Chapter 7: Mr. Seer

Puff!

Taking another drag from my cigar, I tried to push away the inexplicable emotions swirling inside me. The pen had raced across the page, nearly filling the third one. Turning to a new leaf, I rubbed my eyes with my left palm and started on a fresh topic.

Supernatural powers.

Yes, that was the aspect that intrigued me the most. As someone deeply passionate about magic and always eager to captivate an audience, and hailing from the serene era of Earth, the allure to harness such power was irresistible. But the primary drive to do so? I was a magician, and magic had always been my first love.

Diving into my thoughts about the power system, I began scribbling. Essentially, the most basic tier was rank zero. This represented someone typical, without any insight into the mystical languages that could control the natural elements.

After rank zero, the progression leads to the Apprentice rank. This stage doesn't bring about major physiological changes but leans more towards the breadth and depth of knowledge acquired.

The real transformation in one's physiology becomes apparent upon entering the Scholar rank. Brain functions become notably sharper, and there's an initial awareness of the spiritual energy around. A significant marker of this rank is the newfound ability to wield artifacts.

This body, it seems, is at the peak of the Scholar stage. The wand I had used earlier? It's known as a flare wand, sitting among the beginner-tier artifacts.

Up next after Scholar is the Master rank. This is the stage where one can delve into their consciousness realm. Once here, casting basic spells without the intricate weaving of mind runes becomes possible.

But they aren't quite termed as official wizards yet. Being called an official wizard holds a distinct respect, a status many ordinary individuals yearn for.

Reaching the Master level brings one closer to this coveted title. The leap from Scholar to Master, however, is not without its challenges. Just ascending to the pinnacle of the Scholar rank is a feat unto itself.

Upon embracing the Master stature, they can venture into the realm of consciousness. There, they're greeted by a grand gate, appearing almost impervious to entry.

To unlock the gate, one must undertake three specific tasks. The primary task is the collection of particular ingredients. These ingredients are crucial in forging the 'keys' for entry.

To unlock the gate, specific rituals tailored to each individual's gate are required. These rituals are inscribed directly onto the gate; however, interpreting or deciphering the language can be a challenge.

The last critical step is reinforcing one's body by embedding sufficient spiritual runes. Although some might consider skipping this phase, only a handful have successfully managed it. Many either face eradication from existence or lose their sanity, morphing into gateways from which abominations are birthed.

After unlocking the gate, one would be met with various stone tablets, each hinting at different powers. Their acquired capabilities would pivot on the chosen tablet. This description, albeit vague, has been somewhat clarified after rigorous investigations over several generations.

Each gate had its own affinities. For instance, the era's main character, John Lombardi, unlocked a gate that resonated with psychic affinity. As a narrative's protagonist, he had an anomaly: two gates within his consciousness, each with distinct affinities. This was a unique occurrence in human history.

The system in place delineated 12 Major Gateways and numerous Minor Gateways.

The Major and Minor distinction was based on the number of gates they held. Major Gateways contained eight gates, while the most potent Minor Gateway found had a maximum of five. Any pathway beyond that number was yet to be charted.

This classification became so advanced that they began to name the stone tablets as 'professions'. For example, the Darkness Gateway or Corruption Gateway, at its base level, offered professions like Cursemancer, Shadowmancer, Nightwatcher, Dark Wizard, etc. On reaching the next tier, the second gate, other professions were unveiled: Killer, Filthy Magus, Mischief, Berserk, and so forth.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Wizards from gates one to three are termed low-level, while those from gates four and five are high-level wizards. Beyond gate five, wizards are known as pillars. Low-level wizards tend to favor guns and other modern weapons, while high-level wizards and pillars prefer wands and their own abilities.

After listing down the known affinities and their corresponding professions, I realized my limitations. The novel had only touched upon many of them in passing. With the fifth page now filled with my scribbles, I turned over to a fresh page, ready to continue my documentation.

The present world is deeply influenced by wizards. Some areas remained stuck in the past, while others felt too advanced for the era. While electricity wasn't being used to its potential yet, telephones existed, thanks to the innovation of communication runes. This was just one of many such anomalies.

