Chương 158: Chapter 157 [New Spells]

Sam had the disk out in the middle of the table when Phil got back. Luka and Parmo were attempting to help him figure out where to start with cracking whatever it did and having no luck so far. Leo was on the couch with Shai's legs across his lap. Rika was laid on her front across the other couch, her wings folded back. Torren was relaxing in his chair and looked happy to stay there for the rest of the day.

"How'd it go?" Luka asked, looking up as Phil came into the room.

"Good," Phil said, dropping onto the end of the couch.

"She got bored of looking around so we had a spar and I showed her some magic."

"Damn. You called it, dude," Parmo said, looking at Sam. Sam looked up from the disk.

"Pay up." Parmo and Luka both grinned. Phil looked between them.

"What are you going on about?"

"Sam said you'd be bored in five minutes and end up fighting or something else," Luka said.

"We didn't think you'd actually do it though."

"She suggested it." Rika's wings gave a short flutter as she laughed.

"That sounds about right. Her and her sister are similar. Sara's more likely to shout first and punch later; Sasha's kind of the opposite." Shai grinned.

"You covered in bruises?"

"Yup," Phil said with a sigh.

"Forgot she's part of the guard for about thirty seconds before she reminded me by putting me on my arse. After that, I tried to win." He paused.

"She did it again. She's strong. Kinda mad she can fling me around in a spar after what the UI did to us. I showed her some magic after that to avoid more bruising. Got Fire Coat to unlock while I was at it."

"Oh sick. Nice one, dude," Parmo said.

"Thanks, man. It's pretty cool, like."

"Does it work the same way you thought it would?" Torren asked. Phil reached into his inventory and pulled the swords out. He pushed the spell through, and the flame ran up both blades and held. He swung once to show how the fire moved. Torren was out of his chair before Phil had finished the motion, crossing the room to get a proper look. Rika was right behind him. Leo leaned forward off the couch.

"It doesn't behave like fire," Leo said, watching it.

"It doesn't trail behind when you swing it."

"It just sits there. Slash with it, wave it around, stays exactly as it is until I turn it off." He turned his wrist. The flame followed without guttering.

"Only thing that stops it is me, as far as I can tell."

"How's the drain?"

"More than I would have thought considering how flashy and powerful Volcanic Blast is, but that's probably because it's new. It should sort itself out as I cast it more." Leo was still watching the blades.

"Lightning Amp's going to work the same way, I think, with me as the catalyst. I wonder if I get sparks coming off me or if I light up like those swords." Phil thought about it.

"I wonder if your clothes will last with that going on. Remind me not to take anything like Fire Amp. I don't want to go full on human torch and end up standing in the nude mid-fight." Leo nodded.

"No one wants to see that, man."

"Fuck you," laughed Phil. He extinguished the flame and put the swords away.

"Oh, I forgot to check my tab after it unlocked." Phil pulled it up. [Volcanic Blast] Type: Fire Discharge Spell Difficulty: Low Skill Level: Apprentice Range: 15m [EXPAND] Effect Summary: Concentrated burst of superheated fire projected from the fist High damage output, shockwave effect on impact Medium mana cost Elemental signature: Fire This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

System Analysis: Mana pathway stable and widening Elemental attunement confirmed: Fire Current Power Level: Proficient Progression method: Repetition through tab, sustained intent toward greater output Potential Threads: [Inferno Lance]: High damage concentrated fire bolt, increased mana cost [Flame Volley]: Multiple smaller bursts, wider coverage [Fire Coat]: Applies sustained fire to surface or object [Flame Wall]: Stationary fire barrier, area denial and damage [Fire Coat: Unlocked] Type: Fire Augmentation Spell Difficulty: Medium Skill Level: Novice Range: Touch [EXPAND] Effect Summary: Sustained flame applied to surface or object Flame moves with the object, extinguishes only when spell is cancelled Moderate mana cost Elemental signature: Fire System Analysis: Mana pathway active, early stage Elemental attunement confirmed: Fire Current Power Level: Foundational Progression method: First successful cast, intent driven Potential Threads: [???] [???] [???]*"Same as you and Sam," he said.

