Jenny sees the looks of confusion on some of her students' faces and begins to explain her reasoning.
“I can see some of you are confused with my point allocation so allow me to explain. What we are attempting right now is elemental manifestation. The difference between this and casting a spell is the lack of a runic formula. When we cast spells,” as she speaks, she raises her left hand and a glowing red matrix of runes appears above it, “we form a specific matrix of runes, formed with a set of precise calculations, and imbue it with a mental image.”
The centre of the matrix expands and a fist-sized ball of flames forms, crackling and flickering in a controlled manner. “When doing this, we can substitute a solid mental image for a chant that forms the mental image for us. In this situation, the actions and properties of the spell are mainly controlled by the runic formula you use, with little room for change unless you have precise mana manipulation.”
Jenny dismisses the fireball and raises her right hand before her. “However, with elemental manifestation, there is no matrix or chant to assist you in image and control. Because of this, you must form an incredibly detailed image, and consider many small variables that will affect it, to manifest even a small mass of pure elemental mana. This leads to most beginners only being able to form wisps of an element.” Above her hand, small red sparks appear, flickering in and out of existence weakly.
“We judge affinity based on how dense these wisps are. However, Emily here managed a full manifestation on her first attempt!” The sparks in her hand shoot towards the centre and condense into a small flickering orange flame.
“It takes most mages getting to the third circle to form a full manifestation with their main element, hence why I believe this is an achievement worthy of praise.”
Emily sees her peers nodding with understanding and feels a budding sense of pride.
I guess the system was right in calling me a magical genius.
“Right,” Jenny says with a clap, gathering everyone's attention again. “I’ve seen all of your attempts at fire so let us move on to water next.”
She once again gets them all to close their eyes and listen to her questioning them about the element. Emily pictures an orb of clear water in her mind and attempts to manifest it. However, this time she only manages to conjure a mass of blue wisps.
I think I spoke too soon. It’s weird though, my image of water feels just as clear in my mind as that of fire but it doesn’t manifest the same. Is this what affinity means?
As the class moves through the elements, Emily struggles with wind and earth as well, only conjuring faint clouds of colour for each. While she is feeling disappointed at her inability to replicate her first success, Jenny sets the class a challenge.
“Now for the fundamental, exotic and four higher form elements, all of them are a lot more difficult for a mage to grasp, even if they have an affinity for it. Because of this, my interference would just be detrimental to your growth, so I’m going to give you all a challenge instead. For the next ten minutes, anyone who manifests an element other than the common four will be given twenty points. This excludes Jeremy and Kyle since you’ve had many attempts at this already. Begin!”
Ignoring the grumbling coming from the end of the line and shutting out all external stimuli, Emily closes her eyes and raises her palm. Without a moment's hesitation, she decides to try lightning.
Since manifesting fire earlier, Emily couldn’t help wondering if her lack of ability to manifest other elements was due to a lack of understanding instead of aptitude. To test this, she chooses to attempt lightning, the element assisted the most by her system-given knowledge and real-life experiences.
As Emily focuses on the concept of lightning, three things spring to mind. The first is the memory of her first time breaking a mana crystal; the blazing matrix of lightning violently crackling and pulling along a floating ring of metal has been fixed in her mind since. The second is the delicate and orderly flow of electrical signals flooding her body even now in the form of the esoteric lightning called machina. The final piece to tie the two seemingly disconnected ideas of lightning together is her theoretical knowledge of electricity.
In the completely blank space within her mind, Emily starts by picking two points. At both points, a small iron ball appears. One ball she pictures with a strong negative charge, and the other positive. As she increases the difference in charge, the gap between the two balls begins to shake and a bolt of lightning shoots between the two balls. The streak of lightning collides with the receiving ball and vanishes as quickly as it appears. However, Emily maintains and keeps increasing the difference in charge.
Lightning keeps striking and very quickly the gap between each strike narrows to the point of becoming indistinguishable. All that remains pictured in Emily’s mind is a fierce spear of lightning. Flowing in a controlled yet violent manner, with wildly grasping branches shooting off into the charged space around it, the spear distorts everything around it with a powerful electromagnetic field.
Emily pushes a steady flow of mana into the image, instead of trepidation or excitement, all she feels is a serene sense of calm. Completely confident, Emily trusts the instinct telling her that her interpretation is correct and opens her eyes.
Floating above her hand is a small stream of lightning. Compared to the power and violence of the image in her head, the manifestation is pathetic. However, neither the grin that spreads across Emily’s face, nor the feeling of satisfaction at her success are diminished in the slightest. The system notification that appears along with it only acts to add fuel to the fires of her joy.
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Hidden-Quest completed: Magic? More like physics!
[Magic? More like physics!]
[Rank:] E
[Description:] Use your understanding of physics to manifest an element.
Requirements:
-Manifest 1/1 Element (Complete)
Rewards:
-Mechanic knowledge: Basic Particle Physics
-Chain-Quest: True Magical Genius #1
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[True Magical Genius #1]
[Rank:] D
[Description:] Living up to your title of technomancer, you have manifested an element using your understanding of physics! But are two manifestations truly worthy of a magical genius?
Requirements:
-Manifest 2/3 Elements in your first manifestation attempt (Not Complete)
Rewards:
-Mechanic Knowledge: Basic Material Science
-Mechanic Knowledge: Basic Kinematics
_____
Emily winces as a flood of knowledge settles in her mind. Reaching up and massaging her brows, she considers the application of the new information she has.
