Eh, wait, what? This is something new!
As Magnus stared at what the Command Console displayed, an indescribable feeling washed over him. He'd been trying to get the Command Console to do something other than execute his wishes for a while, but to no avail. Understanding the code it displayed seemed impossible, and even if one could, it might take an eternity to read it all.
But now, not only had the Command Console done something it had never done before, but it had done it in a language he could read. As all kinds of thoughts rushed through his head, Magnus wanted to get closer to the Command Console to take a better look.
But the moment he tried, he realized he couldn't.
Wait… Oh shit, I- I can't move!
As hard as he tried, Magnus couldn't move his body at all. Even his eyes were stuck, narrowly looking forward. This was a feeling he was used to; it's what happened when he gave up the majority of control over his body to the Command Console using [Self Body Puppetry].
Still, it's never lasted this long before… Basker, are you there?
Luden and Lazitha hadn't seemed to have noticed anything strange just yet. Although Magnus wasn't blinking, from the outside, it just looked like he was concentrating heavily and trying not to move. Only by touching him would they likely realize something strange. Luckily, unlike his body, Basker didn't seem to be frozen.
[No worries, Master. I am unaffected. From what I can tell, it appears that the Command Console is being kept from executing what we visualized to completion.]
Listening to Basker, Magnus thought about the situation logically and tried not to panic, as hard as that was considering he couldn't move.
If using the Command Console to carry out my visualizations is akin to executing a script, then this Debugging Protocol might have paused that script before it could fully run.
Scripts usually run from the top to the bottom, one line at a time. This is why, in video games, glitches might make a character suddenly zoom off into the distance or get stuck in one spot. For example, if a developer mistakenly set up a condition where an attack can only be launched after the player releases a non-existent key. In that kind of situation, the player can't release this key because it doesn't exist.
As a result, the attack can never be launched, and the player is stuck 'charging' the attack forever.
These kinds of bugs are what can cause your character to get stuck. Something similar was happening to Magnus now, but it wasn't due to a bug. He figured it was likely because the Debugging Protocol had paused his script before his [Self Body Puppetry] could finish.
As for the Debugging Protocol itself, Magnus had a pretty good idea of what that was about.
It looks like our source code theory is becoming more likely by the day. If what I'm thinking is correct, then the Command Console has accepted our visualization, which means I was right. Creating something from mana and creating something from nothing are similar, or at least they look similar visually to a person who can't see mana.
The Command Console was a precise tool, and if Magnus could use it the way it was intended to be used, he wouldn't be facing a lot of the issues he is now facing. But the simple fact was that since he couldn't understand the language of the Command Console, he had to take a detour instead.
Normally, using the Command Console to target something would be straightforward—just type in the path to the target.
However, since Magnus was unfamiliar with the paths, he had to rely on visualizing his targets instead. This method also applied to when he used his abilities. For instance, whenever he activated something like [Bullseye], it seemed the Command Console was translating his visualizations into source code and executing that rather than directly doing what Magnus pictured.
Still, even if I get why I'm stuck, did it really have to freeze me while I'm looking at it? Everybody knows things take longer to load if you stare.
As Magnus was busy contemplating what exactly was happening to him, someone else in the chamber was having their own thoughts about what was happening to him.
What's going on?
That was the question running through Lazitha's mind. Over an hour had passed, and Magnus hadn't moved. She had tried to check if he was even mobilizing mana, but she ran into that strange sensation. As soon as her sensory magic touched his body, it froze and completely lost connection with her, not relaying any information back to her mind.
Still, even if she could only use her eyes, she could tell he hadn't made any major progress.
On the other hand, looking over at Luden, his advancements were clear to see. Although it was unstable, a small sphere of mana had already begun to form right above his palm. The deep yellow color of his mana caused it to look as if he were holding a miniature sun.
Not only that, but with each passing moment, the mana sphere he was holding was growing larger and becoming more stable.
Hmm, well, even if he doesn't make progress at a genius rate, there's still time.
As Lazitha continued to wait, Magnus was waiting alongside her. His excitement from seeing the Command Console show something new in its output had already faded for the most part.
[Command Console]
-------------------------------------------------------------|
↑…
[Debugging Protocol]: Progress[██████████----------] 46%
-------------------------------------------------------------|
Users:Magnus_Wright:\>
-------------------------------------------------------------/
I think I'm going to die of boredom...
With such thoughts running through his mind, another hour and a half sluggishly ticked by. It was around this time that Luden finally opened his eyes, coming out of his state of concentration. Hovering above both of his palms as he sat in a lotus position was a mana sphere. It was only about two inches in diameter—much smaller than Lazitha's—but the quickness with which he had formed and stabilized it was remarkable.
"Good job, Luden. You're by far one of the most talented students I've had the pleasure of teaching," Lazitha complimented as she approached him.
