Beyond the Eternity

Miyuki sprawled comfortably on the couch, her legs bent in the air as she lazily flipped through the pages of a magic introductory book.

Lying on her stomach was the most comfortable way for her to read as sitting upright felt far too exhausting.

The title of the book read: Thaumaturgical Theory: An Introduction for Beginners.

The opening chapters offered little in terms of practical knowledge. Instead, they were steeped in history and myth, recounting how the First Demon God, Laplace, created the magic system known as the «Path of Mysteries». It detailed how this system was later refined by the legendary Great Sorcerer Merlin and included an account of Laplace's eventual sealing during the First Holy War of Saints and Demons. According to the book, his body had been used to form the Demonic Tree of Death, the «Qliphoth». Finding the information unhelpful, she skipped past the tedious details without hesitation.

Her curiosity was piqued, but history wasn't what she was after.

She wanted to learn magic, not sift through accounts of long-forgotten events that held no appeal to her.

She kept flipping through the pages until, at last, she stumbled upon something related to theoretical magic.

What is Magic?

"Magic simply refers to the reality-distorting phenomenon, achieved by manipulating the caster's internal mana to influence the surrounding atmospheric mana. A key concept in magic is the 'Astral Foundation,' an archive that stores the programming codes of the Greater Spirits. To perform magic and mysteries, the caster channels mana into the Astral Foundation. Magic Circuits within the body are crucial for connecting to the Astral Plane, where the Foundation resides, and sending commands to activate the desired programming code."

"The internal mana interacts with electrical impulses in the brain, activating a Virtual Reality system that triggers the Mystery by observing the surrounding world. Mana flows into the world (宇宙) through the breath of the Great Old Ones, who controls its movement and binds it. Mana is omnipresent and almighty, but it is manipulated by the Old Gods, who observe the world by remaining in a perpetual dreaming state."

"This leads us to the concept of the Three Planes of Existence: the Material Plane, the Spiritual Plane, and the Astral Plane. The Material Plane is the realm of organic life, governed by physical laws. The Spiritual Plane is the domain of spiritual entities, a vast, boundless space that transcends material laws and contains countless worlds within it. Lastly, the Astral Plane is the center of the universe, the Origin Sea, that holds the fundamental concepts such as: Authorities, Fragments, and the Mystic Codes of the Greater Spirits. The Great Old Gods dwell within this plane, and exists simultaneously across both the Spiritual and Material planes."

The information would have been overwhelming for a child to understand all at once, but Miyuki greedily absorbed everything.

She licked her lips and continued reading. It was becoming really interesting.

Classifications of Magic

A diagram appeared on the next page, showing four intersecting lines that formed a star shape. At the eight points of the matrix, words resembling the numbers on a clock were written:

"Spiritual", "Elemental", "Miracles", "Black Arts", "Illusion", "Kabbalah", "Engraving", and "Transformation".

"These are the eight primary 'archives' within the Astral Foundation," the text read. "A caster can specialize in no more than two archives at once, unless they reach a High-Sequence rank. Moreover, no one can study two opposing archives. For instance, someone specializing in Illusions would find Spiritual magic nearly impossible, and a caster focusing on Miracles would struggle with Black Arts. Understanding these connections, and the inherent limitations, is crucial for mastering Mysteries."

Miyuki paused, allowing the information to sink in.

Magic, as it was described, felt like an intricate form of programming. Though she lacked any knowledge of coding, the explanation was clear enough to confirm her classification:

She was an Elemental Magus.

So far, she had only been able to summon flames, likely tied to her natural affinity. Luxuria had mentioned something similar, and now she recognized it as the undeniable truth.

There were Five Basic Elements: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Ether, and three higher elements: Time, Light, and Darkness. While she was certain of her affinity for flames, she had no idea how to determine if she could wield other elements as well.

Perhaps the answer lay within the pages of the text. If she continued reading, the Elemental Archive Section might reveal the knowledge she sought.
Your next chapter awaits on My Virtual Library Empire

She flipped to the next page, eager to find more.

Magic Circuits

"Magic Circuits are a pseudo-nervous system distributed throughout the body (容器), vital for the generation of internal mana. While their physical presence has been confirmed, research indicates that Magic Circuits reside within the Soul (灵魂). What appears in the body is simply a physical manifestation of their 'true image.' These circuits consist of core components and bypasses that create a link to the 'Mind Body' within the brain."

"Once destroyed, Magic Circuits cannot be restored. Their destruction invariably leads to death or the onset of a fatal and irreversible illness."

Miyuki furrowed her brow as the text grew more complex:

"Despite their integration with the body, Magic Circuits are fundamentally independent. They require organic activity to function properly, which is why they are considered inseparable from living beings. However, in rare instances, Magic Circuits may continue to operate even after the body ceases vital functions. In these abnormal cases, only complete destruction of the brain can deactivate them."

"Magic Circuits vary in both number from individual to individual, but the true measure of a practitioner's potential lies in the 'Quality' of those circuits."

"They begin to form during early life and grow steadily until adulthood, ceasing at the age of eighteen. Their function relies on the conversion of Spirit Power into Magic Power. Spirit Power is inherently weaker than Magic Power, but it has the distinct advantage of bypassing the body's natural defenses to directly interact with the 'Soul Body' of Individuals and the 'Cores' of Nightmarish Terrors."

Miyuki's mind briefly wandered to the concept of an energy reserve.

She recalled the magic power stats displayed in her status window. If her magic stats exceeded level 100, how powerful would her attacks become?

Her gaze drifted to the next section.

