11: Klein's teachings

Two days passed in a flash.

Early this morning, Brian stood at the castle gate.

Klein was already waiting there; seeing him arrive, he smiled and said, "Brian, are you ready? We'll depart now."

Brian nodded firmly and replied, "Uncle, I'm ready."

The two set off on their journey to the Zhongnan Mountain Range.

Along the way, Brian was overjoyed, constantly asking Klein about the scenery of the Zhongnan Mountain Range and the magic techniques he was about to learn. Klein patiently answered, not forgetting to remind him to be careful.

As they delved deeper into the Zhongnan Mountain Range, the environment became increasingly complex and dangerous—dense forests, rugged mountain paths, and the roars of wild beasts constantly echoed, making Brian's nerves taut at times.

Finally reaching an open valley, Klein stopped and turned to Brian, saying,

"Brian, this is the training ground for practicing magic today. I'll explain the basic principles first, then we'll do practical operations."

Brian quickly nodded, listening intently.

"Brian, you've advanced to Second-level Mage and can instantly cast all First-level Spells," Klein explained.

"You should know that spells are composed of runes, and mental power guiding magic power. First-level Spell runes consist of only 1-9 basic runes, and the magic power requirement is a 'drop in the ocean' for a Second-level Mage, so they can be cast instantly. Second-level Spells require 10-99 runes, and the magic power is 10 times that of the former, so you currently cannot cast them instantly."

"This is the principle of spell casting. Ultimately, magic is a combination of runes, integrated using mental power, plus magic power."

"So how is magic controlled?" Klein posed the question.

"Uncle, it's mental power!" Brian answered.

"Exactly! Your mental power as a Second-level Mage can cover a hundred meters." Klein asked, "How many flying cones can you control with mental power?"

"Uncle, currently 16," Brian replied.

"A Second-level Mage's mental power limit is to control 100 flying cones, but you can only control 16. There's still room for improvement in your magic control!" Klein teased.

"Uncle, I just advanced to Second-level..." Brian responded softly.

Klein laughed heartily: "Alright, I know you just advanced, but precisely because of that, you need to work harder to improve. Getting back to the point, I'll teach you specific techniques."

With that, he raised his hand and waved, and hundreds of flying cones revolved around his body: "Watch closely, mental power control needs to be even and stable."

Then they instantly flew upwards into the air, forming runes: "Just like this!"

"And like this!"

With a gentle thought, the flying cones shot out like arrows from a bowstring towards the distant trees, instantly piercing through a large expanse of thick trees.

Brian's eyes widened, full of awe: "Uncle, that's too amazing!"

Klein recalled the flying cones and smiled: "This is nothing; you'll be able to do it too once you're proficient. Now you try, start by controlling 17 flying cones."

Brian took a deep breath, and following the method Klein taught, he concentrated his mental power, attempting to control the flying cones in the air.

However, due to over-practice, the flying cones flew erratically like mischievous children.

They completely ignored his commands, fluttering wildly in front of him.

Seeing this, Klein patiently guided: "Don't rush, concentrate your mental power, guide it with your consciousness. Take it slow, try a few more times."

Under encouragement, Brian tried again, and though the flying cones' trajectories were crooked, it was an improvement from the first time.

Once he gradually adapted, Klein said at the opportune moment:

"Not bad, there's improvement. Keep that feeling, add to 18."

Brian nodded, continuing to practice.

As time went on, when controlling 18, the flying cones' trajectories gradually stabilized.

Klein nodded in satisfaction: "Very good, you've initially mastered the technique of controlling objects with mental power; continue practicing on your own. Next, I'll teach you magic control."

"Magic is controlled by mental power. When casting, it doesn't necessarily have to be released in front of you. Within the range covered by your mental power, you can imprint runes and guide the casting. This involves the technique of magic power long-distance transmission."

"What is a magic power long-distance transmission rune? It's using mental power to instantly construct the runes required for a spell in your mental sea, then constructing this special magic power long-distance transmission rune next to the complete magic rune, and finally instantly imprinting these two runes using mental power to the desired location for casting this spell."

"For a First-level magic power long-distance transmission rune, it consists of 2 basic runes, assisting in the instant casting of First-level Magic. Second-level Magic requires a Second-level rune made of 20 basic runes, otherwise, casting will fail due to insufficient energy supply."

"Look 50 meters behind you."

As Klein's words fell, a First-level Fireball Spell appeared behind Brian.

"Uncle, this is amazing! You can actually cast magic like this!" Brian exclaimed in surprise.

Klein smiled and said: "This is the power of magic power long-distance transmission, but it's not easy to master. It requires very high control over mental power and precise guidance of magic power."

The fireball in front of them quickly moved to the right, its speed comparable to a high-speed train.

Brian stared intently at the fireball, feeling both excited and nervous after witnessing advanced casting techniques.

Klein continued: "Magic power long-distance transmission allows magic to be cast from a distance and can also change its trajectory, just like now. You need to learn to use mental power to precisely control the direction and speed of magic power transmission."

Brian nodded vigorously: "Uncle, I've noted that. How do I practice this technique?"

Klein thought for a moment and said: "First, imprint a First-level Fireball Spell rune and a First-level magic power long-distance transmission rune 20 meters away. That shouldn't be difficult for you. Then use your mental power to control the fireball and make it fly towards the big tree on the right."

"Remember these two words: 'control'. These two words will run through our entire career as mages."

"Understood!"

Although Brian didn't fully understand yet, he still made a note of it.