Ludwig took the books and was about to leave the room, his mind already racing with the possibilities of the spells he was about to learn. But before he could take a step, Van Dijk’s voice stopped him in his tracks.
“Where are you going?” Van Dijk asked, his tone casual but with an underlying sharpness that made Ludwig pause.
“I don’t want to bother you when I’m practicing these,” Ludwig said, gesturing to the books in his hands. “You look busy.”
Van Dijk didn’t even glance up from the inscribed books he was reading. “No, grab a chair. Sit over there and work on your studies. If you need help, just ask me,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Ludwig hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Right,” he said, heading to a nearby empty table. He pulled out a chair and sat down, placing the books in front of him. The first one he picked up was [Bounds of Latvia]. He opened it and began reading, his eyes scanning the pages with intense focus.
The book began by describing the original creator of the spell, a mage of incredible renown named Latvia. She was said to have sealed a dragon with her mastery of the art of sealing. The [Bounds of Latvia] spell was one of her most famous creations, a powerful binding spell that could root even the strongest of foes in place.
The book went on to explain how the mana needed to be formulated and calculated to form the chains that would eventually bind and root the target. Ludwig’s eyes widened as he read through the details. This is the same spell that Master used back at the fight against the Knight King… even he was unable to set himself free in a short time due to this…
Ludwig raised his eyes to glance at Van Dijk, who was still reading casually, his expression unbothered. The man was a monster, able to fight on par with someone at the pinnacle of a kingdom and come out on top, even when he was at a disadvantage. Ludwig’s respect for Van Dijk only grew—not because of his immense power, but because this was merely a tier-three spell. The fact that Van Dijk could wield it with such precision and mastery spoke volumes about his skill.
Ludwig continued reading the book, his focus unwavering. It took him less than an hour to finish it, his mind absorbing the information like a sponge. Little did he realize, Van Dijk was constantly glancing at him, surprised by his incredible focus and attention.
[You have learned {Bounds of Latvia}]
[Bounds of Latvia – Binds a physical enemy in place for 10 seconds. The more they struggle, the tighter the chains of Latvia become.]
[100 Mana cost]
“Good, that’s one,” Ludwig muttered, setting the book aside.
Van Dijk frowned, his curiosity piqued. “Did you learn it?” he asked, standing up and walking over to Ludwig.
“Somewhat,” Ludwig said, his tone cautious.
“That is not an answer,” Van Dijk said, his voice firm. “Do not take this lightly, Ludwig. Use it on me. Let me see your mistakes.”
Ludwig hesitated, but seeing his master’s firm expression, he nodded. “Sure, Master,” he said, standing up and facing Van Dijk.
“Bounds of Latvia!” Ludwig called, pointing his hand at Van Dijk.
Immediately, ten coiling chains of metal spread out from around Van Dijk’s feet, wrapping around him tightly. Van Dijk looked down at the chains, a small smile playing on his lips. Then, with a casual step forward, he simply walked out of the chains, leaving them to fall to the ground with a rattling clatter.
His body in the process almost seemed to wiggle and wriggle as if it had turned to liquid.
Ludwig’s shoulders slumped. “I guess I must have been too arrogant,” he said, his tone disappointed.
“No, the opposite,” Van Dijk said, his voice calm. “It’s proper use, though it’s still at the novice level. This is good for now. The reason I was able to escape is because I can change my form to blood, which is not physical.” Van Dijk explained patiently to Ludwig.
Ludwig nodded, recalling what he had read. “I remember reading about that. It can only contain something that’s physical.”
“Yes,” Van Dijk said, nodding. “That’s why I always couple it with [Ensnare] and [Anchor Dead]. These three together will bind the soul, the body, and the mind. But you can’t use the others—they’re still above your level. This is a good start. Keep studying.” Van Dijk encouraged.
Ludwig nodded, his determination renewed. “I do remember you using [Anchor Dead]. You also used [Crucify Dead] back then.”
Van Dijk’s expression darkened slightly. “That’s a lesson for another day. Also, [Crucify Dead] and [Anchor Dead] are dark magic. Since they’re technically necromancy, they’re forbidden. You can’t learn them now or use them in the tournament. That goes for [Taint], [Enfeeble], and definitely not [Rise Undead]. That’ll get you straight to the gallows, and even I can’t help you there.” Van Dijk warned.
