《Celestalis Rot》


 Chapter 1: In Medias Res

    [[Volume 1]]: Humble Beginnings


    Chapter 1: In Medias Res


    Tyrith awoke from his sleep, trying to remember his hazy dreams. As he stumbled off his bed and onto the wooden floor, he recalled a booming voice, shouting ["you''re fated to fail!"] He also dreamed that he became the greatest Mage in the Empire, surpassing even the Founder, and blasting the enemies of the Empire to shreds.


    Tyrith walked into the bathroom, and glanced in the mirror. His long dark hair covered his face as he ruminated on his dreams. He brushed his teeth to the quiet hum of machinery and wiped the dreams from his mind. Even though he knew he was lucky to be in school at 17 instead of working, he couldn''t help but grumble a little. Walking into the kitchen, he greeted his mother and father, Kian and Wade.


    ["Good morning son. Have some breakfast"]


    Wade pushed a bowl of oats with sliced apples in it across the table.  As Tyrith ate, Wade and Kian chatted about the ongoing research at the academy. Kian asked Wade the same old question:


    ["Any progress towards the blue core?"]


    ["Honey, you know I gave up on that dream years ago. I''ve been stuck on the bright stripes for ages. I''m focused on researching how the structure and distribution of mana veins affect the efficacy of a Green cores Innate spell, and the ease of advancement.  If I can make a breakthrough, then we may see a surge in the number of Green cores in the Empire..."]


    ["I know, I know. Just be sure to not forget yourself amidst your research."]


    Tyrith finished his breakfast and placed his dishes in the sink. He picked up his backpack and piled in his school materials, waving goodbye to his parents. He stepped out into the thin haze that permeated the residential district these days. His train was due in a few minutes and he didn''t want to miss it, lest he be scolded by his Basic Magic Theory teacher again.


    He hurried to the bustling train station, and watched as the train pulled in, blowing large amounts of steam out with a loud screeching sound as it came to a stop.  The gold trimmed marble doors opened with a hiss, and Tyrith stepped on. His eyes scanned the interior of the train, searching for his friend Wendt.


    Seeing the blonde haired young man already sitting in one of the compartments, he sat across the table from. Wendt unzipped his jacket, raised his eyebrow, and spoke inquisitively.


    ["More strange dreams from wonder boy?"]


    Tyrith sighed.


    ["Yup. This time I was a great Violet core, with dual attributes of Prophecy and War, and I helped the Empire conquer the Theocracy. I crushed their squadrons one after another, and in the end, even the Pope had to kneel before me."]


    Wendt smirked.


    ["A Violet-cored War Mage huh. That brain of yours has an active imagination. A Violet core hasn''t been seen in at least a hundred years. I''m pretty sure they all died off in the war to annihilate the Principality. I''ll bet you''re having these dreams because of the increased aggression of the Theocracy recently."]


    ["Whatever. Did you study for the exam? You can''t afford to get another F, or they''ll send you to the remedial school."]


    ["I studied, I studied. I even memorized all the inane names they give things."]


    ["Well that''s great. Maybe you''ll even get to graduate with me."]


    Wendt frowned as Tyrith gloated.


    ["You don''t think they would actually forbid me from graduating over a couple F''s?"]


    ["They keep saying that the fundamental theory is the most important thing you can do until you Spark. Based on what I know, I''m inclined to agree."]


    ["Spoken like the son of an academic."]


    The brakes of the train screeched once again, and it shuddered to a stop outside of the school.  The great steel letters spelling "Radomir Instructional Academy" splayed across the fence enclosing the imposing building. Students streamed out of the train and in through the gates, into the highest rated academy for mages in the White Gold Empire.


    Tyrith quickly moved through the halls, avoiding people walking lazily and chatting, and arrived at his first class of the day, Basic Magic Theory. He sat down in his desk, getting out his notebook. His teacher walked up to his desk.


    ["Ah Tyrith. I''m glad you decided to join us before class started this time."]


    Tyrith replied indignantly.


    ["I already told you instructor, it wasn''t my fault. It is exceedingly important for a budding mage to get sufficient sleep."]


    ["And I told you, it is exceedingly important for a budding mage to get a good foundational instruction in the theory of magic. Without  the proper theoretical foundations, you will lost once you obtain the Yellow core."]


    Tyrith''s attitude calmed down a bit.


    ["I know. I promise you I actually studied this time. I''m hoping to get good enough grades to get into the best university for magical research."]


    ["Well then I hope for your sake you continue to take this class more seriously."]


    More students streamed into class, and chatted, then the bell rung.


    ["Alright students, I hope you''ve all prepared well for your exam."]


    The instructor began handing out exam papers, fresh from the press.


    Tyrith grabbed his confidently, and mentally reviewed his studies while he waited to begin.


    ["Okay, begin!"]


    The instructor took his seat and watched his students scramble to open the test.


    Tyrith opened to the first question: {Q1 Please list the mana cores in increasing order of power, how to obtain them, what they do, and notable figures in history who had these cores (30 points)}


    <"Okay, he''s giving us a freebie for the first question, that''s nice.">


    Tyrith wrote quickly:


    {It all starts with the Red core. This is the least powerful core. To obtain it, you must wait for your dormant core which resides near your spine to grow and reach maturity, usually happening around 18 years of age. Then, you need to inject sufficient mana into it in order to Spark it. Nowadays this is done with a Spark Injector, a mechanical apparatus which can help inject mana. In the terms of modern technology, Sparking is like starting the fire which will fuel your factory. A Red core enables you to absorb mana with much higher efficiency, and to channel to cast your Innate spell. Every person is born with a unique spell locked in their core, and only when they reach the Red level can they unleash it. The most famous person with a Red core was probably our founder Valen, thanks to his Innate spell, which allowed him to easily refine materials. This allowed him to unite the tribes surrounding his village and form the White Gold Empire.}


    {Next, comes the Orange core. To advance to the Orange core, you must form a Foundation. The Foundation is the basis of a Mages future advancement, and it is perhaps the most important step for a Mage. In Factory terms, this is buying the materials for the shell of your first steam engine, and making sure your factory can hold up against the steady stream of materials which will soon flow through it. Once you build your Foundation, you are able to interface external equipment with your mana flow, and use it to enhance your spells. Thanks to the development in technology, you can interface with one of the many Attribute Analyzers to figure out what your first attribute is. The most famous Orange core is probably Eldric, who publicized the first Warrior Foundation, or Lirael, who created the first Research Foundation. }The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    {After the Orange is the Yellow. This is where you truly can become a Mage. To become a Yellow core you must complete your Internal Refinement, which is similar to building the internals of your first steam engine, so it can harness the power of the flames. Once you complete your internal refinement, your core can accommodate the magic of others, which allows you to learn spells other than your Innate spell. Valen was fairly famous a Yellow core, because of his vast compendium of spells he ended up acquiring. }


    {After Yellow, is Green. To advance to Green, you have to undergo Mana Integration, where you spread mana veins from your core throughout your body. This is thought of as adding another steam engine to your factory. Undergoing Mana Integration allows you to dual cast spells. As well as this, thanks to the spread of mana veins, the second attribute stored in your core is able to awaken. The power of two attributes combined is far greater than one. A famous green core would be Nicholas the 2nd, who melted through the last bastion of local resistance against the Empire 500 years ago with his Dual Cast Flames of Punishment.}


    {Following Green is the highest level in the world today, Blue. To advance to the Blue core, one must under go Soul Connection, where you connect your soul, brain, and core together with a main mana vein. Doing this unlocks a vast complement of abilities. Thanks to the mental connection to your core and soul, advancing to the Blue core allows one to project a Magic Domain into the world around them, a space where their actions carry more weight. The mental connection also enables Quick Casting, skipping certain parts of incantations, and in certain cases, skipping the incantation entirely. However the most coveted part of being a Blue core Mage is that it becomes significantly easier to invent your own spells. The exact cause of this effect is still not entirely understood, but it is thought that your soul is brought closer to the essence of magic as a Blue core, which allows you to tap into certain secrets. Inventing your own spells makes you a terrifying powerhouse. In terms of a factory, advancing to a Blue core is like hiring workers to take the product your factory makes to the outside world. Without a doubt, the most famous Blue core was  Soraya. Her Space attribute allowed her to invent the Limited Teleportation spell, a priceless spell for transportation, which has greatly affected the flow of history.}


    {After Blue is the Legendary Violet core. Currently, no one in the world is known to hold a Violet core. The method to ascend to a Violet core is also unknown. However, the effects bestowed by a Violet core are a testament the difficulty to obtain it. Violet cores are known to cast spells completely silently, as well as casting spells at a full sprint, without any indication of the casting process. They can fuse spells together and cast them to achieve great effects. Their domain is wider, stronger, and stranger. Fighting in a Violet cores domain is like fighting against the world itself. The most well known Violet core was Mikhail, the former Emperor. He accrued large swathes of land for the empire in the War of Inheritance, and was most well known for his fusion spell, Twin Moons.}


    {After Violet core, I do not know. Perhaps there are greater cores out there, with even more mystical effects, but there have never been any rumors about them.}


    {As well as the unique effects brought by each core, advancing a core stage will increase ones mana capacity, and allow them to cast higher tier spells.}


    <"I even included the Factory metaphor he lectured us about, so that better be full credit full credit">


    Tyrith moved onto the second question


    {Q2 What are runes? List some commonly used ones, and detail them. What is a novel usage of runes which has impacted your daily life? (20 points)}


    Tyrith pondered for a moment on how best to formulate his answer, before beginning to write.


    {Runes are a method of channeling mana through a material to achieve certain effects. They were invented by the genius Ryath the Rune Mage. Runes are mostly useless on their own, however combinations of them are used to achieve certain effects. The most commonly used rune is the Mana Gathering Rune, which passively draws mana from the environment. Next is the Mana Channeling Rune which directs the flow of Mana. After that the next most common runes are probably the Elemental Runes, which transform Mana into their respective elements. I would say a novel usage of runes which has impacted my daily life is the Air Cooling and Filtration units which have recently been installed in the school. They use up to 300 runes to take air and mana from outside, remove the impurities, cool it to a set level, and circulate it throughout the building. This has greatly improved the quality of life of students}


    Tyrith looked over his work, and at his pen, which had runes engraved on it. He moved on.


    {Q3 Suppose you are a Green core, with Fire and Lightning attributes. Briefly explain what sort of Foundation would be best for you, and a fusion spell you could design to best take advantage of the attributes and the Foundation. Where would you use this spell? (10 points)}


    <Hmm.. Fire and Lightning... Explosiveness and Power... >


    {The type of Foundation that would be best for a Green core with Fire and Lightning attributes is a foundation which can accommodate large bursts and mana and channel that power. It would be great under the War Mage classification. A fusion spell to take advantage of these attributes and Foundation is compressing the Lightning into glass shards, and launching them with an explosion of Fire. This spell would be best used in a battle between many people, as it would deal a large amount of damage to a crowd.}


    {Q4 What are the common Foundation types in the Empire? (10 points)}


    {There are 7 common Foundations: War Mage Foundation, Battle Mage Foundation, Research Mage Foundation, Logistic Mage Foundation, Ruler Foundation, Defense Foundation, and the Generalist Foundation.  The War Mage is best suited for large, ongoing battles. The Battle Mage is good at single combat. The Research Mage and Logistic Mage support and improve the Empire. The Ruler foundation is for those who want to manage a city, or a county. The Defense Foundation is for those who want to have the ability to defend themselves. And finally, the Generalist Foundation is good at a little bit of everything.}


    {Q5 Describe the consequences of failing a core advancement attempt. (10 points)}


    {The consequences of failing a core advancement fall into four general categories: Light, Medium, Heavy, and Death. The light category involves things like not being able to absorb mana for a couple days,  getting a light cold, or getting a few cuts. In the medium category is mana sickness, a serious illness, and physical harm similar to getting stabbed. In the heavy category is falling down a core level, losing a limb, or even losing your core altogether. In the Death category, you die. The category you fall in depends on how badly you mess up during your advancement. It''s practically unheard of to get a Heavy or Death penalty from trying to advance to the Orange or Yellow. }


    {Q6 Theorize about a method to advance to the Violet core. (20 points)}


    Tyrith had no idea where to even start, as he didn''t even have an active core, so all he knew of Magic was theory.


