Hang on, here's the deal. He could totally use those 8 hours to cram mana into his mana core like he always does, but for the rest of the time, he's thinking about just dumping it straight into his mana heart.

See, his mana heart's capacity is basically endless, so he could stash as much mana in there as he wants. Then, once he's back in action, he could tap into both the outside mana and the stash he built up to turbocharge his mana growth.

He actually had this idea ages ago when he discovered his mana heart was infinite. But it meant committing to a full 24/7 mana-gathering mode. Doing this for just four times the usual concentration felt like a waste, he reckoned.

He'd have to give up time he could spend researching or just chilling. But hey, with his infinite mana well, as long as he kept up his usual meditation routine, his mana pool would keep on expanding. No need to rush it. He had to make sure his spell and formation knowledge kept pace with his mana gains.

But when he snagged a spot with 10 times the usual mana concentration, that's when things got interesting. It seemed worth going all in for a full day of mana gathering. With his plan, he could basically crank up his meditation speed to match being in a 30 times mana concentration environment!

Now, why wouldn't he push for more than the 10 times concentration? Simple. He's worried about drawing too much attention. Sure, the staff said he could technically absorb even more and the room could pump out even higher concentrations, but he did the math, and that level of mana-guzzling would raise way too many eyebrows.

Alright, just a heads up: you can totally skip the next 3 paragraphs; it's just me yapping away.

For your regular wizard, they typically only need to absorb around 300 mana points (mp). Taking into consideration the mana density outside compared to what a level 1 wizard can handle, the max is around 900 mp from the outside.

Let's crunch some numbers. If he can absorb 2 mp every 8 hours under normal conditions, that jumps to 20 mp every 8 hours at 10 times concentration. So, over two months with a day off each week, he'd gather 960 mp at 10 times concentration. But if he absorbs mana continuously 24 hours a day, after 2 months, he'd absorb a whopping 2880 mp!

So, soaking up mana at 10 times concentration all day for two months straight is already raising eyebrows. But he figures as long as he doesn't go over the base level, it shouldn't raise any red flags. Heck, he guesses even if he absorbs more, it should be okay since it's normal during advancement to have a spike in mana absorption over a short time frame, like a month, instead of a constant absorption over two months.

So, he's planning to boost his absorption a bit in the middle and then dial it back to normal after. He'll mimic what a typical advancement looks like.

After making sure he had enough jerky and water in his storage ring, he dove into meditation.

…

After two months, he stepped out of the room with a radiant spirit. It felt akin to emerging from a hyperbolic chamber in Dr*gon B*ll - a massive power-up surged through his mana heart. Finally, he truly understood what it meant to possess a limitless mana well. Let's go, boy! he thought, brimming with newfound energy.

Heading to the mission hall, he was greeted by the staff who had guided him before. They led him back to the same room. Once they settled in, the staff offered congratulations and then gave him a knowing look.

The staff casually mentioned that it's pretty normal for apprentices to max out their time in the room, even after they've completed their advancement ahead of schedule. Well, who wouldn't take advantage of such a sweet meditation spot for free?

Then, the staff whipped out a device and asked for his badge. After handing it over, they tinkered with it before handing it back, mentioning that they'd updated his info. Now he could enjoy all the perks outlined in the contract, along with the obligations, of course.

But then came the kicker: because of the war, all contracted level 1 wizards had to head to the frontline unless their specialization had hit level 2. Bummer! If it was just about hitting level 1, he could've spun some story about how he'd been honing his skills and had bumped up from level 0 to level 1.

But level 2? Even if he wanted to come clean about his level, he couldn't. Not because he was trying to keep it under wraps like usual, but because he genuinely felt like he hadn't quite hit that mark yet.

Sighing heavily, he realized he had no choice but to head to the frontline. Still, he made sure to mention that he'd reached level 1 formation master, hoping it might score him a safer position. Back when he was reinforcing the formations in Mossley, he noticed that many wizards were needed to operate them effectively.

Especially with offensive formations, where they had to attack enemies while keeping allies safe. And if the wizards had a solid grasp of formations, they could really bring out their full potential.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

But he'd have to wait until he got to Mossley to see if all the positions were filled or not. Otherwise, he'd likely end up as a battle wizard.

Thankfully, since he'd been on a long-term mission in Mossley before, he got a bit of preferential treatment to get assigned there again. He was grateful because compared to Broughton, the biggest fortress city guarding the Empire's main entry point, Mossley's battles had to be smaller in scale.

…

He returned to Mossley using the teleportation circle, which now conveniently led directly to the city. Previously, there had only been a circle to Broughton, so they must've installed this one for the war. Either way, it was nice to skip the travel hassle and get right to Mossley.

Upon arrival, he had to hustle to report to the magic tower's command center within the military district of the city within a day. The military district sprawled across the entire southern half of Mossley.

But before that, he had to swing by the tower's formation workshop. When the military command came from the tower, someone had already snagged his spot as the workshop manager, and he was used to submitting his daily arrays quota to that person.

