The second half of Doyle’s class proved to be quite interesting. If unremarkable.
As he said, those of us who weren’t already practiced with a weapon went to a small booth in his classroom to purchase weapons in exchange for points or borrow them for free before moving to the different annexes for training. Which, to my surprise, was accomplished through animated dummies made of wood and vines that instructed each of us on proper stances and basic attacks. Being proficient with daggers and polearms, I decided to train with the three-section staff and went on to train for the rest of the class and hours longer in the gym afterward. After the usual bout of lounging around with Zakira, I was eagerly sitting with the rest of the class waiting for Zeff to demand our attention with a resounding clap.
“Classes!” He beamed. “Highly regarded amongst the unevolved that know of them as magical jobs, they are more than just that. In nearly all cases, a Class is a way of life. Or sometimes, a devotion to a particular creed, lifestyle, or even entity. You will gain such power come the ritual at year’s end.” He paused, matching our ambitious smiles with his own. “It is then that you will eat the fruits of our labors, causing an evolution in your Spiritual Bodies that, again, will permit mana to react to your actions on its own accord. That is true, but as it is, you will be unable to see down the paths you’ve chosen.
“That is where the Divine Aphid comes in.” He explained. “Another one of many gifts from the Fae. The purpose of the Aphid is to enable us to see the next step down our chosen paths. Like a symbiote that lives within and evolves alongside our Spiritual Bodies, it acts in ways similar to our grimoires to make us privy to these things."
In other words, it was the augmented reality Telin spoke of. Well, that and grimoires. But still, it made me curious as to what the final product looked like. If it would be under my design influence like the Eternal Eye or just a screen clouding my vision at the worst time was among my greatest concerns. But like many things in this life, it would have to wait.
Thankfully, not that long.
“Fourteen!” Zeff clapped. “In all, there are fourteen Classes. But to be eligible for any of them, one must first have lived a certain way or have met a number of conditions. A Paladin, for instance, must have been trained as a knight. A Rogue must have a habit or record of stealing or have been branded as an outcast or criminal. Monks must have a habit of meditation, be physically fit, and show significant control over their emotions. A Cleric must be devoted to a divine entity, and conversely, a Warlock must ask or plea for power from an otherworldly entity. An Artificer must have a knack for or experience in designing and creating things. Druids must show an immense appreciation and understanding of nature while a Ranger must show an ability to survive in the wilderness for extended periods. A Fighter must be proficient and trained with a weapon and has claimed victory in a duel or competition. A Witch must be practiced using healing magic. Bards must be proficient in one of the many arts. And Barbarians must have experience living beyond the comforts of civilization, in addition to fighting.
“These are but generalizations of the requirements,” he said. “But enough to give you a general idea of what you need to do to have access to the Class of your desire. There are many more ways to stumble upon a Class, however. You can consider these the tried and true methods. The Wizard and Sorcerer are the only exceptions. Technically, anyone can become a Wizard so long as they learned or have been taught the various incantations, sigils, and other things. But Sorcerers are special in the sense that their magic comes from an ancestral source. Their power is their birthright. One without reliance on affinity cores, yet many Sorcerers have them all the same. In that regard, they are considered amplifiers of the power that dwells within them. But they can cast with the energies present around us. that's what makes them special.
“However!” He clapped. “The fourteen Classes as you know them, have hundreds- potentially thousands of Subclasses that have yet to be discovered. Regardless, all Classes are broken into three categories based on the specificity of these Subclasses. The ones I’ve just described are known across the realms as Occupational Classes. These are available to anyone who follows the necessary steps to venture down that chosen path. After they have gone through their ritual. That is the important part.
“Master Classes are, at heart, identical to occupational classes.” He stated. “The difference is, those with Master Classes have already taken at least the first step down these paths prior to the Spiritual Body’s evolution. The obvious result is that one can find themselves starting at a higher level within that Class. But the more interesting result is that Master Classes often tie into one’s magical abilities or physiology as well. This makes for a unique Subclass. Some of which have never been seen before, arguably coming into existence the moment the Spiritual Body evolves.
