I don't believe in God, but I'll use the "Miracle of God" freely ~I'll increase my magic arbitrarily and become invincible in another world~ - Chapter 9

Under the clear blue sky, I sat down in the bushes next to my house, practicing the release of magic.

 

Today marks the 10th day since I successfully released my magical power for the first time.

 

The amount of magical power within me has exceeded the equivalent of 20 softballs.

 

“For now, this should be good.”

 

Starting in the morning, I’ve already released ten portions of magical power in each hand, totaling twenty.

 

While practicing gathering magical power, the sensation changed and became easier to handle, but releasing magical power was a whole different challenge.

 

Until now, I imagined gathering magical power from all over my body, but now it easily comes together just by focusing on my hands.

 

Releasing magical power also requires almost no concentrated effort.

 

Just like typing on a keyboard with touch typing, I’ve become adept at handling it freely.

 

The amount of magical power is increasing day by day.

 

After successfully releasing magical power for the first time, I refrained from further attempts after collapsing.

 

The next day, I cautiously tried again, creating magical spheres equivalent to two softballs, and I didn’t collapse.

 

Attempting to create a third one, the gathering of magical power became difficult, so I stopped there. The following day, I made five, and felt only a slight discomfort.

 

I wondered if the amount of magical power increased with each magical sphere created, but it doesn’t seem to be the case. The growth is irregular, and there’s no clear pattern.

 

However, it’s steadily increasing, and I’m impressed with my progress.

 

(Now, I just need to know the passing line.)

 

Every day, I’m getting more proficient in handling magical power, and the amount is increasing. But whether this will be enough to reach the passing line is uncertain.

 

(If creating magical spheres like these won’t get me to the passing line, I might cry, seriously.)

 

While feeling motivated by the growth of magical power, I wonder how long this motivation will last.

 

(Well, for now, this practice will do. Whether I enhance each magical sphere’s size or make improvements, the direction is fine. For now…)

 

Since I’ve learned that releasing magical power increases the amount of magical power, I should continue with this.

 

However, is this enough?

 

After a short break, I start creating magical spheres again.

 

Lying down, this time I make them one by one with careful consideration.

 

When I noticed the ease of releasing magical power, I got carried away and created magical spheres rapidly, suddenly feeling nauseous and vomiting.

 

To prevent this, I practiced outside whenever I felt like vomiting, so I never dirtied the room. After that, I slowed down the pace after reaching a certain number.

 

Creating magical spheres alternately with both hands, I take a break after making ten. I still don’t feel nauseous.

 

In just ten days, it seems my magical power has grown from creating two magical spheres to over thirty.

 

(…Magic… Magic… Magic… Ah, I really want to try using it.)

 

In games, you’d automatically learn through leveling up, but in this world, it seems praying to the gods is necessary.

 

(Just chant and use magical power to cast spells. Why bother with “praying”?)

 

Why insert such a troublesome procedure?

 

(Haa…), I unintentionally let out a big sigh.

 

Closing my eyes, I calm my mind.

 

The scent of grass and the gentle breeze help my agitated heart find a bit of tranquility.

 

(There’s no use asking for things that don’t exist. I have to do what I can now.)

 

Taking a deep breath, I exhale deeply, releasing the pent-up frustration from my heart.

 

I stretch both hands toward the sky.

 

In my mind, a lump of water appears.

 

A scene from a movie I saw as a child.

 

It wasn’t magic but a massive water sphere created by extraterrestrial beings’ superpowers or scientific forces, I feel.

 

The water lump floated in the air and was enormous, large enough for dozens of people.

 

It’s a movie from decades ago.

 

Now, if I were to watch it again, it might look like cheap CGI.

 

However, as a child at the time, I was captivated by the beauty of that scene.

 

Even now, I can vividly recall that image.

 

In fact, due to being more accustomed to current advanced CGI than the actual footage, the imagination might be more beautiful.

 

Memories tend to be idealized.

 

If I can use magic, I might be able to create such a fantastic thing, not as a video but for real.

 

(That would be a nice dream.)

 

Recalling memories of an old movie, I manage to settle my emotions.

 

At that moment, the magical power within my body moves unexpectedly.

 

Surprised, I open my eyes, and a water lump descends from beyond my hands.

 

“Huh?”

 

The water lump, even larger than a giant watermelon, falls directly onto my face.

 

Splash.

 

“Ubuh!?”

 

A considerable amount of water enters through my half-opened mouth.

