Instead of making larger Ice Arrows that spun, he'd shrink them down, delivering targeted strikes into the Stone Training Dummy's weak points.

Niwla dragged both Winal and Alwin back into the Core to implement the new changes. Only Winal was really needed, but it was better to have Alwin supervised.

He relayed his idea to Winal, who responded with a simple nod. Alwin, on the other hand, was baffled.

"Why go small when you can go big?" he asked. "Bigger is better and better is bigger."

"Bigger isn't always better, Alwin," Niwla said. "Small and targeted attacks can deliver as much damage, if not more than a large out-of-control strike."

"Oh yeah? Which would do more damage: a small coughing baby or a big hydrogen bomb?"

"Not the same comparison."

"That's something only a loser would say. Therefore, I win. Case closed. Winal, make the Large Spiralling Ice Arrow mold now."

The ant ignored the slime's request. Instead, he summoned even more Mental Hands to form a circular cage of hands, trapping the slime in place.

Alwin screamed, demanding to be let out.

A Mental Hand pinched his lips together so that all that came out was a high-pitched, muffled sound.

"Thanks," Niwla said.

"No problem," Winal signed.

"Would it be hard to reduce the size of the Ice Arrows?"

Winal shook his head.

"Great. How long will it take before it can be tested?"

"Now."

The cannons—the non-spinning kind—were loaded up and ready to go. They launched, sending the new finished spells right out of the Core.

A tingle in his throat later, and Niwla shouted out, "Ice Needles!"

That was a surprise. He thought that they would've been called Small Ice Arrows.

Multiple small needles condensed in the air in front of him before zooming off. They struck the Stone Training Dummy, shattering into tiny shards upon impact. As expected, there wasn't a single scratch on the dummy.

This was just a test run to see whether the spell could be cast. Now, he'd incorporate aim.

A second volley of Ice Needles was launched. This time, before they zoomed off, Niwla focused his intent on the two holes created by the Large Ice Arrow and the Spiralling Ice Arrow.

They pierced through the hole, spreading cracks throughout the Stone Training Dummy. That was progress. However, not all of the Ice Needles were on target. Roughly a third of them actually entered the holes, the rest crashing around it in a waste of Mana—even if less Mana was required to craft a single Ice Needle.

Niwla clicked his tongue.

This was a lot harder than he thought. Creating a huge Ice Arrow would definitely solve his problem, but he had to get out of that mindset. It would be a short-term solution. Right now, he was working on a long-term solution, something that would cement his style of attack in place.

Targeted Ice Needles. That was the goal. His aim was really off. That could be remedied by working on it. But he didn't have the time.

What's worse, he was already struggling against a stationary enemy.

Such precise attacks would be near impossible against a moving target—much like what had happened with the Stone Page Golem.

What about launching a lot of Ice Needles? That way, they'd be guaranteed to hit.

No.

Then what was the point of using Ice Needles? He might as well use an even Larger Ice Arrow to dispatch his opponents. That wasn't what he wanted.

He needed something to help guide the Ice Needles, but what?

Another crazy idea sprang to mind. He had no idea if it was possible, but with Alwin in the picture, even the impossible could become possible.

He entered his Core, where Winal awaited the results of the test. Alwin was still stuck within the Mental Hand prison, a single hand still pinching his lips shut, but that did little to deter the high-pitched, muffled squealing escaping from him.

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

"So, how was it?" Winal signed.

Niwla shook his head. "The Ice Needles were perfect, but it's my aim that's the problem."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

Niwla shook his head again, pointing at the ball of Mental Hands surrounding Alwin. "I think this is something only he can do."

Winal cocked his eyebrow, asking if he was sure. Unfortunately, Niwla was.

The Mental Hands surrounding Alwin disappeared, leaving a screaming slime who hadn't realized he was freed from his prison.

"Alwin!" Niwla shouted.

The slime kept on screaming.

"Alwin!" Niwla shouted again.

Still more screaming.

"Al—oh, forget it."

Niwla waddled up to the slime, brought a wing behind, and slapped the jelly out of Alwin. His folds jiggled from the hit. The white side of his body turning red.

That shut Alwin up.

He pouted. Tears welling up in his eyes.

A single Mental Hand appeared right next to him, gently rubbing the sore spot.

"Why'd you do that?"

"It was the only way to get your attention."

