Races: Online (VR Smartphone App)

Chapter 161: Let There Be [ Light ]

There was only a certain amount of time that Timothy and Han had for themselves to practice magic togetherand with Professor Carnus throwing them out, they at least had around an hour to get some things done. And so the two of them set off to find an area to practice without disturbing anybody else. The two ended up in the hallway that was the entrance to the hidden library.

"Why are we here?" Timothy's brows were scrunched up together in a way that told Han that the young man wondered why he was following Han around in the first place.

It was a wonder if they actually had any choice in that matter.

Han coughed lightly, "...Nobody notices this place much?"

Timothy looked around furtively as if he wanted to point out that this was the same exact nightmare that the two of them escaped from, but realized it was useless. He scratched the back of his head and sighed, "Fine, it's better that we do go unnoticed. I'm not sure you got in the library before but to actually enter the library all you need to do is"

"Open the door via mana, I did it on my own before."

"Wait, you did?" Timothy frowned slightly.

The both of them could still remember how Han previously struggled.

Han smirked and nodded, "I did. Let me prove it to you" He turned to the entrance and got cold feet. Sure, the pseudo-Spectre collapsed the second level of the Library but who was to say that they couldn't just magic themselves out? Teleport themselves out rather.

This was one of the times where it was appropriate to say that Han might be courting death.

"Well, actually, I'll just uh demonstrate it with the mana in my hands. I got a good sense for it already." He stretched his palm out and concentrated. Energy was all around them and yet it condensed more in the walls and floors. The Academy itself was running with mana currents, in a way that functioned close to electricity. Han began to draw it from around him and it didn't take too long for warmth to course through his hands. "Tada." Unlike before where he struggled to even form it in his hands, he managed a good one right now.

If only because Timothy wasn't trying to draw mana too.

So maybe he wasn't actually as good as he thought.

Timothy nodded, "Okay, I believe you but drawing mana is the first of all the steps to actually start doing Spells." He began to count them off one by one. "The earliest of them is that you either need to perform a chant of some sort, words of power, to trigger a specific spell. Although that takes time. Same goes with Imbuing mana into paper and other materialsSpell Scribing. So, the easiest of them is actually memorizing how a spell functions, their vibrations, the patterns in doing so"

"That makes sense and all." Han waved a hand at him to stop before he started jotting them all down and make his own tabletop rpg, "But where did you"

"...It was being discussed during our class earlier, idiot." Timothy gave him a look that would have probably made a baby cry. Right now, the man had the Evocation Spell Book in his hands. He flipped it open and turned at the pages, "Let's start with the easiest Spells."

Timothy had given him the Combat Basics book but they were pretty much unwilling to let him have a turn at holding the Spellbooks. Han stepped closer to him to get a look, "Like what?"

"Making light for example."

"Huh, would have assumed fire to be easiest." Han rubbed his chin with his free hand. "Alright, time to make light." A Light spell didn't sound as cool as a small fireballand he already had Night Vision to make up for darkness, but it probably still had its uses. 

"I'm not sure if you knowwell, I assume you don't know. But we're changing the mana into light. We're changing its substance."

"And we're not trying to make light?" Han tilted his head.

"What?"

"You know, I mean, it's an evocation spellso there are other Houses of Magic. I think you got confused. We're using mana and transmuting it to light is what you're referring to." Now that Han was saying it aloud, it sounded right and wrong at the same time. It had been some time since he last had a session with his old friends in university.

Although that probably didn't apply here.

"...What I have in my hand is an Evocation Spell Book Han, so the type of [ Light ] spell here is an Evocation type, so why are you insistinglet's just make [ Light ]." Timothy gave him the book and pointed at the text pertaining to it, "It's a Tier-0 Spell meaning it should be easy."

"Yeah, I can't wait to show Professor Carnus that we can actually make [ Light ]that ought to give him a run for his money!"

"What?" Timothy scrunched up his face at him.

"I'm just messing with you, so it's in the light of day, darkest night..."

"You're reading it wrong. Don't tell me you didn't learn how to read." Timothy massaged his forehead.

Han coloured for a moment, "I remembered another type of lighta light of justice so to speak, my bad. I'll get serious now..."

Timothy gave him a resigned look and then turned to the page, "Let's try our best, but we shouldn't take it to heart if we don't get it right away. Magic is after all, a difficult practice only limited to those dedicated and talented with it. It's one of the reasons why one who truly wishes to become a Mage strives to go for an institution in the first place."

His friend said a lot of things, but Han focused on one thing instead. "You mean not everyone gets the chance to become a Mage?"

"Exactly. This has been discussed in Magical Theory you know? Different raceswait, it was Professor Lavelda who said that I think, my bad."

"And that's why you were doubting me earlier?" Han raised a brow at his companion. "I mean, if you wanted to be a Mage then one can study hard and I'm sure"

"No, there's an affinity to it. It's one of the reasons why for first year-Students, we still try to delve into Theory of Magic and there's actually a prerequisite for enrollees here to be at least a level 10 Mage, but that old git got us in here through his connections with the Headmaster. Overexertion of mana can kill you. Everything around us has mana, but the capacity to actually use it for your will... it's only possible with certain people."

"You sound like some elitist Professor, Tim."

"What?" Timothy narrowed his eyes at him, "I'm just saying how things are. It's one of the reasons why not everyone can become a Mage, Han. It's actually lucky that the both of us can already manipulate mana to a certain extent so if we're struggling now with the Spellsit just means that we need more time."

"I don't think we have a lot of time on our hands, we might get kicked out of Combat Spell class." Han kept his gaze on the pages of the book. It was actually time for them to get serious and if this was a Tier-0 then it shouldn't be hard right? He could do this. What was written on the pages was something that spoke of what 'light' was. And so he began to tap into it.

The mana in his hands needed to take shape and listen to his will. Han concentrated and shut his eyes, imagining that the ball of mana in his hands began to take shape and became lighter in its form. Brighter. Changing its density and form. Light was both particle and wavesomething bright called from the recesses of his mind. Something was drawn out of him rapidly, much more than he mustered. It was him feeding his mana to produce a spell.

Brightness overcame and seared his vision.

The wind in his lungs were knocked out as he stopped and opened his eyes to see the results

A light.

Beautiful, warm and bright like a small moon, the pale white light glowed in front of Timothy's hands as the man concentrated. Its hue changed to a soft shade of blue that resembled the waves that crashed in the Rocky Cliffs and then shifted to green meadows, the very same one that Becky's cows grazed in. Timothy already seemed to be tapping into the inner-workings of the Spell and changing it or he was doing it out of pure intention and bending the magic to do his will.

Either way, it was impressive.

And for Han he might have just worn himself out and gave empty results. He read the same thing as Timothy so why was he struggling? 

The young man then turned to him, the ball of light disappearing from his hands. "How'd it go for you? It was a little bit easier than I thought, visualization really helps in a way."

Han pressed his lips together and rubbed his face with his hands, "I think I just wasted a good amount of mana and it didn't even work for me, I guess there's talent and then there's me."

Timothy coughed, "You're the one who said that if you put your mind to it, you can produce the results that you want. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it, Han. That was your first try." The man didn't actually look used to giving pep talks.

It made him crack a smile. 

"And that's your first try too. Unless you were practicing all night just to show off."

"Why? I don't feel the need to impress you."

"Ouch."

"Go do it a couple of times, the Academy has a lot of mana to use so you don't have to tire yourself out."

"I was planning to do that from the start." Han wiped the sweat from his forehead. It was slightly damp and cold as he mustered a grin, "I'm just... expanding my own mana capacity."

"Really? Is that how it works?" Timothy looked at him dubiously.