Arthur made his way through the streets of Brightwater, weaving past bustling merchants and idle pedestrians. His destination was the Merchant Guild, where Rhys was waiting for him with the spell he had managed to procure.
Upon reaching the guild, Arthur stepped inside the grand reception hall. The receptionist recognized him immediately and, without asking, took him towards the upper floors.
"This way, sir. Manager Rhys is expecting you," she said, leading him toward the staircase.
Arthur followed without a word, his mind already on the spell he was about to acquire. His options in magic were naturally limited due to his lack of elemental affinity, so he was excited after finding a powerful attributeless spell.
The door to Rhys' office was slightly ajar when they arrived. The receptionist knocked lightly before stepping aside.
"Enter," came the familiar voice from inside.
Arthur stepped in, and as soon as he did, Rhys leaned back in his chair, a smirk tugging at his lips. The merchant was dressed in his usual fine robes, a ring glinting on his right hand as he idly tapped his fingers against the armrest.
"You're quick," Rhys said, motioning for Arthur to take a seat.
Arthur sat across from him, arms resting on the desk. "So, where's the spell?"
Rhys chuckled, reaching into one of the drawers and pulling out a book. It was old, its leather-bound cover slightly worn but still intact. There were no inscriptions or elemental sigils on it, just a single and unmarked tome.
"This," Rhys said, sliding the book across the desk, "is something very few mages have access to."
Arthur placed his hand over the cover, running his fingers over the rough surface. "Where did you get it?"
Rhys leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. "I have to make use of my connections. But this particular one came from an old elf. An Archmage, actually. He specializes in elemental magic, but his son was born without an affinity, just like you. So he spent years researching attributeless spells, trying to find ways for his son to wield magic that could compete with elemental spells."
Arthur's brows lifted slightly. "And did he succeed?"
Rhys nodded. "To an extent. There are plenty of attributeless spells out there, but most of them are weak, made for mundane tasks. They're used for convenience, not combat." His lips curled into a grin. "But there are few exceptions, and this is one of them."
Arthur opened the book, flipping through the pages. The text was written in an ancient script, but the moment he injected mana into the tome, the words shifted, rearranging themselves into the spell.
A single word appeared at the top of the page.
Telekinesis.
Arthur's eyes narrowed slightly. "Telekinesis?"
Rhys leaned back in his chair. "That's right. It's exactly what it sounds like. The ability to move and control objects with nothing but your mind and mana."
Arthur continued reading. The spell's strength was determined by two factors: the caster's mental fortitude and their mana density. The more refined one's mana was, the more powerful the spell became.
Rhys spoke as Arthur absorbed the information. "The spell can be developed in two ways. First, there is macro control, which improves the user's ability to lift and move heavier objects. Think about picking up a glass of water at first, then slowly building up to lifting a full barrel." He paused, watching Arthur's reaction. "Then there's micro control. It's about manipulating the finer details of an object, like stopping the movement of water molecules until they freeze into ice. But that level of control?" He let out a short laugh. "Even Archmages struggle to reach it."
Arthur's fingers tightened slightly around the book. That's matter manipulation in a sense, an extremely overpowered ability. Arthur had read enough comics and novels to know how overpowered the ability is, but it seems the difficulty to learn micro control is extremely high.
Rhys said seeing Arthur's expression, "So most mages just focus on macro control." he continued. "It's the smarter approach. The benefits of controlling heavier objects are far more tangible than spending years refining control over microscopic movements. But… if you were to master both, the possibilities would be endless."
Arthur closed the book, letting the weight of it rest in his hands. It wasn't just another offensive ability, it was extremely versatile. It could be used in combat, for defense, and for manipulating the environment itself.
"How much do I owe you?" Arthur asked, ready to pay whatever price Rhys named.
But the merchant merely chuckled. "Oh, I don't want money."
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Then what?"
Rhys smiled, his gaze sharp. "I'll consider this a favor. Someday, when I need something from you, I'll call on it."
Arthur frowned slightly. Rhys didn't know about his background, didn't know his true strength, nor did he have any reason to believe Arthur would become someone influential in the future. So why? Why play the long game with him?
"…Why?" Arthur finally asked.
Rhys tapped a finger against his desk. "Call it instinct. I have a feeling you're going to be someone worth betting on." His smirk widened. "And I like betting on the right people."
