Even with the expectation that learning magic was going to be rather difficult, Jake struggled more than he liked. Many of the words within the Fundamentals text were beyond his understanding and he had a hard time comprehending some of them. He did trust that the words were already dumbed down into their simplest form, but as someone with no formal education or experience in reading aside from picture books he randomly came across- reading a published book on the subject of magic felt impossible. No matter how much he read and tried to get things to stick, the information slipped from his fingertips and generally fell right back out of his head. The only good thing he had learned thus far was that magic was truly one of the most versatile concepts within the Overworld.

It was just as Yir had said. If you were smart enough, strong enough, understood the basics, and had enough mana to fuel your magic, you could pretty much do anything. From flight to actual object creation with Rock magic. Anything was possible so long as you had the right foundations and met the requirements of the spell you were trying to cast.

Foundations, and practice. A skilled Rock magician could mold dirt and ore to form different objects like swords or buildings. A powerful Water magician could create a torrent of rain similar to that of a typhoon. A Fire mage could light an entire forest ablaze, or scorch a battlefield. A Wind mage could form powerful gales that could tear apart even the strongest of buildings. Massive feats, near impossible ones, all could be possible with magic.

However, Jake’s intentions were not so destructive. Instead, Jake wondered that if he put mana into the sand, could he create little huts and homes for his village to use? Could he create swaths of farmable land with a deep pool of water to sustain the growth of crops? Sure, Jake understood the use of magic when it came to battle- magic was truly unparalleled in a fight when used by a powerful magician. Yet, there was more to its use than just killing. Sustaining one’s life, one’s village, and family. There had to be more friendly uses of the skill.

Magic wasn’t so easy, of course. To complete such tasks using magic, there was a need to utilize a range of materials and each type had different requirements that needed to be met. Different thresholds of mana needed to be met before Jake could utilize the various materials in question. Some, like sand, were low. Others, like solid metal, were far higher. On top of the mana threshold requirement, there was also the need for precision and accuracy.

While sand had a low mana threshold before it could be picked up or applied to magic, it required a far higher level of concentration to utilize precisely. Especially in a large amount. Sand was coarse and the grains were tiny. Picking up individual grains was simple, but a mass would be far more difficult. Metal was dense, thick, and had a high mana requirement before it could be mended or bent, but movements with such material were broader and required less mental strain to achieve most tasks with it.

But! A magician could also manipulate those standard material variables to change the state of the material, making it easier to utilize. Continuing with the sand example, if he instead turned sand into mud by applying water he could increase the sand’s density and clump the grains into larger blocks. Doing so would change the state of the sand and make it easier to use the mud-like material as compared to the original grains. At least, that was what the book said. Each material had its limitations and variables attached but influencing the material through other means could make it easier to work with. There was the same concept with blacksmithing. Ore is hard and almost impossible to shape, but apply enough heat and ore becomes more malleable.

“Oh… Maybe I am learning…” Jake muttered as he realized just what kinds of thoughts he was having. It hadn’t been long since he’d sat down, so he thought. In the center of the table, Jake had been flipping an hourglass back and forth to keep track of the time spent within the Library. He had turned it or reminded himself to flip it, four times already. If the hourglass was correct, that meant it had been around four hours since he started studying. He leaned back in his seat, releasing a sigh as he took a moment to breathe. He looked around the room and then over towards the door.

Since his first meeting with her, Yir hadn’t stopped into the room nor had she checked on him. She was likely a busy fairy, being the head librarian, but it was a little disheartening. Especially after she had greeted him directly when he first showed up. He was hoping she would at least say hello, then he might be able to ask her a few questions he had or maybe ask to see if she would be willing to help him understand some things better. He had been staring at the book and trying to grasp the various teachings in the first chapters, but up until now, it felt like it was useless.

In all, the wording within the text was flat and boring, and the author only described magic as if the reader already had some idea of what magic was. For Jake, someone who thought of magic as a gift from the Gods and hadn’t read a lick of it his entire life, it was fairly difficult to grasp. Yet, it wasn’t all entirely for naught. While most of what he read was beyond him, he was making inroads slowly. By comparing some of the lessons explained to things he already understood, it became easier and easier to get the knowledge to stick. And the more he learned, the more he found the pieces falling into place. As if his brain was adapting.

Thus far he had an idea of what mana was and had dipped his toes into figuring out what it meant to be a ‘Mage’. He was given a glimpse at a few things magic was suitable for and the text shared a few of its limitations. The text also introduced him to a range of materials that he should expect to find during his time as a Mage. Various metals, ores, stones, crystals, and other naturally existing fuels for spells.

However, learning about those materials and uses had put a lot of other skills and trades into perspective. The key takeaway from the initial definition of magic was how open to interpretation the actual definition was. By following how the author described magic, “magic” wasn’t restricted to just spell casting. There was far more to it than just spitting out fireballs and shifting dirt. Following the text’s definition, Jake found it possible to lump a lot of other things under its veil.

Magic. The power to influence the Overworld through supernatural or unexplainable feats utilizing mysterious forces such as Mana.

Jake scrutinized the terminology, pulled it apart into smaller bits, and began to look around in other books to find the meanings within the words themselves. He wanted to not just use magic and become a strong Adventurer but he wanted to understand it at its core. Jake knew full well he could teach himself how to cast and recite incantations but that wouldn’t be enough. If Jake could perfect the foundations and learn what made Magic work, then there was a chance he could develop it to something even further than just standard casting. If he wanted to be better than his father then taking such a step was not just obvious, it was necessary.

By breaking down the definition, Jake found it easier to relate it to things he already knew. Not only that but the individual words themselves, when defined by a trusty dictionary, also brought out additional meanings that he found useful. To start, “the power to influence the Overworld” was so broad that he practically choked on it. First off, influencing the Overworld was possible by a slew of variables. Politics, economics, plague, war, great individuals, and changes in the natural world itself. Though, such subjects were more grandiose and well out of the reach of an everyday Adventurer. “Influencing the Overworld” also could be defined as Jake creating a ball of water and watering a field of crops or bringing man-made rain during a drought. It didn’t need to be a massive, worldwide sort of thing to cause influence. But, that would make Politics and economics a form of magic, no?

