Chapter 21: The Experiment

From the moment you're born, you learn to control two crucial things: your body and your mind. Some bodily functions, like breathing, are managed subconsciously, while others, such as resisting the urge to pee, require conscious effort and self-control. In the end, though, it was a person's main consciousness that steered the ship.

It's constantly tasked with the job of thinking through problems, assessing situations, and managing both mental and physical demands. With all this on one person's plate, it was no wonder why some got exhausted or just wanted to sleep all day, even if they didn't do anything strenuous.

However, for Magnus, the dynamic had shifted. He was no longer the sole pilot of his body, and the effects of this change were apparent almost immediately.

Inside the inner courtyard, Magnus was practicing as usual, but it was different now. He wasn't just going through routine physical exercises; he was actively throwing out attacks in succession. With flawless balance, he executed a sidekick, then, gaining momentum as if from nowhere, he launched a hook kick with his other leg. Holding the position perfectly, Magnus couldn't help but grin.

Perfect; they were executed exactly as I pictured. Good job, Basker.

[Thank you, master.]

Magnus was still using [Self Body Puppetry] to perform these moves, but the process had become nearly instantaneous, and yet another bottleneck on his abilities had disappeared.

An easy way to think of it was to imagine Magnus's progress so far as him leveling up. Initially, at the first level, he had to manually manage everything: creating mental images, maintaining them, and executing them.

At the second level, he simplified this by delegating the creation and maintenance of these images to the Command Console. At that point, all that he had to do after the Command Console accepted his intent was for him to double-check its work and then execute it. However, one limitation of this was that he couldn't focus on anything else while doing it; essentially, even though it was only for a brief moment, it cut off his ability to multitask.

But now, once again, the process had been made even more efficient; in fact, it was practically automated. Since Basker could both read and control his mind, that meant it truly only needed Magnus's intent, and it could handle the entire second-level process by itself, even if Magnus was busy thinking or focusing on something completely separate.

It was the difference between mastering a complex combo on a controller, then later programming that combo to a single button, and eventually getting to the point where you can chain multiple combos seamlessly while one is still in motion.

Besides that, Basker's existence also added a slew of enhancements to Magnus's mind, which made it essentially superhuman.

Although Magnus didn't have a photographic memory, what he had now was extremely close. As long as he was willing to give something his attention for a few moments, just long enough to create a sharp memory of it, even if he forgot about it later, that initial memory was enough. Basker was capable of digging up any memory and bringing it to the surface, even if it was buried somewhere in the corner of his mind.

This all meant he could essentially browse his own mind as if it had a search bar.

While he couldn't do something as fantastical as flipping through a book to memorize it—since it would all just be a blur in his memory—spending just a few seconds on each page was enough. He didn't even need to read the text; Basker could extract the information directly from the memory.

Basker, you said you could do even more than this, right? But are you currently limited by my brain?

[Yes, the capabilities of a human mind are finite. I can enhance certain aspects of master's brain beyond average levels, but there are still limits.]

Hmm, so to surpass these limitations, I'd need to alter the structure of my brain itself.

Magnus was no neurosurgeon, and even if he were, he didn't trust himself enough to tinker with his own brain. For now, that idea would have to wait. There was no need for him to get greedy after all.

Just the fact that I can use [Self Body Puppetry] to this extent is more than enough. Who knows how long it would have taken to reach this level of mastery if I had done things normally, or if I would have ever reached this level at all? Plus, all this just makes the chances of successfully developing the new skill I'm working on all the more likely.

Feeling satisfied, Magnus made a mental note to himself, to thank Basker's Mistress for sending him his way whenever he got the chance.

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"So everything went smoothly at the academy? That's great; I was worried they might pull something, given his unique background and origin." Mia flashed a relieved smile at Gerald, who was eagerly guzzling a mug overflowing with alcohol.

Gerald slammed the mug down on the wooden table, letting out a satisfied exhale. They were back at the same bar he and his war buddies had trashed. One of them had managed to foot the bill for the damages, so they weren't banned, but they were definitely not allowed to drink as heavily as before.

