The Level 4 Mage stood up.

In the short time they had been talking, Lu Cang had already finished off six King Level Demons.

His eyelid couldn’t help but twitch slightly.

This kill rate was even faster than a party of Level 4 Adventurers.

Standing alone on the city wall, he was an army unto himself.

"The test to advance from a Level 3 Mage to Level 4 is to create at least one Self-created Spell."

"Is Beyond Magic considered a Self-created Spell of yours?"

"I guess not."

"You don’t have your own spell yet?"

Lu Cang shook his head.

"A Self-created Spell is usually the one that best suits you. If someone else casts a spell you created, they can never unleash 100% of its power."

"In fact, the Magic we cast today was also created by other people."

Lu Cang listened intently.

"How can I create a spell of my own?"

The Level 4 Mage scratched his head.

"Well, it’s complicated to explain."

He glanced at the battle below the city wall.

’Is this really the time for a lesson?’

While talking with him, Lu Cang was also multitasking, dealing with the Eight Fleas below using No Chanting.

This kid’s control over his Magic was even more deft than an Elder Mage who had studied Magic for decades.

Teaching him made one feel utterly inadequate.

The Level 4 Mage sighed. "Creating a Self-created Spell is a bit difficult, but have you ever thought about fusing Magic?"

"I have."

"How did you do it?"

"I cast two kinds of Magic at the same time and tried to merge them."

"But in the end, it was just casting two spells at the same time."

...

For a moment, the Level 4 Mage was at a loss for words.

Casting Magic simultaneously.

How many people could never achieve that in their entire lives?

But, looking at the Sea of Fire covering the ground, the chain lightning that kept striking, and the Ice Shuttles dancing through the sky...

One could guess that he wasn’t casting his Magic one by one.

"Truly fusing two spells is actually something only Mages at Level 5 or above would consider."

"However, you can use the principles of Fusion Magic to create new Magic."

"For example, making an Earth Spike emerge not as rock and soil, but as Ice."

Lu Cang asked doubtfully, "An Ice Spike?"

"Right."

"First, you memorize the casting principle of Earth Spike, then combine it with a similar Ice Element Magic to construct a corresponding casting method."

"Through the logic of the casting, you find the Spell that can accomplish it. This is a process of filtering through the Root Language, which requires a certain level of interpretation and understanding of the Root Language itself."

"Then it’s a matter of repeatedly correcting the casting logic, modifying the corresponding Root Language..."

"Eternal burning Flame, become a surging tide, and rush forth!"

The Level 4 Mage hadn’t even finished speaking when Lu Cang began chanting a Spell.

’Wait...’

’What the hell are you mumbling and chanting?’

’Don’t tell me you’re f*cking chanting a Self-created Magic!’

’I haven’t even finished talking!’

「Magic Created—Flame Wave Skill (Tier Two) (Level 1)」

A blazing Flame surged up like a tidal wave!

And bore down on the King Level Demon below!

PUFF!

But when these flames struck the shell of the [Eight Fleas], they didn’t cause much damage.

It was only Level 1, after all.

...

’Oh, it actually worked.’

The moment the other mage explained the method, Lu Cang had begun to try it out.

’So... it’s just combining two casting methods and then finding the corresponding Root Language.’

The benefits of 「Skill Evolution」 weren’t just the changes to a Skill’s various forms.

Skill Proficiency itself was a measure of how adept Lu Cang was at using a Skill.

A Skill Proficiency of Level 201 meant that Lu Cang used these Skills as if they were a part of his own body.

The casting methods.

Their corresponding Root Language—Lu Cang actually knew it all.

In fact, Lu Cang himself was a master of using these Skills.

Using Skills could increase Skill Proficiency, reading books could increase Skill Proficiency, and researching Skills could also increase Skill Proficiency.

In turn, having gained so much Skill Proficiency also meant he had acquired all the knowledge associated with every aspect of the Skill.

Although Lu Cang lacked a comprehensive theoretical understanding of Magic...

...his understanding of these specific Skills far surpassed almost everyone else in the world.

"So... Self-created Magic is just deconstructing and reconstructing the components of these Skills."

"You should have just said so."

He felt like he’d discovered a new continent.

’You should have just said so...’

’Said so my ass!’

’Is your comprehension absurdly off the charts?’

’It took me ten f*cking years to research one Self-created Magic when I was Level 3.’

’You’d never even heard of Self-created Magic before, had you?’

’I say a few sentences and you just create one?’

’Comparisons really are the death of you.’

"If it works like this..."

Lu Cang mused.

Then he spoke again: "Gentle water, become biting Ice, and sever all."

「Magic Created—Ice Blade (Tier Two) (Level 1)」

SWISH!

An icy slash instantly cut through the air into the distance!

Wind Blade is Tier One, but this Ice Blade was Tier Two.

The reason was that solid Ice caused far more damage than formless wind, and it could also apply a freezing effect.

"It works, just as I thought."

’Works my ass!’

’Why is creating your own Magic so easy for you?’

’What about the process?’

’No drawing construction diagrams? No writing magic formulas? No calculating elemental balance? No interpreting the Root Language? Don’t you need a mentor to review the three great laws of Magic for you?’

"So you just recite a little rhyme and cast it, is that it?"

Lu Cang turned his head to look at him.

"Huh?"

The Level 4 Mage froze awkwardly. "Uh, it’s nothing."

’Crap, I accidentally said what I was thinking out loud.’

’Before teaching him, I was just sighing in admiration. A truly fearsome new generation, a worthy genius. So much Magic Power, such strong Magic, such fast and frequent Casting.’

’After teaching him...’

’I just feel like my dozen or so years of studying Magic have all gone to the dogs.’

"That was actually very helpful. Thank you, big brother..."

"Ah, oh... No need, don’t mention it."

The Level 4 Mage stammered.

’No, I didn’t help at all. That was just the basic syllabus for the first lesson on Self-created Magic at the academy.’

’It couldn’t even be considered real teaching material.’

Looking at Lu Cang, he couldn’t help but think.

’If we could throw Lu Cang into the academy, those so-called geniuses with their noses in the air would finally get a taste of failure.’

’But then again, would a genius like him even be willing to go to an academy to study?’

’I feel like even the academy has nothing to teach him.’

「Flame Wave Skill」

「Ice Blade」

「Dark Curse Entanglement」

「Extreme Ice Lake」

After a moment of thought, Lu Cang created four spells in a row.

These were the ideas that came to him in a short burst of inspiration.

As for other spells, although he had some concepts, he felt they were always missing something...

He felt it was because he hadn’t learned enough different kinds of Magic yet.

Without enough examples, he couldn’t construct more spells based on his current experience.

’As I thought, I still need to learn a few more types of Magic to broaden my horizons.’

CRACKLE—

The ground where the wildly leaping [Eight Fleas] was about to land instantly transformed into an ice-blue lake surface.

SPLASH!

It plunged into the lake’s surface, and in an instant, half of its body was frozen solid with Ice.

「Extreme Ice Lake (Level 50)—An extremely cold Ice Lake that causes instant freezing, deep chill, frostbite necrosis, and creates a deeper Ice Lake.」

’Oh—’

’Self-created Magic really is stronger than the ones I learned.’