A small gust of wind shot out. Enya opened her eyes to see the mana releasing outward. Immediately, she closed her eyes and channeled her mana into the circuit, filling it as quickly as she could. Mana flowed through the circuit until the loop connected, and then the light atop the altar flashed to life once more. However, realization hit her once she looked at the ball of light.
Innate Class: Visionary
Unlock conditions: Shatter a spell circuit and reactivate it while analyzing the nature of the mana before it dissipates.
Enya sat down on the ground and leaned her body back, with her arms supporting her up. “Arghh, damnit! I had my eyes closed!” Enya complained. Pell had strictly told her not to curse or repeat and copy the usage of his foul-words, but Enya couldn’t help it anymore.
This was her 7th attempt of the day at trying to fill the spell circuit before the mana fully dissipated. She was getting closer and closer with each try, but now she wasn’t making any progress. The real problem was that she also had to analyze what the mana did, while trying to repair the circuit as quick as she could. Every try she attempted was exhausting, draining her mentally, along with her mana.
“I feel like I’m missing something,” she muttered. The name "Visionary" suggested something related to the eyes. Pell had explained that classes and their unlock conditions were linked. Fire mages, for example, unlocked their class by engaging in fire-related activities. Perhaps the unlock conditions hinted at what the class did.
She examined the circuit engraving again, wondering if closely inspecting how the mana moved while filling the circuit could help. She could fill it up in almost a second if she kept her eyes completely closed and focused. This however, wouldn't allow her to actually see what happened with the circuit. But without closing off her senses to focus on her mana flow, how could she reconstruct the circuit in time?
Once again, Enya began to channel her mana, focusing on her surroundings and with great effort, forced her eyes to stay open this time. She shattered the circuit, and the mana inside the circuit bubbled out into the air. Mentally strained, she tried to force the remaining mana in her body to move, urging it forward with as much focus and control as she could muster.
This time, she noticed something new: as her mana poured in, the ambient mana that had burst out previously stopped and began to vibrate. The surrounding mana froze momentarily, before moving back slowly toward the circuit. It was as if the mana she was pouring in drew the surrounding mana back into the circuit.
As she completed the circuit, the mana in the air had dissipated. She had failed in trying to complete the circuit in time. However, she noticed something new with this attempt. The mana that had exploded outward slowly tried to crawl back into the circuit. It was like a gentle breeze of air that suddenly began blowing in the opposite direction.
Enya checked her status screen, noting that there were no updates to the unlock conditions.
Enya's eyes sparkled with a new idea. What if she could drag the mana back into the circuit before it vanished completely? She wasn't entirely sure why the mana seemed eager to return, but she was determined to find out.
“Okay… so the mana that came out… it wanted to follow the direction of my mana,” Enya said aloud, theorizing to herself. “So… if I just send a large wave of mana at the circuit separately, to gather all that mana…” She took a quick glance at her mana values.
Mana: 6/8
With a flick of her wrist, she extended her arm straight out, her palms turned toward the sky as if inviting the wind to dance. She drew mana into her arm, letting it pool in her hand before releasing it slowly. The mana trickled out in all directions, shimmering with faint blue along the edges of her vision.
Gathering her strength, Enya concentrated another mass of mana into her palm. With a decisive push, she sent a wave of mana surging upward, reaching the ceiling. As the burst of energy surged, it carried with it the scattered mana from earlier, directing it like a hole in a dam bursting free. The free-flowing mana swirled and followed her mana’s lead, flowing and shooting straight upward where her palm was pointed.
Exhausted from the effort, Enya slumped back, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She let out a soft, triumphant chuckle. "So that's how it's done," she murmured, her voice barely a whisper. For some reason, shooting a wave of raw mana outwards like that was exhausting. She needed to rest.
An hour later, she awoke from a brief nap, curled up on the fluffy pillow Pell had left her.
Mana: 8/8
Her mana had returned to a more respectable eight points, topping it off. She wasn’t sure what her mana was like after her little “test,” but it surely wasn’t full. She also hadn't yet asked Pell what might happen if she ran completely out of mana or overexerted herself.
Taking a deep breath, Enya steeled herself. "Alright, time to get this dumb class!" she declared, her voice brimming with newfound resolve.
