Magic Control

Chapter 52 Magic Control

Spellcasters can indeed build houses faster than construction crews. However, spellcasters also get tired and need a long rest after building a house.

These nobles and wealthy individuals, those who manipulate ether, are indeed more pampered. For construction workers, a hearty meal of hot grain porridge mixed with bacon and bread is a good meal, and they can rest simply by lying down in their tents. But for most mages and apprentices born in Valuwana, the food and resting conditions are rather crude, and even the recovery of their magical energy is slower under such conditions.

Rorschach and François worked together very well, and the houses they built were flat and sturdy. However, today the team leader's task for them was to build three one-story houses before the evening bells rang. Without proper rest for François, the casting speed and quality of the [Earth Wall] spell would decrease.

"I'm sorry, leader, the task you assigned us is beyond my capabilities. Mage Rorschach did a great job, but I can't guarantee the quality of my subsequent work." François was a decisive person, and after assessing his situation, he took the initiative to approach Nemo.

The method we just used was indeed too slow. Rorschach looked around and realized that the other groups in the artificial and magical teams were not as good as him and François, and would not be able to achieve the planned outcome.

François's spellcasting skills in the Transmutation tree are superb; the walls created by his [Earth Wall] spell are smooth and even, whereas the walls of other magical construction groups may still require workers to repair and level them, which is much slower.

"Team Leader Nemo, I have an idea." Looking at the orange-red land with its ravines and distinct soil layers, Rorschach thought of the plateau in his previous life and the way the people living there built their houses.

"Digging a cave? We're not dwarves." Nemo initially refused when Rorschach suggested building a cave, but the more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed: "It does seem like a good idea, Rorschach. Let's go and talk to some construction workers."

"Yes, it would definitely be faster." Luo Xia drew a sketch for the foreman, who immediately understood what he meant: "The soil here is quite sticky. I think we can try chiseling a hole on the steep north slope first."

François looked at the sketch and stroked his chin: "Using [Digger Claw] to dig is less strenuous than constantly casting [Earth Wall], but isn't this kind of hole unsightly?"

"Sir, aren't we just setting up a temporary base? If you think the excavated area doesn't look good, you can repair it at the entrance. Right now, we only need to build a facade for the exterior walls, which will save on materials."

Upon hearing the foreman's words, François's eyes lit up. He was the son of a future lord, and developing this area was a major undertaking for his family. Of course, his own mansion here couldn't be built like this, but using cave dwellings to provide housing for the lower-class people would obviously save a great deal of manpower and resources.

With this in mind, François also began to support the cave dwelling plan: "Don't hesitate any longer, how about trying to build a model?"

To become a reputable construction team in Valuana, arch construction is an essential skill. This is because it is a necessary method for building large structures on the continent; the vast domes of churches, the antique facades of palaces, and the numerous stone bridges spanning the Seine River are all supported by arched structures.

Therefore, the stonemason in the construction team was very familiar with the arch support of the cave dwelling. He held a charcoal pencil in his rough hands and drew on the gray stone slab. He calculated the curvature according to the expected width of the cave dwelling, drew a simple sketch, and determined the position on the actual site.

The experiment was divided into two groups. François used the "Claw of the Hole" to assist the workers in digging. At first, they were very careful, building walls with bricks after digging a section. Later, after confirming that it was not easy to collapse, they felt relieved and continued digging.

On the other side, Ina and Rorschach were paired up. Before they started, Ina bluntly said, "You probably won't need to lift a finger."

Huh? Rorschach looked at Ina's actions with a puzzled expression. She placed her hand on the earthen wall: "[Sculpting]".

As the spell began, the soil seemed to liquefy, centered on Ina's palm, fluctuating and changing shape. Some of it spread out to form the outline of a cave, while some was compressed to form a denser inner wall. The remaining excess soil was also squeezed and shaped into tables, chairs, and beds.

Rorschach went inside and touched the walls and tables and chairs; they were all smooth and flat. The material of these pieces of furniture was so dense that it resembled stone. Although there were no carved decorations, they were definitely much better than the crates pieced together in the makeshift tent.

Thanks to the viscous ethereal environment and the slow casting speed, Ina's manipulation of magic seemed to be traceable and could be vaguely perceived by Rorschach. It was precisely because of this that he was able to better understand how exquisite the skills of the intermediate mage in front of him were.

The difference between an intermediate-level mage and the artificial team was immediately apparent, even though the artificial team had François, a level two mage, to assist them. Although she was arrogant, she had the right to be. "I've learned something," Luo Xia couldn't help but admire.

Ina smiled: "Mage Rorschach, if you can achieve that level of control, perhaps you could apply for an associate professorship at the Tower of Stars." She added: "I turned down a teaching position at the Magic Tower back then."

After confirming feasibility and stability, the entire construction plan was changed to drilling holes in the earthen wall. Looking at the bustling scene, Luo Xia suddenly shuddered, as if he were witnessing a vision:

The red earthen plains are crisscrossed with gullies, and rows of cave dwellings cling to the walls. This scene wouldn't seem out of place even if an old Qin man with a towel tied around his head and a sheepskin vest draped over his shoulders were to belt out a powerful folk song that would echo throughout the secondary dimension…

"Making furniture would be too wasteful, so let's build a cave instead." Ina adjusted her work method after assessing her condition. As a result, excess soil was generated during the construction of the new cave, which was moved by Rorschach using his "Mage's Hand" with his superhuman arm.

This spell is like a magic brick-moving technique!

As he was thinking this, Rorschach suddenly sensed something and opened the panel:

"Magic Condensation (Purple 900/900)"

Experience points full? Then, in the panel, the words on the entries surged, and new names and colors appeared:

"Magic Control (Orange)" and the experience points have been converted into star slots, with one of the three slots lit up.

A closer look at the panel's description: "Magic Control" means imbuing the magic in the environment with one's own will without interference from other wills, just like dominating one's own innate magic.

This description was impressive but not very clear. Then Rorschach personally experienced the difference: it was as if he had "expanded" and could now clearly perceive the ether within a radius of about ten steps around him. Moreover, if he wanted, the [Mage's Hand] seemed to be able to expand further, to the point of becoming the "Giant's Hand".

No, it's not just a simple expansion. With a thought, the condensed etheric mass is no longer in the shape of a hand, but a more suitable bucket for holding earth, which can be naturally made like an arm. Its agile and coordinated movement is no different from the shape of a "hand".

Returning to Ina's side and watching her cast the spell again, Rorschach's senses became clearer about her spellcasting process. Although he couldn't see it directly, it was as if he had gained new senses and gained some understanding of Ina's actions.

[Stone Shaping (Gray)] "Magic Control (Orange)" "Enchantment" "?" "?"

Incomplete or unactivated spells will appear in the panel.

Thank you to Nasy for the 8 recommendation votes, Monkey Kid for the 10 votes, kinsin for the 9 votes, and to "-l工3 (this name is hard to type, I must have typed it wrong)", "MkR", "火羽白~" and other readers for their continued encouragement.

(End of this chapter)