Luden nodded in appreciation.
"Thank you, but I still have a long way to go; I can tell that much. What about Magnus?"
He asked, dissolving the Mana Sphere Spell and turning his gaze towards Magnus, only to find him still motionlessly standing there. He had a look of complete concentration, yet he still hadn't formed a mana sphere. Following his gaze, Lazitha sighed as she responded.
"It looks like he's having trouble mobilizing his mana at all. I might have to come up with an alternative method to train him." Although she said that, her true thoughts were different.
I had a gut feeling something was off. Even before my sensory magic started acting up, I couldn't pick up anything from him. Now, when we're meant to be practicing our magic, I can't even probe his body? It's just too convenient. He's probably using some kind of anti-magic to cover up the fact that he isn't a real mage at all. That means his application claims about psychokinesis and enhancement magic are likely bogus too.
With that thought, Lazitha's inner voice grew more irritated.
What was the Major General thinking? Did he honestly expect that sending a non-mage to the academy would slip by unnoticed? And what about the Headmistress and Vice Headmaster—why would they accept him without a thorough background check?
She felt both annoyance and confusion just thinking about it. Plenty of people have tried to infiltrate Takerth Academy in hopes of stealing some of their secrets, but no one has ever succeeded. This attempt was by far the worst she had seen in all her years, and yet somehow it had gone the farthest.
"In any case, there's still some time left. I'll see if there are any changes. After all, he's concentrating so hard that it would be a shame to interrupt him early," she said. Luden nodded while keeping his eyes on Magnus, his disappointment subtly hidden in his gaze.
I thought he might turn out to be something special... What a shame. I suppose my instincts were off this time.
As time passed, it became increasingly clear to the two of them that Magnus wasn't going to produce any results. Only a few minutes remained of their 2nd Class.
"Well, that's all the time we have for today," Lazitha announced, having been keeping track of the time. She glanced over at Magnus, who still hadn't moved. Honestly, although he hadn't produced any results, she couldn't help but be a little impressed by his ability to stay completely still.
It was like he was a statue. But, in the end, it didn't change the fact that he clearly had no magical abilities.
"Magnus, our time for this lesson is up. You don't need to ke—"
In the middle of her sentence, Lazitha suddenly felt a rush of information flood into her mind. It was all information about what was happening inside Magnus's body, and it was so sudden that it temporarily interrupted her thought process.
What... What the hell? Is this from my sensory magic?
As her mind quickly sorted through the information, Magnus took a deep breath and whispered something under his breath.
"It looks like I made the right choice." In moments, Lazitha adapted to the sudden onslaught of information. Normally, as a Master-level mage, handling that amount of information would have been easy, even if it came at her all at once. But the sudden influx had caught her entirely off guard.
However, the surprise didn't end there. As she turned her attention back to Magnus, she saw something floating in the palm of his hand. It was a mana sphere, as small as a quarter, but a mana sphere nonetheless. However, that alone wouldn't have been enough to justify the utterly dumbfounded look that slowly appeared on her face.
"Ho—how did you do that..." Hearing her question, Magnus feigned a confused expression.
"I'm not sure what you mean. I just followed your instructions." Despite his answer, the words seemed to go through one ear and out the other as Lazitha kept staring at the mana sphere in his hand as if it were a complete abnormality.
I didn't sense him mobilize any mana, but there's no doubt that's the result of the Mana Sphere Spell. But there's no way a beginner would be capable of making a mana sphere like that...
There were many categories of magic, and even among those categories, there were sometimes subcategories. As such, there were a variety of spells that a mage could learn and excel at compared to others. Likewise, there were also certain categories of spells that practically every mage of a certain level could use.
Mana Sphere was one such spell; it was Apprentice Class Magic and only required mana and proper control. As such, any mage worth their salt could use it. However, just because any mage could use it didn't mean all mages could actually use it equally to one another.
Everyone is inherently different, and the same goes for mages. Some mages will have better control and precision, capable of hitting targets from distances other mages could only dream of. Others would be capable of completing the spell in a matter of moments, without any effort. No matter how small or big the aspect, each mage excelled or suffered at something.
But what Lazitha had noticed was that Magnus's mana sphere was perfectly normal.
To most people, this might seem like no big deal or even a backhanded compliment, but for an experienced mage like Lazitha, it was nothing short of astonishing. She knew just how incredible it was for an unranked novice mage to accomplish such a feat.
After all, her sensory magic revealed that Magnus's mana sphere was not simply average for a beginner, but average even in ways that Lazitha hadn't taught Magnus and Luden about yet. It was akin to an elementary school teacher showing kids the basics of math, only for one student to solve an algebra problem out of the blue. It didn't matter if the problem was easy or not; she hadn't even taught them multiplication yet.
