Low-Fantasy Occultist Isekai-Chapter 77 - 76

The classroom emptied slowly, with the last of the children slipping out in pairs and trios, busy with the easy chatter of childhood. The earlier tension had evaporated from their minds, indicating that Marthas had successfully distracted them. Only Nick remained seated, idly tracing the edge of his desk with his fingers.

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Alexander lingered by the doorway, glancing back at him with a furrowed brow. For a moment, it seemed he might say something, but in the end, he just mouthed, "Be careful," before turning on his heel and leaving.

Nick exhaled through his nose as he looked at the only other person in the room. The Prelate sat at the teacher’s desk, hands folded before him, observing Nick. They remained that way for a while—silent, waiting, studying. It wasn’t a contest; though if it were, Nick had no intention of losing.

Finally, Marthas broke the silence before it could become awkward. "Before we begin, is there anything you’d like to say?"

Nick raised an eyebrow, letting the question hang between them. If the Prelate was fishing, he wouldn’t find any easy bait here. After a moment, he slightly tilted his head in a silent prompt for Marthas to clarify.

A chuckle escaped the man. "Very well. Should that time ever come, you will find me available."

Nick filed that away. Marthas thought there would be a time when he’d talk, and perhaps there would. But not today.

And certainly not about what I did this morning. He’s made it clear he doesn’t want to be an enemy, and I plan to extract as much knowledge from him as I can, so I might eventually discuss some of my plans with him, but he’s not getting anything for free.

Martha shifted, straightening his robes. "Well then. Our last lesson was rudely interrupted, and I am a man of my word. You wanted to learn kinetic magic, didn’t you?"

Nick gave a small nod.

"Then let us return to the core of the problem—entropy."

It was fascinating to see how effortlessly he slipped into the explanation. He must have been teaching children for a long time. "Kinetic magic, in its purest form, is energy in motion. It is dynamic and unbound. The challenge lies in its nature—what is in motion seeks to remain in motion, and without the proper spellforms, it disperses. The stronger the force, the more rapidly it dissipates."

Nick frowned, rolling the words over in his mind. "So high-level spells need to be bound tightly, otherwise they just… dissipate?"

Marthas inclined his head. "Precisely. Kinetic magic disperses because it is the purest form of aspected mana. That is why simple spells—say, levitating a rock—require little structure and are so easy to achieve, but the moment you attempt anything on a grander scale, the energy bleeds out before it can fully manifest."

Nick’s mind immediately jumped to the obvious conclusion. The kinetic magic of his world had always been frustratingly limited in its raw power. There had been collaborative efforts to refine it and make it more stable, but the results consistently fell short compared to what he had seen here—though pursuing it on Earth had been worthwhile. Now, it finally made sense. They had been trying to finesse a solution to a problem that required a greater knowledge base achievable only through semi-infinite power.

It’s a pity we could have never gotten there on our own. Too limited by the dying planet. Any significant effort to solve the problem would have failed and been chalked up to the absence of mana.

"Tightly bound spellforms," Nick mused aloud. "That’s the key, then?"

Marthas smiled approvingly. "Yes. Mental constraints ensure efficiency. Without them, you are throwing stones into the ocean and expecting them to build a bridge."

Nick considered that, absently tapping his fingers on the desk. "Does the principle apply only to kinetic magic, then? Elemental affinities counterbalance the loss, right? Like fire magic—it sustains itself."

"To some extent," Martha conceded. "But even fire dies without fuel. The difference is that fire magic consumes as it spreads, while kinetic magic does not. It is movement, and movement alone."

Nick hummed. Kinetic magic was somewhat limited in his understanding, but if he looked at it as contained bundles of force, it started to make sense. Of course, without an element to feed off, it relied entirely on the caster for power. It’s not that they can’t be precise or subtle, but to induce that much force, I’d need an instantaneous release. It would then be channeled through the spell, but…

"So how do you keep it contained?"

Marthas’s smile widened slightly, pleased by the question. "You use anchors. A framework within the spell form to direct and stabilize the energy."

"Runes?" Nick knew of no runic language capable of holding such power, but that didn’t mean they didn’t exist.

"Runes, sigils—all have their place. But those who wield magic at the highest levels usually do it through mental constructs. If you ever want to step beyond the basics, you must teach your mind to associate aspected mana with a related construct."

Nick considered that. It aligned with what little he had observed in powerful casters. Their spells weren’t simply borne of incantation and circles—they were the result of a profound understanding of their element. Something he had experienced for himself when casting [Windburst] for the first time. He had done it only after he could finally visualize the concept of wind well enough.

Marthas gestured toward the front of the classroom. "Come. A demonstration is in order."

Nick stood, moving to stand beside him. Marthas flicked a hand, and the faint shimmer of magic settled into the air between them. A simple orb of force hovered there, small but seemingly stable.

"This is raw kinetic energy," Marthas explained. "Unstructured. Watch."

After a single minute, the orb collapsed, unraveling into nothingness. "Entropy. Without purpose or constraints, it cannot exist in the material world."

He created another. This time, faint lines of gold flickered around it, forming a web-like lattice. The orb remained firm, pulsing gently.

"Bound energy. It will last until I decide otherwise."

Nick’s fingers twitched. He wanted to touch it. To ask a thousand more questions. But it was clear Marthas expected him to keep up with his instruction without needing to hold his hand.

