Chapter 152 - 145

Nick turned with a broad grin, but faltered when he saw the stunned look on Arthur's face. Ah, I might have overplayed my hand. "Something like that?" He asked innocently. The old man took a moment to recover. "You didn't know that when you arrived. I saw you adjusting the spell on the fly." His voice clearly indicated that such a thing shouldn't have been possible. "You are an excellent teacher," Nick tried again. This was true, considering that his direct experience with [Spark] had enabled him to cast the spell. He would have eventually figured it out, but it would have taken him significantly longer. "Kid, I know lightning magic. I live and breathe the element. No matter how good a teacher I might be, that should not have been possible." Despite his disbelief, Nick noted that Arthur didn't appear angry. Surprised, to be sure, but his body language indicated this was more about Nick surpassing his expectations than being a freak again. "I have experience with elemental magic. It's not as if I'm a newbie at this," Nick grumbled, deciding that if the old man wouldn't make it a big deal, he should try to ease the tension. That seemed to work, as Arthur chuckled and shook his head. He still looked confused, but it had shifted from witnessing the impossible to experiencing something impressive. The difference was subtle but very important. "I can't believe you figured that out in one lesson. You must have already been using lightning with [Minor Elemental Manipulation], right?" Nick suppressed a smile, nodding as if he felt chagrin. "I practiced for a while yesterday. I didn't want to waste your time or miss the chance to learn from you." In reality, it was the opposite. He had intentionally avoided training with it to ensure the old man couldn't escape teaching him, but it seemed he had been overly paranoid. I'm nothing if not adaptable. If he likes the idea of me training to surprise him, then I must have trained. No affinity here. Arthur settled back into his seat with a sigh. "Alright, that was a bit much on my part. No need to pull out the puppy eyes." Nick wasted no time, smelling blood. "Does that mean you'll teach me more?" From the outset, he aimed to gather as much information as possible, but if Arthur was willing to share it, who was he to oppose him? Arthur sighed, running a hand down his beard. "I suppose if I were to kick you out, you'd immediately start fiddling with the spell until you figured it all out, right?" Grinning widely and as innocently as possible, Nick didn't even try to pretend that wasn't the case. They both knew he had no problem developing his own magic, so there was no need to lie in this instance. Huffing, Arthur gestured to the stone seat, and Nick plopped back down, feeling much more confident. "So, you can use [Spark] now. You might think that's enough to unlock the rest of the electrical spells, but that's a mistake." Nick settled in, dismissing any lingering amusement. Arthur was a master of his craft, and his words were invaluable. He doubted he would find another teacher as willing to explain the intricacies of lightning anytime soon. "Most scholars categorize lightning magic into offensive and auxiliary spells. While this classification is largely accurate and can even be helpful if you don't need to delve too deeply, if you aspire to achieve mastery at any point, you should disregard it. This is limiting and will only hold you back." It was fascinating to hear Arthur speak so confidently about the "consensus." Although Nick had not yet encountered the magical community in this life, he wouldn't have expected Arthur to be someone who kept up with theoretical advances. "It is true that most spells are either designed to harm your enemies or to produce a beneficial effect without causing damage, but this principle generally applies to all forms of magic. This is even less relevant to lightning, as many auxiliary skills can still inflict harm, and most offensive skills can be repurposed for other uses." As he spoke, he once again cast [Spark], but this time, the electricity didn't crackle freely. Instead, it converged into a single point and began emitting a bright light. Nick pulled back, shielding his eyes, eliciting a chuckle. "This, for example, is the easiest transition in the element. Transitioning from [Spark] to [Flash] is something everyone with an affinity should be able to accomplish instinctively. I expect it will only take you a few minutes of practice to master it, considering the speed you've demonstrated; however, I warn you that if you don't dedicate time to fully develop this spell, your abilities will be significantly limited in the future. Basic magic is one thing, but anything beyond Intermediate requires either an affinity or considerable time investments." Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. At his gesture, Nick summoned up [Spark] once more. It took even less time than the last attempt, and he only had to flex his will to gain control over the slippery magic. It almost feels like a cheat to be so accustomed to ritual magic. It shares many of the complexities of lightning magic, and it's made me very used to keeping my attention on every portion of the spell. If Nick had been a novice, he expected that he would be suffering from burns all over his arms by now, given [Spark] 's tendency to crackle freely. Instead, he could keep it contained, and by focusing it even more, he could effortlessly feed it images of bright torches in the night, electrical illumination, and Arthur casting Flash just a moment ago. The spell came together slowly. Nick could have pushed harder, supplied even more mana, and relied on his iron will, but doing so would have been counterproductive. He needed to show Arthur that he was working through every bit of magic. It was already a miracle