Because of this, when Lazitha looked at Magnus again, she couldn't shake off the feeling that she was looking at a monster.
How did he do it? Was it by accident or instinctual? Or maybe he was already capable of the Mana Sphere Spell before I taught it to him… In that case, how did he become so proficient at such a young age, and who taught him?
Seeing the gears turning in Lazitha's mind, as well as her strange reaction, Magnus could almost guess what she was thinking. How could he not? His experiment of trying to replicate the Mana Sphere Spell had gone far beyond his expectations.
Who would have expected I would get such weird options after the debugging was finished? But I probably shouldn't test it out any further here, especially if I want to try out the second option.
Outside of Lazitha's reaction, Luden's expression had changed as well. The hidden disappointment that he felt when he felt he was wrong about Magnus quickly vanished.
Even though he didn't know sensory magic like Lazitha, he didn't need to. He was good at reading people's expressions, and based on how his professor was acting, he could tell that Magnus had done something impressive, so much so that it was shocking.
So I was right about him after all; that's a relief. It would have been a hassle to look for a new potential ally.
Thinking that, he made his way over to Magnus to talk to him.
"For a moment there, I thought you wouldn't be able to cast the spell, but it looks like you've even left our professor speechless." Upon seeing Luden, Magnus remembered something that dampened his spirits.
"Oh, right, our bet. I guess I lost, huh?" Hearing this, Luden stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Hmm, perhaps, but you subverted my expectations by quite a lot, so I think I can bend the rules of our bet a bit." Reaching into one of his pockets, Luden pulled out a coin purse and fished out two golden marks from it.
They were pure, golden coins with a laurel-shaped ring engraved on their outer edges. Just looking at them made Magnus's eyes shine.
That's real gold... If I remember correctly, the exchange rate between copper bits, silver crowns, and golden marks is 1:100. If I convert it to money back on Earth, he basically just pulled out ten thousand dollars like it was nothing. I guess that's what it means to be rich as a noble.
"Here." Stretching out his hand, Luden handed the golden marks over to Magnus.
"Huh? Wait, but I lost the bet." Looking at the golden marks, he was confused. Why was Luden giving him this?
"Like I said, I felt like bending the rules of our bet. You still owe me that small favor later on." Luden was acting casual about it, but Magnus couldn't help but feel like that was fishy, especially considering how much money it was.
First, he made a bet with me, and now he's giving me money despite me losing? How much is he expecting out of this favor? He already knows I'm not a noble, so it can't be that he's expecting a political favor, right?
"There's no need to think about it so hard. If you think I'm asking too much of you when I cash in my favor, you can simply turn me down. After all, it's not like we've signed a contract." Luden's words cut right through Magnus's thoughts, as if he had just read his mind.
"Damn, you're really good at reading people, huh? Alright, fine, but only because I need the money." Taking the golden marks, he pocketed them as Luden chuckled at Magnus's words.
"Don't worry, I don't plan on cashing in my favor just yet. I'm nowhere near as strong as I need to be, and something tells me you have things you need to wrap up." Once again, Magnus felt as if Luden saw right through him with that last line.
Putting away his coin purse, Luden turned to focus on Lazitha, who looked as if she were deep in thought. Even while Magnus and Luden were talking, she hadn't reacted at all, as if the world had disappeared for her.
"Professor Lazitha, you said our class was over, right? Can we leave?" Speaking up, Luden's words caused Lazitha to snap out of it.
"Hmmm, oh, yes, of course," she said, casting one more glance towards Magnus before walking over to the door of the chamber and opening it with her Sigilbrand.
"Well then, I have matters to attend to; I'll be seeing you, Magnus." Luden was the first to go, leaving after saying goodbye. After he was gone, Magnus decided to take his leave as well. To his surprise, Lazitha didn't try to stop him or even talk to him.
Standing there alone in the room, she didn't move as Mulvin's voice entered her mind as if it were her own thoughts. After her initial shock, she immediately contacted him and told him what occurred.
[So, do you still think he's nothing special?]
Hearing his self-satisfied tone, Lazitha replied sourly.
[I hate when you're right; you always act so smug about it. But fine, I admit; I wasn't expecting that. Whether he was taught before he got here or he really is a genius like you said, either way, it makes sense now why the Vice Headmaster told us to keep an eye on him.]
[So are you going to report this to the Vice Headmaster?]
Lazitha shook her head as she smiled to herself, walking out of the room.
[No, not yet; I want to observe him a little more. We don't get the thrill of encountering a mystery very often. And that Luden's not bad either; he may make a worthwhile disciple.]
Hearing that, Mulvin's reply was accompanied by an amused laugh.
[Oh? I haven't heard you so excited about something in quite a while. Alright then, I'll play along and keep my mouth shut. Though considering what you told me about his abilities, I doubt we're the first ones to notice.]