"I can think of so many different ways to do that," he sniffed, tears beginning to stream down his cheeks.

"I—uh. Sorry. That was the fastest way I could think of."

"What was so important that you had to slap me?" he sniffed even more.

"I need your help."

Alwin sniffed even harder this time. Even his eyeballs sniffed—don't ask how. The tears that poured down his cheeks reversed course, flowing back up into his tear ducts and back into his body.

"Well, why didn't you just say so? Alwin the genius is at your service." The single Mental Hand flourished. "What do you need my help with?"

"This is going to sound crazy, but I need help modifying the Ice Needles."

"Modifying them how?" Alwin asked. "By making them bigger? Told you bigger is better and better is bigger. Now let me show you how a master does it."

"Not that, Alwin," Niwla snapped. "Remember the Ice Spies?"

"Ice Spy With My Little Eye? Yeah, what about it?"

"I want to put them on the Ice Needles."

"You what? Why?"

"It's so—"

Alwin interrupted him with his own explanation. "You want homing Ice Needles! That's so cool. We'd have to make the Ice Spies even smaller. Maybe give them little Ice Wings so that they can fly. Oh, this is going to be so fun!"

"That's… exactly right. I'm not sure about the Ice Wings part, but yeah, that's the plan."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Alwin asked, hopping up and down.

"To see whether you think it's a viable plan or not?"

"Of course it is. It's magic. Anything is viable!" Alwin snapped toward Winal. "Give me a single Ice Needle and Ice Spy."

Winal shook his head, mandibles frowning as he folded two of his legs.

"Please?"

Only then did Winal unfurl his legs and nod.

The conveyor belts within the huge super freezer began to churn. As the sounds made their way closer to them, the Mental Walls that insulated the conveyor belt shifted. The walls closest to them shifted. A blast of cold air hit them as the walls opened up, revealing a single tiny Ice Needle and a regular-sized Ice Spy. The singular ball of ice was many times larger than the minuscule Ice Needle. Maybe this was impossible even for Alwin.

"So, how do you propose we combine them?" Niwla asked.

"Simple," Alwin said.

He commanded the Mental Hand that had been previously rubbing his cheek. A pair of thick woolly gloves appeared around it before it dove forward toward the Ice Spies. It picked it up in between its fingers and inched closer to the tiny Ice Needle. With a gentle grasp, the Mental Hand placed the Ice Spies right on the Ice Needle before letting it go.

"Perfect," Alwin said.

Niwla wanted to shout at Alwin. He literally just placed the Ice Spy right on top of the Ice Needle. By all means of logic, it shouldn't work. But after reading the magical theory book recommended to him by Lapis, he was starting to see the connection.

Spellcrafting was all about intent and shaping your Mana to form that intent.. That was what separated the good from the great. The Niwla's and the Alwin's.

Alwin didn't need to go through a lengthy process to form that intent, unlike him. His simplemindedness made it extremely easy to create what Niwla could only process as impossible. But it was a double-edged sword. All Alwin could think about was big boomy things.

On the other hand, Niwla's ideas had a tad more sophistication. The downside was that he struggled with forming the intent required to craft the spells.

They were at both ends of the extremes. But together they'd be able to make any spell.

"It's almost perfect," Niwla said with a soft smile. "Now, we just need to make it smaller."

"That's easy." Alwin turned to Winal. "Can you make it smaller?"

"Theoretically, yes," Winal signed. "But—"

"That settles it. Winal, go make it smaller." Alwin puffed out his chest in a victorious display.

Winal shook his head and sighed, but instead of exhaling, he used the Mental Hands to sigh.

The ant, using his Mental Hands, picked Alwin up, lifting him into the air.

"Whee! I'm flying!" Alwin screamed in glee.

Winal started walking, the Mental Hands carrying Alwin trailing behind him.

"Where are we going?" he asked with glee.

A huge blast of wind made his folds jiggle. Thick furry gloves appeared over the Mental Hands that carried him. Winal entered the huge super freezer.

When Alwin finally noticed, he screamed.

"No! I don't want to go in! No! Mommy! Daddy! Niwla! Help me! Save me from work! No!"

Then the freezer door shut. Just like that, silence once again reigned supreme within the Core, as long as you ignored the muffled screaming coming from inside the huge super freezer.

Now all Niwla had to do was wait for the results.

.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.