 

“Ugu!? …Geho! Goho!”

 

I cough violently as the water enters my windpipe.

 

“What… is this!?”

 

After a moment of coughing, I sit up.

 

I still feel a discomfort in my breathing.

 

“What is this? Why!?”

 

My entire body is soaking wet, and I feel a bit queasy.

 

Not only am I wet and uncomfortable, but I also genuinely start feeling unwell.

 

This is the signal of overusing magical power.

 

“Ugh… This is bad.”

 

While not to the point of vomiting, I feel a bit dizzy.

 

For now, I decide to stay still and wait for things to settle.

 

I want to change my clothes, but moving is a bit challenging right now.

 

So, I decide to patiently wait for everything to calm down.

 

With a slightly confused head, I try to think.

 

What was that water lump just now?

 

Looking at my wet clothes and body, it just appears to be regular water.

 

It doesn’t seem to have any smell.

 

Described as rain from an overturned bucket, it’s impossible for such a lump of water to fall.

 

If it fell from the sky, it should have been scattered due to air resistance.

 

It’s inconceivable for it to fall as a solid lump.

 

Thinking to that point, I realize that my thoughts are unconsciously “escaping.”

 

It’s like avoiding something I don’t want to see.

 

“Could it be… I did this?”

 

I don’t understand what happened or how.

 

But the cause is magical power, and the result is a water lump.

 

Can I really think of it that way?

 

If so, it would be my memorable first magic, but there is no joy or happiness.

 

Rather…

 

“…This is the worst. Seriously, there’s no divine intervention.”

 

No prayers, just imagining, and it happened.

 

It sounds like a dream, but this is more of a nightmare.

 

Even if you need concentration and specific imagery, the fact that thoughts manifest into reality is more horror than magic.

 

If you imagine something burning or breaking, it happens.

 

This is no longer something a human does.

 

It’s like a walking disaster.

 

(Maybe this is a really bad situation…)

 

I still can’t confirm if I really did it.

 

But if this is as expected, it’s pretty bad.

 

I’d like to try reproducing the same thing, but my magical power is currently insufficient. If I push it now, I’ll definitely collapse.

 

“What am I going to do about this…”

 

Squatting on the spot, I clutch my head.

 

■■■■■■

 

Let me state the conclusion.

 

It was me. I was completely at fault.

 

Yes, the culprit was me.

 

When I tried it the next day, it required a certain level of concentration and specific imagery, but I easily reproduced it.

 

No need for prayers or incantations.

 

I was utterly hopeless at that time.

 

Continuing like this was dangerous, and I seriously pondered.

 

But I had thought of one solution.

 

The day I used magic for the first time, I couldn’t continue practicing the release of magical power due to the remaining low magical power.

 

Well, I didn’t feel like practicing anyway.

 

So, I came up with an idea at that time.

 

If magic could really manifest just by imagining, what should I do?

 

The answer was simple.

 

I should set constraints on myself.

 

It’s what you call “conditioning.”

 

The answer was simple, but in reality, it was challenging to achieve.

 

Make it so that magic won’t manifest unless I say a specific “magic name” keyword, and conversely, make it so that just saying the “magic name” will unconsciously manifest magic.

 

Well, unconsciously manifesting magic is bad, but the point is to make it manifest only under certain conditions.

 

How to achieve that?

 

That’s also straightforward.

 

Just keep repeating it.

 

Repetitive practice.

 

“Water Splash Water Splash!”

 

I speak the magic name while thrusting my right hand forward, and at that moment, water splashes vigorously from my palm.

 

The movement of magical power throughout my body increases my excitement, and the clear sound of “keeeen” is pleasant to my ears.

 

Speak the magic name out loud, consciously and clearly.

 

It has been two weeks since I first manifested magic, and I’ve been repeating this tirelessly.

 

“Phew… for now, this will do.”

 

I’ve been practicing magic in the forest near Lish Village since morning.

 

The sun is already high, and it’s about to be noon.

 

I sit on a felled log and open the bundle I brought.

 

This log seems to have been left alone for a long time, as there are insect holes here and there.

 

It’s about five meters long, with a diameter of over fifty centimeters.

 

To current me, it looks quite large.

 

The lower part close to the ground has moss growing on it, but overall, it’s not too damaged and is sturdy.

 

Opening the bundle on my knee, there’s hard bread and fruit inside.

 

It’s lunch I brought from home.

