Collin's reluctance toward engaging in battles stemmed from the intricate preparation required to wield his unique magic spells. Unlike conventional magic spells, his magic spells could not be harnessed through the normal process.
Fundamentally, the process of casting a magic spell involves three key stages.
The first stage involves imprinting the magic circle into the deep consciousness.
The second stage is channelling mana into the magic circle.
The final stage entails reciting the incantation of the chosen magic spell. Typically, the incantation mirrors the name of the magic spell.
The successful casting of magic spells requires following these three basic stages. Of course, the amount of effort put into training greatly influences the likelihood of success.
However, the process of activating Collin's magic spell requires a picture that he drew himself. Without it, he is just a wizard without a magic spell.
For wizards who are gifted with abstract talent, while they have the freedom to choose their own primary magic, in the end, they are only able to select one type of magic.
For instance, take Collin, who decided to specialize in Picture Magic. Once he made this choice, he was limited to using only this specific type of magic. In essence, he was no different from a single-attribute wizard.
Telekinesis may be the only additional magic he could use alongside his primary magic. However, Telekinesis is a basic magic spell and isn't particularly useful in combat.
Collin maintained unwavering concentration on his work, his paintbrush moving with astonishing speed across the canvas. In a remarkably short period, a stunning painting emerged, capturing with remarkable clarity the exact image in his imagination.
Upon completing this masterpiece, he drew another one in a short time. Each of them displayed impressive dexterity and artistic zeal.
Setting aside his paintbrush, Collin shifted his attention to Dodo, whose eyes were filled with eager anticipation. He inquired, "Are you ready, Dodo?"
"Woof!" Dodo exclaimed, its tail wagging with uncontainable excitement.
"Alright, then..." Collin raised his paintbrush slightly, which is supposed to be his magic staff, and chanted: "Picture Magic: Creation!"
In an instant, ethereal light emanated from Collin's canvases, giving form to two imposing creatures within.
Dodo, bewildered by the sudden spectacle, could only manage a tentative "Woof?"
Although it had never seen the two creatures before, it could feel an undeniable pressure from their presence.
Had Gilgamel and his companions been present, they would have immediately recognized these lifelike manifestations at a glance. That was because the two creatures were none other than the Orc Warrior and the Wyvern, creatures that were brought to life by Collin's vivid imagination.
These two abyssal creatures were depicted exactly as they appear in reality.
Collin smiled mischievously as he declared, "Time to attack!"
The lifelike replicas of the fearsome Orc Warrior and majestic Wyvern appeared to react to Collin's command as if they understood him. With a thunderous roar, they shattered the door with sheer brute strength.
The sudden commotion caught the slumbering Wyvern off guard from its cherished resting place.
Upon being roused, the Wyvern awoke in a furious frenzy, emanating a palpable aura of power that filled the entire room.
Unfortunately, this kind of bluff had no effect on its incoming enemies. In a swift and unexpected turn of events, a massive axe hurtled toward it with alarming speed.
Reacting instinctively, the Wyvern folded its wings tightly around its body in a desperate attempt. Unfortunately, it seemed to underestimate the injury on its wing and the sheer force of the axe. As a result, the impact sent the Wyvern staggering backward, intensifying the agony of its still-healing body.
The Wyvern, its senses ablaze with furious determination, disregarded the searing pain rippling through its body and lunged aggressively at the Orc Warrior who had emerged in its field of vision.
Yet, before it could close the distance to the Orc Warrior, a sudden impact from the side sent shockwaves through its being, catching it completely off guard. The force hurled the Wyvern sideways, and its body collided forcefully with the wall.
Beneath the cascading rock fragments and billowing plumes of dust, the Wyvern emitted a guttural growl of agony. As it slowly opened its eyes, it was met with the sight of another abyssal creature standing beside Orc Warrior.
Unfortunately, the Wyvern's mind had been corrupted by abyssal energy, so it could not comprehend or care about the situation. All it desired was to defeat the two enemies in front of it.
Despite the numerous wounds covering its body, the resilient creature rose to its feet, lifting its neck and parting its jaws. In the following instant, a thick, shadowy energy coalesced within its maw, shaping into a swirling, obsidian sphere.
The Wyvern's intense, half-open, dark green eyes fixated on the two enemies standing opposite of its direction. Without hesitation, it released its Dark Energy, aiming it directly at them.
Collin, who controlled the imitation of the Orc Warrior and the Wyvern, definitely did not stay still. As soon as he saw the Wyvern activate its magical ability, he was prepared to sacrifice one of his creations, hoping that Dodo would take the opportunity to launch a sneak attack.
His magic spell did look powerful, but it actually had a weakness.
The imitation Orc Warriors and Wyverns he created appeared imposing but lacked true strength. Despite their intimidating appearance, these replicas possessed only basic attributes and were limited to rudimentary attacks such as punching, scratching, kicking, and tail flicking. They were unable to execute the intricate magical abilities of the originals.
Despite their limitations, Collin thought they were enough to restrain the Wyvern, considering its current state. Additionally, there's also Dodo in this operation.
As the tension mounted, Dodo, who had expertly concealed himself and bided his time, suddenly emerged and launched a ferocious assault on the Wyvern's neck with his Dark Claw.
The impact of Dodo's attack caused a disruption in the Wyvern's plan to unleash its potent Dark Energy, altering its trajectory entirely.
The Wyvern not only missed its opportunity to strike its opponents but also suffered exacerbated wounds from the unexpected assault.
To make matters worse, the Wyvern was unable to pinpoint the source or identity of the attack.
"Nice, Dodo!"
Collin, who watched from outside the room, couldn't help but smile in appreciation.
However, his appreciation didn't last long, as he didn't want to squander the opportunity that Dodo had given him.
The sooner he eliminated the Wyvern, the better. Otherwise, it would be bad if this fight attracted the attention of other abyssal creatures.
Collin skillfully directed the imitation Wyvern towards the injured real Wyvern, who was struggling on the ground. Despite the real Wyvern's attempt to defend itself by using its tail, an axe swiftly flew once again and severed its tail.
Without giving the Wyvern any time to catch its breath, Collin made imitations of the Orc Warrior, and the Wyverns ganged up on the original Wyvern.
The Wyvern, who was nearly in a state of exhaustion, could only passively defend itself while occasionally counterattack its opponents. To make matters worse, every time it tried to use its magical abilities, an unknown fourth party would always appear and sneak attack it.
This relentless onslaught left the Wyvern feeling increasingly frustrated and powerless.
The relentless barrage of attacks from the three adversaries gradually wore down the Wyvern, sapping its strength and leaving it unable to mount a counteroffensive.
Eventually, Collin, engrossed in controlling his two creations like he was controlling a game character, had a sudden epiphany: the once ferocious Wyvern that his creations were ganging up on had become breathless and motionless.
"Eh, it's dead?" Collin's dubious gaze fell upon the Wyvern.
With a sense of caution, he maneuvered the imitation Orc Warrior to deliver a kick to the Wyvern, yet there was no reaction from the ominous beast.
Collin proceeded to conduct a series of experiments to ascertain whether the Wyvern had truly met its demise or if it was merely feigning death.
After what felt like an eternity of anticipation, he cautiously stepped into the room and was confronted with the lifeless body of the Wyvern.
As he took in the scene, his gaze shifted to his point device, and it suddenly dawned on him that his point count had gone up by one.
It occurred to him that perhaps his intense focus on casting his magic spell had caused him to overlook the notification from his point device.