Chương 182: Chapter 168-Chanting Chosen

Swimsuits. What really are they? They're just another type of clothing. Nothing big about it. I mean, Ruby is wearing a red one-piece, Julian is wearing a gold speedo, Clara is in a plain white two-piece, and Hopper is wearing a full-body swimsuit. There is nothing odd about them. Nothing at all. So, why am I so focused on Penelope? Is it because I've never seen her in something like that, or is there a deeper and more profound reason? Nah, of course not. I would never break Rule 4.

Nev- A column of water slams straight into me, sending me flying back. Soon enough, my head and body sink below the surface. Okay, may have been a bit distracted. A hand pierces through the water and drags me out of the salty ocean.

"Sorry, it had more power than I thought. Missed," Viola says with a worried face.

"I'm fine," I [Lie] as I hack up the ocean. Professor Outis walks up to me.

"This is why we're practicing chants in the ocean. You're far less likely to get hurt out here than on the island. That said, please do pay attention. Even if you are The Chosen One."

"Understood, Professor. I'll make sure to dodge this time," I say with a hint of sarcasm. Professor Outis shakes her head as she walks over to Garus and Penelope.

"Distracted?" Viola asks with a raised eyebrow.

"No. Just get to chanting," I [Lie] as I wade through the waist-deep water.

"Whatever you say, Chosen One. Okay. Let me try this again. Colors of the wind. Colors of the sea. Be brushed away by my [Paint]," she chants, trying to find the right words. With a flick of her brush, she paints a spear using the water around us. That's what beamed me in the chest a little earlier. Rubbing my chest, I still feel the lingering pain.

"Okay, let it loose and aim this time," I say. The water spear shivers as she shakily points in my general direction. Then, in the blink of an eye, I watch as it rips through the water and crashes straight into a rock, leaving a visible crack behind.

"Nice. Definitely more powerful than your base [Paint]. How did you feel about the chant?" I ask as I walk up to her.

"A bit wordy, but I can't quite put my finger on what I should change. What do you think?" she asks, leaning her head on her brush.

"I'm not really great at this. Maybe it has something to do with the last line? It just doesn't fit your vibe."

"Maybe. Well, it's only the rudimentary chant that Professor Outis showed us. Why don't you give it a shot, or are you still distracted?" she asks with a knowing smile.

"Shut up, Viola. Not like you haven't been sneaking glances at Ruby," I say as she 'slyly' looks at Ruby, who is practicing.

"I have not," she lies poorly.

"Yeah, yeah. Alright, let's see what I can think of." Professor Outis gave us a generic rhythm, or more accurately, a template to follow when using a chant. First, create the first line. Make it something easy to remember, like ' Stone in hand.

'Once you have the first line, mix it up a bit with the second line; Maybe add an element related to your [Skill]. So, something like' Stone from the earth.' For the third line, try to wrap up the chant with a nice bow, including the name of your [Skill] somewhere in the line. Preferably at the end. I'm thinking, ' Be [Thrown] and do the Gods' work?' I'm not the biggest fan of the last line, but that's how you put together a rudimentary, three-line chant. Now, to see the effects.

"Please, take your time," Viola says as she stands to the side of the rock. With a shake of my head, I grab a rock from Baggy." Stone in hand. Stone from the earth. Be [Thrown] and do the Gods' work." The rock in my hand vibrates with power as I reel back and [Throw] it straight at the already cracked stone. Seemingly, nothing happens. Huh, odd. I guess [Throw] really can't compare to an actual [Skill]. Viola looks at the target in confusion.

"Did you miss?"

"Nah, I just realized that using my full power would be a bit overkill for a stone. So, I cancelled the chant," I [Lie] without even a shred of guilt.

"So, what was the point of-" A sudden shift in the atmosphere catches my attention. Something just happened. With a quick scan, I don't see anything of note. Is it just my mind playing tricks on me? No, the last time I ignored something like this led to the Purist attacking the Spring Ball. What am I missing?

"Are you listening?" Viola asks as she rubs her arms.

"Yeah, I was… Why are you cold?"

"What do you mean? Don't you feel it? A cloud is blocking the sun," she says as she kneels into the warm water. Cloud? Turning up towards the sky, I see a cloud alright. A dark, ominous cloud that is quickly spiraling into a tornado.

"Professor!"

"What is it… Oh, that's not good," Professor Outis says as the clouds darken even further.

"Where did that come from?" Viola asks, awestruck.

"Everyone to Daisy Hall. Lesson is over," Professor Outis says as she grabs her staff. Without being told twice, we trudge our way through the water and straight into the building. Professor Outis closes the door behind her. As I look at the window, I watch as palm trees sway heavily, the sand on the beach starts to fly, and the waves reach further onto shore than expected. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"What about Professor Stargazer?" Ruby asks as she warms her hands up using her magic.

"Yeah, what about Clint, Talon, and Adiline? Weren't they being taught how to utilize magic circles?" Garus asks as he looks out the window, leaving a pool of water at his feet.

"Do not worry. Professor Stargazer should be here any second now," Professor Outis says as a large boulder is smashed straight into the side of the building, leaving not a single scratch. At the same time, a blinding white light peers through the bottom of one of the rooms.

"I'm sorry. Please, I'm so sorry," Adiline says as the door is opened.

