The Second Spell Model

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On a broad road, a cavalry force of several hundred knights was galloping swiftly forward, kicking up clouds of dust.

Inside a carriage in the convoy, Merlin sat with his eyes slightly closed, meditating.

My Mental Power should be about enough now—enough to construct a second spell model!

Merlin opened his eyes. Paying no heed to the carriage's jolting, a faint smile appeared on his lips. He was currently following Old Wilson's knightly force toward Blackwater City.

As for what Old Wilson had inferred from the captive's words, Merlin had no idea. But judging from Old Wilson's grave expression at the time, he must have learned something.

"It's only early afternoon now. At this speed, we probably won't reach Blackwater City until tomorrow morning. I can use this time to simulate the Freezing Spell's spell model in my Sea of Consciousness first."

Merlin lifted the carriage curtain, glanced at the sky, and muttered softly.

When he had been in Blackwater City, he had seized almost every moment to meditate. More than a month had now passed, and his Mental Power had finally increased to the point where it could support a second spell model.

Thus, Merlin planned to construct his second spell model right inside the carriage.

Merlin reached into his robe and pulled out several somewhat yellowed sheets of paper. Several complex spell models were drawn upon them—the Freezing Spell Merlin had obtained from Loren.

He had long since decided to use the Freezing Spell as his second spell model and simulate it within his Sea of Consciousness. He had merely been waiting for his Mental Power to grow strong enough to control two spell models before beginning its construction.

"Matrix, activate!"

Without hesitation, Merlin activated Matrix. Constructing a spell model was inseparable from Matrix; otherwise, at Merlin's current level, who knew how long it would take him to build a stable spell model?

"Matrix activated. Please establish a task!"

"Begin analyzing the Freezing Spell's spell model!"

"Beep. Task established. Analysis commencing!"

Matrix possessed formidable analytical and computational abilities. Analyzing spell models was familiar work for it, after all—Merlin had already used Matrix to analyze the Fireball spell once before.

About half an hour later, Matrix's familiar mechanical female voice sounded in Merlin's mind.

"Beep. Analysis complete. A total of 126,541 spell models have been analyzed."

Merlin nodded to himself. This result was within his expectations. The Fireball spell model he had analyzed last time had numbered as many as 180,000 as well.

"Select the ten with the greatest stability, then compare them with the original Freezing Spell model and choose the spell model with the strongest stability and attack power!"

After giving the command, Merlin quietly waited for Matrix's final selection.

"Beep. Matrix has selected Spell Model Number Six for you!"

Immediately afterward, an extremely complex spell model appeared in Merlin's mind. If ordinary people with weak Mental Power so much as glanced at this spell model, they would immediately feel dizzy and lightheaded.

However, after a long period of meditation, Merlin's Mental Power had increased severalfold. It was enough to control two spell models, and the conditions for simulating a second spell model in his Sea of Consciousness were now ripe.

Thinking this, Merlin hesitated no longer. He gently closed his eyes, and his Mental Power began simulating the spell model reconstructed by Matrix with all its strength.

Simulating a spell model with Mental Power took a long time—at least several hours. It required absolute concentration, using Mental Power to firmly "carve" the complex spell model into the Sea of Consciousness.

Merlin had already experienced simulating a spell model once, so this time he was familiar with the process. He quickly mobilized his Mental Power and carefully simulated the spell model.

One hour, two hours, three hours...

Merlin was completely immersed in the process of simulating the spell model. No matter how violently the carriage jolted, he felt nothing at all.

Boom!

At last, Merlin felt as though something had exploded inside his mind. A wave of icy coldness surged straight into his head, and within his Sea of Consciousness, an entirely new spell model had appeared.

It's finally done—the Freezing Spell's spell model!

Merlin opened his eyes, his face filled with delight. He quietly sensed the Freezing Spell model in his Sea of Consciousness as it gradually absorbed the surrounding ice elements.

Even Merlin, wrapped in a thick overcoat, could not help shivering as he began to feel cold.

Although the two spell models in Merlin's Sea of Consciousness were completely different types—the Fireball spell and the Freezing Spell, opposing in elemental nature—they coexisted peacefully, slowly rotating as they absorbed their respective elements.

Merlin also secretly assessed the situation. Having two spell models in his Sea of Consciousness was indeed quite a heavy burden on his Mental Power, but he could fully withstand it. Besides, he could continue meditating, and his Mental Power could continue to grow. Eventually, even this sense of weight would vanish.

"Let's test the Freezing Spell's power!"

Merlin used his Mental Power to fiercely stimulate the Freezing Spell model directly.

"Freeze!"

A mass of ice crystals immediately appeared upon the carriage's wooden frame, tightly enveloping it. It radiated threads of cold air and was exceptionally hard.

"Fireball!"

Seeing the cluster of ice crystals, Merlin immediately cast Fireball. Then, under the control of his Mental Power, he cautiously moved the fireball beneath the ice crystals.

The ice crystals actually held on for some time before finally melting into droplets under the fireball's extreme heat. Yet Merlin was already very satisfied. The Freezing Spell's greatest use was not to injure enemies, but to bind them.

Once bound by such hard ice crystals, even a Third-Level Elemental Swordsman would be unable to break free at once.

"If I'd had the Freezing Spell before the bandits attacked, I could have killed those three Third-Level Light Swordsmen with a single strike."

Merlin watched the droplets left by the melting ice crystals, his eyes flashing with sharp light.

Now that he possessed a binding spell, his strength could be said to have multiplied. No matter how many low-level Elemental Swordsmen there were, they no longer posed a threat to Merlin.

However, Merlin had only just simulated the Freezing Spell model in his Sea of Consciousness. Thus, the number of times he could currently cast the Freezing Spell was pitifully small—only two or three times.

Merlin did not continue casting the Freezing Spell. Instead, he immersed his Mental Power in his Sea of Consciousness once more, carefully examining the changes around the Freezing Spell model.

"Sure enough, another gray bar has appeared, just like Fireball's!"

Delight rose in Merlin's heart. As he had wished, he saw a gray bar around the Freezing Spell model, identical to the bar before the Fireball spell model.

This meant that after casting the Freezing Spell three times, he would have a chance to cast an even more powerful Freezing Spell—or rather, a Greater Freezing Spell.