I was ecstatic to have finally been able to use the magic I had longed for. Opening the system interface, I looked for the new tab mentioned in the notification. I quickly located the tab just below the skills tab and expanded the information.
The only spell listed was Magic Arrow. Like the skills, the spell had a mastery bar, which meant it could become stronger the more I used it.
"As it turns out, the notes in the book were correct," I murmured, placing my hand on my chin.
The magic book stated that although anyone could use spells, the result would always be the same. However, the notes in the book contradicted this fact. According to them, the caster and the spell were like an ordinary person and a pencil. As long as they follow the dotted lines, anyone can complete a drawing, but when the same pencil is in the hands of an artist, they can work wonders.
According to the note, most people only attempt to learn the spell enough to cast it, and once they succeed, they simply settle and move on to learn another.
Obviously, I am more inclined to agree with the words of the person who made the annotations. Although I am not a magic expert, if the system says there is mastery, it means it can improve.
Brimming with happiness over my achievement, I launched several magic arrows until my magic had decreased by more than half. Since the spell was already registered in the system, casting it became as simple as drinking water.
Now that the spell was already recorded in the system, I no longer needed to speak the auxiliary incantation I used to memorize the magical sequences of the spell. With the help of the system, I could easily execute them.
Although it wasn't an instant casting as I would have liked, it was still better than nothing. Moreover, compared to the first arrow I launched, I felt that the last one took less time to form.
Probably, when I have enough mastery, I will be able to do it even more smoothly and quickly.
During my euphoria while shooting the arrows, I discovered a quite pleasant surprise. The Combatant skill assists in my aim with the arrow. Although it was still not something significant, upon realizing that it also influenced spells, I realized that this skill might be even better than I expected.
I feel that if I combine Combatant with Enhanced Memory and Magic Manipulation, maybe I can directly manipulate magic if I want to. But as the incident where a hole appeared in my hand was still fresh in my mind, I postponed the tests for another time.
"Hahahaha!"
I couldn't contain myself and laughed with all the air in my lungs.
"It seems like I'm becoming an extremely overpowered character," I rejoiced.
Almost skipping, I went to the trees I used as targets and examined the holes left by the arrows.
"Hmm, the penetrating power isn't as much as I thought it would be," I muttered.
Although the penetration was about ten centimeters in a rotten tree, in a normal one, it didn't even reach two centimeters.
"Well, it's still good."
Although it was a bit disappointing, considering that it's just a basic spell, it's an acceptable result. Even if it's not very lethal, it's still a resource I can use for long-range attacks.
Since I had already learned Magic Arrow, I was confident that I could quickly learn another spell. Of the few spells in the book, most were for training, and in my current situation, I didn't need them. With that said, the only ones that caught my attention were two: Magic Arrow and Veil of Healing, both being elemental-less magic.
The name Veil of Healing is self-explanatory, and although it would normally be more useful than Magic Arrow, I set it aside. The reasons were simple: first, it was rare for us to get injured, and second, when that happened, the potions I received from Shadow-san were always ready and easy to use.
Now that there was only one spell in the book worth learning, I decided it would be my next goal.
Moreover, in the last fight against the goblins, I realized that we couldn't stop to drink potions in the middle of a frantic battle, especially in Rin and the others' case. But the situation would be different if I could heal them with a spell without them needing to stop.
With that, I would not only contribute to the team's damage but also be the healer.
So, excited, I made use of my cheating skills and tried to learn the Veil of Healing, but contrary to my expectations, I miserably failed. Even after several attempts, it seemed like I wouldn't be able to learn it anytime soon. I decided to go back to basics and train with this spell a few times a day until I succeeded.
When I was about to return to the shelter, I remembered that I had almost forgotten about a skill. In fact, it was an unlocked sub-skill of the unique skill Monster Tamer, Status Enhancement.
According to the description, I can choose one of the following enhancements to use on a tamed monster: strength, speed, regeneration, endurance, and magic.
I found it interesting, but I couldn't use any of them yet since Rin, Kurama, and Usagi are still in the process of evolving. However, I believe they will be quite useful in combat. Since my skills have no cooldown time, as long as I have mana, I can maintain one of these enhancements active.
While reading the description, I noticed that the effectiveness of these enhancements increases according to the level of the main skill. Furthermore, the description also mentioned that an enhancement would occur in the sub-skill every five levels the main skill increases.
Unfortunately, the description didn't say what the enhancement would be, which left me a bit frustrated.
To be honest, as Monster Tamer was already a good skill with good sub-skills, I didn't expect much more from it, but it seems that it's not a unique skill for nothing.
I think I need to reconsider the number of companions I have. Even though I think I have enough, if I want to take advantage of the full potential of the skill, I need to tame even more monsters.
Before reaching level 20, Monster Tamer was only at level 4. But due to the effects of Self-Evolution, it rose to level 7, almost 8. If I understood correctly, the higher the level, the better the skill becomes.
With that said, I'll have to put effort into leveling it up, and perhaps some more sub-skills will be unlocked.
***
After testing all my new abilities, I decided to return to the shelter. I wasn't sure, but judging by the sun, it had been about four hours since I left. Despite that, Rin, Kurama, and Usagi were still in the process of evolving.
Interestingly, Kurama's cocoon had significantly increased in size, to the point where it was already my size. Since it seemed like they would still take some time, I decided to prepare our lunch.
For today's menu, I chose fried rabbit meat. I fried the meat until it created a crust at the bottom of the pan, added some water, and stirred until it reduced in volume. When it reached the right consistency, I finished by adding boar lard mixed with ground rabbit horns. After some more time on the fire, I removed the meat to let it rest.
"Even without much seasoning, this smell is superb," I murmured as I inhaled the delicious aroma of the meat. "It seems like the cooking skill is showing its effects at 100%."
Although I say that, the skill only helps me with insights based on my culinary experiences.
Come to think of it, I have a lot of passive skills, seven passive skills with only four active ones. Although I don't know if that's normal, passive skills seem very beneficial in the long run.
While waiting for the others to finish their evolution, I prepared various types of meat and stored them in my inventory. Since Usagi doesn't eat meat, I also prepared several dishes with a generous amount of fruits and leaves that she likes.
While I was busy cooking, only in the late afternoon did Rin, Usagi, and Kurama start emerging from the cocoons of light.