"Heh, you really do have a soft spot for folks like that kid. Always checking up on them, even after we've got them to safety. It's pretty sweet, haha!" Gerald's laughter boomed, blending seamlessly with the lively buzz of the bar.

"Cut it out…" Mia scowled at Gerald's ribbing as he took another gulp from his mug. When he set it down again, his face shifted from jovial to more somber.

Noticing the change, Mia's expression quickly shifted to mirror his. She flicked her wrists, sending green streaks of light through the air. Suddenly, within a small radius around them, noise ceased.

Invisible to the eye, the air around Gerald and Mia was now actively muffling any sound and vibrations. Once the barrier was set up, Mia focused her attention back on Gerald and asked straightforwardly.

"What is it?" Gerald sighed heavily in response, preparing to explain.

"Although they didn't show themselves, I felt us being watched at the academy. Likely through some category of sensory magic. And considering how well hidden the mana fluctuations were, I would say they were either at the level of an Archmage, or perhaps even higher."

Mia took a deep breath after hearing the word 'Archmage'.

If I remember correctly, anyone at the Master level within Takerth Academy would be considered a teacher; anyone beyond that must be a core member of the academy.

Seeing the gears in Mia's head beginning to turn, Gerald kept talking.

"The kid seemed fine when he returned to the villa, so I don't think they did anything to him. I checked on him late last night. Pezar said everything was normal, and he was sleeping peacefully." Mia tapped her finger on the table, deep in thought.

"So do you think this was just an innocent survey, then? The Major General and the academy aren't on good terms right now; they might have just been suspicious of us." Gerald considered this as he took another sip from his mug.

"Possibly, but either way, it means they will have their eyes on Magnus. And anything or anyone 'that' monster of a woman's people has their eyes on is in danger. Though, it's not like we'll be able to protect him considering the job Arbarth gave us." Mia nodded, understanding.

He's right. The City Council Meeting is just around the corner. The Major General needs us to handle some trouble on the eastern border. Something's killing entire squads, even with knights and mages helping.

Given the travel time to the border and the upcoming City Council Meeting, they'd likely have to leave next week. There was just no time to deal with anything else, including the situation with Magnus and the academy.

With that being the case, Mia couldn't help but feel disappointed in herself.

"In the end, I've pulled Magnus into this mess, haven't I? So much for trust…" Gerald just watched her in silence, knowing she was right. They could only brace for what was coming.

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"Magnus, are you still reading? Your order is ready." Celia walked into the library, her eyes spotting the mountains of books strewn across every table.

Magnus had been burying his nose into books for the last couple of nights. Previously, he had hunted for specific subjects, but now it seemed he was snatching up every non-fiction book in sight.

"Hmm? Oh, perfect!" Looking up from the encyclopedia-sized book in his hand, Magnus bookmarked the chapter he was on before tossing it onto a table. His eyes were sparkling with anticipation as he turned to see what Celia was holding.

It was a rather simple and small wooden box wrapped in cloth. Burned onto the wood was what Magnus assumed to be the mark of the blacksmith who made it.

"Just like you requested, the blacksmith used the toughest material he had. It took a little longer than I thought, though." Magnus dismissed the delay with a wave of his hand, knowing the wait would be worthwhile if the blacksmith had done exactly what he asked. Celia caught the excitement in his expression, and her curiosity was piqued.

"So, what exactly is this experiment about? I've been coming up with theories ever since I saw your sketches, but I couldn't figure it out. Is it a summoning ritual, or something to communicate with the dead?" Celia's experience with real magic was nonexistent, making her guesses wide and varied.

"Eh, no, it's nothing as crazy as that. Think of it as a kinetic energy weapon test." Magnus's casual reply made Celia tilt her head in confusion.

"Keni… Kinetic what?"

