Chapter 106: The Formation of a Curse
"Distracted yet versatile—excellent control over magic," George couldn't help but applaud. "If paired with something like flying needles, it could be used directly as an offensive technique."
Kate wielded magical power almost as naturally as using her own thoughts. Such refined control could easily be converted into a method of attack.
"It's not just pretty—it's also useful for being lazy. Most importantly, I don't have to ask anyone to pass me things from across the table anymore," Kate said with a smile, though she didn't quite approve of using magic for combat. "When a wizard faces danger, their first instinct is to put up a shield. Flying needles won't hurt a wizard."
George didn't quite agree. While this kind of magic might not be highly destructive, its stealth and speed made up for it. He had once used an invisibility cloak to ambush and kill Lord Voldemort. He knew just how fragile an unprepared wizard could be—they were no different from ordinary people.
Of course, using magic to control flying needles wouldn't work against a defensive wizard. But as a sneak attack, if the opponent was unprepared, it could blind them instantly. And once struck like that, the pain alone would be enough to incapacitate most wizards raised in peaceful times.
Even if the opponent struggled, a wizard who had lost their sight would find it extremely difficult to recover or respond effectively.
Although George believed this form of magic had great potential, he didn't dwell on it. "Since your magical control is already so refined, then the problem clearly isn't your control itself."
Kate nodded. That was her conclusion as well. She had confidence in her magical control. "Magic control has always been my strength. You could even say I'm naturally talented in this area. I learn spells faster than most people."
"Meditation isn't difficult for me either. Over the past few months, it has significantly improved my control over magic. I'm confident that even for the foundational parts of ancient spells, my control should meet the standard."
Despite her fascination with ancient spells and ancient wizards, Kate never underestimated herself.
Before even graduating, she had already developed reading-type spells. Her academic performance consistently surpassed her classmates. She possessed the confidence and pride of a top student. If it were a powerful spell she couldn't learn, that would be understandable. But failing to grasp even the most basic spell? That had to be the key to the mystery—and it certainly wasn't due to a lack of talent or ability.
"Then how do we explain the role of external factors?" George raised another crucial question.
One of the biggest differences between ancient spells and modern spells lay in their resonance with external elements. Ancient spells required the construction of magical channels and structures in the external world right from the beginning. These structures had to resonate with external elements to form a complete spell.
Modern spells, on the other hand, focused more on utilizing one's internal magic. This made them easier to control and allowed wizards to apply magic in everyday life. For example, they didn't have to worry about a heating spell burning a pot or a cleaning spell tearing fabric apart.
Ancient spells, however, were built upon external resonance. Once cast, their destructive power came from harnessing external elements—and it was precisely this that gave them their extraordinary strength.
Kate lowered her head, thinking carefully and recalling her practice. After a moment, she shook her head. "I didn't feel any induction from external elements."
"To cast ancient spells, you need to sense those external elements. During casting, you must evoke resonance with them—only then will the spell manifest," George said, recalling his own experiences in hopes they were accurate.
Kate's eyes lit up. "So—you can already cast ancient magic?"
"Of course… no wonder you said you'd verified those spells," she added, slightly annoyed with herself. "You can already use them. How did I not realize that?"
She should have figured that if George said the spells were verified, he must have mastered them himself. As she thought this, her ears turned slightly red with embarrassment.
George raised his wand and murmured an incantation. Above the tip of the wand, a fist-sized red fireball appeared, hovering in the air. It pulsed like a human heart, constantly beating, radiating heat and flames in all directions.
Curious, Kate stepped forward carefully. As she approached, she could feel the immense heat contained within the fireball—and also a restless, unstable energy hidden inside it.
"This curse isn't in my records," she said, studying it with slight disappointment. "It doesn't seem much different from modern curses—maybe even weaker."
"It's not easy to control," George replied. "Compared to modern magic, it's like an unstable bomb that could explode at any moment. I wouldn't let you experiment with this."
"Modern magic has evolved for a reason—it has its own advantages. After all, this is just the most basic form of ancient magic."
Although George was deeply interested in ancient magic and had invested significant effort into restoring it, he didn't blindly believe that everything ancient was superior or everything modern inferior. That kind of thinking made no sense.
Anything that survives and develops must have its own logic. Even when inferior systems replace better ones, it reflects deeper issues—like a lack of trust in society. Modern spells had advantages: they were safer, more universal, and easier to learn.
George valued ancient spells not because they were inherently better, but because historical records suggested they contained far greater power than modern magic.
Seeing the fireball on his wand becoming increasingly unstable, he softly repeated the incantation. The fireball seemed to be grasped by an invisible hand, shrinking smaller and smaller until it finally disappeared.
"Ah… then I guess I'll start with these 'useless' spells," Kate said, looking a bit disappointed—even though she knew mastering ancient magic meant starting from the basics.
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