The Wizard Has A Biochip

Chapter 41: Bow and arrow of light

I stood before the massive black augite target.

I crossed my arms for a moment.

My original intention had been to test my spells.

But...

I changed my mind.

Before using magic...

Let’s establish a baseline.

How much damage can my body inflict on its own?

I took a deep breath.

Stepped forward.

Planted my feet firmly on the stone floor.

I drew back my right arm.

I felt my muscles slowly tighten.

Hips.

Shoulder.

Elbow.

Wrist.

Every movement was synchronized to concentrate as much force as possible into a single strike.

Then I attacked.

POW!

My fist slammed into the target’s chest.

The impact immediately sent vibrations through my arm.

It felt like punching a steel wall.

I slowly withdrew my hand.

I examined the point of impact.

There was only a tiny superficial mark.

Almost invisible.

If I hadn’t been looking closely...

I probably wouldn’t have noticed it.

Durable...

Very durable.

A small window immediately appeared before my eyes.

[Classification: Physical Attack]

[Power Level: 1]

[Damage to Target: Minimal]

I nodded slightly.

It was exactly what I had expected.

Nothing extraordinary.

I took several steps back.

This time...

I decided to use everything.

I slowly closed my eyes.

I began circulating my vital energy.

It awakened immediately.

BUZZZZ...

A warm current flowed through every muscle in my body.

I felt my heart beating harder.

My tendons became tighter.

My breathing deepened.

I opened my eyes.

My vision seemed slightly sharper.

I clenched my fists.

A faint smile appeared on my lips.

I bent my knees slightly.

Then...

ZOSH!

I launched myself forward.

My body shot across the room in a short, explosive leap.

Every ounce of my strength was concentrated into my right arm.

Everything moved in perfect synchronization.

The next instant...

I struck.

BAAAANG!

The explosive impact echoed throughout the training chamber.

The blow was far stronger than the previous one.

I felt the entire target vibrate.

I immediately pulled my arm back.

I carefully examined its surface.

This time...

A small crack had appeared.

It was incredibly thin.

Almost imperceptible.

But it was there.

The augite had actually yielded.

Only slightly.

Even so...

It had yielded.

The biochip immediately analyzed the result.

[Classification: Physical Attack]

[Power Level: 2]

[Damage to Target: Minimal]

I stared at the glowing projection for several seconds.

Then shifted my gaze back to the crack.

I sighed.

I had used all my strength...

And that was the result.

I slowly shook my head.

It was almost depressing.

The gap between physical strength and magic in this world was truly absurd.

It didn’t matter how much I strengthened my muscles.

As long as they remained within human limits...

They would always be at a disadvantage against a true offensive spell.

Unless...

I reached an utterly monstrous level.

Or...

I used a powered suit of armor.

My project made even more sense now.

I slowly stopped circulating my vital energy.

The warmth left my body.

My breathing returned to normal.

I looked at the target one last time.

Then turned my back.

I walked several meters until I reached a comfortable distance.

I kept my eyes fixed on the black augite target.

The small crack left by my last punch was still there.

I slowly exhaled.

Now...

It was magic’s turn.

I closed my eyes for a brief moment.

The countless artificial experiences transmitted by the biochip flowed through my mind like ancient memories.

I didn’t need to think about each gesture.

Or mentally review the spell model.

My body simply knew what to do.

I opened my eyes.

I slowly extended my right arm.

My hand remained open, aimed at the target.

— Lux... Shine forever.

My voice echoed softly throughout the chamber.

At the same time, my fingers began performing a precise sequence of movements.

Each gesture guided mana along a different path.

— Illuminate all.

The spiritual energy within my body responded immediately.

I felt it flowing through my arm like a warm river.

A golden radiance began enveloping my arm.

Then my shoulders.

Within moments, my entire body was bathed in a gentle glow.

It was nothing but...

Power.

Pure power.

— Come... obliterate the darkness.

Zummmmmm...

Golden particles appeared around me.

Thousands of them.

They floated gently through the air before converging in front of my hand.

First came the grip.

Then...

The two curved limbs gradually took shape.

Every line was made of condensed light.

Little by little...

An elegant golden bow fully materialized before me.

Soon after...

The arrow.

Its shaft was slender.

Translucent.

It looked as though it had been crafted from liquid crystal.

Yet the energy contained within it made the air around it tremble.

Perfect.

I grasped the bow.

I slowly reached my left hand toward the glowing string.

I pulled.

The arrow responded immediately.

More and more energy accumulated.

The farther I drew it...

The brighter it became.

My gaze remained fixed on the target’s chest.

Then...

I released it.

ZUUUUUM!

The arrow vanished.

It was so fast that my eyes could barely follow it.

It streaked across the room like a golden bolt of lightning.

The next instant...

It struck the center of the target.

BOOOOOOM!

An explosion of light filled the chamber.

A luminous sphere the size of a melon rapidly expanded.

The shockwave swept through the room.

My coat whipped violently.

A wave of heat struck my face.

For several seconds...

The temperature rose dramatically.

The air itself seemed to vibrate.

When the light finally began to fade...

I carefully examined the result.

The tiny crack left by my punch had simply disappeared.

In its place...

There was now a small hole.

Deep.

I stood in silence for several seconds.

The difference...

Is absurd.

As I observed the target...

The biochip automatically began its analysis.

[Classification: Magical Attack]

[Damage Inflicted]

[Physical Damage: 5]

[Light Damage: 16]

[Spell Parameters]

[Maximum Range: 120 Meters]

[Area of Effect: 5 Meters]

[Category: Light Bow and Arrow]

[Classification: Level 0 Magic]

[Casting Time: 3 Seconds]

[Spiritual Energy Cost: 1 Point]

I slowly read each line.

Exactly as I had imagined.

The spell completely outclassed any physical attack I was capable of producing at that moment.

And it did so while consuming only a minimal amount of spiritual energy.

But my curiosity had never been limited to destructive power alone.

— Biochip.

— How long does it take an average acolyte to cast this same spell?

— Excluding my own capabilities.

The biochip answered immediately.

[Bip!]

[After months of training, an average Acolyte requires approximately 10 seconds to complete the casting.]

[Attempts to reduce this time without sufficient mastery carry a high probability of magical instability.]

[Likely Result: Structural collapse of the spell and explosion during the casting process.]

I slowly nodded.

It made sense.

It was exactly what had happened to me countless times inside the simulation.

The difference was...

I could die thousands of times without consequences.

They couldn’t.

I asked another question.

— Does that also affect energy consumption?

Another response appeared.

[Yes.]

[An average Acolyte normally consumes approximately 2 points of spiritual energy to cast this same spell.]

I looked once more at my own report.

One point.

Half.

My efficiency had practically doubled my combat endurance.

I slowly clenched my fist.

I couldn’t suppress a small smile of satisfaction.

Even so...

I quickly pushed that thought aside.

Overconfidence was an excellent way to die young.

A real battle never followed perfect calculations.

An enemy could be hiding a magical artifact.

A trap.

A rare potion.

A forbidden scroll.

Or simply possess far more combat experience.

The world wasn’t a laboratory.

Even so...

I possessed an advantage that very few could even imagine.

My control over mana had already reached a level that would normally require years of training.

...

1350 Words