Chapter 62: Hide and Seek


    I told Lucillus <em>and </em>udius, who ended up tagging along, to watch closely.


    I give a reserved smile to Lucinda when she opens the door.


    Clodia and Cami are waiting for us. Sorry for beingter, but I had some stuff to take care of and I wanted to leave you some time to take care of your studies.


    She nods in return and follows me and my two-people escort behind us.


    Are you ok? Lucinda asks the first question of the day.


    Im a bit woozy from practicing magic all night after that Mana exhaustion. But I got [Mana Well] and I think that helped.


    I was talking about the stabbing.


    Her voice is steady, but there is some worry in her eyes.


    Oh, I raise the shirt Im wearing, its okay. Its already gone. See?


    She looks at me like Im an idiot.


    You got stabbed in the middle of the city, <em>Joey</em>. Are you <em>ok</em>?


    To be honest, it is a fair question. I know some people who got mugged in New York and they wouldnt go out for months after.


    Am <em>I</em> scared of stuff like that?


    I mean, listen, Im in a high-fantasy world with probably no way home. I try to avoid that thought because I dont want to fall into pure and dreadful existential crisis. It may sound unreasonable to some that being assaulted and stabbed in the guts did not traumatize me. What can I say, though? It kind of didnt.


    I do fear that at some point I might <em>snap</em>. Like, Ill have to deal with all this mind-bogging experience, but Ill try to stave that off with some baking and Cantrips. Better to look ahead than behind, right? Im not sure anyone says that, but lets keep it.


    Going back to Lucindas question, now.


    If I could, I would stop time and tell Lucillus and udius, see, here I couldpliment her and tell her how beautiful she is, or stuff like that, and that her beauty is worth every trouble, even getting stabbed and yada, yada, yada. Instead, what Ill do is


    Im a bit shook, but its ok. Hows your magic practice going?


    She looks at me with worry, but she doesnt want to push.


    Its good. Ive managed to learn a new Tier 3 spell today. That should be enough to qualify for the special sses at the Nine Towers Academy. Ive already sent a notice about it and, if everything goes well, I should be admitted in a few months.


    See, this is much worse than being stabbed. My heart aches so much hearing that she will leave eventually. I have no idea why I got so attached to this hot Elf. No idea. I mean, <em>yes</em>, shes <em>insanely </em>beautiful, but theres also something I cant quite put in words.


    I want to bang my head on the sidewalk, I want to American History X myself by myself. Is it possible? I dont know. But Id surely like to find out.


    But is that what a person wants to hear?


    Should I just tell Lucinda that thinking about her leaving makes me want to shoot myself in the ear with a crossbow?


    Why in the ear?


    Im not sure a crossbow can prate my thick skull. So, better safe than sorry.


    Oh, man, I envy you so much. What spell is that? Im still learning.


    Its [Sr Whip]. Its a bit umon to learn such a spell, since you have to use it as a weapon in itself, but I read that [Mages] of old used to do that all the time. The notion of a sickly frail [Mage] is mostly modern. So, Im trying to learn some fighting too.


    I mean.


    A whip.


    Come on.


    Im not even saying anything.


    I refuse toment on that.


    This is a setup.


    This is literally the world setting me up to have horny thoughts.


    Theres no other exnation!


    My astonishment is hidden behind my silence and Lucinda takes it as her turn to speak.


    My mistake.


    So, I forgot to ask if you got a specialized ss yet. Or are you waiting for something in particr?


    Got [Light Mage] for now. It sounds neat. It will certainly help with the Cantrips.


    Now, usually, when you walk, there is only one thing you can do to really broadcast your incredulity.


    You stop.


    Lucinda, Lucillus and udius, they all stop.


    Ok, I messed up, didnt I?


    Is [Light Mage] a ss you are not supposed to learn? Like, maybe its too stupid?


    You got that stupid ss? Lucillus sounds pained.


    Oh, Joey, you should have asked, Lucinda looks guilty. I could have told you what to avoid! [Light Mage] is useless! No [Light] spell can deal damage! Even [Light Arrow] deals little more than a p-worth of damage!


    That Macklemore song that starts with what, what, what, what ys in my head.


    Cant remember the title.


    Anyway, Im pretty sure I broke some bones with a spell that was <em>not </em>[Light Arrow], and why would you use an arrow shape whenoh.


    If you use an arrow shape  and keep in mind that the matrix will somehow resemble the final shape  you can focus the starting points of the Mana path better. They will add speed and power to it.


    Wow.


    Well, next time I get mugged, Ill keep that in mind.


    I mean, you can still learn more magic and change sster. Its going to be a bit more difficult, but its doable. Its not like you have to enter the Nine Towers Academy, Lucinda sighs.


    They dont take people with the [Light Mage] ss? I raise an eyebrow.


    Nope. Its the first sign that you are a stupid rookie and that you dont know what you are doing.


    Well, it is true that I dont know what Im doing. Also, the stupid rookie part, Iugh.


    I didnt want to insult you, Im sorry. Its already bad that you took that ss. I was supposed to follow you around for business, but I could have inquired more. I would have been able to help you with that. Im sorry. It exins how you can create a rose out of thin air, at least. Is it a proper skill?


    Huh, what is she talking about?


    What do you mean a proper skill?


    Well, if you are still working on your Cantrips, creating a shape with [Lights] is simply impossible. I still dont know how you did what you showed me the other day, but a full-fledged shape with details is insane. Its just insane. A proper skill means that you got a skill after leveling up that allows you to do that.


    Oh, right.


    I learned [Lightbolt] and [sh] like that, didnt I?


    Ive yet to test them, though.


    Yeah, I got a skill to do that, it was technically true, although practically wrong.


    [Light Shaping] helped manipte the [Light] spell, but it didnte even close to the massive pain in the bum I had to experience to create a rose out of the spell.


    <em>How </em>hard is it to cast a rose like that, just out of curiosity?


    No one I know would be able to. Creatingplex shapes with [Lights] is a very specialized thing. Maybe some [Illusionist] could do that. But I wouldnt count on it. The sheer control you would have to exercise on a spell to make it into such a thing is terrifying.


    Huh.