Not quite. The power of influence would need to be supernatural, or unexplainable. Something that could not be understood through standard analysis by those of the Overworld. Which, for a moment, made Jake wonder if Magic itself wasn’t magic. Mana was an explainable force of nature, or so he thought. At first in his studies, mana was all over the place. Mana was the fuel for magic. Mana was the culmination of Life Essence being cultivated within the body. Mana was a tangible thing that was inherent in all living things. Thus, Jake assumed that it fell into the ‘explainable’ category, which would rule Magic out from being Magic.

Yet, as he did more research into Mana he discovered it not to be the case. ‘Mana’ was a convenient label that Magicians placed onto the fuel for their castings because, even after many tests and experiments, they could not understand it. They understood that Mana came from the cultivation of Life Essence, but there wasn’t any knowledge of that process. Thus, ‘Mana’ became the definition of the fuel source for magic produced by the body’s conversion of Life Essence.

“Supernatural” was an odd word to be placed into the definition, and Jake found it to relate to things that happened outside of the ‘laws of nature’. Or, in Jake-terms, things that once more could not be explained through regular means, which could also not be explained by ‘Mana’ and ‘Magic’. Though, Jake didn’t quite have a way to apply that word to his definition. He wasn’t quite sure what ‘supernatural’ things happened nor had he experienced any of them thus far in his life.

In the last third of the definition, “utilizing mysterious forces such as Mana”. Jake had learned of Mana already, but what bothered him a little was the “such as” part. This led Jake to believe that Mana wasn’t the only fuel source for magic, which he could attest to. When triggering the sigil to speak with the Gods, Jake used blood to trigger the sigil. If it were the case that Mana was only one type of fuel source, then he began to wonder what other things might be possible for magic use.

By breaking down the definition and taking his time in figuring out what each piece of it meant, Jake found it far easier to understand what Magic truly was. On top of that, he found his research and learning splinter. Instead of just one book in front of him, he now had multiple, and he skimmed through each of them, relating information and deciphering text he couldn’t follow by looking elsewhere for a more in-depth answer to his question. That’s when he started to figure out how Magic was already present in his life- he just hadn’t noticed.

Magic was evident in almost everything and could be applied to most trades he thought of. Metalwork and Blacksmithing were two main possibilities. Alchemy was certainly an obvious choice. Woodwork could be influenced by magic. Even being a guide for caravans within the desert could be done through the use of magic. It all depended on the user, their application of skill and spell, and the effect their spells had on the environment. It was evident early that the main limitations of magic were mana capacity and imagination. As long as Jake had the fuel for the spell, he could do almost anything.

Except, with all things, there was a bit “but” that loitered over everything. Sure, Magic was limitless in its application. It could provide easy solutions to most problems and Mages could make life in general easier across the globe- so why was that not the case? In the texts, there was no answer. Jake searched for a reason as to why Magic wasn’t quite as prevalent as he would expect such a useful tool to be. With all the knowledge of Magic in the Tower and with how diverse its capabilities were, why was it that Jake hadn’t heard of such extravagant uses? Why was the desert still struggling with water? Why were there so few Mages within the Adventurer parties that passed through? Why were all of the Mages he had encountered thus far so weak and, in the meanest term, absolutely useless?

From what Jake understood, Magic could solve a majority of the basic issues that most jobs had. A fire magician could make the work of a Blacksmith child’s play. A water magician could pair with a Rock magician to make swaths of resilient farmland that would never fail to yield a lot of crops. In battle, Enchantment magic could increase the strength and physical resilience of fighters. He could go on and on. All it would take was the knowledge of the tasks and then the application of mana to accomplish it. If Jake, a novice of all novices, could understand how basic this was- it was stupid for Magic to not be so prevalent in the world.

“Would Yir know…?” Jake stopped his pacing, a habit he was quickly starting to pick up as it helped alleviate the boredom of reading. He considered trying to find the Fairy but he couldn’t quite bring himself to bug her again. However, he had an alternative. The boy carried the Fundamental text out with him into the main atrium and poked his head out of the bookshelves he was stuck behind. He spotted one of the assistant fairies, her purple wings carrying her around a nearby shelf.

“Excuse me,” Jake approached the fairy and called out to her in a low voice. Loud enough to get her attention, but not enough to hopefully avoid disturbing anyone else.

“Oh, hello. How may I help?” The Fairy seemed surprised to see him, and even more so to be called out to.

“I have a question. Do you know of any books that might help with explaining why magic is limited in the Overworld?” While Jake wanted to outright ask for the answer, he thought it best to continue reading. The Fairy might be able to explain it but a book would help him understand. The text would provide research already conducted and it might help lead him in other directions that would give even more information.

“Are you asking about Mana Capacity, or maybe a historical reason?” The Fairy tilted her head and placed a finger to her lips as she looked around, likely already thinking of some choices.

“Uh, all of it?” If there was a chance of there being multiple reasons for Magic’s lack of diversity, then he figured there would be no harm in looking over all of them. Especially if it was a widespread issue that he might have to handle later.

“Oh, well. I know of a few. Give me just a second.” The Fairy gave him a bright smile before she fluttered away. The books she had floating behind her remained in place, a curious detail that Jake made a mental note of. While she was off searching for his request, the boy turned his nose back to the pages.

She had mentioned two things; Mana Capacity and something to do with the Overworld’s history. History was one thing, but Mana Capacity had come up before and he had understood it as a personal sort of issue with individual Mages. Mana Capacity was the pool of magical power available to a Mage. This defined their upper limit of magic strength. With a higher capacity, a Mage could cast more powerful spells because they had more mana. More mana available meant more fuel for the higher-tiered spells or a higher volume of lower-tiered spells.

From what Jake had read, the Mage’s Mana Capacity was formed by a mixture of genetics, racial traits, and Cultivation level. Jake didn’t know much about the other races in the Overworld, but the moment genetics became a variable, then Jake understood the problem. Or, at least, he could see why there was a problem. If Mana Capacity was reliant on the genetic makeup of an individual, then persons with weaker traits and weaker genes would have little to no Magic ability from the beginning. Not only that but such characteristics couldn’t be changed. People like this would have no chance of becoming a Mage—people like Jake before he met the Gods.

