Chapter 9: Chapter 9: spell, toll, and… pain.

An endless void, full of darkness.

My senses are numb, thinking seems to be the only thing I am capable of.

The spell might have not worked as I intended.

After Fidus first found me, I figured that simply covering myself with that ice trick would still not be enough.

That's why I decided to have a plan b. 

It consisted of creating a spell that can make me arrive from place to place in an instant.

It was inspired by Fidus' movements that were so fast it looked like he was teleporting.

One problem though.

Teleportation spells do not exist.

This made the plan more complex than it originally is because first, I need to create a spell that can teleport. Secondly, I didn't have that much time and Lastly, the ridiculousness of the idea.

As I said earlier, teleportation spells do not exist. Some spells can travel through space but the sheer mana and preparation to do that kind of feat are nigh impossible at the moment.

Creating or using less complex enhancement magics also wouldn't work as Fidus will always be faster than me. This leads me to conclude that the only way I can escape is via this method.

The amount of mana to use this was surprisingly small but the amount of toll it takes from me might be the compensation. I don't know how strong this side effect though so I only have to test it.

The way it works was deconstructing my body to the point of being so small that It can slip through the very fabric of space. That way I can go to another specific location without being noticed.

It's like a piece of paper. I am on one side of it, The other side is where I want to go, and the folded part is what I call the center. 

I set up the center in the inn preparing for the plan. The range was about 85 kilometres barely missing the location.

The location is where my desired destination is. I can probably control where my location is as long as it's inside the range of my center so it's pretty useful.

Even with all that, the toll is still too big. In the first place, my body needs to be destroyed and recreated again to the desired destination which means inevitable death.

The only way to survive this process is to make my mana deliver all of the information to the desired location recreating me once again. This process doesn't need mana consumption. It needs mana control.

With all of that explanation, I can conclude that there are 4 possibilities for what this endless void means.

First off, this might be life after death. If that is the case then I am highly disappointed as I expected myself to be unconscious never waking up again.

Secondly, this place could be the place where space can't reach. It also means I am aware of the whole process my new spell is currently undergoing.

Thirdly, this could be a private space that I will forcefully enter every time I use this kind of spell. A pocket dimension in short.

Lastly, all of the possibilities that I stated might be possible at the same time.

These possibilities don't have any proof so I'll only have to wait.

Waiting for a little while, I started to feel something again. It started with my right arm, then my right leg. It continued slowly until my whole body is restored.

Now, my eyesight is restored. It seems that I am in a library due to how many books there are. It's really a tremendous library though.

I set my location to where Teach is closest while also doing some adjustments here and there so I'm probably 6~7 kilometres away from him.

I was momentarily relieved and immediately started a plan but that was suddenly halted when I felt... Pain.

The pain was like being pierced by a million needles with very precise precision. It was also so gruesome that I felt like I will lose consciousness every passing second.

I tried to walk but I would always stumble due to the pain the spell caused. It's just so... Hard to move.

My vision is now also dwindling and my senses' are going numb again. The pain was relieving but I'm still getting dizzy.

This... This is the consequence huh? 

Before I knew it, I passed out.

***

I woke up.

You are reading story Stale life/ a new experience at novel35.com

I got up from the bed abruptly while clutching my head a little bit. The place was still in the library but I'm not that sure because my eyesight is still recovering.

My head hurts. The side effect was even bigger than I thought they would be. It's best to use this spell only in emergencies.

"Oh, You're finally awake huh?" Someone said beside me.

I immediately turned around and saw a man that looked like in his early 20s waving at me smiling.

His eyes are of that colour red and his hair colour black. His clothing is akin to a librarian making me think that he works here. He also wears a watch and two white gloves with an opening in his palm.

"I didn't expect that a kid was wandering here. Did you get lost, young lady?"

I shook my head in denial. 

"Hmm, I see. Where do you live? Did you run away from home? If that's the case then don't worry, you just have to tell me your last name and I'll immediately know which house are you in. I don't mean to brag but I know every single noble last name and where they live so it's pretty easy..."

He then ran his mouth non-stop while answering his own questions over and over again. It was hell quite frankly.

The words quickly flew out of my head not remembering every single word he said. He even looks enthusiastic while doing this.

"Since your clothes are white, I'm guessing that you are one of the descendants of a white knight but that seems to be too far speculation right? Yeah, that seems to be the case. What's your take on this young lady?" He asked nicely with a bright smile that seems to be reflecting light. 

"Don't... Worry about me. I can handle myself," I said reassuring him while trying to walk away but suddenly stumbled due to the stress of the side effect. Thankfully, he caught me on time.

"Woah there, young lady! I don't know what happened but your body is under too much stress. Your mana is barely keeping it together so please don't move too much," he said as he wipes off some sweat from his face.

Since he does have a point, I had no other choice but to comply. One thing that caught my curiosity though...

"Who... Are you?" I asked with suspicion.

He seems to be caught by surprise based on his expression but quickly hides it with an innocent smile.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to introduce myself right?" He asked with an innocent(?) chuckle, "My name is Bane. You should remember that in the future."

I simply nodded as I proceeded to go back to bed while tinkering with something.

I garner all of the mana in a 1-meter radius and compressed it to the point of making it look like a little dot.

Done. This should work. Now, all that's left is the chant. 

"Wind: sparkle"

The white little dot that I have created suddenly exploded in all directions catching Bane by surprise. 

He jumped back faster than the naked eye could see and drew his hand in front of him. It seems that he's going to use a spell.

"Darkness: shadow bind!"

Two whip-like shadows suddenly appeared behind him protecting him from all of the particles that have exploded from my spell. He also looks like struggling to maintain it.

A sudden clash unfolded with him trying to parry every single white particle that is coming toward him. His defence was simply immaculate. No furniture was damaged and no attack was getting through him. It was gorgeous to look at.

That just confirmed it. He isn't a normal human. A mage? Very likely. Now, it's just a matter of figuring out if he's a criminal or not. Seeing that Teach is having trouble right now, I doubt that he would be a good guy. I should get out of here for safety before Fidus notice us.

"Enhancement: touch"

I turned off my pain sensors and ran toward the exit of the library while stumbling here and there. The toll is still there so it's a bit hard to even walk.

"You won't get away! Darkness: scutum!"

A big wall of darkness appeared right in front of me blocking every single path that I can take. The sparkle spell also seems to be done. I have no other escape now.

"That was a very great attempt young lad," Bane said as he walked toward me in a carefree but angry manner. "Since I don't like torture and stuff like that, I will ask nicely. Please answer them correspondingly. How did you find out about my identity?"

...

Maybe I should've just gone and pretended to be ignorant.