Trinity of Magic

Chapter 55: Finding a style.

Zeke stood in front of the field his combat class was held on, his heart pounding with excitement and nerves. He had spent the past week pouring over his recordings and experimenting with different techniques, determined to make breakthroughs in his [Analyze] spell. And now, as he stood before his classmates once again, he was confident that he had succeeded.

Zeke had learned a lot about the different stats that were displayed by his system over the past week. The most important discovery was that what he had named 'Intelligence' was not actually intelligence. It did not indicate the ability to solve complex problems, instead it only measured the capability of the brain to process information. Zeke had learned that a higher intelligence stat gave you better dynamic vision, for example. The brain was simply faster in processing the visual data that were recorded by the eyes, allowing a Mage to follow faster movements and react in time to incoming attacks. But all those revelations still paled in comparison to his new additions.

He had added new metrics to his spell, to compensate for the missing parts that had previously hindered its effectiveness. Experience, instinct, and synergies were the key components he had identified as missing, and he had worked tirelessly to incorporate them into his spell. Experience, in this case, referred to combat experience - the ability of a fighter to adapt and react to new situations in battle. Instinct was the fighter's innate ability to respond to danger and unpredictability, and Synergies referred to the compatibility of all bodily stats, spells, and fighting styles.

Zeke had spent hours devising a metric to incorporate the realizations that had come to him during his last week of combat classes. He had, for example, seen the same spell, [Levitate], used by different students with vastly different results.

When Viola, a prodigy in wind magic, used the spell, she became an agile, flying terror that was almost impossible to pin down. But when bulkier, less proficient Mages tried to copy her style, they often lost mobility and became easy targets instead. This was a perfect example of how stat and spell synergy worked and how it could affect the outcome.

Zeke had finally found a way to incorporate this information into his [Analyze] spell. He had realized that it was not enough to simply measure a person's bodily stats to determine real combat strength, but also to take into account the unique characteristics and abilities of the spell and the fighter using it. He had spent the last few hours working on a new formula to incorporate this data, and he was excited to test it out in this combat class. Zeke focused on the fight happening in front of him and scanned the first of the two mages.

[Results of Analyse]

First name: Hans. Mage name: None. Last name: None. Age: 15. Gender: Male. Height: 1.65m. Strength: 10 Constitution: 9 Agility: 13 Intelligence: 14

Wind magic (Greater affinity), Rank: Mage, Engraved spell: [Gust].

Wind magic:

[Gust] Active

Sends a gust of wind against a target, can destabilize a target and cause it to fall.

[Wind Steps] Active This spell allows the caster to step on air and increase a moderate boost to movement speed with each step. [Wind Blade] Active This spell allows the caster to summon blades of wind that can strike at distant targets.

This target has an estimated combat experience of 22.

This target has an estimated instinct rating of 13.

This target has an estimated combat synergy rating of 20.

Estimated real combat strength: 120.

Zeke could see that his spell was working as intended. But he didn't need to see all this information, so he focused for a second to shorten the result the spell would show him before using it on the second fighter.

[Results of Analyse]

First name: Tobias. Mage name: None. Last name: Luftschloss. Age: 15. Gender: Male. Height: 1.75m. Real combat strength: 100. Strength: 15 Constitution: 13 Agility: 9 Intelligence: 8

Wind magic (Greater affinity), Rank: Mage, Engraved spell: [Wind Blade].

Zeke watched intently as the two fighters, Hans and Tobias, stepped into the arena. Both were gifted in wind magic, but Hans had a significantly higher real combat strengths according to his calculations. And as the fight began, it quickly became clear that Hans was the superior fighter. Despite having comparable stat totals numerically, Hans had a distinct advantage in combat experience and a much better synergy between his spells and body.

He moved with precision and grace, his spells flowing seamlessly with his physical movements. Tobias, on the other hand, seemed to struggle with coordination, his spells often coming out clumsily and not in sync with his bodily movements.

Zeke made note of the difference in their fighting styles and the effects it had on the outcome of the fight. He knew that this was just the beginning of his tests, but these two fighters were the perfect pair to start with. As he continued to watch the fight, he couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement for the insights and discoveries that lay ahead as he worked to perfect his [Analyze] spell.