Jake had been born with no trace of mana within himself, or Sahar as his village called it. His mother had a little and his father had none. He took after his father in that regard. Thus, even if Jake trained and practiced, he wouldn’t ever have made any headway. But those who did have mana within them could become mages through effort and training. In other words- cultivation.

Each person was born with a set mana capacity defined by their genes. However, through cultivation, an individual could expand that capacity and gain more control of their mana. How that worked, Jake didn’t know. The texts only glazed over the subject but they did provide insight. The strongest mages spent years cultivating their mana. In doing so, their mana capacities reached obscene levels. Yet, genetics always played a role in that growth. Even with cultivation, individuals found themselves running into the upper limits of their mana capacities and found that they could grow no further. While others who were born with naturally large capacities could expand almost endlessly on their reserves. Jake thought that to be quite unfair but such was life.

Jake didn’t know his own mana capacity at the moment. He could barely conjure up enough to trigger the library let alone cast a spell. He could feel it lingering beneath his skin whenever he thought hard enough, but he wasn’t close to being capable of anything worthwhile. If he wanted to forge weapons, fly or cast insanely powerful spells to slay his foes, he had a lot of work to do. He would need to spend a lot of time cultivating and getting comfortable with his mana.

“Guess I should start there when it comes to practical work.” He tapped his thumb against the page in front of him and puffed out his cheeks. How boring. He was just turning the page, ready to find out how to start cultivating, when the fairy returned. She had a trail of books behind her. At least six of them in tow.

“Hello, Sir. I’ve found a few that I think might be useful.” The Fairy floated lower to be eye level with Jake. With a wave of her hand, she called the books forward and formed them into a stack. “There is a book which explains Mana Capacity, two that are on the subject of Mana Cultivation techniques, one to explain the beginning of Magic in the Overworld, one on known Racial disparities of Magic-Users, and one on the subject of the Conversion of Life Essence to Mana.”

As she described the books, Jake’s lips twisted as he began to think over what kind of knowledge he was looking at.

“One question.” Jake reached out and placed his thumb against the Life Essence book. “What is the average known mana capacity in the Overworld?” The issue of Magic wasn’t its use. It was its ability to be used. There could be thousands of books and enough knowledge to satisfy any greedy or crazy Magician wanting to perform an infinite number of random experiments and spells. But if they didn’t have the Mana, then it didn’t matter.

The Fairy didn’t blink. “Most average inhabitants of the Overworld have low to negligible traces of Mana within them.” She looked at the books and held up a finger. Then, she nodded to herself. “Excuse me. The average level is detectable but very few have the option of actually learning and utilizing their talents. I’m sorry for my initial answer.”

“Wait, so most people actually have mana in them?” Jake blinked, surprised by the change in answer.

“Correct. Though, while most inhabitants do have mana, the average capacity is too low to be used. Even with proper training and guidance most will barely be able to even cultivate. Those slightly above this average may be able to cast a few spells but not in any sustainable fashion. Those who can use Magic in any occupational capacity are even lower in number, and so on.” As she explained, the Fairy held out a hand and created a strange object. It had a wide base but narrowed towards the top until the lines came to a point.

“What is that?” Jake asked, curious at what the shape was. The Fairy looked at him oddly.

“Oh, are you the child sent here by Lady Ferynith?” The Fairy looked him over, her eyes searching for something she didn’t seem to find. Maybe she was looking for the Mark, but Jake wasn’t sure if that was something he should show readily.

“Yes.” He nodded. She smiled.

“My apologies. This is a pyramid. If you look here, the base is wider than its peak. As a visual, it helps to show the different levels of mana capacity. At the bottom, you have where the majority of individuals fall. In this level, very few can cultivate or even cast a single spell.” With the image in front of him, Jake found her explanation to be a lot easier. With the wave of her hand, the pyramid split into multiple layers before separating.

“As you go up, magic ability and mana capacity increase but the number of capable individuals decreases drastically.” The Fairy went another step and even color-coded the different levels, aiding Jake in understanding. It was a convenient little tool.

“I see. Thank you.” The help was definitely needed. The visual put the puzzle pieces in place and Jake found it better to grasp the subject. If only the textbooks relied more on pictures.

“You are welcome. If you have any other questions, do not hesitate to ask.” The Fairy gave him another smile before she nudged the books into his arms. The gold veil of mana around them cut out, leaving Jake to be burdened with the weight of the pages. Her task complete, the Fairy bowed at the waist before fluttering back to her original duty. Jake, not wanting to waste more time, hurried back to the study room. He set the books down and plucked the book on Mana Capacity- Cultivation and the Expansion of the Mana Source.

He started reading in his chair but mere minutes passed before the boy began to wander. Mana Cultivation was far more important to magic and the capability of a caster than he had expected. There were several different techniques and it almost seemed like cultivating was the real benefactor to the success of a mage. Without it, most abilities would remain latent and untapped. By cultivating and expanding one’s potential to the utmost limit, mages could increase their available mana pools by huge amounts. The downside was time.

Cultivating took a lot of time, a lot of patience, and a lot of sitting still. Most mages wouldn’t have such a luxury. Unless someone was rich or lucky enough to be born in a peaceful place, it was unlikely that a fledgling mage would be able to spend any more than an hour or so a day cultivating, if not less. Even then there were countless distractors and side tasks a mage would need to complete that would take away from their cultivation time. For Jake, though, he was one of those with a luxury.

From what he had been told, the time within the Eternal Library flowed at a different pace than the time in the Overworld. Hence the use of hourglasses within its walls. The hourglass allowed individuals to keep track of time passed within the Library. With time moving at an astounding ten times slower within the Library, it was possible to perform a lot more research within its walls than outside in the Overworld. Jake only wished that time distortion was even more profound so he could take further advantage of such a place. Yet there was always a limit to things, so he would take what he could get.

