Chapter 119

Chapter 119

Chapter 119

"Spring forth," the incantation echoed, repeated several times. With each repetition, beads of water began to take shape, slowly revealing themselves. This was more than a simple spell. The spell was known for its ability to allow the mage to precisely understand the space around him. But its capabilities extended further, enhancing the effectiveness of long-range attacks.

Controlling a large number of water beads was originally a challenging task, but this spell changed the game. It significantly increased the number of beads that could be manipulated simultaneously. Such an ability to combine and link spells was a testament to a mage's ability, but it was only possible with the aid of mana.

In the midst of this display of power, Dolgyu and Jijel, who had forgotten even their initial intent to rush at Bikelintz, stood frozen. Their eyes widened, filled with a mix of astonishment and disbelief. The sheer number of water beads was overwhelming. It was just too many.

"Amazing!" exclaimed Bikelintz, his focus completely shifted from the battle. He had forgotten to counterattack and simply stood there, mesmerized. Normally, giving a powerful mage like him time to prepare was a cardinal sin in combat. Just a moment's incantation was enough to turn the tide of battle. But this time, instead of retaliating, Bikelintz found himself caught in awe, unable to disrupt the spectacle unfolding before him.

Intrigued, he turned to Professor Ingurdel and asked, "Can all first-year students at this magic academy use magic like this?" Bikelintz was already planning his next steps. If it were true that a mere first-year student could wield such power, he would have to reprimand the mages of the White Wood Knight Order. After all, if a first-year could do this, what did that say about the capabilities of the knights' mages?

"No."

"Definitely not."

"Absolutely not."

It wasn't just Professor Ingurdel who responded with such seriousness, but also Dolgyu and Jijel. At that very moment, as if to punctuate the gravity of their words, Yi-Han's attack recommenced. Water beads formed in mid-air, each tracing its own unique trajectory and speed. Yi-Han's technique, though he might have been reluctant to admit it, bore a striking resemblance to Professor Boladi's renowned . The aggressive hurling of numerous projectiles was remarkably similar to the standards set by Professor Boladi.

Watching this, Professor Ingurdel frowned with concern. He was well aware that Yi-Han was learning about magic combat under Professor Boladi, having heard as much from several other professors. He remembered the words: "Do you understand, Ingurdel? Compared to Professor Bagrak, I am nothing. So don't go spreading tales about me, especially not to His Majesty the Emperor." And also, "Why... would Yi-Han learn from Professor Boladi... I didn't realize his talent could be a curse... My apologies. This isn't something I should discuss with you, Professor Ingurdel"

The professors of this magic academy, being mages themselves, tended to have extreme personalities. Yi-Han, too, was beginning to emulate these professors. A freshman, he had managed to levitate an excessive number of water beads. Even with abundant mana, the mental strain of controlling each one must have been significant.

With these thoughts, Professor Ingurdel seriously considered visiting Professor Boladi to make a request. Wasn't it potentially dangerous to let Yi-Han levitate so many water beads so soon? "I must speak cautiously," he thought to himself. Among the professors of this magic academy, only Professor Ingurdel seemed truly capable of protecting the students.

One of the most common misconceptions among non-mages was the notion, 'Couldn't one simply read a grimoire and practice to cast magic without learning from a master?' However, this idea was far from reality. Grimoires used by mages were not primarily for knowledge transfer, but more a reflection of the personal satisfaction of the individual mage. They showed little concern for making the content understandable to the reader. Filled with codes, abstract metaphors, squiggly writing, and abbreviations and references known only to the author, grimoires posed a significant challenge to decipher.

This challenge was evident as Yi-Han struggled with the first chapter of . Despite this book being comparatively detailed and well-written among those he had encountered, deciphering even one spell was a struggle. The spell he managed to understand was , a creation of the distinguished blood mage Piblicus for future generations of blood mages.

The name of the spell was both ironic and grandiose. Magic Missile, typically a simple 1st Circle spell, was so basic that some mercenaries claimed to be mages by mastering it. However, was far from standard. It required drawing a massive amount of mana instantaneously and condensing ita simple principle, but incredibly effective for a blood mage who could amplify mana through blood magic or someone like Yi-Han with abundant mana.

Yi-Han, finding the spell useful, had diligently studied it but never anticipated using it in real combat without prior practice. As he condensed the mana, a strange, unsettling squeaking noise emerged. Initially, Yi-Han thought the magic had failed, but it hadn't. The condensed mana moved according to his will, seemingly on the brink of explosion.

Yi-Han realized the significance of the word 'explode' in the incantation. Normally, a standard Magic Missile would include commands like 'shoot' or 'launch.' But 'explode' implied something different. This spell wasn't meant to fire a Magic Missile at all; it was designed to compress a vast amount of mana into an unstable form and detonate it at close range. Such an unstable Magic Missile couldn't maintain its form to fly; the spell had entirely abandoned the process of launching.

Cursing the blood mages for their dangerous creation, Yi-Han focused his mind. Abandoning the spell now would be akin to suicide. In these circumstances, his only option was to control the impending explosion. 'Control it,' he thought, bracing himself for what was to come.

As Bikelintz charged forward, he was taken aback by the sudden explosion of mana that erupted before him. The rapidity with which such a spell was cast left him in shock. "Ugh!" he grunted, channeling mana through his muscles, fortifying them against the force of the blast. The destructive power of the spell, especially given the brief time it had been cast, was astounding.

While admiring the young adversary's skill internally, Bikelintz managed to knock Yi-Han's staff out of his hand, seemingly bringing the fight to an end. With the conflict appearing to be over, he sheathed his sword and approached Yi-Han. "Perhaps in the White Wood Knight Order..." he began.

But in an unexpected turn of events, Yi-Han swiftly drew his wooden sword and lunged forward. The wooden sword halted just inches from Bikelintz's chest. Bikelintz, initially surprised, then allowed a smirk to cross his face. "I still have much to learn. To make such a mistake..." he reflected, realizing that he had been so absorbed in the spell that he had mistakenly thought the fight was over when the staff was disarmed.

In a gracious acknowledgment of his oversight, Bikelintz conceded, "I have lost." He recognized that, considering the impressive performance of this young freshman, Yi-Han truly deserved the victory.

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