Magicka *****

After leaving the Old Hroldan inn, I made camp in the woods as usual and lit a bonfire.

The familiar silhouette of an old man in stereotypical wizard garbs appeared once more.

"Greetings."

"Greetings Master Gyron."

"I see that you have comprehended another technique of the old."

"Nothing escapes your sight Master Gyron, indeed."

"Hoho, well you have a different air about you like you are in control of your surroundings. Congratulations, your fast achievements never cease to amaze me."

"Thank you."

"With that, shall we begin our lessons?"

"Before that Master Gyron, if magicka is the energy of the soul, does that make the breath energy of the body?"

"Hmm, it does. Why?"

"If that is the case, I can strenghten my body with my breath, and casting spells can effect the body like in the alteration spells even though it is the energy of the soul. So, is it possible to strenghten the body using magicka coursing through our bodies?"

"Hoho, I see that our lessons weren't in vain. Yes, breathing energizes the body and also strengthens it but the same couldn't be said for the spells. Breathing cannot affect the immaterial plane, but magicka can affect the material plane. So, that makes magicka viable for strengthening the body. There are spells that can give such an effect. Like reinforcement."

"Is it possible to learn this power?"

"Yes, it is. And it should be easier for you compared to others. It requires a person to enter a meditative state to discover and see the magicka flowing through out bodies first to use it. But since you are continuously in a meditative state during the nights, it will be easier for you. Now close your eyes and search within you the magicka that flows through your body. But don't forget that magicka is immaterial while the body is material, you should find the intersection within them."

I did as he said and closed my eyes, quickly entering my meditative state. I first searched my body and found nothing but my internal organs, my veins and the blood that courses through them.

So, I changed my direction towards my magicka pool. It didn't reside anywhere in the body. It wasn't there but you could feel that it was there. You knew where it was but in fact nobody knew where it was located, so researches made on magicka concluded that magicka pool of the body resided in the soul.

I easily found my magicka pool since I got accustomed to using spells and memorized the feeling it gives.

But I couldn't find the intersecting point yet. Magicka pool sat upon immaterial plane and it was disconnected from the body.

But upon closer inspection, I found a tiny thread. If I wasn't searching for it deliberately, I wouldn't have been able to find it.

Magicka flowed through the tiny thread and entered my veins, coursing through my body with my blood.

"I found it."

"What did you find?"

"A thread. It is connected to my veins and courses through my body with my blood."

"Good. Now imagine it actively strengthening your body."

I did and I felt a chunk being separated from my magicka pool to course through my veins with a higher density.

And I felt my body strengthening together with it.

I got up and did a few stretches. I was stronger and I felt myself being able to run faster. It was a great spell. But why wasn't it that popular?

"Master, if such a spell existed, why more people aren't using it? Even the magic hating nords would use it because it doesn't have any outward effects."

"Indeed, it is a great spell that could reverse the situations in a war, but you are missing the crucial point. How much of your magicka pool that was spent for the spell? And how much is the upkeep?"

Now that I think of it, the chunk that separated from my magicka pool was 1/10th of it and the upkeep was the same as my regeneration, so as long as I continued using the spell, I would be sitting at 9/10 of my total magicka pool.

No wonder it isn't a popular spell. The cost is too much. I had ten times the magicka of a normal person and my regeneration speed was ten times of a one as well.

A normal person would never be able to use it. And the mages with a lager pool would rather use other spells from afar rather than wasting their magicka on a relatively useless spell.

"Ah, I understand now. But Master, isn't the reinforcement a bit on the lower side compared to the cost?"

"Yes, it is. And that is also one of the reasons of it not being a preferred spell. The cost is too much and the reinforcement isn't enough to equal the spent magicka. While it could have been improved with more researches on it, there were more important projects to work on like spells that could obliterate an army with one swoop."

"I see." While Reinforcement was a good spell and while I could see myself using it in the future, Total Concentration was a better technique for reinforcing myself.

At least the good thing is that they stack. I could use them both at the same time to achieve a stronger effect.

It was disappointing indeed, but there was nothing to do.

Or, is there?

"Master, there was a spell called Push in Alteration, no?"

"Yes, there is?"

"It pushes the target away from the caster, right?"

"Yes, it does?"

"If so, is it possible to use it on one's own body?"

"Hmm yes, it should be possible. Now I see where you are trying to go with this. But the cost would be too much. And not many people have strong bodies that withstand the force."

"I am quite confident of the sturdiness of my body, master. Shall we try?"

"Hoho, I like it why not?"

So, I began with learning the spell, Push.

It was not that hard, just focus your magicka on your palm and release it instantly.

After getting used to the spell, I started my experiments. I first started focusing magicka under my feet and after gathering enough, I released it pushing me towards a direction.

The result was… disappointing.

The idea was good but the spell itself was… very bad.

First of all gathering mana took time since it was a huge amount, and secondly, the speed was too controlled. Yes, it was relatively fast but I could run faster while using Total Concentration only.

"Don't be down. There were many cases of good ideas being disappointing after being realized. In fact your idea was tried before but the research was scrapped because they couldn't get anywhere. They couldn't lower the cost and the time for gathering magicka was too long."

"Sigh… And here I thought it was good idea."

I was a bit downcast not going to lie. It felt like it was a good idea too.

If I gather too little magicka, I might not be propelled forward and even if I did it would be too slow. But gather too much magicka, it would take a lot of time, and that is something nobody gets in a battle.

Damnit. It was disappointing.

It is not like I would have gathered magicka before willing for it, would I?

…

Could it be?

I swiftly got up with a renewed vigor.

"Alaric?"

Master Gyron called out to me but I didn't pay it any heed because I was busy with trying a new idea out.

While trying Reinforcement, I noticed that magicka became denser in my veins while actively strengthening my body.

What if I increased the amount of magicka that courses through my body without casting Reinforcement? What if all that magicka was coursing through my body without doing anything and waiting?

I did simply that.

I used half my magicka to increase the amount that flows through my body.

The thin thread of magicka that flowed through my body became thicker and thicker but it did nothing. It just flowed freely, sitting and waiting there to be used.

I took a deep breath and readied myself for what was to come.

If a normal person had 100 units of magicka in their bodies, according to Master Gyron, I had ten times the amount of that which makes me have 1000 units of magicka.

Half that amount was coursing through my body, which makes it 500 units of magicka.

And with a thought, I expelled half of it through the point of contact with my feet and the ground while propelling myself forward.

*Boom!

Instantaneously, I launched forward like a comet. It didn't require any time to gather magicka.

I was propelled forward with an unimaginable speed as soon as I willed it.

I thought that my body couldn't keep up with it but I was surprised that I was in full control of my actions. I could see the surroundings changing swiftly and I could stop at anytime that I willed.

So, I put my feet on the ground, changed my direction towards where I came from and with another burst I was right in front of Master Gyron.

It was the first time that I have seen a surprised expression on his face.

"Master Gyron, I did it." I said with a shit eating grin that I knew was forming on my face.

"Hahaha that you did." It was the first time that I heard such a hearty laugh from him. "And what will the name of the spell be?"

I thought a little bit and decided to stick with what explained the spell best.

"Hmm, I'm thinking of Magicka Burst. What do you say Master?"

"A good name indeed."