 

In this world without a refrigerator, even before I swapped with Mika, there was no preparation of things like soup for lunch.

 

Especially in the current season, which has become genuinely summer, in this world with a thin concept of hygiene, I can imagine what would happen if I were to put something like that in my mouth.

 

It would definitely cause food poisoning and quickly lead to the scenario of the entire village being wiped out.

 

Well, it wouldn’t necessarily lead to total annihilation, but I can’t think of any future scenarios other than a considerably terrifying one.

 

“Water Ball Water Ball.”

 

I mutter the magic name, and a basketball-sized water lump appears in front of me. I wash my hands in it.

 

I blow away the “Water Ball” casually and shake my hands to remove the water before taking a bite of bread.

 

There were times when I took too big a bite before and couldn’t chew properly, but I’ve learned to moderate it since I eat it every day.

 

After taking an appropriate amount into my mouth and swallowing, I mutter, “Water Ball.”

 

This time, a small water lump appears in front of me, and I put it in my mouth like biting into it.

 

In the past, I saw an astronaut perform a performance of drinking a floating water droplet in a similar way.

 

Imitating that, I made it possible to replenish fluids without a water bag.

 

However, when putting magic-created water into my mouth, it took quite a bit of courage.

 

At first, I showered my whole body with it, but I carefully tested whether it was safe to drink.

 

Spitting it out immediately after holding it in my mouth, or swallowing only a tiny amount.

 

After confirming its harmlessness over several days, I

 

 can now drink it without any hesitation.

 

Rather, I’ve started to request adding flavor to this water or making it carbonated.

 

Well, I haven’t succeeded yet.

 

I finish my lunch and take a break.

 

The sun-dappled forest is quiet and cool.

 

Even though I say I’m in the forest, I’m only about 20 to 30 meters inside.

 

In Lish Village, where the population density is extremely low, there are some places where the fence surrounding the village is broken.

 

It’s not broken on a large scale, but my child-sized body can easily slip through.

 

For reasons of my own, even though I have a rationale, if I’m caught doing this while hiding, I’m likely to be scolded again.

 

Even though I claim, “I don’t want to worry my family too much,” saying that to others would sound hypocritical.

 

I’m aware of it myself, but I’m making excuses for myself, saying, “It’s necessary.”

 

Since I noticed the magical power within me, I became obsessed with manipulating magical power, and after being able to use magic, I became obsessed with magic.

 

I’m aware that I’m not good at switching, but now it’s all about magic, whether I’m asleep or awake.

 

I’ve become completely captivated by mastering this incredible power.

 

“Alright. Let’s move on to the next one.”

 

With my hunger satisfied, I immediately move on to the next practice.

 

Jumping down from the log, I enter a bit deeper into the forest.

 

About five meters away, I target a rock and vigorously unleash “Water Splash Water Splash” towards it.

 

Then, I splash “Water Splash Water Splash” towards the trees around the rock.

 

Once the preparations are complete, I gather my focus, and point my right hand towards the rock.

 

“Fireball Fireball!”

 

As I say this, a tennis ball-sized ball of intense red flames shoots out from my right hand.

 

The fireball bursts into flames instantly upon hitting the rock and disappears.

 

Fragments of the fireball scatter around, but thanks to the water I spread earlier, it doesn’t catch fire.

 

I don’t really want to do this in the forest, but I have no choice because I don’t want anyone to see. At least to ensure there’s no forest fire, I meticulously prepare and extinguish the fire afterwards.

 

I shoot several more “Fireball Fireball”s and move on to the next magic practice.

 

“Flame Breath Fire Breath!”

 

This time, I emit flames towards the rock.

 

I named it after the breath of a dragon, imagining the breath a dragon exhales.

 

The flames only lick the surface of the rock, and there’s no firepower to melt the rock.

 

I continue emitting flames for a while, but there’s no apparent increase in firepower.

 

Although I’m imagining an increase in firepower, there’s no visible effect.

 

I stop “Flame Breath Fire Breath” for now and proceed to clean up.

 

Once again, I generously scatter “Water Splash Water Splash” around to extinguish any remaining flames.

 

Well, there wasn’t any visible spreading of fire from the beginning, but just in case.

 

“Why isn’t the firepower increasing? I’m imagining it, but…”

 

Maybe I need a more specific image.

 

However, what is a specific image of firepower?

 

I return to the felled log and try to organize my thoughts.

 

First, I’ve been practicing “conditioning” for the past two weeks.

