This time, Lyra was determined to avoid any careless mistakes. The memory of previous magical mishaps still haunted her, and she was prepared to follow every word in the book to the letter; no assumptions, no shortcuts.
"Every step," she murmured to herself, "down to earth."
To ensure she missed nothing, Lyra read through every line of 'Ignition, Lighting, and Water Making' with meticulous focus. But that wasn't enough to satisfy her. She pulled out another book, 'Auqa Spring Dingdong', a more advanced treatise on the art of conjuring spring water.
The preface of 'Auqa Spring Dingdong' explained that it explored the deeper principles behind spring magic: its theory, forms, control techniques, and ways to increase efficiency. It was intended for witches who had already learned the basics and wanted to refine their craft.
Lyra nodded thoughtfully. "Alright, no need to get ahead of myself. Let's stick to the basics for now."
Satisfied that skipping the advanced material wouldn't interfere with her first attempt, she set 'Auqa Spring Dingdong' aside and returned to the simple guide in 'Ignition, Lighting, and Water Making'.
"The first step," she read aloud, "is to feel the essence of water and create a precise mental impression of it."
She leaned over the basin of water she had prepared and placed her left hand gently in it. The coolness spread across her fingers, and she closed her eyes, letting her mind connect with the water.
This step was easy, after all, water had been part of her life in both her past and present worlds.
Memories of her former life on Blue Star floated through her mind: the clear trickle of streams, the sound of ocean waves crashing against the shore, the feel of summer rain on her skin, and the sparkle of condensation on a cold drink. Water, in all its forms, had always surrounded her.
Her mind wandered.
She remembered something from 'Valen Continent, Volume VII': witches cast magic by channeling emotions and willpower, using the magic infused in their blood. That made her wonder, what if the water she conjured wasn't pure spring water?
'What if I think of sewage? Or mineral water? Or… alcohol?' she mused.
Would the magic respond to her imagination? Would her spell conjure dirty water, sparkling water, or even wine, based on the image she held in her mind? The thought was tantalizing. If magic really worked that way, then a witch's willpower could shape reality itself in surprising ways.
But she hesitated. 'I better not try that just yet. Flooding the dorm with sewage would not be a good look.'
Making a mental note to ask Ms. Amisha about these ideas later, Lyra refocused. 'Right now, I need pure, drinkable spring water.'
She inhaled deeply, steadying her thoughts. 'Focus on purity. Clear, refreshing water.' She summoned every memory of pristine water, cool springs, crisp mountain streams, and crystal-clear lakes; until the image was vivid in her mind.
Then she raised her wand.
Gripping the familiar handle with her right hand, she pointed the tip at the empty basin on the floor. Carefully, she channeled her magic, just a small amount, barely half a mana unit, enough for a gentle trickle.
The air shimmered, and then, 'WHOOSH!'
A powerful jet of water erupted from the tip of the wand, thick as a tree trunk. It surged into the basin with a thunderous splash, filling it to the brim within seconds and spilling over the sides.
"Success—!" Lyra started to cheer, but her excitement only made things worse.
The water, fueled by her growing emotions, gushed even faster, overflowing the basin and flooding the floor. A wave splashed over her feet, soaking the hem of her robe.
"Stop! Stop! STOP!" Lyra yelped, frantically cutting off the magic. With a sharp effort of will, she reined in her power, and the torrent vanished as suddenly as it had begun.
She stood there, panting, as the last of the water sloshed around her feet.
The dormitory floor was a mess, puddles spreading in every direction; but at least the flood hadn't gotten out of control. If she hadn't learned to manage her magic better through practice, the entire dorm might have been submerged by now.
Lyra let out a shaky breath, pressing a hand to her chest. "That... was 'way' more intense than I expected."
She glanced down at the soaked floor, her socks squelching with every step. A nervous laugh escaped her lips as she shook her head. "Guess I got a little carried away."
Drying the mess would take a bit of effort, but she couldn't deny the rush of satisfaction that filled her. Despite the mishap, she had done it. She'd conjured water, her first successful attempt at spring magic!
With a grin, Lyra flicked her wand to cast a quick cleaning spell, sending the puddles vanishing into thin air.
"Well, at least it worked," she muttered to herself, feeling a small swell of pride.
Her magic had responded, too enthusiastically, perhaps but it proved she had the skill. And now that she knew what to expect, she could practice refining her control.
She gave her wand an affectionate tap, her thoughts already spinning toward her next lesson. 'Cooking magic may have taught me patience, but it looks like spring magic is all about staying calm.'
And staying calm, she realized with a grin, was going to take a lot more practice.
