In his diary, Joachim mentioned wanting to reshape his own Seed of the Mind.
This implies that the Seed of the Mind still had an effect on his ghostly state.
Indeed, the fact that he and the villagers, now ghosts, still acted according to the constraints of the Seed of the Mind, was evidence of this.
Joachim's wand was knocked out of his hand by Murphy and hit by a spell cast by Serika.
Unlike other spells that passed directly through his transparent body, this spell solidly hit its target.
Joachim stiffened, his semi-transparent body flickered a few times, then let out a sigh-like sound and gradually dissipated, disappearing completely.
Murphy also saw Serika standing on a collapsed wall outside.
Big sister, you finally arrived.
However, casting that spell seemed to have taken a great toll on Serika. Her body slumped backward, about to fall to the ground.
Murphy immediately used the last bit of his magic to fly over and catch Serika, then teleporting them to an empty house. As soon as they materialized, he blacked out and fell unconscious.
...
In his dream, Murphy found himself back in the past.
He was a graduate of a second-tier college, living in a bustling city that felt alien. He worked to make ends meet, chatting about topics he wasn't interested in with colleagues, commuting in crowded public transportation, and returning home on streets where the stars were invisible.
The monotony of life filled every corner, and distant dreams had long been tarnished and rusted.
Music, movies, games - he used bloated entertainment to fill the growing void in his chest.
Yet, anger continued to accumulate.
The beast in his heart was thin as a stick but roared daily.
In the deepest night, he suddenly woke up.
"I still have magic," he told himself.
"Ha," he heard a laugh.
In the darkness, numerous mocking eyes, grinning mouths, as if watching a clown.
"I still have magic."
He drew his wand. Everything was an illusion, and he didn't care.
He didn't care about the world's fame, wealth, status, others' admiration or disdain, love or hate.
As long as I have magic.
This was his deepest secret, his greatest pride, the thing that validated his existence in the world, distinguishing him from others.
The only proof that he was unique and not a fake imitating others.
So, he swung his wand.
"Levio..."
For some reason, he couldn't utter the last syllable of the spell, as if something was stuck in his throat, no matter how hard he tried.
And more terrifyingly, the wand in his hand seemed to be under immense pressure, cracking inch by inch, magic light spilling out, then shattering completely.
"No! No!"
No!!
In the dream, an unprecedented rage rose from his heart.
No! I refuse to accept this outcome! I want to complete that spell!
I want to cast that magic!
I want to make it happen!
Even if it defies all rules, even if I lose all support, even if the entire world is against its occurrence.
Even if it costs me everything! "Levi! O! Sa!"
...
The zombie villagers were searching everywhere. They vowed to find the madman who killed more than half of the villagers and the poor Doctor Joachim, and then burn him at the stake.
Suddenly, a bright pillar of light burst from a house at the edge of the village. Then, they heard the madman's almost delirious yet deafening voice echoing in their ears. "Levi! O! Sa!"
Boom! The light suddenly exploded, sending waves of light spreading outward. Wherever it passed, dust, pebbles, and even the villagers themselves seemed to be freed from the bounds of gravity, floating upward.
Amid creaking sounds, the houses at the center of the light twisted, tiles floated up, glass shattered, and broken window frames and bricks slowly but surely drifted towards the sky.
Then, as if lifted by a giant, the foundations of the houses broke and floated up.
"What's happening?"
"Is it an earthquake?!"
"Divine punishment! This must be a punishment for our sins!"
The villagers shouted in panic, but at that moment, the force suddenly dissipated.
Then thud after thud, everyone fell back to the ground, only to be pelted by the falling dust and debris.
...
Elsewhere, Murphy also woke up.
He lay on the ground, gasping for breath, his right hand still half-raised as if holding a wand.
But the wand was actually floating half a meter away from him, and Serika was there too, unconscious, her body slowly rotating in the air.
Everything around him was floating.
"This is..."
Before he could understand, it seemed as though some force was withdrawn, and the floating objects suddenly regained gravity and fell back down.
Murphy quickly extended his leg to cushion Serika's fall, preventing her from hitting her head.
"Boom!" The huge weight of the house hit the ground, shaking it, followed by a crack as beams and columns broke, and the roof threatened to collapse.
Murphy stretched out his hand, and the wand flew into it, "Armor Spell!"
"Bang!" Wooden beams and tiles were deflected by a golden sphere, isolating a circular area amidst the ruins.
Murphy stood up from that circle and placed Serika aside.
"Did I cause this? What is this, a second awakening?"
Holding his wand, he suddenly felt a strange sensation, as if a force was pulsating in his body and fingertips, ready to respond to his call.
"This is magic? This is what magic feels like..."
For the first time since his arrival, he truly felt the presence of magic. It was no longer aloof and elusive but a kind and gentle friend, ready to stand behind him and help when needed.
"Did my authority increase?"
Although he didn't know why, it seemed he had gained some "recognition" from magic.
He immediately tried a few spells, indeed, they were easier and more powerful than before.
But why? It wasn't because of that strange montage-like dream, was it?
Or was it because of the fight with Joachim, which drained his magic, pushing him to the limit? Did his limit increase?
Or was it because he had grasped the knack for wandless magic before that? Murphy thought and tucked his wand back in his sleeve, extending a hand towards a piece of broken tile, "Leviosa!"
Nothing happened.
It seemed his wandless magic was still limited to being able to recall his wand at any time...
Well, better than nothing.
But now that he could use the Summoning Charm on his wand, using it on other objects shouldn't be too hard. Once he mastered the Summoning Charm, would other spells still be difficult?
Increased magic power, learning wandless magic - even if he didn't find the Seed of the Mind, this trip was worth it.
But speaking of which, how did Serika manage to defeat Joachim? He returned to the circle formed by the Armor Spell, looked at the still unconscious Serika, patted her cheek, and checked her breathing and pulse, pausing for a moment.
This girl, she's not dead, right?
___________________
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