Chapter 8: Let’s Use Magic to Survive
I checked my left hand, and I could open and close it without any issues. There was a slight discomfort, but the pain had faded away completely.
After confirming the sensation in my hand, I washed my face with the water created by Yuzuki-san and quenched my thirst.
“By the way, how long can you use magic continuously?” I asked.
“Um, well… I’ve never pushed myself to the limit, so I wouldn’t know,” she replied.
It was a casual question, but it seemed Yuzuki-san didn’t have an answer either. I thought about how troublesome it would be if she were to run out of magic.
“I guess it would be better if I could use it too.”
Now that I think about it, whenever Yuzuki-san casts a spell, something gathers at the tip of her staff. I wonder if that’s what they call magic power or magical essence.
“How do you actually use magic?” I pondered aloud.
In response to my musing, Yuzuki-san shared what she had learned during training. She explained that you move the magic power within your body to the desired location, vividly imagine the phenomenon you want to create, and then chant the command word to activate it.
Apparently, there are various difficulty levels for magic, categorized into nine ranks: beginner, lower, intermediate, and advanced. Beginner magic seems to have almost no lethal effects.
“Hmm…”
So, the essence that gathers at the tip of the staff is also within my body… Oh, could this be it?
“Hey, can I borrow your staff for a moment?”
After asking, I took the staff and focused on gathering magic power at its tip. Hmm, I think I might be starting to grasp the technique.
“…Water?”
I envisioned a sphere of water the size of a softball forming at the tip of the staff. Just as I thought I had created it, a splash echoed as the water spilled onto the ground.
“…I did it.”
“Wait, no way!?”
Seeing Yuzuki-san’s astonished expression made me break into a wry smile. She had mentioned that she couldn’t use magic at first either, so perhaps my growth rate skill was really making a difference.
“Ahaha.”
“Mizumoto-kun, that’s amazing!”
She expressed pure surprise without a hint of jealousy.
“Is the command word just anything?”
“I’m not sure. I’ve never been told that it has to be a specific command word for the magic… but I’ve heard many times that the important part is the image you have in your mind.”
I see. So, creating fire or light also depends on the image. The elemental attributes are earth, water, fire, wind, light, and darkness, right? They also mentioned healing as one of the eight basic types, but I feel like there could be more.
For now, what would be immediately useful? It seems like beginner magic doesn’t deal damage… but even if I try hard to heal, it might be futile if the damage is fatal.
“Hmm…”
“What’s wrong?”
“Well, I know beginner magic can’t deal damage, but I was wondering what kind of magic could be used for distraction.”
“Distraction… like blinding someone or something similar?”
I nodded in affirmation, feeling warm at Yuzuki-san’s curious tilt of her head.
“Yeah, something like that. A flash of light like a camera flash or producing a loud noise.”
“Wow. I haven’t heard of sound magic, but it seems there’s a beginner light magic called Flash.”
“Really? …I think I’ll give it a try.”
Since I had no trouble producing water, I felt confident I could manage this too.
Alright, let’s imagine a camera flash. I pointed the staff forward, concentrating on moving the magic power. I envisioned a large external flash going off.
“Here I go!”
“Y-yeah!”
As I silently shouted “Flash” in my mind, everything in front of me turned white for a brief moment.
“Kyaah!”
“Whoa!”
We both instinctively screamed. My eyes were dazzled by the sudden brightness.
“That was surprising…”
Yuzuki-san was rubbing her eyes, her hand pressed against her chest.
“Sorry, I was surprised too… But it seems like a command word isn’t necessary.”
“Ah… it looks like that’s the case.”
She seemed taken aback by my observation. So, does that mean the staff isn’t necessary either? If that’s the case, it’s time for an experiment. After thanking her, I returned the staff and faced my palm forward, trying to move the magic power.
The magic power didn’t want to leave my palm. It seems the staff really does have its role. But somehow, I felt like I could do it.
“What are you doing?”
“Ah, since the command word wasn’t necessary, I thought maybe the staff isn’t needed either, so I’m testing it out.”
“I-I see.”
I focused on moving the magic power, but I was stuck just short of success.
Grrrrr…
As I was frustrated by the feeling of being so close yet so far, my stomach growled loudly.
“Ahahaha!”
Yuzuki-san burst into laughter, shattering the serious atmosphere. I couldn’t help but smile wryly; there was nothing I could do about it.
“It’s hard to concentrate when I’m hungry.”
Since I had only consumed water since being transported to the Forest yesterday, I needed to figure something out quickly.
“Right… Let’s look for something we can eat.”
“Yeah.”
With the lighthearted mood now shifted, we decided to seriously begin our search for food in the Forest.