Isekai Losers!

Vol 2. Chapter 9: Gabriel's Troubles

"Listen carefully, dear apprentice. I will now teach you the spell you can use to move objects from a distance." proclaimed Lan with a look of calm pride on her face.

"Oh! The one you used last time?" asked her apprentice excitedly.

"Yup." She nodded. "Float is a very rudimentary spell. It is incredibly versatile and useful for everyday life activities and work, therefore it's a milestone for every mage in training to reach. Do remember that it is an advanced-tier spell, so learning it would mean that you officially reached the advanced rank as a mage, though I already know you did."

Lan then turned to a sizeable nearby rock, aiming her hand at it. "Oh grand arcane art, run through my target and move it to my will, float." She recited the chant. Not long after, a faint glow surrounded the rock, and it began to levitate slightly above the ground.

"You can use float to carry something heavy, clear blocked paths and so forth. It makes travelling and manual labour easier, so mages who've mastered this spell are very valued." Lan explained as the rock slowly floated towards them, finally dropping at Lan's feet with a muffled thud.

"Of course, it's advanced rank for a reason. Float requires the caster to be extremely focused, as you are feeding a continuous stream of mana into an external object. This is a completely new and different side of magic compared to novice spells which exclusively manipulate mana within the user's body. This also means that things that contain a lot of mana won't be as easy to lift and control, especially if those things are conscious and able to resist the spell, so don't think you can go hurling monsters around with this spell."

"G-got it." Gabriel stuttered.

"This brings me to my next point: learning and mastering float isn't the same. Depending on the size, distance and mana content of your target, it'll get increasingly more difficult to cast float on them successfully, so while an advanced mage may be able to learn float, you'll have to be well in the expert tier to use this spell efficiently."

Gabriel could only look at Lan nervously as he tried his best to follow.

"Pfft! Haha!" Lan chuckled. "What's with that expression?"

"I'm a bit nervous, okay..." Gabriel averted his gaze.

"Don't worry, It's easier than it sounds." Lan reassured him as she scanned the ground around the large rock she just moved over.

"There we go." She kneeled down, picking up a pebble that lied next to its many-times larger counterpart.

She handed it to Gabriel, who looked down at the piece of rock which neatly fit in his hand.

"Obviously you don't have to start off with the large rock. The difference in ability required to lift them isn't that great but the smaller one helps with visualization. Now go on, have a go. Just remember to feed mana into the pebble as best you can."

Gabriel sighed as he focused on the rock in his hand. "Right, Okay."

"Again, visualization is super important with this one! You really have to believe that the rock is going to float." Lan added, carefully observing the boy. "Shall I repeat the incantation once more?"

The boy shook his head. "No, I remember it. Oh grand arcane art, run through my target and move it to my will..."

Lan's eyes widened in surprise as the rock reacted to Gabriel's chant, emitting a faint white light.

"...Float!"

And with a confident shout, Gabriel finished the incantation. The rock, which was trembling in the palm of his hand, gently rised, hovering above it.