"Ryan, can you cast the Fireball spell instantly now?" Before Ryan even reached the cave, Alice rushed over like the wind, grabbing Ryan's arm with an eager expression on her face, looking extremely anxious.
"No, no," Ryan was puzzled by Alice's reaction, but he answered honestly.
Alice didn't let go of his arm and, with a flushed face, continued to press, "I saw it in the bath barrel. Don't deny it!"
"Oh, that's not instant casting, it's silent casting. Originally, it would take 2 seconds of chanting, but now I can do it in half a second, so it looks like instant casting," Ryan glanced at Alice's red face, feeling the urge to bite her cheek, but then he turned his head and kept walking while explaining, placing the things in his hands down.
"Silent casting? That's impressive. Our instructor still can't do that," Alice replied in surprise, her anxiousness dissipating.
Now Ryan understood. He sensed a faint magical fluctuation in Alice's body, though very weak. He didn't expect her to have an instructor. Ryan decided to ask her about it. However, before he could speak, his shoulder's companion spoke up.
"Your instructor is over thirty and still only level three? And you dare to talk about it?" The pet's voice carried a hint of disdain.
"Ah, a magical pet! Ryan, you have a magical pet already! It's so beautiful!" Alice looked up, finally noticing the creature on Ryan's shoulder. After her initial shock, her expression turned to one of fascination, her eyes sparkling as she reached out to touch the pet.
Ryan quickly thought about it, narrowing his eyes and smiling as he responded, "I met a bookseller a few months ago when I went down the mountain. I spent a silver coin and bought this little one, along with two magic books. One of the books had a few scrolls inside, including a Wisdom Enlightenment scroll, a Contract scroll, and a second-level Fire magic scroll, Fireball. At first, I didn't know what it was, but when I accidentally tore open the Wisdom Enlightenment scroll, I could read. Later, I used the Contract scroll to hatch this one, and it turned out to be a mutated Grass Sprite. But the Contract scroll was a Soul Contract scroll. That Fireball scroll is still around somewhere."
"A mutated magical pet? A Grass Sprite? A Soul Contract?" Alice's mouth opened and closed in surprise. Mutated magical pets were incredibly rare, and Grass Sprites were among the weakest magical beasts. Signing a Soul Contract with a Grass Sprite was quite absurd. Grass Sprites were usually pets of magic apprentices, used to assist with minor tasks or by alchemists. Their intelligence was on par with mid-level magical beasts, so they were better than apprentices in some basic magic experiments, especially when secrecy was needed. But typically, they only signed Master-Servant Contracts, not Soul Contracts. However, seeing the pet, Alice was a little moved.
"Don't underestimate our little one. She's the best! Go outside and take a look at that thing; that's her sidekick. Not only is she perfect at memorizing things, but she's also my little manager," Ryan said, wincing in pain from the pinch on his shoulder, and began to flatter the pet. He knew by now not to treat the pet lightly.
Alice looked at Ryan's expression and didn't think he was lying, so she released his arm and curiously walked outside, wondering, "Do magical pets even have sidekicks? Could it be some sort of tiny pet?"
Ryan didn't pay much attention to Alice and smiled slightly. He entered the cave and saw Delis washing dishes. Seeing her shapely figure lit by candlelight, Ryan couldn't help but swallow hard, thinking to himself, "No wonder some people rush to taverns once they have money. With someone like this inside, who wouldn't want to go?"
"You don't need to bother. These are the things prepared for you guys," Ryan said as he placed the bundle down. He wondered how this large package had come from, but he didn't feel like asking. He knew that after being around the pet for so long, he understood her character. She was like a little girl, but always pretended to be mature, which amused Ryan.
"Ah!" Just as Ryan set the bundle down, he felt a figure flash past, and someone jumped into his arms, letting out a cry of surprise. Looking down, he realized it was Alice, whose body was trembling. Ryan thought she would scream in fright, but instead, she ran back to call out.
"How's it? Our little one's sidekick isn't bad, right?" Ryan teased Alice, not to show off, but because he knew she would eventually find out.
"Mm." Alice now looked at the pet as though it were a rare treasure. This was beyond Alice's four years of magical study. She had studied not only the theory of low-level magic but all things related to magic, including magical beasts, which were a key part. Most magicians had magical pets to accompany them in battle. In the world of magical beasts, there were strict hierarchies. How could a high-level magical beast be a sidekick to a low-level one? This shattered Alice's understanding, which is why she was looking at the pet so curiously.
"I'm going to feed Qing." The pet hurriedly flew off as Alice's gaze made her feel uneasy.
