Chapter 44

Chapter 44

The students were bewildered.

“An actual demonstration?”

They believed they had already witnessed the impressive power of incantation magic with just the initial demonstration.

“O Land of Exuberance,” Sanuel began reciting the verse again, but this time, his pace was significantly faster. “I beseech your might, gently guide my hand. Let the heavens witness, as the saga of eons is seized in an instant.”

The syllables accelerated rapidly, leaving the listeners gasping in awe.

“In the hallowed halls of celestial realms, nestled within the heart, let the caster’s will permeate the expanse of the world, weaving a hymn of praise and adoration...”

The words soon became unintelligible, dispersing in a form no longer resembling language. Sanuel’s face twisted in a ghastly expression as he emitted sounds reminiscent of dolphin cries. His incantation pace reached extreme speeds. He completed the verse in just four seconds, whereas he had previously taken over two minutes. He clutched his chest and cast the spell. A giant whirlwind, cloaked in dust, shot up with a bang as if it were about to pierce through the sky.

The underclassmen’s cries echoed as the strong wind swept their seats away.

Once the dust settled, Sanuel stood relaxed, smiling as if nothing extraordinary had happened. He waited for the ringing in the students’ ears to subside before calmly explaining what they had just witnessed.

“This is a basic of incantation, known as an ‘ultrasonic spell.’ It’s indispensable in actual combat. And it’s not just about speaking quickly. While it may have sounded like noise to you, I reflected on every meaning of the verse without omission. The proof is the increased power of Tornado, as you all witnessed.”

The students, though still in shock, nodded in agreement with Sanuel’s explanation.

Sirone was no exception. So this is the power of incantation... Amazing. The last tornado was significantly more powerful than the first. Is this the level of the graduating class?

Considering that Etala chose him as the assistant instructor, it was evident that his skills must have been exceptional compared to his peers. But at the end of the day, Sanuel was still a student.

The realization that Amy was competing against such skilled individuals made Sirone anxious, yet it also ignited his determination. I will rise to that level, he resolved.

The other students seemed to share the sentiment, their gazes filled with newfound respect and determination. This was precisely the impact Etala had intended by summoning a teaching assistant for the demonstration.

“Well done, Sanuel. The students should have learned a lot. Thank you for taking the time to assist me.”

“It’s no trouble at all, Professor Etala. I’ll be available whenever you call.” Unlike the advanced class students, who were casual with Etala, Sanuel bowed respectfully.

So this is the world of magic. Sirone was once again struck by the realization of where he was learning magic. Even Sanuel, who had displayed great skill, would only reach the status of a non-certified level-ten mage upon graduation. And yet, the one teaching him was a nationally certified level-six mage.

How powerful is Professor Etala? Perhaps for this reason, even after Sanuel had left, the students patiently awaited Etala’s next words with respect.

“Now, everyone, did you all see the demonstration of incantation magic?”

“Yes!”

Their responses were more enthusiastic than usual, pleasing Etala, who nodded in satisfaction. “Incantation magic is a branch of sound magic. I showed it to you in advance because it’s closely linked to enhancing the Spirit Zone. Now, you should be able to answer this question. What is the method of turning thoughts into reality?”

The students unanimously responded, “Language!”

“Correct. Humans think through language. Now, can anyone tell me what that implies?”

A Class Four student answered, “It means that thoughts can be materialized.”

“Exactly. You can visualize what you think with your eyes. Try it now. Close your eyes and see if you can see your thoughts.”

The students who tried this exercise gained a real understanding of what it felt like to see thoughts with their eyes.

“Seeing with your eyes means it exists. That’s the core principle of incantation. An enchanter materializes their spoken words and accepts them back.” Etala raised her index finger and began to explain, “The basic system of incantation magic is simple: speak and reflect. Through this, you continuously amplify the meaning, thereby enhancing the magic.”

“Professor, does this mean we will also learn incantation?” a curious Class Seven student asked.

Etala, with a sparkle in her eye, responded, “Would you like to learn it?”

“Yes. That demonstration earlier was so cool.”

“Choosing a major is indeed important. But unfortunately, incantation magic is a specialized field and will not be included in the advanced-class curriculum.”

“Then how do we strengthen our Spirit Zone? Isn’t it done through incantation?” a student asked.

“Good question. What I’m about to explain addresses that. Incantation is used to amplify the power of certain spells. There are numerous spells in the world, each with its own language to express it. However, the Spirit Zone is a purely mental exercise, so there is no need to learn incantation or ultrasonic spells. So, how can we enhance it?” Etala paused before stepping into the Image Zone. “It’s through a unique concentration method called sequencing. Who here has counted from one to a hundred in their mind or aloud?”

Most students raised their hands.

“Good. Now, who has counted from one to a thousand?”

Hands dropped as students looked around. Nearly all in Class Four kept their hands raised, but in the lower classes, hardly any did.

“Sequencing, essentially, is the technique of unfolding numbers. Unlike language, numbers have a clear and logical basis. Therefore, they are highly compatible with the Spirit Zone.”

