章節 25: First Spells
After the lesson ended. Liam started walking to the library, he wanted to pick out the first spells he wanted to practice.
"In the movies, I really liked that butterfly spell Strange used to defend himself against Thanos, but that's way too advanced for me right now. I'll start with something more manageable—like the Eldritch Constructs and the Bolts of Balthaak."
He considered the practical uses of the Eldritch Constructs. He could make multiple weapons or even conjure an extra arm at later levels. Take a whip for example. "The whip isn't just for attack. If I can disarm an opponent or restrain them, the fight is as good as over. Imagine Thanos grabbing an Infinity Stone, and I just whip it out of his hand."
The second spell, The Bolts of Balthakk, was much more advanced. It required Liam to constantly channel energy into a spell circle and simultaniously release it. "It's going to take more control than I have right now, but it's great for taking on multiple enemies. I need to work a lot on it, though."
Liam also thought about how Mordo had always been one of his favorite characters. "What made Mordo so strong was his ability to combine martial skills and magic without problem. He could conjure spell circles within a second, while most mages took seconds to even form one. That's where I need to get."
When Liam arrived at the library, Master Drumm was there, sorting through books.
"Master Drumm, I'd like to pick out my first few spells," Liam said.
Master Drumm turned and smiled. "That's fast. Do you already have some spells in mind, or would you like my recommendations?"
"I've got a couple of spells I'm thinking about, but I still want to hear your advice," Liam responded.
"I would suggest Battle Strings. It's a spell that forms razor-sharp, durable strings between your hands. It's highly effective in combat and a great way to improve your energy manipulation skills. But what were you thinking of?" Drumm asked.
"I was thinking about Eldritch Constructs and The Bolts of Balthaak," Liam answered.
"Good choices," Master Drumm said with a nod. "The Eldritch Constructs spell has a lot of versatility in combat and is great for beginners. The basic entry level is low, but it becomes much harder as you advance because you'll have to manage energy in multiple places at once. As for The Bolts of Balthaak, I'd advise you against it for now. It's an advanced spell, requiring precise control over your energy and the spell circle. You're not quite there yet."
Drumm's expression grew more serious. "There's no forbidden knowledge here at Kamar-Taj, but you need to be careful not to rush into something beyond your abilities."
"I'll be careful, thank you," Liam replied. "I still want to read through both spellbooks so I can understand the training requirements. Maybe learning about the advanced spells will help me understand the basics better."
Master Drumm chuckled. "That's a good mindset, but remember, magic can't be rushed. It needs patience." He gestured for Liam to follow him deeper into the library. "Let me grab those books for you."
After a moment, Master Drumm returned with two small books. "These are the ones you wanted. If you need any further help, feel free to ask."
Liam took the books, but before leaving, he sensed something—a strange energy nearby. It was faint but enough to attract him.
"Thank you, Master Drumm. Would it be alright if I looked around the library a bit more?" Liam asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Of course, no problem," Drumm said, giving him a friendly nod before walking away.
Once Drumm was out of sight, Liam followed the energy he had felt. As he walked through the library, he spotted a room at the end that seemed familiar. "Isn't that the room where the Time Stone was kept?" he muttered, stepping inside.
There it was—the Eye of Agamotto. The energy it emitted was amazing, drawing him closer. Before he could take another step, a hand was placed on his shoulder.
"What are you doing here, Liam?" The Ancient One's calm voice came from behind him.
Liam froze, caught off guard. "I felt drawn to the energy and wanted to see what it was..." he admitted.
The Ancient One smiled slightly but shook her head. "It isn't your time yet. You are not permitted near the Time Stone until I decide you are ready." She took the Eye of Agamotto in her hand. "From now on, stay away from this room."
They walked out of the chamber, and the Ancient One asked, "How have you been finding life here, Liam? Are you enjoying your studies?"
"Yes, magic is incredible. Thank you for giving me this opportunity," Liam responded.
"Good. Keep on learning." With that, the Ancient One conjured a portal in front of her. As she stepped through, Liam was left speechless.
''D*mn im envious of that.'' Liam couldn't help but shake his head with a wry smile.
Returning to his room, Liam opened the book on Eldritch Constructs and started reading.
-----
The next morning, Liam woke up early, ready for his first martial arts practice with Mordo. He had a short call with his grandfather to check in, then headed out to the courtyard.
When he arrived, some of the other students were already sparring. Their martial skills were well trained, they likely had a few years of experience already. As he watched, he heard a familiar voice behind him.
"Good morning, Liam."
He turned to see Mordo standing there, arms crossed. "Are you ready for your first martial arts training?"
"Yeah, but just a warning—I'm not a beginner when it comes to fighting," Liam replied with a smirk. "You might want to be careful not to get beaten up."