I think with this I should be able to manifest wind if I consider it a movement of the air. Why did I never stop to wonder what was transferring charge though? The metal in my lightning image wasn’t accurate, I should just consider it a point of charged water vapour in the air.
Wait a second, if the manifestations have to be on my first attempt, does that mean I can abuse time travel to have another go?
“-mily! Emily! Are you okay?” Jenny’s concerned voice snaps Emily out of her ruminations.
“Ah, yes. Sorry, I’m fine, just a little distracted,” Emily responds while lowering her hand from her face.
“Good, congratulations on manifesting a higher element! Truly a talent blessed by the Goddess herself.”
Jenny walks back to her podium quickly and grants Emily her reward.
“Twenty points to Emily Coldstone! Right, that marks the end of our time for today.” She walks back to stand in front of the group as she continues.
“I would like all of you five to go to the information hub and claim a spell for an element of your choice. The Covenant allows each new mage a single first circle spell for free and then after that, you will have to pay for any others. Emily, I believe you should choose a fire spell, it’s best to focus on your simpler element first to get used to spell casting. Alexia and Hester, you should focus on water. Tom, earth. And Nico, fire. By our next lesson in two weeks, I would like you all to attempt to learn and cast your spell. If you succeed by the next lesson, you will pass this module. If not, you can keep trying or swap elements,” Jenny finishes with a smile, before turning to the two boys at the end of the line and speaking to them with disdain.
“As for you two, I will see you again in a fortnight. Try spending less time punching each other and more time in the library. If you fail to complete this lesson two more times, I have now been given permission to revoke both of your rights as mages and send you home.” Turning back to the rest of the class, her smile returns.
“You’re all dismissed!”
All the students give a light bow with their right hands across their chests, which Emily quickly copies, then start moving towards the door in silence.
So, is this quest really telling me to time travel just to show off? I’m not against it, but it seems a bit odd for the system to care.
Stepping out of the classroom, Emily turns to head towards the transportation circles but gets stopped but a hand on her shoulder.
“That was crazy! You’re like, super talented!” Tom practically shouts while Emily turns around to face him with a frown.
“Thank you, but could you try not to deafen me please.”
“Ah, sorry.”
As Tom scratches his cheek in embarrassment, Emily pushes his hand off her shoulder and begins to turn around to leave.
“Are you going to the information hub now?” She pauses at Hester’s question.
If I’m going to rewind anyway, I may as well see if I can get a load of spells for free.
“Yeah, you?”
“Same, let’s go together.”
The three of them start walking side-by-side down the hallway.
“That was really hard though, I barely got a reaction for earth. How did you manage to manifest two elements so well?” Tom asks after a few moments of walking in silence.
“I just thought of a time I’d seen the element and simulated its formation,” Emily replies without much thought and looks over to see a confused look on Tom’s face.
“What do you mean simulated its formation?”
“Well for fire I started with a blank space, then pictured a spark growing into a small flame. Then I added a bit of metal to the flame and pictured them both heating up till the flame melted the metal. I also thought of the wind blowing against the flame and how it would react. After the metal was melted, I was left with my image of fire and that’s it.” Tom’s look of confusion grows as she speaks.
“Why did you include metal when trying to form fire?”
“I once saw an airship explode and the memory of the burning ship was my main reference for fire, so I thought it fit. Also, I heat metal to form it when making things, so it was the best way for me to picture it. After all, Jenny told us to form our own image so I thought relating it to something I’ve done or seen in the past would help.”
A look of realisation spreads across Hester’s face as she listens too.
“I was just trying to picture the elements alone, it never occurred to me to think of a past experience with them. Thanks, Emily!”
“No problem, I’m surprised Jenny didn’t say something similar.”
“Ah, you should probably call her Miss Forsythia by the way. Most mages teaching here don’t like being called so casually.”
“Oh sure, it feels weird to call her Miss though. She only looks like she’s twenty.”
“She’s probably around a hundred years old though,” Tom joins in again, finished dealing with his confusion over elemental manifestation.
“Wait what?” Emily asks in disbelief at his claim.
“Didn’t you know? Mages' life spans increase with their circle.” Emily shakes her head, so Tom continues to explain. “Weird. We had this explained to us when the mages from house Dahlia tried to persuade us to join them. At first circle there isn’t much difference, only having a slightly improved body, but you should still be healthy till one hundred years old. The second circle doubles that to two hundred years. And at the third circle, you can live upwards of three to four hundred years.”
“What about the fourth circle?”
“Sorry, they didn’t tell us because they said it wouldn’t matter to us, though I guess for you it might.”
I’ll ask Juliana later then.
“It’s alright, can’t expect you to know everything. Also, did you say that house Dahlia persuaded you to join? You weren’t forced?”
“Forced? No, they came and told us we had the ability to become mages and asked us to serve them as vassals and in return they’d send us to The Covenant for training. They’ve treated us very well, were you forced?”
Hester and Tom both wait for Emily’s response with looks of concern.
“Very much so. Those assholes tried to use a brainwashing spell on me. Luckily, I was able to resist it, but house Mandrago seems to do that to all their vassal mages. I’m glad to know it isn’t common practice.”
The horrified looks she sees directed at her calm her suspicions a little.
“Stop looking at me like that, I’m fine. Come on, let’s go.” Emily rolls her eyes at the siblings with a small smile as she steps into a transportation room.
These guys are alright, I’ll talk to them again next time.