Zeke made his way around the training field, his eyes scanning the various fighters as they engaged in battle. He was determined to test the accuracy of his [Analyze] spell, and predict the outcome of each fight he came across.

In the beginning, his predictions were hit or miss, with an accuracy rate of around 70%. This was not a great number when considering that a random guess would predict the winner accurately for half the fights. But as he continued to observe and rank the Mages, he noticed that his predictions were becoming increasingly accurate. Initially puzzled by this development, Zeke soon realized that his system was starting to gather enough data to understand which spell combinations synergized well with which fighting styles, and with each other.

As he collected more and more data, his predictions became increasingly accurate. He watched with satisfaction as his spell correctly predicted the outcome of almost every fight, and he knew that he was getting closer to perfecting his [Analyze] spell. With each passing fight, he was one step closer to unlocking the full potential of his magic, and understanding the various factors of what made for real combat strength.

As Zeke continued to make his way through the training field, he couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration about one of his shortcomings. Despite all of his progress, there was still one major problem that he was facing: his [Perfect Spatial Awareness] spell. The range of the spell had grown significantly since he had advanced to True Mage, but it still wasn't enough.

Since he had started using space essence crystals to increase the speed of advancement, the expansion of the spell's range had increased at an even faster rate, but Zeke still felt like it was not large enough for his purposes. He could now perceive everything within a radius of a little over three meters around himself, but this was not enough distance to scan the Mages in the midst of combat if he was not fighting himself.

But despite the limitations of his spell, Zeke was not deterred. His saving grace lay in the fact that he had fought most of the people on the training field at least once already. This guaranteed that he had a clean recording of most of their abilities. For those of his classmates who had advanced to True Mages as well, he could usually tell what spell they had engraved by the shape of their core.

He could, for example, easily recognize the tiny white cloud shape of Viola's [Levitate] spell and the fiery red shape of Leo's [Fire Manipulation] spell. Using this knowledge, he was able to collect data on which spell and stat combinations led to the most victories by observing all of his classmates' fights.

Zeke's recent obsession with his research was driven by his own uncertainty. He had no idea which combat style would work best with his physical stats and abilities, and this uncertainty gnawed at him. He spent all day collecting data on the different combinations, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of each fighting style and spell combination. Furthermore, he was determined to design the perfect fighting style for his affinity combination, one that would make the most of his strengths and minimize his weaknesses.

He knew that this was no easy task, but he was willing to put in the work to find the answers he needed. He poured over his recordings, analyzing the data he had collected, and working tirelessly to understand how to combine his physical stats, abilities, and future spells in the most effective way possible. This was not just about winning battles for him, it was about finding the true potential of his affinities and becoming the best mage he could be.

Zeke spent the rest of the class collecting as many recordings as he could. He was excited to go over all this data later and come up with the perfect fighting style that would complement his own abilities. He ran around the training field all morning, and by the time he went home, he felt truly content and happy with today's haul. Furthermore, he had a beaming smile on his face all throughout the meditation practice in the afternoon. The kids who saw his expression were congratulating each other, they were sure that they had made excellent progress today.

In the evening, Zeke was sitting on the floor in his room. His back against the massive wooden frame of his bed, he went over all the fights he had observed that day. He had observed the results of a total of 252 fights that morning.

As he went through the data, he made notes and observations, trying to find patterns and connections. He was determined to find the perfect combination of spells and abilities that would make him an unstoppable force in combat. He spent hours pouring over the data, his eyes growing heavy, but he didn't stop until he had analyzed every single fight.

As he worked, a pattern began to emerge. Despite the seemingly endless variety of abilities and spell combinations, there were only a select few that consistently led to victory.

"Interesting," Zeke muttered to himself, scribbling notes furiously. He had always known that the key to success in combat was finding the perfect balance between one's abilities and fighting style, but he had never realized just how small that pool of effective styles truly was.