"Do not worry. This is the whole reason we have this lesson on Iseparar," Professor Stargazer says as she tries to calm down the panicking Adiline. Clint and Talon follow them out of the room.

"What happened?" I whisper to Clint.

"The Professor was showing us how to make an amplifying magic circle, and when Adiline tried to use it… Well, you saw," he says, gesturing outside to the tornado. Professor Stargazer nods along.

"Listen, everyone. Magic circles are inherently dangerous in untrained hands. This is not a surprise. This is exactly why we are here. A magic circle holds great power, but it can also hold destruction. Thankfully, the tornado outside will die down in an hour. Then we can try again," she says the last part to Adiline. Adiline looks down in shame before nodding.

"Good. Failure is expected here. There are very few cases of individuals being able to pull off a magic circle successfully on their first attempt," she says, giving a knowing look at Hopper. Hopper, the giant bunny Beastkin, stands behind me, the average-height Vashrin, in an attempt to hide. Looking up at him, I let out a sigh. Damn, I guess Helia was a bit irresponsible when she taught Hopper how to make that magic circle. Sounds just like her.

Still, to think a magic circle would be able to amplify Adeline's magic into a full-blown tornado. I suppose her magic was already pretty powerful, if our fight against the Deblin was anything to go by. Hmm. I'm kind of scared of what Penelope might do when she starts training with magic circles. Penelope nudges me, almost scaring me half to death.

"So, how did your practice go?" she asks, draping her shawl over her shoulders. With a wave of my hand, I [Clean] the water off her.

"Aced it. How about you?" I [Lie].

"I'm getting a pretty good handle on it. My brothers gave me some tips before we left. Which means I have this game in the bag," she says with a sweet smile.

"Oh, yeah? That's how you're planning to make me admit defeat? That's cute, Penelope. Hope you have something up your sleeve," I say as I look over with a smirk. Professor Outis claps her hands.

"We're going to break for lunch until the tornado clears. Until then, think on how you can better improve your chants." Hopper taps me on the shoulder.

"Is she done looking at me?" Penelope shakes her head.

"Yes, Hopper. Professor Stargazer is no longer glaring at you. She's talking to Adiline."

"Good. Ever since that fight with the Wrathborn, she kind of scares me," he says as I [Clean] the water off myself.

"[Translocation] is something to be afraid of. My father mentioned that she was a monster on the battlefield."

"She fought in the Blight Wars?" Penelope nods.

"Yes, she did. Although she only joined the war when the forces of evil did. Based solely on that, many speculate she could be on the brink of becoming an Archmage."

"Thankfully she isn't, or else we would've died that day," I say as we walk into the dining room. The moment I do, an odd sense of something tickles my mind. It's not a threat, but… It's familiar. That's for sure. Martin bursts through the kitchen doors with multiple large platters of food. With ease, he lays them out on the table. A large cooked pig, mashed potatoes seasoned to perfection, salad made from the freshest ingredients, and so much more. Damn! Now this is a spread.

Without hesitation, I serve myself and take a juicy bite of the pork. Sweet and succulent. Although it could use a bit of… my secret ingredient. Reaching into my pocket, I pull out a small brown vial. Before I can add any to my dish, a hand grabs mine.

"What do you think you are doing?" Martin asks.

"I was improving the dish."

"You can not improve on perfection," he says with a cocky smile.

"You're right. You can't," I say pointedly.

"I see. You think you know how to [Cook]?" he asks with a condescending tone.

"Well, one of us certainly does." The room goes quiet as Martin stares me down. Hopper takes a bite of his hidden carrot. Damn it! I thought I took all of his carrot before coming here. Penelope facepalms as I stand up.

"Listen. I'm sorry, Martin. I'm sorry you can't accept some criticism," I [Taunt].

"Criticism? What criticism do you have of my food? Does it not water your mouth? Is the explosion of flavor too much for you? Perhaps you would like me to dumb down the presentation a bit?" Nodding, I turn to my plate of food and then over at Professor Stargazer, who gives me a long sigh.

"I'm not going to sugarcoat it. Your food is good."

"What?"

"You heard me. I like your food. The pork is just the right amount of tenderness, the mashed potatoes are honestly seasoned to perfection, and don't even get me started on the salad."

"I feel like I should be offended," Martin says in confusion.

"The problem is your attitude," I say as I add a drop of my secret ingredient to the mashed potatoes, "Try this." Martin gives me a confused look before taking a bite.

"This is… amazing. What did you add?"

"It's not what I added that's important. It's what you didn't." Martin takes his chef hat off and looks down solemnly at the food.

"I forgot to add love," he says, shedding a single tear.

"I could tell from one bite. Perfect is not what you should strive for. It should be love," I say as I shed a single tear. Martin gives a deep nod.

"You've reminded me of something valuable. It's not the result that matters. It's the process." Professor Stargazer eats her salad.

"Chosen One, could you please wrap it up? People are trying to eat." Martin and I both let out an awkward laugh.

"Apologies. Let's eat." As I sit down, my eyes land on Veronica, the maid. Has she been staring at me the whole time? Odd. Eh, I don't sense any danger. It's probably just my good looks. It couldn't be anything else. Skill <Cook> has Leveled Up