Everyone's eyes were fixed on Fatty Bull's face.
This was perhaps one of the rare moments in his life when he was the center of attention—not just one person, but the attention of a whole group of ten.
He squeezed the pouch tied to his waist.
"Boosting combat power, huh? Dead Fatty." Crow's voice seemed to have been imbued with magic, breaking through Fatty Bull's last defenses.
"By the light above, Fatty believes in the boss," the giant said, undoing the pouch. He swung it upside down, and a bunch of random little trinkets fell into his palm—an unfinished wooden dagger, a small piece of ore, a vine bracelet, a grass doll that seemed like something a little girl would play with... and one coin.
The one and only coin.
Fatty Bull looked around at the group of people eyeing him suspiciously, chuckling twice. "I only have this last coin left."
"Last coin? Dead Fatty," Crow said, lifting the coin and then helping the giant put all the trinkets back into the pouch. Crow shook a handful of silver coins in front of Fatty Bull and shoved them all back into the pouch. "Look, there's plenty more."
Kent was satisfied as he took the coin, rubbing it against the wide belt at his waist, finding the right gap, and pressing the coin into it.
"Let me first explain how magic can be used to enhance combat power," Kent said slowly.
He tried to explain what was about to happen in a way the group could understand.
Everyone was intently listening, even Water Stream, who had been silent, was paying close attention.
"The world of magic is incredibly profound, and the spells I've practiced are quite unique," Kent continued. "In addition to fire magic and healing divine arts..." He tilted his head slightly, and the others couldn't see, but Water Stream's breathing faltered for a moment. Kent smiled and went on, "There are enhancement spells that can boost your combat power, but with one important condition—these spells are only for a select group of people."
"Select group? Boss, is this a racial limitation?" Dry Leaf asked.
When he was young, Dry Leaf had seen a scroll in the secret library of the Fallen Leaf Tribe. He vaguely remembered it mentioning how different races had their strengths and limitations. For example, most of the tribes in the High Plateau had almost no affinity for magic, but their strength surpassed that of other tribes.
"No, it's not a racial limitation," Kent paused and said, "it's a camp limitation."
"A camp limitation?" The group exchanged confused looks. They had never heard of such a term before.
"To put it simply, the magic will only work for those who join us and become our allies. If you're an outsider, this magic won't benefit you at all."
Water Stream's breathing faltered again.
Kent smirked inwardly, knowing her reaction was just what he had hoped for.
"Boss, how do we determine if someone is really our ally?" Crow asked. "What if a spy sneaks in?"
"Haha, anyone who benefits from this magic will be bound by a magical contract," Kent answered. "By the light above, no spy—whether human or outsider—can escape the rules of the magic contract. They'll be cursed by the magic."
A cold gasp echoed through the group.
They had heard many legends in the wandering bards' songs about magic curses. It was said that powerful curses could bring endless pain, even enslave a person's soul. In ancient tales, the most powerful curses represented the darkest form of magic—the legendary Death Legion came from such curses.
The group nodded. Such powerful enhancement magic surely had to come with restrictions.
"Boss, will this magic boost be temporary or permanent?" Splitting Blade asked, raising an important question.
"As long as you stay in my camp, it will be permanent," Kent said calmly.
A chorus of astonished gasps rose from around the campfire. Some were wide-eyed with excitement, while others were filled with doubt.
"I don't quite understand, boss," Dry Leaf asked. "Is this a one-time boost, or can magic really be this powerful?"
"Of course, magic is far more powerful than you can imagine," Kent replied. "And even I have only touched the very edge of it. I haven't even crossed the threshold of the magical world yet."
Kent wasn't being humble when he said this.
As a staunch materialist who had crossed into this world, he had initially tried to adapt to the world's mysticism. At first, this open attitude was more of a compromise to the reality of the world.
But now, Kent's mindset had completely changed. If science and materialism explained the objective world, then magic—something that existed in the realm of mysticism—was an area that current scientific systems couldn't reach or explain.
In the beginning, Kent had been in a state of confusion. His prior knowledge of another world made it difficult for him to rationalize something so out of place. At that time, compared to these world-view-defying elements, he preferred to rely on scientific advances, trying to build his own domain, gradually increasing productivity, and making his footing in this world secure.
However, after experimenting with magic, Kent quickly accepted the reality that in the Red Earth Continent, magic was real.
From what Kent had understood so far, even though the system had saved him a great deal of time in training, all spells didn't come from nothing. Each spell had its own magical design. The process of casting magic was essentially the use of mental energy to "draw" out the spell, then applying magical power to give it strength.
Following this logic, Kent knew that he would unlock more advanced magic in the future. The magical designs would become more complex, and he might even use combinations of multiple designs to create magic circles.
This also explained the purpose of the magical patterns on the magic armor—it was a form of magic array. Different combinations of patterns might form new complex magic formations, which could have properties Kent had yet to discover.
The magical power required to activate the spells was likely an energy form that current science could not explain.
With this understanding, it could also explain why some tribes treasured certain magical scrolls. These scrolls likely contained magical arrays drawn with special materials. The magic materials could store magical energy for long periods, making the scrolls usable directly.
Combining this with medieval alchemy could provide an explanation: magical materials were a way to store and activate energy, much like how alchemy had used materials for chemical reactions.