that the old man had chosen to teach him more. He didn't want his surprise to turn into suspicion. Allowing a few stray arcs of lightning to slip from his control was more difficult than keeping everything contained, yet he managed it, hissing as the shock coursed through his limbs. "You must focus it into a single point without raising the power. If you do that, you'll only make things more difficult for yourself. Try again with the weakest [Spark] you can manage," Arthur explained, and Nick followed his suggestion. Dismissing his current attempt, he conjured a much weaker thread of mana. Working it through the matrix he had been employing for [Spark] proved to be more challenging than anticipated, as the spell was inherently greedy for power. "Yes, it seeks to take as much as possible. Lightning is free and powerful. It doesn't want to be confined. Unless you make it, it will evade you." Once more, Nick cast [Spark], but this time, he maintained a firm grip on the entire construct. As soon as enough mana flowed through to activate the matrix, he stopped feeding it and began to push it downward. The magic resisted, yearning to move, to break free, but he was stronger. When he combined it with his chosen impressions, it ultimately reached a state of stability and collapsed into a brilliant ball of light. Nick heaved a breath, surprised at how much effort it had taken. [Flash] seemed like such a simple spell, but it had been harder to cast than [Spark]. "Yes, I can see you understand. There is a reason why [Spark] is taught first. While the practical application seems simple, [Flash] requires more control and finesse. It's like asking a painter to draw a tree and a circle. The tree appears more challenging, but it offers much more creative freedom. A circle must be perfect to be considered a circle." "That makes sense!" Nick exclaimed, earning a snort. "When have I ever said anything that doesn't make sense?!" Arthur grumbled, standing up. He then winked, revealing that he wasn't actually angry. "Alright, you've clearly demonstrated your ability to learn independently. I must have underestimated how much of what you are already doing involves transferable skills because I don't know of any other novice of lightning magic who has progressed this quickly." Before Nick could hurry to confirm that was the case, Arthur took a stance. Something about it made Nick's hair stand on end, and he knew deep in his gut that something powerful was about to happen. His passive senses must have improved with the addition of a Lightning Affinity, because he sensed the charge building before it even began to show. And it certainly showed as Arthur's entire frame was wreathed in crackling electricity. It wasn't the golden, sleek form of his armor but a more primal version. His eyes glowed with arcing lightning, and smaller bolts kept escaping his skin as he moved. It was clearly some type of body enhancement because when he took a step, Nick could feel the air shift around him as if retreating. If he touches me like that… Fortunately, this didn't turn out to be another crash course, because Arthur moved away from him. "This is what makes Lightning Magic so great: such enhancements can only be achieved for other elements at Proficient mastery." He took a step, and the ground blackened beneath his feet, "[Lightning Armor] is as much a spell as it is a skill. It creates a circuit of active electricity throughout your body and releases it into the world, granting you increased physicality and making it very dangerous to touch you. Learning it will be harder for you, as it requires not just brainpower but also an instinctive understanding." Nick was nearly tempted to attempt casting it on the spot. He doubted he would succeed in doing it properly the first time, but with an active example before him, he thought he could piece something together. That was not his goal for this session, though, and so he held back. He had already shown his hand enough; it wouldn't do to overplay it. Arthur eventually dismissed the spell, placing his hands on his hips and stretching. "Ah, old age. It is a terrible thing, but I suppose the alternative is worse." Nick gave a half-smile, fully aware that there were other options, but remained silent. "Alright, that should be your long-term goal. You have shown to have a good head on your shoulders, and you likely understand your limits better than I do. As a Mage Class, you should also find it easier to grasp the spell's matrix. Ultimately, it will depend on your familiarity with the element, so I recommend you spend at least an hour each day practicing with [Spark] by pulling it all over your body. When you can finally cover yourself without any stray arcs hitting you, you will be able to cast [Lightning Armor]." Nick hummed thoughtfully. That seemed like a decent training method, though he wondered if he could combine what he'd learned from [Flash] with the exercise… "With that, our little session is over," Arthur said, side-eyeing him. A glance at the sky revealed that he'd actually been there for several hours, and that it was late afternoon. He hadn't noticed at all. "Thank you for your guidance," Nick bowed. He was confident he could manage from here. He almost wanted to ask if he could return for more lessons once he had [Lightning Armor] down, but he held back. The look in Arthur's eyes made it clear that he felt he had fulfilled his side of the bargain, and pressing for more might damage their relationship. Arthur remained silent for a moment before surprising him. "Come find me before you leave for good. You were a decent student, and it would be unfortunate if you wasted your potential." Nick smiled broadly. He hadn't expected that. Arthur turned away, but he couldn't conceal the satisfied expression he now wore. I must have actually impressed him.