Mordo's smile widened. "We'll see about that."
章節 26: Spar
Liam stood by the window, staring outside before walking over to the mirror. As he looked at his reflection, he noticed that his right eye had turned black.
"So unfair..." he muttered under his breath, cursing his luck.
His mind wandered back to the events of the day.
"So, Mordo, are we fighting hand-to-hand, or are we allowed to use weapons?" Liam had asked, a cocky grin on his face.
Mordo, still smiling, responded, "Use whatever you like. I'll be using my staff." He reached for a wooden staff as he spoke.
Following his lead, I grabbed a wooden sword. As I walked back, I heard Mordo taunting me.
"Ohoh, of course a boy your age would go for a sword. Are you sure you can handle swinging that properly?"
Facing him, I noticed a portal appearing some distance away. Out stepped the Ancient One, probably here to watch the match. Distracted for just a moment, I noticed Mordo charging at me, a grin on his face as he thrust his staff towards my unguarded stomach.
But I'd left that opening on purpose, knowing he would take the bait. As his staff came toward me, I parried the strike with ease, throwing him off balance. I immediately followed up with a quick stab toward his ribs, but he recovered fast, using the back end of his staff to deflect my sword to the right. Seizing the momentum, I spun and aimed a kick at his exposed left knee. He barely managed to get his staff between my kick and his leg, then instantly backed off.
"So you do know how to fight. Impressive," Mordo said, clearly surprised.
"I'm surprised you managed to keep up," I replied, genuinely impressed since my physical strength and speed were above that of a normal human.
"You're stronger than most humans, I'll give you that. But strength and speed aren't everything. Here at the Sanctum, we train our reaction times and mental processing to superhuman levels. If it weren't for that, I would've likely lost already."
Seeing an opportunity to taunt him, I couldn't resist. "Weren't you about to lose, old man? All this talk about skill, but where's the proof?"
I saw a vein pop on Mordo's forehead as he put on an annoyed smile. "Let's continue. It'll get serious now," he said, clearly irritated.
Mordo took a stance and waited for me to make the first move. Why not? I thought, and moved in closer. As I approached, he swung his staff diagonally at my left shoulder. I gripped my sword tightly and blocked it, letting the staff slide off my blade as I took another step forward. This time, Mordo didn't have enough power behind his strike, and I easily knocked his staff aside. With the staff recoiling behind him, I leaned in to slash at his midsection, but Mordo quickly used the momentum of the recoil to backflip out of range.
"Impressive," I heard him say.
Mordo took the offensive next, closing the distance and sending rapid thrusts toward my body. I stepped back, dodging each one. I knew his attacks would miss, so I started building strength for my next swing, one that would disarm him and win me the fight. But just as I prepared to strike, Mordo's staff suddenly increased in length and hit me square in the eye.
I stumbled back, clutching my face as Mordo smirked.
"Always be ready for the unexpected. You can never let your guard down in a real fight," he said, his grin widening.
"You said no magic," I complained, clearly irritated by his cheap move. 'He's just making excuses because he didn't want to lose,' I thought. 'How childish.'
"Never trust what your enemy says—that's rule number one in a fight," Mordo responded, the smirk never leaving his face.
"What bullsh—" I started, "This was just a spar. You're not an enemy."
Mordo pretended not to hear me and began walking away. "Take a rest, Liam. Later, we'll work on basic spell circle creation," he said, his voice carrying a smug satisfaction.
"Petty a**," I muttered as I sat down, still irritated.
----
As Mordo approached the Ancient One, he couldn't help but mutter, "He's strong. His martial skills with the sword and hand-to-hand combat are highly advanced for someone his age... what a monster."
When he reached the Ancient One, she asked with a gentle smile, "So, what do you think of him?"
"He's good. Slightly arrogant, but he's got the ability to back it up," Mordo replied.
"Is that why you had to play dirty against him?" she asked, her tone light but pointed.
"Dirty? I don't know what you mean," Mordo said, feigning innocence. "I was just teaching him the importance of awareness in battle."
The Ancient One chuckled, then grew more serious. "Keep training him. He has immense potential, but there are still many great threats to his life."
With that, she opened a portal and stepped through, leaving Mordo to reflect on her words.
"Great threats to his life, huh..." Mordo mused, wondering what she meant.
----
After the rest of the training session wrapped up, Liam returned to his room, still holding an ice pack over his bruised eye. After checking in with his grandpa over the phone, he settled back down to continue reading the theory on Eldritch Constructs.
"Next time, I'll surprise him with magic," Liam thought, a determined grin crossing his face. "Let's see if he can still keep up the smirking then."
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