I held the book Hand of Auris firmly, feeling its yellowed leather cover beneath my fingers.
The metal chain sealing it was sturdy, its ends shaped like a belt. I knew I couldn’t simply open it like an ordinary book. Advanced spells required precautions and rituals.
"Learning the Hand of Auris requires Fundamentals of Energy, Light Studies, Basic Evocation, and Advanced Magical Literacy."
I had learned these concepts a long time ago. Thanks to selling my magical devices, I had access to advanced study materials, deepening my understanding of the light element.
I took a deep breath before reciting the necessary incantation to unlock the pages:
"LightºCome, burn away the darkness."
My voice echoed softly in the room, and the book immediately reacted. Subtle tremors ran across its surface, and, in response to the command, the chains of light began to undo themselves, dissolving into the air like golden sparks. The pages started flipping rapidly, revealing their contents.
"Virtual Lab, start recording the information!"
The Lab system activated instantly. My field of vision expanded slightly as it began recording and cataloging every detail of the Hand of Auris magic model.
The lab’s light shone in my eyes. I read quickly, absorbing the complex diagrams and detailed instructions. Only after going through all the pages and hearing the Lab’s confirmation did I close the book, satisfied.
"The construction of a magic model is the foundation for a Mage to cast spells. This process includes a degree of complex variation as well as the precise construction of the magic model itself. Learning a spell takes at least several months."
I thought about that as I sighed. This was precisely why so many apprentices gave up before becoming true Mages. Without the Virtual Lab, I would have had to spend months practicing and failing countless times before managing to cast a single spell.
["Data recording is complete."]
With that done, I picked up the second book: Solar Light Arrow. I flipped through its pages and gave another command to the Lab. Just like before, it recorded and stored the information quickly.
["Data recording is complete."]
I smiled, satisfied with my progress. Finally, I threw myself onto the bed, relaxing for a moment before issuing a mental command.
"Activate the Virtual Lab!"
Suddenly, the environment around me began to disappear. The room, the books, the bed—all dissolved in the blink of an eye. In their place, a vast endless digital sea emerged, an expanse of data surrounding me like the waves of an invisible ocean.
I took a deep breath before giving the next command: "Transfer the collected information from the books to my mind."
["Beep. Transmitting information."]
Immediately, I felt a stream of data and knowledge flooding my brain. I now knew and understood the spells, but that didn’t mean I had mastered them yet.
If I wanted to master them instantly, I would have to allow the Lab to create artificial experiences based on thousands of simulations, implanting those memories directly into me. The problem? That process left a terrible taste in my mouth and caused dizziness so intense that I almost threw up.
If I could avoid it, that would be for the best. Maybe, with just the knowledge from the books, I could learn in a less agonizing way.
With that in mind, I gave the next command: "Create a target practice environment."
The virtual sea immediately began to change. Data reorganized around me, reconstructing a new setting. Within seconds, the space transformed into a beautiful green forest. The air was fresh, and the sound of leaves swaying in the wind made the simulation incredibly realistic.
In front of me, several training dummies took shape, simulating wild creatures. There were everything from giant boars to monstrous scorpions.
"Alright, time to test."
I took a deep breath and raised my hands, feeling the energy around me pulse in response. Here, I could fail as many times as necessary without consequences... In the real world, a single mistake could be fatal.
Following the specifications of the Data Model, I began to recite the words of the Solar Light Bow spell. My voice echoed through the virtual space, strong yet cautious:
"Light!"
"Oh, light! Illuminate my path by destroying the darkness..."
As soon as I began the incantation, I felt my connection with the Virtual Lab deepen. My mind merged with the image of my digital body, allowing every detail of the spell’s execution to be automatically adjusted by the simulation.
The energy around me began to converge. Golden rays shimmered in the air, flowing into my hands like liquid light currents. The virtual image representing me moved in sync, executing precise gestures as the elemental energy molded itself into a radiant bow.
The process was fascinating. The light gradually condensed, transforming into an arched structure of pure solar magic. A single arrow of light began to form in my grip, flickering with an intense golden glow.
