[Book 1 Completed] Industrial Mage: Modernizing a Magical World [Kingdom Building LitRPG]
B2 | Chapter 50 – A New Skill

Congratulations! You have gained skill: [Severing Aura]!

Honestly, Theodore couldn't help but grin as he gazed at the notification that was floating in front of him. Seeing a notification for a new skill was really exciting, especially after hours of mental gymnastics trying to wrap his head around what he was attempting to create.

[Severing Aura].

That was quite the interesting name, and even without reading its description, Theodore could infer what it could do. But he looked at it anyway because, well, who didn't want to see what their shiny new skill actually did?

Severing Aura

Type: Active

Effect: Grants the user an aura that allows skills and spells to inherit the properties of [Sever] when channeled through it. Severing Aura can be used alone or in tandem with other skills or spells.

Theodore read the description once. Then twice. Then a third time, just to make sure he wasn't misreading something.

Yep... This skill was broken.

Like, completely and utterly broken. As the possibilities began to become clear to him, he could feel his excitement growing. This was not merely a slight improvement on his preexisting skills. This was an important turning point that might completely alter his perspective on magic.

Using it in conjunction with everything was going to be challenging due to its active nature, but with enough practice, he should be able to achieve it. Additionally, the fact that it could be combined with other skills or spells created a plethora of possibilities that were so overwhelming to consider that his mind was spinning.

Theodore immediately jumped up using kinetic energy and rushed to Freya, who had been watching him with barely concealed curiosity for the past few minutes.

She looked at him and saw right away whatever she wanted to see on his face because she lowered herself into a combat stance and her face lit up with that familiar grin.

There was no need for words. They were both aware that this was not a contest to determine who was better. Theodore had a brand-new toy to play with, and this was training and experimenting. She knew that, and she was more than happy to oblige.

The problem with learning a new skill was that you never truly understood its potential until you put it to use. Although the description provided you with the basic details, skills were similar to muscles in that you had to practice and train with them in order to fully realize their potential.

Theodore activated [Severing Aura] for the first time, and the sensation was... odd.

It was different from his mana. This was colder, sharper, and more precise. It felt like standing at the edge of a blade, knowing that one wrong move could cut you in half.

Freya must have sensed something because her eyes narrowed slightly, and she shifted her stance.

"What did you just do?"

"I'm still trying to figure it out," Theodore replied, which was the truth. Though he wasn't quite sure how to use it yet, he could feel the aura there, circling him like an imperceptible cloud.

He started with the basics. If this was an aura, then logically, he should be able to project it outward, right? Like he did with his mana when he wanted to intimidate someone or establish dominance.

Theodore concentrated on the aura's sensation and made an effort to extend it beyond his immediate area. It had an instantaneous and quite startling effect.

Where his mana felt like an oppressive mountain when he projected it—heavy, dominating, crushing—this aura felt different. It was like... like standing perfectly still in front of a predator, hoping it wouldn't notice you. That primal fear of knowing something could hurt you, could tear you apart, and there was nothing you could do about it except hope it chose not to.

Freya's response was instantaneous. She backed up half a step and gripped her blade more tightly. Her voice carried a tinge of caution that Theodore had never heard before.

"Okay, that's definitely new," she said. "I'm interested."

He wanted to see what happened when he combined it with his other abilities.

Theodore formed a simple [Mana Bolt] in his hand, then tried to channel the [Severing Aura] through it. The result was... well, it was hard to describe.

The bolt looked the same, but it felt different. Sharper was the only way to describe it, but it wasn't so narrow so as to limit it to a word such as sharp.

It felt as though this wasn't just going to hit whatever he aimed at—it was going to cut through it.

"Wait, let's stop," he said and she stopped with a pout.

"I want to spar."

"So do I."

"So why stop?"

"I want to test something. Incoming," he said, before aiming the bolt at a practice dummy on the other side of the room.

The bolt sliced through the dummy. Clean through, like the wood wasn't even there. The dummy's torso separated from its base and toppled to the floor with a satisfying thud.

Theodore stared at the remains of the dummy, then at his hand, then back at the dummy. That was... that was definitely not normal [Mana Bolt] behavior.

"Well," Freya said, "that's certainly something."

Theodore was already forming something else, this time it was a thermal javelin. He sensed that the [Severing Aura] was encircling it, altering its essence. It was evolving from a projectile that would penetrate and burn to something that would sever everything stood in its path.

But before he could test it on another dummy, Freya stepped forward.

