“Are you about done, Mr. Bale? I know that I said that we had all night, but I did not expect you to be sitting here for so long…”
I look up from the book that my face was buried into my face for well over an hour and stare at Regina.
“Hm? Oh, yes, I think I’ve read enough for now.”
Regina chuckles. “I don’t mind if you continue reading; I was just asking.”
I shake my head sternly. “No, we should keep going. I have a good grasp on this stuff now.”
“Do you?” Regina asks inquisitively.
“More or less,” I shrug passively.
What I read was much easier to understand than the other book that I read previously. It made sense considering this was a book specifically written for “Beginners”, so I’m assuming that this is also a book that younger people tend to read. The text size was larger than usual and the writing itself was clear and concise.
I made sure that I read each passage at least two times over to make sure I didn’t miss anything, though.
Anyways, after consuming some of my time reading, I have a pretty clear understanding how magic works in this world. Given that it’s a beginner’s guidebook, the information was fairly basic.
First and foremost, there are seven different types of magic that can be learned.
#1: Elemental Magic
The most commonly learned type of magic. Mages who learn elemental magic are able to use the spells in any way that they see fit. Certain elemental magic spells offer the use of offense and defense. The four elemental types:
- Fire Magic- The most commonly used element learned worldwide. Fire magic is both the most offensive and the easiest to learn of the four elemental types, so it is usually the most recommended. Those who specialize in fire magic are able to cast fire spells that they learn from a spell book.
2. Water Magic- Water magic is a more versatile element, as most of the spells give an equal amount of offense and defense. Those who specialize in water magic are able to cast water spells that they learn from a spell book.
3. Wind Magic- Wind magic has fairly good offense, but these spells are more commonly used for support in combat. Those who specialize in wind magic are able to cast wind spells that they learn from a spell book.
4. Earth Magic- Earth magic spells have a weaker offense but make up for it for the defensive capabilities it provides. Those who specialize in earth magic are able to cast earth spells that they learn from a spell book.
Elemental spells range from Class D to Class S.
#2: Defensive Magic
Although you are able to learn defensive-type spells with elemental magic, defensive magic is the most commonly used type for pure defense, as they are much more powerful than your elemental defense spell.
In short, defensive magic is the use of any type of spell with the purpose to defend yourself or others. The main types of defensive magic are the use of force fields and protective barriers in order to prevent as much physical damage as possible. Defensive spells range from Class D to Class S.
#3: Healing Magic
The second-most commonly used type of magic worldwide. Having a healer or a cleric is a crucial role in an adventuring party, as those who specialize in healing magic have the power to heal injuries ranging from scrapes and bruises to life-threatening injuries, depending on what class of healing magic is being used. Healing spells range from Class D to Class S.
#4: Summoning Magic
The practice of casting spells that “call upon” a certain entity, whether it be an animal or a spirit. Summoning magic is fairly common, and it is often used when an adventurer is in a tight spot and needs an extra hand. Summoning magic spells range from Class D to Class S.
#5: Transmutation Magic
Transmutation is one of the less-commonly learned magic types due to the fact that it’s extremely difficult to master. Transmutation spells allow the mage to “transform” certain things into other things. These things can be inanimate objects or elements of nature itself. It's a complex magic type, but those who choose to venture into learning Transmutation will certainly reap the benefits. Transmutation spells range from Class D to Class S.
#6: Enchantment Magic
Enchantment Magic is a magic type that is most commonly used by spellswords. It is the practice of transferring magical power into another object, typically melee weapons, to increase its overall power. Dwarves and Orcs, being the more battle-oriented races, tend to use enchantment magic more than any other race. Enchantment spells range from Class D to Class S.
#7: Illusory Magic
The final magical type is illusory magic. Illusory magic is commonly used by thieves or those who wish to avoid fights as well as escaping dire situations. Illusory magic is a type that requires the mage to use their quick wits, as the type is used to create illusions that are used for the purpose of distracting and confusing their opponents. Mages who specialize in this magic type are crafty and unpredictable, so it’s always important to stay on guard should you ever encounter one. Illusory spells range from Class D to Class S.
The book explained that most mages tend to focus on only one magic type their entire lives due to the extensive learning and training process. However, there have also been many who practice more than one magic type. The rarest kind of mage is one who demonstrates mastery in all magic types, although it’s very rare to find one nowadays according to this book.
Still, it was pretty interesting. I’m even more upset that I can’t use magic now. Just imagine how OP I could be if I could cast any of this magic. It’s a lot cooler than a sword, if you ask me. Oh, well…
After I finished reading the magic types section of the guidebook, I read over the second part which explained mana and the different classes of spells.