    {Based on the abilities the Violet core provides, it seems like a key tenet of being a Violet core is being integrated with Magic, as well as the world around them. Because of this, I think a possible way to advance to the Violet core could be to refine a Mana Crystal into an external core somehow, and integrate that core into an artifact, which would allow you to better integrate with magic, and project your will into the outside world.}


    Tyrith finished the free response section of the exam and worked on the various multiple choice questions.


    He looked up and surveyed the room, seeing if anyone else had finished their test yet. Wendt was sleeping on the cold marble desk, using his jacket as a pillow. Most of the other students were still furiously writing on the paper. A few of the top performers had turned in their exams. The instructor sat at his desk, reading some book and looking up every so often.


    Tyrith took his exam up front and handed it to the instructor. The instructor smiled at him and placed it in a folder.


    He slumped back in his desk, tapping his fingers as he thought.


    <At least that was the last exam before the Final. Just one more month and we can finally graduate.>


    Tyrith thought of the day ahead of him. Biology class, Physics class, lunch, and then Meditation.


    A while later, the bell rung, and he walked up to Wendt and shook him awake.


    ["How was the exam for you?"]


    ["It was cake dude, I told you I studied. I finished it in 20 minutes and took a nap to catch up on sleep."]


    ["What did you put for the Violet core question?"]


    ["Ehhh, I just said that if you absorb enough mana you''ll probably experience a qualitative change in your core."]


    ["Whatever you say."]


    Later, in the time for Mediation, Tyrith sat with his legs crossed, focusing. In front of him, a mana gathering rune was inscribed into a gold circle on the ground. He focused his intent as he was taught, and tried to sense the mana particles gathering there.  He closed his eyes, and slowed his breathing. In his minds eye, he saw nothing but darkness. As he breathed, small white specks appeared in the darkness. Following the guide the school provided him, he reached out with his intent, forming a transparent hand in his mind. With this hand, he took each speck one by one, and guided them to himself, and into his core.


    After absorbing the mana into his body, he circulated it through his veins. After a few hours, he opened his eyes. His core was finally saturated, after years of learning how to gather mana, and filling his core. Soon, he would be able to attempt Sparking his core.

 Chapter 2: The Spark

    [[Volume 1]]: Humble Beginnings


    Chapter 2: The Spark


    One month later, in the final month of the year.


    As Tyrith sleeps, he dreams.


    He is in a nightmarish land filled with purple fog. He can see only a few feet in front of him as he trudges through the fog.


    Before him, a figure unfolds from nothing, with 12 pairs of wings surrounding it. 2 more similar figures unfold from the void, and they converse. One of them notices that someone is watching, and turns around staring at Tyrith. A bright light emanates from the figure, awakening Tyrith.


    Tyrith woke suddenly in his bed, forgetting what he had been dreaming about. He went about his morning routine, then he got on the train. This time, instead of going to his academy, he went to the palace in the Ruling District. Today was the day slated for his Final Exam, and if successful, his graduation.


    The train rumbled gently as he looked out the windows and watched the scenery slowly change from the housing of the Residential District, to the spindly offices of the Ruling District. Tyrith ruminated on his home city, Valenhome, the capital of the White Gold Empire.


    The 7 Districts of Valenhome were arranged in a hexagonal formation, with the Ruling District in the middle, due to one of Valen''s quirks being his obsession with what he saw as ''perfect'' geometry. In the modern era, the districts are interconnected with the Capital Train System, which provides mobility between districts. Before that, people usually only traveled between the Residential District, and one of the districts they worked in. Now however, researchers in their free time could travel to the Military or Economic districts and widen their perspective, and vice versa. As well as this, the capital had been undergoing a population explosion due to the effects of newly mechanized agriculture after the steam revolution. All of the districts have been expanding outward, creeping up on the territory surrounding the capital. However, due to the Ruling District being in the middle, it could only choose to expand upward. This gave rise to the unique architecture of the Ruling District, tall, unwieldy office buildings, spewing steam. And in the very center of it all, sat the Imperial Palace, the seat of ultimate power in the Empire. That is where Tyrith is heading.


    <"I wonder if the Ruling District used to look more similar to the Research District, before the big expansion in population.">


    The buildings flew past as the train approached the giant marble castle. It had 6 points, where imposing towers rose from the ground, filled with slits for mages to cast spells out of. A vast wall, carved by Valen''s Innate Spell into huge bricks, connected these towers. A keep rose inside the walls, and inside sat the throne made of marble and gold, intertwining to form the heads of lions at the peak of the throne.


    Tyrith departed the train, and made his way, along with dozens of other students, to the audience chamber in the keep. Here, the ceremony will be held, for their Final, their Sparking.


    The students streamed into the audience chamber and sat in the chairs they were assigned. Up on the smooth dark stone stage in front of them, the Spark Injector sat. The culmination of thousands of years of incremental technological improvement. It was quaint, roughly about the same size as a desk in Tyrith''s academy. It consisted of a chair to sit in, and a roughly spherical bronze and gold device, with an aperture aimed at the chair.


    And beyond the Spark Injector, on a simple throne, sat the current Empress of the Empire, Kalactissia. She exuded a queenly aura, and a subtle sense of power. The air around her seems to stir with every little movement.


    To pass the Final, Tyrith would have to succeed in his Sparking, personally overseen by the Empress.


    Eventually, nervous students stopped filing into their hall.


    Kalactissia waved her hand slightly, and the air rippled, then she stood up. A silence descended over the hall.


    ["Welcome, students of Valen Academy. You have preserved for so long, and now your efforts are about to pay off. After this day, you will no longer just be students, you will be Mages of the Empire. You are the future of our Empire. As such, I will oversee each and every one of your Sparkings, and give you my blessing as a Mage. May the Lord be with you."]


    Although religious fanfare had fallen out of favor due to the aggression of the Theocracy, it was still used in formal events like this.


    The Dean of Valen Academy stepped onto the stage, and cast a voice amplification spell.


    ["Hello students. I am so very proud of you all. To keep this as short as it can be, let us begin now. Armais, step forward."]


    The first student got out of their seat, and stepped onto the stage. They sat in the Spark Injector. Kalactissia got off her throne, and stepped forward, standing behind the spherical part of the injector. She laid her hand on the runes engraved there.


    ["Start using your mana circulation method."]


    The student complied, closing her eyes and concentrating. Kalactissia began guiding her mana into the injector, and it started glowing blue. A soft humming exuded from the machine, and grew stronger as Kalactissia injected more of her own mana, and guided the students into the injector. The glow grew in brightness, rivaling that of 10 candles, before the Empress spoke.


    ["Now."]


    She activated the device, and a shockwave emitted from the injector, blowing back the Empress'' long dark hair, and the excess mana lit up a few gems in her crown. As the light of the Injector died down, the student screwed her eyes, and after a half second, a red light emitted from her abdomen. The first Sparking of the ceremony was a success.


    ["The Lord has blessed you. Next!"]


    The student gave a salute, then walked off of the stage. The Dean began to call up the next student to undergo Sparking. This process went on for about an hour until it was Tyrith''s turn.


    Tyrith walked up on the stage, his heart pounding as her surveyed the audience. He sat in the warm chair of the Injector, and began using his mana circulation method. He saw in his minds eye the Injector, and began pushing his mana towards it. Kalactissia also began imbuing the injector with her mana.


    ["Now."]


    Time seemed to slow down. A visible and bright blue spark of mana exited the aperture of the spark injector, and dove into Tyrith''s core. He felt a slight pain, and then he had the feeling of something inexplicably foreign awakening within him. Knowledge bubbled up from the depths of his brain and he knew instinctively that he had succeeded, and his core had Sparked to Red. The foreign feeling was his Innate Spell awakening. Kalactissia''s shout about the Lord blessing him jolted Tyrith from his stupor. He saluted her and walked off the stage.


    He sat back in his seat dazed, and watched as various other people Sparked their cores, including his friend Wendt. At the end of the ceremony, only 3 people failed to Spark their core. In the past, these people were known as Demonlike, and said to be the descendants of demons, but now, the discrimination against them was slowly lessening.


    All those who had successfully awakened their cores were taken to a training chamber to test their Innate Spells. This was their graduation ceremony. The training chamber was vast, with a wide assortment of objects and people, all designed to test the variety of Innate Spells which have just awakened.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    There was a pillar of marble with a sapling on it, a pillar of marble with a dense block of metal, a plane of glass, a mirror, a torch, a candle, all sorts of objects. Then there were the people, hired by the Empire to serve as test subjects for the non-lethal Innate Spells. Students would choose where to go based on the intuition they felt when awakening their Innate Spell.


    Tyrith chose to go to a pillar holding a dense black rock, standing about a meter high. He stood about 10 paces away from it and prepared himself. He stirred the mana within his core, and performed the actions engraved into his mind: aiming his hand at the rock, closing then quickly opening it like he was flicking something at the object. An invisible force flew from his hand and hit the rock. As a result, the rock had split open about 10 cm tall and 3 cm deep.


    Tyrith stepped forward to evaluate the effects of his spell. It looked as if someone had slashed the rock with an infinitely sharp sword. He felt the smooth edges of the cut, which glinted in the light, as he thought.


    <"I got lucky, my Innate Spell requires only a somatic component. It seems like it takes up about 10% of my current max mana reserves to cast, at maximum power. The effect should be controllable... I think I''ll call my spell ''Slice'' ">


    Tyrith went to another pillar, where a root vegetable called Khar sat. He focused his will and cast ''Slice'', at a lower power. The root vegetables were sliced cleanly in half.


    <"Excellent, that took less than a percent of my mana reserves. This should prove to be useful in daily life.">


    He practiced casting ''Slice'' a few more times on various objects.


    <"It seems like objects that impede the flow of mana are more resistant to ''Slice.'' On the other hand, objects which conduct mana well are less resistant. I was able to cut through a thick gold block, and barely scratched a block of marble. ">


    He decided he was done testing his Innate Spell for now, and walked around looking for his friend Wendt.


    He found Wendt near a volunteer tester. Wendt and the tester turned and looked at him at the same time, and Wendt spoke.


    ["What''s up Tyrith? Wanna know my awesome Innate Spell?"]


    ["Sure man, tell me all about it."]


    ["I call it ''Can I Borrow That?'' It allows me to temporarily share the vision of someone. It''s easier for me if they''re willing, but if they aren''t I can force my way through if I expend enough mana. Unfortunately, it doesn''t really seem to have much use in daily life... What''s your spell?"]


