Oliver's eyes widened in shock as Val collapsed to the forest floor. A flicker of realization crossed his face as he observed Val's collapsed figure laying motionless on the ground. He knew from experience that recklessly harnessing soul power could lead to dire consequences, and now Val had succumbed to those repercussions.
But then, his brow furrowed in puzzlement.
Typically, an individual would feel unwell before completely exhausting their soul power. As a result, they would cease their casting of wizardry, yet Val had kept pushing until he collapsed. Why hadn't he stopped?
Several possibilities flitted through Oliver's mind.
Could it be that Val had failed to recognize the severity of the oncoming backlash and hadn't wanted to appear weak in front of him, so he had pushed through the discomfort, the pain, and the dizziness until he was completely spent? It made sense because Val didn't have a mentor to teach him wizardry before him.