Chapter 21: Chapter 21
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The previous sparring stage hade been rearranged into its supposed appearance.
At the center of the expansive room was a table behind which the Grand Magus Thalor sat opposite Aiden.
Finn had been asked to excuse them after which he was teleported away.
"To truly understand magic, Aiden, one must grasp the principles behind the magic principles Interception, Intervention, and Manifestation. These three principles form the core of how we mages interact with mana, shaping it into the spells we wield."
Thalor flicked his wrist and a small golden orb of mana materialized in his hand, hovering above his palm as the air around it shimmered with latent energy, like the surface of a lake disturbed by the wind.
"Mana," he continued, "exists in two forms: ambient and internal. Ambient mana surrounds us, flowing through the world like air and water, part of the very fabric of existence. Internal mana, on the other hand, is stored within us, in what we call the mana pool."
Thalor observed Aiden closely and noticed that despite him repeating what Aiden should already know, Aiden wasn't showing any sign of disdain or confusion but was listening with rapt attention.
Nodding silently to himself, he continued "This pool grows with experience, training, and one's understanding of magic. Now, the principles of I.I.M. allow us to interact with both forms of mana, and this interaction is what defines us as mages."
Aiden leaned forward, his gaze filled with intent, fully immersed in the Grand Magus's lecture.
His years in the magic tower had made him familiar with much of this, but hearing it directly from Thalor, one of the most powerful mages in the world currently, gave the knowledge an added weight.
"The first principle," Thalor explained, "is Interception. To intercept mana is to recognize and capture its flow, whether from your own mana pool or the ambient mana in the environment."
"Think of it as drawing breath. Just as you can draw air into your lungs, you can pull mana into your body. The key to this process is sensitivity."
"You must feel mana, sense its vibrations and its movements, and pull it into yourself without disturbing its natural flow."
Thalor demonstrated by spreading his fingers and allowing the golden orb of mana to expand, drawing in more ambient energy from the room until it pulsed with greater intensity.
"Once intercepted, mana is now at your disposal, but it is raw, unfocused. This brings us to the second principle—Intervention."
"Intervention is the act of shaping mana, of bending its will to yours. This is the most mentally taxing part of the process, requiring incredible focus and computational ability."
"You must know precisely what you want mana to do, and you must visualize the outcome in your mind's eye with perfect clarity. This is where the mental fortitude of a mage comes into play."
"The stronger your mental capacity, the more complex the interventions you can achieve."
He raised his other hand, and a small circle of light appeared around the orb, inscribed with symbols that glowed softly in the light.
"Magic circles act as the physical manifestation of your mental process. The more intricate the spell, the more detailed the circle must be. It is through these circles that mana is structured, its raw potential shaped into magic."
Thalor let the circle dissolve, and the orb now hummed with a clear purpose. "Finally, we come to Manifestation. Once you've intercepted the mana and intervened upon it with your will, you release it into the world."
"This is where mana is manifested into physical reality, like the fireball, the lightning bolt, the shield. Your mental image becomes reality."
He released the orb, and it exploded into a series of bright sparks, disappearing into the air like fireworks into the night sky.
Thalor turned back to Aiden. "This, Aiden, is the essence of how mages use mana. The larger your mana pool, the more mana you can intercept and manipulate."
"However, your mana pool alone does not define your strength as a mage. It is your ability to compute, to mentally handle complex interventions, that determines your rank."
Thalor scratched his beard softly in appreciation of the young man in front of him.
For some reason, he felt the young man was fully understanding what he was getting at. "A novice mage can only intercept a small amount of mana and create basic spells, requiring minimal intervention and reason for a smaller mana pool."
"As you ascend the ranks, your ability to handle more mana and perform more intricate interventions grows. This is why we have the ranking system - Novice, Apprentice, Mage, Sorcerer, Archmage, and finally, Grand Magus. At each stage, your mental capacity to process mana expands, and your mana pool grows accordingly."
Aiden nodded. "I understand, Grand Magus. The amount of mana we can control is tied to how well we can manage it mentally."
"Exactly," Thalor confirmed with an eye smile. "Now, compare this to the Aura Masters, the knights and warriors who cannot perform magic but use aura to strengthen their bodies. Their internal energy is used in a fundamentally different way."
"Instead of Interception and Intervention, they focus on internalizing their mana, channeling it into their muscles and bones, enhancing their physical abilities."
Thalor waved his hand, and a diagram of a human figure appeared in the air, the body glowing with blue mana.
"Aura Masters train their mana to reinforce their strength, speed, and durability. This is why knights and warriors who have undergone extensive training can fight on par with low-level mages. They lack the mental capacity to perform complex interventions, but they can still use mana to enhance their physical prowess."
