After resting for a while, Ranav stood up to practice his tier-1 light magic spell. He called out, "Philisa!" An ethereal green light appeared in both of his palms. He stared at his hand for some moment.
"There's no one injured here. How can I practice a healing spell?" he asked aloud.
"It's not necessary to find an injured person to practice healing," Jessica explained. "Just hold the spell and focus on the mana flow. Even though this is the most basic healing spell, don't underestimate it. It's still a tier-1 spell, so it will drain your mana. To be a skilled healer, you need to hold the spell for longer periods. This requires controlling your mana flow to achieve maximum efficiency with minimal mana expenditure."
She paused before continuing, "Another exercise is to control your healing spell to a needlepoint. Usually, when you cast this spell, both your palms radiate healing magic. You just place your hands on the injured area, and it heals. However, you won't always encounter external wounds. Internal injuries can be tricky, and in those cases, you'll need to guide the magic into the body to find and heal the specific area. If you use the spell normally, you'll lose mana at a much faster rate. For serious injuries, this could mean running out of mana before completing the healing. That's why you must focus the spell on a single finger, making it thinner and more precise. This way, you can achieve tier-2 results with a tier-1 spell. Many healers have done this before, I'm not just making this up."
Ranav tried to shift the spell from his palm to his finger but failed. The magic dissipated entirely. "This will be tough. I might need more practice," he admitted.
"It shouldn't be so hard for you. Remember, you created swords instead of knives… two, in fact, one for each hand. That spell was only meant for a single hand! Recall that experience, and I'm sure you'll succeed in no time."
"Okay, I'll give it a try later. But not now, we need to head home."
Back home, Ranav immediately sensed something was off. His parents were sitting silently at the dining table, their faces tense.
"Dad, what's wrong?" he asked after observing them for a while.
"Oh… it's nothing. The village chief wants you to participate in a competition. A guard came by earlier to deliver the message. He said I should bring you to the chief's house tomorrow morning," his father replied.
"That's all? Why do you look so worried?" Ranav felt a wave of relief. "Your faces made me think something terrible had happened."
"Simple?" Trinav frowned. "This is no ordinary event. The competition will involve participants from all the villages in the county. We don't have the full details, but I'm certain of one thing: you'll likely be the youngest contestant there."
Naveena added, "You're only five years old. Don't act so confident. Despite all your magic and training, you're still a baby."
Ranav quickly replied, "I didn't mean it like that. We don't need to worry about this. I'll just report it to my master, and she'll handle everything. I don't want to fight."
Naveena exhaled in relief. "That's a good idea. If Nanima declines the chief's request, no one will dare call us deserters. Venkata Raman wouldn't dare challenge Nanima. He has only one head on his body." She walked over to Ranav, gently held his face, and kissed his forehead. "You're always so clever."
The gloomy atmosphere lightened considerably.
"Where's Vivita?" Ranav asked.
"She's in her room. She sprained her ankle on the way back from school," Naveena replied.
Without wasting any time, Ranav knocked on his sister's door. "Sis, it's me."
"Come in."
"Mom said you sprained your ankle. Is it bad?"
"Not too bad. I can walk, but it's painful."
"Let me see."
Vivita, sitting on her bed, extended her right foot. "It's this one. Look at the ankle."
Ranav knelt in front of her, carefully taking her foot in his hands. Her ankle was slightly red and swollen. Muttering "Philisa," he began to rub the area. A green light emanated from his palm and slowly seeped into her ankle. Within seconds, the swelling disappeared.
Vivita gasped in surprise. "Lil' bro, you can heal!" She stood, walked a few steps, then jumped toward Ranav, hugging him tightly. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she exclaimed.
The siblings emerged from Vivita's room, holding hands. Hearing her excited shouts, their parents were already waiting outside.
"Why are you shouting?" Naveena asked.
"Lil' bro healed my ankle! Look!" Vivita extended her foot for inspection.
Naveena walked over and closely examined the ankle. "Yes, it's completely healed." She patted Ranav's head lovingly, pride shining in her eyes.
"Mom, I'm hungry," Ranav said. "After lunch, I need to visit Nanima and inform her about the village chief's proposal."
"Yes, we should tell her right away," Trinav agreed.
A short while later, the family shared a joyful lunch together. Afterward, Ranav rested before heading to Nanima's house.
The sight of Nanima's home lifted Ranav's spirits. The tranquil beauty of her house always amazed him. No other home in the village could compare. Though he had never traveled beyond the village, he doubted any other place in the world… Earth included… could evoke the same sense of serenity. The grand buildings, nature resorts, and wonders of his past life all seemed insignificant in comparison.
Nanima had spent many years arranging and perfecting this house. With no family of her own, she had devoted all her time and energy to this sanctuary. Everything in this place complemented one another, enhancing its beauty and amplifying the sense of serenity.
If Sarah were here with me... she would never want to leave, Ranav thought with a wistful sigh.
Lost in thought, he knocked on Nanima's door. Nanima opened the door, surprise evident on her face. "Ranav? I didn't expect you at this hour. Is something wrong?"
Ranav stepped inside and explained to his master about the competition and the village chief's summons for the next morning. After listening intently, she said, "Tomorrow, you should go to Venkata's house and agree to the competition, but make it clear that you'll only participate with my permission. You should also discuss practical matters… like who will accompany you and where you'll stay… to show your sincerity. Don't worry, I'll reject the proposal later. You have nothing to be concerned about."
She paused, then suddenly raised an eyebrow. "You leveled up! Why didn't you tell me?"
Ranav replied apologetically, "Sorry, Master. I leveled up this morning and was in a rush to handle the issue with the village chief."