Chapter 12 - Unlocking Magic

Four hours had passed since Lucas passed out. Martha and Ben were staying by his bed, worried sick. Ben placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. Martha just sat there, staring at Lucas. "You didn't have to push yourself to that extent", she muttered. Leon entered the room.

"There's nothing to worry about. The reason he fainted was because of his body's incompatibility. Or more precisely, he forced open his nervous system", he said. Martha didn't understand but Ben clearly understood what he was saying. He sat in front of Martha, thinking of a way to explain it to her.

"Let me explain. He tried to force open his nervous system, which is not used to the Aura flowing through them. There will be no significant damage as it has flowed a minuscule amount of Aura through them. But if he forces more into them, he will feel immense pain, and the nerves will expand. This action will result in him getting fatigued and fainting, to make the necessary repairs to his body. And as he has the system with him, he won't be in any danger", he concluded.

"So he forced it open? Then what will happen now?", she asked worriedly. "His nerves would have slightly expanded, allowing his aura to circulate a bit more freely. But, if he wants to use it like Leon or me, he will have to push his Aura just like he did today, for almost two or three months. It usually takes around ten years to reach our level, but as he has the system, it will help him in it. It might even reconstruct his whole body, but I don't know when. It did happen to me, and from then, my Aura and Mana flow became much smoother", he concluded.

Martha sighed in relief when she heard that the system will take care of that issue. She knew about the system for a long time, and she also knew how many times it had saved Ben's life. "It's a good thing he hast it with him", she said. She felt two hands wrap around her from the back, pulling her close to Ben. "Don't worry, my love. Everything will be alright", he said as he pulled her close to him.

She just leaned her head against his shoulder, taking in all the warmth she felt. After a few minutes, Ben let go of her and walked outside. "Let me know when he wakes up. I have a call from our neighboring kingdom, and I don't know what they're scheming", he said. "Someone from our family has aligned with those sly foxes, believing they will give benefits", he said as he left.

Another hour passed and Lucas slowly opened his eyes, to see the white ceiling in front of him. The smell of disinfectants and medicine wafted into his nose, making him know where he was. "The hospital again? How long have I been asleep?", he thought. He heard a slight snore from his right and saw his mother sleeping with her head on the table.

He got up and covered her with a blanket. "She must be tired from looking after me when I was asleep. Let her get some rest. Now is the time for the third and final stage of the test. But before that, let's see how much I have increased my strength", he thought. He called out his status window.

[Quest Completed]

[Survive for 10 Minutes]

[Survive 11/10 Minutes]

[Rewards - EXP +1500, Increase all stats by 5]

[Congratulations on surviving for an extra minute! Calculating Rewards...]

[Title has been granted, 'Defying the Odds'. Your stats will increase by 25 percent when facing an enemy higher than your capabilities. Will lose buff only after the enemy is defeated]

[You have Levelled Up!]

[You have Levelled Up!]

"That's an interesting reward. A title with a buff. I wonder, will I get stronger in the face of stronger enemies? That is also the only way to get stronger", he began to get deep in thoughts. "For now, let's see my stats", he thought as he viewed his stats window. He then put all his stat points into magic.

[Status]

[Name: Lucas Heart]

[HP: 100/100]

[MP: 100/100]

[Level: 4]

[Job: None]

[Title: Defying The Odds]

[EXP: 600/1500]

[System Level: 1/10]

[Strength: 35]

[Stamina: 25]

[Agility: 34]

[Perception: 27]

[Magic: 27]

[Stat points to be used: 0]

[Host is now capable of learning Magic spells. Displaying compatible spells]

[Icicles, Fireball]

[Mastery of both spells will increase MP and Magic]

Lucas was stunned when he saw the notification. "I can use Magic?", his eyes went wide. He was elated. He jumped down from the bed excited. He ran out the door, slamming it shut. It woke his mother, who was asleep soundly. "That kid, you shouldn't be so excited yet. I wonder what made him so excited", she thought as she followed behind him.

Lucas ran to his training room and calmed down. He then stretched his arm out and closed his eyes. "Icicle", he called out in his mind. A small icicle formed in front of his palm, before shooting towards the wall. A small patch of ice was formed. He then once again called out in his mind, shooting a few more. The patch on the wall slowly grew bigger.

Lucas was happy. "I'm not the Eunuch Mage anymore!". he exclaimed. "Who called my Luca a Eunuch Mage?", came a voice from behind him. He was stunned but he smiled. "Mother! Did you see? I can use Magic!", he smiled wide, and tears were streaming from the side of his eyes. Martha's heart wrenched from seeing Lucas that way. "He must have endured all that humiliation, all this time. Not once did he ask for our help", she thought as she embraced him.

"Can you use your fire magic yet?", she asked in a calm voice. "I don't know. Let me try", he thought. He then stood in the same position and cast [Fireball]. A small fireball came from his palms, and slowly melted the ice patch. After casting his sixth fireball, he couldn't cast anymore.

[MP points have been depleted. 20 seconds till next MP point]

"So each cast costs eight MP points, huh?", he thought as he looked at the wall, and saw water on the floor. He wanted to know how to decrease the number of MP points per use. he and Martha walked alongside each other, and reached his father's room. Ben was sitting on the bed with his hands under his chin. "Father!", said Lucas excitedly.

Ben turned and saw his son, skipping towards him. He didn't know why he was skipping, but Lucas had woken up and that was enough for him. "What is it my son?', he asked him. "I can use magic now!", he said as he smiled wide, breaking Ben's thought process.

Ben smiled wide, and he spread his arms wide. Lucas ran towards him and hugged him, and Ben squeezed him back. "Show me", he said in a deep tone. "Umm... My MP points have been depleted", he said as he scratched his head. He thought that his father would be mad at him, making him sad. But instead, he heard Ben laugh out loud.

"HAHAHA", laughed Ben heartily. Lucas didn't understand why he laughed. He then patted his shoulder twice. "I'm sorry, but I can't wait. I've waited for this moment for Eighteen years, my son. Here, drink this", he said as he handed him a vial. "Intermediate Mana Potion", he muttered as he drank it. A slightly sweet taste formed in his mouth as he downed the potion.

[Intermediate Mana Potion has been consumed. 50 MP gained]

[MP: 69/100]

As soon as he saw this notification, he aimed his palm at the wall and cast [Icicle] first, and [Fireball] next. Ben was elated when he saw this. Just like when a baby took its first steps, Ben was happy beyond words. He teared up and choked trying to say something to him. "Finally... My son... can use Mana... I'm...", he tried to speak, but he couldn't. The words kept ending up stuck in his throat. He sat on the bed, his hands covering his face.

He ended up crying for a few minutes and Martha consoled him. After a few minutes, He calmed down and let Lucas leave. "Let's see how far in the sky you will soar.. A phoenix is in the rising, and no one shall stop him", he said as he saw Lucas leave his room.