It is the middle of the night and I can't sleep. The need to know what my new skill can do is overpowering my need for sleep.
I decide to experiment with my new skills, but I head out to the balcony.
The balcony is a secluded spot, perfect for this experiment.
I head outside and sit down crossing my legs.
"Okay, let's try this out," I murmur, extending my right hand.
I close my eyes and focus on the sensation.
I go through the steps, and a small faint blue ball of mana appears above my palm.
'Ok, let's add more mana. 25% should do it, maybe 50%.'
I focus and increase the amount of mana being absorbed and sent to my right hand.
The faint ball grows bigger and the color becomes deeper.
'As I thought, my mana channels are river, and when I want to expel the mana. It is like opening the gates, if the gates are open wide, it is like a waterfall. But, if the gates are only slightly open, the flow is controlled. So, I have to be careful and regulate the amount of mana I am sending into the spell.' I try thinking about how I am going to turn this mana into fire. Suddenly, a screen pops up.
[(C) Mana Manipulation and (D) Mana Channelling skill upgrade by one rank]
[(B)Mana Manipulation (Progressive Type) and (C) Mana Channeling (Progressive Type)]
"Is this because I understand how the mana flow works? Interesting," I murmur.
I look down at my hand and see a small red flame floating above my palm.
[You have learned the (D)Fire Magic Spell; Fireball]
"Amazing," I say in awe. I move my hand and the flame follows. I can feel the heat from the flame, it is warm, but not hot.
I decide to test the flame and I flick my wrist, the fireball flies across the balcony and hits the railing. The railing cracks and starts to melt.
"Woah, what kind of destructive power is this." I examine the damage.
'Ok, it is a fireball, so the next question is, what happens if I manipulate this fireball to the shape of a spear.' I focus on the flame and imagine it becoming a spear.
The fire changes shape, becoming a sharp pointed spear.
[You have learned the (B) Fire Magic Spell; Flaming Lance]
"Nice, using this method I can learn more spells," I say. "I reckon, if use wind magic the same way, I can learn more spells too."
I look at the fire and I will the flames to disperse. The flames dissipate and fade.
I head back into the room and stride over to the bookshelf, scanning the titles for any books on Dark magic. "Let's see, are there any books about Dark magic here?" I mutter to myself as I pull out a book and read the cover, "Spells and their uses... not this one," I decide and slide it back onto the shelf.
I continue my search, running my fingers over the spines until I spot one that catches my eye. "Aha, found it. Spells, Affinities, and Elemental Theory. This will do," I say triumphantly as I pull the book from the shelf.
Taking a seat on the couch, I open the book and begin to read, "Interesting," I murmur to myself, "so, there are three levels of darkness magic. They are Dark Magic, Dark Arts, and Black Magic."
The first chapter 'Dark magic' I read, draws upon shadows and negative energies, often misunderstood yet undeniably powerful. It requires a strong will and an understanding of its consequences. As I absorbed the fundamentals, I realized the gravity of what I was about to learn.
"Dark magic," I murmured to myself, "affinity for shadows and negative energies." It was all about control, manipulation, and harm. My eyes scanned the page as I read about the spells, each with its own set of brief explanations and warnings. "Shadow Bind," "Soul Drain," "Curse of Misfortune"... the names alone sent a shiver down my spine.
[You have learned 3 spells; (B)Shadow Bind, (BB)Curse of Misfortune, (A) Soul Drain]
I am surprised, thinking to myself. "Wait, the book does not even go into detail about the spells. Why did I learn the spells just by reading the title?" The information in the book was basic and simple, explaining the basics, and the fundamental principles to fight against the Dark mages. "Is this because of the system?"
I read ahead, the next section was even more foreboding. Curses and hexes, tools of misfortune and suffering. The book outlines different types of curses, from simple hexes to complex curses that can have long-lasting effects. "Hex of Confusion," "Curse of Binding," "Plague of Shadows"… I shook my head as I continued to read, the grim possibilities were endless.
[You have learned 3 spells; (C)Confusing Hex, (B) Curse of Binding, (C) Plague of Shadows]
"How is this possible, this is just the start," I murmur.
the last part of the Dark Magic chapter was 'Necromancy' the forbidden art of raising and controlling the dead. I read about, how dark mages do, rituals for raising undead minions, and communicating with spirits. It was all fascinating and a little disturbing. "Communication with the dead can be useful." I read as I absorbed the knowledge.
[New skill acquired, (A) Necromancy (Progressive Type)]
"A Progressive type, that's interesting," I muttered, thinking about the potential. "But, I should not use this spell lightly."
I moved on to the next chapter. "Dark Arts," was an advanced form of Dark magic, it was a fusion of Shadow manipulation, Necromancy, and other dark spells. Illusions, deceptions, and subtlety were the key here.
"Illusions to deceive the senses," I muttered, intrigued. "Shadow Veil," "Phantom Echo," "Mirror of Lies"... the possibilities were endless. I could almost envision myself using these skills, cloaking myself in shadows and weaving illusions. These skills seem useful, especially the Phantom Echo, which can confuse and trick enemies.
[3 new skills acquired, (B)Shadow Veil, (B) Phantom Echo, (BB) Mirror of Lies]
"These are interesting, I can use these skills, and they will be very useful."
As I read on, manipulating shadows was another aspect of Dark Arts. Techniques like "Shadow Walking", "Shadow Weaving", and "Shadow Tendrils" were described in detail. The thought of controlling shadows to trap enemies or travel through the shadows sounds interesting.
