"George, I'll eat first. If anything happens, please send me to the school hospital," Fred shouted skillfully, trying to sound confident.
"No problem," George replied with a thumbs-up.
Allen was stunned. He looked at George and asked, "Why are you so calm about this?"
"Because we often develop joke props and sometimes experiment on ourselves," George shrugged. "Fred and I usually take turns testing them. If something goes wrong, the first person to try it gets sent to the hospital. I didn't expect you'd find the right candidate so quickly."
Fred, unaware of their calm professionalism, was about to eat the shrimp meat without hesitation when Allen suddenly stopped him.
"Wait a minute! Step back first," Allen said, gently holding Fred's hand. Then he pulled George back ten meters and shouted, "It's okay now. Eat!"
Fred panicked.
"Wait, why are you retreating so far?" he shouted. "Is it going to explode if I eat this?"
"How could it be?" Allen shouted back. "Don't worry; nothing will happen."
Fred glanced between Allen and George, who were more than ten meters away, then at the shrimp meat in his hand. He gritted his teeth and stuffed it into his mouth.
Allen's dishes were still as delicious as ever. Though a little cold, the taste of the shrimp remained exquisite—so delicious that even frying wouldn't ruin it.
Fred finished the shrimp in a few bites and closed his eyes, still savoring the taste. But then, a strange restlessness began to surge through his body.
"Am I… really going to explode?" Fred thought, panic creeping in.
His face fell as he felt a surge of magic power expanding within him…
Boom!
A sudden explosion of energy sent smoke and dust swirling in every direction. George, standing far away, felt his legs go weak and nearly collapsed.
"Really… really exploded?" George panicked. "Allen, what's happening?"
"Relax," Allen said calmly. "It's not an explosion—it's just a surge of magic power." He carefully examined Fred through the dissipating smoke. "See? He's fine."
As the smoke cleared, Fred stood unscathed, closing his eyes and feeling around his body. Everything seemed normal.
"How do you feel?" Allen asked, walking over with George.
"Very good. My body feels… smooth," Fred said, then turned to George. "Why do you look so pale?"
"I was terrified! I thought you actually exploded!" George admitted, his legs weak from the fright.
Fred laughed loudly. "George, you're too cowardly. I'll remember this embarrassing moment forever."
"A**hole…" George muttered, struggling to stand. "What exactly happened just now?"
"The dishes I cook often have special effects. You felt it when you ate the candies, right? That feeling of magic power activating?" Allen explained.
"Yeah, but we didn't pay much attention at the time," George replied. He and Fred exchanged looks, confirming they hadn't cared.
Allen waved a hand dismissively. "Usually, it's nothing special. But this dish is unique. It triggers a state called magic rampage. Do you know what that is?"
Fred nodded. "I've read about it in books. But why did it cause an explosion for me?"
The tiny crater left behind where Fred had eaten the shrimp suggested it wasn't a small effect.
George offered a theory. "Maybe it's because you expected it to explode. Magic rampage tends to reflect the caster's thoughts. You were worried about exploding, so the rampage manifested as one."
Fred considered this. "So, because I was thinking about eating and protecting the food at the same time, and then feared an explosion… my magic just made it real?"
"Interesting speculation," George said.
Allen smirked. "George, do you want to try next?"
"Me? Sure! I want to see a bigger explosion this time," George said excitedly. He wanted to scare Fred in return—it wasn't fair that only Fred had all the fun.
"You won't explode," Allen said. "You'll experience something different. Remember, this is an experiment."
"Alright, what should I think about?" George asked, pondering.
"We'll decide that later," Allen replied. "Do you know any offensive spells now?"
"Offensive? You mean jinxes?" George scratched his head. "I'm not very good, but I know the stun spell."
"The coma spell?" Allen raised an eyebrow. "It sounds like it puts someone to sleep, but it actually knocks them away, combining magic and physical force."
"Then aim the stun spell at that tree over there, and release it at full power," Allen instructed, pointing.
"It's a bit far—I'm not sure I can hit it," George said sheepishly.
Allen paused. "A bit far? That's less than twenty meters. Take two steps closer. Remember your position and give it your all. Got it?"
George nodded, took a few steps, pointed his wand at the tree, and shouted, "Stun!"
The spell hit the tree, lifting a small patch of bark into the air.
Allen measured the depth and shook his head in approval. "Now, think about something else. You don't have to make it loud; plants and flowers work too."
George's eyes lit up. "Flowers? Perfect!" He could hardly wait to try it.
The magic storm began. Within moments, a dazzling array of flowers sprouted within a five-meter radius. When the spell ended, George was surrounded by blooms of every color.
"Wow, this is beautiful," George said, admiring the flowers. "This would be perfect for a confession." He turned to Allen. "Can you make a copy of this for me next time I want to confess my feelings?"
"No problem," Allen replied with a smile, pointing at the tree. "Now, try the stun spell again."
"Do you think the spell will be stronger after the magic goes wild?" George asked.
"It's possible," Allen said thoughtfully.
"If it really works, then let's do it," George said, turning to the tree. "Collapse!"
This time, the spell overturned a larger piece of bark. The small tree swayed, clearly affected by the more powerful blast.
"It really works!" George and Fred exclaimed in unison. Allen also looked thoughtful, considering the implications of their experiment.
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