Ethan followed Ignatius's instructions with the kind of desperation usually reserved for drowning n clinging to driftwood. He couldn't afford to ss this up. Not now.
The classroom was quiet, the only sounds being the distant chatter of students leaving and the faint hum of magic from the runes lining the walls. Professor Ignatius had leaned against his desk, his arms folded across his chest, eyes gleaming with that maddening mixture of amusent and genuine interest.
"Alright, Mr. Wycliffe," Ignatius said, his voice smooth and reassuring. "If you want to make it through the examination in one piece, you're going to need more than just a half-baked fireball. What you need is versatility. And for that, we're going to start with a simple but effective water spell called Aqua Sphere."
"Aqua Sphere?" Ethan repeated, his curiosity montarily overriding his nerves.
Ignatius nodded. "Exactly. It's a basic water spell designed for offense, defense, or even support, depending on how you use it. It's not flashy, but it's versatile. Which is sothing you desperately need."
"Yeah, I kind of figured that out when I almost set my own hand on fire," Ethan admitted, feeling his cheeks burn from embarrassnt.
"To be fair, that was actually an impressive display of power. Poorly controlled power, but power nonetheless," Ignatius said with a grin. "Which brings to the most important part of today's lesson: Control."
Ethan straightened up. "I'm listening."
"Good. Now, pay attention." Ignatius extended his right hand, his fingers slightly curved. In a matter of seconds, a sphere of water ford above his palm, swirling gently in the air like a miniature ocean contained within an invisible barrier.
The sight was srizing. The water shimred with faint hints of blue light, the surface rippling as if it were alive.
"Aqua Sphere is all about flow and cohesion," Ignatius explained. "Unlike Fireball, which relies on intense bursts of energy, Aqua Sphere requires you to gradually gather your mana, let it build up, and then shape it into form. Think of it like guiding a stream, not lighting a match."
"Okay... so, it's about control?" Ethan asked, trying to absorb everything he could.
"Exactly. Control and precision. Not everything can be solved with brute force. Fire and water aren't as different as you think. One rages, the other flows. But both can destroy or protect depending on how you use them."
The words stuck with Ethan. Destroy or protect. That was exactly the kind of versatility he needed if he wanted to survive the First-Year Spellcraft Examination.
"Alright. Show how to do it."
Ignatius's grin widened. "That's the spirit. Now, start by gathering your mana. But this ti, don't just yank it all together like you're trying to drag a mountain up a hill. Let it flow. Picture it as threads of light weaving through you, gathering at your palm, but not forcing itself out until you're ready."
Ethan closed his eyes, focusing on the sensation of mana moving through his body. He could feel it now, faint and slippery, like trying to catch mist between his fingers.
He pictured it the way Ignatius described—threads of light winding through him, gathering slowly, pooling into his hand rather than crashing all at once.
His breathing steadied, his heartbeat slowing down as he let the mana collect, not pushing, not forcing. Just... letting it gather.
"Good. Keep it going. Nice and steady. Now, start molding it into shape. You want to make sothing cohesive. A sphere."
Ethan's brow furrowed as he focused. The mana gathered at his palm, cool and dense, and he tried to shape it into sothing solid. Sothing real.
A faint tingling sensation danced along his fingers.
He opened his eyes, and to his surprise, there was a small, shimring orb of water hovering just above his hand. It was wobbly and uneven, droplets splashing off the surface, but it was there.
"Holy crap," Ethan whispered. "I... I actually did it."
Ignatius let out a low whistle. "Not bad. It's unstable and looks like it's about to fall apart at any mont, but hey, it's a start. Congratulations, Mr. Wycliffe. You've officially managed to not fail completely."
Ethan couldn't help but grin. "I'll take it."
"But don't get cocky," Ignatius said, his tone shifting to sothing more serious. "You're still way behind where you need to be. The technique you were using earlier—Mana Threading, or at least your version of it—is part of the problem."
Ethan's grin faded. "What do you an?"
Ignatius crossed his arms. "What you were doing before was trying to draw in mana and release it all at once. That's fine for brute force attacks, but if you want real control, you need to maintain a steady flow. Trying to do both at the sa ti will just make your spells blow up in your face."
"So... keep the flow going at all tis?" Ethan asked, his fingers twitching as he tried to process the advice.
"Exactly. Gather the mana, let it build, and then release it. Trying to do everything at once is like trying to cook a al by dumping all the ingredients into a pot and hoping it turns into gourt cuisine."
"That... actually makes a lot of sense," Ethan admitted.
"It should. You've got potential, kid. You just need to stop fighting against your own power and start working with it."