After noting down my previous thoughts, I started on a new topic:

Realms.

This topic was paramount for those with supernatural powers. Primarily, there were three significant realms: the Material Realm, the Spiritual Realm, and the Conscious Realm. The Spiritual Realm could be likened to VR, setting aside the fact that one could perish within it, while the Material Realm resembled our tangible, offline world.

After my brief musings on realms, I shifted focus to an even more pressing topic:

Suspects and Villains.

The foremost suspect looming in my mind, responsible for much of the chaos and tragedy, was the leader of the Dark Wizard Association in this city. He stood at Gate Five, and it's plausible he orchestrated this calamity as part of an advancement ritual. His association with the malevolent Gateway of Corruption already made him suspicious. The twisted rituals associated with that gateway only added to my suspicions. Even if he wasn't directly responsible, he could very likely be a chief conspirator.

The next person on my list was the enigmatic Mr. Eyeless. Quite the peculiar codename. He held significant power within an organization known as The Wizard Society. This society was a melting pot of unhinged individuals, many of whom hailed from the Corruption Gateway. While the society had its fair share of members from other gateways, the preponderance of members from the Corruption Gateway made it a significant entity of interest.

The organization was so terrifying that even the Dark Wizard Association was just one of its branches.

Only these suspects currently occupied my thoughts. I would need to keep a watchful eye on them.

Next, the villains.

Several villains were peppered throughout the series. Chief among them, and responsible for causing significant trauma to the protagonist, was Mr. Seer. His abilities mirrored his name quite closely. His exact rank remained a mystery, but it was known that his affinity lay with time. Besides Mr. Seer, there were other antagonists, though their roles were less significant. Based on the abilities he displayed in the novel, he likely resided at either gate three or gate four.

After documenting all my thoughts, I placed the feathered pen to the side and read the details I wrote. I quirked an eyebrow upon reaching the "supernatural powers" section.

As someone from Earth, I would naturally feel that these supernatural powers were incredibly magical. But, from a magician's viewpoint, it didn't feel exactly that way. Magic was about doing something unexpected, something beyond reality, and breaking every rule that one knew of.

If I was back on Earth, then generating a fireball would be considered magic. But in this world, it's just a spell that follows specific rules. To the audience, it's not out of the ordinary. To me, this wizard system seems more like a tool for performing magic tricks, and that's exactly what I intend to use it for.

After pondering, I resumed perusing the notebook.

A predetermined plot, really?

I chuckled internally. The plot's destined course was already disrupted due to my unexpected arrival. Even if I attempted to adhere to its original direction, there were bigger hackers in this game than myself.

And there's still the matter of healing my soul. Even though, like any other regular reader of this novel, I'm somewhat in the dark, one thing is certain. There's a wizard with an affinity for souls, possibly from the darkness gateway or another that specializes in soul control.

He made his appearance in the last two chapters of volume one. This individual tainted the souls of every citizen in the city on February 21. Anyone entering the city after that date would also have their soul corrupted.

Although the corruption initially appears minimal, it's set to grow progressively. My hypothesis? They're gearing up for some major advancement ritual. Regardless, my two options for survival seem clear: either acquire the artifact X-17 or eliminate that elusive wizard. Sigh~, I surely am a busy man.

...

[Edington - Medegeas Capital]

Chuchuk! Chuchuk! Chuchuk!

With a gradual deceleration, the steam train came to a standstill. It had arrived at its final stop. Stepping out from one of the exits was a slender man, appearing to be in his mid-forties.

'In fifteen days.' He mused, glancing at the golden ticket in his grip, a symbol of the first-class compartment.

Several steps away at a ticket booth, a young man who appeared to be between 19 and 20 stood. With striking green eyes, brown hair, and a notably handsome face, he seemed to be someone away from his kin, pursuing knowledge from the city's top history university.

"Mr. Lombardi, we've secured your ticket for the 6th of March. You should arrive in Brassington by the 7th. Wishing you a serene journey."