NOVEL FROG Chapter 14: Spell Testing
Victor made his way northeast to where the large river was located. As he ventured deeper into the lush forest, dense foliage and towering trees cast dappled shadows across the forest floor. The atmosphere around him seemed to grow heavier, and he couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. The forest was teeming with life, but not all of it was friendly.
“Have I gone past the barrier?”
The mission tasked him with locating three natural resources around the academy, and the stream was the first on his list. He had followed the soft sound of flowing water and chanced upon the crystal-clear stream. From there, he traced along the stream to the merger point and ended up at his current location.
The Thornwood Forest was notorious for its dangers; even the outskirts were not entirely safe. Magical beasts, having lost territorial battles deeper within the forest, often roamed the peripheral area. Some of these creatures posed a significant threat, even to a third-stage Initiate Attunement acolyte like himself, and one among them was eyeing Victor as its prey.
[A malicious extraordinary life form has been detected!]
[The life form is expected to have third-stage Initiate Attunement combat capability.]
Huh? Since when did the System announce creature encounters? Victor thought as he observed the text in front of him. For one thing, this was the first opponent he encountered since obtaining the Magus Academy System that actually posed a threat. Well, the reason is not important anyways…
“Come out! {Slicing Wind}!” Victor chanted, and in an instant, sharp blades of compressed air flew toward the dense foliage, slicing through the trees with cutting force. The trees fell to the ground with a dull thud, creating a clearing in front of Victor.
The powerful force of the spell disturbed the forest’s tranquility, and from the shadows, a creature emerged. It had shadow-like fur that seemed to blend seamlessly with the dim light filtering through the leaves. On second glance, the creature revealed itself to be a three-meter-long panther, its eyes gleaming with an unsettling intensity. Its sleek, muscular body exuded an aura of danger, and its sharp fangs and claws glistened menacingly.
“Shadow Panther…” Victor muttered under his breath, recognizing the beast. He knew this was not an ordinary creature but a magical beast with dark elemental properties.
These panther-like magical beasts had a natural ability to blend in seamlessly with the forest surroundings. Its agility and stealth made it dangerous even for third-stage Initiate Attunement acolytes. For Victor, however, it wasn’t too much of a threat.
He smirked, feeling a spark of excitement. “Just in time to test my new trick,” he said confidently.
The panther let out a low, guttural growl, fixing its eyes on Victor with unwavering focus, as if it were encountering its natural enemy. It was clear that the creature saw him as a potential threat and attempted to use its innate ability to blend with its surroundings. However, as it tried to do so, an invisible force forbade it, as Victor had manipulated the nearby elemental particles to restrict this ability.
Left with no other choice but to attack, the beast bared its fangs and claws, pouncing at Victor. Victor, on the other hand, only just smiled, having already anticipated its actions. As the creature closed in, a series of symbols appeared in the air as Victor channeled his infused mana.
“{Blink Step}.”
When the panther’s sharp claws were only an inch away from tearing Victor’s face, his figure disappeared, and the creature’s claws met nothing but air. Victor had gracefully teleported several meters behind the panther.
With a smirk of satisfaction, Victor wasted no time and followed up with the {Flame Whip} spell. A flaming, whip-like construct materialized in his hand, crackling with intensity as he unleashed it at the panther. Sensing the impending danger, the creature tried to dart away, but it was too late.
The fiery whip lashed out with incredible speed, striking the panther’s flank with a resounding crack. The creature let out a pained roar as the flames seared its fur, leaving charred marks in their wake.
Not yet.
He cast another {Slicing Wind} at the creature. Several sharp blades of compressed air shot through the air and landed on the panther’s back. Though the attack pierced its thick skin, the wounds seemed to be only superficial.
“GRRRHH!!” The Shadow Panther growled in pain, blood oozing out from the wounds around its body.
“Heh, if it were any other acolytes, they’d have a hard time facing you. But fate brought us together, and now it’s your end, or so the cliché lines would be. Anyway— {Flame Dart}!”
This time, a fiery projectile shot forth from the tip of his finger, streaking toward the panther with lethal speed.
The fiery projectile found its mark between the panther’s eyes, striking with deadly precision. The impact was critical, searing through the creature’s skull and obliterating its brain in an instant. The beast let out a final, guttural cry of agony before collapsing lifelessly to the ground.
Finding that his opponent was dead, Victor remained vigilant and scanned the surroundings for any signs of other magical beasts attracted by their battle. Thankfully, the forest remained quiet, and there were no immediate threats.
“Huff…! Huh? It’s not as exhausting as I expected.” Victor held his chin in doubt, but he had an inkling of what was going on. Casting multiple spells in quick succession, even if they were only Aleph-tier spells, could drain even the most skilled Initiate Attunement acolyte and make them lie on the ground, totally exhausted.
But Victor had confirmed one thing. {Blink Step} proved to be a valuable spell, not only serving as a means of mobility but also as a surprise tactic against enemies. He had always yearned for a spell that could catch adversaries off guard, and now, with {Blink Step}, he had found just that.
