The moon hung high in the sky.
Illuminating the ancient castle of Hogwarts.
And also shining upon the peaceful village of Hogsmeade.
"Fluorescent Flickering!"
The bright light dispelled the darkness in the wooden cabin, illuminating the minimalist furniture, and even the small spider on the web in the corner was clearly visible.
Another attempt and practice of magic.
Except.
This time.
After the light appeared, it didn't extinguish like before—through repeated practice and skill enhancement, Ian finally grasped the basic essence of this beginner wizard magic—the light at the tip of his magic wand was not the radiance of the sun, but the embodiment of the Light of the Soul within the wizard.
Yes.
This is the essence of the magic.
At least.
This is the coarse essence Ian has comprehended at present.
"A world of subjectivity."
Even though Ian was mentally prepared for the unscientific nature of magic, upon truly learning his first spell, he couldn't help but utter a sincere sigh.
All magic.
Originates from the wizard himself.
From the power of "belief."
This was an explanation of magic Ian had heard before. Now, the little bit of essence he comprehended happened to resonate deeply with this notion.
Perhaps.
When Ian has learned enough spells and elevated the level of magic substantially, he will genuinely discover the secret of magic's birth, unraveling the curiosity people have had about its origins for years.
"Only to achieve this, there's still a long way for me to go." At this moment, Ian felt his head a bit dizzy, which could probably be categorized as a result of magic power consumption.
Of course.
In reality, Ian didn't have that clear sense of exhaustion and depletion, his magical power hadn't decreased at all, it was more akin to a fatigue similar to staying up late for a long time.
Obviously.
The consumption of a wizard's magic, and the game's defined "Mana Value" increment and decrement situation are not the same. The so-called magic consumption is actually better described as the "fatigue" of magical power.
It's like some kind of active decline, requiring certain time and rest to refill its vitality. Hmm, almost like how physical strength depleted by exercise can be restored after resting.
"Luckily, having learned the Lighting Spell, the time is late, tidy up, I need to quickly get some sleep." This feeling reminiscent of staying up late is somewhat beneficial to Ian.
Otherwise.
Given what happened today and the excitement of encountering magic, finding adequate sleep would not be easy, much like many kids encountering a gaming console for the first time.
The feeling after the magic power becomes "fatigued" entirely replaces the need for sleeping pills—the bed in the bedroom is very neat, carrying that unique faint scent of lavender.
It must have been changed not long ago, saving Ian the time for bed preparation. After a simple shower, Ian got under the covers and lay in bed.
Outside.
The sounds of flowing streams and croaking frogs complemented each other. Although Ian felt the fatigue from magic consumption, he couldn't help but check his interface once more.
That feeling.
It's as if fearing the magic he had mastered might stealthily disappear, childish.
Name: Ian Prince
Profession: Bloodline Mage
Magic Power: Level 4
Skills:
Language Mastery (Level 4): 743/800
Biological Anatomy (Level 5): 69/1600
Free Fighting (Level 3): 86/400
Psychology (Level 6): 84/3200
…
The successfully upgraded to Level 1.
One step closer to awakening again.
Magic power being only level 4 might not be considered exceptionally talented, but Ian didn't feel any disappointment or discouragement, as the magic power of little wizards generally sees considerable improvement with age.
Magic power isn't the issue.
The key to a wizard's excellence is the learning and application of magic.
"Saying that, Old Bidden who sells wands wasn't wrong, I am definitely going to be an excellent wizard." Ian's heart couldn't help but swell a bit.
Indeed, it is true.
With such a strongly supportive Golden Finger, every magic learning for Ian will become much simpler, as each skill level improvement brings comprehension for Ian.
And like the this transformation from 0 to 1 in levels, would further allow Ian to feel a wondrous enlightenment, as if distant and vague things suddenly became within reach.
It's undoubtedly a remarkably defiant ability.
Something that countless wizards dare not even dream of... talent?
Perhaps other wizards control a spell merely by following the textbook description, mimicking the process refined by predecessors from experience.
However.
The way Ian comprehends and learns magic diverges from this approach.
With each attempt.
Ian gains a deeper understanding of the magic embedded behind the spell, strictly speaking, he's learning the underlying magic, not just the spell.
This is where Ian truly stands out.
He's learning the law.
While more wizards, even adult wizards, are merely learning the mere "spell."
Like the learning of .
Most wizards, even at graduation, likely maintain their use and understanding of this first-year beginner magic at the level of continually applying predecessors' experiences.
The reason wandless spellcasting is a pipe dream for most wizards lies in this.
The "spell" serves as a shortcut.
A wizard need only recite the corresponding spell to activate the magic linked by this "shortcut," and gradually develop an irremovable dependency on it.
And to achieve wandless spellcasting.
Understanding the magic essence contained in the spell is indispensable.
Perhaps many years ago.
There would be many wizards pursuing and investigating the true essence of magic. But by this time, in this development era, restless individuals are evidently not just those so-called Muggles.
Just as Muggles cease writing letters upon having telephones, having easy magical methods, most wizards naturally set aside dull and challenging research.
Only a few individuals perpetually explore the truth.
Magic, naturally, is the same.
"I wonder at what level of insight, I could perform wandless magic…" With hopeful anticipation for the future, Ian slowly drifted into a dream.
Tonight.
He chose not to exercise Dream Control.
Thus.
The bizarre and vibrant dream was far more brilliant than usual.