A/N : Why hello there it's been a few months since i posted anything, and probably some readers are waiting for these chapters
Ps: this part particularly the DXD magic system was very hard to make considering the magic system DXD had about human magic was it required calculation,and knowledge, which on it's own isn't explain well and in depth,and considering a child is able to use it make it's complicated,which causes me to think on how to write some scenes on him learning magic,but after some deliberation you know what,screw that I'm not going to waste more time thinking about the system...for now i may change my mind in the future om how to write about the magic system.
...
Now let's begin
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(Michael POV)
The morning soon arrive at my bedroom, with it's radiating light, with myself currently sleeping like a log.
"Michael..."
...
"Michael..."
Uhh who's the hell waking me.
The voice drifted through my dreams like a gentle current, pulling me toward consciousness. I tried to ignore it,and tried to go back to sleep, since i would pretty much like to sleep.
"Michael, time to wake up."
"Uhh..." I cracked one eye open, while stretching my entire body, while also struggling to move my body.
Then i soon fully opened my eyes who's currently standing beside the bed, already dressed and looking far too alert for whatever ungodly hour this was. The fact from the looks of it, i sleep for awhile probably even the usual time i would wake up.
I soon responded to Grandma
"Um, Grandma?" My voice came out scratchy and small very convincing five-year-old morning voice, if I did say so myself... Well say so maybe i could be wrong
"Why did you wake me up?" I asked her
She smiled, showing that warm grandmother smile that somehow always made you feel like you were about to get cookies and also possibly drafted into manual labor. Experience from my past life told me about that.
"Well We're starting your magic training today, dear."
Hearing that my brain stuttered.Then rebooted. Then another reboot. Then applied a check up. Then rebooted. And finally processed the information and
Then exploded.
Oh Yeah damnit how did i forget about that I'm starting my magic training
...
I then immediately sat bolt upright, any pretense of sleepiness evaporating instantly. "Really?! Today?! Right now?!"
Okay, so maybe I squealed a little.
But come on.
As a scientist or even a normal person in my past life, I'd dedicated years to understanding the fundamental of Biology from evolution, adaptability,growth, nutrients, Chemistry on it's understanding of the periodic table and their property.
and laws of physics—gravity, thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, the whole beautiful mathematical framework that governed reality,the And it was amazing! Truly! The universe was an elegant, comprehensible system of rules and interactions,and based on understanding.
But it was also pretty limiting.
A LOT
Want to move at the speed of light too bad it's probably impossible (as far as my world physics understanding at that time)( of course some devices theorised is able to do it like alcubierre drives ,but the energy needed is astronomical)
Want to teleport? Too bad—you'd need to disassemble yourself atom by atom, transmit the information faster than light (impossible as i said), and reassemble perfectly (also impossible due to the many atoms that is flying around in the air) and additionally without creating some philosophical nightmare about whether the new you is actually you or just a copy while the original died screaming in the scanner. Fuck i really hate about that.
Want to fly? Build a machine, burn fuel from dead ancient beings, fight drag and gravity that the planet applies to you with brute force. Which is cool from the way i described it,but damn it will eat your wallet considering fuel prices.
Want to turn invisible? Good luck bending light around yourself without exotic materials that don't exist. Not to mention it won't be fully make you invisible,of course ig you want an invisiblity cloak as Harry about it
While i like science, biology, chemistry,and physics had rules, and rules meant boundaries, and boundaries meant limitations.
But magic?
Magic nearly don't have rules to some extent like those, it's basically freedom in a way.
Considering Magic can say
Actually you CAN teleport, fly, turn invisible, shoot fireballs, and say Fuck You to
thermodynamics because it's MAGIC
Magic was physics giving up and going "okay fine, whatever, do what you want." And them then dying
And I was about to learn it.
"Michael?"
Grandma tilted her head, amused. "Are you alright? You're making a very strange face."
Not knowing what her grandson was thinking
I schooled my expression back to normal five-year-old excitement. "I'm just really happy, Grandma! I can't wait to try it"
Understatement of both lifetimes.
I also had questions. So many questions.
What kind of magic system did this world use?
Was it structured like Thaumaturgy from the SCP universe—semi-scientific, incorporating aspects of reality manipulation through understanding fundamental forces? That would make sense from a physics perspective and is op but backlash would be the problem. But it's basically magic as applied metaphysics.
Or was it more intuitive? Imagination-based? Will and intent shaping reality directly?
vancian magic with spell slots? Though i hope it doesn't have that
Stamina-based? probably since that usually included
Did it require incantations, gestures, components? definitely from my memories on the different type of magics of many
Were there schools of magic—elemental, arcane, divine?
Focus, Michael. You can geek out later. Right now, act like a normal excited five-year-old. Also there's one thing i need to asked on
"Um, Grandma?" I rubbed my eyes, playing up the cute factor. "Where's Mom and Dad ?"
"Your mother is at the market," Grandma said, already moving toward the door. "She took your father with her."
"How come?"
Her smile turned slightly wicked. "Punishment. For scaring you yesterday."
Ha.
Good.
Meanwhile, at the market...