"Stay calm, stay calm; don't get too excited!" Lyra muttered under her breath, pacing back and forth. She knew by now that emotions had a significant impact on spellcasting, often causing magic to spiral out of control if not properly managed.
Out of sheer curiosity, she touched the tip of her wand. It was dry as a bone, as if the torrent of water that had just gushed from it never happened. "That's incredible!" she whispered, marveling at the precision of her magic.
Determined to test her new spell properly, she dashed to the water tower in the backyard. With her heart steady this time, she pointed her wand into the tower and summoned the 'Clear Spring Technique' once again. This time, she intentionally reduced the amount of magic, using only half of what she had channeled before.
A thick stream of water, about the width of her calf, poured from the wand into the water tower. Encouraged by the steady flow, Lyra maintained control, careful to keep her emotions in check.
"This is better," she murmured, feeling the magic hum steadily in her veins.
She decided to experiment further. As she kept the stream flowing, she gradually increased the magic output. The flow thickened, expanding until it matched the girth of her forearm.
"Alright… let's push a bit more," she whispered, teeth gritted in concentration.
She boosted the magic output again, and the water responded instantly, surging to the thickness of her thigh. The tower quickly filled to the brim, and Lyra halted the spell just before it overflowed.
Panting from exertion, she grinned at her success. "Not bad. Not bad at all."
In total, she had used less than 20 mana to fill the entire water tower. Not a bad deal for an apprentice-level spell. The urge to practice more tugged at her, but without an empty space to store additional water, she knew she had to call it quits for the day.
As the sun began to set, Lyra returned to her room, but sleep was elusive. She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, her mind buzzing with excitement.
With a flick of her wrist, she summoned her enchanted card book and flipped through its pages until she found what she was looking for, her own character card.
Her gaze landed on the magic section, where a new entry had appeared: "Clear Spring Technique (Apprentice)."
Lyra traced her finger over the words, a sense of pride bubbling within her. No matter how many times she looked at it, it felt surreal. This was the first magic she had learned on her own; without a teacher guiding her through every step.
"Apprentice level," she whispered, rolling the term around in her mind. It wasn't much, but it was hers.
Her thoughts drifted to the way magic levels were classified among witches. She remembered the structure clearly, magic levels were determined by how much of a witch's total mana could be mobilized for a single spell.
- Apprentice: Less than 2% of total mana
- Elementary: 2%
- Intermediate: 4%
- Advanced: 6%
- Peak: 8%
- Above Peak: 10% or more
Lyra sat up, calculating in her head. Her total mana capacity was currently 970 mana.
"That means," she murmured, "to reach apprentice level, I can use up to 19.4 mana for this spell."
She smiled to herself. 'That's manageable; at least there's no magic loss beyond the casting itself.'
However, during her earlier test, she had only dared to channel a small amount, around 2 mana, just 0.2% of her total capacity. Nowhere near enough to hit the 2% threshold for 'Elementary' level.
"I guess the water tower wasn't big enough to test my limits properly," she muttered, a little frustrated.
Still, there had been something strange about the way the magic behaved when she increased her output. It hadn't scaled proportionally; at least, not as smoothly as she expected. When she funneled half her mana, the water flow had thickened to match the width of her thigh. But when she halved the magic again, the stream was only as thick as her calf.
"It's not linear," she realized aloud. "The relationship between mana output and water flow isn't one-to-one."
This discovery gnawed at her curiosity. Something about the way magic responded to scaling felt... different. It was as though the more magic she poured into the spell, the less efficiently the water flowed. That meant controlling spells wouldn't just be about dumping magic into them; it required finesse, balance, and practice.
She rubbed her temples, already planning her next attempt.
"Magic isn't just about power," she mused. "It's about control, precision. And emotion."
That thought brought a smile to her lips. The lesson was clear: Magic demanded more than raw mana, it demanded patience and skill, something she was starting to understand on a deeper level.
Tucking the card book under her pillow, Lyra finally settled under the covers. Exhaustion crept over her, but it was a pleasant kind of tiredness, the kind that came from progress.
Before drifting off, she whispered to herself, "I'll get better. One spell at a time."
And with that, Lyra let sleep take her, dreaming of water that flowed effortlessly at her command and of the countless spells still waiting for her to master.
The water flow was shrinking at a frustrating rate, almost exponentially decreasing as Lyra reduced her magic power output. When she channeled just one mana, the water stream was only slightly thicker than it had been with half a mana, about a finger's width more. At two mana, the increase was even more disappointing, adding only half a finger's width to the flow.
"All this magic," Lyra muttered, rubbing her temples, "and barely any increase in water flow. What a waste."
She tapped her wand against her palm thoughtfully. The way the magic behaved didn't sit right with her; it was as if the magic wasn't scaling properly. 'I'm spending a lot more mana than I should be for such a tiny increase in water flow.'
