Chapter 156 - 157
"That’s a lot more than when you started."
"I’d hope so." Standing, Corrie rested a hand on the dagger that sat beneath his ragged cloak, a weapon that had likely been acquired by dubious means. "I might not ever manage to become a magus, or even a mage of any importance, but that’s of no concern to me. Tell me, Alistar, what do you think would happen if this needle were to hit a person between the eyes, or in one of their temples, or the large vein in their neck?"
"Nothing good, I’d imagine."
"In a fair fight, there aren’t many people I can best. But a quick cast from the shadows, at an unsuspecting target? That might not be the case."
Alistar held up his left wrist, showcasing the protective charm that Mr. Albeck had given him. "What if they have one of these?"
"Whether it’s one of the spikes that you use or one of my needles, they’ll trigger the charm’s effect all the same. Once it’s spent, then I can just throw another one."
Factoring in the energy required to cast a basic reinforcement spell, Corrie wouldn’t have a problem creating several dozen of his tiny projectiles, though controlling them all at the same time would be another matter.
"Alright," said Alistar, who melted a large mass of snow and froze the resultant water in an instant. "Try sprinting back and forth across this while using the stability spell."
"Hold on," said Corrie, who steadied himself by resting a hand on Alistar’s shoulder. "It’s better if I wait a bit before I cast again."
"Hmm, if we could just get you a decent magic crystal, then you wouldn’t have to worry so much about your energy expenditure."
"I’ve thought about it, but it’s too hard to steal from the stores, and the merchants that run the stalls in the marketplace are already wary of me at this point."