Acknowledging that she was at full capacity, she settled back at the altar, her legs folded neatly beneath her. She extended her arms forward, placing her hands gently on the cylindrical marble surface, right atop the intricate circuit. She poured equal parts of mana between both arms, letting it flow into her palms as she prepared herself.
With a steadying breath, Enya circulated the mana in her right hand, sending it to meet the mana within the circuit. The circuit sparked, and a burst of energy erupted outward. Swiftly, Enya channeled the remaining mana from her right hand into the circuit, working to fill it completely. The expelled mana in the air suddenly stopped moving outward, and froze in place, vibrating silently.
Mana: 7/8
Her left arm was already primed. She gathered the mana in her left palm, then thrust it toward the circuit with deliberate force. A wave of raw mana burst free, inches away from the circuit, before crashing and melding with the altar.
Her mana fused with the ambient energy around her, blending seamlessly with the remnants of the explosion. As she propelled the mana forward, it drew in the surrounding energy, pulling it back into the circuit with powerful intent. With all of the ambient mana in the air pouring back into the circuit at even ratios, the mana within her palm went into the circuit with increased efficiency.
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Enya was essentially recycling the mana that was previously used, increasing the total efficiency and speed of the spell formation. As the circuit filled up, she severed the flow and withdrew her mana, after feeling the completed mana loop back around.
Mana: 8/8
Her face showed a mix of surprise as she realized she had rebuilt the circuit without using any mana. The ambient mana in the air had flowed into the circuit for her, and even replenished her own supplies that she exerted. The mana inside of the spell circuit hadn’t been created nor destroyed. Enya had simply redirected the mana that was already in there, outwards—when she shattered the circuit, and back in again—when she filled it up.
A radiant glow emanated above her, and as she looked up, the light atop the altar gleamed brightly once more. A cheerful ding! echoed in the air.
Innate Class: Visionary has been unlocked.
New Notification: Mana Pool has increased from 8 to 20.
New Notification: 1 Skill point has been awarded.
Skill: Mana Detection [D-] has ranked up to Mana Detection [D+]
Skill: Mana Control [E+] has ranked up to Mana Control [D+]
Skill: Perception [D] has ranked up to Perception [C-]
Enya’s eyes lit up. The status screen panel popped up beside her. She looked at the panel and noticed that there was a new prompt.
Innate Class: Visionary
Unlock conditions have been met.
Would you like to view more information on [Visionary]
[Accept/Decline]
She had finally done it. After so many failed attempts, she had finally unlocked her innate class. Glee and joy filled Enya's mind as she stared at the system notification, basking in its elegance. Then, she briefly got over it in under a second, and couldn't wait to see the reward she had received.
“Yes,” she said impatiently. The screen flashed, revealing additional details.
Innate Class: Visionary [Unique]
One who can see the truth.
⬥⬥⬥
Skill: Absolute Focus [Active] has been obtained.
Enter a deep state of concentration, multiplying the effectivity of your senses based on concentration strength. Certain skills will also increase in strength during this effect
[Warning] A mental backlash may occur if concentration is forcibly broken.
[Mana cost: 0MP]
⬥⬥⬥
Skill: Visions Past [Passive] has been obtained.
Periodically receive brief glimpses of what has happened or what will happen.
[Mana cost: 0MP]
As Enya read the information, it felt as though another voice was reading it aloud in her mind. Overwhelmed with joy, she reclined on the ground, her grin stretching from ear to ear.
“I friggin did it!” she cheered, her voice slightly muffled by her broad smile.
Shaking her head, Enya sprang to her feet. “Alright!” she said. However, her excitement had gotten the better of her. Her foot snagged on the hem of her long dress, sending her sprawling backward and wrapping herself up in her own clothes. “Woah-ahh!” she yelped. “Stupid long dress,” she grumbled as she began to untangle herself. Carefully this time, Enya regained her footing.
She remembered from her studies that spells required mana to be formed and activated through spell circuits. Abilities without spell circuits, like those used by warriors or fighters, could simply be activated by willing them to happen. She had now gotten a skill that could be activated by her will, and used no mana.
“I guess that’s how fighters and warriors can do cool sword waves and stuff without needing spell circuits,” she mused.
She recalled the fantasy novels she’d devoured, especially the romance ones where the hero started out as an ordinary soul. Through relentless training, he’d become powerful enough to swing a sword and slice through mountains. Enya found this rather absurd. “How could anyone wield a sword big enough to cut a mountain?” she wondered. “And where would you even put it?”
