A/N: Late late late late, but technically where I live it's still the same day so. Anyways I completely underestimated tables and I am still not as ok with the table that was created as I want to be. It is, however, an ok table... I think. The .5 chapter will also be released within an hour or so, no fancy tables needed there thankfully.
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“I just don’t understand, how can have stats this high and yet consume such an inane amount of mana to only achieve such a pitiful result. It can only be the casting process used, but even that’s not the case. You do everything right and honestly, it feels like your ‘Mana Manipulation’ is even better than mine. Which is why this all the more confusing. Why is it that your magic is like a bucket with no bottom? It takes in mana and never stops yet only uses a tiny amount of what it demands to achieve results.
With your level of ‘Mana Manipulation’ you should have no problems only giving the spell only the requisite mana. But in your case keeping any mana is like trying to stop a ship from going under after it is already halfway into a whirlpool. Should we just give up on magic with you? But it’s such a waste when we consider your magical potential. I just don’t know what to do anymore,” my caretaker is currently ranting in a rather exasperated tone.
It is hard to believe that over the past five days my caretaker has been completely devoted to figuring out why I can’t efficiently cast physics magic. Then again, maybe not being able to cast efficiently is the wrong way to look at it.
The day after learning how to feel and move the mana in my body and then passing out after casting my first bit of magic, my caretaker had me test if it was possible for me to retract my wings like succubi do. Apparently, my wings are much bigger and higher on my back than a regular succubus and greatly resemble that of a dragon instead. Thankfully, the regular succubus method of retracting all the mana in your wings into your body works for me and I managed to get them to retract. How quickly I got the hang of it also surprised the researchers and served as proof that my mana control was truly excellent.
So rather than lack of efficiency when casting it is more like something feels instinctively wrong about invoking physics magic. It’s like some larger part of myself just knows that casting like I have been shown is the wrong way of doing it. I really wish this part of myself would just show me the “right” way if physics magic is so wrong. Every day my caretaker seems to get more desperate and I do not want to reach the day where she disposes of me as another failed experiment.
Letting her know about the feeling of wrongness when casting might help her figure something out so I say, “Physics … magic … feels … wrong.”
Whipping around to face me my caretaker grips my shoulders and yells, “Feels wrong!? What do you mean by feels wrong!? Wait!”
Letting me go she turns around and starts talking to herself out loud, “Maybe we have been looking at it the wrong way. This whole time we have been assuming it is more demon than dragon but what if that was wrong? What if it was more dragon than demon? Then to be unable to use physics magic would mean … Yes, that would mean it would have to be at least three fourths dragon but that makes no sense. Less than a fifth of the material used was of draconic origin. So how could its nature possibly be more draconic? Then again, assuming its nature is more draconic does that mean it uses a unique magic system like they do. If it does, then how are we even supposed to figure out how this magic system works? … But if we do the possibilities for it as a weapon go beyond anything we have created yet … ”
Does she even notice that she is rambling out loud and that I can very clearly hear her? Judging by the contents of what she is saying probably not. I can only guess that she has been severely overworked these past five days and her deteriorating state of mind is the result. Her mistake, however, is beneficial to me.
So the reason physics magic feels wrong is because my existence is closer to that of a dragon and from what she is saying dragons use magic that is unique to themselves. Then does that mean I have a unique way of casting magic and if so how do I even figure out how to use it?
Why does this whole magic system have to be so hard to understand. In most of the stories I read in my old life a character that was reborn in a world with magic would just be able to use it once they learned about it. Then again none of those characters were grown in a lab somewhere in the hopes of creating a humanoid super weapon. Reality can be so very cruel.
If this magic casting system was more like programming this would be so much simpler. I could just stretch my arm out in front of me close my eyes and mentally write a short program to create a fireball using my mana as fuel. It would be located above my palm, have the shape of a sphere with a 10cm diameter and have a temperature of 600C. Actually, I will try because something about the idea of magic being written like a program seems more “right” to me than anything else so far.
I decide to mentally write what I think a magic program for ‘Fireball’ would be. It has not taken me very long but the program I thought up would probably work if magic was executed this way. Actually, I do not hear my caretaker talking to herself anymore. Did she get curious about what I was doing? I have been sitting here with my eyes closed holding my palm open in front of me. You know her reaction would probably be amusing if I tried to activate this program and it really did work.
While still on that train of thought I decide to mumble, “{Fireball}.”
Suddenly from beside me my caretaker shouts, “How did you do that!? The way your mana was used to cast that is completely different from anything you were taught! Furthermore what language was that?!”
The sudden shout surprises me and I quickly open my eyes. What I see in front of me just above my palm is a perfectly spherical fireball and while I cannot be sure it completely matches the specifications in my program it is probably safe to assume it does. Then does that mean that my unique magic system is based on programming? First, before thinking further into this I should get rid of this fireball, but how do I make it disappear? At the moment it is not using any of my mana to sustain itself so cutting off its mana supply is not a possibility. Then could I just write a new program to terminate an existing program? Then again would this even be a program anymore? I guess it would be easier to just call them spells.
I quickly mentally write up a spell to terminate the existing spell and say, “{Terminate}.”
