Chapter 27 - Intimidation, Magic Strike, and Magic Power Conversion
Intimidation, Magic Strike, and Magic Power Conversion
* * *
For the next three days, I devoted my time to practicing 【Intimidation】.
At first, using 【Intimidation】 would tire me out every time, but after learning to limit the amount of magic power released and to direct the release in just one direction, it became much easier to use.
The difficult part was using 【Body Strengthening】 and 【Intimidation】 at the same time. Since the flow of magic power involves moving it “inward” and “outward,” which are completely opposite actions, it was quite challenging.
I managed to do it somehow by intentionally loosening control over 【Body Strengthening】 and releasing the leaked magic power as 【Intimidation】, but it’s still far from practical use.
…And that’s when I realized.
Am I straying from the master’s assignment?
Hey, hey!
Extra-sama! If you noticed, you should have pointed it out sooner!
Geez!
Don’t think you can get away with anything just by praising me! Hmph!
But I’ll forgive you! Ehehe.
Now that I’ve realized I’ve strayed, I need to return to the master’s assignment.
Fortunately, thanks to the practice with 【Intimidation】, I’ve somewhat grasped the knack for releasing magic power.
Let’s apply it to the assignment right away.
For starters, I’ll use 【Silverfish】 to climb a nearby tree and jump off from about the height of a house roof.
To avoid injury, I’ll use 【Body Strengthening】 to some extent and release magic power towards the ground at the moment of landing… Release!!
Boom!!
Then, the ground erupted with a loud noise.
A small crater formed.
…Eh?
Extra-sama, wasn’t the impact supposed to decrease?
It seems to have increased instead?
But this is, you know.
In addition to the energy of the fall, I ended up hitting the ground with my magic power, which is another form of energy, right?
When I think about it calmly, I’m doing the exact opposite of what I wanted…
But this is still a useful technique, I think.
I try lightly hitting a rock that was lying nearby.
At the same time my fist hits the rock, I fiercely release magic power into it.
Bang!
Then, with a loud noise, the rock shattered.
Eh… Ehhh…!?
Oh, oh!
Yeah, it’s amazing, Extra-sama!
I’ve inadvertently acquired a finishing move!
Damn it!!
* * *
For about two weeks, I completely fell into a rut, mindlessly climbing trees and then jumping down, over and over again.
Because I just couldn’t figure out what else to do.
Climbing up and jumping down, climbing up and jumping down, climbing up and jumping down…
Ah, there’s Master.
Eh? It’s already dark? Time for dinner?
Wow, it really has gotten dark before I knew it.
I guess that’s enough for today.
It’s convenient, right?
I follow Master into the house.
* * *
After dinner, I was absent-mindedly staring at the fire in the hearth.
Master was, as usual, busy with handiwork.
He was working on several tasks in parallel, but what he was doing today was polishing deer antlers, which I had seen before.
What is he making with that, I wonder.
And, Master, you’re really good at working in just candlelight.
If only we had electricity, working under electric lights would be so much more efficient…
As I was pondering these things, Master’s hands stopped moving.
He slowly lifted the antler he was polishing.
Then, the antler… lit up as brightly as if it were an electric light!
Eh!? What’s that!?
Magic lantern?
What’s that!?
I didn’t know such a thing existed!
I’ve only ever lived in the countryside or in the forest, so I had no idea.
Then, he hands me the homemade magic lantern.
Immediately, I feel a slight sensation of my magic power being drawn…
The deer antler continues to glow.
Wow… so magic power can be used like electricity.
It’s a truly versatile energy…
I look at the deer antler in my hand.
It continues to draw magic power from me and shine brightly.
…What if I intentionally reverse the flow of magic power?
In other words, perform magic manipulation to draw magic power from the antler.
Absorb the magic power, absorb, absorb…
Then, the light from the antler began to dim, and I felt a slight return of my magic power.
At the same time, with a sharp crack, the deer antler developed a crack.
Magic power can be converted into light, and light can be converted back into magic power.
That must be the answer to the assignment!
I place the deer antler on the floor and clap my hands.
A soft sound, “Pan,” is heard.
I focus on whether the impact generated can be converted into magic power.
I must somehow find a way to sense the method!
In other words, the “silent landing” that Master showed me.
If this is correct, its usefulness is immeasurable!
It’s not just about “making no sound.”
It’s about being able to deflect impact.
In theory, any physical impact could be nullified if it could be converted into magic power!?
Realizing that, well, I got super excited.
I was frantically, single-mindedly continuing to clap my hands.
But, you know, it’s already late.
I get a knuckle dropped on me.