As Jake read into Cultivation, the book explained first the limitation of Mana Capacity and the need to expand upon it to be a worthy mage. Then, it stepped into the importance of understanding the various elements. Jake knew of them through his assessment and was aware that he had no limit there, as he could supposedly utilize every element. However, the author of the text wrote as though that were not the case, something Jake found fine. Yir had mentioned that typically an individual would have only one or two affinities, so he would need to make sure not to let such things limit him.

The elemental portion of Cultivation had to do with the understanding of how mana was produced. A Mage’s natural “affinity” came from its Mana Source’s conversion of Life Essence to Mana. Life Essence was known to be neutral when it came to elements and in its natural state, it did not lean towards any element in particular. It was something within the conversion process that caused a Mage’s Mana Source to imprint an element into the mana it produced. Thus, once made, the created Mana would only work with the designated element. Assessor slabs took advantage of this process by directly testing what the Mana Source would produce. By checking what mana came out of it when it was fed Life Essence, the Assessor slab could determine the elements an individual had an affinity for.

In terms of cultivation, knowing what elements they could utilize would help guide them towards certain techniques. While there were two standard techniques that any mage could use, there were even more that were specific to the elements themselves. These more specific techniques would pull out the strengths of the elements and enhance a mage’s growth. Yet, while there were many ways to cultivate, each mage would need to find out which worked best with their Mana Flow. Figuring that out would take time, trial and error, and possibly years of hard work. Results were never instantaneous when it came to cultivating so finding out if a technique was working or not would only be realized after long periods of practice and isolative training.

“Not quite liking that.” Jake didn’t like the idea of potentially wasting time on a technique that sucked. He was short on time in the first place. If he didn’t have the Library to help with that, magic would likely be the last thing on his list of things to learn. He was lucky to have such a resource. But, even though he had an affinity for every element, Jake did understand that he wouldn’t be able to just pick a random cultivation technique and wing it. He wanted to do things the right way. Thus, he knew he would need to try them out, test the effects on his mana, and fine-tune his cultivation to make it work for him. There would be a lot of wasted time but the earlier he accepted that the earlier he got rid of the disappointment and frustration later on.

After reading over the elemental factor within cultivation, the text shifted to the actual benefits and consequences of cultivation. Of course, the benefits far outweighed the downsides as cultivation naturally was made to boost the mage’s ability. Yet, cultivation put a lot of wear on the Mana Flow and excessive cultivating could cause the Flow to outgrow the Mage’s ability to contain it. Thus, cultivating beyond the body’s natural containment ability would lead to a “loss” effect where the Mage would bleed out the excess. There was no known way to increase the body’s containment factor. Additionally, excessive cultivation could put a strain on the mind. Concentrating for long periods could cause additional stress and lead to powerful migraines, headaches, and potential Mana Overload.

Jake tapped his finger against the page as he thought about such problems and then glanced over at a few other books on his table. Cultivating for a long period was the original plan. If he found it difficult to achieve that, then he would need to supplement that resting period with something else. He first thought of research but there was also casting that he could do. The boy shook off that problem and continued reading. He’d handle it when he came across the issue later.

Of the positive aspects of cultivation, the author reflected on the already known ones; expansion of the available mana capacity and better control over the mage’s mana flow. However, there were more. Increasing the mana capacity would lead to the mage being capable of firing off higher-tiered spells with lesser cost and the ability to cultivate for longer periods. A mage would feel more rested and healthier, and the bond with the mage’s element would become even more refined. Thus increasing their efficiency with their spell casting.

Better control over the mage’s inner mana flow would increase spell efficiency by cutting down the amount needed to cast certain spells and it would lead to faster casting. By further cultivating the mana flow, casting speed and mana efficiency could increase almost without limit. While capacity may be limited, efficiency was not. Mages at the same level but with varied cultivation levels were shown to have drastic differences in their casting ability.

“I get it,” he huffed and set the book down on the table. “Cultivation it is!” He threw up his hands, annoyed by how much the book was throwing in his face that he should probably start with cultivating. He pinched at the bridge of his nose, took in a breath, and then flipped over the hourglass. It had just run out. That was five. Five flips, five hours. Thirty minutes in the Overworld. As he watched the sands fall, he was thankful for the timekeeping. Without it, he had a feeling he would lose track of his time spent within the Library.

“Ah-. No distractions…” he muttered, keeping himself from losing sight of what he was doing. With the brief interruption helping with getting his focus back, Jake plucked the book off the table and resumed his studying.

Continuing with the benefits of cultivation, Jake learned that on top of increased casting speed and efficiency, the mage would also find themselves capable of ‘sensing’ out mana within the air itself. While Life Essence was more prevalent, it wasn’t just Humans that had Mana Sources. Mana Sources were found in nearly every living thing from Civilized Races to monsters, to animals, to even plant life. Most living creatures didn’t utilize their mana flows, thus the mana produced by them was naturally dispersed into the air. In places with more dense levels of Life, mana levels were found to be similarly high. Places with large amounts of plant life, in particular, were found to be significantly higher in mana density.

Mages who spent plenty of time cultivating would eventually find themselves capable of utilizing this mana. While it was less efficient than using their natural mana, adding in the external source could help supplement their spells and decrease the load on their internal pool. Though it was recommended to not rely on the external source and when casting in high mana dense locations to always monitor the internal pool. Mana in the air could just as easily be influenced by other skilled mages, potentially causing disruptions during castings.

Jake loosely skimmed over the remaining positive aspects, content with what he had learned so far and not feeling the need to waste additional time on the rest of the list. He figured anything else he would either figure out or it would just happen naturally. While Jake wanted to go through every step that he could he also understood the need to not get too engrossed in the little details. If he tried to break everything down, word by word, he would get nowhere. Grasp the basics. Understand how it all worked. Then, he would make it up as he went. From the stories he heard from his father, no two adventures were ever the same. He would learn enough to support himself at the start but as he grew and gained experience, then he would use that as his guide forward.

