Chapter 131: Successfully Casting a Fireball Spell on the First Try is Normal, Okay?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 131: Successfully Casting a Fireball Spell on the First Try is Normal, Okay?
In the afternoon, Ji Niang continued to lead me in our research of spellbooks.
The Fireball spellbook was currently inside my body. Ji Niang hadn't removed it; according to her, since it was a gift, there was no need to take it back out just to talk about it.
Today’s lesson was a combination of theory and practice. Ji Niang was responsible for explaining the operating principles of the spellbook, while I would attempt to use the spell.
According to Teacher Ji Niang, using a spellbook required highly specialized techniques and cognition to be used "correctly" and without error.
A non-damaging spell like my Cleaning Spell could, of course, be brute-forced by simply following the manual. After all, its internal structure limited both its damage ceiling and its power supply. Because these limits existed, there was a specific way to use spells known as "over-limit" usage.
This over-limit method involved exceeding the spellbook's prescribed damage ceiling, its power supply ceiling, or both. However, doing so was extremely taxing on the spellbook itself. Even without being used, a spellbook could naturally degrade once removed from its carrier; how could over-limit usage not cause damage?
Consequently, no one would risk destroying their spellbook just to push it past its limits—unless they didn't want the spellbook anymore.
Furthermore, "over-limit" usage wasn't something just anyone could do. Most people simply used the spellbook through the mental interface provided by its structure. Once they figured that out, they only knew one way to use it. Even if you were a senior sister who could command mana, you wouldn't necessarily be able to pull off an over-limit cast.
It’s like an electronic product—if you want to make it run at an overload, will simply increasing the voltage and current work? It might, but it will only break faster. To "magically modify" a spellbook, it’s very difficult to succeed without understanding the underlying principles.
I was a complete rookie who had just entered the Transcendent realm. I lacked theoretical knowledge and cognitive depth. It was like a regular person trying to modify their home electronics without knowing anything about Ampere’s Law or electromagnetic induction. I was completely in the dark, unaware of the precautions or even the conditions under which electricity could be fatal.
That was my current situation. Fortunately, I knew that a mana riot could kill me, but I didn't know which internal structure of the spellbook I might accidentally tamper with and cause an explosion.
But that was fine. If you don't understand the principles, you can look for patterns. The application of patterns usually predates the discovery of theorems. Does a phone repairman really remember all the electromagnetic theorems from physics class? Not necessarily.
That was my approach. Ji Niang said she would periodically explain the principles and Transcendent theorems to me, but there was no rush. Those theorems were meant to help ordinary people better utilize Transcendent power; they were rules established for those who couldn't see through to the essence of the Transcendent at a glance.
But I had Spirit Vision. I could see the essence of the Transcendent directly—down to the internal structural information, the flow and dispersion of energy, and so on. I might not know why it worked, but I could intuitively see its patterns.
Observe the phenomenon, summarize the patterns, and apply them—that was what I needed to do. Only those who couldn't see through the surface had to cautiously follow principles, hoping from a macroscopic perspective that the Transcendent patterns would operate according to the laws.
After explaining so much, Ji Niang seemed a bit tired. She used to be very relaxed as a substitute teacher, not even caring if the students actually learned anything. But this was her first time conducting a one-on-one course, her first time explaining principles so meticulously and worrying about whether her student understood.
"Did you understand those structures I just mentioned?"
"Um... I understood some of it, but..."
"Then let's just move to practical operation. Practice is the best way to test knowledge." Ji Niang didn't wait to hear what came after my "but."
After all, these were things even she couldn't explain perfectly. Only when the learner actually applied them would they understand the principles. Language is a low-information-density form of communication; it cannot perfectly convey everything or its internal mechanics. One person cannot use language to build an identical cognitive map in another person's mind. That’s why "barrier-free communication" in dreams was a way to bypass the linguistic level.
However, that method had its own limitations. Otherwise, Ji Niang would have used it in her teaching long ago. If that method could be promoted at a very low cost, the Witch Academy probably wouldn't even exist in the reality realm—it would be built directly within the dreamscape!
"Eh? Direct practice? Where?"
I spoke with a hint of excitement. Ever since Senior Sister Tang Yihan stopped me that one time, I hadn't dared to use any offensive spells, like the solidification spell on the medal from my four-piece set. I was afraid the spell's power would be too terrifying, causing damage I’d have to pay for. To this day, I still didn't know exactly how powerful a Fireball Spell was to make Senior Sister Tang Yihan so wary.
