The air shimmered as Iteration [3] coalesced amidst the towering shelves. They stretched not just into the distance, but upwards, seemingly defying gravity as they pierced the ethereal ceiling. The sheer scale was oppressive, the shelves vanishing into mist-shrouded heights where even looking caused a prickling pain behind your eyes.
Crafted from an otherworldly bark-brown wood, the shelves weren't merely storage units – they were living tapestries of knowledge. Countless symbols danced across their surfaces, glyphs that writhed and shifted, hinting at forgotten languages and esoteric lore. Some glowed with an inner light, their meanings pulsing like faint heartbeats. Others were dark and cryptic, their secrets veiled in shadow.
The very air held a weight, thick with the accumulated wisdom of ages. The scent of parchment and aged ink mingled with the faint, musky aroma of the ancient wood, an intoxicating blend that promised forgotten truths and untold stories. A low hum, almost imperceptible, vibrated through the room, seemingly emanating from the shelves themselves.
Iteration [3] hovered in breathless awe. The library stretched beyond comprehension, its shelves vanishing into mist-shrouded infinity. Each bookshelf pulsed with a vibrant hue, not merely wood, but living conduits of magic. Wild mana crackled in the air, a symphony of power that resonated within its very core.
The books themselves weren't silent spectators. Titles whispered promises and secrets, some faint echoes, others roaring demands for attention. They were all magical, bound with arcane knowledge, each a gateway to a deeper understanding of the very force that animated [3]. Yet, amidst the clamor, one whispered a different tune.
"Basics of Mana and its origins," it resonated, the inscription glowing with a gentle warmth. This, [3] instinctively knew, was the key. Unlike the others, it didn't demand, it offered. An invitation to build a foundation, a starting point upon which others could unfold.
The decision was instantaneous. Curiosity burned brighter than even the allure of the most potent tome. With a tendril of its essence, Iteration [3] gently nudged the book open. Pages materialized, filled with an arcane script that danced before its eyes, each symbol alive with potential.
As it delved into the text, the library around it shifted. The cacophony of voices dimmed, replaced by a focused hum, the symphony now conducted by the gentle rhythm of understanding. Each sentence unlocked a new facet of knowledge, each paragraph a revelation. Iteration [3] felt its very understanding of [Mana] being expanded, its grasp on magic solidifying with each turn of the page.
The pages flew by as knowledge poured into the soul of Iteration [3]. What it had previously understood about [Mana] was completely thrown out the window the more it read. [Mana] was everything; it was the building block that constructed other fundamental elements. [Mana] flowed from the source, which was this world’s core. The source was connected to the beyond, where [Mana] flowed from into the core. The core then sent [Mana] up into the world via [Mana vents], allowing it to undergo "Elementization," a process where pure [Mana] took on specific characteristics related to the environment in which it was replaced.
[Mana] responded to willpower, which formed in souls as a result of mana itself. This was where dungeons came into play. Dungeons were the physical crystallization of pure willpower and unattributed [Mana], a natural part of the world. Sometimes, dungeons formed basic souls due to a specific type of [Mana] taking up residence within their cores, resulting in an [Elemental soul].
Due to the nature of [Mana], it inherently sought to change and improve itself. It continued to enhance itself or whatever held it as more [Mana] accumulated and settled. This improvement occurred by indefinitely reorganizing something called the [Atomic structure], with no upper limit discovered for this method of enhancement.
As the fundamental truths of [Mana] settled into Iteration [3]'s soul, it felt itself becoming more solid, growing in richness and purity with each syllable. Iteration [3] did not comprehend how it understood the unknown language, but its mind automatically translated it into pure understanding that continuously flowed into its being. The thick tome somehow knew when it was done with a page and moved on to the next.
Eventually, Iteration [3] found itself finished before it was aware, and the arcane book vanished with a poof, replaced by another large leather-bound tome entitled "Basics of Willpower and its Uses."
The book was also written by an unknown author as whatever was translating the magical text didn’t do so for the name of the author.
The tome pealed itself open and understanding began to instantly flow into Iteration [3], willpower was a byproduct of [Mana], and not at the same time. The soul always had willpower but only used it for other things such as holding memories and personalities together, but [Mana] changed that by kickstarting a process called [Mana fission] in the soul that allowed willpower to be produced in excess and be used by the soul for other purposes. Willpower was also a fundamental building block and a component of [Mana].
[Mana fission] was an instantaneous process but required a substantial amount of pure [Mana] to initiate, which had to be gathered using baskets made of willpower. Crafting willpower-woven baskets demanded a significant amount of willpower and a special "Spell rune" to maintain their coherence as they extended farther from the soul. If [Mana fission] wasn't initiated, there wouldn't be sufficient [Mana] or [Willpower] within the soul to accomplish much of anything.
The soul had enough excess willpower to create five small baskets, but anything higher than that posed the risk of cannibalization. Cannibalization occurred when the soul unraveled the willpower holding memories and redirected it for use, resulting in the permanent loss of that memory, as nothing remained to anchor it within the soul.
Iteration [3] continued reading, utterly fascinated by the new knowledge flooding into its consciousness. On the last page of the book were a set of steps necessary to awaken conscious control over one's willpower and utilize it. Iteration [3] was eager to give it a try.
