Back at Victor Vast Lehatot's mansion, Victor sat on a chair inside of the laboratory.
After thinking for a while he picked up a paper and a quill pen that was very similar if not identical to Jack's.
He wrote the title.
'The basics of Spellcasting'
This was the paper he promised to write for Jack. Written inside of it was:
"Compression may be imagined as a landscape of hills and valleys.
Each one of the valleys represents the local stable compression states of the spells, it is equivalent to a higher rank's normal spellcasting.
Most casters don't know where those stable states are located beforehand.
And thus they do the magic's equivalent of hard labor, imagine them pushing a boulder up each of those hills and valleys until finding the stable compression state of the spell.
The process is slow, exhausting and inefficient.
I never heard of anybody, even the grand mages being able to compress their mana more than five times without collapsing.
This is using the currently accepted compression balancing structure which is:
f(x)=ax²+bx+c
Which was recently discovered by Emlyn Hildegard/Hildegarde, she is currently trying to spread this as much as possible with minor success, she was a student at the academy I previously mentioned honored with the title of Brave and is currently in the Kingdom.
This spell was added to the upper levels of academics, due to this, it's spread and improvement upon is significantly stumped.
Now for what the spell is and what each point represents.
"X" Represents the stable compression point of the spell.
As for the variables.
"a" Represents the compression intensity defined as:
Compression intensity – 1
"b" Represents the local resistance to the spell itself.
The average global resistance is approximately 25, though this value changes considerably depending on the environment, spell structure and user.
For example it decreases with how the spell itself obeys the laws of the world, how often it is used by both the caster and in the area, or if the restraint placed on magic is distracted by focusing on solving instability such as a warped space.
This can reduce the resistance massively.
Of course, if the resistance ever reaches zero you wont need to care about stable compression rates of the valleys, any intensity of mana or energy will work for spellcasting the effects will be equal to exchanged energy.
Compression only exists as a response to resistance. In the absence of resistance, stabilization occurs naturally.
"c" Represents the raw mana cost of the spell for your Mana Rank and is and remember this carefully.
ALWAYS NEGATIVE.
If using the point-based mana system commonly taught among low-rank casters, the value may generally be used directly.
If using percentage-based casting methods, the mana intensity must first be converted into point values before proper compression calculations may be performed.
The percentage system is easier to reproduce instinctively between individuals of similar rank.
The point system, however, allows significantly greater precision.
Mana ranks themselves do not scale linearly.
The mana requirement between ranks increases proportionally to rank².
As a result, compression becomes progressively more difficult at higher ranks.
Now pay close attention to what follows.
What I am about to show you must not be shared.
Some knowledge spreads consequences alongside itself.
Use this only for your own benefit.
Burn the next page after memorizing it."
Victor paused for a moment before continuing.
This should be enough.
He began writing once more. What was written bellow was the quadratic formula, the proof behind it along with explanations to make it easier to understand.
On the lower part of the page he wrote:
"Now for the important part that was derived from all of this, to find the valley you will use this simple formula:
-b/2a
This formula does not calculate the final mana cost itself.
It merely finds the stable compression state of the spell.
After finding the stable state, the result must be inserted back into the balancing structure to calculate the true casting cost under local resistance."
Victor took a pause before adding another few lines of text.
"I will warn you again, burn this after memorizing it, instability is a byproduct of magic, and most people are not as lucky as you and me to be able to seal it before it mutates them into devils."
"We cannot teach people about instability either, as God will prevent us from doing this as well. Since you probably threw the ring as I told you before you probably understand the power of instability and also understand the power of God, the one who wields it."
"Also, Do not mistake this formula for safety. An incorrect calculation may still produce instability, failed compression, or complete spell collapse."
The door to the laboratory opened, revealing one of the blonde girls from earlier; her face was identical to Time's.
"She left." —Blonde Girl
Victor stood silently for a moment before responding.
"So soon? Well, it makes sense. Merely being in my proximity will increase her worse desires." —Victor
He looked at her.
"Especially with you becoming an independent spirit." —Victor
The blonde girl stared at Victor, who currently resembled an old man with long white hair and beard.
"How long are you going to keep that form? It makes me uncomfortable." —Blonde Girl
He smiled faintly before speaking.
"Oh? Perhaps you prefer this form instead." —Victor
He pulled one of the necklaces from beneath his clothing. One held a gold coin while the other contained a black gem. The moment he touched it, an aura spread around him.
Under the disgusted gaze of the blonde girl, flesh and bone warped in a sickening manner, as though deliberately attempting to repulse her.
Eventually the body reshaped itself into the same short form and face as the Blonde Girl and Time, minus the clothing.
Only the smile and the vampiric teeth distinguished it from the two.
The blonde girl clenched her teeth in anger and disgust before slamming the door shut behind her.
"If you are going to change, at least do it privately in a less horrid manner!" —Blonde Girl
Lehatot leaned back in the chair, looking at the over-sized clothing hanging loosely from its smaller body.
A hum reverberated through the air like dulled tinnitus before gradually becoming music.
The melody constantly shifted before eventually settling.
A calm classical guitar accompanied by faint coldness and depression. At times it shifted into electric guitar while a modern bass quietly carried the rhythm beneath it.
The air itself became reflective.
A mirror-like surface formed where the song briefly slipped out of tune before correcting itself.
Lehatot looked into the reflection while smiling without showing its teeth.
See you in three hundred years.