The prologue is a proof of concept of the magic system and combat that I wrote a long time ago. It has a little bit of a spoiler for the lead’s first power progression. The events of the prologue, character relationships and personalities are not canon. Please skip it if you don't want to see any spoilers at all, no matter how small. The real story starts in chapter 1

Prologue

Kim didn't show up to class today

They were not particularly good friends, they weren't even close to each other. But for some reason, he couldn't help but feel worried.

Every student at the academy is allowed to live in the dorm for free, but most students prefer to find a nice spot on school grounds and build a house for themselves.

Kim chose a beautiful spot next to the river, far away from the academy main building. A quiet and peaceful place.

2 young men are walking side by side towards that small house.

"J, you think this is a good idea to show up at a classmate's house without an invitation?" His friend, a handsome tall boy with messy red hair, places his chin on Jace's shoulder as they continue to walk along a scenic path along the river. "After all the effort we put into clearing up that rumor, I think you are starting another one"

"It's ok, C. I brought a workbook from classes that she missed" Jace slapped the stacks of paper on the head of his friend, Cade
Jace is a slightly chubby young man, black hair, dark brown eyes. Compared to his handsome friend, he was ordinary in every way.

"I don't understand why you guys are so serious about theory. What use is theory in a fight? Only power, control and mana matters" Cade got off his friend's shoulder while flipping his hands back and forth, flames, ice and other flashing lights flickering in his palms as he did so.

Jace could only look at his handsome friend with envy.

"Really extremely talented" Jace thought

Anyone can learn magic in this world. Mana flows in the veins of every single person born on this planet. But each person's magic intensity, the control and mana are all different. Some people can permanently fly in the air as easily as breathing, teleport across the world as easily as a normal person walked to the local market.

The level of an archmage

Some people could barely cast an electricity spell. The most basic spell that draws on the electricity inside the human body and amplifies it with mana.

Jace looked down at his own hands. Electricity sparkles between the gaps of his fingers.

"2 years, this is all I could do." Jace thought. He looked up and something caught his eyes. The house in the distance, someone is in front of it.

Cade had been observing his friend. The small sparkle in his hands, the sadness in his friend's eyes, every little action could not escape his sight.

"C, could you please?" Jace nod to his friend

Cade taps Jace's temple, right next to his left eyes with his finger.

"casus" Cade said softly. A sparkle of electricity.

An incantation is used to help mages focus and control mana in specific ways in order to manifest a unique effect.

Jace closed his eyes and when he opened them, his dark brown eyes were growing golden lights. He could see Kim's house as if he was standing in front of it.

The person that he saw from far away, he could see him clearly now. It was not a human

The muscular body of a grown adult man, cleft hooves and furry torso from the chest up. Deranged eyes and blood dripping from its clawed hands.

"C, it's a goat" Jace crouches down and picks up a pebble the size of a walnut. "It had feasted" Jace is sweating. His right hand slips out a small dagger from his bag.

"I see it. But be careful to clean this up quickly. The moon will come out soon." Cade, his glowing golden eyes looking up at the darkening sky.

"arcum venti" Cade brought his hands together into a prayer. Wind around him bends unnaturally, slowly forming into shape. Wind itself had formed into a transparent bow.

Weapons in hands, the two men slowly made their way into the thicken next to the road.

Even the most basic monsters are disasters that can not be underestimated. A monster that has fed on the mana of humans can grow and even evolve.

Slowly moving towards the back of that goatman. The two men used the tall grass to hide themselves. But they could not get too close, goatmen have a good sense of smell.

When they got within range, Cade immediately let loose several invisible arrows.

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The goatmen sense something behind him. He jumped up from his feast. And immediately looked around to identify the threat. Sensing mana in the air, the goatmen immediately tuck its head behind its arm while lowering its center of gravity. Reminiscent of a classic boxing stance

Something invisible pierced its legs but bounced off the hide on his upper body

The goatman chuckled. The arrow barely did any damage. The wounds are quickly healing. The girl he had eaten had done more damage than this. This level of magic intensity won't even pierce his hide

Smirking, He stood up tall, confident in his victory. The muscles in his legs tensed, ready to explode out at a moment's notice.

He felt like something had poked him, then he felt warm liquid running down his right arm, followed by loud zapping noise and intense wind.

Black blood.

There is a hole the size of a walnut in his right shoulder, then after a moment's pause, his right shoulder were blown off completely

The sun had gone down, moonlight shone softly.

The goatman attempted to scream. He leaped from the shadow of the house into the moonlight.

When he touched the moonlight, his body quickly ballooned up to more than three times the size it was before. Towering over the house behind him. His shoulder rapidly regrowing and regenerating.

Mana exploded out of his body, muscles bulging

But it was too late.

His head was blown away completely, followed by loud zapping noise and intense wind.

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"I wish I could use that spell. That's so fucking cool" Cade smile, looking at the goatman's body falling down a distance away.

"I have already tried to explain to you many times. That's why you have to pay attention in theory class." Jace looks at his right hand. "In any case, we got lucky that it ended smoothly"

"Are you ok?" Cade's face loses the smile. Looking over at his friend's hand, pieces of broken bones and mangled flesh. The side effect of using Railgun twice in quick succession.

Cade hovered his hands over the mangled fingers of Jace and mumbled something. Electricity sparkles out, and Jace feels intense pain.

Regeneration spell, a low level spell that uses extremely high levels of magic intensity and control to send electricity into the patient's body and stimulate the body's natural healing abilities. The side effect is extreme pain. It is not unusual for some patients to even go into shock from the pain of the spell. As a result, this spell is almost never used by a certified healer.

Jace thought he had gotten used to pain, but regeneration spells are a different type of pain.

The "Railgun" is an original spell of his own making, inspired by a war machine from ancient times.

A simple concept, by using his fingers as the "conductors", mana sent electromagnetics force down one of his fingers, into a "bullet" and back up another finger, along with the bullet. Propelling the mana enhanced bullet forward at extremely high speed.

The only drawback is his weak intensity of magic can not properly protect his fingers from damage.

"Sorry" Cade smiled sadly.

His friend, blinded by his own self deprecation and low self esteem, had somehow convinced himself that he was a struggling, no talent mage.

But Cade knew that no one in this world can replicate that spell.

The mangled body of a young girl is lying behind the dead body of the goatman.

"Kim......" Jace looked away.

This world is a cruel one. The weak are stepped on and the strong are oftentimes worse than monsters. Death is no stranger to anyone. But a friend's death is never easy.

"Cade, could you give her a blessing on her way? I believe she follows the god of light as well" Jace grabs the shoulder of his friend as if to give himself comfort from that warmth.

"Of course." Cade waved his hands and the earth sank down and swallowed Kim's body. Another wave of his hand and white flames burned her body to ash instantly. Another wave of his hand and a small grave was erected next to her home.

Simple manipulation of elements like blowing a cool wind or drawing water from the air required such simple mana manipulation that an incantation is not required.

Jace watched Cade as he prayed to his god of light.

Looking down at his own hands, he sees something that only he could see.

Main Mission

Become the first human to ascend to a higher life form in order to prevent destruction of the planet

Ascension of host 6%
Ascension of monsters 12%
Reward: Wish (1)
Failure: planet's destruction
Time until next Main Quest 21 hours 3 minutes 12 seconds.
Side mission
Find out what happened to your classmate
Reward: mana intensity +1
Failure: ????? -> (goat cult) spread its influence in the academy
Complete!

'Tomorrow will be a hectic day.'
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