*****

We were born one week ago, crawling out of a stone cocoon. My twin and I were and still are  the swiftest and closest in the whole tribe.

Unfortunately, nothing comes without a price.

Our physical strength was not on par with the majority of the tribesmen, making us unfavored.

We were hunting a Giant Beast, successfully cornering it in a cave, with three other members of the tribe.

With our abilities, it was only a matter of time until the beast was defeated.

However, after a heavy blow of the beast the ceiling broke down and fell. Soon after, we sensed a resonance from above, it’s something we only felt from the tribe Chief.

The beast got interrupted and raised up its ears, listening closely to the approaching vibrations. Letting its guard temporarily down, until the thing triggering the resonance hit the ground with great force.

A dusty cloud filled the air, blocking our vision. And as we slowly backed away, growing warier, our blood was boiling as we tried to discern the shape of the presence.

As the dust dispersed, our vision finally caught a full view of its figure.  

With a giant pitch black body of three well built tribesmen, covered in harmonious red scale, the being stood up. It stepped forward and pounded the monster onto the ground in two punches, demonstrating its overwhelming might, lotuses tattoos glowing on its forearms, as red as lava.

It killed the monster so quickly, with such ease and grace that my brothers and I doubted its mortality. Could that one of the Sky God descended upon us?

Then we felt an energy wave, conveying ‘words’.

It was so powerful, compared to ours….

Then, it took a strange stance, and disappeared…

Few minutes later, deciding that it was an important enough matter, we took the beast corpse and rushed back to the tribe camp site to warn the chief.

*****

After climbing up to the surface, I sit up near the hole, meditating the events that just passed.

First, I was not as weak as I believed. I disposed of a beast two times my size just by using my physical strength alone. Even if I seemed careless and aloof on the outside, I was quite shocked on the inside. I was even more impressed because it doesn’t seem like my full strength …

Unfortunately, the area is desolate and few strong beasts roam around.

Noticing the Millennians moving beneath, I decided to tail them, letting them be my guide to the village.

After one hour or so of travel in the cave system, I saw the cave that had been claimed by the tribe.

Two crudely sculpted humanoid of stone were on each side of the entrance, standing tall.

Three Millennians were barring the way inside, guarding and watching.

“Sentinel of sort, then”. I said in a whisper

They are impressing me again and again, to have progressed this far without a ‘wiser’ lead. First off, the use of magic, then the art sensibility, and now their organized, although limited, society.

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Pondering on how to enter, I choose to do it in the  more impressive and domineering way.

Climbing out of sight on a cornice, I sat in a lotus position, with a clear objective, to master ‘magic’ as quick as possible. Until then, I shall not move of this spot.

Entering a meditative state I thinked about what was magic, but not just ‘magic’. Mana in general, and all energy, including the one I sensed growing when I battled the giant beast.

How could mana or magic exist in the same place with technology ? Or rather, why couldn't it?

In my mind,  mana is just another form of energy.

I remember several of them with various video-games of the past,  like rage, stamina… Or some in reality like light, electricity and heat.

In the case where ‘magic’ is a term defining ‘the use of the world energy’ then why could one not use Ice and Fire ‘magic' easily as long as he know what they are and how they behave?

It could maybe explain the heat wave from earlier? They sensed the ever hot mana in the air, and replicated the feeling when launching their energy outward,  by pure instinct ? Then why couldn't I use it, but perfect it with my advanced knowledge?

Ice is just another state of water, as magma is an intermediate between Earth and Fire.

Sinking further and further in my thoughts, I let the train pass and bring along theories, information.

If the ‘magic' is just that,  why use a system? Why couldn't I use my own,  self-created and race tailored system?

Wouldn't it brings me Honor and unsurpassed strength?

With those last thought, and for the first time since we were dropped in this realm, I fell asleep.

***

Waking up, I tried to feel how much time I passed asleep. Without the three stars of this realm to gauge, I cannot even estimate.  

I let the thought slip away, I entered again the meditative state, refocusing to how to harness ‘magic'.  To create my own spell system.  What a grand idea.

With the old Terra’s knowledge,  and the countless video-games I played, I have so much materials. First thing: to flush out the basics form and the foundations: Incantations,  word of power, runes, power circles, emotions and strength of will. These are those seen the most. Transforming a spell in a definite skill was common too, but it will set the magic in stone, blocking all possible advancement.

Runes and words of power have to be put aside, without a written language to be based on. Incantations are far too long for the purpose of my system for now, focused toward battle. Letting only power circles, emotion and willpower left.

Emotion is out of the question, as it can backfire quite strongly.

Power circles and willpower it is, then?

I just have to make the circles the bridge between my will and the energy around. Not just mana, but every energy. It will make me and the Millenians more difficult to control, as I’m pretty sure that manaless environment exist and mana-voiding spell will be invented. Terra is a good example of manaless environment.

Now… how to do it. I have to test this.

Placing a marker on the horribly detailed map, I went in an unpopulated cave to do some viability test.

First, taking the energy around me,  purifying it as it formed the circle, and then willing it to take the shape of a three part stone block, disc shaped when assembled, with the old Terra Asian ‘king’ character graved in the middle, only visible when all the parts are together.  Willing the entire dark red obsidian structure three times my width and one and a half higher behind my back.

My success was confirmed by the world system,

For creating a spell, you gained access to the spellbook tab.

Due to your low level, your access to the status screen and its dependent tabs is restricted.

Spell details:

The mark of the King.

Unique spell. (only one caster possible)

A one of its kind spell, showing to every being that the caster is of an emperor lineage, or an emperor himself.

Despite the massive appearance of the Monument, it is weightless and will not impede the movement of the caster.

A passive spell, permanently attached to the user.

Use 5% of the mana capacity of the caster.  The more mana is used, the grander is the mark.

Wait a minute. So the whole reason i cannot acess my status screen is due to my level being too low ? Unbelievably simple. Am I a retard? It is so evident that I didn’t even think of the eventuality.

And so, because of my laziness, I don’t have access to vital information about me? Nor that spellbook thing?

Then, the only solution is to find living test subject for my upcoming spells.