"Question marks for the next group of spells. Gaining mastery of coat is next on my list of things to do, I guess."

"Right," Sam said, setting the disk flat on the table.

"While we're all here. Anyone got anything beyond staring at it, because that's done nothing."

"Have you tried running mana through it?" Shai asked.

"Oh yeah. All the enchanted items back home required mana. Good idea, babe." Sam picked it up, pressed his palm flat against it, and pushed. The runes lit. The disk lifted off his hand and spun, slow and steady. A shape began to appear above it, oval, starting small but expanding quickly, like a blueprint becoming solid. Then the mana ran out, the disk dropped back into his palm, and the shape vanished with it. Sam looked at it.

"Well, that's new. At least I have somewhere to start now. Still no idea what it does beyond being a cool light show, though," he said, and set it back on the table. Torren had been quiet since the disk lifted. He looked around the room.

"You've all been working toward your next spells. How close do you feel?"

"Close," Parmo said.

"Phil getting his means the rest of us shouldn't be far behind."

"Then how about we go out to the field and see if you can unlock them." Torren stood.

"All we're doing is sitting round anyway."

"Give me ten minutes," Phil said, already heading for the bathroom.

"I've got half the training ground on me." The area near the training field was busier than Parmo expected. A handful of people were working away, throwing spells at the stone dummies. Some of them had spells similar to their own groups while others had things that looked like earth and wind magic.

"Oh yeah," Phil said.

"Forgot to mention it earlier. Looks like that comms unlock got everyone wanting to expand their mana pools again."

"Makes sense," said Leo.

"Most people know we come out here to train. Why not use them? It works for us." Parmo set himself up in front of one of the free dummies and rolled his shoulders. He'd switched from the Ice Lance spell after the goblin incursion happened. The lance gave more power, but he'd watched Luka's dome eat an arrow volley while they fired back at the kobolds from behind. He hadn't mentioned it to the others, just quietly started pushing toward the wall instead. He cast.

Frost bolt after frost bolt, not bothered to vary size like Phil did, just pure repetition. His mana pool was bigger than it had been a month ago, the drain familiar enough that he could push further without watching the bar. Phil was beside him casting Fire Coat on and off, the flame running up his swords and dying in a steady rhythm, in a bid to quickly lower the cost by gaining mastery. Leo was firing lightning blasts at his dummy while Luka had his dome up around himself.

Sam had his fog cast around himself, sometimes moving it while other times letting it drop and recasting. This went on for around half an hour before something changed. Same feeling as when his starter spell upgraded but not quite; that had felt like more of the same thing. This felt like something else entirely was available if he reached for it. He stopped mid-cast and pictured a wall instead of a bolt. Pushed the cold forward and out rather than through.

It came out knee-height, edges jagged, nothing like what he'd had in his head. The drain hit harder than anything he'd cast before. He stared at it for a second. Ugly as it was, it was a wall. My wall. The chime sounded. He pulled up his tab.

[Ice Shard] Type: Ice Projection Spell Difficulty: Low Skill Level: Apprentice Range: 10-30m [EXPAND] Effect Summary: Concentrated shard of dense ice launched from the hand Moderate damage output, impact causes splintering on contact with delayed fragmentation Medium mana cost Elemental signature: Ice System Analysis: Mana pathway stable and widening Elemental attunement confirmed: Ice Current Power Level: Proficient Progression method: Repetition through tab, sustained mana cycling Potential Threads: [Ice Lance]: High damage single projectile, increased mana cost [Glacial Volley]: Multiple smaller shards, wider coverage, crowd suppression [Frost Wall]: Stationary ice barrier, area denial [Ice Coat]: Applies ice layer to surface or object, utility and slow effect [Frost Wall: Unlocked] Type: Ice Barrier Spell Difficulty: Medium Skill Level: Novice Range: 10m [EXPAND] Effect Summary: Stationary wall of dense ice projected from caster's intent Moderate damage absorption, degrades under sustained impact Moderate mana cost Elemental signature: Ice System Analysis: Mana pathway active, early stage Elemental attunement confirmed: Ice Current Power Level: Foundational Progression method: First successful cast, intent driven Potential Threads: [???] [???] [???]*"Nice," he said.