Ethan glanced down at his hand, the last traces of the water spell fading away. "Alright. So, I just need to keep practicing and figure out how to control it better."
"Exactly. And I suggest you do that quickly. Because if you walk into the examination with only a half-baked fireball and a barely functional water spell, you're going to get flattened."
Ethan's throat tightened. "Yeah. No pressure, right?"
Ignatius chuckled. "Oh, plenty of pressure. But hey, you're stubborn. That's a good start. Now get out of here and practice before I change my mind about giving you free lessons."
Ethan rose to his feet, his muscles aching but his spirits lifted. "Thanks. Seriously."
"Before you go," Ignatius said, his eyes narrowing with curiosity. "Mind if I ask you sothing?"
Ethan hesitated. "Uh... sure?"
"You were a different person this morning. Arrogant, lazy, dismissive. And now you're suddenly desperate to learn. Eager, even. What changed?"
Ethan's throat went dry. He couldn't exactly say, "Oh, you know. Just trying not to get murdered by the protagonist of a novel I wrote."
"I just... realized how far behind I was," Ethan said carefully. "And that if I didn't get better, I was going to end up as a joke. Or worse."
Ignatius stared at him for a mont before nodding slowly. "Fair enough. Just don't burn yourself out before you actually learn sothing."
"I'll try," Ethan replied, managing a shaky smile.
"Good. Now get out of here. And try not to get lost."
Ethan stepped out of the classroom, his legs heavy and his brain even heavier. His muscles were sore, his hands still felt slightly damp from the Aqua Sphere spell, and his head was buzzing with everything Ignatius had just cramd into it.
But for the first ti since waking up in this ssed-up world, he actually felt like he was making progress. Real, tangible progress.
"Okay. I've got a Fire spell and a Water spell. I suck at both of them, but it's better than nothing."
He took a deep breath, letting the cool air of the hallway fill his lungs. Now he just needed to find his way back to his dorm, get so rest, and try not to humiliate himself when he inevitably tried to practice again.
Should be simple enough.
Unfortunately, he'd only taken about five steps before realizing he had absolutely no idea where the hell he was going.
"Crap."
The halls of The Arcanium were as confusing as ever. Endless corridors, twisting and turning like so kind of stone labyrinth built specifically to tornt the directionally challenged.
It didn't help that everything looked the sa—polished stone floors, intricately carved pillars, and doors with symbols he couldn't even begin to decipher. It was like walking through a really pretentious museum, only with the constant fear of getting roasted alive by so overpowered teenager.
"Alright. Think. You just need to retrace your steps. Go back the way you ca and... oh, who am I kidding? I was barely paying attention when Amara brought here."
He wandered aimlessly through the hallways, his frustration growing with every wrong turn. He could've sworn he passed that sa ugly stone gargoyle statue at least three tis.
"Seriously, who designs a school like this? Is getting lost supposed to be part of the training?"
He froze.
"Wait. I designed this school. I'm the idiot who made this place a maze."
Ethan slapped his forehead hard enough to leave a mark. All those hours of writing about The Arcanium's sprawling, majestic halls, the endless corridors and hidden passageways ant to feel ancient and mysterious...
"I thought I was being clever! Creating so grand, mystical atmosphere! All I did was build a freaking nightmare for anyone who doesn't have a built-in GPS."
He groaned, cursing his past self for thinking complicated architecture was sohow a good idea. "Maybe I should've made it so the walls lit up with arrows or sothing. 'Right this way, idiot.'"
He kept moving, his eyes darting around for anything even remotely familiar. But his brain was too fried to focus. His thoughts kept drifting back to the spells he'd learned, the lessons Ignatius had drilled into him.
Keep the flow going. Don't force it. Let it build before you release it.
It sounded so simple when Ignatius said it. But in practice? It was like trying to balance on a tightrope while juggling flaming swords.
"Maybe if I keep working at it... if I actually get good at Aqua Sphere and Fireball, then—"
A sudden, chi-like sound rang in his ears, clear and unmistakable.
Ethan stumbled, nearly tripping over his own feet. His eyes widened as a familiar blue screen materialized right in front of him, glowing softly against the dimly lit corridor.
[Skill Registered: Aqua Sphere (Basic-Grade)]
"Oh, right. The System logs whatever I learn."
Unfortunately, he was still lost as hell.
Ethan looked around the hallway, his shoulders slumping. "Okay. One thing at a ti. First, find the stupid dorm. Then, worry about everything else."
He took a shaky breath and forced himself to keep moving, his mind buzzing with excitent, frustration, and just a hint of hope.
Reviews
All reviews (0)