16: The Concept

If the magic index required for successfully casting the Wand-Lighting Charm is 1, then Ivan was using 10 times that amount of magic power.

Previously, Ivan couldn't achieve this because he lacked a magic wand.

But now, with the aid of the Fenix Wand, as long as Ivan understands the technique, he could control not only the Wand-Lighting Charm but also more complex spells, like a level 20 Fiery Spell or even spells with a difficulty of 30.

"Yuumi, close your eyes."

With this in mind, Ivan took out a pair of sunglasses from the cabinet and drew the curtains closed.

Yuumi, picking up on her master's cues, quickly lay down and adorably covered her eyes with her paws.

With everything prepared, Ivan picked up his magic wand, recalled the sensation of casting without a spell from before, and waved the wand again.

Buzz!!

Again, without uttering a sound, a light as bright as a flash bomb illuminated the room.

However, this time, thanks to their precautions, neither Ivan nor Yuumi was affected by the brightness of the spell.

"Interesting!"

Ivan removed his sunglasses and smiled, "Just as I thought, as long as you remember the feeling when casting this spell, you can replicate it."

"But, what is this?"

A Flash Charm, or a vision-affecting charm?

Although he had only experimented with one spell, Ivan successfully discovered that the same spell could manifest differently depending on the amount of magic power used.

"One thing is certain, the effect of the spell is not directly proportional to the strength of the magic power."

In essence, magic in this world differs from that in fantasy games. You cannot simply inject more magic power into a small fireball to transform it into a large fireball or a pyroblast.

In fact, even a slight variation in magic power can completely alter the outcome of a spell.

Take the Lumos Charm, for instance: casting it with a magic power of 1 results in a simple illumination, whereas using a power of 10 transforms it into what might be called a 'flash spell.'

However, this shift from 1 to 10 in magic power isn't merely a change in brightness.

Ivan's soul, elevated to 4 points, seemed to intuitively warn him against arbitrarily altering the strength of magic power in a spell.

A mere failure is manageable, but an unexpected result could be disastrous.

"Standard Spells, Elementary" recounts an incident where a wizard named Baruffio mispronounced a spell—saying "s" instead of "f"—and ended up with a bison on his chest.

This illustrates the potential dangers of losing control over a spell.

With Ivan's current level of magical skill, random modifications to spells could easily harm him.

If it were just himself at risk, Ivan wouldn't worry.

Being a silent person, even a direct hit from a Blasting Curse might leave him unscathed.

But what about others?

Yuumi, the owl, this room, and even the friends and staff at the orphanage—these considerations compel Ivan to proceed with caution.

If he truly wants to continue experimenting, he should either find a secluded area or ensure thorough protective measures are in place to prevent accidents.

"Come to think of it, I recall Harry Potter had a classmate who seemed to cast an explosive spell no matter what spell he attempted."

"How did he do that?"

Ivan was still puzzled about the specific reason behind the classmate's unusual spellcasting.

He was certain that the little wizard's issue was not merely due to an excess of magical power.

"In short, it's quite excessive to increase magical power tenfold all at once."

"Haah.. Let's master the first-year spells first."

Utilizing his magic wand to channel his magical power, Ivan easily cast the nine spells listed in the first-year textbook.

There were no mishaps; he executed each spell smoothly and effortlessly.

It was as natural as instinct.

During this practice, Ivan successfully memorized the precise amount of magical strength required for the successful execution of these spells.

He didn't attempt to experiment further immediately but chose to continue studying, spending an afternoon to deeply engrain the contents of the first-year textbook in his memory.

After dinner, Ivan started reading the second-year spell textbook.

The second-year textbook listed a total of six spells: the Dancing Spell, the Engorgement Charm, the Freezing Charm, the General Counter-Spell, the Obliviation Charm, and the Squeaking Spell.

With the aid of his magic wand, Ivan successfully cast these spells effortlessly on his first attempt, just like the first-year spells.

Among these, Ivan singled out the Freezing Charm for special attention.

"Yuumi! please knock that orange!"

"Meaow? Meow!"

"Immobulus!"

"Good girl! Now that! knock that!"

"Immobulus!"

He repeatedly cast the Freezing Spell using his wand, aiming to gain a clearer understanding of the magical power required to successfully perform this spell.

"Will?"

During this exercise, Ivan discovered another intriguing facet of magic: the necessity of a firm will in spell casting.

"The role of the will attribute is to stabilize the output of magical power, which manifests in the ability to cast spells smoothly and ensure that magic does not spiral out of control."

For instance, the Freezing Charm in his practice seemed more akin to reducing the speed of molecular movement, as understood in scientific terms from his previous life, rather than merely 'freezing.'

Of course, it isn't exactly the same, but there are similarities.

The effect of the Freezing Charm is to decelerate the movement of objects.

Its manifestation somewhat resembles time deceleration, allowing both living and non-living things under its influence to move at a slower pace.

"Hmm, so when casting this spell, you need an unwavering intent to slow things down."

Ivan surmised that the essence of the spell was likely a form of psychological suggestion to fortify his resolve: "Casting spells without incantations is possible because you are sufficiently skilled and have integrated the spell into your instincts."

Just as with one's native language, when you see the word 'horse,' you instantly think of the animal.

Ultimately, it boils down to basic human cognition.

"If that's the case..."

Ivan closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then raised his wand.

Yuumi, observing nearby, saw this and immediately knocked an empty snack box onto the table.

This was precisely the support and assistance Ivan had requested from Yuumi while he practiced the Freezing Charm.

"Slow down!"

Ivan opened his eyes and waved his wand, channeling the necessary magical power for the Freezing Spell while focusing all his will.

Hu~~

Quietly, the box began to float in the air.

Upon closer inspection, one could see that the box was descending bit by bit at an exceptionally slow pace, following its original trajectory.

"Fuck Yes!!"

Ivan's eyes sparkled, and his grip on the wand tightened slightly.

"Just as I suspected, the essence of the spell is a strong psychological suggestion."

The phrase "slow down" that Ivan had silently recited in his heart was in "English Language" and not Latin which the HP books use to cast spells.

No, it shouldn't just be termed as "English"

More accurately, it was his interpretation and the necessity of the concept of "slow down."

Thus, Ivan succeeded in casting a silent Freezing Charm, not by silently reciting the incantation, but by embracing and internalizing the essence of the command.

However, Ivan was not content with just this achievement. He continued to practice, aiming to further analyze the magical power requirements for the Freezing Charm through repeated execution.