana... One cast alone burned through 49%."

It had been the key to his victory.

The moment Maiken’s Ice Spear launched toward him, Hutson had activated Blink—instantaneously teleporting behind his foe. With a single, decisive strike, he had ended the fight.

Maiken, already weakened and nearly drained of mana, had stood no chance.

"I need to leave."

Without wasting time, Hutson searched the bodies.

From Maiken and Sonny, he retrieved:

A ring.Four mana stones.

Not much, but better than nothing.

With his mana reserves dangerously low—**not even enough to fire another Corrosion Arrow—**Hutson swiftly departed Moonlight Forest.

Back at the station, he barely had time to catch his breath before the Hellhoof Caravan arrived.

Empty. No passengers.

Perfect.

The journey back to the Northern Forest Region was uneventful, and as soon as he crossed into safer territory, the tension in his shoulders finally eased.

As for Maiken and Sonny’s corpses?

If no one found them soon, the wild beasts of Moonlight Forest would take care of them.

Even if they were discovered, it no longer mattered.

The Moonlight Grove didn’t interfere in personal disputes. Deaths like this were commonplace—they would simply be logged and forgotten.

To Hutson, Moonlight Grove was nothing more than a platform.

A place for sorcerers to trade, learn, and gather resources. There were no rules of protection, no authority enforcing order.

It was freedom.

But freedom also meant chaos.

Later that night, Hutson examined the green-tinged ring he had taken from Sonny.

"Ring of the Wind Spirit: Enchanted with the zero-tier spell ’Wind Spirit’s Blessing.’"

It seemed to be a spell that enhanced agility.

"I’ll have to test it later when my mana recovers."

For now, no more fights.

"I’ll lay low for a few days before heading back to the forest for more mushrooms."

Even with Maiken and Sonny gone, trouble could always arise from unexpected places.

The sun hung low in the sky, casting a golden glow over Moonlight Grove.

On his balcony, Hutson lounged on a wooden chair, flipping through the spell model for Blink.

Beside him, a small iron stove crackled, its flames flickering beneath a brewing kettle.

The rich aroma of coffee drifted through the air, filling his lungs with warmth.

A moment of peace.

And yet—his mind remained focused.

"Blink is extremely valuable in combat. But the mana cost... it’s too high."

He paused, tapping his fingers against the wooden armrest.

Then, issuing a command to AI chip:

"AI chip, can you optimize Blink? Focus on reducing mana consumption."

A brief pause.

"Analyzing data..."

"Analysis complete. Recalculating spell efficiency..."

"Blink can be optimized. Expected mana consumption after optimization: 37%."

Hutson’s eyes gleamed.

"From 49% down to 37%. That’s a major improvement."

Even a 12% reduction meant far more flexibility in battle.

Encouraged, he pressed further:

"Can you also optimize Blink for increased teleportation range?"

Again, AI chip responded.

"Analyzing data..."

"Insufficient spatial magic data detected. Suggest acquiring additional knowledge on spatial magic principles."

Hutson expected this answer.

"As I thought... I know nothing about advanced spatial magic."

AI chip required data to function. Without an understanding of spatial principles, it simply couldn’t make calculations.

"I’ll need more information before I can push Blink to its limits."

For now—he’d focus on what was possible.

"AI chip, begin optimizing Blink for reduced mana consumption."

"Task logged. Estimated completion time: 26 minutes. Estimated mana cost: 31%."

A half-hour later, the process was complete.

Hutson’s mind tingled with the subtle shift in his spellcasting.

The model for Blink had changed.

Not drastically.

But enough.

Small, precise adjustments—fine-tuned to retain the spell’s full effectiveness while cutting unnecessary mana expenditure.

"It’s not much... but every improvement counts."

He leaned back in his chair, sipping his freshly brewed coffee.

The battle against Maiken had tested him.

But he was still growing.

And soon—he would be ready for far greater challenges.

The Path of Optimization

"AI chip, optimize the zero-tier spell Mana Shield with three possible methods:"

"1. Increase its defensive strength.

2. Reduce its mana consumption.

3. Enhance defense while also reducing mana cost."

Hutson issued his command, waiting to see just how far AI chip could refine the spell.

"Analyzing data... Processing optimization possibilities..."

Moments later, the response came.

"Analysis complete. All three optimization methods are feasible."

Hutson’s eyes gleamed with interest. If AI chip could refine Mana Shield, what about his other defenses?

He immediately inquired about Ice Shield and Dark Energy Shield.

The results came swiftly:

Ice Shield could be optimized in both defense and mana efficiency.Dark Energy Shield could only be improved in mana consumption, lacking the necessary data for enhancing its protective strength.

Hutson pondered this. It must be a matter of missing elemental spell knowledge. He would need to study further to fill in those gaps.

Then, his thoughts shifted toward offense.

"AI chip, what about Corrosion Arrow? How can it be optimized?"

"Analyzing data... Processing..."

"Zero-tier spell Corrosion Arrow can be optimized in two ways: decreasing mana cost and enhancing corrosion potency."

Hutson smirked. That was exactly what he needed.

With the battle against Maiken still fresh in his mind, he understood now—raw firepower wasn’t enough. Efficiency mattered.

Thus, he set his optimization plan into motion.

AI chip’s spell optimization process required mana, and Hutson only had so much.

It took four full days of careful energy management before he had fine-tuned every spell in his arsenal.

Even his less-used Petrification spell had undergone adjustments to minimize mana consumption.

Now, it was time to test the results.

He stood in his room, focusing his mind.

"Ice Shield!"

"Mana Shield!"

"Dark Energy Shield!"

Three layers of magical protection surged to life around him, shimmering in their distinct hues.

He glanced at his remaining mana reserves.

68%.

Before optimization, activating all three shields at once would have drained him by half. Now, it only consumed 32%.

A remarkable improvement.

But his progress wasn’t just limited to spell refinement.

His Starry Sky Meditation technique was advancing.

The fifth star in his mental constellation was already halfway formed.

"At this pace, I should complete my meditation within a month."

Once that star fully condensed, he would be on the verge of ascending to a second-tier apprentice.

Which meant—it was almost time to prepare for the Dawn Elixir.

Just then, his communication stone flickered with a soft green glow.

A message.

He activated it and saw Lari’s name appear.

"I’ve opened registrations for my Potion-Making Course. If you’re interested, you should sign up."

Hutson wasted no time.

"I’ll enroll right away."

He navigated to the course listings and quickly found Lari’s ’Introduction to Potion-Making.’

The cost? Twenty gold coins.

Affordable.

"You won’t need to buy textbooks," Lari added. "You can use my old ones. They’ve got my notes in them—should help you learn faster."

Hutson’s expression softened.

"Thank you, Master Lari!"

There was no doubt about it now—Lari was starting to take him seriously. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Not just as an apprentice.

But as an investment.

Hutson understood what that meant.

All these resources, these opportunities—they weren’t free.

Someday, when he had grown stronger, Lari would likely ask for something in return.

For sorcerers, there was no such thing as generosity.

Only equivalent exchange.

And Hutson?

He was more than willing to pay the price.