Ludwig nodded, understanding the gravity of his master’s words. “I still have other spells I can use, Master. Thank you,” he said, resuming his readings.
Van Dijk seemed more interested in his student, able to understand a spell book mind you, not a degraded Skill Book. A spell book is a book where one needs to learn and understand the spell’s essence to be able to use it.
The next book Ludwig picked up was [Explosive Mines]. As he opened it, a notification flashed before his eyes.
[Necros’ Blessing has interfered.]
[Some of the description has been changed for the reader of this spell book to better understand.]
Ludwig frowned but continued reading. The spell was described as a relative of [Fire Orb], a spell that would hover and explode after some time. [Explosive Mines] added the option of timed explosions and forced detonations. However, the spell was lowly regarded because its damage and output were based on the caster’s mana and [Wisdom].
The book went on to explain that the number of explosive mines could be freely changed to suit the user’s wishes, but the more mines there were on the field, the greater the mental toll on the caster.
Ludwig’s frown deepened as he read through the spell’s complexity. It had too many extra components, making it inefficient. He couldn’t help but voice his concerns.
“Master,” Ludwig said, looking up from the book.
“Yes?” Van Dijk replied, not looking up from his own reading.
“Isn’t this a faulty spell?” Ludwig asked, holding up the [Explosive Mines] book.
Van Dijk finally looked up, a knowing smile flashing across his face. “Why would you think so?”
“See here,” Ludwig said, pointing to a section of the book. “Wouldn’t the spell still function the same if this part wasn’t here?”
Van Dijk nodded. “Indeed, it would.”
“Then it’s faulty, no?” Ludwig asked, his tone confused.
“Think bigger,” Van Dijk said, his smile widening.
Ludwig frowned, but he heeded his master’s advice. Van Dijk wasn’t the type of teacher to spoon-feed his students. He would show them the path but expected them to walk it themselves.
After a moment of thought, Ludwig’s eyes widened in realization. “Wait, this isn’t just added here for nothing… this is here so you can fuse this spell with something else?” he said, turning to Van Dijk.
Van Dijk’s smile grew even wider. “Exactly, Quite surprising that you realized it, even those two fools had yet to understand,” he said, standing up and walking over to Ludwig.
He held out his hand, “Explosive Mine,” Van Dijk said, and a small ball of fire appeared in his palm. It was compact and condensed, looking like a small sun without the extra flames.
The ball of fire hovered in his hand, its energy contained but palpable. Then, Van Dijk spoke again.
“Black Flames.”
Immediately, the explosive mine shifted, its fiery orange hue turning into a deep, ominous black. The air around it seemed to warp, as if the flames were consuming the very light.
“Graviol,” Van Dijk said next.
The ball changed again, this time becoming a deep purple orb. Small pieces of paper and debris from the room began to float toward it, drawn by an invisible force.
“Frost-Fire.”
The orb transformed once more, this time into a ball of pure, cool ice. The temperature in the room dropped slightly, and Ludwig could see his breath in the air.
“Howling Gale.”
Finally, the ball shifted into a spiraling whirlwind, compressed and contained within the confines of the spell.
“Do you understand?” Van Dijk asked, his voice calm but filled with pride.
[You have seen great mastery over the art of magic!]
[+5 Wisdom]
Ludwig’s entire body shuddered as he realized the incredible complexity of what had seemed like a simple tier-three spell. His mind raced with the possibilities, and he felt a newfound respect for the spell—and for his master.
“Sadly,” Van Dijk said, his tone tinged with regret, “I couldn’t reach the limits of such a simple-looking spell. It was ironically created by someone who was unrelated to magic. It was so great and had so much potential that even the elusive Algad Hcil wrote a book about it. But still, my mind cannot keep up with the computational effort needed to magnify the effects of such a spell. For someone like me, that type of headache, though I can tolerate it, would still put me in shock and drop me unconscious.”
Van Dijk turned to Ludwig, his expression serious. “But you, Ludwig… if your will is strong enough to survive the backlash of such magic, even I cannot tell what limits you would be able to break. So, are you interested in learning this simple spell?”