Chapter 83: Magic Training

Chapter 83: Chapter 83: Magic Training

After paying the fee, Hesia was led to a corner of the training ground.

The ground was soft dirt, clearly prepared for spells that caused a large commotion.

Soon, a handyman about Thomas’s age, huffing and puffing, brought over five straw targets half the height of a man. Following Hesia’s request, he set them up in different positions on the soft dirt.

The reason for choosing straw targets was simple: they were cheap.

Moreover, the Earth Spike Technique mainly launched a thrust from the ground, so it wouldn’t easily destroy the targets themselves, allowing them to be used repeatedly.

Hesia looked at the prepared area before him and took a deep breath.

"Alright, let’s begin."

He stretched out his hand, palm aimed at a distant straw target.

Earth Spike Technique!

Earth Spike Technique!

Earth Spike Technique!

...

The benefit of practicing with targets in the training ground was that he wouldn’t be casting spells aimlessly.

Every casting had a clear target, which was the same principle behind why it was easier to raise Skill Proficiency in actual combat.

Hesia maintained an extremely high spellcasting pace.

The effect of his Earth Affinity gave him Magic Power regeneration that far surpassed other Mages of his level.

Whenever he felt slightly mentally fatigued, he only needed to rest for a moment, and that energy originating from the earth would slowly replenish his Magic Power.

Two or three hours later, as an Earth Spike pierced a straw target, the long-awaited notification finally appeared.

[Earth Spike Skill Proficiency +1, Level 2 (19/20)]

’Great! Just one more point to go!’

Hesia felt reinvigorated and pressed on.

At noon, he simply bought some food to fill his stomach, rested for half an hour, and then threw himself back into the tedious practice.

The sky gradually became dyed a burning orange-red.

In the corner of the training ground, the destroyed straw targets had already been replaced several times.

Whether it was the powered-up Earth Spike Technique or the standard Triple Stab, Hesia had cast them over and over, more times than he could count.

But that last point of Skill Proficiency, like a stuck gear, refused to increase.

This feeling was making him incredibly frustrated.

It was like a progress bar stuck at 99%, making you lose your cool and just want to brute-force it to completion.

Under the influence of this mindset, his originally steady spellcasting pace was disrupted. His Magic Power was rapidly depleted, and his brain began to throb with a dull ache.

He found a clean patch of grass at the edge of the training ground and lay down, gazing at the sunset clouds on the horizon as he rested and thought.

’Just what am I doing wrong?’

He couldn’t help but think how nice it would be if he had a mentor he could ask for advice right now.

However, he had no idea that even if this seemingly simple wish were granted, it would be of no use.

Because for the vast majority of Mages, the Earth Spike Technique was just an Entry Level spell that was neither easy to learn nor particularly useful.

Leveling it to Level 2 and mastering the convenient "Triple Stab" was already considered the end of the line for this spell.

Few people would, and even fewer had ever thought to, continue digging deeper into a spell universally recognized as "basic."

At this moment, Hesia cast aside his distracting thoughts and began to recall the moment he upgraded the Earth Spike Technique from Level 1 to Level 2.

Back then, the change in the skill was from releasing only one Earth Spike at a time to being able to release three simultaneously. It was a breakthrough in "quantity."

’So, from Level 2 to Level 3, could it be a similar kind of change?’

A bold idea formed in his mind.

’What if... I use the amount of Magic Power for the powered-up Earth Spike Technique, but instead of compressing it, I try to divide it into ten parts, like with Triple Stab?’

After resting for nearly an hour, his stamina mostly recovered. Hesia stood up and began a new round of attempts.

For him, casting the powered-up Earth Spike Technique was already second nature, but dispersing that immense amount of Magic Power into ten parts in an instant was unimaginably difficult.

The feeling was like trying to catch ten slippery loaches with one hand—a few would always slip through your fingers.

He tried several times and failed.

Either the Magic Power was unevenly dispersed, or it would simply dissipate during the channeling process.

Hesia didn’t get discouraged. He thought for a moment and decided to lower the difficulty.

He would only gather about five times the normal amount of Magic Power and try to divide it into five parts first.

Focusing his mind again, he imagined the ball of Magic Power as an extension of his own palm, then, as if spreading his five fingers, he carefully guided and separated it...

This time, he gradually got the hang of it.

After trying for a long time—

Earth Spike Technique!

PFFT! PFFT! PFFT! PFFT! PFFT!

Five muffled thuds, almost overlapping.

Earth Spikes shot up from the ground in a staggered formation, like the Sharp Claws of a giant beast, instantly tearing an intact straw target into flying scraps of straw.

[Earth Spike Skill Proficiency +1, Level 3 (0/40)]

As the notification flashed in his mind, Hesia collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily.

Then, an even more exciting notification appeared.

[You have mastered the skill: Earth Spike Technique Level 3]

[Wisdom +2]

A cool sensation, even more potent than before, flooded his mind, washing away all his fatigue. His thoughts became clearer and sharper than ever.

"Whew... I’ve ’gotten smarter’ again!" he joked to himself, feeling the pure joy that came with his increase in power.

’Did I get 2 points of Wisdom this time?’

The last time the Earth Spike Technique went from Level 1 to Level 2, the skill upgrade only granted 1 Attribute Point.

But this time, going from Level 2 to Level 3, the number of Attribute Points he received had actually doubled.

In other words, the higher a skill’s level, the more Attributes you gain upon breaking through to the next.

He then glanced at the requirement to upgrade to Level 4—as expected, the proficiency requirement had also doubled to 40 points.

Although the difficulty had greatly increased, he didn’t feel pressured. Instead, it made him even more excited.

After all, he had only expected 1 point of Wisdom. This extra point that came out of nowhere was a pleasant, unplanned surprise.

Unexpected surprises are always a great motivator.

By now, the sky had completely darkened.

He rested for a little while longer, then left the training ground, exhausted but satisfied.

...

「At the entrance to the training ground.」

Hesia saw Jonathan, who was wiping his weapon.

"Where’s Thomas?"

"I was wondering why that kid was dawdling at the entrance and wouldn’t leave. So he knows you."

"The kid was just stammering and wouldn’t say anything. I thought he was about to ask me for a raise, so I shooed him home."

Hesia thought, ’With your looks and intimidating presence, he probably didn’t dare talk to you much anyway.’

Hearing that Thomas had already gone home, Hesia prepared to turn and leave as well.

"Hey, kid!" Jonathan suddenly called out to him. "Were you training on potions all day today?"

"Potions? What potions?"

Jonathan pointed toward the training ground. "I saw the commotion over there—PFFT, PFFT, PFFT—it never stopped. I may not know Magic, but I know you can’t keep up that kind of spellcasting frequency without chugging Magic Potions."