The fifth day of the adventure.
Under Serie's guidance, Rhode successfully learned Warning Magic. However, enhanced by his talent for creation and certain modern scientific knowledge, it instead became a magic of an entirely different concept.
Looking at the blue Magic Circle in Rhode's hand, waves of magical power radiated from his body and spread in every direction. After merely sensing it, Serie was somewhat surprised.
"You combined Detection Magic and Warning Magic into one?"
In Serie's perception, ripples of magical power continuously spread outward, enveloping everything within several hundred meters. The magic was also extremely faint; without paying close attention, it would be difficult to detect it, much less realize someone was scanning them.
Meanwhile, Rhode's Magic Circle displayed countless small dots.
Those dots were the lifeforms Rhode had detected. Even the directions in which they moved were displayed in his Magic Circle.
"Mm, I optimized it a little. What do you think of calling this new magic the Radar Technique?"
Rhode had wanted to do this the moment he saw those two spells.
Warning Magic could identify an enemy's location, while Detection Magic could investigate the enemy.
Rhode: "Hey, I have a good idea!"
Thus, radar magic was born.
"A meaningless name. Is there some basis for it?"
"Well..."
Rhode did not know how to explain it to her. He could hardly say it was the power of science, could he?
"Then let's call it the Great Detection Technique." Clearly, his grandmaster's naming skills were not much better. "Unfortunately, it consumes too much magical power, so it isn't very practical."
Rhode nodded and stopped the Great Detection Technique. In that short time, he had already felt that one-fifth of the magical power in his body had been drained, comparable to casting Arrow Rain three times in succession.
Perhaps only someone with immense magical power like Serie could keep it active for a long time.
"Is there any way to increase magical power?"
Rhode had very little magical power in his body. Serie had said so before.
According to her, any elf picked at random who could walk had more magical power than he did, which dealt Rhode quite a blow.
It could not be helped. He had been in this world for less than a year, so he simply could not compare to these natives.
"There is no way besides long-term practice. However, among Monsters, there are races capable of plundering another's magical power. They can even absorb the magical power remaining in corpses."
Serie's words immediately put Rhode on edge.
"Plunder magical power?" he asked with a frown. "Are there many of them?"
If there were many of those things, he could not imagine how anyone could defeat the Demon Race.
After all, the Age of Gods never lacked wars, and people died in wars.
If he had such a talent, he could simply hide near a battlefield, wait until both sides finished fighting, and directly absorb the magical power within the fallen.
Rhode did not even dare imagine how terrifying his magical power would become in the end. Perhaps even Serie, who had lived from the Age of Gods to the modern era, would not be able to compare to him.
"Very few. However, that race is now known as the Demon Race." Serie shook her head.
Creatures whose souls had been corrupted by the Abyss were collectively called Monsters, while those among them that developed higher intelligence were called the Demon Race.
Compared to Monsters, the Demon Race was far more cunning. Unlike the emotionally detached Elf race, the Demon Race possessed no emotions whatsoever.
They were terrifying creatures.
Rhode understood that as well, and his brows furrowed tightly.
They could plunder magical power and possessed considerable intelligence. They would be terrifying opponents.
So he voiced his concern. "This is truly troublesome. If those demons are allowed to plunder magical power without end, perhaps not even gods will be their match."
"They won't." Serie shook her head again. "Gods are powerful because of the divine power within them. No amount of magical power can contend against divine power. Besides, plundered magical power will instead corrupt the host's soul."
After saying that, she gave Rhode a meaningful look. "So don't think about creating that kind of magic." Her voice was incomparably stern. "The demons gained extraordinary intelligence through their ability to plunder, yet through endless plundering, they will fall once more into mindless Monsters."
Rhode nodded thoughtfully.
Naturally, he understood the meaning behind Serie's words.
His talent for creation had tremendous potential. If he truly continued researching, it was not impossible that he might create magic capable of plundering magical power.
But just as Serie had said, plundered magical power would instead corrupt a living being's soul.
"Then I'll just practice slowly." He smiled and completely abandoned the idea of taking shortcuts.
"Mm. Your talent for magic is not poor. Given time, you will surely become a powerful mage." Serie even comforted him for once.
Rhode was important to her exploration of magic, and she did not want him to go down the wrong path.
"In that case, please teach me a few more spells."
Rhode did not stand on ceremony.
His relationship with Serie was one of mutual instruction.
Serie taught him the most commonly used magic of the Elf race in this era. He improved and altered it with magic he created, then taught it back to Serie.
"Fine."
Serie did not waste words. She merely raised her hand. "Although teaching magic must not be rushed, with your talent, there is no need for such concern."
She pointed at a stone in the distance, though her target was not the stone itself, but the tree behind it.
"The Elf race has a type of tracking magic. Even after an attack has been released, its direction can be changed mid-flight. If it is then attached to attack magic, it produces this effect."
Serie cast Arrow Rain toward the stone. The rain of arrows curved through the air and struck the small tree behind it with perfect accuracy.
This already counted as advanced magic among the Elf race's spells. Back then, even Serie had needed several years before she could use it proficiently.
"It's a little hard to understand."
Rhode felt overwhelmed as he watched. He could currently gather magical power to attack, but how was he supposed to control an attack that had already been released?
He could not exactly install a remote-control device like a homing missile, could he?
Come to think of it, could technology develop in this world? But that would make the whole setting feel wrong.
"No rush. You can take your time."
Serie revealed a faint smile. It was perfectly normal for this man to be unable to learn or even understand it. Back then, it had taken her more than a year just to figure out how to attach magical power to an attack that had already been launched.
What followed had been endless repeated practice.
After all, once one grasped the principle, many more spells could be made capable of tracking targets. In actual combat, it was an extremely powerful method.
It was one of the Elf race's most core spells, and now she taught it to Rhode without reservation.
She was very curious how long this man would take to learn it.
Before you continue