Chapter Thirty-Eight: Spell Experimentation II

"Alright, I understand!" Hughes followed the direction the young girl had pointed and walked inside.

He moved through the dimly lit corridor, guided by the glow on the walls. Hughes noticed that the walls were covered with densely carved runes, but he didn't inspect them closely. He simply proceeded down the hallway, searching for his room.

"Number 8! This is it." Hughes looked at the room number, placed the violet-gold card on the door handle, and gently pushed the copper handle. The door opened.

Stepping inside, Hughes surveyed the room. It was surprisingly spacious, easily as large as a basketball court. At the center stood several humanoid targets, each dressed in leather armor and various protective gear.

He glanced around and discovered that the wall directly opposite him was formed of a crystalline structure, resembling crystal.

"Hmm?" Hughes noticed something written nearby.

"Wizards are requested to use spells to attack the humanoid targets. The crystal screen in front will accurately record the power and data of each spell."

"So advanced!" Hughes read the description and suddenly felt as if he had traveled back in time.

"Chip! Transfer the spell templates for Thunder Strike and Ice Spike!" That was the advantage of having a chip. After its analysis and simulation, Hughes could master both spells almost instantly.

"Beep! Transmitting!"

With the chip's signal, Hughes felt a surge of memories in his mind—details of both spell templates, the casting steps and techniques, all deeply imprinted in his mind. It felt as though he had practiced these spells for months; every movement was utterly familiar.

"Beep! Chip has digitized the two spell templates. Present data?"

"Present!" Hughes hadn't expected the chip to be used this way.

"Thunder Strike: Level Zero spell, casting time: 2 seconds, casting range: 10 meters, consumption: mental strength 1.5, magical power 1.5."

"Ice Spike: Level Zero spell, casting time: 3 seconds, casting range: 10 meters, consumption: mental strength 1.5, magical power 1.5."

"Chip, these numbers are based on the games I remember, aren't they?" The more Hughes looked, the more it resembled the interface from his previous life as a gamer.

"And what is this 'magical power'? I don't recall it before."

"Beep! Magical power is the host's internal energy element particle storage, calculated by the chip. Magical power and mental strength are synchronized."

With this, Hughes understood: to cast spells, both mental strength and magical power were required; neither could be lacking.

"Chip! Record my spellcasting process." Hughes prepared to test both spells.

"Beep! Recording started."

"Karola-Utara!"

He began with Thunder Strike. As Hughes recited the incantation in Arlenian, blue lightning as thick as his thumb twisted and coiled around his right hand.

"Go!" Hughes looked at the lightning in his hand and gently waved it at the humanoid target. A bolt of blue lightning, as thick as a baby's arm, shot from his palm and struck the target.

"Boom!" With a thunderous crash, the humanoid target exploded, its parts scattering across the floor, some still flickering with electric sparks.

"So this is magic!" Hughes was stunned by the power of his own spell. He hadn't expected such force.

"Chip! Analyze the power!"

"Beep! Estimated power: 8 degrees!"

Degrees were the unit by which wizards measured energy, most commonly used to assess spell strength.

Suddenly, the crystal wall emitted waves of white light, and text appeared at the center.

"Type: energy attack, power: 8 degrees, target damage: severe. Note: This spell has a paralyzing effect, which cannot be displayed due to the target's material."

"Not bad, matches the chip's analysis. I won't need to test spells this way in the future." Hughes was quite satisfied that the crystal wall's analysis matched his chip's.

"Groni-Bru!"

"Ice Spike!"

Hughes prepared to test Ice Spike. As he chanted the spell, three ice spikes, each about twenty centimeters long, materialized in front of him.

"Shuu, shuu, shuu!" With a wave of his hand, the three ice spikes whistled through the air toward the target.

"Thud, thud, thud!" The spikes pierced through the humanoid target, leaving three holes, before crashing into the room's wall. The wall erupted in shards of ice, and a thick frost spread across its surface.

"Type: energy attack, power: 5 degrees, target damage: severe."

"Only 5 degrees? The power of lightning is indeed formidable!" Hughes evaluated the data for Ice Spike.

"Both Thunder Strike and Ice Spike are fast spells, though targeting needs some adjustment while casting. With my chip, that's no issue. Thunder Strike is more powerful—one hit would be too much for an apprentice. Ice Spike is suited for sneak attacks; it's less noticeable."

"These two spells were carefully chosen. Next, I'll pick a defensive spell."

After testing both spells, Hughes was elated; for the first time, he had truly cast magic.

In the midst of his joy, Hughes suddenly wondered why the chip could optimize his meditation technique but not his spells.

"Chip! Can you optimize these two spells?" he asked, full of hope.

"Beep! Requires 24 points of mental strength, and the host must collect numerous spell templates for the chip to analyze."

Hughes knew from the chip's prompt that it wasn't possible yet. Not to mention the issue of collecting many spell templates, he didn't even have 24 points of mental strength. Spell templates could be acquired through making and purchasing potions, but mental strength couldn't be bought. He would have to wait for the future.

Hughes tested both spells again, and the results matched his earlier findings.

"Chip! Display my data."

"Beep! Hughes Bruech: Strength: 3.87, Agility: 4.16, Constitution: 4.3, Mental strength: 1.13 (7.13), Magical power: 1.13 (7.13), magical power synchronized with mental strength, status: healthy.

Skills: Basic Swordsmanship, Potion Making (Stamina Potion, Bloodstopping Potion)

Witchcraft: Thunder Strike: Level Zero spell, casting time: 2 seconds, range: 10 meters, consumption: mental strength 1.5, magical power 1.5, power: 8 degrees.

Ice Spike: Level Zero spell, casting time: 3 seconds, range: 10 meters, consumption: mental strength 1.5, magical power 1.5, power: 5 degrees."

A three-dimensional display appeared before Hughes, listing all his data. His attribute panel was quite different from before, with many new additions, but it was much more convenient.

Hughes rubbed his aching temples. The heavy drain on his mental strength made him uncomfortable, slightly dizzy.

"I need to find a way to increase my mental strength; I can't afford to feel dizzy after casting just a few spells!"

He rested briefly in the room, studying his attribute panel and checking the time. Seeing that about three hours had passed, he prepared to leave.

Feeling good, Hughes walked out of the spell testing area, satisfied with today's trials—after all, he had finally mastered two spells he could cast without external aid.

Leaving the spell testing area, Hughes returned to the academy, heading for his dormitory.

As he arrived at his dorm, he noticed someone standing by his door, apparently waiting for him.

"Sir Hughes, Lord Lindsay asked me to deliver these to you." The person handed Hughes a package, bowed, and departed.

Hughes carried the box inside, closed the door behind him, and opened it.

Inside, he found an assortment of herbs. He examined them one by one and realized they were the ingredients for the magical and natural potion recipes.

"I didn't expect Lindsay to be so efficient!" Hughes inspected the herbs carefully. There were two sets for the magical potion, but only one for the natural potion. He could tell the natural potion's ingredients were much harder to gather.

Nevertheless, it wasn't a problem. With the chip's assistance, Hughes was confident that even with just one set of materials, he could successfully brew two vials of natural potion.