Capítulo 7: Chapter 7 : First Spell
The basic magical theory class was just that, basic. Vega made plans to find the books listed during the class. Even though the lesson was monotone, Vega learned some simple symbols.
Circle meant to contain. Square meant to attract. Most of the spell models contain those two symbols. As an apprentice, Vega could only rely on an existing spell model that had been perfected several times by the masters.
Even the smartest or the most genius apprentice didn't have the ability to affect the flow of natural things. That was when the adepts came in.
With the model he found inside his meditation exercise, he should be able to direct the elements around him following his command. Focus. The focus was an integral part of doing magic. When getting distracted, the whole structure of the spell would break.
"Why do you think a spell is important?"
Learning from the previous experience, the apprentices chose to not answer the question. They all knew whatever answers they may have, the master would say it was wrong.
"No one? What kind of class is this?" The master complained. "Alright then, I'll tell you anyway. The spell is meant to improve your mental capacity. Do you see how the structure gets more complicated, from the simplest version to the updated version? Of course, the power released by the updated version is also bigger. You must update or perfect an existing models for your breakthrough to become adept. In turn, the academy will give you contributions."
Looking at the time, he knew his time was up. The master finished the class in a rush.
Vega sighed. He needed a lot of time to finalize his first spell model. Closing his book, he followed the path along the lines of palm trees. A slight change in temperature made Vega walk slower, heading to the next class.
He was finally able to enjoy his time alone, exploring the academy. Dion had left him with the other nobles. Aside from hating the nobles, Vega admitted that Dion's company was really nice.
Instead of being held in a building, the next class was different. A clearing. A Slight sound of water hitting the sand and the breeze made him relax. He chose to sit down on the sand, waiting for the master to arrive. The soft, slightly cold sand felt firm under him. Dion grabbed a handful. It clung to his fingers, wet after a whole night submerged under the water.
A lady finally arrived. She rode a flying carpet. Different from the previous master, she wore a smile and nodded to everyone.
Tapping her pouch, a creature with six legs stood tall next to her. Vega quickly held his arms up to defend himself, but with creatures that big, his attempt was futile. The creature just looked around with its little eyes. Not regarding any apprentices, it went around the mistress walking sideways.
"The crab, formally known as scarling. The most common creatures you could find almost everywhere on the Islands. Their adaptive nature made them well-versed with many elements. Some evolve to excel at fire, water, or earth. Where you feel the mana, I bet the scarling will thrive there."
She explained how different scarlings could have different attributes. The huge scarling in front of him shot bubbles from the mandibles around its mouth. The bubbles popped, and a sizzling sound from the place where it landed.
"See that…" she pointed to the ground that was now filled with little craters. "… even without the rare acid element, the right claw could snap you in half. All similar creatures with hard outer shells will shed. That was the best time for you to hunt them."
Vega took notes on many animals the mistress explained with gusto. A creature looked like a star and had the ability to regenerate fast. Turtles that liked to stay in groups basking in the sand. Or even dog-like creatures with flaps instead of legs.
One reminder before the mistress finished the class, "Anyone that could submit three shells of scarlings would get five hundred points!"
Vega's eyes widened upon hearing that. The value was about the same as five magic stones. Something that he badly needed.
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Vega spent time rereading his notes on the basics in the following days. Always starts from the basics, he thought. The library, even the first floor, was a treasure for him. Vega looked around. After ensuring he didn't draw any attention, he tiptoed to the place hidden from everyone.
He carefully took a book from the corner of the shelves and blew the dust on it. He held his cough and covered his mouth with his robe. The leather smelled weird. Sitting down on the ground, he opened the book.
Vega was surprised, no crazy titles. Smiling, he was glad about the change. Now, he had bigger expectations with the book. But in turn, the first page made him frown. A sketch of a standing human greeted him. Seven dots made a line from top to bottom. Vega squinted and found a little symbol next to each.
The premise was simple when focusing on each point, he would hear the sound of nature. After taking simple notes, Vega went back.
He spent his time the next days revising his notes. Deciding that it wouldn't bring him any harm, he changed meditation. Normally, he would be focusing on his breath and counting them. Based on the new instructions, he focused on each sacral point. Started from the crown of his head, forehead, neck, chest, belly, genital, and finally, the base of his spine.
The first day he started, nothing happened. On the second day, he heard a humming inside, but then he lost it. By the third day, each point he focused on hummed different tones. Unconsciously, he followed the notes while meditating.
It became a habit. Sometimes, he hummed the tones without realizing it. Winds and trees swayed softly, following him. The humming didn't go unnoticed.
Occasionally, a figure with a blue bandanna wrapped around her head showed herself. Her bangles clinked together, making the apprentices see different things. She observed Vega doing the same thing over and over again. In the end, she smiled and nodded.
On the fifth day, Dion's faithful call made Vega realize he wasn't a genius. The noble had mastered his first spell and invited him to go together hunting the scarlings. He rejected the invite knowing that without his spell, only his name was left after the mission. Sneering inside, with Dion's background, learning spells will be as easy as breathing. He shook his head and worked harder. He didn't want to lose to Dion and hoped to be better than the noble.
On the seventh day, the sun finished shining, and the moon happily replaced him. A clang that sounded oddly similar to metal clashing disturbed the area around a simple wooden hut.
Expecting a fight, the apprentices went out of their respective places. After looking around, they all observed the hut where the slashing noise was.
There was no fight, but the apprentices flocked together outside the building, thinking a fight was happening. Murmurs around the house grew louder and louder. One thought an assassin had come, the other talking about a fight for a treasure. Suddenly the air grew unnaturally quiet. Some weak apprentices felt weak, and blood flowed from their nostrils. The stronger ones held their ground. Relieving the strong pressure, the apprentice looked around, bowed, and left.
