Slip magic.
Among all the magic recorded in the magic encyclopedia that everyone could get from many bookstores or libraries, it's considered as one of the weakest. Not because it doesn't work well. But rather because it can only work once. That's what the encyclopedia that I read says about the magic.
Slip magic is used at a target. An opponent. And then the opponent will slip and fall even if the ground is dry. It's as simple as that.
It's a good magic if that's all there is. But the reason why it's considered as weak is because of how easy it is to gain resistance against slip magic. Once you get hit by this magic, the target will gain resistance against this magic and they won't be affected again by this for the rest of their lives. That's why it's useless unless it's targeted against those who have never been targeted by this magic for their whole lives.
But I don't think like that. Because that's how a normal slip magic is. My slip magic, I believe that it will not be normal. Because I have a talent in it. That's what I want to believe.
No, I have to believe it.
So even if the appraiser is laughing uncontrollably, I keep my mind cool and think of what I can do with this talent.
Though even if I have the talent for it, there's no point if I can't use magic. I have never used magic at all because I can't find anyone to teach me. I can only secretly watch people use it and hope I can do the same but no matter how much I tried I can't use it. I need a teacher. Even if it's a slip magic.
…Maybe not a teacher. Just someone telling me how to use magic. I'll use this chance to ask the appraiser.
"This is quite a funny talent. But I have never used magic before. Mr. Appraiser, can you tell me how it feels when you use magic? I want to see if I can use slip magic on myself first," I said.
"On yourself? That would be funny. Sure, I'll tell you how it feels when I use magic," he says without thinking much about it.
This is nice. He agreed to it easily because his mood is good. Most people I asked refused to even give any answer for free. And saying that I will target myself will be quite funny indeed if I slip and fall in front of him.
I don't care about humiliation. I'm not shallow enough to feel humiliated for something like this. There are more important things to do than being stuck in something because of a simple humiliation.
The appraiser tells me exactly how he feels when he uses magic. He concentrates his mind and he feels that inside his body, something is being used as a price in exchange for the magic he uses. I guess it's mana. And I listen to him carefully how it feels.
Thankfully, he doesn't have any other appointment for today so he doesn't mind spending his time talking about this. He really wants to see me slip and fall.
At first I didn't feel anything. If it's a vague explanation like that, I have read it and I couldn't do it no matter how hard I tried before.
But now is different. I know what my talent is. It's in slip magic. So instead of trying other magic, I focus on making myself slip. And I believe that my talent can help me use magic for the first time today.
First try, I failed. I didn't expect much from it. Instead of thinking why I failed, I continue trying for the second, third, and so on.
In just a few seconds, I have tried using magic ten times already. And by the tenth time, I feel something is moving in my body. I assume it's mana.
"Even if you have talent for it, if it's your first time using magic, you can't expect to use it right away," the appraiser says. But I ignored him as I continue trying to attempt to make myself slip.
And a few minutes later when I have attempted to do it hundreds of times considering I just made attempts without stopping, I finally slip.
I'm just standing without moving but all of a sudden I feel like my feet lose their grip and the floor is so slippery. Even without making any movement, I can fall because of this magic.
I fall with my butt on the ground and the appraiser laughs. I care more about the fact that I used magic for the first time than how he laughed at me.
"Ugh… thanks for instructing me," I say while rubbing my butt that hit the floor.
Even I still can be grateful to those who helped me even if he's laughing at me.
"No problem. Oh, wait. I want you to use it on me. I have never been a target of that magic so I want some resistance to it. It's a weird request to ask anyone but I figure it's fine if it's you," the appraiser says. That's something I want to do as well. Getting a willing experimental subject.
"Wait, wait, wait! I want to fall to a softer spot. I'll grab some things to brace my fall," says the appraiser as he grabbed his coat, pillow, bag, and other soft objects to soften his fall.
And so I try using my magic on someone else for the first time. Because it worked on myself before, it's not a problem this time. I did it in one try.
The appraiser falls on his butt. Luckily he falls on his soft bag and he just laughs it off.
Just in case without him knowing, I'm using slip magic again as he stands up. It's to see if he has gained resistance to slip magic or that my talent can bypass the magic resistance. But I failed even though I can feel that the mana inside my body is being spent.
This is why this magic is weak. But with my talent, I have to think that I can be even stronger than the resistance to this magic.
Talent is great. Even if you have it, you need to put in a lot of effort to be good. If you have the talent, you can be the best in that certain skill. And I want to be the best in slip magic now that I know I have a talent in it. I'll be the best enough to make anyone even with the strongest magic resistance to slip and fall.
But that will take effort. And I need a lot of mana as well to train in it. After just using it a few times, I feel slightly tired. I guess I'll register as an adventurer tomorrow and just go home for today.
At home my parents asked me what my talent is. I answered it honestly.
"Slip magic? Well, I'm sure you will be great at whatever you do," Mom says.
"Do you want to work at the carpentry with me? You're good at it," Dad says.
"Nah. I'll still be an adventurer. Thanks to the appraiser I also learned how to use magic. Using slip magic will be great in subjugating monsters. I can use the magic to make them slip and fall before killing them."
On the way home I have thought of many ways to use my magic. Although I need to increase my proficiency with it first but I think doing it in real situation is better than just training. And it's not like I can find anyone who is willing to be humiliated with my magic easily.
"Oh, right! Slip magic is something that everyone can gain resistance to it so easily. But if you use it just once and kill the target right away, there's no need to worry about anything else!"
Even Mom realized what's wrong with what people know about slip magic. As long as my opponent is on the ground, I can kill them easily. All I need is just one moment. I hope all those years swinging my sword will prove to be useful.
Maybe this is the greatest talent there is. Though I need to put a lot of effort to make it into the greatest magic.
And I have been practicing with sword for years now. My parents knew it. Even without magic, I should be able to stand on my own against weak monsters at least.
After dinner I return to my own room and plan ahead on what to do after this. Sure I will be an adventurer but that's not everything I will do. I will travel to places that I know of in the game. Places where I can get something good for the future. Maybe I shouldn't go to places that the original protagonist of the game will go in the future so I don't make any big changes in the original storyline of the game.
…Or maybe I shouldn't care at all. I should prioritize myself before the protagonist. Myself and the people I care about.
But the protagonist should be a good person. Well, it should be fine taking things from anywhere outside where the protagonist should go in the main storyline.
I'll stay as an adventurer here for a while before moving to another place. And since I know that this is the world of the game I played in my previous life, there's also someone I have to meet. It will be a while until then because I don't know where that person is currently.