"The greater the amount of mana stored within the body, the stronger the connection to atmospheric mana. A human's will is transmitted through electrical impulses in the brain, which manipulate internal mana and resonate with atmospheric mana. This resonance determines natural talent. In simple terms, a stronger will and larger mana reserves lead to greater magical potential. Though most practitioners are unaware of this principle, it is essential for mastering Mysteries."

"The two primary ways to utilize mana are: body reinforcement and the manipulation of the outside world."

"Reinforcing the body is particularly important when the caster is unable to cast an Incantation in time. By channeling mana through their body and 'tracing' their magic circuits, an individual can enhance their physical attributes and defenses."

"It is even possible for casters to go days without eating or sleeping. However, there is a limit to how much the body can be reinforced. The core principle of reinforcement is enhancing the existence of something, not just its physical attributes. Since there are no clear indicators of this limit, omnipotent reinforcements are rare. A good analogy would be pouring water into a cup that's already full. If you exceed the limit, it will overflow."

"Casters who specialize in Body Strengthening are commonly referred to as War Magi."

Flip!

Basic Steps to Conjuring Magic and Mysteries:

"There are three primary steps to conjuring magic:"

"Step One: Gather atmospheric mana from the surroundings and draw it into the body via magic circuits. Once inside, circulate the mana into the Aether Sea to stabilize it. Atmospheric mana, due to its purity, can be harmful when absorbed in excess, potentially leading to death or even demonification."

"Step Two: Envision the desired effects and input the necessary parameters into a mental construct referred to as 'Virtual Reality.' This step requires precision and clarity to ensure the spell's success."

"Step Three: Connect to the Astral Foundation using the magic circuits and input the command code, which is typically performed through an Incantation. Advanced practitioners can bypass this process through 'Quick Casting', provided they possess profound understanding of the spell's structure."

Flip!

Sequence Progression:

"There are four primary sequences in the Path of Mysteries, ranked as follows: Fourth Order, Third Order, Second Order, and First Order. Below the Fourth Order are the preliminary stages, the Sixth Order (Beginner Stage) and Fifth Order (Intermediate Stage). The Fourth Order represents the Advanced Stage, the Third Order marks the Master Stage, the Second Order ascends to the Emperor Stage, and finally, the First Order culminates in the Divine Stage."

"Advancement through the sequences can be achieved either by mastering one's Mysteries over time or by awakening the Soul Marks left behind by the 'First Demon God.' While the latter offers a faster path, steady improvement requires far greater effort. Each Soul Mark holds a unique trait or ability, a 'uniqueness' that significantly enhances the wielder's progress down the magic path."

Flip! Flip!

"Few casters have been recorded to awaken the Soul Marks. Due to their rarity, there is little data available to describe them in detail. However, from close observation, it is known that they appear on specific regions of the body, like the forehead, cheek, legs, thighs, forearm, or shoulder, often manifesting as tattoos or crests. These Soul Marks typically grant abilities that differ from traditional Mysteries."

Pa!

She finally closed the book and placed it on the central table.

Mysteries were truly fascinating, and at the same time, incredibly complex. She had learned of various forms of magic and how Mysteries were conjured, but there was one thing that puzzled her.

How had she been able to summon flames without knowing any of this?

Miyuki glanced down at her hand, palm up. With a simple thought, she conjured a small flame.

It flickered to life above her skin, hovering like a tiny, obedient spirit. Warmth radiated from it, but there was no fear of it burning or causing strain to maintain.

She studied the flame closely as it danced and swayed.

"It's... too easy. The book made it sound like magic requires all this about visualizing parameters, stabilizing mana, connecting to the Astral Foundation, but I didn't do any of that."

Her eyes narrowed in contemplation. "Could it be instinct? Is this what the book meant by greater will leading to greater talent?"

As if in response, the flame flickered brighter, flaring briefly before settling back into a steady glow.

Magic could be conjured by a caster's will and imagination. A caster could shape reality through mana and channel their intent into the world. But there was a difference between casters, all of them driven by different levels of willpower.

Ultimately, it all came down to who possessed the greater will.

She then considered what would happen if she used atmospheric mana. So far, she had only used her magic power to conjure spells.

From her reading, atmospheric mana was purer and more potent than the energy stored inside the body. The book had warned against absorbing it recklessly.

"If it's stronger, then the flame would be stronger, right?"

Eager to test her hypothesis, she extended her will to the mana around her, gently coaxing it toward the flame.

At first, it was slow, almost hesitant, but soon the energy surged in, merging with her magic. The flame grew brighter, larger, and hotter.

A smile tugged at the corners of her lips as the results became apparent, until they spiraled out of control.

The flame swelled uncontrollably, growing larger by the second!

"Eh, what? No, no, no, no! Stop! Stop! Stop!!"

Like someone struggling to control a runaway garden hose, she tried to will the flame to stop, but her control slipped like sand through her fingers.

The atmospheric mana poured continuously, fueling the flame to monstrous proportions. She began to panic as the flame became larger and larger by the second.

It wasn't slowing down at all!

How could something so simple turn into this? Miyuki thought in desperation.

Just as the flame seemed ready to explode, a blinding light filled the room.

Then came the explosion.

With a deafening roar, the blast obliterated the entire fourth floor, sending rubble and debris flying outward.

Tremors shook the entire building, rocking its very foundation as if struck by an earthquake.

"Ughh!! What the hell was that?!"

"An explosion! It came from the top floors!"

"Should we check it out?"

"Someone, call the police!"

"You idiot, where the hell are you going to find a police officer?!"

"Where's the Guild Leader?! What should we do?!

"Dammit, is it an enemy attack?! Who is attacking us... No, why is someone even attacking us?!"

Chaos erupted as panic swept through the survivors as they fled in every direction.

Unbeknownst to them, the cause of their terror was a young girl who had simply been trying to play with fire.