Rise of Tyrus

Tyrus crept through the cave, swiveling his head around. Besides his echoing footsteps, there were faint skittering and scratching sounds. Initially, he assumed a rock spider inhabited the cave, but upon further investigation, he discovered only sleeping bats and insects. Because he was close to the entrance, there were many creatures. It was those creatures that he wished to encounter.

The first goal of his training was to find out the effectiveness of two spells: Lightning Bolt and Light Bolt. Determining their strength and mana usage was a top priority. Accuracy and speed were important too. The bats would be a good test subject for it.

Drawing a deep breath to steady his nerves, Tyrus carefully scanned the cavern’s ceiling, his gaze fixed upon the elusive creatures he sought. His focus sharpened as he tracked their movements amidst the intricate formations of stalactites and shadows. And then, like a silent sentinel guarding the depths, he spotted one of them–a bat slumbering upside down upon a lengthy stalactite.

He spoke the Lightning Bolt incantation with practiced precision, each syllable spoken purposefully. Simultaneously, his arm rose, the motion of fluidity and carefulness. The power of the mana heart coursed through Tyrus' veins and into his outstretched hand. His control over the element was on display as he made the essence of lightning crackle and dance at his fingertips.

A heartbeat later, a minuscule sphere of electrical energy materialized before him. Its luminous glow illuminated the cave, casting a radiant blue light that contrasted starkly with the darkness that enveloped it.

In a mere span of seconds that felt like an eternity, the charged sphere had reached its apex. It shot forth like a bolt of divine wrath, hurtling unerringly toward its target. Tyrus’ heart raced as he timed the spell’s trajectory, his gaze unwavering as he counted the moments it took for the electric missile to make contact.

One, two.

The spell targeted the bat, just like the calculations predicted, and hit it after two seconds with a dazzling gleam. The cavern seemed to quiver in response to the surge of energy, and the air was rent with a crackling symphony of power.

The bat convulsed and sizzled in the wake of the attack, its once-upright form plummeting from its stalactite perch. It tumbled toward the cavern floor, its flight erratic and uncontrolled. The flicker of lightning danced upon its wings. A few agonizing heartbeats later, the bat came to a motionless rest on the ground.

“Okay, it takes two seconds for the spell to form and another two to hit a target from the ceiling. That will obviously change depending on how close or far apart the targets are. There is also a noticeable change in mana usage compared to Dual Shot. I feel just fine after casting it once!”

If he cast Dual Shot once, he would use up around a third of his mana reservoir, while Lightning Bolt consumed very little. Tyrus could probably use Dual Shot twice without undergoing mana deficiency, but he could use Lightning Bolt six times in a row. Now it was time for the other element.

Tyrus cleared his throat subtly and shifted his gaze towards another inhabitant of the cavern, his resolve still strong. His arm extended with a practiced motion, aimed at the target that lay before him.

The incantation for Light Bolt rolled off his tongue. Much like the previous spell, the process of spellcasting unfurled over the span of two heartbeats, the energy within him coalescing and manifesting into a spell of radiant power.

Instead of the usual azure brilliance, it filled the air with a striking golden light. The sphere of energy that formed at his palm seemed to pulsate with an ethereal radiance, casting a warm and inviting glow that danced along the cave’s contours.

As the spell was unleashed, a remarkable and unexpected phenomenon transpired. The golden orb of light hurtled forth with a swiftness that defied comprehension, reaching its target a full second ahead of the Lightning Bolt spell. The bat, once again caught off guard, endured the spell’s impact, its form jolting in response to the onslaught of magical energy.

Yet, unlike the previous instance, this bat’s reaction was markedly different. Instead of succumbing to the overwhelming force and falling lifeless, it displayed a resilience that surprised him. The creature emitted an indignant snarl, its wings unfurling as it fought to maintain its precarious perch. In a display of sheer determination, it attempted to flee, though its flight was marred by erratic movements as if the magical onslaught had sapped its strength. Soon, it disappeared deeper into the cave.

“So, Light Bolt's speed comes at the cost of its power. That would mean Lightning Bolt is a strong spell with decent speed while Light Bolt is weak yet extremely fast. Is it faster because it’s light?”

Either way, he discovered a lot of things in minutes. Making progress so soon made him want to learn more. And he had an entire week of trial and error to seek questions and find answers. Thanks to Selena’s and Fiona’s help, he had much work to do. In order to proceed, he must consult the book of incantations and test the alternate spell: Illumination.

As for fire, he would spend some time increasing its strength. Armed with a list of incantations and the unlocked element, it was only natural to take action. He would still spend most of his time on lightning and light. Maybe an hour at most would work for the element.

During his stroll through the cave, Tyrus stared at his palm and said Illumination. A pale light emanated from his hand and rose slightly to eye level. The luminosity was only enough to light a few paces ahead. It served no other purpose other than to serve as a beacon to light the way, just as the book described. As for mana usage, it drained the same way he’d activate lightning with no spells, so he could use it for long periods of time.

“Why is it so dim and small? It’s not even at the same level as the ones in Valis. Do I need to train it more or does it need more mana?”

