Chapter 22: The First Spell

Chap 22.

James stood in the center of the Sovereign's Sanctuary, his focus intense as the Skilled White Magician watched him with quiet attentiveness. It had been weeks since he had developed his new "pixel art" visualization method for creating magic circles, and now was the moment of truth.

He closed his eyes for a brief moment, then opened them with a determined look. 'I can do this,' he thought. His mind immediately started to break down the process: visualizing the magicules as individual pixels, each one a tiny building block, and positioning them precisely to form the intricate design of a magic circle. It felt like he was assembling a digital image from scratch, placing each pixel in its perfect spot, but the magicules felt fluid, unpredictable.

At first, nothing happened. Then, with a deep breath, he began to feel the faint stirrings of magic in the air around him. The magicules, hesitant at first, slowly started to move under his command. It was difficult, and the flow of energy felt slippery, but after several attempts, he finally succeeded in gathering them together to form a circle. The problem, however, was that James couldn't "see" his magicules. He couldn't visually confirm that they were properly arranged in the formation he had intended.

'How do I fix this?' he thought, frustration creeping into his mind. Then, it clicked. His Perception skill would help him see the magicules more clearly. Using it, he quickly sharpened his senses and gained clarity. He could now see the flow of magicules as they organized themselves into the pixelated formation he had envisioned.

'Yes,' he thought, relief flooding him. After 20 minutes of unrelenting concentration, sweat beading on his forehead, he managed to create his first magic circle: the Earth Bullet.

Excitement surged through him. This was it. The first step toward mastery. James couldn't help but grin as he realized what he had just accomplished. He was eager to test it. He stretched out his hand, palm facing forward, and the yellowish magic circle appeared in front of him, spinning with energy. His heart raced as he focused all his attention on the spell. "Earth Bullet!" he called, his voice steady and sure.

A small rock, about the size of a fist, shot out of the magic circle with speed and force, hitting the wall of the amphitheater with a satisfying thud. James stared at the wall, a mix of disbelief and excitement taking over him. He had done it. His first magic spell.

For the next three weeks, James kept up his rigorous training routine. Each morning, he would create his Blade Knight for sword training. His swordsmanship had improved tremendously, and the sparring sessions with the Blade Knight had become more challenging. He could feel the edge of each fight now, the need to stay sharp and alert. He also used Perception constantly to help read his opponent's movements and counter them more effectively. His reflexes and overall combat ability were evolving with each passing day.

In the afternoons and evenings, James would shift his focus to Skilled White Magician, who continued to guide him in refining his magic circle techniques. Thanks to the Bestiary Recall sub-skill of his Annihilation Creator, it had become easier to summon his training partners, like the Blade Knight and Skilled White Magician, without having to reimagine them from scratch each time. The creatures also retained the progress of their training, which meant that James wasn't starting from square one with each new session.

As the weeks passed, James began to develop more spells. The Earth Bullet was just the beginning. He soon created three more magic circles: Fire Bullet, Water Bullet, and Wind Bullet. While he understood that these were basic elemental spells that could likely already exist in the world, he took pride in the fact that they were his own creations—his version, based on his unique approach to magic circle creation.

James knew that these spells weren't like Annihilation Creator, where he could instantly manifest energy or effects. They required time to be summoned and the proper control over magicules to activate. Still, having them in his arsenal was a significant achievement. With each spell, he was less reliant on Annihilation Creator and more self-sufficient, which was exactly what he needed to continue growing in this strange world.

As he sat down later, reflecting on his progress, James couldn't help but feel a deep sense of pride. He was no longer just an outsider in a new world—he was becoming a practitioner of magic, a creator in his own right, able to control his fate with each new spell he unlocked.

Now, with the foundation of his magic skills in place, James couldn't help but wonder what other spells he could create. The world around him held so many possibilities.

End of chap.