Free Web NovelChapter 33: Grease Comprehension
After three more casts, Luke finally had control over the spell’s placement and size. Technically, he had already comprehended the spell, but he wasn’t finished. His idea wasn’t just casting it on any surface, but also using it as a projectile.
His mana was still at 90%, and with his current progress, he didn’t plan to stop.
This time, he tried to focus on making a ball from grease and controlling it. Unfortunately, the attempt was a failure, and the grease spread everywhere before he could control it.
Valeria had watched the whole time and wrote a suggestion to him.
Focus on using the first layer of grease to trap what comes after.
During the break, Luke imagined exactly what she had written until it became easy to form in his mind. His next cast got the first part right, forming a sphere of grease with a hollow inside, but as it started to fill, Luke lost control and a hole formed. The liquid exploded out from the ball, turning the first half of the range into a death trap of zero friction.
Finding partial success, he continued trying until he was able to control the ball’s shape. Next, he practiced its movement. The main goal was simply to fire it in a straight line, but he needed it to maintain its shape for as long as possible.
Luckily, he had the pinnacle of comprehension sitting beside him.
Any recommendations?
I’ve done something similar before, but with an S-Rank spell. You need to give it an initial amount of speed without bursting the outside. I recommend you try and rotate it; this way the shape should hold as you fling it.
Rotation?
Luke hadn’t thought about it like that.
It really was great to have an expert helping him.
When he stood in front of the range, Luke formed the ball of grease and slowly started to rotate it. It took two attempts before he gained control. Then the problem of moving it was still the main hurdle.
Unless the rotation was perfect, the liquid would just spill out the back. It took him over 30% of his mana, and he still didn’t have any luck.
By now, he was covered in grease, along with the entire floor of the range.
I think I’m going to call it for today. Are you hungry?
Do one more, you are so close.
Are you sure? I’ve already used half my mana.
Trust me.
He couldn’t argue with her confidence.
For the last time, Luke stood in front of the range. Instead of rushing into the cast, he paused and took a deep breath. When he cast it, something felt different. Maybe it was just placebo, or Valeria had noticed something he had missed. The spell spun as he mentally pushed it forward, but it didn’t collapse. He had gotten the spin just right, creating the perfect ball of grease.
It collided with the dummy at the end of the range, covering it in a coating of grease.
He didn’t celebrate the accomplishment; it wouldn’t be right.
It wouldn’t be right to celebrate alone.
What do you want for breakfast? I couldn’t have done it without you, after all.
Valeria turned away, shrouding her face with platinum hair.
When she turned back around, her face was composed, and she grabbed the notepad from his hands.
Breakfast sandwich.
Luke happily picked her up out of the wheelchair and brought her into the kitchen, setting her down on the chair nearby and running back into the practice room to grab the wheelchair.
There was a unique euphoria attached to comprehending a spell, a kind of high that wasn’t natural. That feeling was how you knew that a spell was comprehended. Luke knew this because of Lucius’s memories, but he didn’t know any of the specifics of the phenomenon, only that it was more than true.
The whole time he cooked and ate, he couldn’t stop humming, whistling, or dancing.
When he finally calmed down, Valeria was waiting for him by the door. She wore a regal dress, something different from her usual professor or at-home attire. It accentuated her beauty on a level that shocked him.
Luke pushed her out the door as they headed to the train station. Their town was quite small and didn’t have any explorer stores. The nearest place to find one was just walking distance from the academy and would be their destination.
Luke and Valeria waited on the train platform alone. It was already past rush hour, leaving the only people traveling at this time to be explorers.
Runes glowed as the train pulled into the station. They took the usual spot near the door and quietly sat in the train car. There was one other person sitting on the opposite end, reading a newspaper, but he didn’t matter to Luke.
The train glided with magical speed. Not too long later, they started the walk towards the shopping district. Luke had some memories of the place, as Lucius had gone there with his parents multiple times. Plus, his parents’ house wasn’t too far away.
Speaking of which, he should probably visit now that he had graduated.
That was a problem for another day.
It took less than five minutes to arrive at the streets of Copperfield Shopping District. There wasn’t much bustle between shops, mainly just housewives bouncing between stalls and businesses.
Stores lined the street, but the most notable was a three-story building made of glass. Its architecture was proof of status, with the sign out front revealing it to be a branch of the Explorer Association. The association claimed to be for the explorer, but it only helped those that partnered with them.
They achieved their goal through a monopoly on all spellbooks. Somehow, they managed to get the legal right to become the only provider of spellbooks on the continent. Even if it happened decades ago, it still messed with the supply chain. The association was also the reason for the prices of spellbooks and why even C-Rank spells cost more than a low noble would make in their lifetime.
Luckily, Luke had no intention of spending his money at the market manipulators. Instead, he looked around for a small clothing shop, finding McGregor’s Explorer Clothing.
Valeria and Luke made their way across the street and to the door of the establishment. As Luke pushed the door open, a loud ringing and an Irish accent greeted him.
"Hello, welcome ta McGregor’s."