Aiden thought back to the knights he had trained with in his early years in the Royal palace and how super human they always seemed.
He had witnessed how their bodies could move with inhuman speed, how they could take blows that would shatter bones in normal men.
"At the highest rank of Aura Mastery, you reach the level of Grand Master," Thalor continued. "A Grand Master is equivalent in strength to an Archmage. Their control over their internal mana is so precise that their bodies become nearly impervious to harm."
"However, there is one key difference." Thalor stopped and allowed the information to sink in for a while before continuing. "While Archmages can manipulate the world around them with their magic, Grand Masters are limited to enhancing only themselves."
Aiden nodded at the information. It was something he was already aware of. "And beyond Grand Master?" he asked, curious.
Thalor sighed, a note of disappointment in his voice. "No human has ever surpassed the level of Grand Master. There are legends of warriors who reached beyond, just like Ancient Magic, they once were."
Aiden nodded thoughtfully. It seems that while mages can continue to evolve through mental and magical growth, Aura Masters have a ceiling, a limit to how far they can push their bodies with mana alone.
He had no idea of his current situation, but he firmly believed that with the Force, he had no limits.
Aiden pondered this for a moment.
The world of mages and knights had a delicate balance.
Magic required deep mental focus and understanding of the I.I.M. process, while Aura Masters honed their bodies to perfection.
But while one could always improve their magical abilities with knowledge and training, the aura masters appeared to have a finite limit to their growth.
Thalor turned to Aiden with a scrutinizing gaze. "Now that I have explained the fundamentals of magic and mana, I want you to explain your magic system. How have you adapted the knowledge you've gained during your time at the tower?"
Aiden met Thalor's gaze, confident and composed. He had spent the entirety of his time here studying, experimenting, and refining his approach to magic. Now, it was his turn to demonstrate what he had learned.
Aiden understood that Thalor wanted to know how much I had incorporated from the current magic system to advance his own into a superior magic…no, a superior system.
Whether it was magic or not was yet to be Proven.
He then took a deep breath, his eyes momentarily flickering with a sense of clarity as he gathered his thoughts.
"The core of my system is the Force," He began and went on to explain the underlying principles behind the Force and his current abilities.
This wasn't Aiden being to trusting. On the contrary, he was quite guarded, but sharing the results of his experiment with a more knowledgeable person could provide more insights to things he may have missed.
He paused, gauging the Grand Magus's reaction. Thalor's expression was one of mild intrigue, though his eyes hinted at the depth of his scrutiny.
Aiden continued, sensing the need for greater detail.
"First, there's psychic energy," Aiden said, gesturing with his hands as though to encapsulate the idea in the space between them. "It is purely mental. It's drawn from my mind, the essence of intellect and computation."
"This is what allows me to perform complex spells, to manipulate mana on a higher level, essentially the fuel that drives my magical precision. In a way, it's the energy that embodies thought itself."
"I think, therefore I exists. An interesting path towards magic." Thalor gave a slight nod of understanding, indicating that Aiden should continue.
"Then there's Aura," Aiden said, his hand moving to his chest. "It's tied to the heart and the body, basically emotions, instincts, physical vitality."
It is the energy that fuels the Aura Masters, but for me, it plays a different role. While the aura masters focus solely on enhancing their bodies, I use Aura as a source to reinforce my magical constructs."
"Aura strengthens my physical form, yes, but it also provides a raw, emotional power that amplifies my magic in unexpected ways. It's as though my emotions fuel the spells, giving them greater impact and strength."
The Grand Magus's eyebrow twitched, and he folded his arms. "A blending of emotions into magic? Dangerous, but... interesting."
Aiden smiled faintly, knowing that Thalor's mind was working through the implications. He had gotten this train of thought when he was thinking about Intents such as Sword Intent and the likes.
"Indeed, it can be unstable if not handled correctly, but I've spent years refining the balance. Aura empowers the magic, and Arcane mana ensures precision and control."
"And what of your third energy source?" Thalor inquired, leaning in slightly.
"Mana, as we know it, the raw magical essence that flows through my veins," Aiden continued. "This is the energy we all use, drawn from my mana pool, the same as any mage."
"But unlike most mages, my mana interacts directly with The Force in ways I'm still fully exploring. It's the energy that allows me to bridge my abilities, to connect the mental with the physical, and channel it through The Force."
Thalor's eyes narrowed slightly. "You speak of The Force as though it is something separate from mana, Aura, or psychic energy. How does this Force come into play with these three energies you describe?"
Aiden hesitated for a brief moment, trying to articulate the process that had taken him years to conceptualize. "The Force is... not simply an energy source, but a medium. Think of it as a core or nexus that all three of my energies revolve around."
"The stronger each individual energy becomes, the more it feeds into The Force, and in turn, The Force amplifies my control over all three."