But then she realized: non-magicians could perform amazing feats without spell circuits—they simply activated their abilities through sheer willpower.
Whenever Enya had questions about magic, she’d turn to Pell. But his responses to magic-related subjects were always the same.
*****
“I’m NOT a magician Enya. I can’t use spells and all that magical stuff.”
Pell had kept telling Enya that he was not a magician. That he couldn’t use spells and knew very little about spell circuits and magic besides basic common knowledge.
“So does that mean you can’t use mana?” Enya asked.
“No. I CAN use mana. Using mana and using spells are entirely different things. I do have skills as a merchant that use mana to activate, but they don’t require spell circuits.”
Enya’s frustration bubbled up. Did this mean magicians were less efficient than other classes? Others could summon their skills at will, while she had to meticulously construct and fill circuits with precise mana control. But Pell quickly eased her worries.
“Magicians aren’t worse than other classes,” Pell explained. “In fact, they’re often much more versatile. For example, an archer might only enhance their speed or add fire to their arrows, but a magician can do all of that and more. Spells are incredibly powerful—you can achieve almost anything with them, provided you can construct the right circuit and manage the mana correctly. Generally, magician spells are stronger than other class abilities, but they come with complex casting requirements.”
He went on, “Common classes like fighters, rogues, and archers use mana to perform their skills and abilities. Magicians, however, rely on spells that require spell circuits to cast. Rogues might turn invisible or use blink steps, which are categorized as skills and often don’t rely on spell circuits, but they do require either casting times, or a cooldown period to reuse.”
*****
Enya glanced at her status screen, her spirits lifting as she saw her new ability. Though it seemed modest, her excitement bubbled over as she prepared to test it out.
Calming her breath, Enya turned her attention to the room. Her eyes narrowed as she focused on the desk and bookshelves lined along the wall, her concentration deepening as she took in every detail. The feeling of how to use the new ability came to her, as if it was as natural as breathing.
Skill: Absolute Focus has been activated.
Mana Detection [D+] increased to Mana Detection [C]
Perception [C-] increased to Perception [B]
In an instant, Enya's world seemed to slow down, each second stretching into infinity. Her eyes glowed with a brilliant yellow that wrapped around her black pupils. Everything came into sharp focus as if her senses had been amplified multiple times over.
The air brushed against her skin like clothing—the lights of the altars flickered in rapid pulses, and the ambient noise in the room grew to a loud hum.
Her mind went into overdrive, an overload of information being sent through it. It raced ahead, darting from thought to thought, analyzing every detail with a newfound clarity. Her eyes flicked rapidly across the room, picking apart the smallest things and demanding explanations for all of them.
Three lights. Four lights. Flickering—why? Were there no bugs in this room? Was the crack in the wall always there? Had that stone tile always been slightly off? Her thoughts cascaded like a waterfall, each observation feeding into the next in an endless stream.
The mana in the room also became more clear, visible even. Before, her senses of mana were more akin to a magical sensation. But now, she could see the residual mana that permeated the air like a mist. However, within this mist, something caught her attention—something darker, more solid. At the back of the room, on the third bookshelf, bottom row, a book stood out. It was subtly out of place, leaning as if something unseen held it away from the side of the shelf.
Enya’s gaze locked onto the book, even from tens of meters away. It wasn’t fully touching the side of the bookshelf; it hovered just slightly apart, an oddity in an otherwise mundane scene.
Instantly, a story from a book Pell had handed to her came into her mind—one she didn’t particularly enjoy. In that story, set in a world devoid of classes and magic, a woman had been murdered in an old mansion. The culprit had hidden away in a secret room, concealed behind a bookshelf. The shelf, rigged with a hidden mechanism, would swing aside to reveal a passageway. By the end of that story, the murderer had killed every person inside that mansion, along with the detectives.
As she stared at the offset book, the memory of that novel clicked into place. Could it be? She wondered, her curiosity piqued by the possibility that something similar was lurking in this room, a secret waiting to be uncovered.
“There’s no way…” Enya whispered. The misaligned book was such a minor detail in the scene that anyone else would have overlooked it. But not her. Her senses screamed that something was odd about the bookshelf.