 

What I thought about was the mechanism of this “magic name.”

 

I came up with several combinations where the “magic name” and the “effect” are easily matched in terms of imagery.

 

And when manifesting magic, always clearly speak the magic name and repeat it.

 

First is “Water Ball Water Ball.”

 

It’s the one that accidentally manifested first.

 

I’ve been practicing with this one, but I recently came up with an idea.

 

Maybe, I can already use other magic as well.

 

The crucial point is the image.

 

If I can imagine it clearly, I should be able to do more than just “Water Ball Water Ball.”

 

So, I decided to try “Fireball Fireball.”

 

However, the problem that arose there was the location of my practice.

 

In the forest, there are combustible materials everywhere.

 

While green wood may be difficult to burn, it doesn’t mean it won’t burn.

 

In fact, forest fires like those in the Amazon have become a global issue.

 

Playing with fire in the forest is something only a fool would do.

 

But there’s no place to practice without being seen outside the forest.

 

So, I thought about the preparation of sprinkling water and the cleanup.

 

To ensure that there is no chance of a forest fire, I went all out in preparation.

 

For this preparation and cleanup, I thought of “Water Splash Water Splash.”

 

Initially, I was spreading water around with “Water Ball Water Ball,” but it was challenging when it came to a large area.

 

Thinking about how to generously spread water around, I tried it on the spot, and surprisingly, it worked well.

 

With this, preparations were complete, I tried “Fireball Fireball,” and it evolved into “Flame Breath Fire Breath.”

 

However, both “Fireball Fireball” and “Flame Breath Fire Breath.”

 

They look perfect, but the firepower is not quite there.

 

It might be sufficient against a person, but in terms of imagination, I was thinking of something more like “melting rocks.”

 

Isn’t that the kind of image you have for a dragon’s breath?

 

“Well, if I can do this much in such a short period, it’s good.”

 

Just two weeks ago, I was muttering, “I want to use magic.”

 

Now, I’m using four types of magic.

 

Moreover, there are several ideas I want to try.

 

Considering conditioning, I should thoroughly master each one before moving on, but I’m eager to try various things.

 

“As for increasing firepower, I’ll think about it again tomorrow.”

 

Let’s end today’s practice here. Saying that, I approach the rock that served as the target for “Fireball Fireball” earlier.

 

After confirming everything around, I shower it once again with “Water Splash Water Splash.”

 

Additionally, I splash “Water Splash Water Splash” both upwards and downwards towards the trees.

 

I wildly scatter “Water Splash Water Splash” around, imagining a firetruck’s water spray.

 

I expend the excess magical power until I feel nauseous, just before running out completely.

 

Thus, I reduce the magical power within me and finish practicing magic.

 

“Limiter On.”

 

Muttering this, I switch my mindset.

 

As the movement of magical power within my body weakens, the excitement subsides, and the clear sound of “keeeen” disappears.

 

Actually, it’s not that easy to switch like this, but it’s one of the things I’m doing as “conditioning.”

 

When I’m not using magic, “Limiter On.”

 

Then, when I practice magic, “Limiter Off.”

 

As a conditioning to prevent magical misfires, I’ve been doing this for two weeks as well.

 

When I utter “Limiter On,” I consciously suppress and restrain the movement of magical power within me.

 

Well, even with that, because I lack confidence, at the end of the practice, I reduce my magical power to the very limit.

 

I must absolutely avoid magical misfires that involve my family.

 

Despite not often following instructions, I firmly swear in my heart that this is an “absolute” rule.

 

The conditioning I’ve adopted for this purpose is to keep the magical power still with “Limiter On.”

 

Not long ago, I was desperately practicing moving magical power and releasing it. Now, I’m doing the exact opposite.

 

During “Limiter On,” I always consciously refrain from moving magical power and ensure it doesn’t leak out.

 

Before I became aware of magical power, this was a matter of course, but now it’s quite exhausting.

 

Having no time to rest one’s mind might be a luxurious complaint.

 

Those who acquire power or seek to obtain it must bear corresponding responsibilities.

 

There are other ideas for conditioning, but first and foremost are the “magic name” and the “limit.”

 

Once these two are solidified, further development will follow.

 

“Well, time to go home.”

 

Drenched as if caught in a sudden downpour from the water dripping off the trees, I leave the forest behind.

 

Thinking about whether I could have wiped myself clean if I had brought a towel, I head home.