101 Chapter 101 Playing With Fire (2/2)
He smiled at her. ”And she's humble too.”
Stella laughed, as well, which really freaked the men out.
”Do her eyes always glow like that?” asked Derek.
”Yes,” both Stella and Joseph responded together.
”You seem much happier than when we first met.” Selena nodded to herself as she looked him over.
”I am! Also, I have achieved intermediate understanding of FIRE. Let me show you! I waited to cast two spells until now, so you could see when I first did them.”
”Ooh, I would love to.”
”Sam, can you go ask my father if he would like to see me do magic much more impressive than TEST FOOD? Derek, go get the other mages too. Now that dad is back, I am going to have more time to focus on magic. There's no reason they can't know that I am really a mage, now that we have no spies and everyone is under contract.”
Once everyone had gathered, Joseph was so excited, he couldn't stand still. It only took a few minutes to set up a place for him to demonstrate. Stu was in the back, not really wanting to make himself known, but Joseph spied him and smiled. If he could see Joseph cooking now, he would be punching people to be in the front row.
Closing his eyes, he counted his breaths. After two, he opened his eyes. Not a drop of his mana was leaking out as he drew FIRE for FLAMING ARMOR directly over his mana heart. With a smile, he burst into flames.
Screams erupted as everyone stood in panic, about to try to put the flames out, until Selena held out her hand and stepped forward with an enraptured look on her face. Stella frowned, furious that he hadn't told her what he was planning. He was lit up like a beacon, with flames licking all along his frame. There was only a feeling of a slight warmth. He had made sure that FLAMING ARMOR granted the basic RESIST FIRE.
Grinning at Stella, he gave a super villain chuckle. ”Bwahaha.”
Unable to contain herself any longer, a smile broke over her face, but she quickly recovered before his mother saw it. Selena only giggled as she watched them play.
He played with the flames using his SHAPE FIRE, until the armor flared up to take the form he used in the world of flames. Selena clapped, and everyone else, hesitantly followed in clapping as well.
”Marvelous, little Joseph!”
The ground around him was blackened so he hopped past the scorch marks before the spell ended. He had another spell he wanted to cast, so he had one of the guards prop up a breastplate on a table.
ESSENTIAL FLAME. The magical essence of fire. Joseph had been to the world of flames dozens of times, talking to Miss Selena. He pictured the world of flames. Hearing the roar, he could see the flame, and feel the heat in his soul. Taking a small piece from that world and holding it in his hands, the rune drew itself. In his hand appeared a blazing blue flame only the size of a candle. Motioning it towards the breastplate, it gently floated over. The breastplate didn't stop it at all. A hole immediately melted through the front and then the back. The metal where the flame touched liquefied and dripped onto the table, setting it on fire in spots, and the edges glowed bright red. Bringing the flame back and holding it in his hand, he pictured it returning to the world of flames.
Selena gave it a little wave goodbye, and Stella walked over to look at the breastplate.
Turning to him, she said, ”I wish you had this when,” she glanced at his mom, ”you know.”
He nodded.
Derek started the clapping this time, as several of the mages started talking to each other excitedly. The older students had mage sight, so they could actually see it. To most, it looked like a candle flame, but to them, they could watch it constantly drawing in mana to fuel itself. It was beautiful.
With a smile, Stella asked, ”So, how long is it going to be, before you can fix the armor?”
”Um,” he paused, glancing at the breastplate, ”that will take just a bit longer, yet.”
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