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Chapter 5: Serie's Talent
It was the second day of Kurtz and Serie's adventure together.
At Serie's strong insistence, that left no room for argument, Kurtz finally decided on a concrete goal for their travels.
They would seek out a human settlement, however distant or unlikely that prospect might be.
When Serie asked him why such a quest was important, Kurtz's response was delivered with unwavering conviction:
"Because I want to teach them magic!"
Since humans in this era remained ignorant of magical arts, and Kurtz had no knowledge of how humanity originally acquired such abilities, nothing prevented him from accelerating the process through direct intervention.
"The primary requirement for learning magic is innate talent." Serie's tone carried cold pragmatism.
"Beyond that, one needs mana flowing naturally within their body. I seriously doubt the Human race has either gift."
Learning magic in this world was no trivial undertaking.
The Elves stood as uniquely favoured beings, born with magical aptitude woven into their very essence.
Their near-infinite lifespans provided countless centuries to refine and perfect their abilities, rarely facing the limitation of mortal death.
Thus, the Elves maintained their position at the top of the Age of Myths, becoming powers so strong that even gods treated them with wary respect.
Looking at the entire world, only the SkyWing Race, personally crafted by divine hands, and the Demon Race, evolved from magical beasts into higher intelligence, could claim equivalent status.
Therefore, Serie found Kurtz's ambitious talk of teaching humans magic somewhat presumptuous, if not outright delusional.
"The Human Race absolutely has that potential," Kurtz replied with unshakeable confidence.
"Am I not living proof of that capacity? I believe that once humans can harness magic, they will certainly carve out a significant place for themselves in this world."
In truth, Kurtz was being remarkably conservative in his predictions.
After the gods' departure and the conclusion of the Age of Myths, humanity would rise to dominate the world within a mere thousand years.
Human settlements would spread across every continent, their influence reaching into every corner of civilisation.
Even the mighty Demon King would eventually fall before human heroes wielding magic and determination in equal measure. Though it was one in a million possibility come true, the fact remained.
This progression proved humanity's hidden potential for growth beyond any doubt. But Kurtz had no intention of sharing such revelations with Serie.
Even if he explained future history, her sceptical nature would reject such impossible claims.
She would only understand these truths after personally witnessing the power hidden within human souls.
Serie chuckled softly at Kurtz's confident declaration, but offered no further commentary.
In her estimation, Kurtz represented an extraordinary statistical anomaly, someone who'd coincidentally awakened magical talent and learned to manipulate it through sheer luck.
But individual exceptions didn't establish broader racial capabilities.
It was the third day of their shared adventure.
The travelling companions encountered their first hostile magical beasts of the journey, not a solitary creature, but an entire pack.
Seven purple-black furred demonic wolves emerged from the undergrowth, their eyes glowing with predatory hunger and supernatural malice.
Previously, when Kurtz faced such threats, his options were severely limited. Flight remained his primary strategy, or finding suitable trees to climb while waiting for the creatures to lose interest and move on.
But circumstances had dramatically changed. He was no longer alone against the wilderness.
Serie raised her hand with casual precision, and Light Arrows appeared and launched in rapid succession.
Each projectile found its mark with surgical accuracy, piercing through demonic wolf flesh and dropping the creatures before they could properly coordinate their attack.
"Demonstrate the magic you learned from our previous lessons." Serie's instruction carried expectant authority.
She was naturally referring to the Light Arrow technique Kurtz had adapted from her teachings, though his version resembled an arrow barrage more than individual projectiles.
While Kurtz prepared his casting, Serie observed the flow and manipulation of mana within his body with intense scientific interest.
Her magical perception allowed her to make a detailed analysis of his technique's underlying mechanics.
Among the Elves, Serie was considered exceptionally gifted in magical comprehension.
Most elven spells, after a few demonstrations, became accessible to her understanding and replication.
Kurtz drew a steadying breath and began channelling magic according to the mana flow patterns he'd observed from Serie's earlier demonstrations. Having successfully cast this spell once before, he released it with smooth confidence.
However, from Serie's perspective, his magical energy moved in completely alien patterns.
The mana flow bore no resemblance to her own casting method when producing identical results.
This fundamental difference was precisely what enabled him to create Light Arrow techniques with entirely unique effects and capabilities.
More than a dozen smaller Light Arrows appeared before him, each one roughly half the size of Serie's standard projectiles. As he gestured, these constructs launched in a spreading fan pattern, blanketing the area where the demonic wolves had been positioned.
