First Spell - 20
Juro smiled proudly as he took the cloth back.
"It's something I got from one of my elf friends."
Marc froze.
His eyes immediately began sparkling like stars.
"AN ELF??????? You have elf friends, Teacher Juro????? WOAAAAAA THAT'S AMAZING!!"
--------------
Juro let out a small chuckle.
"Hehe."
Bell's eyes shifted slightly as he observed him.
"Dwelden dwarves… and an elf friend…"
"He really does have some connections…"
Juro casually placed the cloth back into his pouch before clapping his hands together.
"Alright, let's not get distracted here. Like I showed you earlier, dodging is important when dealing with sudden surprises."
Marc immediately raised his hand up.
Juro raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, Marc?"
"Is the training gonna be you trying to hit us with water balls, Teacher Juro? ✨️✨️"
Juro laughed and shook his head.
"Nah. Instead, I'm gonna show you two a spell you can learn, something you can use to train your dodging on your own."
The moment Marc heard the words show, learn, and especially spell, his heart began to race.
A faint pulse of mana leaked out from his body… then another… and another.
The air around him started to ripple slightly.
Bell glanced at him from the side, noticing the uncontrolled surge of mana, and a small smile showed at his lips.
"Aha… that kid…"
Juro let out a laugh and motioned with his hand.
"calm down a bit."
Marc flinched.
"Oops… hehe…"
Juro grinned and ruffled his hair.
"Now that's some good enthusiasm. Hahaha, leaking mana just from excitement, I like it."
Marc scratched his cheek, his face turning slightly red.
Bell shifted his gaze back to Juro.
"How do we make a spell? Don't we usually need paper and ink for that?"
Marc turned toward him immediately.
"Oooo, how do you know about that, Bell?"
"I read about it in a book back at the library," Bell replied casually.
Juro nodded with a smile.
"Yeah, you're right. Most spells rely on written formulas, usually drawn on paper. But thanks to The Greatest Mage, there's now a way to use spells without needing any of that."
Marc's eyes lit up instantly.
"Sooo coooollll!"
Bell's expression didn't change, but his thoughts stirred quietly.
"Aha… don't tell me it's going to be that…"
Juro raised a finger slightly.
"We're going to use spells by drawing them with mana."
Bell's eyes narrowed.
"Aha… knew it…
Well, I did create that method for convenience… makes things easier for people who don't have time to prepare paper or ink…"
Marc blinked in confusion, tilting his head.
"Using mana??"
Juro smiled at Marc.
"That's right."
With a simple flick of his finger through the air, mana flowed out, flexible and fluid, trailing behind his motion like a glowing thread.
In a single smooth motion, he wrote:
MARC
The letters hovered in midair, shimmering faintly.
Marc's eyes shot wide open.
"WOAAAAAA THAT'S SO COOOLLLL!! And he developed that too?? He's sooo coolll!!!"
He bounced in place, barely containing himself.
Juro laughed, raising a hand.
"Alright, alright, calm down."
With a small wave of his fingers, the floating mana letters began to dissolve, fading into the air like mist.
He then motioned for both of them to come closer.
"Come here."
Bell and Marc stepped forward.
Juro crouched down while the two stood over him, watching closely.
He raised his index finger and began tracing along the grassy ground.
Mana flowed from his fingertip as he drew.
A perfect circle formed first, smooth and precise. Then came the symbols, each one etched with steady control, aligning flawlessly with the circle as if guided by an invisible structure.
Marc watched with sparkling eyes, his excitement bubbling as he stared at Juro like a master at work.
Bell, on the other hand, narrowed his gaze slightly.
His attention wasn't on the symbols themselves.
It was on Juro's hand.
Not a single tremor. Not even the slightest hesitation.
"That control…"
As Juro continued drawing, he spoke calmly.
"You know, back at the inn, I said spells are like formulas you have to memorize. But I left out something important."
The final symbols began to take shape.
"Spells are complex formulas. You can combine them with other spells, or even mix them with magic and mana magic."
His finger moved without pause.
"The Greatest Mage was the first to truly explore and expand what spells could do."
The circle now pulsed faintly.
"Every spell needs to be precise. One mistake, and it could fail… or worse, turn into something you didn't intend."
He finished the final symbol and stood up, brushing his hand lightly.
"Unlike regular magic or mana magic, spells are drawn. But because of that, they can be incredibly versatile."
A small smile formed on his face.
"Now… pay attention."
The drawn spell began to glow.
Light pulsed through the symbols.
Then..
A burst of water shot upward from the circle, forming a compact ball that rose into the air.
Marc tilted his head up, eyes wide in amazement.
"Wooooaaah…"
Suddenly, the water ball shifted midair.
Its trajectory bent sharply.
Straight toward Juro.
Marc's heart skipped.
"W-WHAT?! Teacher Juro, watch out!"
Juro didn't move much.
Just a slight tilt of his head.
The water ball rushed past him and..
SPLASH.
It crashed into the ground behind him.
Marc froze for a second… then his jaw dropped.
"Waaaaaaoooo…"
The spell on the ground pulsed once more.
A glow spread through the circle, and another water ball shot upward.
