The sun was still low in the sky, casting long shadows across the forest floor as Mio continued deeper into the woods, her staff in hand and her senses sharp. Yesterday’s success with Mental Division had left her both exhilarated and cautious. She now had four separate threads of consciousness, each capable of handling individual spells. But with each new step forward in her magical prowess, Mio grew more aware of the responsibilities her boundless mana presented.
As she walked, she decided that today would be about pushing her limits. She’d tested the basics of Mental Division, but she hadn’t tried maintaining different spells over extended periods. Nor had she tested how her powers would respond if she layered more advanced spells within each school.
Pausing at the edge of a small clearing, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, feeling the pulse of mana within her. Her endless energy flowed freely, waiting for her command. She could sense it as a living force within her, eager to shape the world around her, to bend reality as she willed it.
Mio felt the need to reaffirm her multi-casting feat from the prior day before attempting anything further. The first spell she called upon was Water, forming a thick sphere of liquid between the praying hands of her staff. With her second thread of thought, she cast Earth, causing a low stone wall to rise from the ground around her, forming a protective circle. With her third thread, she summoned Light, illuminating the clearing in a steady, warm glow that banished the morning shadows. Finally, she called upon Air with her fourth thread, forming a gentle breeze that circled the clearing, creating a barrier of wind.
The spells held steady, each one clear in her mind and focused through a separate thread. The harmony felt natural, and the layers of magic pulsed around her in a rhythm that matched her heartbeat. She allowed herself to hold each spell, feeling the strain build gradually. It was minimal, but enough to remind her that even with Mental Division, there were still limits to what her mind could handle.
When she felt comfortable with the balance, she released each spell one by one, allowing the clearing to return to its natural state. But she knew her abilities would be incomplete without pushing further. She intended to understand each of her eleven schools of magic in more depth and with more power. She raised her staff, ready to dive into the higher complexities of each.
Her first choice was Fire—a school she had designed with raw offense in mind. She let the spell channel through her staff, allowing a thick stream of flames to burst forward. It crackled and roared as it spiraled through the air, reaching a tree on the edge of the clearing. The flames licked the bark, but with a quick thought, she contained the spell before it could ignite.
In her design, Fire magic wasn’t just about pure damage; it could also sense and detect heat signatures. Mio focused on this ability, sending her awareness into the flames, feeling the heat radiating off the nearby plants and rocks, picking up the life signatures of insects hiding in the undergrowth. The detail was mesmerizing. Each flicker of heat held information she hadn’t even considered while crafting the spell. She withdrew her focus, letting the flames fade, then prepared for the next test.
She summoned Darkness, a counterbalance to the light she had conjured earlier. Shadows formed, thickening around her in an impenetrable veil, casting her surroundings into near-total obscurity. She marveled at the effect as the shadows absorbed sound and light, creating a void-like silence. In the stillness, she used her mana to blend further into the darkness, feeling her form merge with the shadows. It was a skill she hadn’t intended for this spell, yet it felt intuitive—a natural adaptation to this world’s magic. When she released the spell, the shadows dispersed, and the forest returned to its tranquil state.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Satisfied with the elements, Mio turned her attention to Creation. This school was among her favorites, as it allowed her to bring objects to life, reconstruct broken items, and heal injuries. She raised her hand and visualized a small flower, focusing her mana as she coaxed it into existence. The air shimmered, and a delicate bloom appeared, its petals vibrant and alive. She held the flower, feeling its warmth, marveling at the realism. It was no illusion; she had created something from nothing.
Next was Destruction, the darker counterpart to Creation. She hesitated, aware of the risks but curious to explore its potential. With a focused thought, she cast a Destruction spell on the flower she had just created, willing it to wither. A wave of dark energy pulsed through the bloom, and its petals shriveled, the stem blackening as it decayed. The sudden finality of it, the way the spell erased the flower’s very essence, left her with a sense of awe and respect for the force she wielded. This spell was potent, capable of destroying far more than objects—it could damage memories, traits, even souls. She let the remnants of the flower fall to the ground, contemplating the responsibility she had over such power.
Next, she called on Soul Magic, allowing her awareness to stretch out, searching for the life energy of nearby creatures. She could sense tiny sparks—the spirits of small animals and insects moving around her. With a deeper focus, she expanded her reach, pulling on her mana until she could feel a faint echo of something larger and more distant, lingering at the edge of her perception. She couldn’t pinpoint it, but there was a presence, something beyond the ordinary life of the forest. Releasing her hold on the magic, she reminded herself to explore this sensation further once her skills improved.
With Illusion, she shifted her focus from spirits to perception. She summoned an image of herself, a perfect duplicate standing a few paces away. She tested its movements, having it mimic her gestures. Satisfied, she dismissed it, then crafted an illusory wall around her, a barrier that would trick any creature that stumbled across it into thinking the clearing was empty. It held perfectly, the edges seamless. The magic felt both tangible and fluid, adapting to her intentions.
Finally, Mio turned her attention to Necromancy, the school of magic that had allowed her to craft her staff from the remains of the first creature she had encountered in this world. She channeled her mana, summoning the dark energy that thrummed within her. Her mind envisioned a shadowy guardian—a protector crafted from spirit and bone. The shadows coalesced, forming a tall, spectral figure that loomed silently beside her, its eyes hollow and glowing faintly.
“Guard,” she commanded, and the spirit moved in response, taking a defensive stance at her side. It was obedient yet unnerving, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that this magic demanded respect. With a wave of her hand, she released it, watching as it faded back into nothingness.
As she lowered her staff, a sense of accomplishment settled over her. She had tested each school, pushing her abilities to their limits. Yet as she rested, she became aware of a growing unease. Her powers were boundless, her potential limited only by her imagination. But the spells she had crafted could affect this world in ways she hadn’t foreseen. She had felt it with Destruction, with Necromancy—these forces could alter, even devastate, the reality around her.
She thought of the faint presence she had sensed with Soul Magic, the subtle differences she’d noticed in the way her magic interacted with the world. This wasn’t just a playground for her powers. It was a world with its own rules, its own life. And now, with her limitless mana and unrestrained abilities, she was capable of leaving a mark on it that would last far beyond her lifetime.
Mio gazed out into the forest, her mind racing. She had been granted a second chance in a world she could shape and influence, a world that both mirrored and diverged from her own creations. Here, she could do more than survive—she could craft a legacy.
With a steady breath, she turned and made her way back toward the path, her thoughts filled with possibilities. She would explore this world to its fullest, discover every mystery, and wield her power with purpose.