Well enough with the future, I’ll focus on the present. Figuring out how to even do magic if most stories I read are anything to go by I just need to picture it, condense mana, and release. Hold on let me see that chapter
‘Basics of Black Magic’
‘Unlike normal magic black magic can hardly be condensed any further, calling several concepts into question…’
“Okay so don't condense just picture and release”
‘To start with being a dark mage has negative connotations attached due to early users and methods in acquiring otherwise it would be considered the same as any other because of this don’t use it in front of others especially holy or light magic users’
Yata yata yata more lore, warnings, and other things that I don’t need right now. Get to the spells already. Wait what’s this
‘Unlike normal magic, dark magic can’t buff but can curse. Think of it as it can’t add but it can remove’
Duck that means I can’t cover my weaknesses. I can only lessen the gap between me and my opponent.
‘Spells below may require ingredients’
The list was more of an organizer where you could filter it to find the spell you need. Since I was just starting I went with the most for its cost and no ingredients. Of the few that caught my attention, there were only 3 that I wanted to try.
Mask presents
‘Makes the user less likely to be noticed’
Dampen sound
‘Lowers the volume of all noise made within its range’
Lesser of many sound-deafening spells
Both are useful for sneaking
And lastly my main form of attack
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
Umbral bolt
‘The most adaptable dark magic as it can change shape to accommodate the situation (ex. Fighting fire creatures can turn into a liquid form, fighting metallic creatures can turn to lightning, etc.) built by yours truly’
This is when I remembered I was not the first owner of this grimoire someone else had written this with the intention of someone else reading it but who? Skipping page after page of chapters trying to find anything that could hint who or what the author was From what I knew they could use black magic and were at the level of creating new spells. Yet after searching the book from cover to cover I was unable to find any info on the author maybe I can ask Ra when I get there.
“Enough preparation, just preparing while doing nothing will lead to nothing getting done. To get moving on my road to the dark portal I needed to get out of this area.”
It was a good camp spot but the entrance was too narrow as such my completely rational mind decided that the best thing to do was to widen the crack. As such I used it as my first training dummy.
After a short concentration, I launched my first spell
“Umbral bolt”
With a loud crash, it hit the target however it barely left a scratch
Black magic intermediate (1/400)
“That’s odd”
It should’ve blown up or at least damaged. What's happening let me check the book. One of the warnings that I glossed over was the answer
‘Most dark magic can only damage living creatures apart from specific spells they can not be used for damaging buildings leading to only the living beings inside or outside of it being damaged(ps. This includes bypassing armor)
This was a little unfortunate but it gave me an idea. If I widen the opening I will be able to move through but the Minotaur won't and using black magic’s unique properties I can kill it with minimal damage as well as test spells on it or any decently sized creature for that matter. With a new plan, I started to put it into motion first by finding a spell that could hurt structures.
Looking through the long spell list would take forever even with the filter options as there’s no ‘can damage structures’ option. Thankfully looking a little after the end of the spell list was the chapter on theories it started with the theory of dark magic and structures.
‘Though there are dark spells used to demolish buildings they all require expensive ingredients that even I struggle to get yet I believe that there is another way. However, to pull it off without death being the outcome you would need a high magic stat anything over 40 would work but not for long using the construct spell to make say a pickaxe to mine through stone would quickly drain your magic but would be able to touch inanimate objects.’
Constructs?
Looking for the spell yielded little results. It probably wasn’t written so from the description it works by changing the shape of mana, in this case, dark mana. Concentrating on forming a pickaxe out of my mana I felt drowsy after forming it. Using some energy to swing it I managed to make a small tunnel to crawl through and reach the labyrinth before the pickaxe disappeared, likely because I ran out of mana. As such rest was what I decided to do lying down and resting on the surprisingly smooth floor slowly falling asleep.
————————
“Tell me how many are still alive?”
Asked the lady with noble features
“Not many from the 10,000 that were summoned only 2,000 are still alive”
Responded the lady's subordinate
“Could I ask you something?”
“Of course”
“What would happen if no one makes it out?”
“I don't know there has never been a tutorial that has failed so the result is uncertain nor have we been able to discover the reason for its increased difficulty”
“Why of all times must it be when it is our turn to recruit the newcomers that the gods decided to do this”
———————
While I was sleeping I felt a strong vibration from the ground. In a moment it stopped before I heard the sound of a bull’s snort moments before the sound of a large body slamming against the wall finally woke me up. With adrenaline pumping, I quickly analyzed my surroundings with nothing around me. I looked to the crack now a small tunnel only to see the Minotaur attempting to break through the wall to get to me.