With a grin, Magnus didn't answer her and instead quickly led the way to another location, with Celia trailing behind him. He had decided that neither the front nor the inner courtyards would suffice for what he planned. They headed for the backyard instead. The backyard was simpler than the courtyards; it boasted neatly trimmed hedges and modest flowerbeds tucked into the corners.

Its most charming feature was a small pond, complete with a stone bridge arching over it.

But none of that mattered to Magnus. What interested him was the sheer size of the backyard; it was almost as big as the villa itself, meaning it was also the perfect place for his experiment. Not only that, but the gardeners only came by every week or so, so there wouldn't be any disruptions.

Opening up the wooden box, Magnus saw two items inside: a coin and a metal ball, both almost exactly how he had imagined them when he drew them on paper. The material they were made of caused them to be fairly heavy but also extremely durable.

Basker I want you to focus all our attention on memorizing these two objects as perfectly as possible.

[Yes, master.]

Immediately, Magnus felt changes in his mind; his focus became sharp, and the world around him was blotted out. It was similar to the hyperfocus Magnus would experience when he almost died, though still not exactly the same. In this state, it only took a few minutes for Magnus to engrave the shape, size, and details of both the coin and the metal ball in his mind from every angle.

It was useful when he was in a safe environment, but the tunnel vision effect was potentially dangerous and pretty exhausting, so he avoided using it.

"Alright, let's start. Celia, come here," he called out. Celia, poised with a notebook at the ready, looked up in surprise as Magnus beckoned.

"What do you need? Something else for the test?" she asked. Magnus nodded, extending his hand that held the coin-like object.

"The skill I'm trying to use is called [Bullseye]. Well, I made up that name since I've never tried it before. Anyway, I need you to place that coin somewhere here in the backyard, preferably behind something. Oh, and I'll close my eyes, so don't tell me where you're placing it."

Hearing his instructions, Celia nodded and took the coin before walking off; meanwhile, Magnus closed his eyes. His plan was straightforward, as the name of the skill suggested.

Basker, I need a space where the distance between the coin and the metal ball isn't defined.

A moment after his request, Basker crafted Magnus's vision precisely as he had asked, and Magnus proceeded to the next step.

Create an invisible path between the coin and the metal ball; its length will be indefinite, similar to their separation. Only adjust the velocity and leave all other values as is. The metal ball will follow this path, and let's set it to travel for exactly three seconds before it collides with the coin, fitting perfectly into the hole at its center. Can you manage all that?

Basker responded swiftly as Magnus felt his imagination taking shape. Suddenly, his mind seemed to become full; after all, the human brain wasn't naturally designed for such intense operations.

[I can visualize this; however, you need to define the trajectory for the projectile.]

Listening to Basker, Magnus thought briefly before deciding.

A straight line will suffice for now; let's not make it too complex.

With that, the envisioned scenario was completed and unfolded like a movie in Magnus's mind.

"I'm done," Celia's voice broke through, pulling Magnus back to reality. She had placed the coin somewhere in the backyard of the villa.

"Alright, let's see if this works. Oh, and Celia, make sure you're not in a direct path between me and where you put the coin." Celia nodded, stepping back and reopening her notebook.

She observed intently as Magnus drew back his arm, metal ball in hand. With a strong throw, he launched it straight ahead, activating his intent through the Command Console.

If everything goes as planned, this should be a flawless…

Defying gravity and kinetic energy, the metal ball halted mid-air for a brief moment before it surged forward. It zipped straight towards a large rock by the pond, blurring as it flew. Magnus and Celia watched as it pierced the rock like a relentless spear, sending fragments flying and splitting the rock open without slowing.

The metal ball maintained its speed, completely ignoring any obstacles.

Celia's eyes widened in awe. Then, a soft clinking sound rang out. Magnus walked over to the now-shattered rock and looked behind it.

Perfectly nestled in the center of the coin was the metal ball, dusted with sandy debris from its journey through the rock yet completely undamaged. Seeing his success, Magnus couldn't suppress a smile.

Bullseye!