I Level Up Dragons with My Evolution System-Chapter 52: Phases of Magical Learning (2)

Imitation.

"In the Perception stage, the three phases are simple: You feel the affinity of the magic your beast gives you. You recognize the flow of magic and identify any flaws it may have; the magic itself will reveal that pattern to you."

"Next, you have to copy that pattern. Reproduce that flow you felt to create your magic spells. I’ll explain the rest in the practice we’ll have in a moment."

He decided to move on to Phase 3.

Anchoring or "Anchored."

"It’s simple. The name says it all: Here you have to make your magic repeatable so that your network stabilizes. When you get here, you’ll be able to use magic in combat without any problems. This phase is critical for all magic because this is where something amazing called "Learning Marks" is created."

The teacher proceeded to write that name on the blackboard, in a different place to differentiate it from the four phases, and proceeded to explain it.

"When a spell reaches the ’Anchored’ state, it leaves a mark on the Magic Network that makes it easier to learn similar spells later on. A simple example is: you learn Fire Spark, and suddenly Flame becomes easier to learn."

"That is the ally of all magicians. Therefore, you must strive to reach that stage in every magic you learn. Even so, it is not the final phase."

The next phase: Customization Adjustment.

"I don’t need to explain it, right?" He smiled.

It was the customization of a magic, based on your own style. The students unconsciously looked at Robert.

His "Fire Fist" is actually a Customized Magic.

He confirmed it. "It is. Originally, the magic learned is "Fireball," a D-Rank Magic."

Rank D!

They had barely begun, and already he was wielding such high-level magic...

’The joy of someone who summons a highly evolved beast,’ thought Edward, although he touched his arm where his four beasts rested beneath his sleeve. The butterfly was wrapped around his arm.

He didn’t regret not awakening something amazing from the start... he believed his beasts were much better.

After the professor said that the mini theory of the class was over, Edward repeatedly analyzed what he had learned.

For someone like him, with four beasts and four different branches, that Mark of Learning would be his best ally, so he made sure to keep his explanation in mind.

"We’ll start with the Practical Class. Everyone, depending on your Magic Group, go to the Shooting Points and stand several feet apart. Those who believe it is feasible according to your group. Those in Manifestation, please stand more than 10 feet apart to avoid unnecessary explosions."

He quickly began to arrange them in different places.

There were 25 students, and he arranged them neatly in order... none. He just made sure to put two key characters together: Robert and Edward.

"Now, bring out your beasts," the teacher explained.

A roar shook Edward’s hair. The movement of a lion larger than himself even pushed others further away. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

If it weren’t for Edward’s strong resistance, he would surely have been pushed worse.

He stared at Robert.

"Sorry, he’s too big. I can’t help that kind of thing." Robert "apologized," although his mocking tone left much to be desired from that apology.

Edward simply looked back at his shooting point and shrugged. He didn’t want to talk to this guy; it wasn’t like he had been a good conversationalist with his bully in the first place.

Kael Vorren didn’t let the opportunity to waste... When he saw the "trash" on the other side of Edward being shaken by the force of Robert’s lion’s leap, he roared:

"Why are you leaving your places? Did I give you permission to move?" He stepped forward with his cane and hit one of them on the back. "Get back to your seat!"

The student quickly apologized. "I’m sorry, professor, something pushed me..."

"Did I ask you to explain your stupidity?!" Kael roared again. "I said get back to your seat!"

The reprimand caused the student to run back and stand next to Edward with his head down.

"And your beast?" The professor approached Edward from behind, tapping him on the shoulder with his cane. The force used was enough to push any 1- or 2-star student, even 3-star students if they weren’t expecting it.

’Hm?’ Kael Vorren frowned when he saw that he could only move his shoulder. Suddenly, he became furious. How could it be possible that he couldn’t push a small first-year student?

Unacceptable!

Even so, Edward suddenly turned around and shook off Kael Vorren’s cane, speaking with a cold look. "Can’t you see it?" He showed his arm, where one of his small caterpillars, the earth one, was resting.

Kael Vorren withdrew his hand and laughed genuinely. "Sorry, it’s so small I didn’t see it," he said with a hidden mocking tone and shook its hand before turning away. "Go about your business."

He proceeded to look at each student, kindly correcting the strong ones and insulting the weak ones.

All before continuing with the explanation.

"Now, follow the theory I told you before. Right now we are in the Perception Phase. Close your eyes and feel your affinity with your beast."

"The less talented ones will have problems, but keep trying. I guess someday you’ll have to feel it irrevocably."

The mocking tone did not affect the weak students who were taking this training seriously. Especially Edward.

He had long since stopped paying much attention to this old fool and was more focused on his beasts.

’As we saw before, the key point here is to understand what the magic wants to do...’ He closed his eyes and shook his mind slightly.

The caterpillar on his right arm was the earth one, but right now he wanted to learn fire. So his attention was not directed at the connection with the Earth Caterpillar, but at his Fire Butterfly, still coiled on his left arm.

He quickly noticed a slight flow of energy moving through his body... He had felt it before: it was spirituality, which was connected to his four beasts.

But within it there were four different flows. Three were similar in size, and one was considerably larger, occupying almost the entire "flow of spirituality."

’Is this affinity?’ He tried to delve deeper.

If the flow of spirituality was a considerably large vein that ran through every corner of his body, the four flows were the "blood" carried through it. There were four different feelings moving through that vein.

One was hot, the largest. It moved lively, swaying quickly between the other three. Occasionally it covered them, as if playing with them, and other times it went faster on pure whim...

It seemed like a playful child.

Then there was one whose movement was not warm, but refreshing, yet strong. Originally, he thought it was water, but it was wind. Its movement was passive, yet strong, and occasionally it became unrestrained and pushed the other two away. It seemed the most eager to play with the playful child from before.

There was one that was smooth and refreshing. Its movement was calm and gentle, but it gave the impression that if it decided to move with force, it would sweep everything in its path away. Edward couldn’t help comparing it to someone wise, but at the same time fearsome. That was water.

And finally, the clumsiest of them all. Edward smiled as he watched it, constantly stumbling over the others... but its strange stumbles took it further than the others.

’It’s definitely earth.’ He remembered that earth caterpillars tended to be quite clumsy, but strangely effective.

He wondered if it was really clumsiness or pure strategy.

That’s when he understood.

That was Affinity.