“Does counting numbers increase concentration?” a curious student asked.

“Yes, it certainly does,” Etala responded. “However, simple counting isn’t enough. It shares a fundamental similarity with incantation. In incantation, you vocalize and then reflect. With sequencing, it’s about conceptualizing and then reflecting. Without focusing on each number, sequencing cannot be effective.”

It was a matter of replacing language with numbers, so her explanation revealed the similarity to incantation magic to underscore the underlying principles.

As Sirone connected the dots, he grasped the reasoning behind the initial demonstration before delving into the explanation of sequencing.

Etala continued, “The faster you can unfold numbers, the stronger your Spirit Zone becomes. This translates to enhanced capabilities across all facets of magic—such as casting success, power, and accuracy. But remember, sequencing is not a panacea. True enhancement of the Spirit Zone requires rigorous mental discipline, so technical enhancement should not be the sole focus. Let me now demonstrate sequencing in practice.”

With that, she unfolded her Spirit Zone, which spanned about ten meters in diameter. “I will now enhance my Spirit Zone by only using sequencing. To make it clearer, since this isn’t incantation, I’ll break the sequence into powers of ten. Let’s begin. One.” As Etala articulated the number, there was a noticeable expansion of the Spirit Zone. “One hundred.”

A murmur of surprise rippled through the students. “One hundred? Did she just skip to one hundred?”

Like incantation, sequencing required precise recognition of each number to be effective. Yet, Etala had astonishingly escalated from one to a hundred in barely a second, showcasing her rapid number-unfolding ability.

“Four hundred,” she continued, astonishing the students further. The momentum was building, with intervals between numbers rapidly shortening. “Now 1,100. And 1,700. Followed by 2,400.”

Sirone watched in awe. No way. Can a human really count numbers that fast?

In barely ten seconds, Etala had added one to itself a staggering 2,400 times. Enhanced solely through sequencing, her Spirit Zone inflated into a sphere with a diameter of forty meters.

Etala halted at ten thousand. Her Spirit Zone began to shrink as she exhaled. Her ability to concentrate and count to such a high number in one breath was a testament to her status as the youngest bishop of the Karsis Order.

She’s truly impressive. What level of mental discipline must one achieve to reach such heights? Sirone thought.

The students were stunned. Even Etala’s appearance seemed to pale in comparison to her abilities.

“Did you all see? The extent of the enhancement depends on how quickly you can perform sequencing. While it’s still a technique and won’t be highly efficient if your Spirit Zone practice is lacking, I believe you can use it effectively depending on the situation.”

Sirone had an epiphany. That’s it! The defense form was his specialty, and sequencing provided the most straightforward path to harnessing active magic. I’ll use this method to strengthen my Spirit Zone!

Etala concluded the lesson with a piece of advice, “The basis of sequencing is to count from one to a thousand. Focus on shortening the time it takes to reach a thousand before you become accustomed to it.”

With the lesson over, the students dispersed to practice.

Sirone, too, decided to practice alone. Here I go. He started unfolding the numbers from one to a thousand and then checked the time upon completion. Forty-eight seconds. Not bad for a first attempt.

What pleased him most was that he hadn’t stopped once before completing the count to a thousand. Usually, beginners in sequencing would lose focus midway. I don’t have a problem with the counting itself. Maybe I should increase the sequence? No, I should focus on shortening the time, as instructed.

Reflecting Etala’s teaching style, the demonstration she had shown was just enough to illustrate the lesson.

The ten-thousand mark was for demonstration, but higher levels must be achievable. Can this really be achieved by simply counting? Is there a special method? That was when Sirone considered a possibility reminiscent of his experience with the fragmented perception of time while crossing the Pathless Bridge. Insight. Just like savoring the number of leaves, numbers can be counted but also felt. By bundling individual numbers into units and processing them all at once, I can enhance efficiency.

This approach, unbeknownst to Sirone, aligned closely with the foundational concept of modularization in information magic. Motivated, he immediately dove into experimentation. He set the module unit to ten, integrating the information contained within those ten numbers.

Ten. Twenty. Thirty. He quickly gained momentum, using his insight to savor the spaces between numbers. One thousand! This method allowed Sirone to count significantly faster, transforming his Spirit Zone into attack form. Photon Emission! A strong sense of ejection followed, and a beam of light shot toward the forest.

“Wow!” exclaimed a student. “What was that?”

Technically, he had shot a sphere of light, but to the onlookers, it appeared as a line. Sirone clenched his fist in triumph. I did it! It worked!

His classmates engaged in speculative chatter.

“That was Photon Emission, right? Is he preparing for the targeting test?”

“But why bother? Isn’t that kind of magic generally considered impractical, except maybe in information magic?”

“It doesn’t matter. Any magic can trigger the Image Zone’s targets, even healing spells. Besides, it could be advantageous for the test. Did you see how fast that was?”

While Sirone’s technique might not have been the most powerful, his aptness for striking swiftly moving targets was apparent.