When the thought of infusing mana entered his mind, he paused his steps. Why didn’t he think of the concept sooner? If you have the mana to make a spell stronger, it wouldn't make sense for it to remain at the same strength. Also, if two sorcerers used the identical spell but one was significantly more powerful than the other, wouldn't their spells differ?

To solve this problem, Tyrus snuffed out the light and tried again. This time, he muttered Illumination while also willing the mana to conjoin into one point above the palm. He watched the light flicker to life.

“…Wait a minute. What happened?!”

The previous light and the current one had the same luminosity and shape. The extra mana he poured into the spell showed no results. Did he do the process wrong? No, he was sure the mana flow was plentiful in his hands. Tyrus attempted once more, envisioning a powerful flow of mana through his hands. The same result happened.

“So I was wrong? No matter how much mana I try to infuse into the spell, it’ll stay the same? That’s so dumb!” Not wanting to give up, he repeated the process, but for Lightning Bolt this time. And just like Illumination, the strength and size stayed static like previous attempts.

“I’m just wasting time and mana at this point.”

Pouting to himself, Tyrus continued his descent into the cave, pondering deeply about what went wrong. Were his skills as a sorcerer that lackluster, or was that just how incantations worked? If they need a certain amount of mana to cast an incantation, a sorcerer cannot surpass or decrease it, despite their efforts. They would have to resort to learning more powerful spells if they wished to cause damage, and vice versa.

“…Wait a minute,” he mumbled. “I can’t believe I’m that dumb. There’s a book of incantations for a reason!”

Thinking back to Fiona’s spellcasting, she continuously flung Fireball spells at the goblins. The size of the spell was bigger than Firebolt, and the strength could kill a goblin in one blow. Selena also mentioned Firebolt was ranked 1. It would imply that Fireball was superior to Firebolt and if you desired more firepower, you would use a spell with higher mana cost.

Tyrus nodded at his deduction, somewhat persuaded that had to be the case. When he escaped from his thoughts, he noticed the area he stepped into. All around him were the familiar orange mushrooms and their usual appearance. And alongside the mushrooms, the slimes were its neighbors. Many of them took refuge in the darkest corners of the stalactites, while a few were content with the ground. With each wet slap following along, a slime slid across the floor, as if wandering aimlessly.

“Lightning Bolt.”

A streak of power collided with the gelatinous creature. It fizzled and bubbled into goop a second later. Tyrus walked over and inspected his handiwork. From now on, he wouldn’t have to tear through their bodies with his own limbs or touch their surfaces. Safely slinging spells from afar would do just as nicely. So far, the bats and slimes can be felled with just one Lightning Bolt.

Even when he used a few spells, no fatigue or nausea crept up. Losing some of his mana did not hinder Tyrus from feeling entirely fine. Fortunately, everything can be refilled over time. Once he leaves the cave, he’ll have to find a safe place to meditate.

Having completed his task, what remained was the rock spider's den. The long tunnel greeted him with its foreboding darkness. In contrast to the rock-scraping sound he had heard from the rock spiders' movements the previous day, there was now only silence emanating from the passageway. The slapping of slimes and the quiet cries of distant bats filled the cavern. Tyrus's heartbeat thrummed as he took his first step inside.

Compared to using augmentation and Beast Transformation to close the gap rapidly, Tyrus took his time, conserving his mana. Although it took him much longer to cross, he arrived at his destination on time. The wide expanse of the cave expanded, and a chilling sight filled his vision.

Everywhere he looked, black residue stained the walls messily. What used to lay mosaics of spiderwebs filled with eggs was a barren and lifeless landscape. Using his nose, there was a hint of smoke coming from everywhere. Prying his eyes away from the outer edges, his eyes settled upfront. A splatter of purple liquid surrounded a heap of rocks. When Tyrus edged closer, the liquid had dried, clinging to the floor like blood.

“Isn’t this where I killed the rock spider? If so, then where’s the corpse? Selena must’ve done something to it.”

Upon reflection, Selena had gifted him with a mana core, and because it came from the rock spider he killed, then Selena most likely did something to it. The black residue and smell of smoke that lingered around was her doing. She must have used a potent spell to burn everything since there were no spiderwebs or eggs. Tyrus already knew she was powerful, but to set everything on fire in a cave as big as this?

Tyrus couldn’t stop his lips from trembling. The potential of utilizing a power akin to hers in the future had him enthralled. In his view, sorcery was a fascinating force that could be summoned with a mere thought and a few words. However, achieving Selena's level of strength would require a considerable amount of time. Slowly but surely, he would close the gap.

Following the inspection, he searched the surrounding area for his fallen cap, which lasted approximately five minutes. When he found no trace of it, Tyrus gave up and turned. “Well, that’s gone entirely. Doesn’t matter anyway since I have a brand new one. It doesn’t smell, and it has more room. The clothes are great, too.”

Having fulfilled his objective inside the cavern, he was on the verge of embarking on his journey into Wildwood. But before that, Tyrus needed to regain the mana he lost and slowly increase his mana heart. Once he was sure he wouldn’t be interrupted, he leaned against a rock spire and began his meditation.