Chapter 7: Wand

For a spellcaster, the importance of a wand is self-evident; a suitable wand enhances an excellent spellcaster more dramatically than a sword saint finding his dream sword.

Similarly, a spellcaster without a wand is like a marksman without a gun—half his abilities are instantly nullified, unless he masters high-tier wandless casting.

As the ultimate race atop the spellcaster hierarchy, witches rely far less on wands than other races whose fireballs collapse without one, since they are born with wandless casting ability.

Some gifted young witches even utter their first cry at birth infused with magical power—a natural talent requiring no wand whatsoever.

Even more terrifying are witch toddlers who haven’t yet learned to control their innate magic; other races’ mischievous children might only damage furniture, but witch toddlers might casually hurl fireballs and frost at their parents.

It’s said some of today’s peak witches, as children, could instinctively cast high-tier spells—accidentally sending unprepared parents to the hospital was routine.

Well, though witches appear human, viewing them as inherently magical beasts isn’t inaccurate.

Yet this doesn’t mean witches don’t need wands; it’s like walking versus driving—high-quality wands still significantly enhance a witch’s magic.

After centuries of development and refinement by countless spellcasters, the wand system today is highly mature.

In the witch world, wands are now classified by length into three types: short wands, long wands, and standard wands.

Short wands are typically under 40 cm, never exceeding a human forearm’s length; their advantages are swift casting, high magical precision, and easy concealment, making them ideal for assassins or fast-attack spellcasters.

Their drawbacks are insufficient material, low magical conversion efficiency, excessive wasteful mana loss, and weak magical enhancement.

Long wands are usually over 1.5 meters, often taller than the caster; their advantages are high mana conversion efficiency and strong magical amplification, suited for artillery-style spellcasters.

But long wands are cumbersome to conceal, easily expose the caster’s position, are hard to control due to massive mana load, and demand high precision in mana manipulation.

Standard wands, as their name suggests, are the most conventional type—between short and long wands, roughly one meter long, balancing the strengths of both: decent in all aspects, unremarkable in none, and lacking serious flaws—a universally reliable middle ground.

After Dorothy and Alice entered the shop, their first sight was glass display cases; the store had three zones: left wall lined with short wands, right wall with long wands, and central glass cabinets displaying standard wands.

“Welcome, two lovely witch ladies.”

An aged voice greeted them—a white-haired old man with gold-rimmed glasses, his spirit bright despite his age, dressed with refined elegance, exuding the air of a gentleman elder.

Dorothy studied his appearance and recognized him as an ordinary human mage—this made her respect his craftsmanship even more.

Though humans are close kin to witches, they are not a high race in this magical world, far inferior in magical talent to extraordinary races like elves or dwarves; their only advantages are vast population and the protection witches afford them.

The entry standards for witch-exclusive shops are extremely high; even elves and dwarves struggle to meet them, let alone ordinary humans.

Yet any human shopkeeper granted official residency must possess genuine skill.

“Grandpa Alder, I’m back to keep your business alive.”

Alice walked up to the old man with familiar ease.

“Hehe, welcome, little Alice.”

The old man smiled warmly, delighted to see his regular customer.

“Here again for wand maintenance?”

He asked.

"Yes, thank you again for your trouble. And this is my sister Dorothy—I brought her to buy a new wand. Could you help find one suitable for her? Preferably the latest smart wand."

As Alice spoke, she pulled two pistols from her magical coat pocket and handed them to the old man.

Dorothy’s gaze, however, lingered on the pistols, her expression slightly odd.

They were a pair of sleek, stylish pistols—one black, one white—covered in crimson veins like blood vessels, with twin sharp blades extending beneath each barrel, suggesting close-combat capability.

These pistols were Alice’s wand—classified as a short wand.

“Tsk. Wands shaped like this? Times really have changed.”

Dorothy mentally grumbled. As a transmigrator, she felt no informational advantage—only constant disorientation, as if she were an outdated relic left behind by the magical world’s evolution, a strangely disheartening feeling.

Yet in the witch world, wands are like this: beyond length, there are no restrictions—shapes range from swords and guns to staffs and cannons, nothing like her old-world image of a simple wooden rod with a gem.

But thinking deeper, it makes sense: though witches are top-tier spellcasters, they aren’t as frail as true spellcasters; their superior physicality lets them fearlessly brawl with enemies, even beating seasoned warriors into existential doubt.

Thus, a wand unsuited for melee—like a simple wooden stick—is inadequate. A witch’s wand must be capable of both long-range bombardment and close-quarters blade combat.

As Dorothy tried to convince herself to adapt, the shopkeeper turned his gaze to her.

“Miss Witch, may I see your previous wand?”

The old man asked gently.

Dorothy quickly pulled out her longtime wand from her pocket and handed it to him.

It was a short wand, resembling the ones she’d seen in that magical academy movie from her past life.

It had been her companion for over a decade—she’d chosen it as a beginner’s wand purely out of cinematic nostalgia when she first learned magic.

But lately, it had fallen behind her growth; each spell now required careful control to prevent it from exploding mid-cast. It was truly time to retire the old friend.

She glanced at the short wand with reluctance, then looked expectantly at the old man, wondering what new wand he’d recommend.