The passage in the book went like this:
What is Mana?
Mana, or magical power, is the powerful energy within one’s body that allows an individual to cast magical spells. Mana is given to individuals at birth, and the frequency of spells that one can cast is all dependent on the mana capacity that they were born with.
Every magical spell requires the use of mana, and depending on what spell you are attempting to cast, the mana cost will vary. An individual’s mana capacity is essentially how much mana an individual is able to store within their bodies. There are no known means to increase or decrease one’s mana capacity, as it is completely random at birth. There are some who have smaller mana capacities, meaning that they won’t be able to cast as many spells as frequently as others in a short amount of time. On the other hand, there are those who are born with a very high mana capacity, being able to cast many spells in a short amount of time.
Those who are born with mana in their bodies also have increased physical attributes, including strength, speed, agility, and endurance, which is a reason many choose to focus on physical combat rather than just magical combat.
Unfortunately, despite the majority of the world being born with mana, there is a small percentage of the world that are known to not have any mana whatsoever. Those without mana are much weaker than those with mana, and as a result, they are usually advised to avoid combat. Those that do choose to pursue combat, however, must focus on physical combat.
Classes of Magic: D to S
Every spell, no matter what magical type, may only be cast via verbal incantation. Spell incantations are learned along with every spell that a beginning mage learns from within a spell book.
The Classes of Magic refers to the overall power of a particular spell. Each separate spell has class variants. D to S.
For example, let’s take a commonly learned spell, Fireball. Beginning mages will first learn the Class D variant of Fireball, making their way up to Class C, and so on and so forth.
The higher the class, the more powerful and impactful the spell will be. The classes are as such:
Class D: This is beginner-class magic. Mages will always start at using Class D variants of spells due to the fact they take a small amount of mana to cast. However, due to being the lowest class of magic, it will not be as powerful as other variants, but can still be useful in many situations, especially if the mage is trying to conserve mana.
Class C: This is practically intermediate-class magic. By the time most people are casting Class C magic, they will have gone through a decent amount of training, being able to handle their mana more properly. The shift from a Class D variant of a spell to a Class C variant of the spell is noticeably different, as it is more powerful yet takes more mana to cast.
Class B: Class B magic is the typical standard of most people who learn magic and is commonly used by those who have been practicing for a few years. It is decently powerful, yet each spell consumes a reasonable amount of mana.
Class A: For those who wish to go beyond Class B and hone their arcane talents, Class A magic is recommended. It is much more difficult to learn than the other classes, but the payoff will be worth it, given the power it provides. Unfortunately, the mana consumption is heavy, but there are ways to work around it. Most of the time, mages avoid the usage of Class A and Class S magic unless it is completely necessary.
Class S: Magic for those who stand at the very top of the arcane world. This class of magic is only for the most gifted of mages, and it is typically rare to find those who cast these, as it takes many years to perfect. The power of an S-Class spell is immense and there is a serious mana drawback. Most mages who have smaller mana capacities are unable to use this class of magic due to the consumption.
I stopped reading from the book after this passage. After these pages, the book delved into incantations and casting and everything. All of that information was pointless to me at that point though, given the fact that I won’t ever be doing that.
Even so, I learned a lot about how magic works now, and I can use this knowledge to my advantage should I ever encounter a mage in the future. Magic is definitely a force to be reckoned with…
“On to the third floor then, Steven. Please follow me.” Regina says as she begins walking out of the library.
I follow her slowly with a sneer on my face.
“Oh, great– where are we off to next, I wonder?”
“Before I can even send you out on a mission, you will have to train much, much more. Exactly how skilled are you with your Sacred Weapon?"
“Well, I haven’t been training with it much as of late, but I’ve used it a couple of times.”
“I see. Well, fear not, because right now we are heading to the training grounds, and you will be meeting your new sword instructor.”
“Wait a minute, training grounds? Sword instructor? I didn’t sign up for this!”
“What, did you really expect me to send you off on a mission with such little experience? No, every one of my raiders goes through extensive training in order to be the best that they can be. You will be no different. Starting tomorrow, you will begin your training here.”
I sigh. “Well, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to be a little stronger…”
“That’s the spirit! After all, you have the most powerful sword in the world in your possession. It would be foolish not to hone its potential.”
Yeah, I guess she was right. And once I’m strong enough, I’ll slash her head off with that red blade. I can picture it right now.
We were almost at the top of the next floor. God, I hate stairs. I don’t think that there’s an elevator or anything either.
A new training instructor, huh? I wonder what they’re like…
