Comprehending Magic! The Essence of the Panel!

The moon hung high in the sky.

It illuminated the ancient castle of Hogwarts.

It also shone upon the peaceful village of Hogsmeade.

"Lumos!"

A bright light dispelled the darkness within the wooden cabin, illuminating the minimalist furniture and making even the tiny spider on a cobweb in the corner clearly visible.

It was yet another attempt and practice of magic.

However.

This time.

The light did not extinguish as it had before—through repeated practice and the steady increase of proficiency, Ian had finally grasped the essence of this introductory wizarding spell. The glow at the tip of his wand was not the radiance of the sun, but the manifestation of a wizard's inner light.

Yes.

This was the essence of the Lumos spell.

At least.

It was the rudimentary essence that Ian had comprehended for now.

"A world governed by the mind."

Even though he had been mentally prepared for the unscientific nature of magic, upon truly coming into contact with and learning his first spell, Ian could not help but let out a heartfelt sigh.

All magic.

Came from the wizard themselves.

It came from the power of "belief."

This was an explanation of magic Ian had heard before. Now, the slight, superficial essence he had realized felt remarkably similar to that very notion.

Perhaps.

When Ian learned enough spells and raised his magic to a high enough level, he would be able to truly uncover the secret of magic's birth and solve the mystery of its origins that had puzzled people for years.

"But to reach that point, I still have a long road ahead." Ian felt a bit dizzy, which could likely be attributed to the consumption of his magic.

Of course.

In reality, Ian did not have a clear sensation of overdraft or depletion; the magic within him had not decreased at all. It was more akin to the exhaustion one feels after staying up late.

Clearly.

A wizard's magic consumption was not like the clear increase or decrease of a "mana bar" in a video game; the so-called consumption was better described as a "fatigue" of his magic.

It was like a weakening of vitality that required a certain amount of time and rest to regain its vigor. It was much like physical stamina, which recovers after rest following exercise.

"Fortunately, I've already learned Lumos. It's getting late, so I should tidy up and get some sleep." This feeling of being "stayed up late" was actually a good thing for Ian.

Otherwise.

Given everything that had happened today and the excitement of encountering magic, getting a good night's sleep would not have been easy, much like a child with a new game console.

The sensation of magical "fatigue" acted perfectly as a sleeping pill. The bed in the bedroom was very tidy, carrying the faint, unique scent of lavender.

It must have been changed not long ago, which saved Ian the time of making the bed. After a quick shower, Ian pulled up the covers and lay down.

Outside.

The sound of flowing stream water and the croaking of frogs echoed each other. Despite the exhaustion from his magical exertion, Ian could not help but check his panel once more.

That feeling.

It was as childish as fearing that the magic he had learned might quietly disappear.

Name: Ian Prince Profession: Bloodline Warlock Magic: Level 4 Skills: [Lumos (Level 1): 1/100] Language Mastery (Level 4): 743/800 Biological Anatomy (Level 5): 69/1600 Freestyle Fighting (Level 3): 86/400 Psychology (Level 6): 84/3200 [Psychology Extraordinary Trait: Thought Perception] [Biological Anatomy Extraordinary Trait: Butcher Instinct]

[Lumos] had successfully upgraded to level one.

He was one step closer to awakening an [Extraordinary Trait].

Having a magic level of only four might not be considered a sign of exceptional talent, but Ian felt neither discouraged nor disappointed; as a young wizard grows older, their magic power generally increases significantly.

Magic power was not the problem.

The study and application of magic were the true keys to whether a wizard was excellent or not.

"In that case, the Old Geezer who sold me my wand wasn't wrong; I will definitely be a very excellent wizard." Ian couldn't help but feel a bit conceited.

And it was a fact.

Possessing such a powerful auxiliary cheat, the study of all magic would become much simpler for Ian. After all, every increase in skill proficiency brought him a new epiphany.

And for level increases from 0 to 1, like with the Lumos spell, Ian could experience a marvelous moment of enlightenment, as if something previously distant and hazy was now within his reach.

This was, of course, an incredibly heaven-defying ability.

And perhaps a talent that countless wizards wouldn't even dare to dream of?

Perhaps when other wizards master a spell, they simply follow the descriptions in their textbooks, mimicking the "process" summarized by the experiences of their predecessors.

However.

The way Ian comprehended and learned magic was different.

After every attempt.

Ian would gain a deeper understanding of the magic underlying the spell. Strictly speaking, he wasn't learning the spell itself, but the magic behind it.

This was what truly set Ian apart.

He was learning the magic.

While most wizards, even adult ones, were only learning the "spell."

Take the study of Lumos, for example.

Even by the time most wizards graduated, their use and understanding of this first-year introductory spell would likely still be stuck on relying on the experiences of those who came before them.

This was precisely why wandless magic was nothing more than a pipe dream for the majority of wizards.

The "incantation" was a shortcut.

As long as a wizard recited the corresponding incantation, they would trigger the magic linked to this "shortcut," and over time, they would naturally develop an inescapable dependence on it.

To achieve wandless magic.

It was indispensable to understand the essence of the magic contained within the spell.

Perhaps many years ago.

There were still many wizards who sought and explored the true meaning of magic. But in this modern age, it was clear that those with restless hearts were not just the so-called Muggles.

Just as Muggles stopped using letters once they had telephones, once they had the means to use magic with ease, most wizards would naturally abandon tedious and difficult research.

Truth is always explored by only a small minority.

Magic, naturally, was the same.

"I wonder what level of insight I need to reach before I can cast a spell without a wand..." Embracing his expectations for the future, Ian slowly drifted off to sleep.

Tonight.

He chose not to control his dreams.

Therefore.

The bizarre and kaleidoscopic dreams were far more spectacular than usual.