    ["I call mine ''Slice.'' With it I can cut objects and leave a deep imprint. I can also reduce the power to use it for stuff like slicing vegetables. It should be semi-useful in daily life, and also for self-defense. "]


    ["That sounds dope. If it were me, I''d go around slicing things."]


    ["That''s probably why you don''t have this spell."]


    After a half hour of idle conversation, the instructors drew all the students'' attention.


    ["Come forward and register your Innate Spells."]


    All the students shuffled forward and added the details about their spells to the Registry, a national compendium of all innate spells gained each year. Upper Academies trawled this Registry every year to seek potential talents. Tyrith and Wendt added their names and spells to the Registry, and they were released.


    They went back to the train, and choose a compartment to sit in. Wendt spoke first.


    ["Want to go relax in the Economic District?"]


    Tyrith thought for a moment, then agreed. He had been devoting himself to school, and now that he was finally a Red Core, it was due time for relaxation.


    ["Sure, why not. What do you want to do?"]


    ["Hmmm... we can go to Quentien''s, then go shopping at the market."]


    Tyrith nodded in assent.


    The train rumbled as they waited to arrive at their destination. While staring at the table between them, Tyrith had the sudden urge to use his innate spell. He controlled his power to the minimum, and rapidly used ''Slice.'' He slowly spelled out his name out of the slices he made on the table. The slices were very shallow and only viewable from a certain angle. He got a great sense of joy out of being able to use magic now.


    Later, the train came to a stop outside of the main train station of the Economic District.


    Tyrith and Wendt stepped off. The main train station was right next to the river that ran through the Economic District, the Marble River, known for its slopes of marble. Boats traveled up and down the river, holding cargo and people.


    They made their way to Quentien''s, a favorite restaurant of locals. They walked through the spruce doors, and sat down at a table. A waiter walked up to them, wearing the plain red clothes of the establishment.


    ["How can I help you gentlemen?"]


    Wendt spoke first.


    ["Could I get your ale and some mutton, with a side of yerek salad."]


    The waiter wrote on his notepad.


    ["Got it. And for you?"]


    Tyrith deliberated for a second before deciding.


    ["I''ll have the chicken, with rice, and just water to drink."]


    ["Yes sir."]


    Just a few minutes later, their food came out. The service was quite fast thanks to Quentien''s Innate Spell, which allowed him to instantly create food dishes whose recipe he knew, out of the raw ingredients.


    They dug into their food, hungry after advancing a major level. As they ate at the wooden table, Tyrith saw some students from their academy out of the corner of his eye, and he waved at them, they waved back and sat next to them.


    One of them exclaimed:


    ["Happy graduation guys!"]


    ["Happy graduation. Nice to meet you, I''m Tyrith."]


    ["I''m Mira!"]


    ["Orris."]


    Tyrith shook hands with both of them. A couple minutes later they ordered food as well, then scarfed it down. After relaxing for a bit, listening to the music being played in the restaurant, Mira spoke up.


    ["So... wanna talk Innate Spells? I''ll volunteer to go first."]


    Tyrith and Wendt nodded, and she started to speak quickly.


    ["I call my Innate Spell ''The Weave.'' Basically, I can spin my mana into thin threads, and control them."]


    She demonstrated her spell, spinning small red threads and then tying them into a knot.


    Tyrith and Wendt gave their standard explanations of their innate spells, with interest from Mira and Orris. It was then Orris''s turn.


    ["My Innate Spell is called ''Flash.'' It allows me to teleport very short distances, while producing a bright flash of light at my previous location."]


    Tyrith was quite impressed, as teleportation spells were quite hard to learn for those without a spatial attribute, and were rare as an Innate Spell. Those who could teleport were usually lauded as experts of experts.


    The group chatted for a bit, wondering if an Upper Academy would take them in, and eventually, Tyrith and Wendt paid for their meal, about 20 bronze celens, then left for the market.


    They walked along the paved streets for a few minutes before arriving at their destination, a mass of covered stalls and squat buildings that contained a bustling market. Tyrith walked up to the usual stall he visited, where a man sold magical equipment.


    ["Greetings young Tyrith. Looking to buy anything this time?"]


    ["Nope, just browsing."]


    ["Ah well... one day I''ll get your money. Anyways, I have some new stock, come check it out."]


    The merchant pointed to a golden ring, with 3 mana crystals embedded in it, in a triangular pattern, with a rune engraved in the middle.


    ["This is a seeking ring. Press it against any magical equipment, then infuse mana into the ring, and it will generate a small arrow pointing in the direction of the attuned magical equipment. It''s good for those who have butter fingers. Or, you can buy a pair, and attune them to each other, to always be able to find someone."]


    The merchant reached to the side and grabbed a wooden staff which went up to his chest. The wooden staff was ramrod straight, and was capped with silver.


    ["The core of this staff is electrum. Casting spells through it will make the mana travel out through the top and bottom caps, and disperse the spells into a large area. This can be used for seeking spells, if you want to water your garden, or maybe to project an umbrella."]


    The merchant took out two more items.


    ["These are for the more adventurous folk."]


    He held up a sword, it looked similar to steel, but much darker.


    ["This sword is made of dark gold. It''s insides are inscribed with runes which amplify, gather, and concentrate mana, which can be dispersed through the edge or tip of the sword, or channeled into one of the five elemental crystals it has embedded in the hilt. It''s stronger than steel, and sharper too. A great asset for any mage skilled in the sword, and looking to go to battle."]


    In the other hand, he held what looked to be a curved wooden stick, with a metal cylinder atop it.


    ["This is a projected magic weapon. These are pretty new innovations. Similar to gunpowder weapons, they allow a mage to project their spells to a great distance, increasing the range of their attacks. However, it does have the downside of using up a mana crystal each time..."]


    ["300 gold celens for the both of them."]


    Tyrith felt a little pang in his heart as he heard the price.


    ["Maybe next time...."]


    <"That sword seems like it could complement my ''Slice'' well... but I can''t afford it, and I''m not even an Orange core yet.">


    He went to go find Wendt, who was perusing clothes, some of which had crystals embedded in them.


    ["I''m going to head home. Catch you later, at the announcement ceremony?"]


    ["Sure thing. See ya."]


    Tyrith made his way through the crowds, and back to the train.


    By the time he got home, it was dark out. His parents had waited at home and gave him their utmost congratulations on his Sparking. He celebrated with them for a couple of hours, then went into his bedroom.


    While he had to wait to see if he got into an Upper Academy, he could begin practicing magic right now. He sat on his bed and activated his mana gathering technique. Through his mind''s eye, he could see the ambient mana particles in his room and gathered them towards him gently. This time, he guided them into his core, which glowed a dim red in his mind sight. After a few mana particles entered his core, he was able to see the brightness increase gradually. His goal was to advance to the next minor stage in the next few months, the Solid Bright core.

 Chapter 3: The Wonderful World of Academia

    [[Volume 1]]: Humble Beginnings


    Chapter 3: The Wonderful World of Academia


    In the early morning, on the second week of the new year 3424, Tyrith sat on his bed, practicing his mana gathering technique. Tyrith hadn''t had any dreams for the past month. However, he had made progress on his core. He had spent at least an hour every morning and every night practicing mana gathering. His efforts had borne fruit, as seen by the glow of his core being significantly brighter than when he Sparked it.


    He had also been developing his mana gathering technique. Now, instead of using 2 spectral hands to gather the mana particles, he increased the number of spectral hands to 4, and each hand had 15 tentacles instead of fingers, which could stretch further and gather more mana particles. His efficiency of mana gathering had increased slightly as a result.


    His mana circulation technique had slowly been driving the impurities out of his body, and his physical strength had increased to be similar to a strongman''s strength.


    He finished gathering mana, stretched, and went about his morning routine. This time, he headed to the Residential District Square. That is where the announcement ceremony would be held. Based on the conversations he had with his parents and his friends, it seemed pretty certain he would be recruited to an Upper University, however which one specifically was up in the wind.


    This time, he didn''t need to catch a train and simply walked on foot. He had bundled up due to the weather, wearing a thick woolen coat. As he walked between rows of houses, small snowflakes fell from the sky, piling up on the streets. Young children shoveled snow outside their houses to clear paths.


    Soon, the houses began to spread out, giving way to a wide open space, the District Square. Here, soldiers were shoveling snow, dumping it into the sewers. Their breath fogged in the cold as they worked.


    In the center of the square, a raised platform stood, made of out of solid wood. Torches burned along the perimeter of the square, warming all those who stood there.


    Tyrith picked through the crowd until he saw a familiar face, Wendt. He walked up behind him and clapped a hand on his shoulder. Wendt turned around and greeted him.


    ["Hey. Excited for the big day?"]


    ["Excited is one word for it."]


    They stood next to each other and commiserated about their struggles in cultivating their magic power, and what they''ve been doing after graduation.


    Soon, the bell on a clocktower tolled, and an official walked up on the stage.


    The official waved their hand and cast a silencing spell, then a voice amplification spell.


    ["Greetings fellow Mages. Today, I will announce the names of those who have been recruited to an Upper Academy. Once your name has been announced, go stand by your representative."]


    Near the stage, dozens of imposing looking Mages, wearing colorful cloaks, stood. Above them, signs stating the various names of the upper academies.


    Under a sign reading Panuku Hall of Battle stood a tall man, wearing a red cloak. They were known for nurturing battle mages.


    Under a sign reading Cortland Arcane Conservatory, a man and a woman stood, wearing blue cloaks, and muttering to each other. This academy was known for magical research.


    Beneath the sign reading Drail Nexus, a short man wearing a black cloak stood. The Drail Nexus was known for raising war mages, and was extremely enigmatic.


    Next to the sign reading Whispering Shroud, a woman with a yellow cloak covering her face stood. This academy was highly affiliated with the Empire.


    Finally, there was the sign reading Eubukor Bladespire, and a man stood beneath it, wearing a gray cloak, and a sword at his waist. The Bladespire was one of the last bastions of martial arts in the Empire.


    There were various other signs with less prominent academy names on them.


    As wind blew through the square, the official began reading out names.


    ["Aaiat: You have been recruited by the Cortland Arcane Conservatory."]


    ["Armais: You have been recruited to the Hetshire Runic Hall."]


    The official droned on for half an hour until arriving at the T''s.


    ["Tlalock: You have not been recruited to any upper academies. Keep in mind the military will take anyone."]


    ["Tyrith: You have been recruited to the Eubukor Bladespire."]


    Tyrith thought for a second, then nodded and walked over to the man in the gray cloak, standing with the small group of people who had formed around him. The man in the gray cloak greeted him.


    ["Hello Tyrith. It''s good to have you at Eubukor. I''ve heard great things about your father."]


    ["You know my father?"]


    ["Yes, I''ve heard of his exploits at the Conservatory. Attempting to ease the advancement to the Green core is a noble thing."]


    ["I see..."]


    Tyrith zoned out for a while, until he heard


    ["Wendt: You have been recruited by the Whispering Shroud."]


    Tyrith saw Wendt excitedly jog over the woman in the yellow cloak, and start to chat with her. The crowd surrounding the sign of the Whispering Shroud was noticeably smaller than the others.


    The gray cloaked man representing the Bladespire spoke.


    ["Alright folks, let''s get moving. You''ll follow me to Eubukor, and I''ll give you a tour before the semester starts."]


