Fang nodded and channeled his magic again. Thanks to his earlier practice, it didn’t take long for the stone to rise smoothly into the air. Fang’s face lit up with excitement as he maneuvered the rock around the clearing. “Good. Now try moving it farther, then throwing it,” Alex instructed.
With concentration, Fang propelled the stone a few meters forward before hurling it with surprising force. The rock hit the ground with a satisfying thud, and Fang barked proudly. “Impressive,” Alex said, jotting down notes. “This functionality will let you handle tasks that were previously difficult—like moving heavy objects or creating distractions. The more you practice, the better you’ll get.”
“Yes, my lord!” Fang said, wagging his tail. The thought of using magic instead of his teeth or claws thrilled him.
“Alright, let’s move on to the final test: the attack module,” Alex said, his tone turning serious. “Wimzy, step back for this one. It might be dangerous.”
Wimzy immediately obeyed, retreating to a safe distance but watching intently. Fang perked up, his ears twitching with curiosity. “Attack module?” Fang asked, tilting his head.
“The sixth rune activates the attack module,” Alex explained. “It’s a set of combined runes that summon a floating cannon. The cannon automatically channels your magic power to fire attack spells. However, you’ll need to assist with aiming.”
In previous tests, Alex had discovered that automatic aiming for the floating cannon was impractical. The challenges were twofold. First, the magic channeled into the cannon needed precise concentration; otherwise, it couldn’t form a stable projectile. The solution was simple: use a physical medium like a wand to channel magic. For this, Alex repurposed a wand left behind by Yaxley, shortening and modifying it to serve as the cannon’s barrel.
The second challenge was independent targeting. Automatic aiming proved unreliable and prone to collateral damage. To address this, Alex designed the goggles to assist with manual aiming, leaving the final accuracy to Fang. “Alright, Fang,” Alex instructed, pointing to the stone Fang had thrown earlier. “Activate the rune, aim at the stone, and fire. Take your time—three seconds to aim before you launch.”
“Understood, my lord!” Fang focused his magic on the sixth rune, his tongue sticking out in concentration. As the rune activated, the small metal sphere on his vest began to hover. A modified wand protruded from the front, giving the contraption the appearance of a bizarre floating candied apple.
“My lord,” Fang said, tilting his head. “There’s a glowing crosshair in my goggles. Is that for aiming?”
“That’s correct,” Alex confirmed. “Use the crosshair to line up your target. But remember, for safety, keep the barrel clear. If you block it—”
Fang suddenly noticed the crosshair change from green to red. “Uh… why did it turn red?”
Alex sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Because your head is in the way. If you fire now, you’ll be the first casualty.”
Fang’s eyes widened, and he quickly adjusted his posture, lowering his head to clear the cannon’s line of sight. “How about now?” Fang asked, practically pressing his face to the ground.
“That works,” Alex said, though he couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the overly cautious posture. “Go ahead. Fire when ready. The spell’s power is moderate—you won’t blow yourself up.”
“Alright! Here goes!” Fang increased his magic input, and the floating cannon crackled with energy. A moment later, a brilliant silver-blue beam erupted from the cannon, striking the stone target with a resounding boom. The stone shattered into countless pieces, some flying over ten meters away.
Fang stared at the destruction, his legs trembling. “M-my lord, you call this moderate?”
Alex shrugged. “It’s just a basic Stormscatter Hex. Its primary effects are paralysis and burning. It would take two or three direct hits to kill a werewolf unless you hit a vital spot. Perfectly reasonable.”
Fang’s jaw dropped. “Two or three shots to kill a werewolf? That’s normal to you?”
Ignoring Fang’s disbelief, Alex jotted down notes. “The test was a success. Keep practicing with the aiming system in your free time. This is only the preliminary version of the tactical vest. I’ll be adding more features later, like Apparition runes and throwable talismans.”
Before Fang could protest further, Alex turned to Wimzy. “Alright, Wimzy, your turn. Come over here.”
“Yes, master!” Wimzy bounded forward, her enthusiasm palpable. She stood at attention, eyes sparkling as Alex handed her a smaller, tailored tactical vest.
Once Wimzy had carefully donned the vest, Alex began his explanation. “Wimzy, your magic proficiency is already impressive, so I’ve focused on utility and training enhancements. This vest is designed for concealment, energy storage, and spellcasting assistance.”
Over his time studying house-elves, Alex had made several intriguing discoveries. Elves possessed exceptional magic perception and sensitivity—far beyond that of most wizards. Their ability to cast spells without wands wasn’t just instinctual; it was efficient. While wizards typically used five to six Lum of magic power for a basic spell, elves needed only three to four, saving nearly 30% of their energy. “Your vest is equipped with an advanced concealment rune,” Alex continued. “This will amplify your natural ability to blend into your surroundings. There’s also an energy storage module that lets you reserve unused magic for emergencies.”
Wimzy nodded earnestly, soaking in every word. Her transformation over the past weeks had been remarkable. The once timid and subservient elf now stood confidently, her growing strength reflected in both her posture and demeanor. “For your first test, let’s focus on the concealment rune,” Alex instructed. “Activate the second rune on your vest and concentrate on blending with your environment.”
Wimzy closed her eyes and channeled her magic into the designated rune. A shimmering wave of energy enveloped her, and within moments, she seemed to vanish. The concealment effect was so seamless that even Alex had to activate his Echo Spell to locate her. “Excellent,” Alex said. “Now move around while maintaining the spell. Practice staying hidden while in motion.”
Wimzy began weaving through the clearing, her movements silent and invisible to the naked eye. Even Fang, with his heightened senses, struggled to detect her. “You’re a natural, Wimzy,” Alex said as she reappeared, beaming with pride. “Keep practicing with this module. Combined with your natural talents, it will make you nearly impossible to track.”
Wimzy’s mana reserves were still considerably weaker compared to those of a wizard. On average, elves only possessed about one-third the mana reserves of ordinary adult wizards, sometimes even less. This was closely tied to their smaller, thinner physiques. Furthermore, in the wizarding world, elves often lived in slave-like conditions, deprived of adequate nutrition, which significantly slowed the growth of their magical power.
Take Wimzy as an example. When Alex first started looking after her, her mana reserve was a mere 150 Lum. Over several months, through consistent care and feeding, Alex managed to raise it to 170 Lum. Still, she remained quite frail in appearance.
To address this gap in her capabilities, Alex decided to equip Wimzy with an external mana source. The tactical vest he provided her with was inscribed with nine magic energy storage runes. Each rune could store up to 20 Lum of mana, giving her an additional 180 Lum to draw from. The vest also featured an energy-absorption charm that could automatically recharge the runes by drawing ambient magical energy from the surroundings.