Now, he had to notify the dude that he'd been reassigned to the military district. The guy, a level 1 wizard with a level 2 specialization in formation, didn't seem too bothered by it and just waved his hand, acknowledging the transfer. Dang! Must've been nice chilling in the backline.

After letting the workshop manager know, he made his way to the military district. Despite being a hub for soldiers and war efforts, it also boasted its fair share of brothels and taverns. He figured the soldiers needed a break from the stress every now and then.

Finally, he arrived at the central command center. It was a massive building with a constant stream of people flowing in and out through its huge doors.

In this war, all soldiers, knights, and wizards were being managed under one command. The highest general of this command line was the head of the lightning magic tower. Below him were several lieutenant generals, who were heads of various magic towers and the heads of the four guardian families of the empire.

He figured this war was no joke, a showdown between two continental behemoths. But honestly, he had his doubts about the Fulminar Empire, representing the magic towers, coming out on top.

It was all fine and dandy when the head of the lightning magic tower was at his peak. With the sheer firepower of lightning, he could take on two level 3 powerhouses at once. However, now that the condition of the lightning magic tower's head was unknown, while the Holy Empire boasted three level 3 powerhouses in top condition, things didn't look too promising for the Fulminar Empire.

But hey, that wasn't his problem. He reported to the command center, and thank goodness! There was a spot open as an operator for the formations. Sure, it had been filled before, but some of the members weren't formation masters, so he could slide into that guy's spot. Sorry, buddy, he had to do what he had to do.

Being a battle wizard wasn't a death sentence, especially in a defensive battle like this where both the battle wizards and the formation wizards were safely ensconced within the city's defensive formations. Though, the formation wizards were double-protected within another layer of defense, ensuring their safety and, in turn, the smooth operation of the formations.

After reporting, he waited in the command center for a while. Eventually, the command center called over someone from the formation troops to guide him. Before long, an early level 1 wizard arrived to receive him.

As they walked, the wizard introduced himself.

"I'm Heinrich, a lieutenant, and going forward, you'll be in my platoon. I'm in charge of a group of 30 formation operators. Above me, we've got Majors who oversee a company made up of 4 platoons. For the nitty-gritty details, check out the handbook they gave you.

"Our platoon's main gig is to handle one of the nodes in the city's formation. We're split into 6 teams of 5 people each, led by a Sergeant. These teams are further divided into two groups, with each group taking turns operating the formation. Right now, your team is resting in the barracks."

The wizard quickly led him to his spot, bringing him to a barrack situated on a flat square land with 30 tents neatly arranged. In the center, there was an open space where 15 people were lounging about, all looking pretty worn out.

"Alright, this is where you'll be bunking from now on. Your tent's over there. Just so you know, mine's that one," Heinrich mentioned, gesturing.

"KLAUS!" he suddenly shouted after explaining the setup.

One of the men lounging in the middle snapped to attention and hurried over to Zack and Heinrich.

Heinrich briefed Klaus that Zack was the substitute he'd talked about earlier. Klaus nodded in understanding, and Heinrich left Zack in Klaus's capable hands.

Klaus led him to the center of the camp and introduced him to his team. Turns out, Klaus was one of the Sergeants leading a 5-man squad.

As Zack was being introduced, one of the team members didn't look too pleased. Zack figured he was the guy he was replacing. Sure enough, Klaus had a chat with him, and the guy quickly made his way to his tent.

Even though the guy was clearly annoyed, Klaus and the rest of the team seemed unfazed. They'd been briefed about Zack taking over, and they didn't have any objections. In fact, having someone skilled in formations would up their chances of survival in future battles.

After chilling for a bit is the mealtime for the teams, the rest of the members headed back to their tents to catch some shut-eye or meditate. They only had a three-hour rest window before it was time to switch with the other teams.

As Zack entered his tent, he noticed it had been cleared out. There wasn't any damage, though, so it seemed like the guy he replaced had managed to keep his anger in check. Well, it made sense; causing trouble in a military camp during wartime was just asking for trouble, and probably a one-way ticket to execution.

Sitting cross-legged on his bed, he took a moment to meditate. Here he was, assigned to the frontline. With his vast mana pool swirling within him, he should be able to survive …right?

************************

Name: Zack

Age: 14/150 (300)

Occupation: Official Wizard (Level 1)

Contract: [Lightning Magic Tower - Official Member]

Hidden Contract: -

Mana: 310/310 (12,508/12,508)

Overt Talent: [Low Mana Manipulation Correction], [Low Mana Sensory Correction]

Hidden Talent: [Limitless Mana Well], [Advanced Mana Manipulation Correction], [Advanced Mana Sensory Correction], [Advanced Intelligence Correction]

Hidden Boss Abilities: [Hidden Strength] [Thousand Faces]

HBP: 0

HB Progress Bar: 30/100%

Expand Hidden Boss abilities Store? yes/no

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