Strangely, after our departure from the capital, we were joined with a group of robed men that looked similar to my teacher. My teacher had informed me that he knew of an ancient teleportation device that could get us to the heart of the Great Elven Forests in such a short period of time and while that sounded doubtful, he always found a way to make his life simpler.

Lazy people would find methods to make their lives easier, after all. However, I dislike lazy people so while we were resting before we continue our journey towards the portal, I would make his life hell. This self-proclaimed ‘master’ of mine hadn’t taught me a single spell since we left the capital. That enough should suffice me torturing him.

“Teacher,” I called out to him. In the forest clearing that we have set camp, he found a shady place and marked it as his own. He lied down upon a bench made from earth, while his maid Lucia was fanning him. A butler named Horatio was holding an iced drink, patiently waiting on his other side. What a slave driver and a lazy bum.

“Oooh. My apprentice Kendra is here. Have you been drinking milk like I instructed? You seem taller.”

Guffugu?! I involuntarily coughed hard. I fixed myself up and responded, “Like I said, there is no scientific evidence that milk would help one grow taller.”

“It also makes you bigger.” He stretched his neck and sneered.

Bigger? What does that mean by bigger? If you mean fatter, I cannot see the reason why anyone would want to…wait. Was he talking about the chest area?!

“You…!”

“Wait! Before you call me an old pervert, we should first discuss why you came here in the first place.” He sat up straight and raised both of his hands. “I haven’t taught you much in terms of magic.”

While I know that this old pervert was changing the topic, I would rather head straight to magic lessons than juggle insults with him. I knew his capabilities in terms of magic, and I was interested in having that kind of power.

“What are you interested in the most?” I know that tone. The one that the demons would use to whisper to you and try to bait you, catch you while you were truly helpless. But nobody could blame me for being tempted by his powers.

“Come. A secluded area would be better.” He got off his bench and started walking into the forest. Normally, following a perverted old man would be unwise, but then again, the king did trust him. As I followed him, I looked back and noticed both Lucia and Horatio was gone. Where could they have gone to?

“Can I ask why have you chosen me to be your apprentice?” I asked him as I walked behind him.

“…In due time, you will understand. For now, I want you to trust me,” He stopped and told me this. My spine tingled at this statement. Was this a lie? I couldn’t understand what made him say that. Before I could think deeply in this, he proceeded to pollute the air.

“Just kidding. You might not even understand ever at all.” He looked back and knocked his head lightly. What was with the ‘Teehee~! How would I know?’?! Of course, it was a lie. I should’ve seen it coming. Why did I fall for his trap for a moment there? As he started walking again, so did I.

“Let’s be serious, though. What do you want?” He asked me with the same tone he always carried.

“To be stronger.”

“Pfft. Everyone wants to be. It’s my fault that I wasn’t clear. What do you want me to teach you first?” He stopped once he reached a large empty space in the forest. Thinking back, when he taught Lard basic magic, I was intrigued by something.

“The one where you didn’t even chant. How did you do that? I’ve been trying to figure it out the entire time,” I asked him.

“I told you. Understand the world, and it will understand your intentions,” He puffed out a sigh and told me to sit in front of him.

 “So, what? You’re going to bore me to death with science? I’ll let you know that science taught by my former mentor wouldn’t be surpassed by the likes of you.” I returned a scoff at him as I sat down.

“Your former mentor…What does she know about mana?” My current mentor asked me. When talking about magic, mana was the first and most important topic to discuss.

“If you’re talking about it religiously, mana are spirits of the world. Obviously, that’s wrong. Since mana are naturally occurring elements,” I answered and turned to him, “And you? What do you think mana are? Spirits or elements?”

“Hmm…A bit of both, really.” He shrugged.

“What does that even mean?” I shook my head.

“I have a crazy theory for that.”

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“Well, you are crazy so it suits that your theories are crazy.”

“Listen, brat. I’ll tell you this because you are my apprentice. You could say mana is half-spiritual, half-elemental. They are gateways to the other dimensions.” He tapped onto the ground, drawing a line with an arrow passing through it.

“…What the fuck? You really are crazy. Other dimensions?”  I was now inclined to get up and run back to camp.

“Do you know spell tiers above master level?” He asked me as I was about to order my body to make a run for it.

“Above master level? The only tier above master level is cataclysm level. You’re acting as if there’s something beyond that. Even then, not everyone could do master level.” What an idiot. This was obvious. These tiers determined how hard they were learnt on average. Master level, as aptly named, suggested that it would take a lifetime dedication to learn a spell from that category. So what would it mean for cataclysm level or above?