    Their guide started moving at a brisk pace across the cobbled streets. The rest of the group followed along. They weaved through squat houses until coming to a train station. As they waited for the train to arrive, the guide introduced himself.


    ["Nice to meet my juniors. I''m Kaelion, an Orange core, 3rd year mage at the Eubukor Bladespire. Let me ask you, what do you think the best Upper Academy is?"]


    A short girl piped up:


    ["I would say it''s the Panuku Hall of Battle. Their battle mages are known to be the most ruthless in the Empire."]


    A gangly man crossed his arms and stated his opinion next:


    ["The Drail Nexus. Their mages are horrifying."]


    More students gave their opinions on the best Upper Academy.


    Kaelion smiled, then spoke


    ["These opinions are all fair. Each Academy generally has something they''re really good at. We certainty can''t compete with the conservatory in research. Lots of other academies pride themselves on teaching their students how to fight. The Hall of Battle thinks their battle mages are the most brutal warriors. The Nexus thinks they have mastered using fear as a weapon."]


    ["But the Bladespire is the best. Do you wanna know why? It''s because at Bladespire, we don''t just teach you how to fight. We teach you how to win. And how to keep winning. We don''t forge fighters, we forge victors."]If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ["The arcane arts originated from martial arts, and here we still teach martial arts. The other academies have forgotten their foundation."]


    He smiled, and the train arrived, spewing smoke. Kaelion waited for the doors to open, then stepped on board, motioning for the other students to follow him. They stepped on board with him, and filtered into compartments to sit down.


    In the compartment where Tyrith sat, 2 others also sat. They introduced themselves, and chatted for a while. Through the conversation, Tyrith learned that the innate spells the others had were fairly combat oriented. They had been hoping to get recruited into the Nexus, or the Hall of Battle, but the Bladespire wasn''t half bad.


    As they chatted, the time quickly passed and they soon arrived at their destination. As Tyrith got out of the train, he found himself looking up in awe.


    Before him, stood a massive structure, standing tall and gleaming in the sun. It was made of sharp metal objects, curling around a central structure like petals of a flower, and shooting into the sky. Around it, several dozen building spread out like the crater formed by a meteor, made of sharp metal, and formed into spikey figures. The buildings were large, but not too tall, and looked as if they were in the process of being blasted away by an explosion.


    Surrounding the buildings was a large width of compacted dirt and sand, and surrounding that was a tall brick wall with seats embedded in it, forming a sort of arena. From here, the Bladespire looked more like an entertainment venue than an academy.


    <"I suppose that must be the Bladespire.">


    Tyrith stepped off the platform of the train station, and went down the stairs, walking towards the massive arena. He saw Kaelion run ahead and go into the arena, waiting for them inside.


    He walked under across the street and under the gates, standing next to Kaelion. The rest of the students soon followed, and a group formed around Kaelion.


    ["Ok students, lets start with the guide. This is the Eubukor Bladespire. The center is the spire it is named after, and it is where the professors offices are. The buildings surrounding it are where your classes and some of your training will be. The compacted dirt surrounding the buildings is where most of your training will take place, and sometimes people like to watch from the arena seats. Every few months, we will hold competitions here, and the seats sell out."]


    <"I think I remember hearing about those, my parents took me to one when I was a kid. Don''t remember much of it though other than lots of flashy magic.">


    Kaelion moved along, bring them to another set of buildings.


    ["These are the dorms. This is where you''ll be staying when the semester starts."]


    The dorms were spacious and clean, seemingly pristine. A few students milled about in and out.


    Kaelion continued to give them the tour, taking them through a few classrooms, the training areas, and the lobby of the spire. Then, he went to introduce them to their instructors.


    ["These instructors are the ones who picked you out, and they''ll be the ones personally teaching you outside of classes."]


    The instructors walked around, picking various students out of the crowd. A tall man, with gray hair and a few scars on his faced walked up to Tyrith.


    ["Nice to meet you in person Tyrith. I am Verrick, and I will be your instructor."]


    Verrick reached out his muscled hand and shook hands with Tyrith.


    ["Do you want to know why I chose you?"]


    ["I have been wondering."]


    ["I chose you because of your Innate Spell you called ''Slice.'' I believe a formal education in martial arts will be very beneficial for you, given your Innate Spell. I''ll tell you more on the first day of school."]


    Tyrith nodded, and Verrick gave him information on his schedule and classes, before heading off to talk to another one of his students.


    After a while, Kaelion rounded everyone back up and gave some parting remarks.


    ["Head back home now. Remember the semester starts in one week."]


    Tyrith made his way back home through the train system. After he arrived at his house, he told his parents about which academy had selected him, and they congratulated him.


    One week later, Tyrith had packed his things, said a brief goodbye to his parents, and made his way back to the Bladespire. The number of students attending the academy was small enough that each student was afforded their own room. Tyrith''s room was located in a building a few buildings in from the edge of the arena. He entered the strange metal structure and located his room number. Going inside, he saw the layout of his room. There was a nice bed, a desk, a closet with a dresser, a bathroom, and a small kitchen area. The floor was made out of a softwood, while the desk was a mix of metal and stone.


    Tyrith made his bed, and put away his clothes. He had a goal in mind before meeting with Verrick.


    Tyrith walked the campus, looking for a sign indicating a shop or a workshop. He found a building from which a sign with a hammer sigil hung. Tyrith ducked into the building.


    Inside the building, standing at the counter was a mountain of a man. He watched Tyrith come in and grunted.


    ["What can I help you with?"]


    ["Is this a place where I can order custom equipment?"]


    ["This is the Bladespire Forge. Anything you want, I can make."]


    ["Excellent. Can you make me a plate about as big as my chest out of a highly mana insulative material? Something like marble, but better. And if so, how much would that cost?"]


    The man mountain thought for a couple seconds.


    ["Yes, I should be able to do that. I can make it out of a mixture of marble and lead. For a plate the size of your chest, that would cost 150 copper celens."]


    Tyrith grimaced, then unhooked a leather pouch from his waist, and dropped one silver ball and 50 copper balls into the man''s hands.


    ["Come back in an hour and it should be ready, as it is relatively simple to make."]


    The man headed into the back of his shop, and Tyrith heard him pumping some bellows.


    Tyrith decided to explore a bit and wandered around campus. He checked out the classrooms he would be in, and watched a few people sparring in the training yard. Some other students had also gathered around and were watching spars. After one spar finished, he decided to go up to them and ask about the details of sparring at the academy.


    ["How exactly does sparring work here? What happens if someone gets hurt?"]


    One of the students spoke up.


    ["There is an internal ranking in the Bladespire by class year, and spars are part of the process to determine the ranking. Of course, you can also choose to just spar for fun and not affect the ranking. Spars usually go until one of the parties admits defeat, or is incapacitated. There is no need to worry about most injuries, as we have great healers on hand. However, under no circumstances should you do anything lethal. We can''t cure death here."]


    Tyrith nodded in understanding.


    ["Can I spar one of you two?"]


    The student who was dressed in close-fitting orange robes nodded.


    ["I''ll have a friendly duel with you."]


    The students who were watching got excited and shifted their attention to see the newbie duel.


    Tyrith dropped his money pouch and stepped onto the sparring dirt. The dirt crunched beneath his boots, and he could smell the scent of sweat and sand. The arena felt warm despite the cool weather. The student in orange robes stepped on the sparring dirt and drew a circle about 10 meters in diameter.


    ["For this duel, if one of us steps out, we lose. If we surrender we lose. Do you agree?"]


    Tyrith shrugged.


    ["Sounds good to me."]


    ["Ok. We''ll start... now!"]


    The student rushed at Tyrith from their side of the ring.


    Tyrith quickly started running perpendicular to the student, his thoughts racing.


    <"How can I use ''Slice'' in this situation... I can try to mess up their movement and then use physical force...">


    Tyrith cast ''Slice'' right in front of his opponent''s feet, opening up a small divot in the dirt, however, it wasn''t big enough to trip them up, and the student kept running at him. Tyrith panicked, and tried for another attempt.


    Just as Tyrith was trying again with more power, he felt something shove him, but couldn''t see anything.


    <"It looks like they have some kind of Force spell...">


    Tyrith resisted the shove, but as his opponent made a punching motion, he felt another force, this one more like a punch, and he fell back, a meter away from the edge of the ring.


    Tyrith struggled to get up before his opponent could get near him, and now they were separated by only a few meters. Tyrith focused his will and cast ''Slice,'' this time aiming at his opponent''s feet. A long hole opened up across the student''s shoes, and Tyrith could see blood pooling.


    His opponent flinched, but kept running, before jumping to tackle Tyrith. As Tyrith tried to duck, he grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it in his opponent''s eyes. They were now blinded, but despite this, he got knocked over by the student, who proceeded to push him to the edge of the ring before he could stabilize himself.


    Tyrith heard his opponent whisper ''Pull'' and his legs gave out from under him, then he heard ''Push'' and was shoved out of the ring by the same invisible force.


    ["I win."]


    The orange-clad student wiped the dirt out of their eyes.


    ["That''s a vicious Innate Spell you have there. If you had put your all into it and sliced my feet off, you probably would have won. I do appreciate you not doing that, as it would make it difficult to walk to the healer. However, in battle, you must not have mercy for your opponent. Mercy for an enemy means suffering for yourself."]


    Tyrith was a little shocked by the causal talk about slicing bodyparts off, and the battle talk, but he nodded anyway.


    ["What is your Innate Spell? It seems.. versatile?"]


    ["My Innate Spell is ''Helping Hand.'' I can basically project a hands away from my body and control it, while it is invisible to the naked eye. "]


    ["Wow. Thanks for the spar, I''m Tyrith."]


    ["I''m Amelia."]


    They shook hands. Tyrith apologized to Amelia for ruining her shoes, then went off looking for the Bladespire Forge again. He had resolved himself to be less merciful in future duels, so that he could work his way up the ranks. He walked through the dense streets and arrived shortly. When he went inside, he saw the same man as before. The man recognized him, and brought out something covered in cloth.


    ["This should impede mana flow greatly. Enjoy."]


    Tyrith thanked him, and headed back to his dorm. Inside his dorm, he took the package out of the cloth. It was square, about half a meter long both ways, and had the look of a very dark marble, with a little sheen to it. Tyrith felt it, and the hardness was up to snuff.


    <"Theoretically, since this resists mana flow, it should resist being ''Sliced,'' so I should be able to practice on this.">


    Tyrith set the stone, which he decided to call ''Practice makes Perfect,'' down on the floor of his dorm. Looking down at it, he cast slice at over full power, consuming over half of his mana. There seemed to be no effect, but investigating the surface closely revealed a small chip. Tyrith grinned. This will do nicely. He spent the next hour casting ''Slice'' at low power, and testing his limits with his spell. Before he knew it, it was time to meet with Verrick.

 Chapter 4: Introductions

    [[Volume 1]]: Humble Beginnings


    Chapter 4: Introductions


    Tyrith left his dorm, and walked to the building where Verrick told him they would meet. The building was in the inner ring of the academy, close to the spire. Tyrith walked into the building, and as he opened the doors, he saw Verrick waiting for him, next to some unfamiliar equipment.


    The floor in the building was made of gray tiled stone, and the interior walls were a plain eggshell white, with wooden beams. Verrick stroked his thin gray beard as he spoke.


    ["Greetings, Tyrith. We will begin your training by getting a more quantitative measure of your abilities. I want to measure how much damage you can output, how much mana your core can contain, and how well you can control ''Slice.'' "]


    Tyrith nodded along.