"Honey, I'm sorry."
Edward de Montfort who's now trudged along behind his wife, arms loaded with shopping bags. Vegetables peeked out from one. Bread from another. A whole roasted chicken from a third. Which purchase by his wallet.
His wallet—his own wallet—was currently in his wife's hand.
"Honey, please. I said I'm sorry. It was just a prank—"
Giulia walked ahead, browsing a fruit stand with intense focus, as if the apples required her complete and undivided attention,and didn't notice her husband plea.
"Honey?"
She picked up an apple. Examined it critically. And then Put it back. And then moved to the oranges.
Edward soon was shifting the bags, trying to redistribute weight.
"Look, I know I went too far. But in my defense, my father did the same thing to me when I was—"
"Oh?" Giulia turned, finally acknowledging his existence. Her smile was pleasant. Her eyes were not. "So because you were scared as a child, you decided to scare our child?"
"I—well—when you put it that way—"
"What other way is there to put it, caro mio?" She selected three oranges and dropped them into a bag. Then handed the bag to him.
He juggled the existing bags, somehow making room.
"I just thought—"
"You thought," she repeated sweetly, "that levitating furniture and making ghost noises at a five-year-old was good parenting?"
"...It's tradition?"
"Tradition." She nodded slowly. "I see. And if it's tradition to jump off a bridge would you do that too?"
"That's not—"
"Because I'm starting to think I'm going to have you to sleep on the couch later." Giulia replied about it.
A passing elderly man shot Edward a sympathetic look. He'd seen that look before. The universal expression of "I don't know what you did, but you're clearly in the doghouse."
He was.
....
He absolutely was.
"How long am I in trouble for?" he asked quietly.
Giulia considered this, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Well, you scared our son so badly he was reciting psalms at three in the morning."
"...Right."
"So I'm thinking..." She picked up a pineapple. Hefted it. Looked at him. "At least until he forgives you."
"Michael's five. He'll forgive me by lunch."
She smiled. "Then you'll be fine by lunch, won't you?"
She handed him the pineapple. Not answering it. Edward sighed and accepted his fate. And also accepted his wallet being empty. Well no buying wines for sometime.
Back at the house...
(Michael pov)
I'd gotten dressed in record time—practical clothes, nothing fancy, because I had magic training and I needed to be ready for anything.
Grandma led me downstairs and out the back door into the garden.
The morning air was cool and fresh, carrying the scent of flowers and dew-wet grass. Which i like the smell of plants considering I'm a scientist.
Also The perfect place to learn how to basically warp reality. That may destroy the garden but it's unlikely my grandma would let me accidentally destroy the garden
"Alright, Michael." Grandma turned to face me, hands clasped in front of her. "Before we begin, I need to explain a few things. Can you listen carefully?" I nodded so hard my neck hurt.
"Good." She knelt down to my eye level—which I appreciated, even if I was mentally thirty. "Magic is both a gift and a curse. It's powerful, and it's also dangerous. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Grandma." I mean her explaining that is important, since well it's like having superpowers, which is basically similar to magic.
Grandma soon continues
"Using magic requires four things: knowledge, will,control,and calculation."
She held up four fingers. "Knowledge means understanding what you want to happen. Will means wanting it strongly enough to make it real. Control means making sure it happens exactly how you intend. Not more, not less. Calculation is for you to predict on what will happen"
I absorbed this, mind already racing.
Knowledge, will, control,and calculation.
So it's has some scientific things.
Which means equation and formula are probably incorporated in some cases.
But it's not purely imaginative either—control implies structure.
A hybrid system. Intent-based reality manipulation with disciplined execution as well as calculating on what will happen by doing things.
Fascinating.
"Now," Grandma continued, "magic comes from inside you as well as everything .Everyone has a little bit of magical energy—we call it different things in different traditions and we're still trying to understand on what energy it's from. Some say it's'mana.' Some say it's 'life force.' Some say 'spiritual power.' It doesn't matter what you call it.What matters is learning to feel it."
She placed a hand over her heart. "It lives here. In your core even. It's also around us though that requires your stamina in some cases"
Okay, so there IS an energy pool and also is outside the body but needs stamina to use it so internal resource management is probably very much still needed.
"Can we run out of it even if it's around us?" I asked.
Grandma nodded approvingly. "Smart question. Yes, it can. If you use too much magic too quickly, you'll exhaust yourself. You might faint, or get sick, or worse. So we start small. Understand?"
"Yes, Grandma."
"Good boy." She straightened, brushing off her skirt. "Today, we're going to do one thing and one thing only: I'm going to teach you how to sense magic. Not use it. Just sense it. Think you can do that?"
Honestly?
I had no idea.
But I was absolutely going to try.
"Yes, Grandma!"
She smiled. "Then let's begin."
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For additional information
Michael Dad will be somewhat be the butt of a joke in some chapters, but considering this is him with his family, it's foreseeable for them well to talk about him,and his personality is complicated to say. Also his parents like any parent would remember all the things their child did.the bad or funny one mostly He'll get his cool moment eventually in the story.
Also how was the chapter ?