The start of all that would be getting in touch with his “Mana Flow”. This flow was similar to the system his blood used but separate. Mana followed the same lifelines as the body’s ‘circulatory system’ to carry both mana throughout the body and gathered Life Essence to the Mana Source for it to be converted. Mana wasn’t as important as blood when it came to fueling organs, nor did it affect other basic functions of the body. However, damage to the mana flow could reflect on the body. Poisoning mana would cause the Mage to become sick and feverish. Losing too much mana could cause the Mage to collapse. Too much could cause poisoning. For something that was so “separate”, it seemed connected quite a bit.

“Oh, here it is.” After a few more pages of reading about mana, Jake found himself stumbling into the subject of ‘Cultivation Techniques’. First and foremost was the standard Cultivation technique that all Mages were expected to learn and know. It was essentially meditation, except more focused on the Mana Flow. Through practiced and controlled breathing, the Mage would look inward and focus on their inner flow. This technique allowed for the basic ability to draw out one’s mana. It helped the Mage grow comfortable with the ‘feel’ of the flow. While the mana flow would always be present, not everyone could touch it or use it. The standard cultivation technique was meant to aid in bridging that connection.

Along with the brief description, pictures were provided to show Jake the proper seating position. There were notes showing the proper breathing and how to reach out for his mana. There was even an image of how the mana flow was expected to look, with a note also saying that every mage’s flow was unique and there may be differences. Jake found that helpful but before he sat down and started, he turned the page.

“Flow of Chi…” After the standard, base cultivation technique there were plenty of others. The next was a technique titled ‘The Flow of Chi’. This technique spoke of mana as ‘Chi’ and instead focused on the natural balance of the body with the rest of the world. Through smooth and controlled movements, breathing techniques, and the use of one’s own momentum, ‘Chi’ could be drawn out and used in tandem with other skills. Though it had less use outside of combat or in a large-scale battle, it was found to be far superior to the standard cultivation when it came to hand-to-hand combat, small group combat, and drawing out more powerful spells with better mana efficiency. How true that was, Jake would need to find out and experiment on his own.

Following the Flow of Chi style, others were outlined, each for the various elements. Fire Style, Water Style, Ice Style. Each style required the mage to take up different stances, use different weapons or tools, had different breathing techniques, and some even took advantage of various hand signs. Pictures laden with footnotes, directional arrows, and step-by-step instructions took up dozens of pages. Jake flipped through them all, his mind spinning as he began to just skim over them. There was an entire chapter dedicated to the Flow of Chi and when it ended, he flipped straight into the next technique. And then the next, and then the next.

There were dozens of different techniques he skimmed through, each strikingly similar to one another but with subtle changes that made them unique to the regions they came from. There were a few that were a bit out there and others just impossible for him to replicate without things like a waterfall, an ocean, or even a volcano. However, it was quite a sight to see. Across the world, there were so many different magical techniques, different ways to cast spells, and dozens of ways to draw out one’s mana. It was both beautiful and frightening. If Jake wanted to become a powerful mage, he wondered just how many of these different styles he should try to learn and master.

The standard cultivation technique was certainly high on his list. He returned to read it over more in-depth to find that the technique would provide the most assistance to standard spell-casting. Through cultivating, a Mage’s connection with their mana flow would open up the opportunity of ‘Incantation-less Casting’, or the ability to cast spells without having to recite some form of incantation or instructions. Incantations were verbal commands a mage could use that would draw out their mana. Words of Power are what they were known as. Mages with a more natural bond and instinctive connection could bypass the need for such a step, and use their mana more directly. When cutting an incantation out was impossible due to the complexity of the spell, cultivation would allow for the mage to cut out certain words or reduce the Words of Power required to fulfill an activation requirement.

The efficiency of being able to cast without having to speak would be invaluable in high-speed combat. If he mastered and perfected smaller-scale combat spells, he would be able to spit them out rather fast or cast them seamlessly in the moment. The advantage of being able to simply hold up his hand and fire something off rather than have to stop, breathe, and say words was priceless.

Seeing that kind of advantage, Jake flipped to the Flow of Chi to see if it too had a similar sort of benefit. To his delight, it did. However, the Flow of Chi only benefitted more intimate spells and was elemental specific. Hence the various styles for the different elements. If Jake wanted to utilize the technique, he would need to ensure he used the correct one for the element he planned to use. On top of that, the spells he could use were limited to close-combat spells. The technique seemed to only benefit individuals like Martial Artists rather than the typical Caster. Though that was what made it attractive. Jake knew he would have to get up-close and personal at times with enemies. Having such a weapon in his pocket would help ease some stress.

“For now, let’s stick with this, then.” Jake turned back to the Cultivation technique, turning the pages until he found the instructions and images showing him the proper position. He made his way over to the middle of the room away from the table and plopped down in the center of the space. Yir had told him no practicing, but Jake figured that only extended to actual spell casting. If he were just practicing his mana control, he doubted she would get mad at him.

“Fist, breathing.” Jake mimicked the picture as he assumed the position depicted in the book- Jake sat with his legs crossed and assumed the position as depicted in the book- back straight, chin slightly dipped, hands placed firmly on both knees. Legs crossed neatly and comfortably beneath him. He closed his eyes and began to breathe. Slowly. Controlled. He inhaled. Counted to four as he breathed in a lung full, and then held it in his chest. Once more, he counted to four. Then, he exhaled- another count to four. After he fully exhaled, he paused. Four more seconds. Repeat.

The Four Count breathing technique. Depicted as a square on the pages, each step of the breathing cycle was four seconds totaling up to sixteen. The first cycle was for relaxing. The second was for calming. The third was to establish focus. The fourth was to begin cultivating. Four seconds. Four steps. Four cycles. Jake followed the instructions in the text and let his mind calm and clear. He could feel the slack in his muscles sliding away with each exhale. It took more than four cycles, as expected due to his inexperience. But, in time, he began to feel something inside him. The familiar sensation of something moving around within him came to his fingertips. It felt like a river within him. Jake focused on it, and let his mind seek it out. In the black behind his eyelids, Jake began to see that second flow.