    ["Alright, what exactly do I need to do?"]


    ["First, we will start off with measuring how much damage your ''Slice'' can do, which we can equate to a Standard Damage Unit. You''ll need to tell me the percentage of mana this takes out of your core. From that, we can calculate how many Standard Mana Units your core can contain, and place you in a Tier. Generally, most Red cores will be in Tier 0, but some rare cases are in Tier 1 or even 2."]


    ["The way we can measure your damage is with this machine."]


    Verrick patted the machine, which looked like a stone archery target, attached to a clockwork contraption.


    ["This is a Damage Dummy. It uses the intensity of damage applied to the stone to display how many SDU have been dealt to it, through the wonders of runes. Now, I''m going to set it up, and I want you to give it a full-powered ''Slice.'' "]


    Verrick took the machine to the center of the room, fiddled with some knobs on it, then injected some mana into it. The interface above the target lit up.


    ["Alright, go ahead."]


    Tyrith took a breath, faced the target, condensed his mana to full power, and opened his hand to ''Slice.''


    A small chip appeared on the target, and the number 13 popped up on the damage dummy''s interface.


    Verrick gave a whistle as he looked at the number.


    ["That''s a solid amount of damage for a new Red core."]


    Verrick plugged the damage dummy into another machine, this one more boxy and sleek on the outside, which lit up after he injected mana into it.


    ["Now how much mana did that take out of your core, as a percentage?"]


    ["Mm.. feels like about 10%"]


    ["Ok, and given your current talent in mana compression, which should be around 0...."]


    Verrick flicked some levers on the side of the new machine, then pressed a button. The number 0.4 is displayed on the interface.


    ["So you''re a little higher than average, that''s good. Tier 0.4, so you should reach Tier 1 by the middle of the Red core. Converting that to Standard Mana Units, that would be around 50. Based on that, each full-powered ''Slice'' currently takes around 5 mana."]


    ["Just for your reference, I''m a Blue core at the dim striped stage, and my mana reaches Tier 5, with a mana count of around a hundred thousand. Of course that isn''t taking into account things like attributed mana, innate mana regeneration, things like that. The average mana count at the beginning of the Red core is 25."]


    ["Anyways, your innate spell is very clearly combat-oriented. Tell me more about what you can do with it."]


    ["My innate spell seems like it allows me to cut things, as if they have been sliced with a knife. So far I can turn up the power and turn down the power, and that''s about it."]


    ["I see. But can''t you also peel things with a knife? Have you tried constantly maintain whatever is doing this slicing, and wielding it?"]


    Tyrith''s brows raised in surprise.


    ["I didn''t know you could do that. I thought it was just, bam, you have your Innate Spell, and that''s it."]


    Verrick rolled out his neck as he spoke.


    ["No, as long as you can get a little creative, you can force your innate spell to bend a little bit. Try it."]


    Verrick took out an apple and held it in the palm of his hand.


    ["Try to peel this apple."]


    ["What if I accidentally cut you?"]


    ["Don''t worry. You won''t be able to, even at full power."]


    Tyrith shrugged and put his hand out in front of him.


    [''Slice'']


    A cut appeared on the apple. Tyrith frowned, and tried again, this time trying hard to shape the slice into a sphere.


    [''Slice'']


    A dimple appeared in the face of the ample, spherical in shape.


    <"Hmm... the spherical shape isn''t going to work... Try wielding it continuously? ">


    Tyrith put his hand out again and cast ''Slice,'' this time, trying to hold the slice and move it around in space. This produced a small cut on the surface of the apple, and as he moved his hand around, it slowly peeled the apple, before accidentally slicing a bit of it off.


    <"Doing it this way feels like trying to swim against a river. This could be quite useful though.">


    ["That''s enough for now. I just wanted you to see that your Innate Spell is far more versatile than you thought. Practice using it every day.'']


    Tyrith nodded and thought that he would have to create a training plan.


    ["I need to know how fast your mana regenerates. Drain your main by ''Slicing'' that target, then we''ll continue. Once you''ve fully regenerated, interrupt me to tell me. Anyways..."]


    Verrick walked over to the other side of the room, motioning for Tyrith to follow him. On that side of the room, there were stuffed dummies in the shape of humans, and a weapons rack. On the weapons rack sat five steel swords, all identical to each other.


    ["Your guide should have told you that at the Bladespire, we learn not just magic but martial arts. You''ll be learning the way of the sword. We try to complement our students'' weapons to their Innate Spells. Obviously, a sword is very much suited to ''Slice'' "]


    Verrick picked up one of the swords, and inspected it, before handing it to Tyrith, holding the blade.


    ["You will start with a one-handed sword."]


    Tyrith took the sword and wrapped his hand around the wooden handle. It was smooth and slightly cold to the touch.


    Verrick watched as Tyrith moved the sword around.


    ["Have you held a sword before?"]


    ["I have not. The only weapon I''ve used is a bow, as a child."]


    ["I can tell. Let me show you how to hold it."]Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Verrick corrected Tyrith''s posture, moving his hand up the handle slightly.


    ["Make sure to never fully extend your arm unless you are committed to a strike, as it will greatly limit your flexibility."]


    ["The fundamental moves for swordplay are Slicing, Stabbing, and Parrying."]


    ["When you are slicing, you want to lop something off, accumulate damage, or irritate. To do so, think of your arm as being a whip, drawing a mark across your opponent."]


    ["When stabbing, your goal is to penetrate armor or get at internal organs. Use your arm like a spring."]


    ["When parrying your goal is to defend yourself, and ideally set yourself up for a counterattack. Protect your vitals, or anticipate your opponent''s moves. The motions will be different depending on the weapon your opponent is using."]


    ["Practice stabbing and slicing on the combat dummy."]


    Verrick stood and waited for Tyrith to begin. Tyrith took a step forward and faced the dummy. He sliced, moving towards the dummy, slashing open the chest. Then, he took a step back, before stabbing into the head of the dummy.


    Verrick nodded as he watched.


    ["You''re alright for a first-timer. Continue."]


    Tyrith continued to slash and stab at the dummies, making sure to keep moving around it. The surface of the leathery dummy filled up with pockmarks and gashes. A bead of sweat dripped down the side of his head as he exerted himself. This went on for almost 15 minutes until Verrick stepped in front of him and caught the blade in his hand. A chip of metal flew off from the blade as it made contact with his hand.


    ["That''s enough for now. Now you will practice parrying a sword."]


    Verrick picked up a sword from the rack and faced Tyrith.


    ["I''m going to slice, then stab. Try to deflect it, send me off balance, and attack me."]


    Verrick slowly raised his sword, then brought it down, sweeping towards Tyrith. Tyrith brought his sword in front of him and angled it to block Verrick''s blade. Verrick''s sword bared down, and it made contact with Tyrith''s sword, almost making his knees buckle from the force, however, he succeeded in deflecting it, making it slide off to the side. Tyrith tried to quickly stab at Verrick, but he had already recovered, deflecting Tyrith''s sword with such force that it flew out of his hand.


    ["Pick it up, and try again."]


    The process repeated, Tyrith barely able to deflect the first blow, and his attack was blocked by Verrick. He learned to deflect both stabs and slashes, and Verrick''s blows grew heavier the longer they fought. Eventually, after the 5th exchange in one round, Tyrith managed to hold his sword steady and just barely get Verrick with the tip of his blade.


    ["Well done."]


    ["This is enough for today. I''m going to prescribe you a physical exercise regimen that you should do every day. Tomorrow, you''ll meet your practice partner, and I''ll teach you both a Sword Technique. Also, you''re free to come to this building at any time to use the equipment. This building has been allocated to me by the Academy. Anyway, off you go."]


    Verrick handed him a slip of paper, then made a shooing motion with his hands, and Tyrith took the hint and left, going to back to his dorm. He walked slowly through the streets as he pondered his first experience with the sword. It felt thrilling. The feeling was like nothing else, better even than when he used ''Slice.''


    He sat down on his bed in his dorm, lit a lamp, and unfurled the paper slip he had been given. He began to read the physical training he had been assigned:


    {Physical Training for Tyrith: Daily: 5km run, brisk pace. 100 pushups, 100 sit-ups, 100 pullups. Weekly: At least one 10km run. At least 2 sessions of bench and squat in the weight room. 20 hours of sword practice. Monthly: Win one spar with another student. End of year goal: Win one spar against Verrick, while he is blindfolded, ears plugged, using one leg and arm, having not slept for 4 days.}


    Tyrith raised an eyebrow at the last sentence written on the paper.


    <"The gulf between our physical prowess is vast, not to mention the magical gap. I don''t know if I''ll ever catch up to him. I only need to be a Yellow core to become a researcher.">


    Tyrith thought for a while longer, before placing the slip of paper in a drawer in his desk. It was time to go to his first class, Political History and Magic.


    The classroom for this class was located in one of the larger buildings, which was a couple rings out from the spire. In the building were many classrooms, but the classroom for PH&M was the largest, seating over 500 students. There were usually only 500 students admitted per year.


    Tyrith walked into the classroom, and surveyed it. It was in an arc formation, with various levels going down, and sets of stairs. There were robust desks lining the levels. The walls  transitioned from metal to stone as the classroom dove underground. Lighting was provided by sconces on the wall, and hanging chandeliers, both of which have been brightened and prolonged through magical means.


    At the very bottom of the room, there were 5 large chalkboards, and a large desk for the instructor, as well as smaller desk for the teaching assistants. Standing behind the instructor''s desk was a tall, regal man. He had long blonde hair, and piercing eyes. He was dressed in a black buttoned shirt and leather slacks. He watched as students filtered into the classroom.


    Tyrith chose a desk near the middle of the room, and sat down in the surprisingly comfortable chair. On the desk sat a blank piece of paper, and 5 square patches of black nothingness inset into the desk. He brushed his hand over the black squares, and they felt cold and smooth.


    After ten minutes, the instructor decided enough students had come in. He straightened his back, made a complex motion with his hand, and spoke.


    ["Greetings students. I am Lucien, the assistant head of research for the academy, and your professor for Political History and Magic. Some of you may be wondering why there is magic tacked onto the end. I can tell you, however, there will be a few caveats."]


    Lucien snapped his fingers. On the blank sheet of paper on everyone''s desks, words appeared.


    ["What I will teach you in this class is not suitable to be public knowledge. You will either sign these contracts, which will prevent you from speaking about the contents of these classes to anyone who has not received such a class, or get out now."]


    Lucien waited a moment, looking around. No one left the classroom.


    ["Alright, get to signing. Every Upper Academy has a class like this, to inform budding young mages of their mission."]


    Lucien waited for everyone to finish signing their contracts. Tyrith read his before signing it:


    {By signing this contract, you agree to never reveal the contents of what you learn in this Political History and Magic class, through any means, to any member of the general public who has not already come into contact with these contents. If you violate this, in letter or in spirit, your mind will be obliterated by the will of the contract. Sign Here: }


    Tyrith blinked at the obliteration part, then with a healthy mix of fear and curiosity, signed his name in the indicated space. It shone with a purple light, then the whole paper vanished into his desk.


    After a few minutes, everyone had finished. Lucien performed some sort of spell on the papers that had appeared on his desk, then nodded satisfied.


