Magic (2): Some Things Just Don't Work
Magic just doesn't bend the way you want it to. I'd realized that ever since crashing down from the ceiling. I really wanted to fly like Iron Man, but the power was so overwhelming it launched me like a cannonball. If you asked whether this was in Soul World, I'd say no. This was my own invention.
To cast magic, you have to draw the runes yourself—doesn't matter if it's with your fingers or toes. There are even mages who've lost both hands. Plus, after surviving in the wild, my toes are pretty dexterous. Of course, the result was an explosion. I'd forgotten that using magic point-blank causes a blast. Lucky for me, my body's tough; anyone else would've lost their ankle.
"Everyone, pay attention! As you just saw with Sivar here, even basic magic can be extremely dangerous. People with exceptionally high mana output might struggle to control it, and manifesting spells in close quarters triggers a massive explosion. Just be mindful of those two things, and magic isn't dangerous at all."
After my spectacular screw-up, Godin used me as a live example. I didn't have much to say about it, so I just listened without complaint. He wasn't being malicious either. From his perspective, it was like staring down a bomb packed with gunpowder. He had no choice but to warn everyone.
"Alright then, Sivar? Shall we train together?"
"Yeah."
"Honestly, with mana as potent as yours, fine control will be tricky. Even dialed back, the power will still pack a punch."
I had no intention of dialing back the power anyway. More importantly, I wasn't planning to go the full mage route. I'd learn the defensive spell Godin taught later just by knowing it—that wouldn't be an issue. And that spell got better the more mana you had, since it guzzled so much anyway.
"So let's put fine control on hold and start with targeting. Do you know how to specify a location when casting?"
"Nope."
"It's simple. Point at the spot with the finger you used to draw the rune, and you're done. Super easy, right?"
Easy enough. The problem was the explosion if you botched the rune.
As I'd mentioned before, language held immense weight in this world. Magic was the prime example. That's why I kept studying it diligently. It'd come in handy eventually; I had to learn it.
"Let's give it a try. Fire pillar's too risky, so let's make a water pillar instead. You know the rune, right?"
"Yeah."
Magic worked like the AI sketches in Soul World. Combine words to produce a result. If it worked well, you could even swap out spoken triggers later. Not that I could yet.
Following Godin's instructions, I drew the rune for "water pillar" with my finger. Then I pointed at the floor and whispered,
"Water pillar."
Just in case, I'd throttled my mana way down. Another disaster like before would be bad news. How much? Roughly 10%? That should be plenty.
Ku-ku-ku-ku-ku!
That was before a massive jet of water erupted from the spot I'd pointed at. It wasn't a wellspring—it was a geyser, like a hot spring blowing its top. And I hadn't even specified the pressure.
"Uh... that's quite the water pillar. Did you control it at all?"
Godin stared at it in bewilderment and asked. Water rained down like a storm from the surging column. I scratched my head, eyeing the thing that showed no signs of stopping.
"Yeah. I did."
"...But when did you set it to stop?"
"Dunno."
"It's an area spell, so it'll keep going until your mana runs out..."
Luckily, it fizzled out soon after. The red mana had amped the power, but the duration was short. Still, the whole classroom was soaked, so drying it took forever.
"Hahaha. Your mana really is something else, Sivar. Too much of a good thing, though."
"Praise?"
"Praise, but mana is like fire. Incredibly helpful to us, yet it can burn if mishandled. You need to master fine control first."
Even I struggled to fine-tune red mana. It was raw power, roughly forged and compressed like I'd chomped it down whole. Could dialing it back even work? It rampaged like a beast.
Godin might help theoretically.
High chance. But to get that, I'd need a private chat with him. He didn't know about my red mana—not fully, anyway. He'd probably guessed.
Need to check on that spell research anyway.
Bonus: See what Grace was helping with. That meant heading to his lab... Sooner or later, I'd ask Grace. Or just now.
I glanced around and quietly called out to Godin.
"Godin. Got a favor."
"What is it? If it's about magic, I'll help with everything I've got."
He answered casually enough. I approached cautiously, checked our surroundings, and leaned in so only he'd see. Our heights matched, so we huddled close.
Pop! I conjured a flicker of red mana on my fingertip—dialed down as low as possible. It still flared like a lighter. No heat, though.
"This is..."
"My mana. Red. Hard to control."
Meaning: Any ideas? Godin pondered, face serious. He was thinking hard.
No one in the academy matched his theory game. That's why I'd asked this way. No prior chances to learn magic up close, but today was different. Little by little, like this.
"Red mana... The primal force said to have first awakened life... That explains the control issues."
"..."
"Hmm... I'd need to check my lab. After class, come by with Grace?"
"Got it."
Perfect. Things were going my way. I thanked him; he brushed it off as his job, smiling.
"Does the president know about this?"
"Yeah. He does."
"I see. Best to keep it under wraps. Not exactly a good thing."
Already sounding ominous. Hope it didn't mean some disease. Red mana had stuck around even after berserk evolved to rampage. No real explanation in Soul World—still a mystery.
"Professor! Need a hand real quick!"
"Yes. Hang on a moment. Keep practicing magic... moderately."
Sounded like "don't blow shit up and stay put." Was that just me?
I watched Godin head off to help, then turned. Right where the massive water pillar had burst—still drenched.
"Hmm..."
Hold back? Or go wild? After agonizing, I scanned the room. Luna, Kara—everyone deep in magic.
"Water and lightning combo. Cool, huh?"
"Whoa... What are you? Always so annoying."
"Super easy, so try it, sis."
Luna had jumped straight to elemental combos. Water and lightning? Tough to block without an earth or stone wall.
She's got it.
No worries there. Whatever route she took, she'd manage.
I looked away from them to the floor. Time for some fun. No harm to others—just for me.
Mana to 5%, tweak range and power...
Drawing from Soul World knowledge, I layered modifiers. Like feeding words to the AI for a picture. Add adjectives to "water pillar," done. Perk: Honed my language skills.
This should do it.
I pointed at the floor to finish. An ominous aura stirred from the ground. I planted both feet immediately. Already active—no explosion.
Kwa-gu-gu-gu!
As expected, a thick water jet shot up. Still potent despite tweaks. Not a geyser, though—just enough to lift me.
"Whoa!"
It buoyed me up slowly. Nearly lost balance but held on. Felt like surfing. A huge water pillar cradling me. I'd aimed for this since the first one—nailed it.
"What's he doing?"
"Looks fun."
"Should I try?"
My antics drew stares. Mostly "there he goes again." But the guys? They looked genuinely amused. Couldn't blame 'em—I'd jumped in impulsively too.
"Yesss!"
Clap clap clap clap!
I threw my arms wide in triumph, and the guys cheered with applause. Men are all the same.
"Sivar, you're cleaning the floor today."
"..."
Of course I got scolded.
"Then I'll help clean. We're heading to the lab together anyway, right?"
"If Grace says so, fine, but..."
"What's wrong? We'll be hanging out more from now on."
"?"
So natural.