35 A New Start?
Even now that Ofris was protecting me, I was hesitating to read through the changes in my magic. He couldn't protect me from this, he could only help me find a way to avoid the traps built into it by Shiro.
I breathed in twice and began reading.
『Magic and Skills:
~~~Intermediate Magic (Fox-Edition)
⇒Foxfire: Summons x balls of fire to attack one or multiple opponents.
Mana cost: 20 + 5 for each additional fireball summoned.
Affinities: Fox magic (Increases heat by 25%)』
«Did it change? I could have sworn it read 'small' before.»
After a moment of hesitation, I turned towards the fireplace that looked as if it hadn't been used in years.
『Foxfire』
A single ball of blood-red fire formed in front of me. It was bigger than any of the foxfires I had summoned before, but still not bigger as a hand of mine. After spinning around and changing into a perfect round orb, the ball shot out and into the fireplace to explode into an almost inaudible wave of fire.
"The goblins wouldn't like this."
The first reaction I heard to my sudden display of magic was a loud gulp. I turned around to face Ofris, only to find him pale and restless.
"Didn't we had an agreement on sealing this magic forever?" His shaking voice asked.
"Sorry ..."
"It looks even stronger ..."
"Imagine what kind of damage this could-"
"Can we please not talk about it... ever again?"
Seeing Ofris like this made me pity him, but there was a small part in me that couldn't help but think of his reactions as fun to watch. I couldn't help but let my gaze wander away from his face and slowly down his chest and stomach. A mischievous smile appeared on my lips as he tried to shield his crown jewels with both of his hands.
"Ri- Rika," his voice nearly broke, "can we stop talking about this? There are other magic spells too, aren't there?! Tell us about them!"
"Maybe I should test the others, too."
"Yes! Test the others instead!"
My eyes went back to the screen, searching for a magic I would be able to test right here and now. Right the next magic on the list seemed to fit both categories, but, much like as with the foxfire, it wasn't something I had the best memories of.
『Charm: Allures a target. If successful, lowers the target's defensive capabilities and temporarily increases the attraction to the caster. Can be cast multiple times for a stacking effect. Chance to affect the target's memory. Voiceless activation: Blink fast thrice. Can also be cast by blowing a kiss for 2 times the effect. Mana cost: 15.
Affinities: Fox magic, light magic, nature magic (Increases effect by 100%, decreases mana cost by 50%)』
«Wait- double the effect?! No- it gets even stronger than that?!»
In front of my inner eye, a beautiful elf was looking at me with both lustful and greedy eyes. She had been like this after me just blinking a few times at her. Now it would be even more easy to do it?! If it took three stacks of that magic to bring her to that state. What would happen now?!
A cold shiver run over my body when I realized it would only take me to blow one kiss to have the same effect I had with all those blinks I tossed at her accidentally.
«What would I use this magic for in the first place?! Does she think I want to become a rapist?!»
The next magic didn't sound much better, either.
『Foxy Care: Decreases effects of exhaustion and general debuffs. Increases courage, endurance and strength. Increases natural mana and health regeneration for 1 hour. Can be cast multiple times for a stacking effect.
Voiceless activation: Kiss Target.
Cannot be cast using a chant. Mana cost: 1.
Affinities: Fox magic, nature magic (Increases effect by 50%, decreases mana cost by 80%)』
«So I can kiss for days now ...»
Lost in my thoughts I looked at Ofris's lips. My kisses would increase his strength now, probably to endless amounts. I could easily make him a hero, that is if I choose to deny seventeen years of living as a man.
"What is it?!" Ofris asked, still a little restless.
Reluctantly, I explained to him what the text read. Ofris face was no longer pale, it showed a slight red instead. Risa was red too, she, however, had a whole different reason for this: anger. I didn't care at all.
"If I had endless mana, I could increase your strength to that of a hero."
"You should wait with that until you are married!" Ofris replied, almost panicky.
My gaze wandered to the screen again. 『Foxy Lick』 had been buffed, too, as it had a better healing effect and could now fight not only infections but poison, too.
«I guess it is somehow useful now.»
Even though it sounded a lot better now, I would probably never really use it. Who would like to lick the wounds of others? And my own, I wouldn't be able to reach most of the times, aside maybe those on my underarms and my legs knee-downwards.
I still had nothing I could use in case there was a cut on my back, my stomach or all the other spots my tongue wouldn't be able to reach. Of course, the kissing magic wouldn't work either, as I could hardly kiss myself on the lips.
When my eyes finally caught a series of magic I never read about before, I felt both relieved and anxious. Who could know how many traps the vixen had hidden in these words?
『Confuse: Dazzles opponents with a series of Illusions.
Effects may vary.
Mana cost: 10』
"Next one is a spell that confuses enemies," I explained, "it should be harmless."
"Do you want to test it out?"
"I could, I guess. It is only 10 mana." I breathed in deeply before using the activation word: 『Confuse』
A white, glowing mist appeared in front of me. It changed into a silhouette, then into a body, before it eventually gained color. I stared at the illusion open-mouthed.
It was me! My own, new body! 'I' had appeared next to the table, in front of Ofris. The illusion climbed on his body, placed its hands on his chest and leaned in to steal a kiss. Ofris was petrified. He couldn't fend off the completely nude fox girl. It was only when his gaze wandered down "my" body, that I could free myself from my own shock. I attacked instantly.
"DON'T LOOK!"
⊱————- Extra ————-⊰
Ofris: This will stick in my head forever ...
Rika: Forget it! Forget it right now!
Ofris: I can't! How am I supposed to just forget it?!
Rika: Deleting memory... deleting memory... there isn't a magic that can delete memory! Maybe I should-
Ofris: Wait! I will forget it! I will forget it!
Ofris: See?! I am already forgetting it. What a nice day! Hello Rika. Did anything happen to you?! You look kinda confused!
