In the forest of Aethervyrth.
[Inside the small hut]
Allen sat in the chair, gazing at the intriguing book in his hands; although he had no idea who had provided these things, he felt a deep sense of gratitude.
The book was called as...
[The Aetheric Blueprint]
"The book explained the essence of magic and the foundations of reality, detailing each branch of power and how it was distributed across the various levels of the world."
Allen open the book and start reading it....
In the world of Archotel, magic is not a refined science. It is a raw, unrefined essence—powerful, dangerous, and deeply connected to the act of creation.
And the core concept for the magic in this world is Aetheric Resonance.
Magic is described as Resonance. This world is made of a "Primal Hum." and to use magic, a person must tune their soul to a specific frequency of reality.
The Primal Hum refers to the raw,foundational vibration that forms the fabric of reality.
It is the "original song" of the universe that exists before magic is shaped, and a mage must tune their soul to its specific frequency to manifest power.
Now,
In the World of Beginning, magic is divided into how "close" it is to source of creation.
From here, the magic is organized into four pillars, ascending from the weakest resonance to the strongest.
[1] Manifested (Elemental): It is described as creating fire, water, or wind. It is weak because it is a "byproduct" of reality, not the cause.
[2] Structural (Alchemy/Transmutation): It is described as changing the shape or property of existing things.Like, turning the stone into gold or air to solid walls.
[3] Conceptual (Law Magic): It is power to manipulate ideas like "Gravity","Space", "Weight", or "Distance." Making a sword "Unbreakable" or a step "infinite."
[4] Primordial (Origin Magic): It is a power to create something from nothing or erase somthing into nothingness. There are only seven people in this world that can use "Origin Magic."
Now,
In the realm of Archotel, a mage's power is measured by The Seven Stratas. These seven distinct levels of mastery define a spellcaster's rank and their ultimate control over the arcane forces of the world.
1. The Spark (Tier 1): You can feel the resonance but can only produce tiny flickers.
2. The Echo (Tier 2): You can mimic the world around you (e.g., making a small fire).
3. The Flow (Tier 3): Magic becomes fluid; you can cast spells without long pauses.
4. The Pillar (Tier 4): You became a "fixed point" of power. Your presence alone alters the environment.
5. The Architect (Tier 5): You can change the "Structures" of the world (Transmutation).
6. The Decree (Tier 6): Your words become Law. You command the concept of reality.
7. The Origin (Tier 7): You reach the "Beginning." You are no longer using magic; you are the source.
As Allen studied the text, he realized that magic was structured in a strict hierarchy from weakest to strongest. Crucially, he learned that a high-level mage maintained total mastery over the lower tiers, allowing them to cast basic spells with absolute precision.
But in this world, balance is absolute, and the use of excessive magic carries a heavy, personal cost called as....
"The Entropic Toll."
The price of using too much magic causes the user to "fade." Their memories might vanish, or their body might become translucent and "unwritten" from history.
---------------
After finally grasping the fundamental concepts of magic, Allen closed the book and rose from his chair. With a newfound sense of purpose, he prepared to leave the hut and start practicing to learn magic immediately.
He glanced around the small hut and noticed a clear, open patch of land just to the left. Nodding to himself, he murmured, "This looks like the perfect place to learn magic."
Apparently, the spot he pointed at was emitting an extraordinary amount of magic resonance, making it the perfect location to start his training.
Allen chose to sit down and meditate first, closing his eyes to feel the hum of the earth beneath him. As he focused, he began chanting his very first spell, his voice a low whisper that harmonized with the shimmering air around him.
"O' Heart of the Beginning, echo my breath and reveal the unseen flow." As the Aetheric Pulse rippled outward from his chest, a soft violet light momentarily illuminated the glowing veins of magic hidden within the clearing's extraordinary resonance.
For a brief second, the trees, rocks, and even the air itself glow with intricate glowing lines, showing Allen exactly where the magic is strongest.
This was a low-level detection spell, a basic concept Allen understood intuitively just by reading the text. As the violet light faded and his success sank in, a confident smile spread across his face, and he thought to himself, "Am I, by any chance, an overpowered novel character?"
Two hours later.....
Allen lay on the ground, staring up at the vast sky with a tired but triumphant grin spreading across his face. As he pulled himself up from the dirt, he couldn't help but marvel at his own progress, muttering, "I've learned more than fifteen spells in just two hours; if I keep going at this rate, I'll reach Tier 2 at any moment."
That's right—Allen was at Tier 1 from the very beginning. Now, he simply had to keep training and pushing his limits to advance through the levels of this new world.
His resonance with magic was deepening, but he feared that growing too quickly would cause him harm. He steadied his resolve and whispered, "Yes, I will take it one step at a time."
He stood up from his seat and headed toward the yard in search of food; however, as he searched the garden for vegetables, he was met with a grim sight. Every plant had withered and rotted, scorched by the sheer intensity of his uncontrolled magic he was practicing.
"Looks like I'll have to go do some fishing," Allen said, his gaze drifting toward the river that wound its way south of his hut.
He then grabbed the fishing rod and gear from the hut, then head toward the river with a knife tucked into his belt.
Choosing a spot on the bank, he stopped and scanned the area, his eyes searching for any monsters that might be lurking nearby.
After confirming that there was no danger nearby, Allen sat down on the soft grass. Bringing out his fishing rod and fixing the bait to the hook, he skillfully threw the line into the river, watching it vanish into the shimmering water.
Time passed....
"It has been twenty minutes, but I still haven't caught a single fish! The only things I've found are branches and tree leaves," Allen said irritatingly, as he threw the rod into the water again.
At last...
Allen's rod finally jerked. He scrambled up and started pulling hard. "Looks like it's a big one!" he shouted. But as he hauled the line onto the bank, his face fell. Instead of a trophy, he found a cluster of dead fish, already half-eaten by something else.
He observed the dead fish, their bodies eaten in a merciless way. Their eyes were popping out, their scales were covered in blood, and the fish were all woven together in a disgusting pile.
Watching them, Allen said,
"This is disgusting; I have to throw it somewhere else," He said as he approached the remains, adding grimly, "It looks as though some demonic creature killed it."
Just as Allen was about to pick up the dead fish, a thunderous roar erupted nearby. Moving purely on instinct, he scrambled backward and drew his knife, his eyes scanning the dense treeline for the source of the sound.
Then he saw it.....
Across the river, a small figure watching Allen with a chillingly gentle smile, its tiny body drenched in fresh blood. Despite its size, it radiated a crushing pressure that silenced the forest; Allen's heart hammered against his ribs as he recognized the nightmare he had just read about—A creature that was called as...