As the day wore on and the sun began to set, Zeke finally sat back with a sigh of satisfaction. He had done it, he had gone through all the recorded fights and sorted them into a total of only four strategies. To his surprise, every element had one style that was overwhelmingly represented in the majority of victories. He named them according to the Element they were most prominently used by. Satisfied, he looked down at the descriptions of the styles he had written down:

"Blazing Barrage" - This fighting style focuses on utilizing fire magic to create a constant stream of powerful and fast-moving projectiles that can overwhelm the opponent with sheer firepower.

"Earthen Armor" - This fighting style focuses on utilizing earth magic to create powerful defensive barriers and constructs to protect the user while they launch counterattacks.

"Tempestuous Tactics" - This fighting style focuses on utilizing wind magic to allow the caster to move around the battlefield with blinding speed and attack the opponent with precise long range spells.

"Aqueous Assault" - This fighting style focuses on utilizing water magic to create powerful waves and currents to control the battlefield and trap the opponent in powerful water-based attacks.

Clenching his fists with a sense of triumph, Zeke began to crystallize the styles down to a single concept each. He scribbled furiously in his notebook, breaking down the core elements of each style and distilling them into something tangible:

Fire - Offense.

Earth - Defense.

Wind - Speed.

Water - Control.

He began to think about his own three affinities and how he could use these core concepts with each of them. The first thing that became immediately clear was that space magic was perfect for mobility. This was the concept that almost all wind mages based their fighting styles around. The concept was incredibly simple to grasp: if you're not getting hit, you can't lose.

Zeke's mind was alight with possibilities as he considered how he could incorporate this universal truth into his own fighting style. He knew that his space magic gave him a unique advantage in terms of speed. He was certain that by focusing his space core on mobility, he could become a formidable force in battle.

As he thought more about his second affinity, Mind, an idea began to form in his head. He remembered how the water mages he had observed had used their magic to control the battlefield and therefore their opponents, guiding their movements and actions to gain an upper hand in battle. He was starting to believe that this was a tactic he could also use to great effect, and he began to develop a plan to incorporate mind magic into his fighting style.

With each new idea, the image of his fighting style became clearer in his mind, and he knew that with the right combination of his affinities, he could stand unrivaled amongst his peers.

"Mobility," he muttered to himself, his eyes flicking to the notes on the wind mages and their emphasis on evasive tactics. "That's the key concept for space magic. If I can keep myself out of harm's way, I can't lose."

He turned his attention to the mind magic and the strategies employed by the water mages. "Control," he murmured, a sly grin creeping across his face. "That's the key concept for my mind magic. If I can control my opponents, I can dictate the pace of the battle."

But as he considered his blood affinity, his expression grew more uncertain. "Offense," he said hesitantly. "That has to be the key concept for blood magic. But how can I use it at range? My [Blood Whip] spell is only medium range at best, and it's too costly to use in every battle."

He leaned back against his bed, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "I'll have to think on this one," he said to himself. "But I'm getting close. I can feel it." And with that, Zeke returned to his notes, eager to continue his search for the perfect fighting style to compliment his unique affinities.

As Zeke delved deeper into his research, he quickly noticed a problem. He had an almost complete list of all the abilities available to first-year students, and even knew how to cast them all by having recorded his classmates using them in combat. However, the problem was that pure space and mind mages didn't attend combat class. The students who had an elemental affinity as well as a mind or space affinity were not yet skilled enough to use either of their elements effectively. This meant that Zeke didn't have a selection of space and mind magic spells to fight with.

Zeke sat on the floor, surrounded by stacks of notes and diagrams, feeling a sense of both excitement and frustration. He had spent the past few hours pouring over his research, trying to piece together the perfect fighting style for his unique combination of affinities. But now, as he looked at the rough outline he had created, he realized that he was missing an important piece of the puzzle.

He knew that mobility was key for his space affinity, control was key for his mind affinity, and offense was key for his blood affinity. But without the specific spells to put those concepts into action, his plan was nothing more than a pipe dream.

Sighing, Zeke leaned back in his chair and ran a hand through his hair. He knew that he needed help, and there was only one person he could turn to, Maximilian.