Chapter 23: Chapter 23: Strange Accident in the Library
[Third Person's PoV]
Stephen casually caught up with the others, his cape widening to slow his descent before walking alongside them.
"So, did you make sure that granny made it out okay?" Vanessa asked teasingly.
Stephen smiled, "Yup, I escorted her out properly."
Vanessa nodded, while she and Noelle made a few more purchases. When they were finished, Vanessa turned to find Stephen leaning against a wall, reading with a serious expression.
She pouted, her shoulders slumping. "Is shopping with us such a bore that you'd rather read?"
Stephen looked up, slightly apologetic. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude." He smiled charmingly. "Actually, I'm thankful you dragged me along."
Vanessa blinked. "Eh? Really?"
Stephen closed his grimoire with a nod. "Yes, it gave me an opportunity I wouldn't have had if I stayed behind, so thank you."
Vanessa smirked, dipping down a little. "You're very welcome."
Noelle, with a straight face, chimed in, "Can you just open a portal so we can get back to the base?"
Stephen glanced around. "Did everyone get everything they needed?"
Asta threw a thumbs up. "I'm all set!"
Vanessa and Noelle showed him their bags, nodding in agreement. Stephen conjured a portal with his sling ring, leading them back to the Black Bull base.
As the portal closed behind them, Stephen walked ahead. "I won't be available for the rest of the day."
"Huh?" Noelle asked.
"Why?" Vanessa added curiously.
"I've got something important to study," Stephen replied as he opened another portal to his room. Before they could ask anything else, the portal shut behind him, leaving them both confused.
Inside his room, Stephen flopped onto his bed, Nero perched on his shoulder. "Now then…" he muttered, sitting cross-legged as his grimoire floated up from his lap.
Turning to Nero, he asked, "Are you ready?"
Nero nodded, focusing on the grimoire. A brief flash of light emanated from it as they both closed their eyes.
...
Stephen found himself back in the library with Secre by his side. He glanced at her, a smile tugging at his lips. "Want to know something funny?"
Secre tilted her head curiously, urging him to continue.
"Even though I have a doctor's exam in two days, I don't have a single healing spell in my arsenal."
Secre stared at him incredulously. "Are… are you serious right now? What about that spell you used on the old man to stop his bleeding?"
Stephen rubbed the back of his head with a chuckle. "Yeah, that wasn't a healing spell. It was just something I improvised."
"And you're seriously going to take that test in two days?" Secre's worry was apparent. "You're going to epically fail! And with the Wizard King endorsing you, disappointing him would look terrible!"
Stephen, however, looked at her proudly. "Secre, I'm about to show you the human superpower of procrastination!"
As Secre looked at Stephen, she felt her eye twitch with growing exasperation. "Please tell me you're joking..."
Stephen shook his head, completely serious. "Nope, I'm for real. Leaving everything until the last minute is a calculated method to efficiently pressure myself into learning quickly. It's called being strategic."
"Really? I thought it was called being an idiot. Could've fooled me," Secre replied, her expression flat.
"You'll see." Stephen smirked proudly before turning to the bookshelves. "Bring me all the best books on medical knowledge and healing magic."
Books came flying from around the corner, surrounding both of them in a cloud of fluttering pages. As Stephen eyed the collection, one item stood out—it wasn't a book but an ancient scroll. Narrowing his eyes, he called it toward him, catching it in his hands.
He unrolled the scroll, reading the title aloud: "The Scroll of Melsalam."
Stephen nodded in understanding before turning to Secre with his signature grin. "You're about to witness the power of procrastination at its peak. Ready?"
Secre rolled her eyes and waved her hand, urging him to go ahead.
Around Stephen's arm, green magical circles began to glow, and after performing a series of rapid hand signs, he muttered, "Accelerare & Festina progredi."
[Time Magic: Fast Forward]
In an instant, Stephen became a blur, skimming through the books at an impossibly fast rate. Secre stood there, mouth agape, as the books lined up one after the other, flying into Stephen's hands. He breezed through each one at lightning speed, barely touching them before moving on to the next. When his fingers finally landed on the Scroll of Melsalam, a massive explosion of energy erupted.
Stephen was violently thrown backward, crashing into a bookshelf, causing it to shatter and sending a rain of books cascading down on him.
Secre gasped, covering her mouth in shock. All she could see was the twitching edge of Stephen's cape and one hand poking out of the pile of fallen books.
"Stephen!" she exclaimed, rushing over. She frantically moved the books aside, unburying him, only to find Stephen groaning in pain, hunched on all fours, clutching his back.
As he struggled to stand, Secre saw his lips trembling, and his eyes glistened with unshed tears.
"Are... Are you crying?" Secre asked with worry, utterly confused by the sight.
Stephen's voice strained as he tried to deny it. "Nooo~" he whimpered, before breaking down completely. "Yessss~ It hurts so much!"
Secre sighed, gently rubbing Stephen's back to soothe him as he cried. "There, there..." she said softly.
Stephen sniffled, slowly pulling himself up while leaning against the damaged bookshelf. "I was going too fast..." he admitted, limping as Secre guided him forward like an old man.
"I messed up the spell," he explained with a wince, "The healing energy clashed with the temporal energy, causing the explosion that sent me flying. Turns out, reading at super speed is fine, but trying to cast magic at that speed? Not so much. It should've been obvious... especially for spells that require hand signs and incantations." He groaned as Secre helped him sit in a chair.
Secre sighed, hand on her hip, watching him groan in pain. "Honestly, Stephen, what am I going to do with you..."
"A hug would be fantastic right about now," Stephen said, extending his arms with a hopeful smile.
Secre rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress a small laugh. She obliged, giving him a quick hug and patting his back.
"Ahhh~ This feels nice..." Stephen muttered, grinning. "We should do this more often."
Secre smiled, moving away after a moment. "That's enough. I hope it helped."
Stephen threw her a thumbs up, still groaning slightly as he shifted into a cross-legged position. "Alright... I'm going to try one of the healing spells I saw on that scroll. Let's see, it went something like this..."
He closed his eyes, making devil horns with both hands, and began positioning them methodically. He took a deep breath, bringing his hands back into a meditative pose, and slowly exhaled, releasing a beautiful, light green energy from his body.
As he floated gently upward, Stephen muttered, "بقوتي الغامضة، أنا من أشفي نفسي."
[Healing Magic: Gorgerell Self-Healing Spell]
The green aura swirled majestically around him, illuminating the room with a soft, ethereal glow. Even Secre was mesmerized by the beauty of the magic.
Stephen's back straightened as the pain melted away, his body fully healed. With a deep breath, he floated back down into the chair, the energy gradually fading into the air.
Opening his eyes, Stephen flashed a smug grin at Secre. "And that's what I call the power of procrastination."
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