Myrr: Reincarnated Timemage Assassin

Chapter 7: One Measly Second

[Frozen Wind of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]

"Work damnit!"

[Frozen Wind of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]

*Cli-*

"Screw you!"

[Frozen Wind of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]

[Frozen Wind of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]

[Frozen Wind of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]

*Clink*

After five attempts at casting Chill without an invocation, I finally manage to produce the tiniest, measliest ice crystal. It falls from my fingertips and shatters on the floor of the tree. Ugh, I can't focus with Mephis gone. I guess this must be why people mostly use incantations. The slightest distraction and the spell falls apart without the words to control it. I spend pretty much the whole time while Mephis is gone, practicing my silent invocation with Chill. After almost two years of spellcasting practice, as well as using mana to see the future, the amount of mana I can utilize each day has increased tremendously. Mephis says that it is normal for a growing person to rapidly gain mana in their youth with regular practice. However, he has never heard of anyone starting as early as me, nor improving as quickly. While I once struggled to manifest even a single ice crystal with an incantation, now I can cast Chill all day before starting to get tired, so it's not a problem to keep working.

"Man, when is Mephis coming back?" I gaze worriedly at the door as light comes in from the holes carved onto the ceiling of the tree. However, I know that the village he is visiting is almost a full day's walk away. Though for someone with Mephis's speed, that time will be a lot shorter. To get there and back though will take him time, and if there are assassins to avoid, it may be even longer. Sighing, I can only return to diligently practicing. "Okay, one more time!"

[Frozen Wind of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]

#

By the time evening arrives, I tell myself that it is a long trip, and Mephis did say it would probably be at least a whole day or even two before he returned. My worry has hampered my chantless spellcasting, but I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. Looking at the pile of ice crystals which are melting on the floor, I can at least grin a little bit. Heh...when Mephis comes back, I'll properly show him the fruits of my hard work! Maybe he'll even change his mind when he sees how advanced my magic has become without a teacher!

My only concern is that while casting Chill without an invocation, is immensely convenient, at the moment, without a conduit like the Bloodstone in Mephis's glove, my magic is very weak unless I chant out the full incantation. Even if I successfully cast Chill, manifesting a tiny ice crystal is unlikely to be very useful in combat. A Mud Boar would just shake it off. No...I still need to get stronger! Until even without chanting or a conduit, I can take care of myself! I have to convince him that I don't need a teacher!

[Frozen Wind of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]

*Clink*

More...it's not enough.

More.

More.

MORE!

[Frozen Wind of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]

[Frozen Wind of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]

[Frozen Wind of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]

*Clink Clink Clink*

Three ice crystals blossom. However, these ones are not the same as the ones from before. They grow bigger, fully forming to the size of my child-sized hands. A jet of cold air flies out and freezes a small path like a beam as the crystals are shot forwards like shotgun pellets into the wall. They lodge against the insides of the tree with a bang.