The Grand Magus remained silent for a few moments, letting Aiden's explanation sink in. Then he spoke, his tone neutral but curious. "You mentioned circles. Explain what you mean by these 'circles' around The Force."
Aiden nodded in excitement, this was the kind of educational conversation he liked. "When I first created The Force, I imagined it as a celestial body."
"Specifically, I envisioned it as the sun, with each of my energies orbiting it like planets in a solar system. The Force itself radiates from a central point, like the sun radiates light, and each circle orbits around it, representing the level of strength and interaction I have with my energies."
Thalor tilted his head slightly, intrigued. "So, each energy, psychic, Aura and mana, acts as a planet in this metaphorical system?"
"Exactly," Aiden confirmed. "But there's more. As I grow stronger, each energy adds a new circle around The Force. With each circle, I gain more control and refinement over the three."
The Grand Magus leaned back slightly, stroking his beard.
He would be lying If he said he fully understood what the young mage in front of him was spouting, but he had to play the part. "So the number of circles is directly proportional to your growth and understanding of these forces?"
Aiden nodded. "Yes. And each new circle comes with greater potential."
"When I first developed this system, I based it on the principle of limitless expansion. Just like planets orbiting the sun at different distances, each circle I add has its own purpose and power."
"In theory, there's no limit to how many circles I can create as long as I continue to grow stronger. The system has infinite potential, there are no inherent restrictions."
Thalor's eyes gleamed, a subtle flicker of recognition and understanding passing over his features. He took in a slow breath before he spoke, his voice almost a whisper. "A system with infinite potential... no natural limits..."
Aiden could see the wheels turning in the Grand Magus's mind, a new realization dawning on him.
If what Aiden said was true, then The Force he had developed was not confined to the traditional limitations of mana pools, mental capacity, or even physical endurance.
It was a framework that could, in theory, evolve endlessly with your imagination being your limit.
The Grand Magus let his gaze linger on Aiden, impressed but a bit cautious. "You've created something remarkable, Aiden," he said slowly.
"If what you say is true, then your system is unlike any magic we know. It has no inherent ceiling to reach. It is, as you said, limitless."
Aiden nodded again with a serious expression. "That's my belief. The more I strengthen my mind, my body, and my mana, the more circles I can create, and the more power I can wield."
"The Force grows with me. It is a direct reflection of my progress."
The Grand Magus remained silent for a long moment, clearly contemplating the implications of such a system. He regarded Aiden with a penetrating gaze, his mind still digesting the vast implications of what had just been explained.
'It truly is a divinity of sorts.' After a few moments of silence, the Grand Magus leaned forward, his voice steady but curious.
"This system you've created… It surpasses traditional rankings as we know them. But tell me, Aiden, where do you stand in your own framework? What is your rank, according to your magic system?"
Aiden met Thalor's gaze, his expression calm, yet there was a quiet intensity in his eyes as he answered. "Currently, I would say I'm at... 1 Star."
Thalor raised an eyebrow slightly, but said nothing, waiting for Aiden to elaborate.
Aiden continued, his voice steady. "One circle; one star. It represents my current mastery of The Force. There's much more room to grow, more circles to form. But for now, that's where I stand."
The Grand Magus nodded thoughtfully, his eyes narrowing as he considered the possibilities. "1 Star… an appropriate beginning. It seems you have a long road ahead of you, Aiden. But if this system is truly as limitless as you claim, then even 1 Star is a sign of vast potential."
Aiden simply nodded in agreement. "Yes. There's still much more to discover. But I'm prepared to see how far I can take it."
…
Thalor watched him disappear with a contemplative expression, the weight of the conversation settling in his mind. "An interesting lad," he mused aloud, his voice barely above a whisper. "Humans won't be helpless after all, and I didn't even have to tell him anything. His words hold not a trace of deceptive intent."
Behind him, two figures emerged from the shadows, Archmage Lorian and the other Archmage who had assisted when Aiden had suffered the backlash.
They both bowed deeply, their robes billowing slightly from the movement.
"Your Grace," Archmage Lorian spoke first, his voice smooth but reverent. "It seems you were right about him."
The other Archmage nodded in agreement. "A Force beyond our conventional understanding, and yet he navigates it as though it were second nature."
Thalor remained silent, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked unfocused for a moment.
His thoughts were far beyond the present moment, already contemplating the future, the looming threat of Apokolips, and the pivotal role Aiden might play.
After a long pause, he gave a slight nod to his two subordinates.
"He may be the key," Thalor said quietly. "Let us see how far this potential of his can stretch before the day of reckoning arrives."
Both Archmages bowed once more before fading back into the shadows, leaving Thalor alone in the chamber.
...
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