    ["Now that everyone has signed these contracts, I''ll begin. The weave that holds the space of our world together is inherently unstable. This spatial instability leads to... rifts opening in our world, letting space from other worlds intrude. These rifts have lots of names, Lairs, Dungeons, to generalize it we call them all Rifts. The contents of these rifts are not something you''d expect from a random selection from another world. The reason why and how Rifts appear is a highly active area of research. "]


    As he spoke, Lucien cast spells, forming the illusion of a woven blanket. Initially, the weave of the blanket was tight, but holes were torn into it, filling with material of different color and texture.


    ["The contents of Rifts vary, but usually there will be runes which compose a spell, something magical in nature, and many, many Beasts.  Beasts are similar to wild animals, but stronger, sometimes with innate magic, and filled with a vitriolic fury and a desire to destroy everything in sight. Rifts also contain valuable resources, mineras, vegetable, and as I''ve mentioned, magical. A lot of the most powerful spells in the Empire''s repertoire have come from high-rank rifts."]


    Lucien conjured the image of a 5 meter tall Beast, which looked like a cross between a gorilla and a bear, its eyes glowing with magic.


    ["We rank rifts based on the spatial disturbance they generate when they appear. Most rifts are low rank, few rifts are high rank. Generally, the ranks go from 1 at the lowest, to 15 at the highest. Rank 15 rifts are seen perhaps once every thousand years. The Beasts which spill forth from the Rift are of the same Rank as the Rift."]


    ["Getting to the political aspect of the class, we will talk about the exact political situation of the world, and have rifts and magic have affected the evolution of power. The appearance of Rifts has determined the rise and fall of nations. "]


    ["For example, the reason The Principality was destroyed was because a Rank 14 rift appeared in its center. Their Death-Magi were able to contain the Beasts, and successfully looted an artifact of immense power. However, the other nations learned of this, and were not happy that The Principality would rise in power. Our Empire, The Theocracy, The Kingdom of the Dragon Father, the Great Merchant Group, the Democratic States of Arcana, and The Ultimate Covenant got together and formed an alliance the likes of which had never been seen before. "]


    Lucien raised his hand with an open palm, and projected blurry figures of light. A golden lion, a green dragon, a white sphere, a purple crystal, a silver coin, and a blue chain, surrounding a red throne. The figures surrounding the throne lunged toward it.


    ["Together, we assaulted the capital of The Principality, all vying for the artifact. In the end, the Arcana States managed to whisk it away to their capital with a Teleportation Mage. Overwhelmed at losing the artifact, the alliance quickly fell apart, and fighting ensued, further destroying the capital of the Principality. Suddenly, after a couple of days of fighting, an unfathomably powerful strike broke through the dimensional barrier from the Realm of the Lord, and killed everyone on the spot, corrupting the landscape for hundreds of kilometers around, forming what is now known as the Cursed Region. That was what destroyed The Principality, and also all the publicly known Violet cored mages of the world."]


    The figures in his hand were obliterated by a white light, leaving a craggy landscape behind. Lucien closed his hand into a fist, banishing the light.


    ["After the Inheritance War, and the strike from the upper realm, the Lord fell silent. Communication has broken down with the upper realm. As well as this, The Ultimate Covenant retreated to the other continent, isolating themselves from the world. The Arcana States rose quickly in power, while the Empire, the Kingdom, and the Theocracy suffered."]


    ["That is the impact a Rank 14 Rift can have on the world. Now imagine what a Rank 15 could do. We can only theorize because we don''t have any Rank 15s in our history book."]


    ["Your job as a mage of the Empire is to contain and digest these Rifts, protecting the Empire and adding to its power. If the call for aid sounds, we must answer, or we will all end up destroyed."]


    ["Did you get all that?"]


    All the students stared at him in dumb shock from the information overload.


    Lucien nodded, then clapped.


    ["Excellent!"]

 Chapter 5: Hidden History

    [[Volume 1]]: Humble Beginnings


    Chapter 5: Hidden History


    Lucien clapped and turned around. He began writing on the chalkboard. The words he wrote on the chalkboard appeared on the black squares on everyone''s desks. He spoke as he wrote.


    ["We define our Year 0 as the year the 7 major nations consolidated their powers."]


    His chalk clicked on the board as he wrote.


    ["The White Gold Empire, The Democratic State of Arcana, The Kingdom of the Dragon Father, The Principality, The Theocracy, The Ultimate Covenant, and The Great Merchant Group all solidified their power blocks at this time. They formed the foundation of the modern geopolitical landscape."]


    ["Our continent, Rhalgj, was majorly occupied by our Empire, the Arcana States, the Kingdom, the Great Merchant Group, the Theocracy, and the Principality. The climate spans from a cold and desolate one at the top and bottom of the continent, versus a milder one nearer to the center, with deserts and forests scattered about, and a few mountain ranges."]


    ["The secondary continent, Khave, was majorly occupied by The Ultimate Covenant, The Great Merchant Group, and The Principality. The climate of this continent, which is split into three major islands, is mostly tropical. It is also dominated by mountains."]


    ["The third continent was overrun by beasts, and has been since the founding years. They are of at least Rank 13 Beasts, and any beach landing that has been attempted has been repelled by them. They are highly adapted to the climate of the 3rd continent. Several mages have also tried ''Teleporting'' in. They have not been heard from since. It is assumed that several more Rifts have opened since the continent was first overrun, and now it has become inhospitable."]


    ["The power structure remained mostly stagnant for thousands of years, until 1027, when a Rank 12 Rift broke out in the Kingdom, and the last Dragon Father either died or went into hiding. This led to the slow decline of the Kingdom, and their neighbors, the Great Merchant Group, The Principality, and the Arcana States slowly ate into their territory."]


    ["As the years passed, The Ultimate Covenant forced the Merchant Group out of their continent and fully onto ours. They grew distant from the other nations, and continued trying to force The Principality off what they considered their continent."]


    ["Around a thousand years ago, a Rank 11 Rift opened in the Arcana States, which they conquered with extreme prejudice. It seems whatever they got from that Rift enabled their growth. They began to fortify their cities, while upgrading their roads to be larger, and more durable. Their economic output greatly increased."]


    ["About a hundred years ago was the Inheritance War which annihilated the Principality. The geopolitical structure of the world hasn''t quite settled down from this disturbance. Ryath the Rune Mage died in this conflict. Thankfully, they had already left behind their preliminary notes on Runes. However, imagine where we would have been if they had survived the war. The rapid territory grab from the surviving six nations left them suffering from indigestion, especially The Ultimate Covenant, as they seized the rest of their continent, and abandoned all outposts on our continent."]


    ["And we now arrive to today, year 3424 post-unification. New technology emerges daily, forever shifting the balance of power in the world. Rune-based technology meshes with the power of steam to create powerful tools, and even more powerful weapons. The size of the world is shrinking thanks to the invention of long-distance vehicles. A nation was destroyed a hundred years ago. Will another one be destroyed? The world is barreling towards an unknown destination."]


    By this point, Lucien''s writing had fully filled up three of the chalkboards.


    Tyrith''s brain was a bit scrambled from the information. He had neglected to bring anything to write with, so he supposed he could just listen, and hope to remember the important parts.


    ["Now, I will move on to an overview of the current geopolitical situation of our world."]


    ["I''ll start with our Empire. The White Gold Empire is currently the largest nation in the world, occupying hundreds of thousands of square kilometers.


    Our military power is the best in the world, and our intelligence agency, the Silent Chapter, is well-versed in both offensive and defensive operations.


    Our economy has been booming, thanks to trade with our neighbor the Merchant Group, and trade with our friends across the Cursed Region, the Arcana States. We have incredible mineral wealth, especially in magical materials like Marble and Gold.


    Our Empress, Kalactissia, has ruled for 20 years, and her rule has only increased the prosperity of our Empire."]


    ["Next is the Great Merchant Group. The Great Merchant Group is a bit of an enigma out of all the nations. They really have no structure and no defined leaders. They are only bonded together through economic incentives. Their goal is to make as much money as possible and to be the wealthiest of all nations.


    They accomplish this goal through trade with all of the nations. As one of our neighbors, we trade with them regularly. Try not to limit your imagination when it comes to them. They will do anything to accumulate wealth, from being sell-swords to selling Rifts.


    Their de-facto leader is Jean, the richest person in the world. His personal wealth could raise an army that would take down a nation."]


    ["Now, the Democratic States of Arcana. They are one of our staunchest allies. They have slowly risen in power over the years, from the least powerful to one of the most powerful nations. Their military and economy are both strong, no longer near the bottom of the totem pole.


    Their governing system is very labyrinthian, but I''ll try to put it in simple terms. Their ultimate ruler is called the Overlord, and they are democratically elected by the enfranchised portion of the populace. The Overlord''s power is balanced by the House of Justice and the House of the People. Then, it''s a massive bureaucracy all the way down.


    The current Overlord is Drexar, a moderate who is nearing the end of his first term."]


    ["Next up, the Kingdom of the Dragon Father. The Kingdom of the Dragon Father has historically been our ally, but lately, they have been faltering in their devotion to our common good. We suspect this is because of whatever they lost in the Inheritance War.


    They function as a Kingdom, with a lineage of Kings. Traditionally, the Kings would be Dragons, but since the last dragon disappeared, the question of who should be King, and why, has rocked their Kingdom.


    Currently, their King is Cyrivar, 2nd of his name. His rule is still shaky, and he is focusing on appeasing the nobility, the Dragonborn. Their military might is ranked 3rd in the world, and their economy is in the dumps. They forgo modern technology, as they think it will dishonor their ancestors."]


    ["The Theocracy. The Theocracy has been historically opposed to us, which does make sense given that we''re neighbors, and by their words, "godless" ones at that. We have always had small conflicts over resources. Once the Lord fell silent after the Inheritance War, they have mostly retreated to their borders, trying to stabilize their populace after that scare.


    In terms of government structure, their Pope is the ultimate power in the country. Below the Pope are four Cardinals who carry out his direct orders. The Cardinals are each in charge of one quadrant of their nation. Below the Cardinals are Archbishops, who each govern their county. Each Archbishop is in charge of some amount of Bishops, depending on the size of their county. The Bishops are in charge of Deacons, and so on and so forth.


    Their intelligence operatives are called the Holy Advocates, and their army is the Lord''s Punishment. The Cardinal of War is commander of the Lord''s Punishment, while the Pope is commander-in-chief. Their military might is rivaled only by ours, though their economy has plunged after the Lord''s Silence. "]


    ["Finally, the Ultimate Covenant. I''ll put it plainly, the Ultimate Covenant is damn spooky. We know next to nothing about them, and no one does. We don''t know who leads them, or how they do it. We don''t know the structure of their economy.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    All we know is that their actions are guided by the Covenant which is their namesake. And we know next to nothing about their Covenant. Any attempt at sending in spies has been foiled by their counterintelligence. We only know that one of the directives of their Covenant is to ''Prosper.'' Luckily, they don''t seem to be aggressive towards us. "]


    Lucien wiped the timeline he had written on the chalkboard to free up space.


    ["Let''s get more in-depth with each nation now."]


    He kept writing on the chalkboard.


    {The Democratic States of Arcana...}


    After another hour of information being crammed into Tyrith''s head, the students were dismissed from class. It was time for lunch.