Alice and Delis exchanged glances, with Delis looking inquisitively at Alice, but Alice didn't respond. She quietly followed the pet, while Delis glanced at Ryan. Ryan shrugged and continued his work, familiarizing himself further with the magic circle. This was something that needed daily practice. Ryan knew that if you abandoned something, laziness would set in. And since Alice and Delis were busy following the pet, no one was distracted.
After about two hours of practicing magic circles, it was time to practice magic. Ryan set down the phosphorescent stone and went outside to the place where he usually practiced Fireball. On the way there, he didn't see the pet, the two girls, or the magical wolf that had a strong magical presence, but Ryan wasn't worried.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
Small fireballs struck the hard stone wall with dull thuds. Ryan remained focused, silently casting his magic and feeling the entire process of transforming mana into magic. He noticed something fascinating: mana was merely a guide and catalyst, while the actual power of magic came from the omnipresent magical elements in the surroundings. As his mana surged outward, the fire-elemental magic in the air immediately rushed in, akin to the way celebrities are swarmed by crowds. Ryan carefully immersed himself in the wondrous process of mana transforming into magic.
Alice and Delis had no trouble befriending Niuniu. They constantly flattered her, and before long, the magic wolf had fallen under their playful hands. Alice was ecstatic, but when she saw Ryan practicing his magic, she felt the need to meditate harder to reach the level of a magician. Watching Ryan tirelessly unleash small fireballs, Alice was astounded at his casting speed, which even surpassed her tutor's. Her gaze gradually turned dreamy. As Ryan continued casting for an hour nonstop, Alice began to see him in a different light. He was no longer a humble servant but a magician potentially more powerful than her tutor. Alice recalled seeing her tutor cast magic only once, and even then, she thought he hadn't performed much. By her estimation, Ryan had already cast at least twice as many spells as her tutor.
In a magician's duel, even a fraction of a second could determine life or death. While Delis didn't understand these nuances, she was simply fascinated by the soft fur of the wolf, all while trying to form a bond with Niuniu. Niuniu was living quite comfortably but couldn't help acknowledging Ryan's talent and bravery. Practicing all elemental types of magic was something only ancient masters in the divine realms would dare to attempt, yet Ryan had achieved it after one bold decision. Niuniu thought this was promising and admired Ryan for remaining humble, focusing on perfecting the small fireball technique he already knew. Niuniu even saw a resemblance to her father, who, though she didn't know much about him, was always dedicated to his training.
Ryan was deeply engrossed in his own world, contemplating how mana was like water, mental energy like electricity, and magical chants like an electric motor. He believed that with proper coordination, he could achieve instant fireball casting. However, while the idea seemed feasible, it proved challenging to execute. After several experiments, Ryan realized there was always a brief pause after casting the spell. He began working to understand this pause, seeking the root cause. Without this delay, magical power could increase exponentially. Imagine being able to cast 10 spells in the time others could only cast one. In battle, firepower density was critical. While he couldn't change the range of his firepower, he could increase its frequency. Even against higher-level magicians, Ryan wouldn't lose as long as he maintained this advantage. Of course, for spells like the level 4 Elemental Shield, casting dozens of level 1 fireballs in three seconds wouldn't make much difference.
Ryan carefully observed the relationship between mana, mental energy, and chants, eventually realizing it was a matter of coordination. If these three elements could be perfectly aligned, they would merge into one seamless process. As Ryan continued practicing, the word "trigger" echoed in his mind. He suddenly had an epiphany. If mana was triggered by chants, then pauses were inevitable. But what if he used mental energy to directly trigger the mana instead?
Ryan decided to act on his idea. To his surprise, as soon as his mental energy touched the mana, it surged forth uncontrollably. The key to instant casting, he realized, lay in mental energy. Ordinary level-1 magicians didn't possess much mental energy, but Ryan, though only 13 years old, had the soul of an adult. Thus, his ability to instant-cast wasn't the result of rigorous training but rather his innate advantage. His mana flowed out like water from a faucet, with his mental energy serving only as a guide. This enabled fireballs to quickly form between his fingers and shoot toward the stone wall in rapid succession, creating a dazzling line of continuous fireballs that resembled pearls on a string.
Opening his eyes, Ryan saw one fireball after another leaving his hand and striking the stone wall. He was ecstatic, realizing that the essence of a magician lay in mastering both mana and mental energy. His excitement was boundless as he thought to himself, "This is like a rapid-fire gun!"
"This... this... is this Continuous Fireball?" Alice exclaimed, startled by Ryan's sudden display. Continuous Fireball was a level-4 spell, but upon closer inspection, she realized the fireballs were too small to be the real thing. The wall in front of Ryan would have collapsed if it were. Glancing at Niuniu, who was also watching Ryan, Alice muttered to herself, "These two are absolute prodigies."