Chapter 4: Zero-Circle Spells

In this world, the path of the great wizard naturally attracts countless seekers, but there are also other extraordinary paths, such as the path of the knight. 

The path of the knight is divided into three levels: Squire, Knight, and Grand Knight. 

A Squire is the starting point of the knightly path, referring to an ordinary person who has undergone systematic combat training and achieved extraordinary physical abilities through rigorous conditioning. 

To advance from a Squire to a true Knight, one must condense a "Seed of Life Energy." 

This Seed of Life Energy is the core of a Knight, greatly enhancing their physical abilities and allowing their strength to soar. 

A Knight who possesses the Seed of Life Energy can fight one against ten, or even one against a hundred, making them incredibly powerful on the battlefield. 

As for Grand Knights, they are beings who have transcended the ordinary, possessing astonishing strength and becoming true masters of the battlefield. 

The three youths were Squires who had undergone knightly training. 

Although they had not yet condensed their Seeds of Life Energy, their long-term combat training had already elevated their physical abilities and combat skills far beyond those of ordinary people. 

They could easily kill young, strong soldiers, let alone these frail, inexperienced youths. 

In theory, if these youths could unite, they might have a chance to stand against the three Squires. 

But the reality was quite the opposite each of them saw the others as competitors, remaining wary and naturally unwilling to band together. 

Because of this, the three Squires held an absolute advantage in this trial. 

Dealing with these defenseless youths was like crushing ants for them. They didn't even need weapons; they could easily crush their throats with their bare hands. 

Within the beast arena, the three began their "hunt." 

They set out separately, prowling the vast beast pen-like predators, coldly searching for prey. 

Their goal was clear: to kill these weak youths, quickly complete the trial, and "speed up" the process through their actions. 

Meanwhile, the other youths were still immersed in naive fantasies about the trial's rules. 

However, they had no idea that the three lurking in the shadows had already marked them as prey. 

Deep within the beast pen, Lynn was naturally unaware of the drastic changes happening outside. 

He was still one of those "naive youths," intending to follow the rules. 

However, he was different from the others in one key aspect. 

He was already a First-Level Apprentice Wizard, possessing a certain degree of self-preservation ability. 

"In the Beginner's Meditation Manual, a First-Level Apprentice Wizard can master two Zero-Circle Spells…" 

Lynn flipped to the relevant chapter, his gaze fixed on the page as he carefully studied it. 

These two Zero-Circle Spells might seem simple, but each had its unique uses. 

The first was called "Breath Concealment," and its function was as the name suggested: to conceal all traces of one's presence. 

The second was "Daze," which could momentarily disrupt an ordinary person's consciousness using mental power. 

The power of wizards came from their ability to harness energy particles in the world through their mental power, which was the definition of a spell. 

However, only a Second-Level Apprentice Wizard could barely manage to use mental power to manipulate energy particles. 

Therefore, in theory, a First-Level Apprentice Wizard couldn't use spells. 

But there were exceptions. Some unique spells existed, known as Zero-Circle Spells. 

Zero-circle spells were the most basic and weakest of all spells. 

They didn't require the assistance of energy particles and could be cast using only mental power and some simple tools. 

Because of this, Zero-Circle Spells were more like "tricks," often used by beginners as introductory exercises. 

Lynn flipped through the Beginner's Meditation Manual, carefully reading about the Zero-Circle Spells. 

"Breath Concealment" was one of them. 

It required the use of a specific tool, using mental power to "smear" the tool's scent onto oneself, thereby concealing one's presence. 

The book gave an example: if one were to hunt magical beasts, they could blend the scent of the surrounding environment into themselves, confusing the beasts' sense of smell and allowing them to approach their target undetected. 

"Daze" was more direct. 

It relied entirely on mental power, requiring no tools. By focusing one's mind, it could instantly disrupt an ordinary person's consciousness, causing them to briefly lose focus. 

These two Zero-Circle Spells were undoubtedly a godsend for Lynn. 

What he lacked most at the moment was the ability to protect himself, and while these two spells were considered "tricks" in the wizarding world, they were immensely helpful to him now. 

With these two spells, he at least had some means of reacting and escaping if he were attacked. 

"The place I've chosen is secluded, perfect for raising the Earth Rhinoceros Beast while learning these two Zero-Circle Spells…" 

Lynn's gaze was firm as he quietly planned his next steps. 

For other apprentice wizards, learning Zero-Circle Spells, while relatively simple, still required a certain amount of time and effort. 

But Lynn possessed the talent [Heaven Rewards Diligence], and he was confident that he could master these two spells in a short time. 

Once he had a clear direction, Lynn began living a cautious, secluded life. 

According to the scarred man, they had ten days in total, and his main task was to raise the Earth Rhinoceros Beast. 

Based on the knowledge he had learned earlier, he collected specific food daily to feed the beast, gradually improving its physical strength and power. 

Beyond that, he devoted the rest of his time to studying the Beginner's Meditation Manual, focusing on mastering "Breath Concealment" and "Daze." 

Perhaps because he had chosen such a remote spot, Lynn didn't see a single person from the time he left the group until the tenth day. 

Ten days of careful nurturing had brought noticeable changes to his Earth Rhinoceros Beast. 

The little beast had not only grown plumper, but its scales had also become darker and more lustrous, and the color of its pupils had deepened. 

Looking at his results, Lynn's confidence grew. He knew that the strength of this Earth Rhinoceros Beast had significantly improved. 

At the same time, Lynn's progress was equally gratifying. 

Thanks to his [Heaven Rewards Diligence] talent and the relatively simple nature of Zero-Circle Spells, he had fully mastered both "Breath Concealment" and "Daze" in just ten days. 

......... 

Name: Lynn Cole 

Realm: First-Level Apprentice Wizard 

Talent: Heaven Rewards Diligence 

Progress: 

Earth Rhinoceros Beast Rearing Knowledge [100%] 

Beginner's Meditation Manual [45%] 

Daze [100%] 

Breath Concealment [100%] 

......... 

As the first rays of morning light fell, Lynn draped his slightly worn robe over himself, tightened the collar, and picked up the now sturdier Earth Rhinoceros Beast, heading toward the designated meeting point. 

However, as he walked, Lynn noticed something amiss. 

He saw fragments of torn robes and corpses along the way, and his heart tightened. Although he had been wary of these "companions," seeing actual deaths in the beast pen still made his breath hitch. 

At first, Lynn thought it might be an isolated incident, but as he continued walking, he found an overwhelming number of such "isolated incidents." It was clear that something was wrong.