Mastering the Spirit Zone: The Power of Sequence Formulas

"So that's why she demonstrated first."

The explanation continued.

"The faster you deploy sequences, the stronger your Spirit Zone becomes. In other words, all aspects of magic—activation probability, power, and precision—are enhanced. However, keep in mind that sequence formulas are not a cure-all. The Spirit Zone can only be elevated through rigorous mental discipline. So don't focus too much on technical enhancements alone. Now, I will personally demonstrate the use of sequence formulas."

After finishing her explanation, Etela expanded a Spirit Zone with a diameter of approximately ten meters, sufficient for the lesson.

"I will now execute a sequence formula. I will strengthen the current Spirit Zone using only sequences—no incantations. Because there is no verbal casting involved, I will announce the numbers in increments of ten to the power of ten. Let's begin. One."

As soon as Etela spoke, the Spirit Zone visibly expanded.

"One hundred."

"One hundred? Did she just say one hundred?"

For sequence formulas to be effective, each number must be precisely recognized, just like with incantations.

Yet, counting to one hundred in just a second? That meant her deployment speed was unimaginably fast.

"Four hundred."

The students' eyes widened in disbelief.

The acceleration was becoming evident—the time it took to pass each numerical threshold was decreasing rapidly.

"One thousand one hundred. One thousand seven hundred. Two thousand four hundred."

Shirone was beyond astonished—he was in awe.

'Impossible.'

Could a human really count that fast?

In less than ten seconds, she had counted up to two thousand four hundred.

As a result, the Spirit Zone had expanded into a massive sphere with a forty-meter diameter.

And she had done it using only sequence formulas.

When the count reached ten thousand, Etela ceased her calculations, and the Spirit Zone shrank again.

"Phew."

The ability to count to ten thousand in a single breath was proof of why she was the youngest Bishop of the Karsis Monastery.

'Incredible. How much mental training does it take to reach that level?'

The students were in shock. Compared to her ability, even Etela's striking appearance seemed to fade into the background.

"Did you see that? The speed at which you execute a sequence formula determines the magnitude of enhancement. Since it's a technical skill, it won't be very effective if your Spirit Zone foundation is weak. But for all of you, it could be a powerful tool depending on the situation."

A revelation struck Shirone.

'That's it!'

As someone specialized in defensive magic, this was the easiest way for him to utilize active spells.

'I'll strengthen my Spirit Zone using sequence formulas!'

Etela offered advice.

"The basic structure of sequence formulas starts from one and goes up to one thousand. Until you get used to it, focus on reaching one thousand and reducing the time it takes."

With that, the lesson ended, and the students split into their respective groups to practice.

Shirone sat down alone.

'Alright, let's do this.'

He executed the sequence formula up to one thousand, then immediately checked the time.

'Forty-eight seconds.'

A decent result for a first attempt.

What pleased him the most was that he had completed the sequence to one thousand without losing focus even once.

Many first-time practitioners would lose concentration halfway through.

'Counting itself isn't the problem. Should I extend the sequence? No, I should focus on reducing the time first, just like she said.'

Given Etela's meticulous nature, her demonstration was likely just the minimum necessary for the lesson.

'Reaching ten thousand was only an example—there must be far greater heights. Can this really be done just by counting numbers? Or is there a special technique…?'

A thought suddenly struck him.

It was similar to the fragmented perception of time he had experienced when crossing the 'unbridgeable bridge.'

'Insight. Just as one can perceive the number of leaves on a tree, numbers are not only counted—they can be felt. Instead of processing each number individually, I need to group them into units.'

Unbeknownst to Shirone, this was the fundamental principle of information magic—modularization.

He immediately put it to the test.

Setting a module unit of ten, he processed the combined information of those ten numbers.

"Ten. Twenty. Thirty…"

As he perceived the spaces between numbers with insight, his speed increased.

"One thousand!"

Reaching one thousand significantly faster than before, Shirone transformed his Spirit Zone into an attack-type configuration.

'Photon Output!'

A powerful surge shot forth, and a bright streak of light extended across the forest.

"Whoa! What was that?!"

Technically, he had fired a sphere of light, but to the onlookers, it appeared as a single continuous line.

Shirone clenched his fist in triumph.

'It worked! I did it!'

His classmates chimed in.

"That's photon output. Is he preparing for the targeting test?"

"But why? Isn't that spell kind of useless? It makes sense in information magic, but…"

"It doesn't matter. Any spell can be used in an Image Zone. Even healing magic can be applied there. Plus, for the test, it might actually be an advantage. That thing is seriously fast."

The students nodded in agreement.

It lacked power, but for hitting fast-moving targets, it was ideal.

The Rivalry Begins

Amid the commotion, Etela turned her head.

Shirone's hands continuously fired off flashes of light as the students watched.

'An active spell.'

That meant he had successfully enhanced his Spirit Zone.

Etela approached him.

"Shirone, you've prepared well."

"Thank you. But I only just succeeded."

"So the sequence formula worked. Try it again—I'll observe."

"Yes."

When Shirone activated photon output again, Etela stroked her lips in contemplation.

'Hmm…'

This wasn't a simple sequence formula.

'He has exceeded the enhancement limit of basic techniques. Did he incorporate information-based modularization?'

Whether he figured it out himself or stumbled upon it, his level of insight made it possible.

After some thought, she made a proposal.

"Shirone, have you tried hitting a target yet? Would you like to enter the Image Zone?"

"Yes."

As Shirone approached the training device, students gathered around, curious to see the outcome.

The test began, and the results were stunning—his photon shots never missed, eliminating target after target.

The final score flashed on the board: 342 points.

"One minute, 342 targets hit. And not a single miss? Should I switch to photon output too?"

Meanwhile, from a distance, Rian and Iluki watched.

"As expected of Shirone. Even though he specializes in defense, he's amazing at offense too. This test might push him into the top group."

Iluki smirked.

"We'll see."

He then stepped forward.

"Etela, I'd like to give it a try."

A new challenge had begun.