Testing Spells!

"'Lesser Fireball,'" Leonard murmured, gripping his staff tightly. A blazing fireball, as large as a washbasin, materialized at the staff's tip, its searing flames casting flickering shadows in the dark. The fireball floated ominously in the air, radiating an intense heat that made Leonard squint, even from half a meter away.

With a subtle motion of his staff, the fireball arced through the air like a comet, streaking toward the distant sea. The instant it struck the water's surface, it erupted in a small but fiery explosion. Sparks scattered, reflecting a red glow on the dark waves before fizzling out like a fleeting firework. The sight was dazzling, but against the vastness of the ocean, the fireball's impact felt like a mere ripple.

Testing such a volatile spell at home was out of the question. The risk of burning down the house and forcing his family to relocate; was far too high. So Leonard had slipped out after nightfall, finding a secluded stretch of coastline to unleash his magic.

With 'Lesser Fireball' tested, Leonard turned to his next spell: 'Mage's Hand.' He carefully released his mental energy, directing it into the spell's framework. To his surprise, the casting process revealed two distinct rhythms. The first required a steady infusion of mental power, and the spell's consumption was continuous, like controlling the flow of water through a sluice gate. Leonard set it to the lowest level, feeling his mental energy drain at a rate of 0.1 points per second.

In the air before him, an enormous, transparent hand materialized, visible only to him. It floated silently, detached at the wrist, and measured half a meter in length; a sizable, magical appendage under his control.

Testing its strength, Leonard directed the hand to slam down on the ground. 'Bang!' Dust rose as the impact echoed in the quiet night. Next, he commanded it to lift a stone, roughly the size of a basketball. The hand obeyed effortlessly, holding the rock suspended in mid-air.

Satisfied, Leonard withdrew his mental energy, and the hand vanished. He rubbed his temples, feeling the strain. The spell was undeniably powerful but consumed mental energy at an alarming rate. Even with his current mental strength of 6.9, the 'Mage's Hand' could only be sustained for a maximum of 69 seconds.

"Well," Leonard thought, "it's not practical for prolonged use, but it's flashy enough to impress anyone unfamiliar with magic."

Finally, he moved on to the last spell: 'Lesser Illusion.' As his mental energy drained, a phantom appeared before him, an almost perfect copy of himself. It was dressed identically, mimicking his stance and movements. But on closer inspection, the illusion's resemblance was only about 80%. Anyone who wasn't familiar with Leonard or who didn't look closely might have been fooled, but to a keen eye, the differences were noticeable.

As he stood face-to-face with his spectral double, Leonard assessed the spell's potential. Though it lacked physical substance and couldn't interact with the world, it was a valuable tool for deception or diversion. Still, like the other spells, 'Lesser Illusion' required precision and mental energy, which limited its usefulness for now.

Checking his stats, Leonard reflected on his progress:

---

Leonard

Level: 9 (0/100)

- Physical Fitness: 3.47

- Mental Strength: 6.9

- Mastery:

- 'Earth Ring Meditation (24%)'

- 'Level 1 Mutation (47%)' (0/10)

- 'Level 1 Blood Science (5%)' (0/10)

- 'Level 1 Alchemy (2%)' (0/10)

- General Experience: 40

---

Even with his growing mental strength, Leonard knew these spells were just the beginning. Each one offered unique advantages but came with limitations. For now, 'Mage's Hand' was better suited for brief utility rather than prolonged combat, and 'Lesser Illusion' needed more refinement to fool a discerning observer. Still, the satisfying progress of mastering these spells gave him a renewed sense of purpose.

Leonard glanced at his phantom one last time before dismissing it. 'The path of a wizard isn't easy,' he thought, 'but it's worth every step.'

In Leonard's eyes, the most glaring flaw in the illusion spell was its temperament. The phantom standing before him had a dull, rigid demeanor, hardly convincing.

This was the culmination of two weeks of relentless effort. A month had passed since Leonard last left Teacher Angelet's guidance, and at first, his illusions were laughably crude. While they might fool someone if they stood completely still, the moment they were made to move or perform actions, their stiffness and artificiality became obvious.

Over the past half-month, Leonard had worked tirelessly to refine the spell, making significant progress. Now, the illusions were far more fluid and lifelike, but there was still room for improvement.

As for his last spell, 'Whip of Thorns', the framework was complete, but he lacked the critical ingredient: mutant plant seeds.

There were two ways to acquire such seeds, find magical plants in the wild or cultivate them. Wild magical plants were out of reach for now, leaving Leonard to resort to cultivation. Using chemicals, he had been able to produce mutated seeds through large-scale screening. While these seeds showed signs of ordinary mutations, none possessed magical properties, which made him painfully aware of how difficult it was to create seeds with actual magical power.

Just as Leonard turned to leave, a faint rustling from the bushes behind him caught his attention. His sharpened senses picked up the sound clearly in the stillness of the night.

'An animal? Or someone who saw me casting spells?'

Leonard acted as if he hadn't noticed, walking back calmly without a sound.

In the shadows, Bayer crouched low, watching his target. His mind was foggy, his instincts primal, but the man ahead of him ignited an overwhelming hunger. Bayer had feasted on blood not long ago, yet this stranger gave off an irresistible allure, like a fresh, delicious meal waiting to be devoured.

When Leonard turned a corner and vanished behind a large rock, Bayer quickened his pace, eager to close the distance. But as he rounded the corner, he was met with a jarring sight, the man was now running ahead.

Fueled by instinct, Bayer broke into a sprint, charging through the bushes with surprising speed. Just as he gained momentum, a blinding heatwave struck him from behind.

'Boom!'

A searing explosion ripped through the air. Bayer let out a guttural scream as fire engulfed his back, the blazing impact slamming him to the ground. His vest disintegrated into charred scraps, the acrid smell of burnt flesh filling his nose. Despite the agony, Bayer struggled to his feet, only for a crushing mental shock to slam into his head.

If Bayer could think clearly, he'd have cursed this turn of events as completely unfair. Dazed and stunned, his body swayed on the spot, unable to react.

Leonard wasted no time. Seeing his opponent temporarily immobilized, he launched an acid missile. The caustic substance splattered across Bayer's head, sizzling and eating away at his flesh. Yellow-green pus oozed from the wound, but even with half his head melted, Bayer refused to die. His body twitched and convulsed, defying reason.

Leonard stared in shock. He had never seen anyone or anything, survive both a 'Lesser Fireball' and an acid missile. Bayer's resilience was unnerving.

But Leonard wasn't about to take chances. His mental strength was running low, and he couldn't afford to drag this out. Summoning 'Mage's Hand', he picked up a heavy stone and brought it crashing down on Bayer's exposed skull.

Once. Twice. Again and again.

He didn't stop until Bayer's head was reduced to an unrecognizable pulp, a grotesque paste smeared across the ground.

Breathing heavily, Leonard took a step back, his heart still pounding. "That was too close," he muttered. If Bayer had lasted just a little longer, Leonard would've run out of mental energy and who knows what would've happened then?