“The last, and rarest Classes are Prestige Classes.” He explained, ripping my wandering thoughts asunder. “These are available only to those with unique magic or unique physiologies. The Warrior Subclass specific to Amazonians is the most common example. In almost all other cases, however, Prestige Classes are exclusive to Sorcerers. In this class of students, we’re lucky enough to have four with the potential to unlock a Prestige Class. Amun.” He smiled at me. “I hope you’re excited.
‘Oh, am I.’ I grinned excitedly. On the inside at least. On the outside, I gave Zeff a blank stare until he turned to reach for his glass of water to inhale a few deep gulps. I didn’t appreciate being called out like that. Though, it wasn't as if everyone didn’t already know what I was.
If they didn’t, they would soon enough.
“Anyway.” He chuckled nervously after setting his drink down. “Like the power Sorcerers hold, the power yielded from Classes is different than the power birthed from Affinity Cores. As I said countless times now: The evolution of the Spiritual Body allows mana to react to our actions on its own accord. This gives us access to abilities we call Perks. They are considered physical abilities in the sense that they can be activated in the presence of something like Negstone. But it is a give-take relationship. You must first complete tasks or fulfill conditions to gain access to these perks. And more time will often be needed to master them before they are used in combat.
“In the first level of almost every Class.” He pressed on, regaining his stride. “This often requires you to learn the code, skills, and techniques unique to that class. Oftentimes, they involve a ritual, skills to master, or conditions to accept. In the higher levels, promotions require certain feats particular to that Class. Regardless of the method used to move to a higher level, the Perks gained come in one of four flavors.
“Skills!” He clapped. “The first and most basic Perk is a Skill, or a simple reaction of mana that works in your favor, whether they be Passive or Active. Initially, Skills manifest on their own, wherein it will be up to you to practice and gain enough proficiency to use them efficiently. The second-most common Perk is a Mutation. These involve a permanent change to the Spiritual Body. Permitting the growth of a new magical organ will be grown. In all cases, these organs permit the use of unique abilities or sometimes a magical affinity. The most common example of this would be the Berserker's Heart, gained after rising through the Barbarian subclass of the same name.
“The first of the rare Perks are known as Transformations.” He eagerly explained. “As the name implies, Transformations enable the user to assume a physical form of a different nature. This form differs from Polymorphism by the simple fact that these forms are not based on magic. The flesh itself is what changes at the will of the user. Enabling them to transform even in the presence of anti-magic. The last and rarest type of Perk is an Evolution!” He blared with too much enthusiasm. “These involve a permanent change to the user’s physiology. Often seen in Prestige Classes, but rarely found in Master Classes as well.
“Naturally, our focus for this year is to make each of you eligible for almost every Class.” He smiled. “Once you evolve, you will then be free to decide which path you wish to step down, if you haven't stepped down one already. Then, your second year at this institute will be dedicated to moving as far down these paths as possible. As such, your experiences will all be different next year. As will they be the next year, when you will shadow a sponsored guild to accrue experience.
"Therein lies the reason for our point system.” He explained to the wowed crowd. “The points you accrue during your time here will act as currency, not just for items and equipment while you are here, but to increase your standing in the eyes of guilds across Nonus and Maru. Only those with the highest points are sought after by the most influential guilds. For those wishing to join them, this may be your only way in. So work hard. And think well about which Class you wish to take.
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“Now then!” He clapped. “Off to lunch! We’ll begin our next lecture upon your return.
---
“What are spells?”
As I somewhat expected, Zeff answered himself before any of us had a chance to even raise our hands. “The word ‘spell,’ is a grossly ambiguous term used to describe the way living beings like us use mana.” He explained. “From now until the end of the quarter, we will learn about and practice casting the different types of spells, as well as learn how to develop new spells and how to identify them being used by your enemies in combat.
