Derek’s vision cleared from darkness to a vivid scene. He stood amidst layers of glowing magical circles, a shift from the void to the arcane. He stood in a massive library, the single greatest repository of knowledge that Derek had ever seen. A massive tower with floors circling an open central shaft. As Derek’s eyes adjusted, he noticed the towering floors above, each brimming with bookshelves, their contents shadowed in the dim, mystical light of the library. Someone discordantly stacked books around the bookshelves as they overflowed with knowledge. The library was a labyrinth of knowledge, with millions of tomes that held the secrets of ancient magic.
More immediately, Derek stood in the center of nearly a thousand layers of glowing rings, each held runes and symbols. Outside the rings stood a gelatinous blue blob that swirled in a spot before him as Derek tried to comprehend the blob.
The blob paused, its form pulsating rhythmically. Then, in a voice both ethereal and commanding, it spoke. “Welcome to my library. I am the Primordial Sage. I see, the next aspiring elementalist has arrived… wait… why are you here, warrior?”
Derek responded, his voice steady yet curious, “I am here as an aspiring Elemental Berserker, seeking knowledge.”
“Combining the power of an elementalist with the fury of a berserker, how cunning. We shall see how far you can carry yourself, warrior… First, a test. Break through the rings that bind you to that spot. The more rings you break, the more access you gain to my knowledge. I will see you again in a week.” The Sage stated, then twisted into itself, turning into air and vanishing completely.
Intrigued, Derek stepped towards the nearest bookshelf, only to walk into an invisible barrier, a clear boundary set by the rings. He stepped back and looked at the ring that bound him to this location. It held various symbols that were apparent. Symbols of the five primary elements: earth, wind, fire, water, and lightning.
Derek contemplated the symbols, strategizing. Deciding to start with the familiar, he conjured a firebolt and aimed it at the corresponding fire symbol. The firebolt splashed against the shield and the symbol lit up, then he sent a lightning bolt at the lightning symbol, and the same thing happened. Apparently, he didn’t have to hit the symbol, only the shield itself.
He continued the process until all five symbols were illuminated causing the first ring to fade away. The repetition process was incredibly boring. To make things more interesting, he altered the spell formation of the elemental bolt, creating a bolt spell with five compartments all glued together like the chambers of a revolver. Kind of elemental cannon of sorts. He charged each one of the elements and launched it at the second ring. The impact of the spell shattered the second magic circle. He repeated the process, finding that by the time he had his next spell ready, he was back to full mana.
Still, this was taking way longer than he wished. He pulled mana into the spell formation, then pulled another round of mana into the formation, then a third, fourth, and he kept building it until he could barely hold the spell formation together. Then he released it. The array of elements lit the dim library as the array of five highly volatile elements rocketed across the space and shattering the nearest spell circle. He repeated the process. With an instant recovery time on his mana, he was only halted when he was nearly a hundred circles deep.
He kept at that using the simple bolt spell, modified to handle all five elements and all the mana he could manage while holding the spell together, then releasing it. It shattered through dozens and dozens more circles until coming to a stop.
This method took him over a third of the way until a single spell wouldn’t get him past any of the barriers. Then he had to charge each symbol independently, like he did the first time. That took him another hundred or so circles, but it took persistent work, until not even a single spell could charge each symbol.
Derek considered the spell’s function as he constructed a new spell formation. Its only job was to use a most minimum amount of mana to push as much elemental mana into the magical circle as he could handle. The other spells spent a significant amount of mana to maintain the spell array before the elemental mana impacted its target. Derek charged the new spell and pushed fire mana through it until the fire symbol lit up. Then he did the same for the other elements. The spell circle shattered, and he was able to move through it. He did the same for the next hundred circles until he hit another circle that he couldn’t charge, no matter what he did.
The spell formation wouldn’t overcome the circle’s requirement, no matter how much mana he dumped into it. He didn’t have the mana capacity, and he couldn’t channel that much mana into his spell formation. The problem was that he needed a more powerful spell formation that could handle all the aspected mana. It was a balancing act, and he needed more mana in his body.