With another long exhale, that flow came forth. Yet it was no calm river like he had expected. No. His mana flow was a raging storm. He felt it thrash and whirl. Powerful and unchained as it tore through his body. It was harmless and it didn’t hurt, but he felt overwhelmed by the sensation. The boy’s breathing staggered and he felt the connection slip. His eyes popped open as he returned to life with a start.

Unsettled but not discouraged, Jake gave himself a few moments to collect himself. He steadied his breathing again and waited until he was calm. His racing heartbeat slowed and he felt the heat in his face cool off. When he was ready once more, his hands gripped onto his knees and his eyes closed. He began the cycle once more. This time, he truly focused on his mana flow and when it crept to the forefront of his consciousness, he was ready for it.

It hit him like a gale of wind. His eyes trembled and his throat squeezed. It howled and surged, the strength of the mana nearly tearing from him again. Jake remained calm and maintained his wits. He steadied his breathing and simply focused on maintaining his connection with the flow. He didn’t reach out nor did he try to manhandle it into submission. Instead, he watched. He listened. He allowed the connection to develop and basked in the torrent of mana until he slowly found it more comfortable to see.

The longer he looked and the longer he allowed the mana to simply flow, unabated, the more he learned that the storm wasn’t a storm. It was just an unfiltered mess within him. There was no structure or system to the flow. There was no “flow”. His mana simply thrashed and pushed its way through his body. The established “flow” was just the mana spilling out and moving about in a raw state. Even more, adding to the brutish nature of it all, there were gaps and holes throughout his body that mana poured out of. Jake attempted to touch and close such gaps but the escaping mana would either force its way out or it found another location to burst forth from.

If Jake wanted to cast anything, taming the beast within him was not just an optional step to take. It was imperative, necessary. The mana inside of him would be useless in such a state and pulling it out of himself in the current manner could prove dangerous. He wasn’t quite sure how, nor was he certain as to whether or not what he was seeing was normal. But nothing was settling about what he felt. Just maintaining the connection brought a twist to the boy’s stomach.

The boy needed to first control the flow. He would need to steady it and create a standard path for it to take through his body. Then, he would need to find a way to stop the overflow. As with everything concerning magic- he would need to be patient and take his time. The boy let out one final exhale before opening his eyes and pulling away from the flow. His heart was racing, his body felt hot, and his vision seemed a little unsteady. It had only been a short while but just that brief connection had taken a lot out of him. It would take more than one session to quell that monster, so he decided to first take a break.

The boy left the cultivation book open on the floor and left the room. He walked out into the shelves of the Eternal Library and descended to one of the lower floors. As he did, he looked to his left and down into the lower area of the atrium. At one of the tables down below, a familiar fairy was reading. She sat off to the side, out of the way, and kicked her feet lazily over the edge of the table as she turned a page. Jake followed the spiraling stairs down to her, his hands brushing over the smooth white railings as he went.

“Yir,” he announced. He called out to her in a soft voice, not wanting to startle her. She held up a hand to tell him to wait and the boy did so. He sat down behind her, careful not to disturb her further as he waited his turn for her attention. She was reading a book on Thaumaturgy, whatever that was. The title was ‘Thaumaturgy- Collections of Life Volume I’. It was pretty thick and its golden bindings gave it a very formal look.

“Finding yourself well?” Yir spoke up before she turned, her mouth moving before the rest of her body. She waved a finger, the motion causing her magic to trigger and the book to snap shut. It fluttered over to the table where it landed with a soft tap.

“I am. There is a lot here and a lot to learn. It’s only been a few hours and while I’ve read over a lot, I know it’s just barely the beginning.” Jake let out a tired sigh and folded his hands in front of himself. Indeed, there was much to learn. In five hours of dedicated reading, Jake learned only a few things. Mana, the elements, what magic was, a few of its beginnings, a couple of cultivation techniques, mana capacity… For his first day, it seemed like a lot. With only a glance around him, he knew that it was barely a grain on the beach.

“You’ll get there, so long as you seek it.” Yir stepped across to the middle of the table and sat down on her book. She crossed her legs neatly and folded her hands in her lap. “Are you having trouble?” She tilted her head as she looked at him with concern, but while he appreciated it, he only smiled and shook his head.

“A little but I’ll figure it out.” His mana flow was a bit wild but he had a feeling he would need to handle such a problem on his own. Cultivation was meant to be an internal meditation. He couldn’t ask Yir to help fiddle with something inside himself.

“Magic isn’t an individual thing, Jake. What we know today isn’t because one or two people did everything on their own.” Yir nudged at him and prodded, but he only smiled at her.

“I know but I’d like to try on my own first if I can.” Establishing his confidence in himself was just as necessary as getting his mana flow under control. At some point, Jake’s growth would be entirely reliant on his desire to grow and his own effort. He needed to understand that early on. If Yir held his hand at every step, he would struggle without her assistance. If he could do things independently from the start then he was even better over. However…

“How difficult is it to be a mage and an adventurer, Yir?” However, Jake had his concerns. If Magic was this hard inside the Library, how hard would it be during everyday life? The Fairies made magic look easy. They were casting their floating spell with just a flick of their fingers. Yet Jake doubted that was something he should expect out of every spell. The book mentioned incantations and put a lot of emphasis on the need to shorten them. If they were that hard, long, and important- being a mage in combat was likely to be quite the pain.

“It depends,” Yir shrugged. “If you’re a good mage, it can be rather easy. Mages are paid a hefty sum by fellow adventurers because of how helpful a good mage can be on a team. Healers and those that can tend to injuries are paid even more, as they are irreplaceable on long and dangerous trips. Competent Casters who can cast stronger spells or more spells in general, are also paid well as they can make the most difficult fights rather easy.” Yir kicked her feet as she spoke, her glossy lips moving as Jake rubbed his hands together and gnawed at the inside of his cheek.

Competent. A keyword that was truly the only gauge Jake had. A Competent Mage was likely one who could cast a dozen or so spells. A Competent Mage could cover their allies, and kill off monsters and enemies with the smooth movement of their tongue. A Competent Mage wouldn’t shake in the face of danger and could be trusted by their allies to cover them. A Competent Mage would have control and confidence in their mana, in themselves, and their magic.

