~ Author's note~
I am making a proper description of how my magic system works to make it easier to understand.
It will rework the spirit and spell ranking system, properly list the rules and limits, how cores work, what each element does, and many more things.
I have no idea when it will be done, but keep an eye out for it. It will be located at the start of the book.
Thank you for waiting.
~
"Care to spar against me?" Orin asked.
I turned to him, surprised but not against it.
I smirked. "Sure, might be fun."
He laughed.
"You two are actually going to fight?!" Araki said, excited.
I chuckled and said, "Why not? Out of our entire group, the two of us are the strongest when it comes to physical combat."
Araki nodded but turned to Zek and smirked.
"So then, does that mean that in our magic combat class, you and Zek will fight?" he asked.
I looked at Zek.
He paled slightly.
"I-I don't think that's a good idea," he said, worried.
Ark looked at Zek, confused, and asked, "Why not? You can both use magic, right?"
I chuckled and said, "A spar between mages is different compared to fighters. There aren't many spells that could protect us from the variety of magic at the level Zek and I can cast. there are some that can protect against one or two similar elements but not ot the point where we would be fine.
That's not to say there aren't any that can protect from all elements, it's pretty common to find some in magic tournaments and stuff. However, they are very hard and expensive to set up, use and just overall not worth it for a simple spar.
Besides, my low mana pool prevents me from using magic like a mage in any normal battle, only as a spell blade and even then, I am limited."
"Ah, right, forgot about that," Araki said.
But Ark had another question. "Are there really not many spells to protect someone from magic?"
Zek nodded. "There are protection and barrier spells, but those are more for large-scale combat against opposing armies or some magical beast, but also severely limit one's movement and cost massive amounts of mana.
For example, a mage could create a fireproof barrier to protect an area around them from a fire dragon's breath, or a physical barrier to protect from physical attacks."
Terra nodded and said, "He is right. Certain elements are more suited for certain protective spells and also affect the mana cost. Like you saw when Araki and I fought, I used the vines to act as shields. It didn't cost extra mana but did require me to plan ahead."
Zek nodded and said, "Earth magic is commonly known as the best element for protective spells, after arcane, of course. Fortification and reinforcement spells, like what Jack and I plan on teaching Orin, can make someone's body become stronger and tougher. It can also create walls of stone or, like Terra, plants to block attacks.
While ice magic doesn't directly have any reinforcement spells, it does follow right behind earth in terms of protective spells, like making walls and such, but also falls behind in strength if someone isn't skilled with it and doesn't make the wall thick enough."
"Fire and lightning have basically no protective spells other than redirecting the same element, but water, air, and shadow magic are all useful elements for protective spells."
"What about light and arcane?" Orin asked, a little lost but listening in.
I smiled and said, "Light can be, but it's very difficult, and the lowest-ranking protective spell that currently exists is a rank 5 spell called [Light Shield].
As for arcane, that element is anything not under the other 7. Though the outer elements are also a thing, it's not important right now. It's a much more technical side to magic that only wizards like me and Zek really get into. It definitely has a larger variety of spells and many more protective spells, but they can be harder to use."
Ark and Orin nodded, and Ark quickly asked, "How do spell rankings work exactly?"
I looked at the professor and noticed him finishing up with some other students' spars.
"I will explain that later, but Orin and I need to get going. Basically, all spells are given a number ranking/level based on their strength, mana cost, and complexity. But I should point out that the higher the ranking is, the exponentially harder it becomes to cast. [1]
Right now, both Zek and I can cast rank 3 spells, but as we get stronger, we can cast higher ranks."
Ark nodded and asked one more question. "What is the highest ranking?"
I paused, but Zek took the opportunity to speak. "Rank 10 is the highest I know of, but I think there are higher ones. Are there many more after that, Jack?"
I stayed silent for a moment before saying, "Certain rules prevent me from answering that question."
Everyone went wide-eyed after I said that.
Although I didn't give an actual answer, it clearly implied that there were many more beyond what Zek knows about.
Zek quickly went deep into thought as he realized how powerful someone would have to be to cast higher-ranking spells.
*clap* I clapped my hands and said to Orin, "Anyway, let's get going."
He nodded, thankfully not understanding what I just implied about magic since he knew nothing about it in the first place.
We walked up to Matthew, and I asked, "If it's alright, can the two of us spar against each other? No magic, of course."
He looked at me, then Orin, thought for a moment before saying, "Sure, I have no problems with that. The two of you are in the same adventuring party, right?"
We nodded.
"Great. This will allow both of you to learn each other's strengths and weaknesses... though Jack, I'm guessing you probably know Orin's?"
I shrugged. "I have observed him fighting before, but experiencing it myself will be more effective."
Orin looked excited.
I smiled, and Matthew nodded and led us into the sparring ring.
He then listed off the same rules he did for Araki and Terra and handed us the protective charms for our weapons. I took the one for my protection but refused the one for my spear.
"My spear already has an enchantment for that," I said as I activated one of the enchantments. "[Tuta Custodia Edge]"
Lines glowed slightly along the shaft, and a swirl of mana gathered from the surrounding area, compacting on the end of my spear.
Glancing at Matthew and seeing his confusion from the chant, I smiled.
Latin is a language not native to Primus; it's a language unique to Earth, so using it here can not only reveal otherworlds, also from Earth (they might recognize it even if they don't speak it), but also prevent other mages from knowing what spells I am casting.
I then tapped the blade against my palm and nodded. "My father made me this when I was a child. Of course, he made sure there was a spell to make sure I didn't hurt myself or anyone else."
Matthew nodded and took a closer look at the spear.
A hint of recognition shone on his face, and he asked, "Was your father Draven Drovas?"
I nodded. "Yes. I'm guessing you knew him?"
He nodded. "Not exactly. I was actually a first-year student from another academy who came here as a contestant for the academy tournaments held here around 20 years ago. While there, I got the chance to meet your father and saw him fight. It was a sight to behold."
I smiled, happy to hear about him from back then.
"I recognized his work, and I have to say that he did a fine job making that spear."
However, Matthew's smile dropped soon after. "Amanda told me about your parents. I'm guessing you miss him."
I nodded solemnly.
He looked at me with a solemn expression and said, "It's sad to hear, but at least you have something to remember them by."
I nodded, and after a moment, shook it off, not letting sad memories get the better of me right now.
Seeing me do better, Matthew slowly walked away, still watching me to make sure I was okay before getting ready.
I got my spear into position, and Orin pulled his great sword and got into a stance.
Seeing us both ready, Matthew raised a hand and said, "Ready, FIGHT!"
-
[1]: Each spell ranking is roughly twice the strength and difficulty of the lower tier. A rank 2 spell is twice the power and difficulty of a rank 1 spell. There is also no set limit on spell rankings.
Also, a high-ranking core/arcane heart is required to cast a higher-ranking spell. Whether it's inside or outside the body doesn't matter. If it isn't strong enough, it either won't allow you to cast a higher-ranking spell than itself or will shatter under the strain, magically crippling you permanently.
(F rank cores are the same as a rank 1 core. E rank cores are rank 2 and so on.)
This information does conflict with what I said before about spirits only being able to cast spells at the same ranking as them. I am ret-conning it so that while a spirit can only rank up to rank 6 or 7 max—not all can reach that point and usually max out at rank 3—their core can still rank up theoretically an infinite amount of times. Mortals can also do the same.