[3 new skills acquired, (BB)Shadow Walk, (C)Shadow Weaving, (B) Shadow Tendrils]
"These skills can be very useful, especially Shadow Walking, it is like teleportation. Also, these spells are easy to learn." I am very excited, thinking of all the possibilities.
The last topic in Dark Arts was mind control and psychic assaults were covered in this section. "Whispers of Madness," "Nightmare Projection," "Embrace of Fear"... I could feel the darkness seeping into my mind as I read. It was a chilling reminder of the power and danger of Dark Arts.
"Mind control and psychic attacks are dangerous, they can drive the victim to insanity," I murmured, as I continued to read. As I continued to read, I found myself intrigued by the potential, wondering what it would be like to wield this kind of power. "Fascinating, I should learn these skills, they are very useful."
[3 new skills acquired, (S) Whispers of Madness, (A) Nightmare Projection, (BB) Embrace of Fear]
"An S-rank skill just like that, it is like using psychological warfare, I could mess with the enemies' minds and drive them insane." I am concerned about this skill, it is too dangerous. "But, if I can use this skill properly, it will be very useful."
As I turned the page to the next chapter, I noticed a shift in tone. "Black Magic," The pages didn't have any information, only a single line:
'No known knowledge'
I furrowed my brow, puzzled by the abrupt lack of information. This was unlike the thorough explanations of Dark Magic and Dark Arts. Could it be that Black Magic was so forbidden, so elusive, that even this book held no details on it?
The ominous feeling that settled over me made my heart race. Black Magic... it must be incredibly dangerous, beyond the realms of what was considered acceptable. Why was it even mentioned in this book if there was no knowledge available?
Questions buzzed in my mind like angry hornets. What secrets lay hidden within Black Magic? Why was it so forbidden? I glanced around the room, suddenly feeling like I was being watched, as if delving into this forbidden knowledge had attracted some unseen attention.
Taking a deep breath, I closed the book gently, the weight of its contents heavy on my mind. It was clear that Black Magic was not something to be taken lightly, perhaps not even something to be explored further. But the curiosity gnawed at me, the allure of the forbidden tempting me to learn more, despite the risks.
I decided to put the book away, resolving to not seek out more knowledge of this dangerous path. I couldn't afford to jeopardize my safety or the young miss' for the sake of knowledge, no matter how intriguing the concept was.
As I closed the book, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. It was as if a heavy weight had been lifted from my shoulders, the tension easing from my body. Maybe it was just my imagination, but it seemed as if the air itself was lighter as if the presence that had been lurking in the shadows had finally dissipated.
I put the book back on the shelf and head back to the couch, lying down.
'That was quite a ride,' I thought to myself, reflecting on everything I'd learned.
The next day, the young miss woke up bright and early, eager to get started on her training. Her classes weren't going to be until the afternoon, giving us plenty of time to practice.
We headed down to the training grounds and walks up to me, "Ok, let's do a thing. Let's start with the basics, show me your magic skills." She says, excitement shining in her eyes.
"Okay," I replied, a small smile tugging at my lips. I create a fireball and she is dumbfounded, "Wait, it was just yesterday you did not know how to use create fire magic. And now, you can use it. That's impossible, what did you do?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you," I apologized. "I was not able to sleep at night, so I practiced a bit. That's all."
She looks at me, a hint of annoyance in her voice, "Well, that is not fair, you told me that I will train you, and not the other way around. That's unfair." She pouts.
I smile, her childish attitude is quite refreshing. "Well, the truth is, I wanted to impress you," I admit.
She blushes slightly, "Oh, ok, that's fine. Let's just train. Show me your other skills."
I proceeded to show her the rest of my skills and spells, but I kept my Dark magic and arts to myself.
I showed my fire magic, conjuring a flaming lance that arced through the air before dissipating in a burst of heat. The young miss watched in awe, her eyes wide with fascination.
"Wow, that was amazing!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "Okay, now let's work on your wind magic since we both have wind affinities."
We spent the next hour practicing wind magic spells. I learned two new spells: "Gale Burst" - A spell that creates a sudden burst of wind to push back opponents. "Wind Cutter" - A spell that creates sharp, slicing blades of wind to cut through targets.
[You have learned 2 spells; (B) Gale Burst, (C) Wind Cutter]
The young miss was a patient teacher, guiding me through the intricacies of controlling the wind element. With her help, I began to grasp the subtle nuances of manipulating wind mana.
After she finished teaching me, it was my turn to train her in close combat. We moved to a cleared area of the training grounds, and I demonstrated some basic techniques in dagger combat.
"Alright, young miss, let's start with the basics of close combat," I said, taking a stance and showing her the proper way to hold the dagger.
She mimicked my movements, her brow furrowed in concentration. I guided her through some simple moves, showing her how to strike and block. But, mainly focusing on footwork, balance, and technique.
"Remember, it's not just about strength," I explained. "Speed and precision are just as important."
I demonstrated a few quick strikes, showing her how to move her feet and shift her weight to deliver a powerful blow. She followed suit. Her movements were a bit clumsy at first, but with practice, she began to improve.
We continued to train, sweat beading on our brows as we practiced various combinations and techniques. The young miss was a quick learner, her determination evident in every strike and block.
As it was coming time for her class, we took a break, sitting on the grass to catch our breath.
"You're doing well," I said, offering her a water flask.
"Thank you," she replied, taking a long drink. "I never knew training could be so exhausting, but it's also exhilarating."
I nodded in agreement, wiping the sweat from my forehead. "It's all about pushing yourself to improve. And you're doing great."
We decided to call it a day. The young miss was tired and had a long day ahead of her.
After changing and having something to eat, she heads off to her class.