“There are tiers above cataclysm. A few, actually. Do you know why the average person can’t go above master level?” He tilted his head. I knew this action, this feeling, this attitude. It was almost as if I could see through his mask, and I could see a smug face. What was this idiot saying?

“Why?” I decided to entertain him.

“Because they would lose themselves, unable to understand the world. What they’re trying to control, they get controlled by them. Mana are sentient little shits.”

“Oh so, now mana are living things now, huh? That’s it. I’m out.” With a sigh, this man was just crazy. He was strong, but he wouldn’t be able to teach me anything.

“Perhaps this will help you understand.” I didn’t realize it but he leaned forward and placed his index finger against my forehead.

“What are you…”

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Why was the world…so blank? I looked around. Everywhere was dark and bright, black and white, solid and liquid. I heard whispers everywhere.

‘I like his smell.’

‘Touch him.’

‘Eat. Beyond the flesh, taste.’

I couldn’t move. I just stared ahead at where my teacher sat. This place wouldn’t be scary if not for the countless number of…faceless clowns…everywhere. The clowns all looked identical, wearing a brown cape with oversized white gloves. Their neck was just a metal coil but their face weren’t there. They flocked and surrounded my teacher, poking him incessantly.

There were clowns everywhere. Some floated around, some were standing horizontally in the air, some…were indescribable. All my senses were going nuts, where was I? How was I able to think so…clearly?

‘Smell funny. Maybe taste funny.’

‘I love him.’

‘I hate him.’

‘Wait.’

A single voice stopped the rest of the random insane whispers which echoed in this ‘world’. The clowns started facing towards me and raised their fingers all towards me.

‘She sees us?’

‘Why can she see us?’

‘He did this!’

‘WHY CAN SHE SEE US?’

The clowns were no longer whispering. The whispers were transforming into a glass shard rubbing against a chalkboard. I wanted to close my ears but my body wouldn’t move. They started to approach me, I wanted to scream. One of them was only a breath’s away. This was supposed to scare me, but instead I was feeling something else.

Excitement.

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“Well?”

I took a deep breathe. Sweat started pouring down and I had to get on my knees as the contents of my stomach were flushed out of my system. Sorry, Miss Maven. This wasn’t my fault!

“Well? How was it?”

“How was…geu…” I wanted to retort but I just kept vomiting until there was nothing left. Only then could I properly retort, “How was it, you say? What in the name of the Demon Gods was that?!” I struggled to get up.

“Great! You’re still sane! Now then…Tell me what you saw!” He leaned forward, eagerly waiting for my answer.

“I saw an everchanging world filled with faceless clowns…” I described the place to him in great detail. Please teacher, tell me that was an illusion. Only then would I be able to sleep peacefully.

“Eh? Clowns? Lucky. I got something else more annoying.” He clicked his tongue. We both saw something else differently?

“Tell me, what was that?” I got up after cleaning myself, only to find myself kneeling again because my legs were still trembling.

“Our dimension. And another dimension. And another dimension. And so on. Those ‘things’ are the only constant in any of the dimensions. Once you reach a level so high, you will only see the world in that ‘constant’ dimension. I call it the zero-dimension.”

I only managed to digest a fourth…no, a tenth of what he said. “In Commons, please?” I asked.

“In simpler terms, that is where mana comes from and those ‘things’ you saw are mana.” He snapped his finger and congregated mana in the air towards his finger. As a fire sparked, my vision flashed a group of clowns trying to start a fire at the tip of his finger.

‘Quick.’

‘I’m trying. I do not want to anger.’

‘Please. Hurry.’

My vision lasted only a quarter of a second, but I could still see it clearly until the urge to vomit came up, but there was nothing more to expel. Sorry, stomach. You’ve been abused. I will understand if you wish to depart me and find a better owner.

“Well, at least, that’s the case for ‘Enlightened’ tier and below. When you reach near-divine…you will see something entirely different. Let me correct myself, you will make something entirely different.” He dispersed his fireball on his hand and approached me.

There was something more? What could possibly be more than…the other world? I waited for him to drag my consciousness to the other world. Was this shiver from fear…or from joy?

“But, let’s wait until you can get used to your little clown buddies, alright?” He stopped and snapped me back to reality.

“…Ah…I...Yeah. That’s fine.” I mindlessly scratched my head.

“But, still. I am glad that you’re still sane. I made the right choice choosing you. We should move. I’d like to get away from this place soon. Oh, and, don’t forget to drink milk.” The robed man crouched and patted me on the head then left me. I continued to stare at nothing. Something poked me. A half transparent clown with only his upper half partially visible to me poked my head again.

‘You see me.’

Yes. Yes I do.