3

A few months had passed by since Art first levitated his toy.

This morning, he woke up, still thrilled from the previous night's achievement of levitating a ball for ten minutes—a vast improvement from his early attempts at magic.

"Fuck yeah!" Art attempted to shout, but what actually emerged from his mouth was a jumble of gibberish.

Though he looked ridiculous with his chubby cheeks jiggling as he pumped his fist in the air, his excitement was justified. He had no idea what he was doing or how magic worked. The only thing he knew was that the more he exhausted himself using magic, the more he could use it.

Maybe it was his mana pool increasing or whatever they called it in this world, but none of that mattered. It was progress.

This alone assured him he was on the right path. There was no need for a magic teacher— though it would be nice to have one.

Art wanted more than just the ability to levitate objects; he desired to master other types of magic. So after last night's achievement, he couldn't help but gain a little more confidence, perhaps a little too much. How awesome would it be to blow up a mountain with a single spell?

"Okay, let's give it a go…. Darkness blacker than black and darker than dark, I beseech thee, combine with my deep crimson…" Art started chanting, but what he failed to realise was that if the spell actually worked— a whole district of Piltover would disappear off the map.

Fortunately, the spell failed and it failed when he tried again a few seconds later. 

Of course, he wasn't about to give up. He decided to try the chakra power system from Naruto and clumsily performed the hand signs... Horse, tiger, serpent, ram, monkey, boar, horse and lastly tiger. 

Honestly, this would have been fine—if only he hadn't chosen to attempt casting a fireball jutsu.

The problem was that he was surrounded by combustible items. Blankets, pillows, and wood were just a few of the flammable materials nearby. Had it worked, it would have started a fire and he would have burned to death. If he survived, he'd suffer third degree burns and end up looking like Freddy Krueger.

Still, he remained unconvinced from his failed attempts and attributed in to his inexperience. After app, it had only been a months since he began learning magic.

"...I'll try again later," Art mumbled to himself, then pretended to cry out loud to call his mother.

It was time for breakfast.

A few moments later, Lilah walked into his room and picked him up. She started breast feeding him, the look on his face a mix of reluctance and embarrassment as he was suckling on his mother teat. 

"There, there, you must have been hungry," Lilah comforted, her gentle tone unintentionally worsening the situation as he could understand a little of what she said.

"I just need to get used to it— just get used to it," Art kept telling himself.

...Another month passed, one day Art finally gave up trying to use powers system from the anime he used to watch and came up with a new idea... If I can't conjure fire out of thin air and all that cool shit, what if I channel mana into my body?

In countless fantasy novels and anime series, magic could enhance one's body to superhuman levels. Art recalled examples such as Hollowfication from Bleach and Kaio-ken from Dragon Ball Z.

The thought of punching through walls and leaping higher than an Olympic athlete filled Art with excitement. He couldn't hold back and immediately began channeling magic through his body. Naturally, he had to be cautious to prevent any injuries.

As it happened, Art had a few theories already formed—or rather, remembered—on how to go about it.

One of the theories Art considered was using chakra pathways from Naruto as a model. Though he lacked chakra pathways, his cardiovascular system, which circulated blood throughout his body, seemed like a viable alternative.

If this theory worked, he could potentially circulate mana through his body, gaining strength similar to Tsunade or Sakura, and maybe even activating his own eye technique. But it turned out to be much more challenging than he had initially expected—certainly more so than levitating a toy through sheer will and magic.

Art had to guide the magic stored in his body into the vessels of his cardiovascular system. He had a general idea of what he was doing, but the process was more difficult than anticipated.

The mana consumption was high, and it felt like threading a needle in the dark while being drunk.

He spent weeks refining what he called body enhancement magic, and even now, he still occasionally slipped up. These minor mistakes often left him bedridden for a day or two, as if he had gone through a grueling workout.

But the benefits made it all worth the effort.

This new magic of his could boost his physical abilities, and the more mana he channeled into his body, the greater the enhancement.

Art wanted to test how far he could go, but his parents' constant monitoring forced him to halt his efforts.

He had no one to blame but himself. After he became bedridden while developing body enhancement magic, his parents became deeply worried. They had no clue he was practicing magic and were horrified to discover him lying motionless every few mornings, looking like a lifeless body.

In response, his parents began taking him for nearly daily medical check-ups.

Art was troubled by this, as it cut into his training time, but it also brought him closer to his parents, seeing how much they genuinely cared for him. It eased the sadness of leaving his parents and friends behind in his old world.

Was it worth all this trouble?

For Art, the answer was undeniable: a resounding, fat, fucking yes.

Having lived in a world devoid of magic, like most people, Art had always dreamed of possessing powers. Now that he had the opportunity and talent to wield magic, it was no wonder he was willing to endure any trouble, even severe injury.

Because of this, he was adamant about not revealing his magical abilities to his parents. He feared they might prohibit him from using magic... Ain't no way I'm stopping!

Additionally, learning body enhancement magic had improved his ability to control his mana.

He could now do more than simply levitate objects; he could control their movements with precision. It was genuine telekinesis!

Still, despite wanting to hide his abilities, there was a part of him that wanted to show off.

Body enhancement magic was perfect for this, as it didn't involve any flashy changes like his hair turning yellow upon activation.

On a day like any other, Art was with his parents. Lilah and Zalie were teaching him how to walk—or more specifically, how to stand on his own. He wasn't even eight months old yet, and at that age, his legs were still weak.

The three of them were in Art's room, with his parents seated on the carpet floor with him.

"You can do it. Mommy will be here to help you if you fall," Lilah encouraged, her arm outstretched toward him.

Although he barely understood her, Art grasped the gist of what she said. He grabbed his mother's hands for support and slowly pulled himself up to stand on his legs. 

"Look at him go, darling." 

"Our boy is a genius." 

Lilah and Zalie clapped with excitement, and kept praising him, causing him to feel a bit embarrassed. 

"You guys are overreacting," Art said to himself, but when he saw their expressions, he sighed and smiled, "I'll show you guys something even better. Now, witness my true power!" He activated his body enhancement magic, feeling a surge of mana coursing through him and strengthening his muscles.

At that moment, Art didn't take just one or two steps, but six steps forward!

His parents were amazed and genuinely this time. Seeing a seven-month-old baby walk was nothing short of miraculous.

Lilah clapped her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide with astonishment. "Did you see that, honey?"

Zalie nodded, equally stunned. "He's walking! Our little Art is walking!"