Chapter 3: Steps for Awakening

The pain had dissipated by the time Kazuma stood up after taking a nap. He couldn't quite explain what had transpired, but it didn't seem serious enough to warrant concern. Kazuma was relieved that it didn't appear to be the onset of a cold or any sign of an impending fever. Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling of confusion about what had occurred prior to his nap.

Could it all have been just a dream? No, that seemed impossible, as every detail of the earlier events remained vivid in his mind. Kazuma reached into his pocket and retrieved his phone, quickly checking the Kabbalah group chat. The chat was still there on his phone, just as it had been before. It was evident that this wasn't a mere dream or hallucination.

"Damn, so that wasn't even a dream. It looks like what I saw earlier was all the real deal. But what is up with the Qlipoth and magic stuff? Did I accidentally join a cult or something? Perhaps I can search for it online."

Kazuma opened his internet browser and began searching for the new terms he had come up with today. He learned that those words were not just something made up; they were the real deal. As for the Qlipoth, they represented evil beings. That means whatever was explained before does make sense. However, there are still some questions left unanswered for him.

Because it was already lunchtime, he went to the kitchen and grabbed the leftover food from breakfast, reheating it. While waiting for the food to finish reheating, Kazuma opened the Basics tab once more and continued watching the content. The holographic video resumed from where he had left off earlier, rather than starting over, allowing him to catch up on the part he had missed due to a headache.

"The main task of the magicians is to eliminate the Qlipoth, but they are not easily vanquished by conventional means. Modern weaponry cannot harm them unless specifically designed for that purpose. To eliminate them effectively, magic is the key. Humans possess innate magical potential, which has long been overlooked and buried over the years. As a trainee, your first step is to awaken this dormant power. Follow the provided instructions to unlock your magical abilities. Depending on how you awaken, your elemental affinity will vary. This forms the foundation of magic. Follow these steps to unleash the hidden power within you."

Then the hologram disappeared, and a direct message was sent to Kazuma. The "Basics" tab also vanished from the chat group, which struck him as odd. Nevertheless, Kazuma dismissed it as a feature. Perhaps, once he had viewed that holographic video, the "Basics" tab couldn't be accessed anymore. This was quite unique, and Kazuma didn't know Harmony had that feature until now.

Now that he had received the message, he opened it himself and checked the contents. Strangely, he couldn't see who had sent the message, as the sender's name was all labeled with question marks. This was a bit odd, but the message itself seemed uncorrupted. Kazuma considered the possibility of it being a phishing scam or maybe a virus or a way to access his phone remotely, but he had his doubts. Besides, even if it were, it's not like anyone would gain access to any valuable stuff or money from him and if it is a virus or it gets hacked, he can just go ahead and dispose of it with no problem. Nothing would be lost if he gambled and besides that, he is quite curious about this one so he wanted to see what would happen. He opened the message and found a list of instructions for the task. He had initially thought he might need to buy something and get scammed, but to his surprise, it was purely a set of instructions.

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Congratulations, Malkuth trainee. You have now obtained the qualifications to awaken your dormant mana. Follow the instructions to unlock your abilities. Ensure you follow the steps precisely. Do not worry; there are no negative consequences if you fail. You can simply attempt the process again in the future. However, it's in your best interest to succeed on your first try.

1. Prepare four cups of water and place them in a small bowl, arranging them in a row. Ensure the water is at room temperature, neither too hot nor too cold.

2. Time is crucial. Perform the ritual at either 12 AM or 12 PM, as these are the times when the world's mana flow is strongest. Make sure to prepare in advance and begin the ritual at the exact time.

3. Stand before the four cups, close your eyes, and visualize them clearly in your mind's eye.

4. Envision a surge of water flowing through you, and visualize this vividly. If you struggle to see it, repeat the process until you succeed.

5. Once you sense a connection, visualize the four fundamental elements (fire, water, air, and earth) on each cup. Concentrate on each element individually.

6. Project the flowing water you visualize in step 4, allowing it to flow gently out of your hands. If you can't do it immediately, don't worry; simply try again. Direct this flowing water into the four cups.

7. Slowly open your eyes and recall the elements you placed on each cup. You'll know your success based on the following outcomes:

A. If one of the cups transforms water into soil, and a plant begins to grow, you have an affinity for the Earth element.

B. If one of the cups becomes scorched, and the water either evaporates or turns into boiling water, you have an affinity for the Fire element.

C. If the water in one of the cups levitates in the air, remaining suspended for a few minutes before returning to the cup, you possess the element of Air.

D. If the water either spills or starts to grow colder, you are aligned with the Water element.

It's possible that you'll only experience one or none of these reactions initially, which is perfectly normal. Simply try again. Failure is part of the learning process. However, in rare cases, you may trigger more than one of these reactions or, in the rarest instances, all four.

Once you've identified the awakened ability within you, proceed to the following sections. They will introduce you to your initial spells for further practice and mastery.

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The message ends there, and the next ones consist of tabs containing the elements mentioned. They are all locked, and Kazuma can't open them. What's even more unusual is that this is a direct message for Kazuma, yet somehow, tabs for the server are present in this message. Kazuma felt thoroughly perplexed by all of this.

However, he couldn't deny his curiosity. It was clear that this was a deliberate ritual of some sort, but it wasn't the kind of ritual for summoning demons or other such dark entities. Instead, it appeared to be focused on visualizations or something of that nature, and while he barely understood what it was all about, he couldn't deny that he was genuinely intrigued.

Glancing at the time, it appeared that the only feasible option for Kazuma was to attempt it later in the evening since 12 PM had already come and gone.

"This seems incredibly suspicious, but I must admit, I'm rather inclined to give it a shot. There's nothing to lose, after all. Who knows, maybe I'll even trigger something like what the text mentioned," Kazuma psyched himself up.

As a result, he found himself determined to complete what he had just initiated and to delve further into unraveling the mystery behind it all.

...

Evening. As the hours passed, Kazuma grew increasingly more nervous than usual. He berated himself for embarking on this endeavor, but he acknowledged that this experience felt undeniably real. He understood that if he didn't seize this rare opportunity, he might miss out on something significant in his life. This marked a unique moment when he genuinely felt eager to take action.

Everything was meticulously prepared. However, he had chosen to conduct this operation in the garage located outside his house. Not only was it somewhat distant from his residence, but it also offered the advantage of a quick escape in case things took a dangerous turn. He maintained a fixed gaze on the clock, the rhythmic tick-tock of its hands growing louder, as they slowly moved towards the clock's midpoint.

Sweat starts to drop on his forehead seeing that it is only seconds left before it will happen.

DING! The clock rings, signifying the arrival of midnight.

And so, with a big sigh, he begins the ritual.

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