"Right here. This is a laboratory; the walls have been reinforced with spells. Besides, aren't I here?" Ji Niang could clearly see my excitement and explained with a smile.
Then, before I could ask anything else, she walked over to a specifically cleared area.
"This is the spot. Wait while I solidify a spell here." Ji Niang leaned down, several materials appearing in her hands. After a series of maneuvers I couldn't follow, an exquisite, magic-circle-like pattern appeared on the ground.
"A temporary solidification spell. This should do for now. I'll get some more materials later to reinforce its stability." Ji Niang clapped her hands and turned to me. "What? Curious about what kind of spell this is?"
"Yes, yes!" I nodded immediately. I really couldn't understand the spell solidified on the ground, nor could I see any obvious effect. However, through Spirit Vision, I could see the spell enveloping this specific area.
"It's a spatial-type spell. You might not understand the specific principles for now, but if you must, imagine that this spell has increased the resistance within this block of space."
"This effect can delay various reactions inside—like a Fireball Spell exploding. It's like slow motion in a movie. Explanations end here; let's begin."
Ji Niang didn't elaborate further. Since the spell involved space, the principles alone would take forever to explain, and making me understand them would be even more impossible. She walked over to me and nudged me toward the edge of the solidified spell.
"Want to reach out and test the effect?"
"I can try?" I asked, tilting my head.
"Of course. Just stick a hand in and you'll see. There's nothing inherently dangerous about this spell."
"Okay."
I nodded and reached out, slowly moving my hand toward that area. Soon, my hand felt as if it had plunged into a very viscous liquid, even though there was nothing visible in front of me.
Through Spirit Vision, I could clearly see my fingers passing through the area covered by the spell. It was a strange sensation—a thick, sluggish feeling like slime, but without any pressure. When I moved my hand, it felt like moving through gel. When I pulled my hand back, it was as if nothing had happened.
"Amazing, isn't it?"
"Yeah."
"Now, try casting a Fireball Spell toward this spot," Ji Niang said, pointing.
"Just a simple Fireball Spell?"
I asked instinctively, but my hand was already extended. I didn't use a wand; a wand was part of the casting process and might add unnecessary interference to a pure experiment.
My mental power tapped into the Fireball spellbook. I knew its internal structure clearly, even if I didn't fully comprehend it. But using it wasn't that complicated.
I could feel the spellbook actively drawing mana from the Mana Source in my body once my mental power connected. The draw was even larger than that of the Cleaning Spell! In fact, casting this one Fireball Spell would almost drain an entire Mana Source!
Why was the consumption so high? Even when I cast a large-scale Cleaning Spell, it didn't consume nearly this much!
"First time casting the spell? Don't be so nervous; this is normal consumption. Activate your Spirit Vision and watch how the spellbook draws mana and converts it into general elemental energy internally."
"Okay..."
With Teacher Ji Niang's reassurance, I boldly proceeded with the attempt.
Mana was drawn into the spellbook and, under its guidance, transformed into terrifying fire element power. A wave of scorching heat hit my face. An exquisite "magic circle" constructed of crimson energy appeared in front of my palm. My mental power seemed to be draining rapidly; the sudden consumption even made me feel momentarily lightheaded.
After all, this was my first time, and I wasn't fully prepared.
But I could already feel the heat in front of me—the spell was condensing! The spellbook's ritual was activated, manifesting as the magic circle before me. The fire element condensed intensely, forming a blazing fireball.
This wasn't just simple fire. Judging by the fire snakes constantly roiling and circling its surface, this fireball was like it had been packed with high explosives. It gave off terrifying ripples that made my heart skip a beat.
When the fireball reached its limit, I knew I needed to launch it.
As the fireball left my palm, the magic circle ritual in front of me shattered. Its internal fire element seemed to be sucked dry by the fireball, providing one last burst of propulsion before dissipating.
The moment the fireball slammed into the solidified spatial field at high speed, everything seemed to hit the pause button. The fireball froze in mid-air. Only the heat waves in front of me proved its power from a moment ago.
"Not bad. You succeeded on your first Fireball Spell cast," Ji Niang praised from the side.
"Can a spellbook cast even fail?" I asked, tilting my head. To me, a spellbook was like a firearm—you read the manual, learn how to take off the safety, load the bullets, chamber a round, and then firing is as simple as pulling the trigger.
Now that Ji Niang was praising me with "Not bad, you fired the gun and the bullet actually came out on the first try," I couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic.
Meanwhile, Ji Niang was looking at me with a strange expression, as if she were looking at some "Versailles" humble-bragger...