Chapter 50 Flight!
The next morning was Basic Magic Studies class.
When I walked into the spacious, bright Basic Magic classroom, Professor Frost was already standing at the podium, still with that meticulous scholarly air, though today his gray-white hair seemed combed even more neatly. His sharp gaze swept over each of us with a certain anticipation.
I instinctively searched through the crowd, my eyes skimming past several unfamiliar heads, then precisely locking onto that head of golden hair that seemed to glow even indoors by the window. Isabelle was huddled with Lillian looking at a textbook, Lillian gesturing animatedly about something while Isabelle smiled and nodded.
That damn heart in my chest skipped a couple of beats again at the wrong time.
I wanted to tell her. Not as a neighbor, friend, or "friend through thick and thin." I wanted to seriously, look into those ocean-blue eyes, say—
"Bang!"
A moderate thud yanked me back from my wandering thoughts. Someone's textbook had fallen to the floor, and when the person bent down to pick it up, their knee accidentally hit the table corner. They grimaced in pain, drawing quiet laughter from those around.
I rubbed my face, pushing those inappropriate romantic thoughts back down to the bottom of my heart for now.
Let's get through this class first.
Today we were learning levitation and healing spells.
"Quiet." Professor Frost's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly cut through all the noise. The classroom instantly fell silent. "Last class, we sensed the circulation of magic power within our bodies, like getting familiar with our own breathing and heartbeat. Today, we'll take the first step—letting magic power leave the body to influence and change the external world. First practical exercise: levitation."
Levitation!
That word was like a spark landing in dry kindling, instantly igniting everyone's hearts.
Who the hell doesn't want to fly?
Think about it—breaking free from gravity, soaring through the air like a bird, looking down on the earth—how awesome would that be? Just imagining that scene, I could feel a surge of heat rushing from my lower abdomen straight to the top of my head, even my fingertips tingling with excitement.
The professor didn't give us much time to fantasize. He picked up his wand from the podium.
"The essence of levitation," his voice was steady and penetrating, "is the transformation and output of magic power. The first step, and the most crucial one: sense the magic power in your body, remember that flowing sensation from last class's 'breathing meditation.' Then, imagine this force isn't circulating within you, but pushing out from your feet, especially from the Yongquan area at the bottom of your feet, gently and continuously."
As he spoke, he slowly raised his wand-holding hand with smooth, natural movements. No fancy spell chanting, not even an obvious burst of magical light.
But the next second, Professor Frost himself, along with the podium beneath him and the patch of floor under his feet, just rose up without warning, smoothly...
Not shooting up with a "whoosh," but truly, defying all physical laws, as if lifted by invisible hands, rising at a constant, stable pace—one foot, two feet off the ground... finally hovering about three feet above the floor.
The classroom filled with a chorus of sharp intakes of breath.
So stable! Stable as if he was supposed to be floating there all along! Even the hem of his robe didn't move unnaturally!
"Do you feel it?" Professor Frost's voice came from above, carrying a calm authority. "It's not about fighting gravity, but using magic power to create an upward 'push' to offset and balance gravity. The key is 'continuous' and 'stable,' as natural as breathing. Explosive output will just make you shoot up like a firework, then fall down like a rock."
He slowly descended, the podium and floor silently returning to their positions, as if everything before was just an illusion.
"Now, everyone, stand up, concentrate, feet shoulder-width apart, close your eyes, recall the 'breathing' of magic power. After finding that feeling, try to guide a thread of magic power toward your feet... remember, 'push,' not 'explode.' The goal isn't how high you fly, but to briefly lift your feet off the ground, even if just by a hair's width."
Excitement bubbled in my veins like boiling water. I could almost hear my own heart pounding like a drum. Finally! Finally getting to touch real magic! This was ten thousand times better than mentally controlling magic drones!
I immediately followed instructions. Stood steady, took a deep breath, closed my eyes.
Sense the magic power... I was way too familiar with this now. Whether precisely guiding it during potion-making or being forced to "resonate" in that hellish "Lake of Souls" place, my control over my own magic power far exceeded that of ordinary new students. Soon, that warm energy flow clearly emerged in my consciousness.
Guide it downward... to my feet... imagine an upward force...
I carefully separated a thread-thin wisp of magic power, letting it "flow" toward the soles of my feet.
Then, I felt a slight, strange... "repulsive force" coming from my soles? Like standing on an elastic yet invisible, intangible air cushion. Very faint, but definitely there!
I held my breath, steadied my mind, and tried to increase the output just a little.
Just as I was completely focused, feeling that "repulsive force" growing stronger, my toes seemingly about to break free from gravity's grip—
"By the way, from the most basic mechanics perspective..." Professor Frost's voice rang out again. "If you want to achieve stable levitation or flight, the magic power output you need must at least equal the energy loss represented by your body weight multiplied by gravitational acceleration, while also considering air resistance, extra consumption from uneven magic field distribution, and the control energy needed for posture adjustment..."
I, "...?"
That little bit of wonderful "takeoff feeling" I'd just gathered at the soles of my feet went pffft and deflated.
Professor Frost? We're in a magic class right now, right? The kind where you wave a wand, chant spells, and create miracles that defy common sense, right?
Gravitational acceleration? Energy loss? Air resistance? Control energy?
What the hell... I'm at Maple Magic Academy, right? I'm not in some university physics lab, right?
An indescribable sense of speechlessness mixed with frustration came crashing down, dousing the little flame of excitement I'd just kindled. I could even imagine Theodore's glasses gleaming with the understanding light of a "quiz machine" enthusiast, and Lillian probably already building mechanical models in her head.
But for me... this felt like you're about to have an immersive experience with an epic fantasy RPG, and then the tutorial NPC pulls out a copy of "Classical Mechanics" and tells you to finish chapter one first.
Magic has to follow science, too? Can't we have a little romantic idealism here? Aren't flying broomsticks romantic? Aren't magic carpets cool? And you're telling me the principle is "continuous upward push offsetting gravity"? Then why can't I just use my mind to imagine myself as a feather?
I sneakily opened one eye, glancing at Professor Frost. He was holding a piece of chalk (why does magic class still use chalk?!), drawing force analysis diagrams on the blackboard! A stick figure person, with "magic power" labeled at the feet, "G (gravity)" at the head, and formulas written beside it...
Help.
I felt like my wizard dream was being slowly crushed by the lid of Newton's coffin.