In the countless nights following the establishment of the mana core, Richard absorbed vast amounts of free-floating energy elements during his meditation, storing them within the mana core. Simultaneously, he harnessed the energies of the magnetic field to refine these varied energy elements, ultimately obtaining pure energy.
As time passed, the quantity of pure energy elements within the mana core steadily increased until it was completely filled.
Half a month had swiftly gone by, and deep in the night...
The castle lay shrouded in silence.
In the bedroom of the side keep, Richard sat cross-legged upon his bed, unwavering. He lost track of time as he lingered in this state, until suddenly, Richard's eyelids flickered almost imperceptibly, before he gradually opened his eyes.
With a gentle exhale, he expelled stale air from his lungs, and from the depths of Richard's gaze, a bright light burst forth, illuminating the room.
Richard rose slowly from his bed, climbing down from the wooden frame, his expression taking on a serious demeanor. At this moment, Richard, following the guidance from the Human Skin Diary, had prepared all the necessary preconditions for casting a spell and had adjusted his physical state to near perfection.
If indeed there existed wizards in this world, and if spells were truly to be unleashed, now was the time to bear witness.
"Wizards? Spells? Let come!" Richard whispered as he stepped toward the window. "Let me behold what this truly is."
The moonlight outside was dim, and the shadows cast by the towering main keep and the distant stables blurred together.
Richard squinted and took a deep breath.
In the next moment, Richard extended his right hand, raised it before him, palm upwards.
"Prasumectus…"
The cryptic incantation, learned from the Human Skin Diary, flowed from Richard's lips with unwavering accuracy, though he spoke at a measured pace. Simultaneously, under the control of his consciousness, the refined pure energy elements began to stream from the mana core within, coursing through specific pathways in his body, gathering speed.
As these pure energy elements flowed around the thirty-eighth circuit of his body, their pace quickened, achieving the necessary state for the spell.
In an instant, under Richard's command, this intricately complex energy flow—though not excessively wild—charged into his right arm, racing along the arteries swiftly to the tips of his five fingers, before bursting forth.
From the outside, as Richard's gaze focused, the five fingers of his outstretched hand quivered slightly. Suddenly, five points of pale blue light erupted into existence at the fingertips, each akin to the size of a firefly.
The orbs flickered momentarily, then ignited into brilliance. With a soft "pop," the five blue lights exploded into dazzling radiance, surging into flames that rapidly expanded in volume. Before long, the five globes mingled and fused together, culminating in a single flame, roughly the size of a human head.
Richard's pupils dilated slightly, his expression unwavering, yet a glimmer of excitement flickered in his eyes.
Through his gaze, he could observe the flame quietly burning within his palm. This flame possessed neither weight nor heat; it felt as though he were cradling a mere orb of air.
But this was no mere air. It was anything but air!
This was a spell recorded in the Human Skin Diary: Ghosphorus!
Also known as Hand of Ghost Fire!
"Ghosphorus, Hand of Ghost Fire? Could it be a form of phosphorus fire, based on the combustion of red phosphorus?" Richard mused, hypothesizing, as he willed the flame in his palm to diminish in size.
In the blink of an eye, the head-sized flame shrank to the size of a fist.
Then, from fist-sized, it reduced to the size of an apple.
Finally, it dwindled to that of a walnut.
With a gentle lift of his hand, the walnut-sized flame zipped out the window, wobbling in the air as it drifted off into the distance. The flame soared and expanded, at Richard's command, to twice its size in a matter of breaths, casting bluish hues across the surrounding ground and the side wall of the keep. The atmosphere turned strangely eerie, and the temperature nearby seemed to drop by a few degrees.
The flame continued its journey long into the distance, growing ever larger until it approached the stables, where it had expanded to nearly a meter in diameter, resembling a sun descending from the heavens.
The horses within the stables stirred, their eyes wide with terror as they gazed upon this mass of fire. Though they felt no heat, an instinctual dread welled up from their very souls.
As the flame surged closer, it grew increasingly colossal, prompting the horses to tremble, retreating to the furthest corners of the stables. Even the most tempestuous stallion seemed to shiver in fright.
With no mercy, the flames accelerated, crashing like a cannonball into a chestnut horse.
The horse neighed in despair, a shriek of helplessness echoing out. Yet, the next moment, a miracle occurred.
Just as the flames seemed poised to collide with the creature's body, they vanished—like a vibrant bubble that had been popped, dissipating in an instant, leaving no trace behind, as if it had all been a fleeting dream.
The horse stood dazed...
In the nearby side keep's bedroom, Richard had just snapped his fingers, lowering his hand slowly.
At that moment, Richard gazed toward the stables from his window, a rare smile gracing his face. In that moment, Richard felt a surge of exhilaration, for he understood that a true door to an entirely new world was slowly opening before him.
Wizards!
The mysterious and perilous world of sorcery had arrived!
With autumn's crispness in the air...
The following morning brought a touch of humidity, with dew still lingering on the ground, yet Richard stepped out of the side keep.
He encountered Tuku, who was vigorously striking a wooden post with a knight's sword, glancing over with a look of surprise. Pausing his actions, he wiped the sweat from his brow and asked curiously, "Is there something you need, Master Richard?"
"Yes," Richard nodded, his spirits high from glimpsing the arcane realm. "Prepare yourself; I will need you to take the guards and accompany me out of the castle shortly."
"What for?" Tuku inquired, puzzled.
"An autumn outing," Richard replied with a smile.
"Hmm?" Tuku paused, the expression on his face growing somewhat peculiar, yet he said nothing further. He simply nodded and set off to gather the others.
After breakfast, the entire first guard assembled in the clearing before the side keep. As Richard stepped out with Lucy, the young maid, he saw Tuku leading two horses from the stables.
Richard recognized they were the horses Tuku had brought for him. Without saying a word, he approached the chestnut horse nearest to him.
However, Tuku suddenly spoke up, pointing to the other horse. "Master, perhaps you should ride the white one."
"Hmm?" Richard halted, looking back at Tuku, and asked, "What's the difference?"
"Well, um…" Tuku hesitated for a moment, finally confessing. "The chestnut horse is a recent arrival, still quite young and spirited, so it's a bit unruly. But the white horse is older, more docile, and therefore safer."
Upon hearing Tuku's words, Richard's eyes gleamed as he glanced at the white horse, then pivoted back to the chestnut horse, drawing out his words with slight intrigue. "Is that so..."
"Indeed," Tuku nodded earnestly.
"Yet, that may not be the case," Richard suddenly stated, striding directly toward the chestnut horse.
Tuku, taken aback, observed as the once fiery chestnut horse let out a plaintive whinny upon Richard's approach, as if sensing a dread beast encroaching upon it, trembling and recoiling involuntarily.
When Richard grasped the reins and lifted a hand to the horse's back, the chestnut horse froze in place, as if struck by a petrifying spell, its four legs rooted firmly to the ground, refusing to budge.
This!
Tuku was astonished!