Strange, why is it that after using a wand, I can't find that old feeling anymore? Alan couldn't help but ponder. Could it be that a wand isn't just a tool for casting spells, but also has other effects on magic? Is it a smoothing effect? Could it be that my magic used to be active and unstable, making it easier to use without a wand, whereas the wand makes spellcasting simpler because casting through it increases the stability of the magic flow?
Alan considered different possibilities, then picked up his wand and cast the Levitation Spell several times. He repeatedly experienced the feeling of casting with a wand and sensed the movement of that power within his body before putting the wand down. He stood up straight, knees slightly bent, gradually relaxing his muscles. In his mind, he stopped trying to recall the feeling of moving magic without a wand and instead began to capture the magical trajectory used when casting with one.
After a short while, Alan slowly opened his eyes, and the book he used for spell practice was already floating before him.
Using a wand to cast spells allows for more rational guidance and utilization of magic, making it more efficient. My previous method was too crude, so once I found a better solution, the old way stopped working. Alan summarized his current and past ways of mobilizing magic, trying to reach a conclusion.
What no one expected was that while practicing the simplest Levitation Spell, Alan had invisibly mastered the knack of non-verbal and wandless casting ahead of time. Years of practicing his mental power had not only increased Alan's proficiency with the Levitation Spell but also made him more sensitive to magic. At the same time, after years of exercise, his total magical capacity and intensity were beyond what any peer could match.
After finding the feeling, the most important thing was to consolidate it. Alan spent almost all his remaining time casting the Levitation Spell—sometimes with a wand, sometimes without; sometimes incanting, sometimes silent. Soon, Alan felt he was gradually gaining a comprehensive mastery of this spell.
Wanting to practice a bit longer, Alan heard his stomach start to growl. Checking the time, he realized it was already evening and he had missed lunch. Knowing the importance of balancing work and rest, Alan quickly calmed his mind and prepared to go downstairs for a meal.
Kid, young people shouldn't just sleep in their rooms all day; you didn't even come down for lunch. Tom, who was reading a newspaper at the bar, saw Alan coming downstairs and assumed he had slept from morning until evening.
Haha, you wouldn't happen to be complaining because I didn't come down to cook for you at noon, would you? Ever since he showed off his culinary skills to Tom yesterday at noon, dinner and today's breakfast had been personally handled by him. Alan was in a good mood and couldn't help joking with the boss.
I was just worried about you, afraid you'd starve to death in your room! Tom saw that Alan was still in the mood to joke and got a bit annoyed.
Alright, it's all my fault. I'll show off my skills tonight and guarantee you'll be satisfied. Alan replied to Tom with a grin and walked into the kitchen.
Alan prepared a very sumptuous dinner, and Tom poured him a glass of Butterbeer. Alan found this strange drink of the wizarding world very novel; it had the fragrant taste of butter but without any greasy feeling.
I saw you reading the paper just now. Any news?
It's getting more and more chaotic lately. That You-Know-Who and the Death Eaters have clashed with the Ministry of Magic again. An Auror from the Ministry was even seriously injured. I don't know when these days will end. Tom was clearly very worried about the current situation.
Death Eaters? Are those the people who follow Voldemort? Alan learned another new term; he would have to start recollecting information about this world from scratch. After finishing dinner with Tom, Alan gave a wave of his hand, and the empty dishes on the table flew toward the kitchen sink under his command. Tom's eyes widened at the sight. Such proficient wandless casting—even if it was just a simple Levitation Spell—was something few adult wizards could manage.
You, this is—!
Hehe, this is the result of not eating lunch. Alan returned to his room with a smile, leaving Tom in shock.
In the following days, Alan continuously learned many new spells, such as functional charms like Alohomora, Lumos, Scourgify, Impervius, and Aguamenti, or Defense Against the Dark Arts spells like the Impediment Jinx, Jelly-Legs Curse, and the Knockback Jinx. Some spells could be cast just by following the incantations and gestures in the textbooks. For spells where he couldn't figure out the pronunciation just by reading, he went downstairs to ask Tom. Under the enthusiastic Tom's guidance, he was basically able to master them.
However, the only one he could proficiently use through wandless casting was still the Levitation Spell. Alan believed this was because his mastery of the other spells wasn't deep enough, and he also summarized some patterns of magic.
First, the intensity of the same spell varies from person to person. For example, the Lumos cast by Tom was much brighter than the one cast by Alan, because Tom was more proficient and had a deeper understanding of the spell. Secondly, will and emotion also affect the intensity of a spell. This was something Alan learned from Tom; for offensive magic, the firmer the will and the stronger the determination, the more powerful the effect. After brewing his emotions, Alan's Lumos was indeed much better than when he simply cast the spell.
Many Dark Wizards are experts in studying the Dark Arts, and spells can also inversely affect a wizard's emotions. Therefore, Alan concluded that will, emotion, and proficiency all affect the intensity of a spell, while intensity and total magical capacity determine the upper limit of magic.
So, Alan quickly adjusted his subsequent study content. He believed that self-protection was currently the most important thing, and the fastest way to achieve that was to quickly master a specialized spell. First, it had to be simple and easy to learn—things he couldn't learn now were no good. Secondly, it needed to be highly versatile, preferably with a high ceiling. He calculated the self-defense spells he had currently learned and decided to specialize in one from among the Impediment Jinx, Expelliarmus, and the Knockback Jinx.
In his past life while playing games, Alan liked to play the extreme build style—dumping points into a single attribute or skill until he couldn't anymore. In short, if you can't win, it's because you lack power. After careful consideration, Alan decided to practice the Impediment Jinx first. Firstly, he had mastered it very quickly during study, which made him feel this spell suited him well. Secondly, he believed this spell had a high degree of developability; if it worked as he hoped, the Impediment Jinx would be a spell that combines both offense and defense.