Strange Use of Magic (Black Clover AU) Chapter 128: Strange Regrets

[Third Person's PoV] 


Stephen continued studying the spell archive and the matrices of the spells around him with avid attention.


His three personal spells were:


[Eldritch Magic], which granted him access to other dimensions, allowing him to use spells from those realms and form contracts with dimensional beings.


[Materia Magister], which enabled him to manipulate matter freely according to his will.


[Arcane Elementum], his newest creation, which gave him control over the elemental forces of nature.


‘My Time Magic comes from the Stone and not from myself. That’s why it wasn’t registered in my grimoire, along with any other spells I copy from someone else. In order for them to be recorded, I need to create the spell myself,’ Stephen thought pensively as he dismissed the last spell matrix into the air.


“I already made the two spells I really wanted, so now I’m a little lost on what to do next,” he pondered aloud.


Secre, who was standing next to him, looked at him curiously. “Isn’t it obvious?”


“Is it?” Stephen asked, genuinely confused.


Secre gave him an exasperated look. “Yes, it is. You need to master the spells you’ve already created. What’s the point of making more if you can’t even wield the ones you have properly? You’re too caught up in the excitement of creating new spells, and at this rate, you’re going to neglect the ones you’ve already made.”


“That… wow.” Stephen nodded. “You’re right. I haven’t really tested the limits of my current spells. It’d be disastrous to find out their weaknesses—or worse, lose control—in the middle of battle.”


He patted the top of her head. “Good thinking.”


“Don’t patronize me,” she deadpanned.


“Didn’t mean to,” Stephen said apologetically as they exited the room.


The black wall behind them parted and slid open, revealing the vast library once more. As they stepped through, the entrance sealed itself shut, and a bookshelf smoothly slid back into place, concealing the hidden passage.


“What other secrets do you think your grimoire is hiding?” Secre asked as they walked.


“You love asking questions that have no simple answers, don’t you?” Stephen teased.


“It was rhetorical. I wasn’t expecting you to actually know,” Secre said sassily. “Besides, can’t you just ask your grimoire? It listens to everything you say, doesn’t it? Just demand it to reveal all its secrets, and maybe it will.”


“Alright, I’ll try.”


Stephen stepped between the bookshelves and dramatically raised his arms as if delivering a sermon.


“Oh, mystic library! Share with me your secrets! Expose your hidden wisdom to your lost lamb!”


Secre watched as Stephen got down on one knee, bowing his head with his arms held out in a receiving position.


“...”


Her lips trembled as she tried to hold back laughter.


Stephen stood up and shrugged. “Oh well, I tried.”


Nothing happened.


As they continued walking toward their usual spot, Secre suddenly asked, “Doesn’t your eye let you see past deception? Have you tried using it in here? Maybe it’ll reveal some of the library’s secrets.”


Stephen sighed. “Secre, you’re a bit too smart for me.”


“Intimidated?” she teased, raising an eyebrow.


“No,” Stephen rolled his eyes. “In fact, it’s hella attractive—”


Secre blushed slightly, her pale cheeks tinged with a rosy hue as her lips curled into a small smirk. “I feel like there’s a ‘but’ coming.”


“But,” Stephen continued with a grin, “I like the way things are unfolding. The secrets surrounding me are unraveling on their own, and that’s what makes them interesting. I don’t want to rush it. Everything must be hidden for a reason. The mysteries will reveal themselves when we least expect it—when we’re not actively searching. And that makes them all the more special.”


Secre stared at him blankly.


“You know that’s stupid, right? Like… on so many levels that I don’t even know where to begin.”


Secre sighed, massaging her forehead. “What if something bad happens—something that could have been prevented if you had simply uncovered your grimoire’s secrets? You’d be filled with immense regret,” she said, looking at Stephen with concern.


Stephen met her gaze with a reassuring smile. “Then I’ll have no one to blame but myself. And honestly? Regret makes life more worthwhile.”


Secre blinked. “What?”


“Think about it—why do people work so hard? Why do they push themselves forward? What makes someone risk their life over and over again? It’s either because of regret or to avoid having any when their time is up. Regret pushes people to improve, to not repeat their mistakes. So, yeah, I might experience regret here and there, but I’ll welcome it all the same.”


Secre raised her hands in surrender. “Alright, fine. Do whatever you want. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”


Stephen chuckled at her exasperation but understood she had a point. Still, he didn’t want to exhaust himself constantly chasing after every secret around him. That sounded tedious. Secrets reveal themselves when the time is right. If an opportunity arose, he’d take it—but he wasn’t going to spend his days actively searching.


His gaze shifted to the desk and chair where he usually sat to read. Raising a hand, a glowing magic circle formed above him as he chanted:


[Arcane Magic: Materia Magister]


The wooden table shimmered with golden energy as he altered its molecular structure, transforming it into metal. He reshaped the material, melting the table and chair together until they reformed into a statue.


Secre blinked, then flushed red. “What do you think you’re doing!?” she snapped.


The statue depicted her sitting with her knees slightly apart, cradling her bird form in her palms, a small, serene smile on her face.


Stephen smirked. “Just being artistic. What do you think? You like it?”


“Change it,” she demanded, flustered.


Chuckling, Stephen waved his hand. The statue crumbled into dust, which then swirled into the air, reshaping into hundreds of sharp metallic needles. They coiled around him like a serpent, glinting dangerously.


With another thought, he altered some of the needles, coating their tips with poison. Then, with a snap of his fingers, the swarm condensed and fused into a solid, gleaming golden ingot.


“Here,” he said, tossing it to Secre.


She caught it but nearly dropped it. “It’s… heavy.” She examined it closely. “Is this real gold?”


“Of course. It’s probably purer than any you’d find on the market,” he said before casually pulling it away with his magic, reshaping it back into the original table and chair.


“I can do a lot more than this,” Stephen continued, placing a hand on his chest. Suddenly, the ground beneath him cracked and caved slightly.


“What did you just do?” Secre asked in alarm.


“I increased my density, making myself heavier,” he explained. “I can also do the opposite—make myself light enough to phase through solid objects. I can even manipulate the air, compressing it to create crushing pressure.”


Secre stared at him, stunned. “Is there even a limit to that spell?”


Stephen nodded. “Yeah—my mana. Altering molecular structures on this level is insanely energy-consuming. If I’m not careful, I could drain myself dry.”


Secre exhaled, shaking her head. “You’re ridiculous.”


Stephen just grinned. “Took you this long to realize?”