Dream Life Vol II Chapter 79.1: “Group Magic”

　I put together a theory about the operation of magic on the battlefield and decided to put it to the test.

　First, with the help of Liddy and Sharon, who were close at hand, I tried combining magic in various patterns. I could use all attributes, Liddy could use light, wind, wood, and water, and Sharon could use fire and wind, so a combination of the three of us would be possible with the wind attribute.

　So, I experimented with various combinations.

　As a result, I found something surprising. When the exact same magic was invoked at the same time, the power increased, albeit slightly.

　The experiment was very simple: three people simultaneously released an [Air Hammer], but the result was not simply the sum of the three’s magic, but more powerful than that. The sensory perception was that it was less than 10%, but the power had definitely increased.

　So, I decided to verify it not through senses, but numerically. But then we ran into a problem. There were no instruments to measure the power of magic.

　I thought of measuring it by hitting it against a rock or a tree to see how far it traveled, or by measuring its “bounce,” but that would be difficult to express as an objective number, and after much trial and error, I finally had to give up. So, I submitted a report to Professor Ruspede on my magic operation and asked him for advice on how to demonstrate it.

　The professor finished reading my report with great speed and began to speak excitedly.

“This is very interesting! Really good new perspective!” (Ruspede)

　And when I asked him if he had any good ideas on how to measure it, he gave it some thought,

“…hmm, there is no way to measure it, but if you increase the number of people, you can get the results you want.” (Ruspede)

　The professor said nothing more and started to walk towards the training ground.

　Then, he caught up with the fifth-year students in the training hall and said, “Please help me with the experiment. Can someone come over here, someone who can use the fire attribute?”

　The professor’s words were directly related to their grades, so about 30 students who could use the fire attribute were quickly gathered.

　The instructor who was teaching them hurriedly approached the professor and asked him about the situation with a serious expression on his face. The professor replies with a somewhat curious look on his face.

　The lecturers let out a breath of relief at the professor’s words. Then, “No problem,” he said, stepping back and giving his place to the professor.

　Apparently, the lecturers suspected that the professor was about to conduct a dangerous experiment.

(I guess it’s his typical behavior. I guess they believe that the professor does whatever he wants.) (Zack)

　The professor asked the assembled students, “Can you use the magic of [Ball of Flame – Fireball]? and they all answered “Yes!” The professor smiled with satisfaction and began to explain the experiment.

“I want you to activate the magic at the place I tell you to, on cue. Mr. Lockhart. Make a sturdy target for me.” (Ruspede)

　I nodded to the professor and used the [Wall of Soil – Earth Wall] spell to create an earthen wall two meters high, two meters wide, and about fifty centimeters thick. Then, just to be safe, I reinforced it with the magic of the [Stone Generation – Create Stone]. This was the same wall as the one the professor had built earlier, and I had replicated its strength as much as possible.

(With this, as long as the professor’s [Hellfire Lance] doesn’t appear, I should be able to get by with just this.) (Zack)

　When I built the wall in about five minutes, I found the students staring at me with astonished expressions. They seemed surprised that I had completed the wall faster than the practical instructor.

　The professor, on the other hand, nodded his head in satisfaction and said in admiration, “As expected of Mr. Lockhart.”

　However, the professor’s perspective differed from that of the students. He tapped the wall I had built with a “Tock” and said, “This makes it easy to compare with my [Spear of Hellfire – Hellfire Lance]. This kind of attention to detail is necessary for research.” He was impressed not by the speed of the magic, but by the fact that I had recreated an earthen wall that the professor had made so long ago.

　The professor asked, “Now, who among you is the slowest to activate?” and one petite female student, almost in tears, raised her hand.

　He then asked, “Well, what’s your name? How long does it take you to cast?” he asked, and in a shrinking voice replied, “Evelyn Harling… about thirty seconds if I try very hard…”

“Then try to match yours to Miss Harling. Now, Miss Harling. Begin your chanting.” (Ruspede)

　She nervously chanted the Fireball spell. And the other students chanted one after another to match the timing.

(She must be nervous because Mr. Ruspede is paying attention to her. I feel like she’s about to start crying…) (Zack)

　I felt sorry for the girl student named Harling for a moment, but I soon forgot about her as I noticed the rapid gathering of the fire spirit’s power.

(That’s an amazing amount of power… In terms of level, it’s probably around 12 or 13 on average. However, it feels like the power of spirits is getting concentrated rather than Professor Ruspede’s magic…) (Zack)

　After thirty seconds, Harling seems to be ready, and the professor quietly waves his arm down. Then, from the mouths of the thirty people, the word [Fireball] was uttered in a spirited shout.

　The next moment, thirty fireballs appeared near the tip of their staffs. They flew toward the target at a speed of about a hundred kilometers per hour.

　To me, it seemed terribly slow.

　But in less than a second, they concentrated on the target twenty meters away.

　The moment I thought the fireballs had converged on the target, the flames, which had only been red, emitted a dazzling radiance, and then exploded.

　I was speechless at the power of the explosion.

　The professor seemed equally speechless, his eyes wide open and silent.

　The professor and I could not hide our surprise at the result, but the students and instructor who had unleashed the magic were more interested in something else. They were more interested in the professor’s reaction than in the magical results.

　I ignored the students and ran toward the target.

　A close inspection of the target revealed that although it was not damaged, its surface was blackened and scorched, indicating that it had been exposed to a very high temperature.

(The magical energy of the students here should only be as strong as a torch. This is too strong for the effect of focusing their energy… Even when they gathered thirty of them, it should be about the size of a campfire like… the amount of fire spirit power gathered was high. Maybe the more people do it in a group, the more efficient the magic becomes…) (Zack)

　The professor was excitedly talking to me as he also checked the surface of the target, which was still far from cooling down.

“This is amazing! A revolutionary discovery!” (Ruspede)

　I was somewhat taken aback by his words and regained my composure.

“Hadn’t anyone tried this before? We have practical training for each attribute here as well, and I’m sure the court magicians would have noticed it if they had trained the same way.” (Zack)

　The professor shook his head and replied, “Usually they don’t activate magic at the same time. They activate at the same time on the battlefield, but they have the same targets.”

　I found that fact troubling.

　It didn’t seem to have been enhanced that much in this experiment. From the original power, it was considerably enhanced, but still less powerful than Professor Ruspede’s high-level magic. However, low-level magic released by 30 half-baked magicians is comparable to the magic of a first-class magician. In other words, I realized that even the young magicians, who until now had not been considered a force to be reckoned with, had the potential to become a force to be reckoned with.

　And what caught my attention was the fact that there is an organization that is obsessed with a single attribute.

　That’s right, I’m talking about the Light God Church.

　The Light Gods Church is gathering together magicians of the light attribute. If this fact were known, the balance of power between the Lux Holy Kingdom and the Caelum Empire could change dramatically. If only that were the case, it would still be fine, but there is no guarantee that Lux, which is riddled with fanatics, would not embark on world domination.

　I whisper to the professor, “This fact is dangerous.”