A realization struck her. 'Could it be that magic power is getting lost during the casting?' But why? What was causing the loss?
Her brow furrowed as she contemplated the possibilities. Deciding she needed more information, she flicked her fingers toward the nightstand. Her witch's book lifted into the air and glided toward her, stopping just in front of her face.
"Not this time," she muttered, remembering the last incident when the book had smacked her square in the nose. With a smirk, she caught it gently and sat up in bed, opening it to the section on water magic.
She flipped through the pages until she found what she was looking for: the chapter on spring magic, tucked away in 'The Ding Dong of Clear Springs.' Her finger ran along the lines of text, her lips moving silently as she read.
"Factors that influence the Clear Spring Technique: Water magic talent."
Lyra's eyes narrowed in concentration, absorbing the information.
"Spring magic represents the purest essence of the water element. The higher one's talent in water magic, the more efficiently magic power can be converted into water elemental energy. A witch with high water magic talent will find it easier to transform magic into water and cast the Clear Spring Spell with minimal loss."
She hummed thoughtfully, tapping her chin. 'Alright, so water talent affects how much of my mana turns into actual water. Makes sense.'
The text continued:
"If one's talent for water magic is at the apprentice level, only a very small fraction, less than 1% of their total magic power can be converted into water elemental energy during casting. In these cases, the effectiveness of the Clear Spring Technique relies more on the witch's total mana reserves. However, practice alone will not drastically improve results, and it is not recommended to spend excessive time mastering the technique."
Lyra rolled her eyes. 'Well, that's good news for most witches. Fortunately, talent isn't an issue for me.' Her limitless magical potential meant she wasn't constrained by such limitations.
But the inconsistency in her spell's performance still nagged at her. She flipped further through the book, eager for more clues.
"The second factor that influences the Clear Spring Technique: Willpower and Instructions."
She leaned in, paying close attention.
"Accurate and focused intent is crucial in directing magic power. When a witch's will is clear and decisive, the magic follows a single path toward transformation. However, any stray thoughts or distractions during casting can result in unclear instructions, weakening the spell's effect and causing magic power to dissipate uselessly."
Lyra grimaced. 'So that's what went wrong. I was too excited, let my mind wander, and the instructions to the magic weren't sharp enough.'
The book continued:
"Without precise guidance, even with the aid of a wand, the body's instinct to conserve magic may interfere with the spell's effectiveness, sometimes rendering it ineffective altogether. For beginners, it is recommended to design specific spell phrases, gestures, or rituals to help focus intent and sharpen instructions."
"Specific phrases and gestures..." Lyra murmured, tapping her wand thoughtfully against her knee. 'That might help. The clearer I am, the less magic I'll waste.'
She read on:
"Through repeated practice, adjustments, and refinement, the magic power becomes familiar with the specific state required for casting the Clear Spring Technique. Over time, the body and mind develop muscle memory, allowing the witch to perform the spell effortlessly, even with distractions. At this level of mastery, minor lapses in concentration will no longer impact the quality of the spell."
Lyra closed the book with a soft 'thud', a smile spreading across her face. 'So that's the key. Repetition builds a rhythm, until the spell becomes second nature.'
The puzzle was finally coming together. The reason her earlier attempts were uneven had to do with both focus and intent. Her initial burst of excitement had muddled the spell's instructions, and although she tried to adjust on the fly, the inconsistency explained why the water didn't scale smoothly with her mana output.
"When I used half a mana, the stream was thin, like a calf's width," she whispered to herself, mentally reviewing her earlier results. "When I upped it to two mana, it barely improved. So… it's not just the amount of magic, it's the clarity behind it."
Lyra stretched her arms, a new plan forming in her mind.
"Looks like I'll need to practice more, this time with precise instructions and intent from the start."
She glanced at the water tower outside, already imagining her next trial. With a few carefully chosen spell phrases and perhaps a simple gesture, she could bring more control into the process. If she could reach that sweet spot where her magic flowed effortlessly, the results would improve dramatically and without wasting extra mana.
"Next time," she vowed, "no distractions. I'll nail it."
As she tucked the book back onto her nightstand, a wave of calm satisfaction washed over her. Learning magic was a process, a delicate dance between willpower, practice, and talent. And now she had a clearer understanding of how to make her spells more efficient.
With a yawn, she slid under the covers, her mind still buzzing with possibilities. Tomorrow, she'd approach the Clear Spring Technique with fresh intent. She wouldn't just make the water flow; she'd make it flow exactly the way she wanted.
"Step by step," she whispered to herself, already drifting off into dreams of effortless magic and crystal-clear springs.