“If you’re a bad mage, then it’ll be tough. Allies will be thin in number and you might find yourself without much work. You’ll only be able to take more boring, safer jobs and some places might not trust you with the tasks either.” Yir shrugged at her counterpoint, but Jake took it to heart rather than brush it off. He would either have to be Competent or be Useless. There was no in-between.

“If you’re good enough and lucky, you might even be hired by a noble as an advisor or as a court magician. So there’s always that option later on.” Yir smiled and let out a faint giggle as she planted that tiny seed in Jake’s head. A seed he brushed off. Becoming someone’s lapdog wasn’t quite one of the dreams he had in mind for later on in life.

“How long would it take for me to reach that level?” Along with wanting to know what it would take, Jake also was curious to know how long it would take. If it would take years of practice and commitment, Jake doubted he would reach such a state quick enough for him to safely leave his village. However, if the timeline was in months- he might get lucky.

“Once more, that depends.” His luck in getting a straight answer was pretty low. Jake sighed and felt his shoulders slump. He lifted his hands to his head and supported his face with his hands as he groaned. Yir didn’t quite like that reaction and stepped off her book. She walked over to the boy and kicked at his elbow. “Hey,” she barked. Jake jerked his arm away and pulled back as she stuffed a finger in his face.

“Lose heart, act like a spoiled brat, and expect things to be easy and it’ll take you a lifetime to get anywhere near what you want, boy.” She spat. “But focus, practice, and ask questions, and it’ll come sooner than you think.” She reached out and tapped his nose.

“Magic is an amazing thing, Jake. Of course, it’s hard. There’s a lot to it. From mana control to incantations, elements, the sigils, and runes from the ancient ones. It’s all just one big web of knowledge sprawled out in front of us. If you want to learn any of it, you have to tug on the strings one by one to find where they lead. Tug on the strings enough and you may find yourself an answer you might like, or you might not and you’ll find yourself just as lost as when you started.” She turned away and opened her hands, directing Jake to the world full of wisdom and knowledge all around him. An ocean of things to learn, spells to practice, and magic to discover.

“There is no standard of competency to a magician. There is only a desire to learn, to ask, and to seek. If you just want power then read a few spells, practice them to get comfortable, and you’ll do well enough to get by. Most magicians who are adventurers know the basics of their elements but never dedicate themselves to anything more. They are far too focused on just surviving to do so, or they’ve given up on learning more.” Yir waved her hand as she boringly spat out the basic answer. But when she came back, she grinned and placed her hand gently down on the Thaumaturgy book resting by her hip.

“Dedicate yourself to this craft. Polish your skills and truly put your heart into Magic, and you’ll find that there is much to it, and to you, than you ever would have thought.” Her eyes glistened with pride and joy as she met his eyes. In her look, he could see true happiness. She meant what she said. An honest response in hopes to give Jake the nudge that he needed, a nudge that he wanted.

“Are you having trouble?” She leaned into the book more. Enough to support her weight as she hopped up onto it again. Jake nodded, finally letting her in on a bit of his frustration.

“Cultivation. I just started to study it and it seems harder than what I was ready for.” Jake remembered that feeling of the raging flow inside of him. Just thinking about it unsettled him. Yir must have seen the look in his eyes. The smile on her face faded.

“First time seeing it, huh?” She asked, and he nodded. His hands squeezed together. He was unsure of how to move forward with the task. He could just try to coax the flow into submission or force it to calm but something about that felt wrong.

“Pretty, isn’t it?”

Jake blinked. “Pretty?”

“Such a harmless thing. Powerful and strong, but gentle and capable of being used for so many different things…” Yir extended a hand. Without a word, she created a small ball of light in her palm. “Our Mana Flows are all different. Some raging storms, some quiet seas. But all of them can be used for creation with just a little bit of coercing and a little bit of effort.”

The light went out as Yir’s smile returned. “Having trouble controlling it?”

“Yes,” he sighed. “Every time I reach out, I feel it push back. I feel like it’s struggling to get free as if it wants to burst out.”

“Baby steps, Jake.” She tapped the book and hopped off it. With a wave of her finger, the book lifted off the table. She approached him again and placed her hand tenderly on his cheek. “Continue to work on your bond with it, for that’s what it is. A bond. Develop that bond and cultivate it. Don’t force your mana into submission and make it listen to you. Treat it like a young child. Nurture its growth and it’ll calm itself in time. Okay?” She gave his cheek a soft tap. Jake nodded again.

“Yes, Miss Yir.” He felt a bit more confident now. He still wasn’t quite sure what specifically he would need to do, but he wouldn’t rush it. From Yir’s answer, he would likely figure it out in time.

“Good. Now then, go back to your studies. It seems I’m needed.” Yir stepped back and placed her hands on her hips. She looked up and to the right to where another fairy was descending. Jake looked up to see them and then stood up.

“Thanks, Yir.” Jake excused himself and stepped away. She grinned before her wings carried her away and up. The boy hurried back to the stairs and up to the fourth floor once more. As he returned to his study room, he spotted a fairy waiting for him by the door.

“Excuse me, Mr. Furrow.” The fairy extended a book toward him. “I found this at Yir’s instruction. She thought it would help you in your studies.” Jake caught the book in his hands and looked down at its red cover- ‘The Travels of the Wandering Sage’

Jake raised an eyebrow. The who?

“Uh, thank you.” Jake made sure to thank the fairy. He bowed at the waist before fluttering away, returning to his daily tasks. Jake carried the book with him into the room and sat down once more in front of the cultivation book. He stole a glance inside the first pages of the red book to get an idea of what it was about. An excerpt placed on the front page read;

A book dedicated to a dear friend, a man whose peerless wisdom and guidance helped shape me into who I am today. His struggles, his unending knowledge, terrible and witty jokes, and unwavering courage are captured in these adventures and stories. Or so I hope they are. From the day I met him until the day I lost him, he lived his life in the strangest way. He said it was all to find fun and joy in the World. He died with a smile. As someone who called him a friend, it is my wish that his dream came true in the end.

