The Undying Magician - Book 2 - Chapter 54 - Time (Patreon)

                                                      Nathan
                                Year 2849 | Month 1 | Day 24

The new year comes and goes without much fanfare, making me wonder just how my parents are doing. All I’ve been told on the matter is that they’re still alive and well, by the skeleton of course. But he hasn’t said anything beyond that. Like where the doctor’s base of operations is outside of it being in the Barren Pass, how the war efforts are going in the main continent, or really anything else. Nothing besides the doctors actions directly involving me.

But I guess he’s not really obligated to tell me anything. All our deal encompasses is me telling him the results of my experiments in exchange for him tricking the doctor and keeping him out of the continent.

My thoughts trail off as I reach a critical part of my current project – the very same one I was working on over a month ago. That damnable Tier III fire spell.

At this point I have most of it working, but not all of it. The thing still likes to detonate at certain areas of the human body from a simple movement, the code bugging out there for some reason that still escapes me. But as long as I hardcode the spell to avoid that area, it works fine.

Which I guess is worth celebrating. But it needs to be perfect still.

I narrow my eyes on the code for a few seconds before grabbing a random mouse from a cage and placing the unconscious thing on the counter.

Let’s see if this’ll fix it… fingers crossed.

I activate the spell with my hands held against the creature, making the spell circle form right on its surface before the mana begins going inside of the creature. The process then continues unimpeded for several seconds until going silent.

So far so good.

I let go of the mouse before grabbing a random pencil and whacking it on the nose a few times to wake it up. Which happens on the tenth hit, the creature somehow seeming to be able to sleep like the dead. But it quickly begins running away the moment it notices me, making my eyes widen in shock at seeing the spell continue holding.

“Holy, fucking, shit!” I swear out loud, a broad grin stretching across my face. “It actually worked!”

I have very little idea of how it worked right now, but it did! So I’m saving this code to study later. But for now, I have the spell working!

After watching the mouse scurry around for a few seconds with the fire mana firmly emplaced in its body, I snap my fingers, which is what I set as the activation method for the spell. The mouse suddenly convulses a little, making it stop scurrying about, following which a bright flame engulfs its entire body as it screeches in pain for a split second. But it doesn’t last long before the thing is turned to ash.

Perfect. There wasn’t a single problem with the spell.

Now I can go attempt making a Tier IV spell! At which point I’ll finally become known as a Class C magician!

I already have a little over a hundred arcs of mana at this point, courtesy of the Star Diagram. And I became able to sense magic circles not too long ago as well, with a bit of tutorage from the skeleton. Who traded it for more knowledge on my body that wasn’t in the deal. Specifically my study of space and time mana. Which is progressing rather slowly.

At this point I’ve almost aged myself to look about eighteen years old. A much more reasonable appearance for my actual age of nineteen.

Actually, that reminds me. I completely forgot about my birthday that happened a couple months ago.

Was I working on a spell at the time? Or dealing with the inhabitants of the Kingdom of the Fallen?

Either way, I clean up the ashes of the mouse before leaving my lab, done for now with my experiments. And what I find when leaving my lab, and promptly my house afterwards is the sight of the village. One full of life and several dozen people. Much more than the original couple dozen people, mostly kids.

At some point over the last month, Carol brought more people who were also refugees of one of the cities here. And I decided to let them stay since she recommended them.

That and the fact that they can’t actually harm me.

Of course, this seems to have pissed off another city. But I don’t really care what they think. Because those magicians out there are assholes.

If the mainland was considered a terrible place for nonmagicians, this place is hell for them. Mainly because at least the mainland has laws. Here? Here there’s just various cities, each with their own laws made by a single person each.

Whoever the current leader of that city is. Because every time that leader ends up getting too old, or is just straight up killed by another magician, they are replaced. Most of the time by the one who killed them.

Then again, the continent is filled with undead and miasma. It makes sense the civilization wouldn’t exactly be the greatest.

I’m also pretty sure the magicians are planning something against me anyways, so I might as well take in the refugees.

They’re free labor for some of my work anyways. When I need it. Which isn’t often.

Perfect way to make them pay for my protection and using my home.

Basically everyone who passes by gives me a respectful nod, a smile, or a greeting in one way or another before continuing with their business.

And the best thing about them is that they know not to bother me too much.

I watch the people go about their business for a little bit as thoughts of my team and Amelia flood my head.

Throughout our time in the academy, I was always too focused on keeping my secret and didn’t really spend as much time with them as I could’ve. Makes me wonder if I should’ve spent more time with them before I got sent here.

And I also can’t help but wonder if I’ll see them again, or how old they look if I do see them. Because from what my experiments seem to show, it becomes harder and harder to separate my time mana from the space mana the closer I get to physically being in my prime for some reason. And if my suspicions are correct, I most likely won’t even be able to age past my prime.

I feel a slight pit form in my chest at the thought of seeing my friends and family all old in their fifties while I still look like I’m in my early twenties, at my prime.

After a few seconds of this depressing thought, my attention is taken by the sound of the bell ringing.

Wonder who it is this time?

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