Leon had never trained this hard in his entire life. What made it worse was that he had been doing the same thing again and again for hours on end.

  The tree in front of him was completely coated in frost, its bark cracked from the cold. Leon breathed hard as his chest rose and fell. Off to the side, Professor Ashford stood calmly, watching him.

  “Again,” the Professor said.

  Leon almost rolled his eyes at the request, but he forced the urge down. He knew the Professor understood things most people didn’t, and he trusted that following his instructions would lead somewhere worthwhile, even if he couldn’t see the results yet. At least, he hoped so.

  He raised his trembling hand and tried to cast Ice Blast. The spell sputtered as it took shape, and his legs gave out beneath him, forcing Leon down to his knees as he gasped for air.

  Before he could even feel embarrassed, Professor Ashford was already making a move. A hand settled on Leon’s shoulder, and a warm golden light flowed over his body.

  The ache in his muscles faded, his breathing steadied, and strength rushed back into his limbs as if the exhaustion had never been there at all. The sudden shift was almost unsettling. One moment he had been on the verge of collapse, and the next he felt refreshed.

  Still, even though his body felt fine again, Leon's mind was tired. He already knew what was coming next, and he wasn’t sure how much more of that he could take.

  Leon looked up at the Professor. “I know you just healed me, but could we take a short break?”

  The Professor tilted his head slightly. “We’ve only been training for about eight hours, and we haven’t even started working with monsters yet. Your body is fine, I’ve made sure of that.”

  “I know, and I really am grateful. It’s just that we’ve been doing the same thing for hours, and I’m not even sure if I’m improving or not."

  Professor Ashford looked at him for a moment, then nodded. “I understand, maybe some rest wouldn't hurt."

  Professor Ashford turned and started walking, then glanced back over his shoulder. “Follow me.”

  Leon hurried after him. “Where are we going?”

  “Belle set up a picnic area nearby, so we can have ourselves a nice meal."

  Leon’s eyes widened at that. He almost asked how that was even possible, since Miss Belle hadn’t been carrying any supplies earlier. Then he remembered that both she and the professor could teleport.

  After a short walk, the clearing opened up, and Leon stopped short in surprise. A neat picnic spread had been laid out on a large cloth, surrounded by baskets and trays. There were loaves of fresh bread, fruit, pastries, and several neatly wrapped bundles.

  What stood out the most was the number of sandwiches. There were dozens of them, most filled with ham and cheese, which Leon guessed must be Professor Ashford’s favorite.

  As Lucian walked over, he greeted Belle with a small nod. She glanced over the food and asked, in her usual dry tone, “Would you like anything else, Master?”

  “This will do nicely,” Lucian said, already sitting down.

  Leon sat as well, a bit stiff at first. Belle handed him a cup of warm tea, and he thanked her quickly as she poured another cup for Lucian. Only then did she sit down herself, taking a modest meal of bread and roasted vegetables.

  "Please help yourself, there's plenty to go around," Lucian said, already picking up a ham and cheese sandwich.

  Leon nodded and picked an egg sandwich, taking a careful bite. It tasted incredible, easily the best sandwich he’d had in a long while. Although, he wasn’t sure if it was truly that good, or if the long hours of training had made it feel that way. Either way, it was warm, filling, and exactly what he needed.

  They ate in silence for a short while, until Lucian spoke again. “So, did you ever know how you got possessed by a demon?”

  Leon nearly choked on his food. And he couldn't help but stare at the Professor after being asked that question.

  Demonic possession, as far as he knew, hadn’t been a real concern since the end of the demonic invasion centuries ago. Yet the more he thought about it, the more it explained why no physician had been able to help him with his illness before.

  “I… had no idea I was possessed. And if I had, I would’ve asked for a cleric to perform an exorcism a long time ago.”

  Lucian laughed softly. “Unless you could find a cleric capable of seventh-tier divine magic or higher, it wouldn’t have helped much unless you discovered the possession very early."

  “You’re serious?”

  “Anything less would only remove part of the problem. Residual demonic energy would remain, and that leaves a person vulnerable to possession again.”

  Leon shook his head in disbelief. “That’s incredible Professor, how do you know so much about demons?”

  Lucian waved it off. “Interest, research, and a great deal of reading. That’s all.”

  Leon wasn’t convinced by that answer at all. Still, he figured everyone had reasons to keep their secrets, and that likely included the professor as well. If anything, Professor Ashford seemed like the kind of person who carried a great many things he didn’t talk about.

  There was a part of Leon that wondered if the professor might be some sort of secret agent of the church. That would certainly explain his deep knowledge of demons, as well as his frightening skill with healing magic. Although, Leon admitted to himself that such thoughts were purely speculation for now.

  After finishing his sandwich, Leon wiped his fingers on a napkin and glanced up. “Are we going to continue training soon?”

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  Lucian didn’t even look up at first. “Of course, right after I finish this.”

  To emphasize the point, he reached for another sandwich, one filled with jam this time, and took an unapologetically large bite. Leon stared for a second, then laughed. “You really do like sandwiches, don’t you, Professor?”

  “Like is an understatement,” he replied. “Sandwiches are one of the most efficient food forms ever devised. Simple to make, easy to carry, endlessly customizable, and nutritionally balanced if you’re not careless.”

  “That’s… one way to put it.”

  Belle let out a long sigh and looked at the Professor flatly. “You could simply say that you like sandwiches.”

  “I could, but where would the fun be in that?”

  Belle shook her head and stood, brushing crumbs from her skirt. “If you two intend to resume training, I’ll begin cleaning up.”

  Professor Ashford glanced toward Leon. “Well?”