The answer to that problem was not one he had. He could try building an array that would allow him to store the incoming mana, but there was something odd about how the mana filled his body. It wasn’t a consistent flow it was arriving in bulk bursts after he consumed it. It seemed that when the spell mana was converted to aspected mana, the other mana backfilled his body for usage, which is why the previous spells worked with the additional mana. The issue with that system was that the incoming mana would only fill him to his normal mana levels. Any mana tied up in a spell formation was considered ‘unused’ mana by whatever system was filling his mana. However, any aspected mana was considered ‘used’ mana.
After several tests, he determined that if he tried to hold mana in the aspected state, then released it back into his body, all the excess mana would be lost to the environment. Seemingly developing a system where there was a limit on how much progress he could make based on the size of his mana pool. Which was determined by what? His magical capacity? He figured that was the answer, but he hadn’t ever defined the value of his mana before putting the six stat points into it.
So if he couldn’t overpower the barrier using magic, maybe he could use force. Derek tried to reach into his storage bracelet to get his bar, but it didn’t work. That wasn’t good. Derek jumped forward, pushing off the ground with all his strength, and slammed his fist into the barrier. It was like hitting a block of concrete. It didn’t even waver.
The blob appeared in a swirl of wind. “Physical force will not work against the circle’s barrier. Only magical power will unlock the barrier. I see you have made it a significant distance, better than expected. You are still five days away from your time limit. Would you like to continue?”
“I’m not able to build a spell formation strong enough to handle the amount of elemental mana needed to unlock one of the runes. Even with the weird mana regeneration system that you have. I could build a spell formation that would consume all but .01% of my mana then funnel all of that into the spell, but it would take me the rest of the time to break through one circle only to find myself stuck on the next.” Derek explained.
“Show me your status.” The Primordial Sage requested.
Derek sent it over.
“Ah yes, I am surprised that you have made it this far. I’m afraid you don’t have the ability to go much further, mathematically speaking. I’m sure you could pass another dozen circles if your spell formation was better. If you had one more point in Magical Capacity, you could progress another 53 circles, but you are at your limit. Do you submit to the challenge?”
Derek took a deep breath, a mix of frustration and acknowledgement in his decision. “I submit,” he declared, recognizing both his progress and the limits he had yet to surpass.
The rest of the circles shattered and faded from the ground. Then two-thirds of the library formed barriers around the shelves.
“I passed almost 700 circles and only get access to a third of the library?”
“You surpassed 658 circles and you only get access to basic generalized information. Your spell formation is remarkably good for someone with your magical capacity. Though it is obvious that you are new to magic and have only begun to develop your craft. We shall rectify that.” The Primordial Sage stated.
A set of cushions appeared, and the sage motioned to him with an amorphous arm to sit. Derek tried to change it like he had the weapon and the cushion changed into a divan.
“I see that this isn’t your first time in one of the training realms.”
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Derek nodded as he made himself comfortable and opened his interface to take notes.
“What is mana?”
“No idea.” Derek said. “All I can figure is that it is a type of energy, separate from chemical, kinetic and thermal energy.”
“Mana is a form of quantum energy that exists in a state of superposition. Classical energies, which you should be more aware, are well-defined by the laws of physics, however mana exhibits properties that align it closer to both energy and information. It acts as a kind of ‘field’ that interacts with both matter and consciousness. Mana exists in all living things. It fills the void between molecules and stabilizes the universe, allowing forces such as magnetism to function.”
“As you have noticed with your spell structures, you can develop an array that will allow you to convert and use the mana to perform functions of spells. Elemental spells are by far the easiest to learn at the beginning, but much harder to master at the end. For one such as yourself, you have taken the first few steps to becoming an elementalist. You have broken down some basic spells and modified them to handle all the elements, essentially unlocking mana’s true power.”
“Why can’t I build the spell myself? I’ve tried creating the spell at a fundamental level where there wasn’t any imagination involved, but I can’t,” Derek asked.
