“Status.”

Name : Vincent Valitius

Occupation : Duke of Valitius Duchy

Available Mana : 1851/????

Skill : Magic (i), Portal of Procurement (i)

Yes. That is me. Dear ol’ Vincy. Just getting awoken by what apparently is a setting sun; the 4 pm light. Which according to my humble opinion is equally dreadful as the light of rising sun due to it’s sharp angle that pierce right through your eyelids. Well…whatever. Currently I’m dealing with much pressing issue, a result from my struck of gen– *ehm* a reasonably logical step that follow an established trope.

That’s right people! I’m opening my status menu! Thank heaven for the ubiquitousness of transmigration-reincarnation novel! For the dread and dullness of everyday life! For keen investors who capitalise on that!! Yay for the invisible hand of the market that insist that the meaning of life is lied in possessing the new upcoming material goods I yet to purchase!! Yayy!!

Still… what is this status thing even mean?

Thus after a deserved quarter-hour stare yet not a stare to the status menu, contemplating life, universe, and everything . I decide, by the virtue of circumstance that forced upon me, that I this Ol’ Vincy WILL BE PRODUCTIVE TODAY!!

I’ll abandon my endless musing and do something practical! Which means, I need a plan!!

***

Despite my tedious rambling and self-diagnosed panic disorder, I know how to plan! I’d even says that I’m an adequate planner! I maintain at least one-year plan. Why? Well because for one, plan help to keep me sane grounded. It offers a clear line when your imagination run wild!

And the BEST PLACE to start A plan ISSSSSS.~~~~

Google webpage!

Yes. Wikihow, helpful people on message board, random website trying to generate traffic by listing 10 things that will change your life, or self-help class that hook you with their captivating fifteen minutes before prompting you to do a purchase, they all help! Internet is full of wonderful stuff!

Which is to say that due to the reason obvious is not currently available.

Thus, with another struck of my gen– a next logical step in a reasonable personmental flowchart, I move to the next best thing. Archive! Or Library, I think, never really get the differences.

After a few short conversation with my attendant (Yes, I have attendant now, of all thing. It’s Liam. Nice kid). I was escorted to what ought to be the Duke’s Personal Library.

It was Grand. Magical and wondrous like the rest of the castle. Rows and rows upon bookshelves stood three, four, nay –five floor high. And that’s not all! There’s a slight shimmer like a film, a rainbow diffraction you only observe on the leaked gas on the pavement of rainy day –or in bubbles if you’re not a person who pour gas when raining– at the highest floor step. Undoubtedly, another mystery this castle hold to unfold.

I walk myself to the center hall. A podium? No. A pedestal. Lied on there, a book were opened.

“An Index huh? Looks a lot like Dewey Decimal, but it doesn’t have author names. No decimals either”

100. Architecture and Advanced Masonry

…

120. Bowmanship

…

140. Business (see Mercantilism)

…

…

…

180. Conduct –Courtly, Noble

…

…

200. Conduct –Courtly, Royal

210. Conduct –Ceremonial, Noble

…

…

…

500. Magic, Abjuration (0th to 3rd tier)

….

550. Magic, Annotation (Studious)

560. Magic, Annotation (Informative)

570. Magic, Annotation (Inspiring)

580. Magic, Annotation (Textbook)

…

610. Magic, Theory (Proposed)

620. Magic, Theory (Defended)

630. Magic, Theory (Revised)

“Here we go… Corrin Corrianth’s Of Truth; Magic.”

Preface

As my dearly “concerned” colleagues have repeatedly advised, this particular insight of mine ought to be compiled in the back sheafs of Inspiring Annotation section –as they have generously allow. However as it stood, this mere insight had been splendidly defended upon the 825th High Meeting of Knowing Knowledgist. Thus, this humble me, upon struck with the realization of the suffering of the unenlightened masses (that’s you dear reader), take it upon myself to bequathe this illuminating candor as beacon to the unlearned.

Then, without further ado, I, Great Knowledgist Corrianth Corrin, present you Of Truth: Magic

Corrianth Corin, FAS P:8125

“…”

“Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. Or preface. Or the smugly written way he avenges.”