I write this story to immortalize him so that the world may never forget His name- Geralt Windsor, the Great Blue Mage of Winderhelm. Rest well, friend. One day, I hope we meet again.

Jake felt his jaw clench and he carefully closed the cover. He stared at the front of the book, at the title. Then, he politely set the book to the side. While he felt the desire to read it as Yir likely hoped he would, he wanted to read it when he was more ready for it. Something he felt he wasn’t yet. There was work to be done.

“Oh, wait.” Just before he delved into his subconscious-like state, Jake scrambled over to the table and plucked the hourglass from it. It was nearly finished with barely minutes to spare so he flipped it over and let it start over. It didn’t need to be accurate, as long as he didn’t lose the overall amount of time spent within the Library. Six hours had passed thus far. With it being nighttime, Jake would give himself another couple of flips before returning to the Overworld and inevitably back to his Auntie’s tent. After storming out on her, he figured an hour or two would give her time to calm down. That left him with fourteen hours to go.

“...That’s a lot,” he muttered. However, it was time he needed. The boy was short on it in the first place so he didn’t let himself complain. Instead, he just sat down and got comfortable. He was going to be sitting there for quite some time.

After just a few breathing cycles, Jake found himself diving into his mana flow once more. It came to him even faster this time. However, it was still just as rough inside of him. The flow roared with power and resisted him every time he tried to make any kind of contact with it. Calling it forth was simple enough. It responded when he had tried to enter and leave the Library so Jake knew it could be controlled. How, on the other hand, he began trying to figure out.

Yet with each tug, each squeeze, and every touch- Jake felt it kick and writhe beneath his grip. It fought him off at every attempt. There was no budging in this fight. For something that was ‘His’, Jake found it to be quite hostile. That’s when he remembered- he didn’t have mana before. Until just barely a few hours ago, Jake didn’t have mana flow or any traces of magic within him. The flow was newborn, fresh to the world. Sure, it was his, but it was likely struggling to exist. Jake found that sad.

The boy frowned and his breathing softened. As the mana flow screeched within him, he calmly reached out and simply pushed into it. He didn’t grab or tug. No, he let himself rest in it. He let the mana surge through his body as he let himself quietly float within its torrent. Slowly, he found breathing easier. The tension in his body lessened and the constant wailing in his ears faded. The mana flow continued to struggle. However, Jake simply acted as a cradle. He swayed slightly from side to side. The “hands” he used to touch the flow were gentle and soft. He worked to develop a direction for the mana to flow, guiding it through his body to give it a more proper way to move through him.

He eventually found his Source, located in his chest beside where his heart thumped. He followed the lanes the mana flow followed outwards, smoothing them out and gently coaxing the rampant mana into a more stable state. Like a crying infant or a defiant toddler, it kicked and continued to fight him. So, he remained patient. Each motion was deliberate and done slowly. Repetitively. Jake weathered the beatings and didn’t let the constant struggle deter him.

It wasn’t easy, and Jake grew tired over time. Whenever he felt himself become unsteady, the boy pulled away and took a short break. He’d move about the study room or take a short walk through the Library. Anything to get his mind out of his mana flow and give him a breather. When he was ready once more for a little fight with himself, the boy would sit back down and begin the cycle again.

One flip of the hourglass passed. Then another. Then another. Five flips passed before Jake finally made enough headway that he could truly see the difference in his efforts.

Compared to when he started, the storm was nothing more than a squall. The boy’s mana flow bucked and wiggled but it had grown comfortable and used to his touch. The flow was more organized now. Jake had been able to develop the more natural direction of his flow and felt it throughout his body, evenly now. There was no longer any excessive pressure in his chest and head. Now he could feel the mana moving through his legs and feet. He felt it tingle in his toes and his fingertips. It coiled in his arms, hips, and his head. It still leaked from various holes but there was far too much of it for his body to contain. No matter what he did, any attempt to box it in his body resulted in either failure to do so or he would feel queasy and sick.

He needed a solution to deal with the excess. He thought of forcing it out, of pushing it all out and trying to level out the amount within himself. The downside was that it would be wasted. Thus, Jake felt it better to optimize his mana flow. If there was excess mana that was just leaking out of him, then he would simply make space for it inside. The flow itself was rather thick but it was weak and fragile. It wasn’t dense and strong. With that in mind, the boy began working to compress the lanes that the mana flowed on. At the moment they were wide and mostly hollow. So, he began to slowly push them in. He squeezed on the flows and coiled them slowly in on themselves. Doing so caused the tubes to constrict. The flow fought back, yearning to return to a straighter, smoother state. But, Jake was methodical.

He started from the Source and worked his way outward. He kneaded the flow and with each twist, the mana would wriggle before calming again. Jake remained gentle but his soft coercions were now much firmer and much more direct. He didn’t force or push. However, he made sure the flow reacted the way he asked. Over time the twisted became easier and easier. He didn’t risk taking a break this time. He remained in place, focused until the job was done.

Each tube of mana that ran through his body was coiled tightly and shrunk down to ensure maximum efficiency through his body. The coils weren’t perfect nor were they truly optimized in a way that he was satisfied with. However, that was likely the point of cultivation. In time he would work to further reduce the size of those tubes. He would tighten the coils, shrink the passageways, and increase the number of tubes running through his body. All to maximize the amount of mana he could hold and increase the speed at which he could call it forth.

Except, the leaking still hadn’t stopped. There was far less escaping him now but the boy found it unsatisfactory to lose so much potential strength. He needed a way to control it and contain it. If he was at his limit inside, then Jake needed to find a way to contain it outside. The first thought that came to mind was the second skin of sorts. He thought he might be able to layer it on top of his skin, like a veil or a shroud of sorts. Yet, when he tried to do so, the mana just faded off and he lost touch with it the moment he tried to push it out of his body.

The boy’s lips pressed together and as he felt the frustration within him build, he also felt the connection to his mana slip. The boy finally opened his eyes and stared down at the hourglass in front of him. The sand had stopped flowing. The boy reached out to flip the glass and then stood up. He let out a huff before leaving the study room.

He was going to need guidance with this.