“That’s because you have yet to see the most important aspect of spell formations. Based on what I’ve seen, you don’t understand aspected mana other than it’s simply fire mana or water mana. You also don’t know about external spell formations which are the real power behind spells. Do you know why?”
Derek took a minute to think about it. “Is that because with external casting you can pull mana from the environment, where you’re not limited by the amount of mana?”
“Conceptually speaking, you are correct, but not exactly correct. You will learn the difference later. For now, you need to understand elemental mana.”
Two tables appeared on each side of them. Then, with a wave of the Sage’s amorphous appendages, hundreds of books flew off the shelf and landed on the tables.
“This table has books on elemental mana. Start there. The other table has books on spell formations. Read these and start repairing your own spell formations. I shall be around if you need me.”
The Sage vanished from his cushion in a twist of wind.
Derek walked over to the elemental mana table, summoned a chair, and with a heavy sigh he started in on the first book. Despite the amount of time he spent reading before the Earth joined the Collective, he didn’t actually like reading for study. The books were always stale and put him to sleep based on the way they were over technically written.
The books on the pile looked like a bunch of journals instead of textbooks. Derek opened the book and his interface automatically translated it into English with a display over the words. And he started reading.
Elemental Ruminations: A Chronicle of Aspected and Non-Aspected Mana
Personal Journal Entry by Zylquorblat Fizlzlesnaeys, Arcane Researcher Extraordinaire
Ah, yes, there I was, on the porcelain throne of contemplation, executing my bi-weekly bowel evacuation ritual—the very same ritual that has provided me countless insights into the mysteries of the arcane. Indeed, as fate would have it, this routine act of bodily necessity would again prove to be an occasion of great mental fertility.
As my bowels dutifully went about their labor, so too did my mind, unburdened of its corporeal constraints, drift toward the nuances of aspected and non-aspected mana. It was a question most perplexing: How does elemental mana, so perfectly aspected towards fire, water, lightning, earth, or air, differ from the untamed, raw mana that fills the ambient world?
With my trousers around my ankles and the scent of existential pondering filling the air, it struck me as clear as a bolt of lightning (or in my case, a bolt of enlightenment): mana is not merely aspected; it is ‘refined’. Imagine, if you will, the juice from the lamstergia plant and its sap. Both originate from the same source, yet one is far more volatile, focused, and powerful when ignited. Similarly, aspected mana is non-aspected mana that has undergone a transformation— a sort of arcane “refining process.”
This transformative process appears to amplify the power of a spell by conforming its energies to a specific elemental aspect. It is as if the universe itself prefers order and structure, even in its most chaotic forms, and rewards those who apply these principles to their magical endeavors.
So there it is, my dear journal. Another epiphany reached in the sanctity of my porcelain sanctum. Elemental mana is to non-aspected mana what a carefully brewed cup of tea is to a fistful of random herbs— both have their merits, but only one brings forth the true essence and potency of its ingredients. Ah, the things one realizes while sitting on the toilet. On to my next revelation!
That was informative, but not super helpful. Derek sat the book on the floor and opened the next one that had an equally vague approach. Though they were giving him ideas on how the spells changed the mana to elemental. Days later, he dropped the last book off the end of the table and summoned a shower. Not that he needed one in this place, but it would help him think. He started the water and let his mind gel over the general concepts while his notes floated before him.
He slowly started to put the concepts together as the process for converting mana showed itself. As a traditional fire bolt spell would convert mana to fire mana. In that fraction of a second, as the mana was converted, it was nearly impossible to see the process. It happened too quickly. In a traditional Thunderwave spell, the process was slightly slower, as the spell required more elemental mana to process. Even in his altered spells that he was using to break through the circles, the mana conversion was a fast and automatic process. Using the slowest conversion spell, he could barely see the process and even after repeated castings and attempts to slow down the process a lot, what he saw was up to perspective and conjecture.
