MTLNOVEL Chapter 19: Chapter 19
A heavy silence loomed over the dimly lit underground chamber as Leylin stood before a set of reinforced training targets. The glow from the floating rune inscriptions cast eerie, flickering shadows on the cold stone walls.
He adjusted his stance, muscles subtly tensing beneath his robes. His dark eyes held a calculating gleam, betraying neither excitement nor hesitation. Testing his limits, pushing himself beyond them—this was what mattered.
Taking a deep breath, Leylin began his next trial.
"Emborial – Wagongnaw!"
A harsh syllable in the Byron language left Leylin's lips, thick with latent power. As the last syllable rang out, a dense sphere of deep crimson liquid materialized in his palm, swirling with ominous energy. Furious bubbles popped across its surface, releasing wisps of acrid fumes.
With a sharp flick of his wrist, the Blood Mass hurtled forward, tracing a deadly arc through the air. It landed directly on a humanoid target dressed in thick leather armor.
SSSSSIII!
An ear-splitting hiss erupted as the hot red liquid splashed across the material, instantly corroding it. The armor darkened and dissolved in mere moments, exposing the flesh beneath. The target's entire midsection disintegrated, flesh bubbling like superheated wax.
A sickly, metallic stench filled the room as a thick, crimson smoke coiled upward. Within seconds, all that remained were two ghostly white legs, standing in eerie contrast to the now-empty torso.
Leylin glanced at the evaluation screen beside him, where the attack measurement mechanism swiftly calculated the results.
[Classification: Magical Corrosive Attack. Degree of Power: 5. Damage to Target: Severe.]
His lips curled in satisfaction.
Leylin's eyes narrowed as he turned toward the next target—one clad in solid steel armor. Unlike the first, this one was reinforced to resist lesser spells.
Without hesitation, he whispered the command:
"Umbra's Hand!"
A shroud of darkness rippled beneath the target's feet, shifting unnaturally as if reality itself had been tainted. From this abyss, a spectral hand of pure blackness emerged—its clawed fingers glistening with malevolent energy.
The hand lunged, gripping the target's throat in a vice-like grasp. For a moment, it remained still, as if savoring the victim's demise. Then—
CRACK!
The target's head wrenched free from its body, rolling across the stone floor with a hollow thud. Blood sprayed in a dark arc before vanishing into the shadows. The armored figure collapsed lifelessly, its fate sealed before it could even resist.
Once again, the measurement system displayed the analysis.
[Classification: Energy Attack. Degree of Power: 6. Damage to Target: Severe.]
Leylin nodded. Umbra's Hand was undoubtedly his most lethal spell—swift, efficient, and utterly silent. A true assassin's tool.
Now, it was time for his final spell—the one he had the least affinity with. He inhaled deeply, feeling the cold energy gathering in his core. Ice was not his forte, but a diverse arsenal was a necessity in battle.
"Glacialis Lancea!"
A shimmering azure spear of condensed ice formed before him, its jagged edges gleaming with frost. The air around it grew frigid, and a faint mist curled at its base. The spear radiated an overwhelming sense of sharpness, as if its very essence sought to pierce and maim.
Leylin's fingers twitched, and the ice spear shot forward with terrifying velocity.
THUNK!
It struck the armored target with a deafening impact. A split second later—
CRACK!
Fractures spread across the metal as frost rapidly engulfed the surface. The intense cold made the steel brittle, and with an ear-splitting snap, the entire upper torso shattered into frozen shards. The head tumbled to the ground, half-coated in ice.
A moment passed before the measurement device processed the results.
[Classification: Ice-Based Projectile Attack. Degree of Power: 4. Damage to Target: Severe.]
Leylin exhaled, watching the icy mist still swirling from the remains. Despite its elegance, the spell was significantly weaker than his other two. Ice simply wasn't his domain.
Leylin folded his arms, scanning the floating evaluations. Umbra's Hand had the highest power, rated at 6. It was deadly, quick, and required little preparation. Shadow and Darkness affinity was his strongest element.
Blood Mass followed closely with a power rating of 5. While not as instantaneous as Umbra's Hand, its corrosive properties were lethal against armor and flesh alike.
Ice Spear, at power 4, was visibly weaker in comparison. While it had piercing potential, it lacked the sheer destructive force of his other spells.
'Not bad,' he mused, tapping his fingers against his wrist. However, raw power wasn't the only factor in combat.
Leylin flexed his fingers, feeling the latent strength in his muscles. As an acolyte, magic was his primary weapon, but neglecting physical prowess would be foolish.
His barehanded punch had a force rating of 3. With a sword, his damage potential rose to 4.
It wasn't as devastating as his spells, but against another acolyte, it could turn the tide of battle. Many underestimated close combat, relying too much on their magical arsenals. A well-timed strike, however, could be the difference between life and death.
'Magic is powerful, but it comes at a cost,' he thought grimly.
According to his calculations, each spell required 2 points of spiritual force to cast. While he could unleash them in battle, his reserves would deplete quickly.
'With my current capacity, I can only cast a handful of spells before exhaustion sets in,' he realized.
Thus, relying solely on magic was a mistake. His knight-enhanced physique and magic artifact with hastening spell gave him a significant advantage. He was stronger than most Level 2 acolytes, many of whom only knew one or two spells at best.
Leylin clenched his fists, learning more spells was tempting, but with his current limitations, mastering three was his upper threshold which was already a milestone. Expanding his arsenal further would only weaken his endurance.
Instead, the priority was clear—He needed to increase his spiritual force.
Only then could he sustain prolonged battles, unleash magic freely, and dominate the battlefield.
His journey was far from over.
With a final glance at the ruined targets, Leylin turned away. There was much to prepare—much to learn. The path to power was long, but he had already taken the first steps.
And he had no intention of stopping.
...
A/N: About to reach 20 chapters, please leave a review, it keeps me motivated. Also do comment about how you are liking the story, I am taking my time with these chapters I hope people aren't finding them tedious to read. Also do share how to go about interaction because Voldemort stricks me as a very ambitious person who doesn't keep wastes around him. I am thinking probably someone from inner circle of academy to make friend, like descendant of an elder or high ranking person.