"Try it on me," she said, and flames began to swirl around her in a protective barrier. "I'm sure. I want to see what your new skill can do."

Theodore shrugged and fired the javelin at her flame barrier.

The outcome was both immediate and impressive.

Instead of simply piercing the flames, the javelin appeared to chip away at them, slicing through the magical fire as if it were made of solid material.

Where the javelin had gone through, Freya's flames flickered and weakened, and she arched an eyebrow.

"What is this?" she asked, her voice carrying genuine curiosity.

"I'm still trying to figure it out," he said again, because honestly, he was.

If he could cut through magical constructs like Freya's flames, what else could he sever? Magical shields? Enchantments? There were countless options, and each one was more thrilling than the one before it.

"Try something else," Freya suggested. "Something more substantial."

"Can you create a [Mana Shield]? A strong one?"

"Are you sure? My [Mana Shield] is considerably more robust than yours. Can your skill can cut through it..."

"That's exactly what I want to find out."

Freya shrugged and created a [Mana Shiled].

It was a magnificent shield, a shimmering wall of pure magical energy that appeared capable of deflecting a cannonball. Theodore could feel the power radiating from it, and he had to admit, it was far superior to anything he could create.

With as much [Severing Aura] as he could muster, Theodore created another thermal javelin. The feeling was exhilarating.

He fired.

At first, Theodore thought the javelin might actually bounce off the shield when it hit it, because the shield was that strong.

Then he noticed it: a little fracture that was growing from the impact. The entire contraption broke like glass as the crack spread, spider-webbing across the shield's surface.

The shield's fading fragments caught Theodore's attention. He had just used a single thermal javelin that was improved by his new ability to break through one of the strongest magical defenses he had ever seen.

"Impressive," Freya said, but her tone was thoughtful rather than congratulatory. "But try it again."

Theodore blinked. "Again?"

"Again. Same shield, same spell, just one difference."

With a shrug, Theodore obeyed. He saw Freya rebuild the shield, making it as powerful as it had been. After forming another javelin, he fired it after channeling his [Severing Aura] into it.

The javelin hit the shield this time, and... the shield remained intact. The javelin was harmless.

Confused, Theodore gazed at the unbroken shield.

"What just happened?"

Freya grinned, and Theodore realized he'd walked right into some kind of lesson.

"The difference this time is that I had my will imbued into the shield. And you don't know how to do that, so you won't be able to cut through it. When you first used that attack on the shield, I already saw through what it was doing. I mean, not exactly, but I know what it is relying on mostly. Willpower."

"So my skill can cut through magical constructs, but not if they're reinforced with willpower?"

"Exactly. Your skill is very, very interesting in my opinion. For example, from what I gather, you can cut through my 'willpower' too, if you so desire, which isn't something anyone can do, but you can. However, I doubt you can do it right now, given you don't know how to use that skill that well."

Theodore was both excited and frustrated. On the one hand, he had underestimated the complexity and potential strength of his new skill. On the other hand, however, it was obvious that magic had a whole other dimension that he was unaware of.

"What's willpower?"

"It's not really a good translation. We barbarians use it constantly, with everything. It's about imposing your will on reality, making it bend to your desires through sheer force."

"That sounds—"

"Absurd? Because it is. It's as absurd as magic."

"Can you teach me?"

Theodore realized that he had fallen into a trap when Freya's grinned slyly. Then he recognized that expression she had on her face and muttered a curse.

"You know what I want," she said, and he groaned.

Theodore considered it for a while. On the one hand, it was tiring to put up with Freya's incessant demands for sparring. On the other hand, it could be quite beneficial to understand about willpower and how to use it in his magic. After all, from what he could understand, sometimes to sever something it would be as much a battle of skill as it would be a battle of willpower.

"Okay, I can play with you. Happy?" he said, resignation clear in his voice.

Freya tilted her head in confusion. "Play? I don't want to play. I am not a child anymore. I mean I want to spar with you daily."

Theodore looked at her dryly, and a thought occurred to him that made him pause.

Sometimes, he really forgot about the cultural differences between his world and this one.

In his old world, "playing" with someone could have a dozen different meanings, many of them not appropriate for casual conversation.

But here, in this world, Freya was oblivious to any of those nuances.

It was moments like these that reminded him how much he still had to learn about this world and its people. Even after all this time, there were still cultural nuances that caught him off guard.

Though this one appeared to be more related to barbarians than humans.

Theodore looked at Freya, who was still waiting for his response.

Theodore sighed and nodded.

***

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