  Leon hurried to finish the last of his sandwich, swallowing a little too fast, then stood up straight. “I’m ready!”

  The Professor rose as well and dusted his hands off. “Listen, I know this training is demanding, but I believe you can handle it. More importantly, you need to learn instantaneous casting as soon as possible.”

  “How soon exactly?”

  “By tomorrow morning ideally, and by the afternoon at the latest.”

  Leon’s eyes widened. “Tomorrow? Professor, how am I supposed to master something like that so fast?”

  “You’re closer than you think. In fact, your casting speed has already reached its practical limit with the System’s help. Which means right now, you’re leaning on a crutch that’s done all it can for you.”

  “So you’re saying that the problem isn’t my speed, but how I’m casting?”

  “Exactly, and the next step for you will be to learn how to cast without leaning on the System at all.”

  Leon swallowed. “I… I’m not sure I’ve ever cast a spell without it.”

  “Most people nowadays haven’t, and that’s why they stay exactly where they are. But I’m going to show you a trick so that you can start casting spells without using the System."

  As Belle began packing away the picnic, Professor Ashford walked to a clear patch of ground nearby and picked up a fallen stick. Leon stepped aside, watching as the professor knelt and started to draw a magic circle.

  Leon squinted, drawn in despite himself. The circle looked complex, yet strangely clean, as though every line had a purpose and nothing was wasted.

  After a moment, Leon couldn’t hold back his curiosity. “Professor, what magic circle is that? Is this some kind of high tier spell?"

  Professor Ashford didn’t look up as he finished the last stroke. “This is actually the magic circle for Ice Blast.”

  “What? That can’t be right. I’ve seen the circle for that spell dozens of times, and it’s never looked like this.”

  “Of course it hasn’t, because the one you know is the System’s version. This one is mine.”

  He rose to his feet and dusted his hands off. “I’ve refined it over time, removed unnecessary elements, adjusted the flow, and reshaped parts of it to suit my spellcasting."

  Professor Ashford then gestured toward a nearby tree. “Cast Ice Blast again, this time, watch your magic circle carefully and compare it to mine."

  Leon nodded and followed the instructions carefully, focusing on the magic circle the System provided as he cast the spell. When the blast struck its target and the circle faded away, he turned back to face the Professor.“I definitely noticed that my magic circle is much simpler than yours."

  “That’s right,” Lucian said, stepping closer. “A simpler magic circle isn’t worse by itself. Yours is simple because it was given to you by the System, not because you shaped it yourself. Now watch as I'm going to cast Ice Blast using my own circle.”

  Professor Ashford raised his hand and cast Ice Blast without a chant. A magic circle flashed into existence for only a brief moment, and the spell surged forward in a wide burst. Frost spread across the tree as the spell hit, freezing the bark, the branches, and even some parts of the ground beneath it.

  “Did you notice anything?” The Professor asked.

  Leon nodded. “It spread wider. The frost covered more area.”

  “Correct.” Lucian lifted his hand again. “Now compare.”

  He cast Ice Blast a second time, and this one was different. The frost condensed into a narrow, focused strike that punched into the tree with a sharp crack, burying itself into the bark, essentially turning the spell into more of a piercing arrow.

  “Those were both Ice Blast?” Leon asked, still staring at the frozen tree.

  “Yes, they were, the spell itself didn’t change in essence. I only adjusted a few of its properties, which altered the outcome.”

  Leon frowned slightly as he thought that over. “Then at what point does your version of Ice Blast stop being Ice Blast?”

  “An excellent question, and one scholars have been arguing about for centuries. You’d be surprised how many heated debates there were over whether casting two fireballs at once should count as a new spell.” He waved a hand lightly. “But I digress. There’s no universal rule for how much a spell can change and still keep its name. Generally speaking, once it’s altered enough from the original design, it can be considered a new spell. The trouble is that what counts as ‘enough’ depends entirely on who you ask.”

  “So… does that mean a spell’s properties can be changed to do anything?”

  “In theory, yes. In practice, there are limits. The further you push a spell away from its natural purpose, the less efficient it becomes. As an example, you could design a fireball that freezes instead of burns, but it would take far more mana than a standard Ice Blast, and the result might not even be that much stronger, if at all.”

  Leon stared at him for a moment, then his expression brightened with open excitement. “This is all incredible. Is there a way you can teach me how to modify my spells too?”

  “You start by not letting the System think for you,” Professor Ashford said as he held out the stick. “Draw the magic circle for Ice Blast from memory and make changes if you want. Don’t worry about whether it will make the spell stronger or weaker, just draw what you think it should be. You can even borrow parts of my design, if that helps.”

  Leon swallowed and took the stick. He knelt and began to draw, slowly at first as he traced the lines he remembered. Some strokes came easily, while others made him pause, forcing him to rely on instinct rather than anything more concrete. When he finished, he leaned back and stared at the circle carved into the dirt.

  It was definitely different from the one the System usually gave him. Although, he wasn't sure if that was necessarily a good thing.

  “Should I try casting Ice Blast using this?” Leon asked, glancing up.

  “I don’t see why not, go ahead.”

  Leon took a breath, stood, and raised his hand. He began the chant, slower than usual, focusing on the circle he had drawn instead of the one the System usually made him use. The magic circle flared into existence in front of him, glowing brighter and brighter, its lines shining with an intense, icy blue light.

  He then released the spell, and his Ice Blast struck a tree head-on. Yet, instead of freezing the bark or coating it in frost, the spell just disappeared and did nothing, leaving the tree untouched.

  Leon stared at the tree, his shoulders slumping. “I… guess that didn’t work.”

  "That wasn't a bad attempt, but yes, we’re going to have to work on improving things here and there.”

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