The fireball that was just in front of my suddenly disappears like it was never there to begin with. Looking to my side my caretaker is staring at me intently, but she has not asked anything else so it is probably safe to keep ignoring her in favor of figuring this out.
Honestly, it would be easier to figure this out if I could see my status. Actually … rather than asking my caretaker to use the status stone could I not create a spell to see my status instead? Then again, I am not really sure how the status stone even works so can I even make a suitable spell? I should still give it a try as it might also help me better understand how my magic works.
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After taking the time to create my status spell I find the parameters are way to vague. I have almost no faith in this one working, but since I do not know how the status stone actually works doing any better is kinda impossible.
Completely expecting this spell to fizzle out I say, “{Status}.”
Name: Race: Chimera Sub-races: Vampire, Succubus, Dragon Age: 2 Sex: Female Level: 1 Job: N/A Health: 1350/1350 Mana: 24494/26500 Str: 250 Int: 400 Dex: 330 Wis: 400 End: 280 Charm: 150 Titles: Skills: Chimeric Being Informational Sponge Passives: Racial Passives: Actives: Racial Actives: Genius Programmer Follower of Logic Photograhpic Memory LvL - Draconic Language LvL- Mana Manipulation LvL 6 Charm LvL 1
Message from a Goddess
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(think 'open message' to read)
--- Mana Perception LvL 9 Blood Mana LvL - Programming Magic LvL - Spells + --- --- --- --- Draconic Scales LvL - --- --- --- --- ---
Succubus's Allure
LvL -
--- ---
Suddenly in front of me appears the same tall tale blue screen as from the status stone. To think that my status spell actually worked … and this status looks different from the one the status stone gives. More importantly, what is this ‘Message from a Goddess’ title? It says that to read it I should think, Open Message.
The moment I think 'Open Message' my status closes and a new screen appears in front of me.
To: My favorite
After deciding to check what had gotten to some of my more … interesting ... no, truthfully they are the most insane bunch out of all the groups that pray to me and I really do wish they would stop using my name in their insa-. Ah, I am getting off track now where was I.
Yes, after deciding to check what had gotten this group into such a fervor (I mean, they were really laying on the praises to my name over the past few days) I found you. Truly, such an interesting success on their part. They themselves do not even know the gravity of what they have created, but I am about to start rambling again so moving on. As you have figured out, your magic is a unique system and after a bit of tampering, I have made it even more fun. More fun how you might be asking yourself? The answer to that is … not telling.
Also about the status, since your spell was not going to work I decided to touch it up and while I was at it made some changes to it. Honestly, I have no clue what that God of Growth and Recession was thinking when he made the original status page it’s so terrible. Ah, I am going off track again. Well, I should end this before it derails anymore than it has already.
My parting words to you are struggle and survive, things are going to be hard. These hardships will lead to change and one day those changes will lead to balance or hopefully a lack thereof. Also if you try hard enough I might reward you.
Love: A Certain Goddess
PS: I also tinkered you three other spells along with ‘Status’. They are ‘Status Other’, ‘Status Examine’ and ‘Status Share’.
PSS: The title used to tell you about this message will also be changed to something new.
After reading through the message I am not even sure what to think at this point. Is this goddess really so free that she can just spend time watching my life and even if she is just what is interesting about my current life? Not to mention, this particular goddess seems more than slightly crazy.
Then again, I could spend ages thinking over the machinations of the gods and get nowhere so I should put those thoughts aside. Speaking of putting things aside, my caretaker is still quietly watching me. Actually, one of the spells the goddess told me about in her message sounds like it should be used on others … I think. Honestly, what is up with these names? They are really terrible.
Since there is nothing I can do about the spell names other than merely complaining about them I turn to my caretaker and mumble, “{Status other}.”
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Name: Rebbeca Race: Beastkin Sub-races: Lynx Beastmen, Water Spirit Age: 25 Sex: Female Level: 3 Job: Reseracher Health: 975/975 Mana: 13720/13720 Str: 250 Int: 1896 Dex: 451 Wis: 1372 End: 196 Charm: N/A Titles: Skills: Fallen Noble Worshipper of Karia Passives: Racial Passives: Actives: Racial Actives: Victim of Circumstance --- Mana Perception LvL 6 Cats Soft Steps LvL - Mana Manipulation LvL 5 --- --- --- --- --- Physics Magic LvL - ---
While staring at the status I inadvertently mutter, “Rebecca?”
Realizing what I just said I hazard a look at Rebecca's face and her eyes are positively shining as she says, “Well I am not sure how managed to find out my name, but it really does not matter. What really matters right now is that you own a unique magic system. Not even mentioning the fact that you’ve already figured out how to use it, but we can take the time to slowly figure out the specifics later. For now, it is good enough that we know you are not simply magically crippled and we can start properly educating you. Well, that's all for today I have to get some things in order before tomorrow.”
With that Rebecca walks out of the room leaving me to the silence of my own thoughts and I eventually drift to sleep while sorting through everything that I learned today.
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A/N: quickly thinking about since it is not very clear, very sorry, but any text in { } brackets signifies things being spoken in draconic language.