“Academics…”

Foundational

Magic. What is magic? No one fully comprehend the right answer. Or if someone claim that he does, than he undoubtedly the most foolish of fool. Even among the elusive high born of Elves the nature of what magic is a matter of a horridly divisive debate.

However, for you dear reader. Especially the first-learner (as I definitely assured by the council that this particular writing will become textbook), one do not need to actually fully comprehend magic to utilize it. It’s a proven case that presupposes knowledge, as it could be easily observed by the like of Illian’s Court who purchase the prohibitively costly Scroll of Water Path for each time another of their belligerent offspring going for an excursion. Those brats unexperienced youth have no need to understand the intricacy interaction of Dhyanne retrodegradation and the should of inscriber to draw the insignia of waxing moon dotted instead of solid line as it’s normally done.

To activate those scroll, any standard scroll in fact if the inscriber do not have other particular design such as identity lock. One only need to channel their own mana. Then Lo and Behold! The magic will be activated. Such simplicity of design.

Still, if you my dear reader have a keen on the intricacy of theory, I duly recommend the superb writing of our Emeritus Knowledgist, Quisto Quarry; Unraveling the Truth as your first stepping stone.

But we digress. Now, let’s begin.

Mana. Mana is the drive of magic. It was the horse that drawn the unmoving carriages, the wood that fire consumes. Magic will forever remained as strange geometrical shapes and unknown languages if not for the present of mana.

For this chapter, it is suffice to know that mana is the energy of magic.

Outer Diagram, or as commonly know as circles (even though it could be anything from triangle to dodecahedron), is the outermost geometric layer that function under heaven law. It was complete in the sense that it beginning were it’s end. This symbolize eternal flow of mana, and the choosing of the shapes determine the flow and type of the mana type it’s attracted. For this chapter, we’ll use the most fundamental, universal type; non-property or NP. NP were symbolized as circle.

Moving on, the 2nd aspect. Connecting Lines. Connecting lines represent our desire to change the native facet reality into a spell of our magic. Connecting lines were instruction of the directed mana flow as opposed to the circles of native mana flow. My colleagues and their ancient tomes insist that this begin with 2nd Dimensional triangle, however as it was proven by none other than myself, this presupposition is simply not true! Even a straight line that bisected outer perimeter will form geometry of half-perimeter (or as per this chapter, half circle)

Third is the insignia. Also known as runes or symbol. This is the most interesting aspect of magic, because it runs on belief. Distinct from the belief to the God(s). Belief in runes is a collective of what group of people think what a symbol represent. This belief will manifest as consciousness weaves that shapes how the connecting lines interpreted by the native reality. Now, there are some interesting tidbit of the latest paper on subconcsiously inherited belief, like the symbol of Alandirr; the universally recognized symbol of snake family (snake, wyvern, dragon) that represent our primitive fear to those dangerous monsters were supposedly inherited from the experience of our ancestors day of first creation However on this chapter we will not dwell on those advanced subject of matter…

“I don’t use any of that…”

“Is my magic different? Well, I mean, I spirited away from my bedroom to God-know-where castle, become a duke, respected-saluted, donned in prophecy and all that… What’s the difference a cheat or two going to make? Ha!”

“Light!”

I winced. A palm sized orb of 40-watt bright shine upon my open palm. I think I.. I’m not sure, but…

“Light!”

There! It’s happen just for a flash! But it’s there!

“Light!”

I think I see it? It’s a blur. Ephemeral. Unreal. Like a descend when you close your eyes in a dark. That you’re not sure that the image that playing in front of you is the fragment of residual street light that happens to shine on your eyelid’s blood vessel or imagination that pop-up by the sheer will of thought.

It was a circle, with triangle and a symbol I don’t recognize. Is that magic? Why It’s so.. so… familiar? Like I’ve been doing this since forever?

I don’t even think about it!

It’s like breathing! You don’t think when you breath!

You don’t feel your chest muscle synergize with your nasal cavity to draw air in! It’s like asking fish how to swim! They just do!

Who am I?

Is me that I know even a real me?

…Should stop asking that kind of question Vince; on there lies madness.