The New Story of Lona Falldin

Chapter 13

Returning to the tavern, the first thing I did was head to the backyard, where there was a training ground available for everyone to use. Well, at least I hope that this moment is no different from the game, as for Jones, he followed me out of curiosity to see if I could do anything.

And now I was standing in front of the mannequin, pointing the top of my staff at it, and thinking about how to make it work. On the one hand, I don't have a perk for magic equipment yet, but on the other hand, this is the real world and unlike the game, where I couldn't even pick up a staff, here I can do it, and I have mana, I just need to figure out how to use it.

- I heard that in order to start using magic, you first need to participate in it inside yourself, otherwise nothing will work. - Indiana said, looking at how I froze, not knowing what to do.

"I feel it, I just don't understand how to direct it," I muttered and, closing my eyes, tried to imagine how the magic in my body flows first into my hands, and then through my palms into the staff.

- ... You know, I think you should stop. - the archaeologist's wary voice reached me, which, frankly speaking, angered me.

I just started trying to master magic, and he dares to tell me to stop? I opened my eyes in irritation and was about to express my indignation, but I was stopped by a sharp recoil from the staff, which knocked me to the ground, and from the top flew a fireball the size of a basketball, which a moment later exploded with a roar upon contact with the straw doll, which was literally incinerated

- Girl! What the hell are you doing here! - Marymi's angry cry, who ran out into the street, was like thunder, and my soul literally sank into my heels.

"I-I just…" I was so scared, hugging my staff like a life preserver, and I tried to quickly come up with an explanation.

- Mistress Marymi, Lona was just learning how to use the staff she bought today, - Indiana stepped forward.

"I'll figure it out without you," the woman barked at the archaeologist, but nevertheless, with a calmer face, she hung over me and demandingly extended her palm forward.

- 10 copper coins for each destroyed mannequin.

- Huh? - With how menacingly she walked towards me, I expected anything, even flying out of the tavern, and in the end everything was so simple?

- BE! Give me the money!

- Y-yes! It will be all over now. - I quickly pulled out 10 coins and handed them to big mommy.

- Well done! - the woman beamed, stroking my head with her free hand.

- Remember, you'll have to pay for each mannequin. Have a good workout. - Having reminded me one last time, Marymi, pleased with herself, returned inside the tavern.

"I thought I was finished," I breathed a sigh of relief and sank to the ground, supporting myself with my staff.

- Well, that's a scary woman, - Jones supported. - But it's obvious that you can use magic.

- Yep, - I nodded, deciding to see how much magic such a fireball had consumed.

- Forty!? - I exclaimed, unable to contain my surprise. Out of my reserve of 260 mana, 100 of which was obtained thanks to the staff and glasses, a whole 40 units of mana were spent.

- Forty for what? - Indiana looked at me in bewilderment.

- And forgive me, I just feel very well how much mana I have and that's why I prefer to think about it in numbers, so it turns out that I spent 40 conventional units of mana out of 260. I will only be able to attack with a fireball 6 times!

"Isn't that enough?" Jones asked, raising an eyebrow. "Those slavers who came to us last night would have been blown to pieces by a fireball like that. Hell, it's like you're carrying a pocket RPG!"

- Hmm, well if you look at it from this side..., yes, you're right, I probably just set my expectations too high. - I admitted, although I still couldn't shake the thought that in the game Lona could release dozens of such balls. However, stamina was spent there, and there wasn't that much.

Standing up, I pointed the staff at the burnt ground where the straw doll had recently stood and began to direct magic into the staff again, this time without closing my eyes, trying to do everything completely consciously.

This time it took me a little longer for the staff to react at all, but once I understood what I needed to do, I purposefully fed the staff, at the tip of which a fireball began to form. Without bringing it to a large size, I stopped feeding it as soon as it grew to the size of a tennis ball, and then it flew into the ground, leaving a noticeable small crater on it. I am sure that such a fire bullet is quite capable of penetrating steel armor.

- This time it's a bit weak, - Indiana commented.

- I did it on purpose, - I answered, checking the system. And this time the expenses were noticeably less, only 10 units.

- Oh, I see, I checked the economical option. – the archaeologist nodded. – Good idea.

- And how much did it come out to according to your internal calculator? - the man chuckled cheerfully. It was immediately obvious that he really lacked entertainment, since he was watching my tests with such enthusiasm.

- 10 units.

- Hmm, so the costs are 4 times less, but the power increases much more. - the man said thoughtfully. - Perhaps it is more profitable to spend more mana on a heavily armored target or a group of opponents than to shoot smaller single shots.

- Yes, but I still think that I could somehow reduce the costs to achieve the same result, however, I most likely just need more experience.

- It's natural, after all, even when shooting a firearm, even if you're some kind of prodigy, you still need practice to improve your accuracy. And here the principle is clearly the same. - Jones said, after all, if he went through at least half of the same alterations in this world as his colleague from the films, then he has simply gigantic experience in shootouts, including those involving the military.

- What about the book? I heard that in addition to knowledge about magic, the book itself usually also contains at least one spell so that it can be used through the staff.

- We'll check now. - I answered impatiently, taking out, in my humble opinion, the most imbalanced magic book in LonaRPG.

On the cover, right under the title, was burned a magic circle, which, if Jones's words are true, allows the use of the very same spell bound, however, I am not a fool to direct the mana book without even looking for instructions, otherwise what if I hit myself with lightning? That would be an extremely stupid death.