That makes enough sense to me, to a point. I mean, I figure it'd still be more advantageous to be able to will it within a second, which cuts down immensely on the opportunity of someone getting distracted by something. Would incantations work up to that? I honestly can't say that I can envision it.
In theory, sure. Practically: it takes time to focus your mind on things and channel great mystical energies. It seems reasonable that this would take longer depending on the level of focus required and the amount of great mystical energies you're channelling.
In
theory one could reach a level to reduce that time near enough to zero. In
practice, even Evangeline is only doing it for the smaller spells, and can still achieve better focus and effect by running through the incantation.
One second is a pretty long time in a fight. I've seen people sparring to 'lethal injury' in fifteen-second-long bouts. Two out of thirty or so actually lasted the full fifteen seconds.
And it's not just other things distracting you. It's your own mind distracting you. Paying attention to that guy's fist approaching your nose, the exceeding pain from the broken nose, the fact that you haven't eaten for fourty hours and are hungry, at any given moment a mind is bouncing between dozens and dozens of things. Incantations are essentially a spell meditation to stop focusing on other things and start focusing on magic.
I don't really think it's all that mental in either of these cases, but especially in regard to Chao. She's about as close to being a Mary Sue character as can be without actually being one. If you knew Chao, you'd agree that there's nothing stopping her from the mental side of things.
High intelligence is not omni-competence. By mental energy I mean the 'give-a-fuck'. It's difficult to invest energy to what look like relatively minimal returns. And considering how effective she can be without magic, doesn't seem like she had a desperate need for those returns, did she?
There is no problem that cannot be solved through the proper application of immense levels of firepower.
- Finally promoted to Spammaster Indeterminate Rank as of June 18, by Stratagemini
<Stratagemini> My Titanium Anus Armour will repel all challengers!
Would you believe this is one of the more tame bits of dirt I've got for him?