“Now!” He clapped. “The first thing to consider when thinking about a spell is the type of mana that sources it. We are all familiar with the mana around us. It exists in varying densities. But in its purest form, it is known as Arcana. Again, we are lucky to have six students possessing the mana type.” He glanced at me through his peripherals before breaking the room with another clap. “However! Two more mana types exist within these realms. The first is Divine Mana. Or Divine Energy. Put simply, it is power sourced from the Gods. One unmatched by almost all forms of mana, save the next and an immense amount of Arcana.
“That type of mana would be Wicked Mana.” Zeff grimly explained. “Also known as Cursed Mana, it is mana sourced directly from the Underworld, used by devils and their warlocks for some unknown means.”
‘Promotions.’ I nodded in understanding. But that wasn’t something I was willing to share with the rest of the Class. That was family knowledge.
“All but the last type of mana is used in the same way.” Zeff continued after his long, dramatic pause. “Defensive spells are the first, and self-explanatory.” He paused to begin looking around, smiling wide. “Who wants to tell me what spell types they think they know and how they’re used?”
“The most basic offensive spell is the Bullet Spell,” Winston said after raising his hand. “It’s when the caster gathers mana and sends it at their target like an arrow.”
“A Domain Spell occurs when the caster spreads their mana in an area around them, creating an environment like their magical affinity,” Peter said next.
“A Reinforcement Spell is when you use magic in your own body.” Samson crudely explained next.
I, however, decided to play it differently and proudly dictated my answer after raising my hand. “A Trap Spell is when the caster imbues their magic into a place, such as the ground, and wills the spell to remain dormant until a certain condition is met.”
“Very good!” Zeff clapped. “Ten points awarded to Winston, Peter, and Samson; twenty to Amun! However, none of you mentioned the most fundamental spells of all: Passive and Active Spells.”
He paused to begin pacing across the room. “Passive spells are innate abilities, immunities, or resistances that are granted by both the traits of your species and the type of magic you wield. Someone with ice magic would have an immunity to cold while one with fire magic would have a heat immunity. Though they extend far beyond that. The true extent of these abilities can only be explained by the individual in possession of them. And due to the behavior of the community as of late, that knowledge is severely limited. Would anyone like to divulge? Anything but the obvious, please.”
Anything but the obvious were things I’d rather be left unsaid. I was born with the ability to see mana and would one day be able to forge the raw energy into weapons and tools with properties I had no way of understanding. Not only that, but I could turn ordinary animals into magical beasts and I had the innate ability to raise and commune with the dead. I had my own planet in the Underworld and to top it off, I had four overpowered affinities I hardly knew how to use.
I was basically a walking physics lab in the form of a half-drow born with the deepest darkness in the universe. And I didn’t feel like explaining the principles of any of them to these comparatively primitive people.
“Anyway.” Zeff sighed in defeat. “While there are other basic spells: the offensive Wave and Sweep Spells; and the defensive Dome spell. However, we’re here to learn about the higher forms of spell casting, the first of which is also both an Affinity Core type and a School of Wizardry known as Conjuration. It involves using mana to conjure matter from mana and sometimes make them behave in ways they otherwise wouldn’t. An example of this would be a geomancer turning mana into stone and then turning that stone into a golem under their control. Not to be confused with Summoning. Similarly, Transmutation falls in the same category, wherein mana is transmuted into a different type of energy. In most cases, these are used independently. However, those with an Affinity Core in one category can find themselves able to cast in the other. Someone with an ability to conjure fire, for example, could also transmute their energy into pure heat, and even use it in the exotic ways of their spell craft; say, by turning that heat into something solid.
'Interesting.'