Marthas stepped back. "Now you try."

Nick took a slow breath, reaching for his magic. He carefully took part of his [Telekinetic Field]’s spell matrix and stripped it of all the fanciness to get to basic kinetic manipulation, forming a force sphere in the air before him. It hovered for a moment, then wavered.

Marthas observed silently.

Nick concentrated, trying to weave structure back into the spell. It felt like trying to hold water in his hands—though at this point, that wasn’t a significant issue, so he might need better analogies. He gritted his teeth and adjusted his approach. Instead of seeking control for control’s sake, he envisioned the act of movement, ensuring that the thought remained clear in his mind while he added details until he could visualize everything from the force applied to an object to how it interacted with the surrounding world. The lines formed, shaky at first, then steadier. The sphere stabilized.

Marthas let out a soft hum of approval. "Not bad. Crude, but promising." It was clear he wouldn’t be generous with his praise.

Nick exhaled, feeling a bead of sweat at his temple. It had taken far more effort than he expected.

"This," Marthas said, "is the foundation. If you can master it, then the rest will come with time."

Nick flexed his fingers, already eager to try again. This much had already given him some ideas.

Marthas gestured for him to release the magic, which Nick did, before pointing to his right hand, where a flicker of blue energy was forming. "Now, let’s move on to the basics: [Push]."

Nick felt the air shift as Martha cast, creating ripples in the atmosphere. It was a simple spell, he explained—ten pounds of force directed at the target point.

"You must simply take the base form, which you’ve already achieved, and give it purpose," Marthas said. "Try to replicate it. It might take a while, but you should already be familiar with the underlying principles."

Nick frowned, extending a hand as he focused. [Telekinetic Field] functioned differently. It created a broad zone of force, allowing him to manipulate objects with finesse but lacked concentrated power. This, however, was a direct application.

He shaped the magic, feeling out the structure. It was surprisingly simple. A tight, minimalistic spell form designed for efficiency. He wove the intent, shaping it into reality, and released it.

A soft *thump* sounded as the force nudged a chair ten feet from him a couple inches forward.

A notification blinked in his vision:

You have learned the spell [Push].

+2,000 EXP.

Nick exhaled. "Huh."

Marthas chuckled. "Good. You’re quick."

But he wasn’t done. Nick cast it again, this time adjusting the spell’s structure and tweaking the force distribution. He layered it, feeling the way the energy formed and compressed before release.

Another *thump*. This time, the chair slid half a foot.

Martha raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" He didn’t appear too surprised by his success.

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Nick cast again, this time faster, making a small rotational adjustment. The chair spun slightly as it moved. He frowned, focused intently, and adjusted again. It felt like tuning a familiar instrument—every shift in intent changed the spell’s output.

He kept going, pushing the limits. There was a threshold here, something just beyond his grasp. He could feel the spell edging toward a higher rank, a refinement that would elevate it to something greater. He was racing toward it faster than expected—likely thanks to his already significant experience with the type of magic—and knew that if he pushed a little harder, he could break through.

Which was precisely why he stopped.

He let the magic fade, shaking out his hand. No need to reveal too much too quickly. Instead, he turned to Marthas. "This is interesting. What’s next?"

Marthas grinned, a knowing glint in his eyes. "You remind me of an old apprentice of mine. Always impatient. But very well, let’s move on."

With a wave of his hand, Marthas cleared the room. The chairs scraped against the floor, moving to the edges. He motioned for Nick to stand.

"Next is a defensive spell. [Force Shield]. The basic kinetic barrier."

Nick frowned. "How does that work, exactly?" He crossed his arms. "A static shield would need a constant application of force. Wouldn’t that be incredibly inefficient?" Given how difficult it had been to keep the Green Ocean’s squirrels from pelting him with nuts with [Telekinetic Field], he knew that very well.

Marthas chuckled. "Good question. That’s where the principle of diffusion comes in."

With a flick of his fingers, a translucent barrier shimmered into existence before him. It rippled slightly, showing a field of contained force, though its surface remained stable.

"Unlike [Push], which directs force outward, [Force Shield] evenly distributes incoming force across its surface, creating a stable buffer. The key is that it doesn’t resist with a single counterforce—it spreads the impact, nullifying it over the entire area."

Nick narrowed his eyes, intrigued. "That explains a lot. A kinetic barrier made of raw intent would have to counteract every attack with equal force, but this... it’s self-regulating. The diffusion principle means it doesn’t just block—it absorbs and redistributes."

Marthas nodded approvingly. "Exactly."

Nick studied the shimmering barrier. "How strong is it?"

Marthas smirked. "Would you like a demonstration?"

He gestured toward the center of the room. "Attack me. With your best shot."

Nick blinked. "You sure?"

Marthas spread his arms. "Come now, don’t hold back. Let’s see what you can do."

I don’t doubt this is simply another way to learn more about what I can do, but I already have a public persona as a wind mage of some talent. And he’s practically begging me to send him on his ass.

Of course, Nick knew very well that he had no chance in a real fight. However, with a bit of luck, he might be able to catch the Prelate off guard.

That would only heighten his interest, but this is a give-and-take situation. I need him to teach me more, and if I have to showcase a bit of what most people already know I can do… well, I’ve never minded putting arrogant jerks in their place.