"Doesn't seem too hard," Thunder muttered, rubbing his nose.
"Pfft." Sis crossed her arms, looking smug. "If you can successfully imprint even one of these dozen blank scrolls, I'll consider you lucky."
"Wanna bet?" Thunder grinned mischievously.
"Looking to die?" Sis shuddered at the word "bet." The two love letters from the cafeteria incident were still posted at the entrance.
"Give it a try." Maria handed him the inscribing pen.
Erick eagerly spread out a blank scroll, while Sis placed the successfully inscribed one nearby for reference.
Under their watchful eyes, Thunder stretched, dipped the pen into the vial of magical beast blood, and got to work.
The alchemical pen felt different—it held elemental energy tightly, and the beast blood clung to it without dripping. Though Thunder had practiced the basic Lightning Strike spell over twenty times, this was his first attempt on a scroll. He focused intently, adjusting to the new tools.
Sis had been ready to mock him, waiting for the inevitable failure so she could unleash her sharpest insults. But as she watched, her eyes widened in disbelief.
At first, Thunder's strokes were slow and deliberate, but soon, his movements became fluid and swift. In the blink of an eye, intricate patterns covered the scroll, pulsing with lightning energy.
Before anyone could react, the scroll was complete—flawless.
Thunder had lost himself in the process, forgetting his audience entirely. The scroll's power far surpassed his usual talismans, though it was bulkier and costlier.
*From now on, I'll use these tools to boost my talismans' strength,* he decided.
Sis's mouth hung open, while Erick stared, dumbfounded.
"Told you it wasn't hard," Thunder teased, smirking at Sis.
"T-Teacher," Sis stammered, "did he… actually succeed?"
Maria sighed, a mix of pride and resignation in her voice. "Yes. Perfectly."
Sis felt her world crumbling. How could this idiot—this *waste* of a mage—do what took her so much effort in mere moments?
Erick wiped drool from his chin. "Am I dreaming?"
"Do it again!" Sis demanded, refusing to believe it was anything but luck.
"Watch and learn, kid." Thunder grabbed another scroll.
This time, his strokes were even smoother, the patterns flowing effortlessly.
Before Sis could ask, Maria confirmed, "Success. Again."
Third. Fourth. Fifth…
The room fell silent, the only sound the scratch of Thunder's pen.
By the time he deliberately failed two (to spare their pride), the shock had settled deep.
"Teacher… I wanna die," Sis groaned, clutching her face.
Maria, however, beamed. "Thunder, you were *born* for this!"
"Not really," Thunder shrugged. "I've practiced these patterns countless times. But other spells? Might not go as smoothly."
He didn't want to crush Sis and Erick completely.
Maria shook her head. "Regardless, I've *never* seen anyone imprint scrolls like this."
**Will Thunder's talent bring admiration—or envy?**