"Obstruction Charm", also known as "Impedimenta", is described in the textbook as:
"A swiftly cast Obstacle Curse can delay an opponent or stop a magical creature for a short period of time. This spell is a crucial part of a wizard's dueling magic".
However, when Anduin actually cast it, he discovered that it essentially created an invisible obstruction in the direction the caster was looking, like a wall of magic. Its duration could range from a dozen seconds to over a minute.
If the magical power was adjusted, this wall didn't have to be solid; the opponent could pass through it, but their speed would be proportionally reduced. The degree of slowing was related to the density of the manifested obstruction. If a weakened Obstacle Curse was cast horizontally on the ground, walking on it felt like sinking into a swamp.
But if the curse manifested as a solid entity, it could even be used as a defensive spell. Similarly, if pushed toward an opponent with magic, it could become an offensive method.
"Impedimenta". Anduin said, and immediately cast the Obstacle Curse into the empty space of the room.
"First, I need to understand the nature of this spell." Anduin walked toward the barrier he had created and touched it with his hand. What he had manifested was a solid, invisible wall.
"It feels very hard, less than an inch thick, and impossible to pass through from either side." Anduin brought his hands together against the wall, roughly measuring its width.
"Let's test its physical resistance first." Anduin took a dumbbell from his luggage and tapped it against the invisible wall, producing "thud," "thud" sounds.
"The sound doesn't resemble metal or stone; it feels more like tapping on water." Anduin was surprised that the spell made a sound different from what he had imagined.
After tapping it forcefully several times, he put the dumbbell aside and used his fists directly, feeling the invisible wall with force.
"Thud," "thud," "thud." After several consecutive punches, the invisible wall began to change.
Its hardness is comparable to that of a common stone wall, and the feedback on my fists confirms it. But why does it soften after many hits? It didn't shatter like glass but started to soften. Could the magic inside the wall be depleting? Anduin thought, looking at his slightly reddened fist.
After hitting it a dozen more times, the already weakened wall was punched through directly. However, Anduin found that even after being pierced, the spell still had an effect: it no longer blocked solid objects but still offered a buffering resistance.
Anduin crashed into it with his whole body and began to pass through it slowly.
"It's like passing through a non-Newtonian fluid, but without viscosity. What a magical spell." Anduin felt the Obstacle Curse, and soon the spell's effective time ended, causing the wall to completely disappear.
He took out his notebook, recorded the experimental data and his impressions, and then cast the "Obstruction Charm" again into the empty space.
"Next, let's test its magical defense." Anduin stood about two meters from the invisible wall he had created and began casting an offensive spell at it: "Expelliarmus."
As expected, the invisible wall blocked the spell. The spell's aura shattered and dispersed on impact, moving along the transparent wall until it lost its magic and dissipated.
"Let's try from different angles." Then Anduin cast spells at the wall from various directions, even running to the other side to try different trajectories, until the spell failed.
"Hmm, there's a lot of useful information from this test. If a spell isn't strong enough and hits head-on, it shatters. And if there's a certain angle, does it bounce? Also, if spells can't pass through from either side, does that mean I can't just cast Impedimenta and stand safely on the other side to counterattack?"
Anduin repeated Impedimenta several times, testing its use as an attack.
"Impedimenta is very much like an alternative Mage's Hand from the games in my previous life (D&D). It can solidify in place or be guided by magic to strike directly. When ethereal, it can also slow enemies. And calling it 'Impedimenta' is a bit unfair; it's clearly more like shaping magic." Anduin summarized the spell's characteristics as he began mentally mapping its applications.
Overall, Anduin was very satisfied with this spell; it had great potential.
"The next training will be divided into several parts: casting speed, positioning, strength control, launching — or rather, the speed of pushing the obstruction — and then I'll try to see if I can shape it freely. It looks like I'll need to undergo a period of high-intensity special training." Anduin began organizing a new training plan and noted down his ideas for the spell one by one, preparing to test and practice them individually.
For about ten days afterward, Anduin spent every morning reading textbooks and learning new spells. All his afternoons were dedicated to practicing Impedimenta, and he also made time to visit Flourish and Blotts during the day to buy several magic-related books.
At first, he wanted to buy more, but books in the magical world were really too expensive. The cheapest cost several Galleons, and the pricier ones a dozen or even twenty Galleons each — more expensive than many alchemy tools and potions. Therefore, Anduin only selected three books: Barnabas Finkley's Seven Spells, The Origin of Spells: An Introduction to Ancient Runes, and Elegant Steps in Dueling Competitions. These cost him 22 Galleons. Many books he was interested in were not bought simply because they were too expensive.
At that time, Anduin was like a sponge, rapidly absorbing all kinds of magical knowledge. His soul itself was stronger than that of his peers, and with years of focused training, both his magical power and capacity far exceeded those of other apprentices, allowing him to advance quickly.
One early August afternoon.
"Bang!" In the small backyard of the Leaky Cauldron, a target made of several chairs was shattered by a transparent projectile. Anduin slowly approached, raised his wand, and pronounced "Reparo" over the fragments. The broken wood from the ground rose into the air and returned to its original state.
"It seems to work well. The projectile formed by Impedimenta can now be reduced to the size of a bucket, and its flight speed has progressively increased. The casting preparation time can be accelerated even more. Next, I'll see if I can shape the launched magical projectile to be even smaller." Anduin imagined that if the Impedimenta projectile could be shrunk to the size of a fist, that would be ideal, since then he could name this technique "Air Cannon."
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