Marc's gaze followed it instinctively.
As it reached its peak and began to fall.
It shifted again.
The trajectory bent sharply, locking onto Juro.
Juro simply leaned his head to the side.
The water ball missed him by a hair and crashed into the ground behind him.
Before Marc could even react.
The spell glowed again.
Another water ball.
Another arc into the sky.
Another sudden redirection.
And once again, Juro dodged it with nothing more than a subtle movement.
After the third cycle, Juro motioned his hand slightly.
The glowing circle flickered… then faded away, the mana dispersing into nothing.
Silence lingered for a moment.
Marc stood there, completely frozen.
His eyes sparkled like they might burst.
"Wooooaaaa…"
Bell crossed his arms.
"I didn't think he'd use that…"
"A spell I made mid-battle… something improvised for that exact moment…"
"And now it's being used like this…"
A faint smirk tugged at his lips.
"Guess once it was revealed to the world, people found their own ways to use it…"
Marc suddenly turned toward Juro, practically vibrating with excitement.
"Teacher Juro!! What spell was that?!"
Juro smiled.
"It's a spell created by The Greatest Mage."
Marc's eyes widened even more.
Juro continued calmly.
"The basic concept is simple. It automatically targets the caster."
Marc's smiled really big.
"WOAA… something like that actually exists?!"
Bell let out a small breath through his nose, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"It's magic. Of course it exists."
Marc clenched his fists, his excitement surging all over again.
"ARE YOU GONNA TEACH US THAT SPELL SO WE CAN TRAIN WITH IT?!"
Juro gave a thumbs up.
"Yes."
A grin spread across his face.
Then he added, "Do you two remember how I drew it?"
Both Bell and Marc nodded without hesitation.
"Good," Juro said. "Now give it a shot."
He pointed slightly in front of them.
"Oh, and instead of drawing it on the ground, draw it in the air. Once you finish, take six steps back."
Marc didn't wait a second longer.
He raised his index finger, and mana immediately began to gather at the tip.
It flowed steadily, thick and controlled, like ink from a pen.
Then he started drawing.
The lines formed in the air, bold and consistent, each curve holding its shape without wavering.
Juro's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched.
The control… the density… the stability of the flow.
All of it was clean.
Precise.
What impressed him the most, though.
Marc never asked how to do it.
Juro's smile deepened.
"He really is one of a kind…"
"To think he could replicate that level of control just by watching…"
His gaze lingered on Marc for a moment longer.
"Well… I guess it makes sense."
"With those eyes of his…"
Juro shifted his gaze toward Bell.
What he saw made him pause.
Bell's finger moved once.
A perfect circle formed in a single, fluid motion.
No hesitation. No correction.
Then, just as smoothly, he filled in the symbols, each one aligning flawlessly.
It only took a few seconds.
Juro let out a small, awkward laugh under his breath.
"Ahaha… he really keeps piquing my interest…"
His eyes lingered for a moment longer before he glanced at both of them.
A soft smile formed.
"Both of them… really do."
Bell finished the final symbol.
Without a word, he stepped back.
One step.
Two.
Six steps in total.
He stopped and waited.
The spell began to glow.
A water ball burst out and shot straight toward Bell's head.
He tilted slightly.
The water ball passed him.
But it didn't stop.
Midair, it twisted and came back, now aiming straight for the back of his head.
At the same time.
Another water ball shot out from the spell.
Two angles.
Front and back.
Closing in.
Bell didn't rush.
Didn't panic.
He simply shifted again.
A slight turn of the head.
A subtle lean.
Both water balls missed.
They collided midair behind him.
SPLASH.
Juro's eyes lit up.
"Oooo…"
Meanwhile, Marc stood in place, completely focused on his own spell.
Sweat formed along his forehead as he carefully traced each line, doing his best to stay precise.
His breathing slowed.
His movements steadied.
Finally.
The last symbol.
Marc quickly stepped back six steps, raising his guard.
His eyes locked onto the spell.
It glowed.
A water ball shot out.
Marc reacted immediately.
He dodged to the side with ease, his eyes catching the mana flow as it formed.
Then.
Another water ball burst out.
Marc focused on the one in front of him, preparing to dodge again.
But, behind him the first water ball twisted.
It came back.
Marc didn't notice.
He moved too early, slipping past the second one in front.
Only for the returning water ball to adjust slightly and.
THWAP.
"Oww…what the??"
He rubbed the back of his head.
Juro pointed calmly.
"Remember, they target the caster."
Marc blinked.
Then nodded.
"O-Oh… right!"
Still rubbing his head, Marc turned to look at Bell.
And froze.
Bell was walking.
Slowly.
Step by step, he moved closer to the spell.
Closing the distance.
Making it harder.
More dangerous.
Yet his hands remained in his pockets.
Completely relaxed.
Another water ball shot out.
He tilted his head slightly.
Missed.
Another one followed.
A small shift of his shoulders.
Missed.
More water balls continued to burst out, one after another, weaving through the air toward him from different angles.
Yet Bell moved through them effortlessly.
Each motion was minimal.
A slight turn.
A small lean.
