Leo and Heidi

Alea’s cabin, Black Forest, Germany

Leo did as Heidi suggested and got up to get the next crystal. Taking one with the number ‘two’ engraved, he asked Heidi, “You know what? There is this one thing I did not understand from her explanation. Why call all these boxes a grimoire? Was it not supposed to be a book of sorts?”

Heidi chuckled, unsurprised by the question, and asked one of her own, “And that is the only thing that you did not understand? Mana core, gates, channels? Everything was clear?”

“Well, no…” Leo started, sitting down next to Heidi. “It is just that I have read about these concepts before. As I said, I am a bit of a fantasy nerd. Seen all this a hundred times in the cultivation novels I have read. The only surprising thing is that it is somehow real.”

“Fair enough,” Heidi said and began her explanation. “A grimoire can be any number of items, such as a book, as you said, and these recording crystals. In its very essence, a grimoire is just that, a collection of information for the mage to use.

“Though, I would bet that the free mages of old did not use paper much. It would be hard to explain what you cannot touch, smell or see. Hence the visualization.

“No doubt we will see a lot of display and visualization in the upcoming crystals. For us, we use spell books. And those, as you can understand, are a written form of information.”

“Why a book?” he asked.

“I guess because it is cheaper to print information. To distribute it among the clan members. Remember, there are thousands of us, and these crystals here,” she pointed to the boxes, “would cost a fortune to make. Something not every clan can afford to do so for all its members.

“Books, on the other hand, are cheaper. Also, remember that we do not cast magic the same way as the free mages did. Most likely, the crystals will explain this part in more detail, but for us, magic is structured. Boring even.

“We do not need to try to understand how the mana flows in us or the spell. Nor do we need to meditate for hours to progress. We just do spells. With several expensive resources, mana crystals, and potions.”

“Then why are you stuck in certain stages?” Leo asked, curious why Heidi was not some ‘young master type with the most potent core in the clan, given her heritage.

“Because the resources to progress are expensive and limited. Like very expensive. You could buy a country if you could convert the favors and gold spent to progress through each stage in our core colors.

Leo thought about it and asked, “Alea makes it sound like all it takes is just sitting around for hours and gathering mana from around you. All it takes is time and effort for a free mage. Is it not the same for you?

“Gods, no,” Heidi answered with a slight laugh. “If it was, then everyone would be cultivating, I cannot believe I am saying this, their mana cores like in those novels you love to reference. We cannot progress this way. We work with other clans and the Church to advance our mana cores.”

“Oh, the Church is part of it, yet again,” Leo commented, unsurprised.

“Yes, the Church,” Heidi confirmed. “They hold a monopoly on mana crystal mines in the world. Those, they are heavily guarded, and the supply available to the clans - is fully controlled. They have some kind of rationing system, in which every year, clans apply for the mana crystal allowance and buy them to advance their members.

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“Further, we need to book and set up an advancement ritual. You will not guess from who,” Heidi said, smiling pointedly at Leo to ask.

“From the Church?”

“Had it one! They not only control the mana crystal supply but also the ritual and the trinkets required to set it up. So we are stuck in this endless system of gathering resources and favors to trade for advancement while the Church holds all the cards.”

“And you cannot switch over to this cultivation method because of the runes on your cores?” he asked, connecting the dots.

“Right yet again,” Heidi confirmed, this time not smiling. “By allowing or, in most cases, by submitting to the core awakening ritual, we condemn ourselves to a life of servitude of sorts. Where we are just a part of a larger machine.”

Leo sat, recording crystal in hand, and contemplated how the two conflicting ways people used magic in different eras worked. On the one hand, you had to dedicate yourself and your time to growing and having freedom. On the other, you got quick gains later slumped by the cost and scarcity of resources. He started to understand why the Church would oppose having a group of mages that were roaming the earth and not bound to serve the system they held power over.

“Do not feel so down,” Heidi interrupted his musings. “Most of us do not know that another way to cast magic existed so long ago. People have forgotten all about it. Only those, who are closer to the top of the power pyramid, know about this.”

“Still, it is a shit way to live… Like in shackles,” he noted and thought about how he would be able to change that if given a chance. “So, how do I progress then?”

“I see how this will be a chore for you,” Heidi noted, seeing that Leo was not keen to sit down and watch all the lessons saved in the recording crystals. “You do not like to sit still when others teach you?”

“No, to be honest. I thought that school was behind me, finally. Those were completely useless three years of my life. University, I mean,” he explained.

“Well, this is no mere mud education. Man up!” Heidi said and shoved the crystal in his right palm. “Activate it, and let's hear what it says.”

Leo obliged and activated the crystal, and the same woman in monochrome sprang up and said, “Welcome back, initiate! In this recording, we will talk about how the mana core forms and why young and aspiring mages like yourself must do it right!

“Let’s start by reviewing what the mana core is and where it is located. First, the mana core is a gateway that connects your internal mana channels to the mana around you. The channels are a sealed system through which the inner mana circulates.

“Internal mana is different from the pure mana around you. Internal contains something that is called an affinity. What is affinity, and how is it classified? I will talk later. For now, you must understand that the affinity in your internal mana is achieved by gathering pure mana from around you and depositing it in your mana core to undergo the refinement process.

“Now, as you might understand, mana core is crucial as it lets you do two things. First, it allows you to gather and convert pure mana to something you can use. Second, it will enable you to store the gathered mana. The speed of how quickly you can collect and convert pure mana and how much of the converted mana you can keep will depend on your core’s development level, which we classify by color. But most likely, you have already heard that.

“Now, the practical part! As you have accumulated some mana inside your body naturally and without techniques, we will condense it further to form the mana core. Be warned, do not attempt to do this step in a mana-condensed environment, as it can cause your core to underdevelop anomalies.

Leo raised his eyes at Heidi, who blushed and said, “Sorry! I did not know that! In the clans, that is what they think improves the core awaking process and thus the grade!”

Meanwhile, the figure continued, “The process is simple, however, long if done correctly. What you will need to do is, find a quiet spot as close as possible to nature. It can be a hilltop or a meadow. Somewhere far away from civilization. Ideally, you would have a senior mage guide you to a place where nature creates and disperses the most mana. There are such spots. But do not worry if you cannot find one.

“When you have found a spot to your liking, you will need to sit in a lotus position with your palms on your knees and facing upward. Make yourself comfortable, as this part can take tens of hours. And it is best done in one go to ensure that we condense all of the mana in you!

“After you have taken the position, what you will need to do next will be to breathe. A lot. You will take calm and long breaths. Breathe in and breathe the same way out. With each breath you take, you need to imagine that the air you draw in contains mana and that it is drawn from your lungs to your navel, where the mana core is. Sounds fun, right?” the figure said, and Leo groaned.