Chapter 56: Dilligence (6)

In the deepest part of the Flameheart estate, surrounded by trees and tall grass, Rylan and Gerard faced each other. Rylan stretched his body.

“Now, pay attention. This will be the first time you’re learning a new spell,” Gerard said, lifting his staff. It was the staff he used the most.

Rylan felt his father’s mana resonate with the world. There was no chanting and it was faster than even Evenon. He had barely a moment to step back before the earth beneath his previous position caved and then rose, seeking to grab his legs. He looked at Gerard, who frowned.

“…My bad. It was an instinctive reaction,” he said sheepishly as he scratched his head.

Gerard sighed.

“No, you did well. That’s exactly what you should do against Earth Grab, but don’t dismiss its usefulness just because you managed to easily avoid a weakened version,” his father said, shaking his head. “Try to dodge this one.”

Rylan felt the man’s mana move again. For a fraction of a second, the earth underneath him moved and trembled. It was faster than even the previous cast. There was just one problem.

This radius…!

Instead of limiting itself to the area around his feet, the ground within two meters of him shook. As the earth started caving in, he judged that there was no time to use Drifting to move away.

Falling Snow Steps: Floating.

He jumped up and forward as the earth underneath collapsed and then rose in pillars. Because he was in mid-air, his movements were limited. There was nothing to step on to move away from the rising earth. Instead of rising straight upward, the pillars shifted and bent themselves, going straight for his feet like flowing water. Rylan narrowed his eyes. The earth wrapped around his feet then pulled him down. He landed on the ground with a heavy thud as the ground started wrapping around his legs.

It would be hard to break out of this.

Earth Grab was a basic, simple spell, but when used by Gerard, it could heavily restrict his movements if it landed. The earth was held together by mana, making it far tougher than normal. Even with mana circulation, he would find it difficult to escape this spell.

“Earth Grab can be used to hinder the movements of your enemy, even if only for a little while. Of course, it’s most useful if you can dual cast, but even if you can’t, it can give you a valuable opportunity. I’m sure you understand what it means to force an enemy to stop in place during a fast-paced battle,” Gerard said with a smug expression.

“Why is your version so much greater than that of the others? It isn’t my first time coming across this spell,” Rylan asked with a tilted head.

“It’s mostly due to experience, but with every Circle, your ability to empower all spells increases. For example,” his father pointed the staff up. A second later, a large sphere of fire took shape and shot toward the sky. Rylan widened his eyes. It wasn’t the same size as a Fireball, but it was still as big as half of his upper body. Gerard looked at him. “That was a Firebolt.”

Rylan whistled. It became obvious that his father had never truly tried his best when they sparred.

“So Circles not only give you the ability to learn more powerful spells, but can also allow you to make even basic spells that much more powerful?”

Gerard nodded.

“Yeah. Now, to work. Let’s see if you can learn Earth Grab. Then, we move on to Firebolt and Gust.”

“Alright.”

Gerard pointed at the ground.

“The first step is to perceive the ground where your spell will target. Send your mana into it and envelop the area with it.”

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“Wouldn’t that be easily detected by an enemy?”

“Yes, which is why you must be able to cast it fast enough that it wouldn’t matter.”

Rylan nodded. Following his father’s instructions, he tried to send his mana into the ground. After a while, he frowned. The desire to give up bloomed slowly, intensifying with every repeated failure.

This damn Trait.

Ignoring it, he continued. Bit by bit, he made progress. At first, he couldn’t even make his mana flow out of his body properly, much less into the ground, but he was getting the hang of it. Gerard patiently waited.

“Focus on getting it right the first time. We can work on your speed after you succeed in the first place,” Gerard advised.

Rylan narrowed his eyes. His senses rose to their peak. He perceived the whirlpool of mana within him. He guided the mana as if it were a river whose path he was carving in real time. Blue mana left the soles of his feet and sunk into the ground.

Time passed like grains of sand in an hourglass.