Instead of trying to understand the process, he started reverse engineering the fire mana. How was it different from regular mana? It wasn’t hot, otherwise the spells would have destroyed his body when casting. The fire mana was different. Based on the journals and books he read the elemental mana would be infused with a set of instructions, just like the spell formations.
He considered how he might make fire mana if he were to make it himself. Fire was essentially heat energy or thermal energy, which was measured by an increase in molecular movement. Then, at some point, fire would ignite as the energy was exposed to oxygen and fuel. If mana was the fuel and the spell formation was the ignition. Then you would have a fireball. So, fire mana was essentially hot fuel? Well, that was interesting, but not really the answer to his question.
How was he supposed to convert mana to hot mana? Was it a certain property of the mana? If he were to infuse mana with the ‘potential’ for absorbing energy from the environment similar to an endothermic reaction, but instead of the reaction being colder than the environment, the mana absorbs all heat energy regardless of how hot mana was.
It was as good of a hypothesis as any, so he gave it a shot. Instead of using a ‘standard’ spell, he formed a spell structure intent on summoning a whisper of fire mana into his hand. With the spell formation that would protect his hand from the heat and keep the mana relatively contained, he manually started infusing a small clump of mana with the instruction to draw heat from the atmosphere. To which he paused to make sure that it wouldn’t absorb heat from his body. When the spell was finished, he released it.
The mana came into his hand, creating a tiny fireball, then promptly turned his shower into an ice bath and dropping the temperature in the area by a significant margin. All the while, the tiny fireball grew before the mana burned out and extinguishing. Well, that was… unpleasant. At least it worked and was a solid first attempt at making a stable fire spell from scratch.
The shower disappeared along with the ice and water, even the water covering his body. And comfortable lounging clothes appeared on him as he relaxed on the divan. His mind working through the complexity of how to fix the issue.
Maybe the problem was that he was having the mana pull energy from within his body instead of from the environment. No, that didn’t seem right. The mana needed to have the properties of having high energy, not absorbing thermal energy from the environment. Well, if he wanted to turn everything into a frozen wasteland, he could use the spell he had just created. Altering the spell to give the ‘fire mana’ the property of having high thermal energy. It was like adding a setting to a device that didn’t actually use the setting. It’s like having a radio with a knob to control the room temperature. However, a radio can’t change the temperature. So, the knob does nothing.
He rebuilt the spell formation. Using his own mana, he set shaped the mana to a ‘flammable substance’ like methane, designed to burn with a spark. Then he set the spell formation to release that mana from his palm, create a spark that would burn the mana at a consistent rate. Still, the imagination aspect of the spell was a nuanced problem that he needed to resolve. He gave the spell life, forming a tiny ball of fire that burned for a few seconds before extinguishing. Well, that wasn’t too bad. Seemed like it worked. How could he confirm it?
“Primordial Sage?” Derek asked into the air.
The Sage appeared as summoned in its customary method. “How can I help you, Derek?”
“Can you evaluate this spell?”
Derek recast the spell but put more ‘fire mana’ into the spell, letting it burn a little longer. The Primordial Sage waited until the spell finished before speaking.
“What exactly are you attempting to accomplish?”
“I created this spell to create a small ball of fire in my hand. I need to know if my ‘fire mana’ is the same as the standard fire mana.” Derek explained.
“I see. Then yes, your mana is the same as traditional fire mana. Congratulations on taking your first major step to becoming an Elementalist.”
Derek grinned, absolutely pleased with his work. “Thank you. I’m going to continue working on the other elements. If it’s okay, I’ll call for you when I’m finished to check my work.”
“Certainly, Derek.” The Sage said before disappearing.
Derek turned his focus to water mana next. He channeled his understanding into a new spell, the moisture in the air gathering at his fingertips. Despite his grasp of the concept, the water droplets quivered unevenly, refusing to coalesce. He sighed, realizing the complexity of each element was a puzzle in itself. Fire mana was easy, since fire is heat and heat is thermal energy. Water, earth, wind what energies did they use? Starting with water mana, he started looking at a water spell, the traditional Create or Destroy Water.