Chapter 6 – The First Spell

Sunlight filtering through the leaves took on a faint emerald hue, eventually painting both tree trunks and ground in a clear, verdant green!

Punk watched the fresh sunlight fall upon his slender fingers, his snow-white skin revealing subtle hints of jade green. His translucent nails reflected shifting iridescence under the sunlight!

From the knowledge left by his “parents,” Punk knew that the human race in this world bore no physical differences from those on Earth. Most intelligent beings were humanoid in form, and races like the Elven Race only displayed minor distinctive features in appearance (ears?).

Even the matter in this world, though fundamentally different at the microscopic level (energy-based) from his home universe, manifested nearly identically in macroscopic forms and properties!

Recalling that colossal battle in the void—which by no means appeared coincidental—the relationship between these two universes was absolutely extraordinary!

Punk decided it was better not to dwell on such thoughts. Matters of this magnitude were far beyond his current capacity to speculate!

“Honestly, this body is remarkably agile.”

Punk shifted his focus back to his new physique, effortlessly performing several gymnastic moves that would have certainly resulted in broken bones for his Earth counterpart!

“And this skin is just too perfect!” Punk marveled at the smooth, delicate skin on his fingers. Channeling a wisp of mana through them, the pale blue glow of magical energy shimmered faintly beneath the surface. “Mana is soul energy. The fluid circulation of mana indicates perfect compatibility between my soul and body! I wonder how other mages’ bodies compare in mana affinity. This constitution is particularly suited for enchantment magic, though unfortunately, I don’t plan to study such spells in the short term.”

Punk felt reasonably satisfied with his current vessel. Moreover, the Ancient Elves had long been extinct, with only scattered descendants mostly adhering to elven traditions of reclusive mountain life. The Ancient Elves also lacked any notorious ancient enemies.

Next, Punk donned the clothes left beside him by his parents. Among them, only a staff and a Mage Robe were magical items—and merely Apprentice-Level at that. The rest were ordinary garments.

The information left by his “parents” explained that they couldn’t leave overly valuable items, fearing their child might possess treasures without the strength to protect them, thereby attracting covetous eyes from powerful beings.

Punk found this approach somewhat frustrating. Couldn’t they have hidden the treasures somewhere and left a treasure map? Their son might be weak now, but he’d grow stronger eventually! Then he could inherit their “legacy”!

He vaguely suspected his nominal parents might have arranged these matters with mere symbolic intent—perhaps they never truly believed their breakthrough would fail.

“So overconfidence gets people killed! Still, having something is better than nothing. Best not to be too greedy.”

Punk consoled himself.The feeling of being stark naked made Punk quite uncomfortable. He quickly put on his shirt and pants. Though mostly brown and seemingly unremarkable, these clothes were actually made of silk, smooth and comfortable to wear. The boots were crafted from an unknown beast’s hide—brown leather with an elegant sheen. The fur around the boot cuffs effectively trapped heat, keeping his feet warm. What stood out was how the boots seemed seamlessly formed, without any seams or loose threads, as if they had grown that way naturally. Punk guessed this was likely the result of magic being involved in their creation.

Lastly, there was the beautiful mage robe. The cyan-blue robe was silk-made, and upon closer inspection, every thread appeared nearly identical in size. Faint yellow, mysterious runes shimmered on the robe’s exterior. From the information left by his parents, Punk learned these runes were the effect of an Apprentice Rank enchantment magic—Increased Toughness. Punk tested the robe by pulling it forcefully, and indeed, it remained completely unscathed. System analysis showed this magic had given the lightweight robe the strength of thick nylon! Additionally, the robe contained an Apprentice-Level spell—Minor Deflection Field—usable twice a day. It was precisely due to this attached Apprentice-Level spell that the robe qualified as Apprentice-Level magic equipment. Punk tried sensing the robe’s core and discovered that while the Minor Deflection Field was said to be usable only twice daily, this was because the robe required 27 hours (one day in this world) to absorb free elements from the air for recharging. If magic was directly infused, the recharge time could be significantly shortened, though it still took two to three hours to channel the magic. Infusing too quickly would overwhelm the core’s absorption efficiency!

Donning the robe, Punk then picked up a staff made from an unknown tree branch. The staff’s head featured a somewhat irregular red gemstone, which reduced magic power consumption for Apprentice Rank spells by five percent (note: maximum reduction capped at twenty percent of the original magic power cost). The staff also stored an Evocation Apprentice-Level spell—Gaika Flame Dart—usable once every 27 hours. This spell was named after its inventor, Gaika.

“Overall, this should provide substantial help in the early stages. It’s just strong enough without drawing unwanted attention from powerful figures.”

Punk deftly twirled the staff with his agile left hand, the red gemstone glinting briefly in the sunlight!

Almost eagerly, Punk proceeded to test one of the spells he had theoretically mastered—the Apprentice Rank Conjuration spell, Minor Catapult!

The principle of this spell involved using the soul to create a small mass of ether energy, converting it into a powerful yet controllable kinetic force in reality. This kinetic energy was then attached to an object, a direction selected, and the energy’s restraints released, launching the object at high speed to harm enemies.

It was named the Catapult Spell because its original inventor preferred using a stone-flicking gesture to cast it!Minor Catapult was a simplified version of the Catapult Spell, reducing energy requirements while keeping the principles unchanged. The common casting material for this spell was a pinch of marble dust, though Punk couldn’t understand why marble powder—which felt entirely unrelated to the spell—was used as an auxiliary casting component. Besides, he didn’t have any marble on hand. Still, Punk felt casting an Apprentice Rank spell should be relatively straightforward!

Casually picking up a small stone with his right hand, Punk began the process. Minor Catapult was a spell that required successful casting before launching, so the effective range was short—only about 50 centimeters from the caster. In his soul, Punk constructed the spell model that had already been simulated and analyzed numerous times by the System. He then recited the auxiliary incantation composed of Byron Magical Language while holding his staff in his left hand, tracing intricate gestures in the air following ancient Hylian casting postures. Despite having solid theoretical foundations, along with the assistance of incantations and gestures, Punk approached his first spellcasting with extreme caution.

As his low, muffled chant seemed to drift in from beyond the horizon, he gradually channeled mana into the spell model within his soul. With the aid of the incantation, the process felt somewhat obscure, but the critical nodes passed smoothly.

Then, he slowly released the completed spell into reality. His casting gestures traced arcs shimmering with white light, and the newly converted violent kinetic energy gradually stabilized. Finally, an almost transparent energy enveloped the small stone, swirling around it.

Aiming his right hand at a sapling, he released control over the pebble.

With the System analyzing the trajectory, even without the metamagic technique of “Mind Lock,” he could achieve pinpoint accuracy!

A sharp sonic boom abruptly tore through the air as the stone shot forward at speeds invisible to the naked eye. Though there was no recoil since the kinetic energy was directly applied, the resulting shockwave still scattered the dust, air, and even the soil at Punk’s feet!

Observing the unfortunate tree struck by the stone, Punk’s eyes narrowed slightly.

(End of Chapter)