Chapter 638 - 539: The Short Spike Takes Shape, a Backup Weapon

Chapter 638: Chapter 539: The Short Spike Takes Shape, a Backup Weapon

Gray Rock City. The private backyard of the Anvil and Sparks workshop.

A thick, iron-bound wooden door separated this space from the noisy, brightly-lit public forging area out front, making it much quieter by comparison.

The courtyard was walled with roughly-cut gray stone. Piles of semi-finished metal ingots and discarded slag sat in the corners, leaving a flat, open space in the center where the ground had been packed solid from constant foot traffic.

The faint smell of metal, coke, and cooling oil permeated the air, a scent distinctly different from the rest of Gray Rock City.

Sunlight slanted down from over the high walls, casting sharp, geometric shadows on the cold ground.

At that moment, on one side of the courtyard, Ellis stood before Roland, his young face wearing the serious expression of an academy tutor.

This was despite the fact that his "student" appeared to be his age, and even possessed a more profound presence.

"...So, Mr. Rudolph, the core of Mage Armor is not simply to use Magic Power to form a rigid shell."

Ellis’s voice was clear.

As he spoke, he traced patterns in the air with his finger, a faint blue Arcane Radiance leaving a brief trail of light at his fingertip.

"The key is to understand the concept of a Force Field. You must sense and guide the Arcane Energy to form an invisible layer that conforms to your own silhouette—one that is flexible and can deflect physical impacts."

"It’s more like a layer of flowing, intelligent armor than a rigid shield."

He demonstrated a standard channeling gesture, his movements precise and elegant. The faint blue light of the Force Field flashed around his body before quickly disappearing.

"The stability of the construct, the efficiency of the Energy input, the resonance with your own Magic Power fluctuations... these are all aspects that require repeated practice and subtle control."

"Beginners usually need several weeks, or even longer, just to cast it stably, and even then, the duration is limited. I will now demonstrate the most standard Rune construct and Energy flow path for you. Please focus your Perception..."

With his full concentration, Ellis unreservedly explained the key points of the most classic and reliable model for this First Ring Protection Spell—knowledge he had acquired at the academy—and prepared to guide Roland through his first attempt.

Roland listened quietly, his gaze fixed on the faint blue trails of light Ellis had sketched in the air.

But he didn’t immediately mimic Ellis’s gestures. Instead, he paused in thought for a moment, as if digesting the information.

Seeing this, Ellis assumed he had encountered a block in his understanding and was about to slow down to explain further.

Just then, Roland moved.

His movements were slightly different from the standard, academy-style gestures Ellis had demonstrated.

They were more concise and direct, lacking some of the unnecessary, ornamental flourishes.

With the fingers of his right hand slightly splayed, he pressed forward into the air, the motion as fluid as if he had performed it a thousand times before.

There was no lengthy Spell Chanting, no strained process of gathering Magic Power.

Almost in the space of a single thought, a layer of faint blue, nearly transparent, yet exceptionally solid, luminous Force Field silently enveloped his entire body.

The Force Field’s contour was precise, its luminescence flowed smoothly, and it showed none of the flickering or Energy leakage common among beginners.

Its presence felt so solid that it seemed to subtly refract the air around it.

But what truly made Ellis’s pupils contract was this:

The strength and stability of this Mage Armor far exceeded the expected standard for a First Ring Spell. It had almost reached a level that only a veteran Mage could achieve after a long period of sustained, focused reinforcement.

And Roland had cast it so...

Effortlessly.

"This..."

The follow-up instructions Ellis had prepared were caught in his throat.

His gray-blue eyes were wide, his face a mask of utter disbelief.

"Have... have you encountered this Spell before? Or similar Force Field construction techniques?"

Ellis’s voice was raspy with shock.

’Even a genius needs time and practice to master the fine control of Magic Power. It’s absolutely impossible to achieve such a flawless state after seeing it only once.’

Roland dispersed the luminous Force Field around him, and the faint blue halo vanished as silently as a receding tide.

He looked at the stunned young Mage and simply shook his head calmly.

"It was my first attempt, Ellis. Your explanation was very clear."

He paused for a moment before adding,

"Perhaps... I have something of a special talent for ’sensing’ the flow and shaping of Energy."

Hearing Roland’s casual explanation, the expression on Ellis’s face instantly became extremely peculiar.

It was a mixture of shock, confusion, and a trace of the bewilderment that comes from having one’s academic worldview shattered.

He opened his mouth, as if he wanted to ask what that "special talent" was, or perhaps to argue that this completely violated the fundamental principles of learning Arcane Magic.

But looking at Roland’s perfectly calm expression, he ultimately swallowed the torrent of questions and shock, letting it all escape as a single, complex sigh.

Roland paid no mind to the dramatic shifts in Ellis’s expression.

He raised his hand again, and with a mere flicker of his will, the translucent, faint blue Force Field Armor once more flowed smoothly over his entire body.

This time, he didn’t immediately disperse it. Instead, he closed his eyes to carefully perceive the flow of Magic Power within him, feeling the clear, stable connection between his Spiritual Power and the external Arcane Energy, and the process by which it was shaped.

A long-lost feeling of perfect, unimpeded control washed over him.

He let out a long, slow breath, as if setting down some invisible, heavy burden.

’It seems the restoration of my soul is finally complete.’

A month had quietly passed since he first received Vanessa’s treatment at the Silver Star Potion Shop.