Depending on how the mana is utilized inside the spell structure, the spell was classified into Active and Passive.

Active spells required mana to burn instantly, while passive spells continuously consume the spell to last longer.

Needle Beak Hummingbird was a Passive spell. That’s why Rhys could keep it running by storing lifespan for a day. He glanced at his current lifespan.

[Current Lifespan: 8 Years | 10,074,544,684 Days (~27,601,492 Years and 104 Days)]

The spell had run out of fuel after a whole day. Yet the results were absurd. The amount he invested compared to the amount he gained wasn’t even worth comparing.

He had gained over ten thousand percentage of expenses. But he didn’t do this again because at this rate he would single-handedly extinct the insects in a few months.

That might be detrimental for not only his farming, but also for nature.

Not all insects were pests. Some insects helped pollinate plants. Others served as food for birds and small animals. Some were important parts of the natural cycle.

If he exterminated everything, the surrounding ecosystem would eventually become unstable. That would affect farms. And most importantly, it would affect his future lifespan farming.

After all, the insects were an easy lifespan bank.

That’s why he decided to keep a cooling down of five days before farming lifespan again.

Anyway, with the current amount of lifespan he had, he had plenty of the amount required to lavishly draw his most powerful spell.

"Boy, the annual hunting day is coming. Don’t miss it this time. Rumors said the sect master will personally come this time to greet the people."

Rhys paused drinking the wine as he heard Old Chen’s dreamy voice.

Sect master? That’s new.

He hadn’t seen the sect master once. Rumors said that she was an exceptional beauty, and even the Crown Prince of the Atlantis Kingdom personally came to the Azure Lotus Peak for courting.

Of course he failed since that woman had far more ambition than to be in a harem. Though that same ambition injured her gravely, if what the librarian said was correct.

Fighting against a Divine Beast, courageous indeed. Rhys nodded.

But she was also a bit stupid.

Even an Archmage would never dare to go against a Divine Beast. They were beings beyond the comprehension of humans. Trying to fight one sounded like an excellent way to shorten your lifespan.

He was sure the sect master would be regretting her stupidity while licking her injuries.

Rhys never expected her to be present on the Annual Hunting day. He could guess the reason. Rumors about her injuries were everywhere in the city.

If she didn’t come out to show her presence, there might be people trying to fish in the muddled waters. He wasn’t interested in her, but he was sure interested in the Annual Hunting party.

"What’s the rewards?" he asked, acting disinterested, swallowing the cheese bun.

Old Chen shook his head, watching the total lack of interest in the boy. It seemed the boy would not be coming to watch the event again, just like last time.

But he answered, "First prize is a Conductor. I heard it’s a bone type, and a Rune-forged cloak. The conductor is made from the eye-bone fragment of a Zephyr Gale Eagle, which is a creature with a Rare bloodline.

It improves all the mind-type attacks and gives the owner a special innate talent called Hawk-Eye Zoom, which allows you to zoom in and out your vision across miles with perfect clarity.

And the cloak is called the Zephyr Shroud, made of the same rare material of the eagle, which grants a massive improvement in movement spells and has high-tier defensive capabilities."

Rhys’s fingers curled around the wine glass, almost breaking it in excitement. Was this a main character kinda coincidence?

These rewards were perfectly suitable for his current fighting style!

Getting the Zephyr Gale Eagle’s eye bone fragment will improve his mind spells and their output, while the cloak was perfectly suitable for movement, perhaps even unlocking a special ability.

Then he frowned.

These rewards were so high for an Annual Hunting event, considering the strength of mages who could participate in it were strictly capped at Adept rank.

A beast with a rare type bloodline like that might be a creature beyond High Mage level, and even for the sect master, it must have been incredibly difficult to hunt. Even for a High Mage, such rewards were tempting.

Also, considering anyone from the Azure Lotus Peak and the surrounding human settlements could participate in it, these rewards were a bit too flamboyant.

"These rewards are so rich..." He muttered.

"Right?" Old Chen clapped his palms together, then he looked around suspiciously as he moved closer to Rhys’s ears to mutter in a small voice, "It’s because the Sect Master ranked up. She is now a Mystic Mage! Boy, don’t you dare to leak this news. I heard it from the neighbor of my nephew’s classmate’s sister-in-law’s son’s frie—"

Rhys pushed his other cheese bun straight into Old Chen’s mouth, rolling his eyes, "Okay, I am out..."

"Mmph! Tsk. Wha an ungra’ful boy ye are," Old Chen complained, speaking with the bun stuffed tightly in his mouth, chewing furiously while pointing a dirty finger at him. "Givin’ away secrets of the high realms an’ ye stuff a bun in me face!"

Rhys walked away towards his horse stall. The Annual Hunting day was a special event of the Azure Lotus Sect.

The sect elders would personally clear a designated section of the untamed land, leaving only low-level monsters for the participants. Every mage until the Adept rank could participate in it, and the top ten would get handsome rewards.

Because of the strength cap, this event was also called the ’talent recognizing day’. If one performed better, they would not only get rewards but could be recognized by powerful factions from the surrounding settlements and become hired Mages or even faction Descendants.

So the fights would be brutal, though no deaths were reported because of safety spells cast over the field. This was a perfect venue for Rhys to get real battle experience without fearing actual death, and also the rewards weren’t that bad at all.

He rubbed his palms together in the dark. With Phantom Passage, his movement would be completely unmatchable on the battlefield.

Also, unlike other mages, who had to operate with a fixed and limited mana capacity, he had no such worries. Incorporating Mind Edge with Psychic Ripple would give an output similar to a powerful Apprentice spell.

He would be reasonably powerful, but his current strength still wasn’t enough for him to contend with the truly talented mages of the area. Specifically those who already possessed and mastered true Adept-level offensive spells.

That was his current limitation.

Rhys didn’t have enough time to wait for the next month so he could rent another Adept spell from the MSFRM, because the event was going to start in exactly twenty days.

So one way for him to get an actual attack spell in time was buying a scroll directly from the market. Rhys shook his head, looking around his empty stall.

He didn’t have the money to even buy a basic Initiate spell structure right now, let alone a high-ranked one. Then there was only one way left.

Accepting high-paying missions from the MSFRM.

He sat down on his wooden cot, listening to Diamantakos chewing her hay in the dark. His intrusive thoughts were already spinning.

If he wanted an offensive spell that could crush an Adept mage, he needed money fast, and the rogue mage society paid credits for missions.

And with those credits, he could buy spells. He closed his eyes, decided to go to the MSFRM tomorrow.