    The dining hall was on the periphery of the buildings. Tyrith walked into it and got some food from one of the serving lines. It was cuts of beef, with bread, some leafy greens, and fruit. There was a glass of water as well. He looked around the room, surveying the tables. At one table sat a black-haired woman and a blonde-haired man, chatting. At another, there was a ginger-haired man, eating alone while reading a book. There were quite a few empty tables. Tyrith chose to sit down at one of the empty tables, for love of peace and quiet. He began eating his meal, which was notably tasty.


    He got absorbed in eating when he felt the table shake and looked up to see a tall, dark-haired woman slamming her hands on the table.


    ["Are you Tyrith?"]


    Tyrith wiped some crumbs off his mouth and then spoke.


    ["That''s me. What do you want?"]


    The tall woman sat down.


    ["I''m also a student of Verrick. He said we would be training partners."]


    She stared seriously at Tyrith for a second, before holding out one of her hands to shake.


    ["I''m Saelyn, nice to meet you."]


    Tyrith reached out and shook her hand. It felt rough and calloused, and she had a strong grip.


    ["Nice to meet you too."]


    He massaged his hand after she let go. Saelyn sat down at the table and continued to stare at Tyrith. Tyrith noticed that her eyes were gold-flecked brown and very intense.


    ["You should join me at the training hall this afternoon. It would be good to get an immediate start to training if we are to complete Verrick''s goals."]


    <"Hmmm... I''m not really a fan of physical training, but it is nice to have someone to practice the sword with who is more on my level. At least I can enjoy that aspect of this place. I''m unsure if any of the martial arts will be useful for me as a researcher, but I can at least do swordplay as a hobby.">


    Tyrith blinked himself away from his distracting train of thought and responded.


    ["Sure. I''ll join you after the last class."]


    Saelyn nodded, then got up and left.


    Tyrith raised an eyebrow and then continued to eat, ruminating on the knowledge he had gained in class.


    After he finished eating, he placed his tray in a receptacle, along with his utensils.


    It was time for Tyrith''s next class, Magic Theory and Experimentation.


    This one was, of course, in the same lecture hall that his Political History and Magic class was in.


    He chose to sit in the same desk that he sat in last time, for the comfort of routine. He looked around the class to see that most of the students in the last class were there too. He heard a thump to the left of him and saw that Saelyn had chosen to sit next to him. He gave her a quick wave and she waved back in response.


    Finally, the professor walked in. He was a stout, bald man, with a long beard and mustache. He had a mischievous look about him as he made his way to the desk. He snapped his fingers and then spoke.


    ["Greetings students! I am Dr. Ryan. I am a researcher of Combat Spells here at the Bladespire. I''ve also been teaching this class for 5 years now, so I''ve developed a feel for it. This class is slightly different from your other class, in that I''ll teach you something, and then you''ll try to put it into practice. Eventually, I won''t be able to teach you anything more, and you''ll have to do everything on your own. However, I will give you the tools to do so."]


    ["First lets go over the basics of Mana Gathering and Mana Circulation."]


    ["You should have been taught these in your primary Academies."]


    ["The idea of Mana Circulation is to take mana, either from the environment or from your core, and circulate it throughout your body, enhancing its recovery, and improving the quality of your spells."]


    ["Mana Gathering is the general term for techniques used to draw environmental mana into the body and into the core, replenishing your mana stores at a rate faster than the natural regeneration."]


    ["In your academies, you were taught only the most basic versions of these techniques. In this class, I will guide you through more advanced versions, and help you create your own personalized techniques. We will also have Mana Capture competitions later in the semester."]


    ["Please now view the mana flow of the room using the inner sight technique you were taught."]


    Tyrith saw the students around him close their eyes in the split second before he himself closed his eyes, and entered a meditation state. He saw the flow of the mana particles around him. Suddenly, all the mana particles rushed towards one point in the room, where the professor stood. They surged into him like a whirlpool, and he began to emit a bright blue glow.


    ["Alright you can stop looking now. That was just a demonstration of what you can do with a highly developed Mana Gathering and Circulation technique."]


    The air was now bereft of mana, and Tyrith swore it felt drier than before.


    ["Let us start with learning about Mana Circulation. Ideally, you want to create a Mana Circulation technique that will fit with the Foundation you will build. So yes, unfortunately, you have to plan ahead. The recommended techniques for the standard Foundations are all in the textbook, which can be found in the library. I call my Mana Circulation technique ''Starry Sky.'' I concentrate mana at thousands of points throughout my body, then radiate it outwards from those points, before collapsing it back in. This allows me to be snappy with my recovery, targeting all points on my body at once, at a low intensity."]


    ["I want you to think about your own Mana Circulation technique, and attempt it. There is no danger here, as there are stabilizing runes present at every desk, so no there can be no Mana Deviation."]


    Tyrith had a faint idea of what he wanted as his Foundation, and it wasn''t one of the basic Empire-provided ones. So he would have to get creative with his circulation technique. He wanted to base his Foundation on the 7 districts of Valenhome, dividing it into 7 parts, each having its own function. So to make a Mana Circulation technique, he would need to be able to control 7 streams of mana.


    Tyrith looked inward. He drew a stream of mana from his core with the basic Circulation technique and circulated it throughout his body. After a couple of circulations, he tried to split the stream into two, and he succeeded. What he did not succeed at was moving the two streams in separate directions. After several minutes of concentration, he succeeded in moving them in slightly different directions.


    After the time allotted by the Professor for practice had elapsed, Tyrith had managed to independently control 5 streams of mana.


    <"I''ll have to practice more later to get up to 7. I also need to choose starting and ending points for each stream. Most importantly, I need to think of a cool name for it.">


    His train of thought was interrupted by Dr. Ryan speaking.


    ["Now let''s talk about Mana Gathering. My Mana Gathering technique is called ''Violent Whorl.'' I envision it pulling mana particles down into a whirlpool, with the strongest force closest to me, and falling off with distance. This allows me to quickly replenish my mana but has diminishing returns as I continue to use it. Again, you want your Mana Gathering technique to suit your future Foundation. It becomes harder to change these things as you advance."]


    ["Now, try to modify your basic Mana Gathering technique into something which will more suit you."]


    Tyrith looked inward. He decided to modify his Mana Gathering technique to have 7 primary locations that gather mana, in line with his Mana Circulation technique, and his theoretical foundation. He focused his will, and inscribed it into his core, more spectral hands appearing in the corners of his vision as he worked. The number of spectral mana gathering hands increased from four to seven slowly. He looked around him as he moved the seven hands and brought mana particles. Unsatisfied, he tried to change the 15 tentacles on each hand back to fingers, to have something more familiar to himself. He enforced his will, and the hands morphed back to a humanlike appearance. He looked at the mana particles around himself and sent his hands out to gather them. They captured mana particles and brought them back to his core. His speed of gathering had increased at least two times.


    He was satisfied for now, but he eventually wanted to be able to create an attraction force with his hands. He had tried doing this before, but the power of his mana core was too low. He would need to rank it up to at least the Dark Flecked stage before being able to do that.


    Tyrith spent the rest of class gathering mana, and waiting for the Professor to dismiss him. He estimated it would be a week or so to get to the next minor stage, the Solid Bright stage of the Red core.


    After class was finished, Tyrith made his way to Verrick''s training hall as he had promised Saelyn. It had begun to grow dark outside, but the wide streets between the buildings were lit by Rune Lamps, powered by the ambient mana.


    He stepped into the dark training hall. It seemed there were no automagic lamps here. He fumbled in the darkness and found a switch on the wall. He flicked the switch, and the room lit up with a dim purple light, from a few lamps scattered across the ceiling.


    It seemed like Saelyn wasn''t here yet. Last he saw, she was still practicing her Mana Gathering technique in class.


    He walked over to the weapons rack and picked out the same sword he had used against Verrick. He held it in his hand, feeling the smooth wood, and he brushed his hand over the blade, feeling the cold steel.


    Tyrith walked over to one of the training dummies, sword in hand. He took a grounded stance and swung. He made smooth contact with the dummy, but his sword had no impact on it.


    <"It looks like Verrick upgraded the materials of these dummies.">


    He swung again, harder this time. He followed it up with a stab at the dummy''s heart, then another slash.


    Tyrith lost himself in attacking the dummy, pacing around it and fighting an imaginary adversary.


    He came back to reality, sweat dripping down the side of his head, breathing heavily when he heard a voice.


    ["You''re here. Good."]


    Saelyn had arrived. Her face was red from the cold. She looked at him, and walked past him, picking up a sword from the rack.


    She spun to face him and leaned into a combat stance.


    ["Let me know when you''re ready. No blood drawing allowed, this time."]


    Tyrith fell back into his stance, took a breath through his nose, looked Saelyn in the eyes, and nodded.


    ["Let''s go."]

 Sidestory 1: The Devotee |COMMUNES WITH A SILENT GOD|

    [[Volume 1]]: Humble Beginnings


    Sidestory 1: The Devotee |COMMUNES WITH A SILENT GOD|


    In The Theocracy''s capital, Prima Tacta. In a cold, stone cathedral.


    An old man, with long white hair, and a long white beard stood.


    Myrren worked tirelessly. Over the years, he had transformed the interior of this cathedral into a place optimal for magical cultivation. The air was brimming with magical potential.


    He sat in the center of the runic circle he had constructed out of priceless materials and looked inward. He cast a diagnostic spell and determined his mana reserves were around 70 percent full. He ran through his Mana Gathering technique ''Thorough Devotion,'' drawing countless mana particles into his bright Blue core.


    After half an hour, his core was saturated with magic. He was ready for his next attempt.


    Myrren shifted through various runes in his head. He started with the basis of the Wormhole spell he had learned, stripping off runes which allowed transport of material, keeping only sound transport. Then, he strengthened the space-breaking runes, adding extra layer after extra layer. Then, for localization, he referenced the origin of the holy artifact he wore around his neck.


    He added stabilization runes throughout the weave. To complete it, he added his own special touch, encapsulating the runes in his own spellsong, a type of magic he had been pioneering for decades.


    After another half an hour, he had finished his 15312th attempt. He prepared to cast.


    He walked around the room, making his stances of ritual prayer, while chanting the chants of old he had been taught when he was young.


    The mana in the room gathered around him and moved with his steps like a ghost following him.


    Right before he got to the final step, an invisible tremor shook him, and blood fell from his ears. The casting had failed.


    He subtly frowned, then sat down, and cast a healing spell upon himself.


    Myrren had been incredibly devoted to his Lord since he was a child. His parents had imprinted upon him the importance of faith. If he prayed with sufficient devotion, his wishes would come true. He had seen it happen himself, when he had prayed for some good fruit to eat, and the next day, a tree he often sat under had borne fruit.


    This delighted him and reaffirmed his faith in the Lord. He decided to enter the Church, beginning as a choir boy. Even now, singing those songs he learned reminded him of the good days. Those good days hadn''t lasted long though.


    War was declared against The Principality when he was 7, and his parents, as high ranking members of the Clergy, had been sent to go fight.


    He was praying when it happened, to one of the Lower Faces of the Lord. He heard it from his room in Prima Tacta, a sonic boom shattering all the windows, and the Lower Face he was praying to fell silent. He tried making contact with them again, but it didn''t go through. At the time, a dreadful feeling permeated his being.


    Over the next week, he continued trying to make contact and continued to fail. The upper ranks of the Church fell into disarray, as they couldn''t make contact either. He then received the news that


    both of his parents had been killed in battle.


    He grieved for years, losing himself in service to the broken Church. The relic which used to belong to his parents was now his only connection to them.