Right. He recalled the spell’s origins — it was a Cosmo spell, an extremely rare and esoteric type with space elemental properties. This made sense, as the spell manipulated space, allowing him to instantaneously move from one point to another as long as it was within sight. Curiously, Victor shouldn’t have had the necessary elemental affinity… or so he thought…
Victor Asteriscus
Power Rank: Third-stage Initiate Attunement
Elemental Affinity: Cosmo (95%) | Anemo (82%) | Pyro (57%)
Status: Healthy
Strength: (22)
Agility: (23)
Vitality: (22)
Magical Power: (29)
Infused Mana (total): (145)
“Since when?” Victor looked at his status with a mix of uncertainty and excitement.
The concept of elemental affinity was well-known among Magi. The stronger the affinity for a particular element, the more potent the spells related to that element would become. A higher affinity also meant that less mana would be required to activate the spell. In Victor’s case, with a 95 percent affinity, any Cosmo spell he cast would be at least four times more powerful while only a fraction of the infused mana would be consumed. Such was a talent that only a genius among geniuses would have. With this power, perhaps…
No… I should hold my horses… If those old freaks from the Arcane Radiance College were to know that I now possess such talent, they would go to extra lengths to take me back. Victor’s mind raced with caution as he contemplated the potential consequences of his remarkable affinity for Cosmo. In the world of Magi, power and talent were coveted, and those who held such gifts without a powerful backing behind them would face constant danger.
Worse still, there were Magi with no moral scruples; individuals who would stop at nothing to exploit Victor’s rare talent. Some might even seek to forcefully take his affinity, leaving behind nothing but a soulless husk.
With a determined shake of his head, Victor pushed aside these worries, as it was not a current threat. He then went about collecting the body of the Shadow Panther into his interspatial ring. Surprisingly, it fit perfectly. Leaving behind such a precious specimen would be a waste. Even if he couldn’t process it at the moment, he could throw it into the essence converter to summon more players.
Returning to his task, Victor continued following the stream until an hour later, he arrived at a large river outside the forest. Its sparkling waters teemed with life. It was a fairly safe location since it was outside of the Thornwood Forest and cleared of any large trees that could provide cover for any potential threats. As far as Victor knew, this place didn’t have a name.
As he neared the body of water, the ground that he stepped on became rather squishy and sucked at his boots.
“Clay?” Victor mused aloud, kneeling down to examine the earth. Indeed, he had stumbled upon a clay-rich area. The soil here was moist and malleable, perfect for crafting various items and structures.
Checking the Headmaster’s Journal, Victor confirmed he had found one of the three natural resources required.
Total Natural Resources Found: 1/3
Though it was odd, at least in Victor’s opinion.
After all, wood from trees and stone from the ground were natural resources, and there was no lack of clay around the stream before. But they were probably not what the mission was trying to make Victor find, or else it would have been completed long ago.
“Whatever,” he muttered, pushing aside the puzzlement. “Perhaps it means a strategic location where an abundant amount of it converges. Either way, that’s one done.”
Victor didn’t immediately leave the place, though. There was a high chance that a river of this size would have sediment deposits, where limestone could potentially be exposed. If such deposits were around, there would likely also be marble deposits — the primary materials for building the academy!
“Hmm… It wouldn’t be strange to find even rarer building materials as well,” Victor mused, realizing the potential of the area.
He decided to explore further upstream. It seemed more intriguing than heading downstream, where he might wind up near the village that he had previously visited and noted as being unremarkable.
With a flick of his wrist, he cast {Zephyr Dash} to increase his speed and sprinted ahead, the wind guiding him as he moved swiftly. Being on open ground required less vigilance than being in a forest, so he increased his speed to the maximum. Not even an hour later, he reached a ravine. The rocky walls on both sides were exposed, and his keen eyes noticed distinct patterns that indicated the presence of various minerals.
“Ah, such a promising location!” Victor exclaimed, his heart pounding with anticipation. He wasted no time and began inspecting the rock formations.
To his delight, he found both limestone and marble deposits. What surprised him the most, however, was the discovery of elemental marble mixed among these deposits. It was a material that could greatly aid Magi in practicing their meditation techniques.
Total Natural Resources Found: 2/3
“Hrm? This—”
Deeper into the ravine, he spotted a cavern system that emitted rich elemental particles that drew him in almost like a beacon. However, his instincts were screaming. There was an unknown danger lurking within the dark depths of the cave.
Victor hesitated momentarily, tempted by the hidden treasures inside, but quickly quelled his curiosity. Instead, he marked the location on his mental map, deciding to save the exploration of the cave for another time when he was better prepared.
The large river with its abundant clay and the ravine teeming with valuable building materials were now firmly within his grasp. Thus, he only needed to find the third, and his task would be complete. With a satisfied smile, Victor turned back in search of the last remaining one.