Arthur exhaled, shaking his head with a small chuckle. "You're taking a risk."
Rhys' eyes gleamed. "Who knows, if I am taking a risk or not."
Arthur sat in silence for a moment, considering his options. In the end, there was no reason to refuse. He closed the book and nodded. "Fine. You get one favor."
Rhys grinned. "That's all I need."
Arthur stood up, placing the book securely in his dimensional pocket.
Arthur walked out of the office, stepping back into the bustling guild. He had gained something powerful today, something that could change the way he fought. And now, he had something new to master.
…
After leaving the merchant guild, Arthur made a brief stop at the orphanage. The sun was still high in the sky as he walked through the courtyard. The children were still outside, playing and laughing, their carefree energy filling the air.
The children swarmed him, excitedly telling him about their day, and Arthur listened for a while.
After spending some time there, Arthur finally excused himself.
Lisa waved her small hands. "Goodbye Awuthur!!"
Arthur smiled. "I will visit again tomorrow."
With that, he left the city, heading toward his usual training ground deep in the forest.
…
As Arthur reached the clearing, he took a deep breath, rolling his shoulders. The cool evening breeze rustled through the trees, and the familiar scent of damp earth and leaves filled the air.
Before anything else, he summoned the golem from the Spear of Heaven.
The golem suddenly appeared before him, and looked around due to the sudden change of environment. Seeing the forest it gave a low, pleased growl and immediately began exploring the surrounding forest, as if it had been waiting for this moment.
Arthur watched it for a second before turning his attention to the spell. He had already memorized its contents the moment he read through the tome, thanks to his eidetic memory he can memorize anything with just a look. But reading and execution were two entirely different things.
He stretched out his hand, focusing his mana. His mind zeroed in on a small pile of gravel nearby.
The moment he activated Telekinesis, a thin stream of mana extended from his body, wrapping around the gravel. The stones trembled slightly before rising into the air, hovering about a meter above the ground.
Arthur narrowed his eyes. The spell's mechanics were simple in theory. His mana acted as a bridge between his thoughts and the object. It wasn't just about lifting things; it was about commanding them.
He clenched his fist slightly, and the floating gravel compressed together into a compact ball. He loosened his grip, and the pieces separated again, scattering in mid-air before falling back to the ground.
Arthur exhaled slowly.
"Alright. Let's see how far I can push this."
His gaze shifted to the boulders and some fallen trees scattered across the clearing. He extended his hand again, reaching for the largest boulder easily the size of a carriage. His mana spread over its surface, coating it in a thin layer.
The boulder vibrated slightly. Then, it floated off the ground.
It was at least a few tens of tons heavy, demanding more precision and control. He pushed harder, lifting a second boulder, then a third, and more, Arthur gritted his teeth, feeling the mental strain as he held them mid-air.
By the time he reached his limit, he was controlling a staggering 400 tons of boulders and trees at once.
Arthur lowered the weights back down, releasing his hold with a slow breath, but he was satisfied with the initial test. 'Not bad.'
For a 2nd Circle mage, that level of control was already impressive. But he knew better than to be satisfied. His enemies were strong, and at his current level, Telekinesis alone wouldn't be enough to turn the tide of battle.
He needed to improve the strength of the spell.
Arthur decided to test the micro control aspect next. He reached for a small pebble, channeling mana into it. His goal was to break it apart at a molecular level, to exert the same fine control over matter that the spell theoretically allowed.
But the moment he tried, the mana wavered.
The pebble trembled but remained unchanged.
Arthur frowned, concentrating harder. His mana gripped the stone, but rather than breaking it apart, the spell simply lost stability, and the mana dispersed into the air.
"Figures," he muttered. Micro control required a level of mastery he simply didn't have yet. It's not just about raw power, if Arthur wants to control molecules he would have to improve his mana control first.
Even among experienced Archmages, few had ever reached that level of manipulation. If he wanted to achieve true mastery over Telekinesis, it would take years and maybe even decades.
Arthur clicked his tongue. "Not worth focusing on right now."
For now, he would stick to improving the macro control. He needed speed, efficiency, and raw lifting strength.
Shaking off the failed attempt, he shifted back to Mana Bullet training, using it to refine his mana control further. If he wanted to push Telekinesis to the next level, he needed stronger foundations first.
As the evening sun began to set, Arthur continued his training, lost in spamming the Mana Bullet spell.
***
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