    Eventually, as his Core rose in rank, he realized that if he could not reach the Lord with existing spells, he could create his own.


    He delved into research on how to create spells, coming across information that Blue cores usually used runes in order to conceptualize their spells. He heavily invested in rune research, learning how to make basic spells with runes at the late Green core stage.


    It only took him a few hundred attempts at making his ''Communion'' spell before he realized just using runes wasn''t going to cut it. He would need to innovate and create his own method of spellcraft.


    He searched for renowned mages and interviewed them, even reaching the Cardinal of Magic. From these countless interviews, he concluded his own method of spellcraft, which he called Spellsong, taking inspiration from his days as a choir boy, and an ancient sect he had learned about in his research called the Instrumentalists.


    Spellsong involved weaving strings of mana into notes of music and turning the spell into a song to be performed.


    He developed Spellsong over many decades, making many successful spells that he neglected to release to the public.


    The healing spell was almost finished casting. His core was at 68 percent full. He ran ''Thorough Devotion'' until his mana reserves were full.


    After reminiscing more on his past, while casting his healing spell, something snapped. He had been working on this spell for decades, and while he had gotten close at the beginning, it seemed he had made no progress in the past ten years.  The healing spell had misfired and done something to his brain.  Myrren''s eyes became crazed. He tore the holy artifact from around his neck and crushed it into dust in his hand. He poured the dust into his mouth and swallowed it, before lashing out with the most powerful combat magic he knew, wrecking the cathedral''s interior. Stone pillars crumbled, tables were broken into pieces, and the ornamental rug was torn to shreds.


    He came back to himself and realized what he had done. At least the reinforcing enchantments he had added held up this time. The loss of the artifact was... decidedly not good. However, it gave him an idea.


    Myrren prepared for his 15313th attempt. He proceeded as he did last time, but instead of using the artifact to localize the effect of the spell, he used his heart.


    He stood up, and went through the ritual at a rapid pace. This time, he reached the final step of the ritual, and felt all the mana vanish from the room, as well as his heart vanishing from his chest.


    Myrren knew he had succeeded, and cast a slew of spells to keep him alive for as long as possible without his heart.


    In the center of the room, a glowing purple light appeared, slowly elongated and stretching into a circle. A portal slowly took shape, and a subtle energy rippled from it. Through the portal was a dark and foggy place.


    He stumbled forward, then kneeled in front of the portal. Faint fog, tinged purple, flowed out from it. Despite being without a heart, Myrren''s blood circulation increased rapidly, and he became flushed.


    ["My Lord? Are you there? Are you okay? What has happened?"]


    He saw a shadow appear behind the portal, followed by two more shadows. The fog stopped coming out through the portal. Suddenly, Myrren was overwhelmed by an invisible force he felt emanating from those figures. The glow of the portal faded from purple to red.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    One of the figures spoke.


    ["What have you done?"]


    The deep voice reverberated in Myrren''s ears. This was not the voice of the Lord he knew, nor any of the Lord''s Lower Faces.


    ["My Lord, you fell silent and we couldn''t contact you. I spent my life inventing my spell, ''Communion,'' in order to get through to you." ]


    ["I see. An insect has wormed his way through, with a paltry but focused power. What a shame."]


    Before Myrren could feel surprise, an overwhelming force came through the portal, destroying everything, including Myrren.


    ---


    The Pope sat on his steps, below the Throne symbolically reserved for the Lord. He felt a familiar force, and snapped his head, looking in the direction where it came from. His brow furrowed, and he stood up and took out an emerald bell from inside his robe, and rung it. It rang without sound, but sent out mana ripples.


    After a second, four robed men appeared in front of him, kneeling. Their robes were colored red, blue, gray, and green.


    They spoke in unison.


    ["What is it, your Holiness?"]


    ["I''ve detected a signal, it seems to be from that place. Go and investigate it. I''ll transmit the spatial coordinates of the signal''s origin to you."]


    The Pope raised a hand, and made complex gestures with each of his fingers. The Cardinals eyes flickered as they looked inwards for a moment, confirming the reception of the coordinates.


    The Cardinal of War was the first to act, raising his hand to his nose in a praying motion, before lowering it to his chest, and vanishing from sight.


    The Cardinal of Magic repeated his motions, chanting ''Beware, Be There'' before vanishing.


    The Cardinals of Peace and Mundanity made more elaborate motions with their hands, chanting the full incantation before vanishing.


    The Pope sat back down on the steps, tapping his fingers beside him, before heaving a deep sigh.


    He turned his head and looked in the direction where the signal came from as if staring at something a thousand kilometers away.


    ["Celestalis..."]


    ---


    The Cardinal of War in his red robe arrived first at the scene. He was quickly followed up by the Cardinal of Magic in his blue robe, then the Cardinal of Peace and the Cardinal of Mundanity in their green and gray robes.


    The Cardinal of Magic waved his hands from right to left, and a magical hologram appeared, reconstructing the structure of the cathedral from before it was destroyed.


    He whistled looking at the runes inlaid in the walls.


    ["Whoever this was had some serious expertise. With these Cloaking runes, I wouldn''t have sensed whatever was going on even if I was standing right next to the building. And the Mana channeling runes are very sophisticated. The Warding runes could''ve stood up to multiple Tier 8 Piercing spells."]


    ["Whatever magic that destroyed this place was at least on the order of Tier 9."]


    The Cardinal of War brushed his hands through the dust, picking some up and letting it fall from his hands.


    ["The intent of this spell was not primarily attack."]


    The Cardinals of Peace and Mundanity chatted in the background, while the Cardinal of Mundanity turned over one of the fallen stones in his hand.


    The Cardinal of Magic sniffed the air and raised his eyebrows.


    ["This is a spell I haven''t seen before. It forcibly bores through the dimensional barrier, conserving energy by using a communication intent. It seems to be a sacrificial spell. Let me see if I can recreate the structure."]


    He sat down and looked inward, a light purple glow enveloping him.


    ["This is fascinating work. It is based off runes but then uses a unique structure that I haven''t seen before. It has the flavor of the Instrumentalists, but it doesn''t seem to be their work. I should be able to recreate it, substituting the sacrificial component with a high-tier mana crystal."]


    The Cardinal worked for a while, then stood up.


    ["Alright, let us head back and report to the Pope."]


    The Cardinals of Peace and Mundanity looked at each other, then dropped the stones they were holding to cast their Teleportation spells.


    ---


    The Pope felt the mana ripples and looked at where the Cardinal of War would appear a split second later.


    He stood up, brushed off his robe, and addressed them.


    ["What did you find?"]


    The Cardinal of Magic replied.


    ["As you expected, a portal was opened to Celestalis. A few moments after the portal opened, a Tier 9 spell came out of it, and killed the Blue Core mage who opened it. That mage invented the spell themselves. I''ve reverse-engineered it, but I''ll need a high-tier mana crystal if you want me to cast it."]


    The Pope rubbed his head for a while, nursing a headache.  It had been over a century since he had managed to contact the Lord.


    ["Let''s try it. We''ll need a High Tier protective barrier, just in case."]


    The Cardinal of War stepped up.


    ["I can cast a Tier 8 barrier. With the support of the other cardinals, it should reach the quality of Tier 9."]


    The Cardinal of Peace spoke up as well.


    ["We can retrieve an additional Tier 9 barrier artifact from the Holy Vault."]


    ["Go ahead."]


    The Cardinal of Peace vanished after casting the Teleportation spell.


    The Cardinal of Magic drew a runic circle on the floor, with four foci in the four directions, and a fifth one ahead of it. He took a powder out of a pouch on his waist, sprinkling it along the runic circle, and towards the fifth focus.


    During this time, the Cardinal of War and Mundanity were absorbing mana from their surroundings.


    The Cardinal of Peace reappeared, holding a golden-blue crux in his hands, with multi-colored gems embedded at each end.


    The Cardinal of Magic gestured to the center of the runic circle, where the crux was placed.


    The Pope went behind the Throne and flipped a lever.


    ["The protective barrier of the Holy See has been activated. No one should be able to disturb us."]


    ["Alright. Stand in the front circle. "]


    The Cardinal of Magic guided everyone to stand in their respective places. He stood at the very back of the circle, with the Cardinal of War at the front, and the Cardinals of Peace and Mundanity on the sides. The Pope stood in the isolated circle at the very front.


    ["Begin the protections."]


    The Cardinal of War began chanting protection hymns, and the other Cardinals joined him. The crux at the center of the circle lit up, and a faint blue parabolic barrier appeared in front of the Pope, extending to the sides of the runic circle.


    As the protective chants stacked, a faint yellow barrier appeared, following the shape of the first barrier.


    The Cardinal of Magic spoke while making complex gestures with his hands.


    ["I will begin to cast the spell."]


    The Pope nodded, and a purple ring began to take shape outside of the protective barriers. It took shape quickly, revealing a landscape of purple fog beyond the portal.


    Again a shadow appeared on the other side of the portal.


    The Pope spoke up in shock.


    ["Is that... Ultima Excidium? Sir, I''m the agent of the First Circle on Corpalis, chosen personally by an Envoy."]


    A chilling voice came through the portal.


    ["Ah yes, you''re that one''s toy. I remember you. I must thank you for opening a portal straight to me. I can get rid of a loose end easily."]


    The Pope''s eyes widened.


    ["Shit!"]


    At the same time, the Cardinal of War shouted.


    ["Maximum power to the barrier, now! Close the portal!"]


    The portal began to shrink, but a hand from the shadow on the other side grabbed it and stopped the shrinking.


    ["I''ve been able to study this spell long enough to stop it from working again. Here''s my thanks."]


    Another hand of the shadow pointed towards them through the portal, and a spell blasted through it, sucking in all light from the surroundings.


    The first barrier cracked instantly, shattering into a thousand tiny yellow pieces.


    The second barrier held on for a little longer before the crux at the center of the circle exploded.


    The little black ball that came through the portal continued forward towards the Pope.


    He managed to raise his hand up, and quick cast a basic barrier spell, dumping all his mana into it, forming what looked to be a tangible green cross. He followed it up with a use of his Innate Spell, attempting to draw power from the Lord to empower himself, which failed.


    The black ball  hit the green cross, diverting its power around the Pope. However, the cross shattered before it could be fully blocked, letting some of the energy from the black ball seep rush into the Pope.


    He dropped dead instantly.


    The Cardinals of Magic and War were next to get their barriers up, both in the shape of a golden aegis.


    The Cardinals of Peace and Mundanity were too slow to cast their barriers, and the black energy from the ball rushed through them.


    They both dropped dead instantly.


    The barriers surrounded the remaining Cardinals, as the black energy ferociously attacked them.


    The Cardinal of Magic cast another spell on the side, an amplified Tier 8 purification spell.


    The purification spell fought against the rampaging decay magic, and with it having already lost a lot of energy traversing the dimensional barrier, and breaking through 3 protective barriers, the decay magic lost the battle.


    The Cardinals looked around warily, before dropping their barrier spells.


    The Cardinal of Magic spoke first.


    ["That went well. I think you should be the new Pope."]


    The Cardinal of War nodded and began picking items off of the dead Pope''s body.


    ["Do you have anyone in mind for the other Cardinals?"]


    The Cardinal of War thought for a bit, then shook his head.


    ["Let''s brainstorm together before lifting the barrier around the Holy See."]


    ["Alright. We also need to put together a story of what happened."]


    ---