The sun rose high in the sky, then started its descent. Rylan didn’t stop. He couldn’t stop. His mind was tired and his concentration was worn down, but this was nothing. Every time his Trait screamed at him, he pushed it back down. Finally, a change. The ground shifted and turned. It collapsed then rose.

[You have learned Earth Grab (F).]

It was as if a switch had flipped in his mind. The correct chanting appeared in his mind like something he had known all along. It then left his lips as he pointed at the ground a few meters ahead of him.

“Earth Grab.”

A larger area rose. As expected, the difference between actually having the Skill and doing it the hard way was great. He smiled. Little by little, he was becoming a better Mage. He felt his father’s heavy hand grab his shoulder as he turned around. Gerard was smiling at him.

“Great work, son. You’ve done well.”

Rylan blinked in surprise, staring dumbly at his father’s proud expression.

How long has it been?

How long had it been since his father had last called him ‘son?’ He couldn’t even recall. So far, Gerard had called him by name, even after his change. A warm smile made its way to his face as he grasped his father’s hand.

“Thank you, Father, for everything.”

Gerard nodded. However, Rylan could see the other emotions in his eyes, including concern.

“I’ll try to get you one or two Skill Books to speed up your training. Focus on developing your Wisdom and getting to the Second Circle as soon as possible.”

Rylan furrowed his brow.

“Skill Books are too expensive. It’s better to learn the Skills manually.”

His father shook his head.

“I’ll only look for Skill Books of Active Skills, not Passive Skills. It’s just to give you an edge.”

As he looked into his father’s eyes, Rylan realized that he wouldn’t be able to convince him. He sighed. There was no point in arguing. At least they wouldn’t be Skill Books of Passive Skills.

“I’ll continue training my Wisdom. I should reach the Second Circle in time.”

Gerard nodded.

“…Good. You need to enter a Magic Academy as soon as possible.”

His father’s expression was grave. Rylan furrowed his brow.

“…Why?”

Gerard’s expression was dead serious. There were still traces of pride and joy, but most of it had been replaced by a heavy atmosphere.

“Trouble is brewing, Rylan. The kingdom’s borders are growing more chaotic. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, but right now, it would be safer for you to enter a Magic Academy in the capital and devote yourself to learning.”

Rylan frowned.

“Is it related to the Empire?”

Gerard nodded.

“Maybe. Maybe it’s just that some big Dungeons are getting out of control. It’s too early to tell, but I’ll look into it. Just focus on your training.”

“What’s the situation in the Veria Woodlands?”

It was his father’s turn to frown.

“The number of monsters is increasing for some reason. The Adventurer’s Guild is organizing teams to raid the three Dungeons and try to investigate what’s going on.”

“Why is that happening?”

Gerard shook his head.

“I don’t know, but it isn’t good. Something must have changed deep in the Woodlands. The levels of mana in the forest itself are rising too.”

“If the mana levels keep rising and if the number of monsters keeps increasing…”

“They might threaten the town. If the Dungeons turn into Open Dungeons, everything’s going to get worse.”

Rylan didn’t question his father, even though it was well-known that the Woodland’s Dungeons had stabilized. There was no reason for them to overflow and become Open Dungeons, but there was also no way to explain the rising mana levels. The wisest move would be to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

Together, the two of them walked back to the manor.

“Are you going to fight, Father?” Rylan asked after a while.

“If I need to. I want to head deep into the Woodlands and see what’s going on, but I can’t abandon my responsibilities. I’ll only fight if the town is at risk,” Gerard replied. “Work on getting into a Magic Academy. I don’t want whatever is going on to put you at risk.”

Rylan smiled. He appreciated his father’s concern, even after everything that had happened. At the same time, he wondered why the Veria Woodlands had changed.

Father can’t leave town to explore, but I can.

Of course, Gerard would probably be against it. They would likely have a conversation about it when the time came, but for now, focusing on his training would suffice.

They entered the mansion.