"This is..." Serie's eyes widened with genuine astonishment.
During their previous encounter, when she was caught off guard and knocked unconscious, she'd missed the opportunity to analyse his magical techniques in action properly.
Now, witnessing his abilities with clear observation, she found herself amazed once again.
Although each individual Light Arrow carried only half the destructive power of her own, the sheer quantity more than compensated for reduced individual impact.
The surviving demonic wolves were instantly riddled with magical projectiles, their purple-black blood seeping onto the ground and causing nearby vegetation to wither from demonic contamination.
"Again! Do it again!!" Serie demanded, excitement in her usually controlled voice.
"But there aren't any more magical beasts in the area."
"That's no problem." Serie cast a detection spell and immediately led Kurtz toward a much larger target.
"Here, use magic on this bear."
A massive magical bear, easily twice the size of a normal bear, roared upon detecting their presence. Its fur bristled with residual magical energy, and its eyes gleamed with intelligence far beyond animal cunning. The creature charged toward them with earth-shaking steps.
Kurtz, recognising the escalated threat, focused completely and cast his Light Arrow technique again without hesitation.
But this magical bear clearly had superior intelligence compared to the wolf pack, and its natural defences were substantially more robust.
Facing Kurtz's arrow barrage, it suddenly skidded to a halt, then rolled sideways with surprising agility for something so massive.
Most of the magical projectiles missed their target entirely. Only two Light Arrows managed to strike its body, leaving wounds that were painful but far from fatal.
The injuries only enraged the creature further, its eyes turning blood red as primal fury overcame tactical thinking. Its speed increased dramatically as it charged toward the two little meat sticks with renewed violence.
"Hey! This Bear's hide is too thick, my magic isn't powerful enough!"
Kurtz quickly turned to Serie for assistance, only to find her completely absorbed in analysing the mana flow patterns she'd just observed.
She stood motionless, lost in magical theory while danger approached.
Panic flared in Kurtz's chest. He grabbed her hand, wanting to run to a safer place, but Serie's body remained immovable as solid stone in deep concentration.
The magical bear's thundering approach grew closer, its bestial stench filling the air. Kurtz could feel the vibrations of its massive paws through the ground beneath his feet.
Only when the creature charged directly in front of them, close enough that Kurtz could see rage burning in its eyes and smell the rank heat of its breath, did Serie finally react.
"Hmph, nothing more than a weak magical beast."
Her voice carried absolute disdain, as if the bear's threat was beneath her notice entirely.
Serie raised her hand and flawlessly replicated Kurtz's Light Arrow Rain technique, but her version blazed with intensified power that made his attempt look like a mere practice exercise.
The enhanced magical barrage pierced completely through the bear's entire body, each arrow burning through flesh and bone with devastating efficiency.
The magical bear, riddled with such overwhelming force, collapsed instantly. Its massive form hit the ground with a satisfying thud, twitching once before going still.
"Incredible!" Kurtz burst into enthusiastic applause, genuine admiration shining in his eyes.
After observing his technique just a few times, she'd perfectly reproduced and improved upon his magic, making it significantly more lethal than his original version.
This confirmed that relying on her expertise was an excellent long-term strategy.
However, Serie stood over the fallen creature and shook her head with visible dissatisfaction.
"It's still insufficient. This level of power won't threaten a god."
"Huh? Did you say something important just now?"
Kurtz had caught fragments of her muttered comment, and the implications sent chills down his spine.
He feigned ignorance while internally processing this revelation.
"Nothing important." Serie's dismissal was casual, but her eyes held dangerous gleams.
"I will teach you more devastating magic. You must transform these techniques into spells capable of killing any creature."
Indeed, what he'd overheard wasn't imagination. This petite future master actually harboured such audacious ambitions, contemplating deicide in an age when gods still walked the earth.
'Good Lord, the Heresy, should I introduce her to the Emperor.'
The revelation truly surprised Kurtz, though connecting it to her later legendary status, such dangerous thinking aligned perfectly with Serie's established personality.
"Once you locate other humans, you must accompany me to a specific destination."
Serie's suggestion carried barely concealed excitement, like a child planning an elaborate prank.
Her golden eyes gleamed with anticipation for whatever scheme was taking shape in that ancient, brilliant mind of hers.
Kurtz, looking at Serie, who was making a mischievous cute face like a little gremlin planning for world domination.
'My Master can't be this cute.'