Chapter 19 - Lightning Spell Acquired!

Ethan blinked. The salty tang of ocean air hit his nose as cold wind rushed past his face. Waves crashed loudly below him, tossing the boat beneath his feet with alarming force. He gripped the edge of the wooden console instinctively.

Wait... what?

He looked around. He was standing in the cabin of a moderately large fishing boat—the kind used for serious hauls far from shore. Everything about it felt real: the sway of the vessel, the wet slickness of the handles, the cold steel of the steering wheel under his hands.

"Hello?" he called out, his voice half-drowned by the howling wind.

No answer.

He staggered as the boat rocked violently to one side. The waves were massive—easily several meters high. He stumbled forward, catching himself on the doorframe, and pushed out onto the deck.

The moment he stepped outside, he realized how alone he was.

No crew. No fishermen. Just the creaking of wood under strain and the relentless crashing of waves on all sides.

He spun in place, heart hammering. He scanned the horizon, but there was nothing but endless dark water and sky—no land in sight. It was overcast, the clouds thick and swirling like something was brewing above.

Panic crept in.

"Where the hell am I?" he muttered.

The boat lurched again, nearly knocking him off his feet. He grabbed the railing, knuckles white.

Another wave. Bigger this time.

BOOM.

The impact slammed into the side of the boat like a titan's punch. Ethan flew backward with a yell, his feet leaving the deck. For a terrifying moment, he was weightless, airborne.

He saw the angry sea rise up to meet him.

He screamed—

—and snapped awake.

"Ethan!"

He opened his eyes to see Alice, wide-eyed and frowning, gripping his shoulders and shaking him side to side.

"What the hell, Alice!" he gasped, heart pounding. "You scared the crap out of me!"

She pouted. "You wouldn't wake up! I tried calling your name like a hundred times and even poked your cheeks, but nothing worked. You were sleeping so deeply it was weird."

Ethan wiped sweat from his forehead. "I... I was on a boat. I think I fell into the ocean."

"Sounds like a nightmare," she said simply.

Ethan blinked the sleep from his eyes. "Why aren't you getting ready for school?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "It's Saturday, dummy. No school today. Come on!" She tugged at his blanket with a mischievous grin. "I want pastries for breakfast. Let's go get some!"

Ethan groaned. "You just want me to spend my hard-earned awakener money on sweets."

She crossed her arms. "You make good money now. You can afford it. Plus, you owe me for almost yelling at me just now."

He gave her a long look. "Fine. Let's get pastries. But I'm not buying the chocolate lava croissant again. That thing's a trap."

Alice beamed. "Yay! You're the best!"

…

The morning air was crisp as the two of them walked down the familiar cobbled streets. The city felt different on weekends—less hustle, more conversations, the smell of roasted beans and baked goods in the air.

Alice skipped ahead a little, waving at a street vendor. "Did you know Mia brought a frog to school last week?"

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "A frog?"

"She said it was her familiar," Alice giggled. "But then it peed on her desk."

Ethan chuckled. "Definitely a low-grade familiar."

They reached the bakery just as it opened. The bell over the door jingled, and the smell inside was heavenly—fresh dough, caramelizing sugar, and a hint of cinnamon.

Ethan let Alice pick two things. She chose a strawberry tart and a vanilla cream twist.

He settled on a simple raisin bun and a strong coffee.

By the time they returned to the café, their parents were already setting up for the day.

Their mom waved from the counter. "Ah, you brought breakfast!"

"More like Alice bullied me into it," Ethan mumbled.

They all sat down together, enjoying the rare calm morning. No spells. No monsters. Just flaky pastries, warm drinks, and quiet laughter.

Ethan looked at the clock. It was still early. Plenty of time.

…

Two dungeon clears later, Ethan was back at the Awakeners Hall. Between the monster crystals and boss cores, he had managed to scrape together just over $38.000.

He headed straight to the purchasing terminal.

Spell Selected: Lightning Needle Price: $37.000

He hit buy.

As before, the prompt for his bank credentials appeared. He entered them quickly, and moments later, an Awakeners Hall employee arrived, handing him the scroll.

"Enjoy your new spell," she said politely.

Ethan took a deep breath and activated the scroll.

[Spell Memorized: Lightning Needle (D-Rank)]

[New D-Rank Spell Detected]

[STATS GAINED FROM D-RANK SPELL: Lightning Needle]

+20 Mana

+10 Spell Power

+5 Agility

+3 to All Other Stats

He felt the energy flow through him like a spark chasing copper wire. His fingertip tingled.

He looked over to the testing area—an enclosed section with reinforced walls, spell-dampening runes etched into the floor, and several dummies standing silently as targets. Curious, he made his way over.

He took a deep breath, feeling the lingering electricity still humming through his veins from learning the spell. It wasn't like fire magic—this was sharper, faster, more precise. It coiled in his fingertips like a waiting viper.

Ethan raised his hand like a finger gun, index finger pointed at one of the dummies.

"Let's see what you've got," he muttered.

Snap.

A sharp crack tore through the room as a white-blue bolt of lightning burst from his finger. The spell was almost too fast to follow with the eye—a needle-thin streak of electricity that struck the dummy with pinpoint precision. The target jerked, a small burn mark sizzling on its surface.

He could feel it—how quick it was to cast, how little motion it needed. Just a flick, a thought, and lightning obeyed.

Alice's words from earlier echoed in his mind: "Plus, lightning is really cool."

Ethan grinned.

This was just the beginning.

//Authors Corner

Don't you worry, because today's chapter is here! It's been a while since you have seen Ethans system page, but don't worry you will see all of the changes next chapter! He is finally getting spells for every situation, only room for two more spells now! Now that you have seen what spells he has gotten so far, you got ideas for what the last two could be? I am thinking about some utility, but the spell learning has been enough for now, so it's going to be a while for next spell.

Thanks for supporting me with power stones, commenting and reading my novel!

Anyways, see you guys tomorrow!