018 DOING THE TITANIC STANCE FOR MAGIC

018 DOING THE TITANIC STANCE FOR MAGIC

"How about a demonstration instead?"

Kassim considered this for a moment and then nodded. "Very well that is reasonable."

He focused his energy, and a bright flame spark ignited in his palm, surprising Leo.

"Is that how you cast a spell?" Leo asked, intrigued but not satisfied with.

"Yes. It took me three months to master this spell in my time, and I was considered quite gifted," Kassim replied, a hint of pride in his voice.

"Could you show me again?" Leo requested.

"You've seen it once. That should be enough," Kassim declined curtly.

"Please?" Leo pressed.

Before Kassim could protest further, Lillye, who had been quietly observing, intervened. "Let him watch again. Let him feel the casting process—it will be a valuable lesson."

Reluctantly, Kassim agreed.

As he prepared to cast the spell again, Leo suddenly stepped closer. "What now?" Kassim grumbled.

"Um… can I hold your arms while you cast it?" Leo asked.

Kassim frowned and looked to Lillye for guidance. "Indulge him," the old master instructed with a dismissive wave.

With visible hesitation, Kassim cast Flame Spark while Leo held his arms from behind doing the full Titanic stance as the young Di'Caprio while he focusses not on the spell's runes but on the subtle flow of written codes.

"Oh..Jack!!!!" Leo uttered as Kassim continued to cast.

"Jack from Titanic will turn in his grave."

For Leo, magic wasn't about runes and diagrams. It was a series of programs and codes that his control panel could activate or replicate. To Leo, magic's inner workings were codes and algorithms, which were much easier to grasp than the traditional spell patterns.

Holding Kassim gave him a clearer sense of this flow of magic codes.

He could read the codes on Kassim changing as he cast his spell and the codes changing and moving towards his hand before transforming into more codes.

Leo copied all the codes in the entire process into his control panel for later practice.

"It's done", Kassim said after casting his spell.

"No, do it again", Leo demanded. He still haven't copied every code yet.

"What?" Kassim protested but must obey the master's order.

Kassim repeated the spell over a dozen times, until even Lillye seemed exasperated and impatient by his son's persistence.

Finally, the General stepped forward.

"Trainer Kassim, can you accelerate his learning? He'll need battle spells for his upcoming duel with Lillrune," Lillye urged.

"Spellcasting takes time. We've given the young master all the guidance he needs, the rest is up to him," Kassim replied, taking the opportunity to leave quickly before Leo made any more unusual Titanic stance requests.

"What is his problem?" Kasshyek asked about Kassim who almost ran off.

"Lack of love," Leo replied.

The close proximity had clearly unsettled Kassim.

Moments later, Lillreen appeared, carrying a tray of snacks.

She was dressed in her usual revealing attire, her smile bright. "Young Master, how is your practice going?" she asked in a seductive tone.

"Not now Lillreen, I don't have time for massage. They say this simple spell will take me a few months to master," Leo grumbled.

Lillreen's eyes sparkled with confidence. "You're talented, Master. I'm sure you'll master it in just a night, and we can get back to the pool to relax," she encouraged warmly.

A thought came to Leo suddenly.

"You may actually be right, but you and the other girls must work overtime," he replied, a sinister grin forming on his face.

He needed all the Lust he could muster.

------

The next day, General Lillye returned to check on his son's progress, accompanied by the trainers.

"Have you remembered the spell patterns?" Lillye asked.

"I didn't even try to remember it", Leo replied.

"What? Why are you wasting time here?" Lillye asked.

"Well, if you are talking about this meager spell, I learned it. What's next?" Leo responded, shocking everyone as he snapped his fingers, conjuring a large spark of flame that nearly singed Lillye's beard.

"I told you your son is a genius," Kasshyek remarked, nodding at Lillye.

"I'm starting to believe it myself," Lillye replied, a mix of pride and astonishment in his voice.

"Unbelievable! Young Master, did you really master a spell in just one night? What's your secret?" Trainer Kassim exclaimed.

"The secret? I changed the training ground to my private bath with my maids to assist me, your body odor isn't conducive to learning," Leo replied to him as he showed more than a hint of annoyance upon hearing it.

"What do you need to improve your magic? I can get you anything," Lillye offered, his voice full of support ignoring his weird sense of humor.

"Well, there is something," Leo began, hesitating slightly. "A place I want to visit. I think I might achieve a breakthrough soon if I go."

"Where is it? I'll take you there myself," Kasshyek said, eager to assist.

"The Bagnio la Pleasures," Leo answered casually.

"The brothel!!"

Both Lillye and Kasshyek stared at him, their jaws dropping at his unexpected reply. He wanted to go to the cathouse. The bath and brothel.

"Damnit, you never change after returning from hell," Lillye muttered, shaking his head. "But I suppose you've earned a reward for making so much progress in such a short time."

"Wait, are you serious?" Kasshyek asked, turning to his superior in disbelief.

"Anything that helps improve magic is worth it, a short trip to relax may help him train better," Lillye replied with a resigned sigh.

-----

A girl moved swiftly through the dark, untrodden alleyways of the Gullee Mansion, her steps careful and silent to avoid drawing attention from the guards.

She wore a black veil over her face, though in her haste, she hadn't had time to change into more appropriate attire. The loose, servant's dress still hung from her frame, a stark reminder of her role within the household- a maid.

Reaching a hidden corner of the estate, she tapped discreetly on a section of the wall. To her relief, a secret door slid open, and she quickly slipped inside.

Two men awaited her, both prominent members of the family.

"What did the bastard do today?" the older man asked, his voice cold and impatient.