But then—
On the 14th magic word, I felt a slight delay in my movements. Half a second. It was enough to throw off the gathered energy.
Before I could correct my mistake, the spell collapsed.
"BOOM~~"
The condensed light exploded violently before my eyes, generating a scorching ball of solar fire. The destructive energy engulfed my virtual image completely. For an instant, all I could see was a blinding white curtain of light, followed by an intense wave of heat.
The Virtual World trembled. Luminous fragments flew in all directions before being consumed by solar radiation.
If this had happened in the real world, at least half of my room would have been reduced to ashes.
Fortunately, the simulation recorded the failure with precision, and seconds later, the scene was restored to its original state as if nothing had happened.
Even so, I couldn’t help the feeling of cold sweat running down my forehead—even though, in this digital world, my body wasn’t even real.
I had just seen my own virtual image being torn apart by a magical explosion.
The sensation was so vivid, so intense... My heart stopped for a second.
I knew this was just a simulation. But this illusion of reality was powerful.
Unreal reality.
The simulation didn’t just replicate spell casting—it allowed me to fully experience its risks. If I made a mistake in the real world, there would be no reset button.
I took a deep breath, steadying myself. "Alright... Let’s try again."
"Light!"
"Oh, light! Illuminate my path, help me destroy the darkness..."
My gaze locked onto the semi-formed light bow in my hands, my mind split between the incantation and adjusting my spiritual energy.
I felt the magic vibrating within me, responding to the invocation. The warm, radiant energy began to shape itself once more, forming the luminous structure of the bow. I was close... So close.
But then—
"Damn it!"
On the 17th syllable, my Spirit’s frequency wavered for a millisecond. Too small for an amateur to notice, but more than enough to destabilize the entire magical construct.
The spiritual model I was trying to form collapsed.
"BOOM!"
The gathered energy exploded violently, and once again, my virtual body was consumed by golden flames.
I stood still for a moment, watching the luminous remnants of the explosion while letting out a helpless, bitter laugh.
"Again..."
I took a moment to calm myself. My breathing was only a virtual reflex, but I still felt the need to stabilize my mind.
Then, I clenched my fists and, for the thirteenth time, chanted the spell.
"Light!"
"Oh, light! Illuminate my path, help me destroy the darkness..."
"BOOM!"
The failure happened again.
And again.
And again.
Each time, the mistake was just a tiny detail.
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My hand gestures lagged by a fraction of a second.
My spiritual frequency misaligned at the last moment.
I hesitated for an instant before releasing the energy.
The result was always the same: a devastating explosion that reduced my virtual body to ashes.
If this were the real world, I would have died on the first attempt.
But here, I could fail infinitely without risk. The problem was the wasted time—and my mental exhaustion.
My spiritual energy was depleting. My eyes—even though they were just a projection inside the Virtual Lab—burned with fatigue.
But this time, instead of frustration, I felt a sudden urge to laugh.
A satisfied, almost wild laugh escaped me. "Screw this!"
I wasn’t going to waste more time manually mastering this damn spell!
If the Virtual Lab could emulate failures and infinite simulations, then why the hell was I still trying alone? Even if I had to throw up, I wouldn’t care.
"Lab, activate Advanced Simulation Mode! Emulate not only the Solar Light Bow but also the Hand of Auris! Create artificial experiences until absolute mastery!"
["Executing command."]
The virtual sea distorted violently, and hundreds of holographic versions of me appeared around me.
Each one began executing the spells simultaneously.
Every mistake was corrected in the next attempt.
Every failure was analyzed in real-time.
It was an army of "Tylers," all failing, improving, and repeating.
The estimated completion time appeared before me in glowing blue numbers:
["Estimated time: 100:30:23"]
Just 100 hours.
That time was ridiculously fast. In the real world, any other student would need months just to achieve a basic level of proficiency.
I crossed my arms, satisfied.
"That’ll do."
I deactivated the simulation and let myself fall onto the bed in my dorm.
...
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