Chapter 7: Elves' Tracking Magic
It was the fifth day of their shared adventure.
Under Serie's patient guidance, Kurtz had successfully mastered the Precaution Magic.
Though with his creation talent and fragments of modern scientific understanding, it had evolved into something entirely new.
Watching the blue magic circle hovering in Kurtz's palm, Serie felt waves of magical power emanating from him and spreading outward in precise patterns.
After only a brief moment of observation, surprise flickered across her composed features.
"You've somehow fused Detection Magic and Precaution Magic into a single spell?"
From Serie's perspective, the magical ripples continued expanding outward, eventually covering several hundred meters in all directions.
The spell's signature remained remarkably faint, so subtle that detecting it required focused attention. Anyone being scanned would remain completely unaware of the surveillance.
Within Kurtz's magic circle, numerous small dots appeared and moved in real-time.
These points of light represented detected life forms, and their movement patterns, directions, and even approximate sizes were clearly visible within the magical interface.
"Yes, I optimised the original structure somewhat." Kurtz studied his creation with obvious satisfaction.
"How about we call this new magic 'Radar Technique'?"
The moment he'd witnessed those two separate spells, Kurtz had immediately seen the potential for combination.
Precaution Magic could identify approaching threats, while Detection Magic could scan for distant enemies.
The logical next step seemed obvious to his modern mind.
Kurtz: "Hey, I have an excellent idea!"
Thus, Radar Magic was born from necessity and innovation.
"A name with unclear meaning." Serie tilted her head with mild confusion. "Is there any basis for such terminology?"
"Well... Um," Kurtz found himself unable to explain without revealing concepts that wouldn't exist for millennia.
How could he describe radio waves, electromagnetic detection, or military technology to someone from a magical medieval setting?
"Then let's call it 'Grand Detection Technique.'" Serie's alternative suggestion revealed that magical naming conventions weren't particularly sophisticated either.
"Though, unfortunately, the mana consumption is excessive, which limits practical applications."
Kurtz nodded in agreement, then deactivated the Grand Detection Technique.
In just that brief demonstration, he'd felt roughly one-fifth of his magical reserves drain away, equivalent to casting three consecutive Arrow Rain barrages.
Perhaps only someone with Serie's immense magical capacity could sustain such spells for extended periods.
"Is there any method to increase my total mana reserves?"
Kurtz's magical energy remained frustratingly limited, as Serie had bluntly mentioned on multiple occasions.
According to her casual assessment, any child Elf possessed more raw magical power than him, a comparison that struck his pride like a physical blow.
He couldn't help his disadvantage. Less than a year in this world simply couldn't compare to natives who'd spent centuries developing their abilities.
"No shortcuts exist beyond consistent, long-term practice." Serie's response crushed his hopes for quick solutions.
"However, among the various monster species, certain races can steal magic from others, even absorbing magical energy from fresh corpses."
Her words made Kurtz's blood run cold.
"Steal magic?" His voice carried barely controlled dread. "Are these creatures numerous?"
If such beings existed in significant numbers, he couldn't imagine how anyone could hope to defeat the Demon Race in future conflicts.
After all, the Age of Gods was marked by constant warfare, which resulted in massive death tolls.
If he possessed such absorption abilities, he could simply locate active battlefields, find suitable hiding spots, and then absorb magical energy from fallen combatants after both sides finished slaughtering each other.
Kurtz couldn't even imagine how powerful his magical level might become through such methods.
Perhaps even Serie, who would live from the Age of Gods through modern times, couldn't match such accumulated power.
"Very few possess this ability, but those who do are now classified as the Demon Race." Serie's expression grew notably grimmer.
Creatures whose souls had been corrupted by abyssal influence were collectively termed monsters.
Those among them who developed intelligence earned the designation of Demon Race.
Compared to mindless beasts, the Demon Race displayed cunning and strategic thinking that made them infinitely more dangerous.