"The next few categories are considered the Utilitarian Spells, used in support groups." He explained. "The most basic form is Construction Spells used by laborers across the realms. But in our context, it's when we use manipulation or magic to build large-scale infrastructure. Roads, buildings, or even cities for those in guilds, or fortifications and barracks for those in a military setting. Moving on, there are Communication Spells; also known as Divination.” He explained. “These require a great talent in spell design, as only a few affinities and classes are known to be capable of communicating across vast distances. Those that are capable of such a thing are highly regarded in many different professions. For those of us who can’t use or develop our own, enchantments have been working just fine for centuries now. Though getting your hands on such a device is still an expensive endeavor
“That aside, we also have Charm Spells.” He smiled. “While Charming is the innate ability of halflings, for others, it is a rare type of spell or skill that makes another more inclined to follow your whims. Their opposite is Hexes. Which are meant to make one feeble, clumsy, and fearful in your presence. Binding and Sealing spells follow, which as the name implies, will restrain a particular target or imprison them respectively. Trap Spells also fall into this category.” He gave me a quick nod before moving on.
“Between the Utilitarian Spells and the Advanced Spells, there exists another type of spell," Zeff said, using his grim tone once again. "They are, by far, the most controversial type of spell in existence. Curse Spells. Their potential is so great that the Polaris Empire wishes for us to withhold the information from you students until just before graduation.” He contemptuously spat. “Thankfully, the headmaster and staff alike refute such ways of thinking. “Anyway.” He sighed. “Curse spells are special in the way they are cast. By imbuing mana into the voice and speaking the spell's name, it will have a far greater effect than when cast in any other way. These effects can often last days, weeks, or even lifetimes. Yet the true danger within them lies in the infinite ways in which we can tie our words into our magic. This technique is why high-powered mystics are said to have named spells or why they shout whenever they use their magic. In reality, this is where the art of naming spells is derived from. By combining curse spells with any other technique, a mystic’s magic is propelled to unbounded heights.
“The reason Polaris dislikes us sharing the information is; one, because of the power behind the spells. Though they’ll deny it at every turn.” He huffed. “And, two, because of the negative connotations behind the moniker. As Devils are infamous for Cursing and making Deals with mortal souls, they don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea by using these techniques. Foolishly so.
“That, however, concludes our introductory lecture.” Zeff bowed. “As always, remedial reading material can now be found in your textbooks to study at your leisure. In our next class, we will begin the focus of this quarter with the theories of Mana Molding and an introduction to Spell Identification. Dismissed!”
As I trailed behind the rest of the class with Zakira, I lost myself in deep thought regarding Zeff's lecture and realized there was an event horizon to my magical ignorance. And beyond sat an entire universe of the unknown. I'd hardly even seen the surface, let alone scratched it. I knew I could cast with just my thoughts. I only used my hands for aesthetics when I knew I could afford to- or when I was manipulating. I knew of reinforcing the body with different types of mana and I even knew about curse spells. But I never thought magic could be cast in so many ways.
‘Does that imply that it’s also possible to cast with… my eyes?’ I asked myself. But in hindsight, Toxic Breath was essentially the same thing with my lungs. As was Noxious Step with my feet. ‘So then, could I also sneeze or fart out of a spell?’ I needed to know and it was both frustrating and exciting that the more time I spent in this place the more questions I ended up having. The more experiments I had that needed doing. If my room wasn’t spell-blocked I could’ve slowed my relative time and worked for hours or even days while mere seconds passed outside. I could do such things at the gym, but I had enough attention drawn to me already. And I didn’t want anyone scrying in on the techniques I was developing.
It was frustrating. Having to wait and wait and wait to explore and experiment and do as I pleased. My thirst for knowledge was making me hasty in ways that were getting to be quite annoying. It seemed no matter how much I reminded others, I kept forgetting my life expectancy was at least a few centuries. I could take my time.
But... god damn, did I not want to.
But that left the issue of what came after. Becoming a high-powered mage added another few centuries on top of my already extensive lifespan. How I had yet to know. But Emperor Deapou was living proof. And then there was the whole undead matter, of which I still had serious reservations; Living Lich or not- not that I knew what such a thing was. Becoming undead would be nice and all, but I’d be pretty upset if I couldn’t enjoy the pleasures of life as a consequence.
That said, I was also on the path to becoming a god. And everything I learned about my lineage suggested there was another path available to me.
‘Deals, huh?’