Inside, Vega was smiling, and with a twirl of his finger, a clashing noise from the place he intended could be considered a succesful attempt. After getting used to the hum, he noticed that he didn't have to focus much on casting his first spell. He tried dancing, and still with a little intention, the clang and wind slashing sounded again.
After trying for his fifth try, he felt his head pound. Sitting down, he tried to regain his bearing. With a forced smile, Vega realized that his mana was depleted. So, in his level, he could only do the spell five times before he was out of mana. Taking a deep breath, he did his meditation. Focusing on each sacral points, he heard the sound clearer. The mana around him slowly gathered. He absorbed them to gain the mana he had lost.
After thirty minutes, Vega felt that his mana had recovered. Closing the door quietly, he went out and threaded the path to the library. At night, the place was quieter. He found that he could focus more at night. Choosing the seat in the corner, he opened the book he had reserved beforehand.
The leather-bound cover and the weight evoked the child inside him. Smiling, he read the first word. "Poisonous Plants and Usage. To Kill or Not To Kill, That is the Question." He scoffed, and now we're back with the weird titles. Shaking his head, he already expected it from his experience opening the books here. After getting used to the weird style, Vega instead focused on the summary of the plants. After taking notes, he closed the book and went outside to prepare for his first adventure.
"How much for the common Oleanders?"
"A stalk? One copper each," answered the other apprentice while muttering incorrigible words.
"Ten full stalks then."
The transaction was finalized, and Vega went back. He didn't forget to break one of the branch laying on the sand and brought it with him. In his room, Vega gingerly took out the stolen ceramic bowls and spoon from the dining hall. With sweat rolling down his forehead, he finally finished making his first poison. He prepared an ordinary crab to try it out and poked the eyes with a needle smeared with poison. The crab twitched and died.
Of course, the scarlings were bigger, smarter, and harder to kill. He made a simple wooden tube from the branch he took on the way here. Squinting his eyes, he looked through the tube and smiled. Fortunately, I still remember how to make my own poison dart. With the knowledge he learned on the street, he prepared little traps and also applied the poison he prepared.
Checking himself, he closed the door behind him quietly. On the way to the mission center, he heard several whispers.
"Did you hear? The apprentices went missing. Not the regular ones, the nobles."
"So what? The academy never paid any attention to missing students. They only posted here and gave us more contribution points afterward."
"Sush! The masters will hear you."
"No matter, I..."
Vega kept hearing the same thing over and over again. The story became more elaborate the more he heard. One blamed the demons. One blamed the practitioners. Another blamed a murder.
Finally, Vega saw the notice and took the one about the shells of scarlings. Feeling glad his friend hadn't submitted any, he could beat him and be the first to kill the scarlings. With his pouch on his right waist and the scabbard on his left, Vega left the academy quietly.
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"Lian, Lian." The boy in question looked up with a frown.
"We have to get ready soon. Master gave us a new task!"
"What task?" He asked, still flipping the manuals about the Dragon Palm.
"The guards told us about three apprentices wandering too close to our sect..."
Lian sighed. The hate had been too long. The reason? No one knew. The master said that their magic was wrong. He hated fighting people, but he still had to follow instructions as a qi condensation junior. Standing up, he brushed the dirt from his white robe. Still, the robe was designed to repel water and dirt without him to clean it.
Inside his bag of holding, he had the last night's bread. The taste reminded him of the sand under his feet, hard and coarse. While his mind wandered to the life on the other side where the powerful sects and practitioners live. The story of a sect on the mountain with better spirit tools. But the Lone Water Sect is the only sect in the vicinity. The lowest sect had to live by stealing from apprentices.
The journey was fast. As one in qi condensation level, Lian learned to use his swords to fly. Looking from above, he can easily see the silhouette of three people trying to kill the fire crabs. One boy brandished his sword like a practitioner, and the other held the crab down with her thin vine. Another apprentice tried to use a fireball to kill the crab. Lian scoffed. They say they harness their mind. But what's with the fire fighting fire? A futile attempt.
Lian nodded to his sect brothers, and both prepared a sealing formation. Tapping the talisman, the ground under the group rose and trapped the three and the crab. He punched the crab with the newly learned dragon palm, and a crack on the shell meant it was a success. Smiling, he promised himself to practice the manual later.
After ensuring the apprentices lost consciousness, his sect brother poured water on the one using the sword. The boy woke up and looked around, confused, and finally, a recognition touched his face.
"You are the abominations," the boy said, looking at the clothes Lian and his brother wore.
"Say it yourself," his brother's face red. Angry to be called an abomination.
"Xiong, it's not the time. We have to ask him about his sword." Lian had to be the leader because his cultivation was higher. "What's your name?"
"Dionalente Brighthorn," Dion replied. Seeing that the two abominations in front of him frowned, he changed it. "Dion."
"Di an? What a weird name. A calm bamboo stick. Who would ever give their kid a name like that?" Lian frowned.
"Hmmmpphhh, hahahahha. That's fine. Do you want to change his name into something girly? Like Xiao Ping Guo?" Seeing his friend looking at him with a look that kills, he shut his mouth. "Sorry, Lian."
Lian hated his name, White Lotus, Bai Lian. He chose to be called Lian instead of his long name. Now, after Di entered the sect, he could be the one who gets to be called weirdly. He smiled at the prospect. Looking back at the man with the huge body in front of him.
"If you want to survive, you must follow us to the sect. Who knows that sword's skill can be useful."
Dion can only nod, looking back to the left toward the academy. He needed to survive to fulfill his promise to his brother.
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