Asher found himself teleported to the familar dark space his purple core lived in. It was the size of a small ball that it had always been because he never cultivated it.
"Now let's try spell casting. I'll go with the safest. [Waterball]."
Asher made a large waterball, the size of a small house this time but unlike before, something felt missing unlike when he did it outside.
"Size pheraphs?"
Asher increased the size to the same as before but he couldn't shake off that feeling.
"Hmm..."
He turned to his core this time.
"Maybe you?"
He turned to his core and he placed the water ball on it and for a second, Asher felt 'complete.'
"I see."
He let the core enter the large ball of water and that feeling came back. The water ball began to get compressed at a very fast speed and in the next second, it was the size of a drop of water.
[CONGRATULATIONS!]
[You have awakened the "Eye of Compress!"]
[You can compress anything within your field of vision to the size of an atom or less depending on your mental capacity!
Essence consumption is 1000E per minute.]
"Woah, at least this one's better."
Unknown to him, outside his body, there was a little commotion.
"Hey, look at that!"
Flenchwester widened his eyes in shock. He had heard of it from Victoria and thought it was exaggerated but this... this was...
The large waterball suddenly started to shrink and then it disappeared but Flenchwester could still sense an absurd amount of mana in the same spot the where the large water ball was.
"No way! He really compressed that thing!"
If he ever heard this from someone, he wouldn't believe it even if he was beaten to death.
Asher suddenly opened his eyes and they were a different colour from the usual purple.
They were a dull yellow with a long hand like a clock that was currently at the position where 12 would be.
With his mana-improved eyesight, Flenchwester could see that the previously floating mass of mana was now in free fall and...
~BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!~
A large crater was formed just from the sheer weight of the compressed water ball and Flenchwester broke out in sweat.
"W-what is this?..." He just didn't know what to say anymore. If this boy truly had all the elemental affinities, then if he hid the presence of that little atom with darkness magic, his victims wouldn't know what hit them.
'Is that his unique magic? He got it in just 10 minutes of the start time!'
Before the poor man could get his soul back to his brain, he received another shock.
Cashel too stood with a new metallic silver blade in his hand. It took the form of a jian.
[Sword of expansion]
[From the point of contact with target, space expands according to the users wish.
Essence consumption: 1000E per minute.]
Cashel casually sliced the air in front of him with the sword and the space right in front of him seemed to stretch and stretch and finally...
~FRAPP!~
Space tore like a cloth.
Flenchwester could feel himself losing his balance and soon enough, his butt kissed the grass.
Cashel ignored the gasps around him and he began to reverse time. The sword in his left hand was certainly a strange one as it seemed to refuse to reflect the bright sunlight.
"Hey Flench..." Victoria called out in a dazed voice.
"Yes, my name is Flenchwester..." The poor man responded in a similar voice.
"Why does it feel like I'm a student again?"
"Honestly... I don't know."
Asher walked out of the crater he'd created himself with his own spell after cancelling the [Eye of Compress].
Mikey and Flynn were by the side looking at him with somewhat terrified expressions.
"Your unique magic is... this?" He could hear Flynn mutter.
'Did I just make this monster even more powerful?!' Flynn thought.
"Thanks for the tip. It was really helpful." Asher gave a warm smile as he patted Flynn's shoulder.
'When did he get here?' Flynn's heart skipped a beat. '... although, befriending him has his benefits.'
"It's okay, just remember that you owe me one." Flynn smiled back.
Cashel walked up to them swinging his sword about with a smirk on his face.
"Show off." Mikey said.
"Heh, my unique magic is better than whatever trash you have." Cashel spoke back but Mikey didn't take it as an offense, it was a chance to him.
"Then... Let's have a duel! With unique magic alone."
If he could best Cashel here, he could earn more money and maybe... His greatest wish would be fulfilled.
"Oh?" Cashel had to admit, he was a little surprised but he accepted it.
"I, Mikey request for a friendly duel with student Cashel Von Wight, I shall abide by the rules of a friendly duel. I swear on my entire novel collections."
"I, Cashel Von Wight, accept student Mikey's duel request. I shall abide by the rules of a friendly duel with no magic except our unique skills. I swear on my stash of mayo and bread under my bed. Teacher Victoria West shall be our judge. The fight starts here and now."
As per the duel rules, of the challenged could pick the terrain, the time and the judge and Victoria quickly came rushing down.
"A duel? At this time?" She thought aloud.
"Ready... Start!"
Cashel immediately ran forward... and without any technique or planning and Mikey smirked.
The plan was at it's first stage and everything was already going well.
"Let's go with..."
[Summon Golem]
Two golems made of earth came out of thin air and rushed at Cashel but it was only a distraction as the real thing was yet to come.
[Summon Grand fireball]
A fireball of a size comparable to the waterball Asher made rushed at Cashel as he finished with the golems.
"I thought you'd already know... That this wouldn't work!" Cashel swung his sword in a wild arc and he dispersed the firehall by expanding it but... It was another distraction.
The remnants of Mikey's fireball finally cleared and Cashel could finally see the absurd sight in front of him.
A large mama kangaroo wearing boxing gloves and three cute baby kangaroos in her pouch with smaller gloves.
Before his soul could connect itself to his brain, a fist hit him squarely in the face and his body was flung back several meters.
Cashel could feel himself losing his grip on his sword and before he could regain it, three cute baby kangaroos jumped on his body and landed heavy punches on his limbs, creating craters beneath him.
Cashel finally let go of the blade and it disappeared. The three kangaroos turned into large nails that pinned him down at his two arms and legs.
"Stop! Mikey wins."
·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·A/N.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.
Mikey is @Magecrafter's character in this book. An author mentor of mine. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Read his novel, "An Extra's POV!"
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