Unlike races with complex emotions, such as the Elves, demons possessed absolutely no capacity for empathy, mercy, or moral consideration.
This created truly terrifying opponents.
Kurtz absorbed this information with growing unease, his brows furrowing with worry.
The ability to steal magical power, combined with intelligence, would indeed make them formidable adversaries.
He voiced his growing concern aloud. "This is genuinely troubling. If these Demon Race members endlessly steal magic from their victims, even the gods might eventually prove inadequate to stop them."
"That won't happen." Serie shook her head with confident dismissal.
"The reason gods maintain supremacy lies in the divine power flowing within them. No amount of stolen magic can truly contend with authentic divine essence. Moreover, stolen magical energy gradually corrupts the host's soul."
After explaining, she fixed Kurtz with a meaningful, serious stare. "So don't even consider creating such magic yourself. These Demon Race members gained extraordinary intelligence by relying on their stealing abilities, but they will inevitably degenerate back into irrational monsters due to endless magical corruption."
Kurtz nodded thoughtfully, understanding flowing across his features.
He naturally grasped the deeper implications behind Serie's warning.
His creative talent held tremendous future potential. If he truly dedicated himself to exploring its limits, developing magic capable of stealing power from others wasn't beyond possibility.
But as Serie emphasised, stolen magic would corrupt any living being's soul, transforming them into something monstrous and ultimately self-destructive.
"Then I'll focus on gradual, honest improvement." He smiled, completely abandoning any thoughts of dangerous shortcuts.
"Good. Your magical talent shows genuine promise." For once, Serie offered actual encouragement rather than criticism.
"Given sufficient time and proper training, you will surely become a formidable mage."
Kurtz represented an important asset for her magical research and exploration. She had no desire to see him corrupted or led astray by tempting but ultimately destructive paths.
"Since that's settled, please teach me additional spells when you have time."
Kurtz felt no need for false politeness in their arrangement.
He and Serie had established a relationship of mutual magical education; she taught him the foundational spells commonly used by Elves in this era, while he improved and transformed them through his creation abilities before sharing the enhanced versions back to her.
"Very well." Serie wasted no time with unnecessary words.
She simply raised her hand, magical energy beginning to gather around her fingertips. "While magical instruction shouldn't typically be rushed, your exceptional talent eliminates such concerns."
She pointed toward a large boulder in the distance, but her actual target was the gnarled tree growing directly behind it.
"Among Elven magical traditions, we possess a type of tracking magic. Even after an offensive spell has been released and is travelling toward its target, its trajectory can be altered mid-flight."
Her voice carried the authority of someone who'd mastered techniques others spent decades attempting. "When this principle is applied to combat magic, it produces devastating tactical advantages."
Serie cast her Arrow Rain toward the boulder, but the magical projectiles curved gracefully through the air like guided missiles, accurately striking the tree concealed behind the stone obstacle.
This represented advanced magic among Elven spellcasting traditions. Serie herself had required several years of intensive study to use it with genuine proficiency.
"The concept seems... challenging to grasp." Kurtz felt a headache building behind his temples.
He could currently condense magical energy for direct attacks, but controlling spells after they'd already been released? The mechanics seemed to defy every principle of physics he understood.
He couldn't exactly install remote control devices like guided missiles, could he?
Speaking of which, did technological development have any future in this magical world? Though pursuing that path would completely change the setting's aesthetic.
"Take your time, there's no pressure to master it immediately," Serie revealed a faint, almost fond smile.
It was perfectly reasonable for him to struggle with comprehension. After all, she herself had spent over a year just learning to attach guidance systems to already-released attacks.
Following that, a breakthrough had come, and endless repetitive practice was required to achieve reliable results.
Once this fundamental principle was mastered, many different spells could incorporate tracking elements, making it an invaluable tactical advantage in actual combat situations.
This represented one of the Elven race's most closely guarded magical secrets, and now she was teaching it to Kurtz without any reservations.
She found herself genuinely curious about how long it would take this remarkable human to master such advanced techniques.
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