A quiet step.
So subtle that, for a moment, it didn't even look like he was dodging.
It looked like the water itself was simply failing to touch him.
Bell stepped forward.
Closer.
Closer.
Until he stood right in front of the spell.
He stopped.
Marc's breath hitched as he watched.
Behind Bell, three water balls curved through the air, all locking onto him from different angles.
At the same time, the spell infront of him pulsed again, its mana gathering, ready to release another shot point-blank, right in front of Bell's face.
Marc's heart started pounding.
"What's he gonna do…?"
He could see it.
The mana building.
The moment before release.
"Right now!"
Splash.
"WA…WHAaaa?!"
Marc flinched as a water ball smacked straight into the side his face, forcing his eyes shut.
By the time he wiped the water away and blinked his vision clear.
Bell's spell had already faded.
The air was calm.
No water balls.
Nothing.
Marc stared blankly.
"Aweeeee WHATTTTTTTT?! What happenedd??"
Juro pointed off to the side, barely holding back his laughter.
"Watch out."
Marc turned.
Splash.
Another water ball hit him square in the face.
Juro burst out laughing.
"Hahahahaha!"
Bell glanced at Marc, his expression calm.
"He's gonna learn this one quick… I'm sure."
Marc stood there, dripping.
Then his expression hardened.
A mix of frustration and determination lit in his eyes.
"Alright… alright…"
He turned back to his spell.
Focused.
The circle glowed.
A water ball shot out.
Marc didn't move immediately.
His eyes narrowed, locking onto it.
He waited.
Then a small movement.
Just like Bell.
A slight tilt of his head.
The water ball passed.
Marc's eyes widened.
He almost smiled.
But stopped.
A single drop of water slid down his cheek.
"…!"
It grazed him.
Not clean.
Not perfect.
Marc stepped back quickly, spinning around.
The water ball that passed him twisted midair and came back.
Another one burst out from the spell behind him.
Two directions again.
Marc focused on the returning one first.
He tilted his head.
Too much.
Too stiff.
The water grazed his cheek again.
"Ah!"
He turned back.
The next one was already too close.
This time, he couldn't keep it subtle.
He shifted his entire body to dodge.
The water rushed past him.
But before he could reset.
Another one fired.
The first one twisted again.
The second one curved behind him.
Three angles.
Marc's eyes widened.
"W-WAIT!"
He moved quickly.
Dodged the third.
Turned.
Dodged the first.
Twisted again to avoid the second.
Then a fourth water ball burst out.
Marc froze for a split second.
Too many.
Too fast.
His breathing became uneven.
Sweat rolled down his face as his eyes darted from one incoming attack to another.
The water balls closed in from all sides.
And for the first time.
Marc started to feel overwhelmed.
Both Bell and Juro showed a flicker of surprise.
Even with everything happening, Marc was still managing to keep up with three water balls.
Marc didn't have time to think.
He locked onto the closest one.
Move.
He shifted his body and dodged the first.
Then quickly twisted to avoid the third.
A sharp step to the side, dodging the second.
And finally, he ducked low, narrowly avoiding the fourth.
His breathing grew heavier.
But he didn't stop.
Another water ball burst out.
The fifth.
Marc's eyes snapped toward it.
He ducked instinctively.
It passed over his head.
He rose immediately and moved again, sidestepping the fourth, then twisting to avoid the second, then the third, then the first.
The order didn't matter anymore.
He was just reacting.
Moving.
Surviving.
Juro's eyes widened slightly.
"That kid got endurance… his physical control"
Bell watched quietly, a faint smile forming.
"Back at the orphanage…"
"He never complained… not once…"
"Every exercise, every routine… he followed through without hesitation…"
Bell's gaze softened slightly.
"You've grown, Marc…"
In the middle of all the movement.
Marc didn't notice.
He had stepped closer.
Too close.
The spell pulsed again.
A sixth water ball shot out.
Marc's eyes widened.
"Ah!!"
He dodged it.
But in that brief moment of panic
Splash.
The third hit him in the face.
Splash.
The second followed.
Splash.
The first.
Splash.
The fifth.
Splash.
The fourth.
And finally.
Splash.
The sixth.
Marc stood there, completely soaked.
Frozen.
Defeated.
Water dripped from his hair and chin.
Silence.
Then.
Juro exploded.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
He bent forward, clutching his stomach, unable to hold it in.
Marc slowly turned and began walking toward them.
Then.
The still-active spell pulsed one last time.
Splash.
Another water ball hit him directly in the face.
Juro choked on his own laughter.
"PHH…HAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
Marc finally dispelled the spell and continued walking, completely drenched.
Juro tried to compose himself, but his shoulders kept shaking.
Bell stepped forward and lightly patted Marc on the back.
"Hahaha… you did surprisingly well there."
Juro, still trembling, pulled out the white cloth and handed it to Marc.
Marc took it and wiped his face.
The warmth spread instantly.
The water disappeared almost as quickly as it had soaked in, leaving his skin dry, though his hair and clothes remained damp.
He handed the cloth back.
Juro straightened his posture, forcing himself to regain composure.
"Ehem…"