Chantless magic

Maylin looked breathtaking in her striking red dress as she strolled through the slum, capturing the attention of every passerby. Despite being a somewhat ominous figure in the slum, she went largely unrecognized, even in her distinctive red attire. She was known for her elusive nature, rarely appearing in public except for special occasions.

She is like an urban legend to the regular residents, mainly because although the red dress is her trademark attire, she is not the only one donning it. High-class prostitute in the neighbourhood also flaunts a red dress to display their status. However, these High-class prostitutes never venture outside during working hours.

Decades ago, a striking red dress became Maylin's signature attire and instilled fear in the slum. No one dared to cross a woman wearing the vivid garment, as they believed her to be the legendary witch of the red dresses. Maylin's infrequent appearances only added to the mystique surrounding her for many years.

A prostitute with a striking appearance would often choose to wear a red dress to stand out and avoid any potential trouble in the slum. Initially, this strategy was quite successful and other women started to follow suit. However, over time, people caught on to the tactic. Now, wearing a red dress has become a symbol of status for a high-class prostitute.

The captivating Maylin was a sight to behold as she strolled around. However, despite her allure, no one dared to approach her. It wasn't that they considered her to be the witch in the red dress, but rather that the imposing figure accompanying her seemed unapproachable. People speculated that Maylin might be a new prostitute at the Black Bear brothel, given her association with this imposing individual.

There's no reason to stir up trouble now that they know who she "may" have worked for. However, considering how attractive Maylin is, some of them are planning to visit the black bear brothel just to catch a glimpse of Maylin, whom they believe works there.

Maylin gazed at the tranquil neighbourhood and asked, "Is this the place?"

The location they are currently in is where homeless individuals and orphaned children without a place to call home reside. It's also where marginalized members of the slum community live. Unlike other areas of the slum that are densely populated with nighttime activity, this particular area is relatively quiet.

In this area, the residents who worked during the day preferred to stay indoors once the night fell, as they were well aware of the dangers that lurked in the slums after dark. There were no open stores, restaurants, or inns in sight, giving the area an isolated and desolate feel. This part of the slum seemed like a world apart from the bustling activity found on the other side.

"Yes, this place is alright," Stick affirmed in response to Maylin's query.

As she listened to the response, a fog began to billow out from underneath Maylin's crimson dress at an alarming pace. The mist raced through the tranquil neighbourhood with astonishing speed, seeping into every corner and crevice, almost as if it had a mind of its own.

Maylin's magical abilities were far from ordinary. Unlike regular mages who needed to recite a chant to activate their magic, Maylin possessed the rare gift of performing chantless magic, a skill inherited through her bloodline. While highly skilled mages could shorten their incantations to just a few words, Maylin's ability to cast spells without any vocal invocation set her apart from the rest.

A magic spell that can be cast without chanting offers more than just speed. If its speed were its only attribute, countless mages wouldn't yearn to master it. A chantless spell consumes significantly less mana to activate, making it ten times more mana-efficient than traditional spells.

Using magic without the need for a chant allows you to sustain and utilize the magical energy ten times more effectively than when using a traditional chanted spell. If two mages with equal magical abilities use the same type of magic, the mage using chantless magic would emerge victorious every time.

Chantless magic is also more versatile in terms of usage. Just like how Maylin utilized her magic at her villa, the power of her magic could grow depending on her skill in using it, making it stronger over time. If a mage attempted the same, they would need to enhance the magic chant they used. Coincidentally, improving magic is much more difficult than shortening a magic chant.

To gain chantless magic, mages must create their spells. However, the ancient knowledge needed to create new magic has been lost over time. Therefore, mages can only learn existing spells and enhance them

The creation of an individual's magic is referred to as origin magic. Maylin's use of magic, acquired through her bloodline, is known as inherent magic. Additionally, magic that is obtained solely from one's existence, without the need for chants, is called true magic.

In a world filled with mystical beings such as mighty dragons and powerful demons, the concept of true magic is something that is often associated with these extraordinary creatures, as well as with the heroes who have served as the very foundation of humanity.

True magic is not simply the recitation of chantless spells; it is a form of innate ability that varies from person to person. True magic allows individuals to transform and empower themselves or others, create unique things solely through their magic, and possess other extraordinary powers. There are no strict guidelines for what true magic can entail.

In this world, there are two types of heroes. The first type of hero is someone who is born in this world and manages to awaken their own true magic. The second type is a hero who is summoned to this world by a divine force and is granted unique magical powers directly from a god or deity.

The heroes who are summoned to this world possess far greater strength than the heroes born in this world, creating a stark contrast between the two types of heroes. It's almost as if a cruel joke is being played, labelling the heroes born in this world as "demi-heroes" while granting the summoned ones the title of true heroes.

If a summoned hero were to have descendants in this world, they could pass down their true magic to their lineage if it is awakened. This would enable their descendants to gain inherent magic, much like Maylin did. Unfortunately, the descendants of heroes born in this world, or the so-called "demi-heroes," are unable to do so.

The descendants of the true heroes would create their households. Each household without a single exception would have the same status as a duke household. There is even a household that is equal to the royal family throughout the continent.

Because the capability of true heroes could grant their descendants their true magic as inherent magic just like witches would. An argument was created between scholars if the true heroes could be identified as demi-human. Maybe out of respect, the end of this argument stayed undetermined

Every single country within the continent without a doubt would want to have their true heroes. The foolish act of admitting them as demi-human and making them excluded is an unimaginable thing to do.

And unlike witches who have thousands of years of history of hatred. The true heroes didn't have any reasons to hate humanity and were seen to be their saviours to fight the demon invasion.

Seeing the mist that surrounds the Quiet neighbourhood, Stick who standing beside Maylin gives a relief breath. He needs to gather the kids tonight no matter what. If he failed then the black bear without any doubt would kill them.

Collecting 100 kids in a year wasn't that hard in this slum, They would gather them little by little without anyone's noticing. but collecting 32 kids in a night simply be impossible without Maylin's help. He deeply regretted his actions of not taking care of the kids properly. He knew they would eventually get sent anyway, so year after year he would try to cut corners but looks like he reached the limit this year.

He is doomed. Even after everything is over he is forced to work for black bear for 10 years without pay and he also has no confidence at all to gather 10 individuals just like him to the witch. So he planned that after everything started to cool down, he would leave the slum with his brother. He didn't have any other choice, living in the slum would be unbearable. He will get hunted by the black bear and the witch but he is willing to take the risks.

Stick walked to a dozen of men that already standing ready before they even arrived here. He made sure to make them stay here before he called the witch.

"Listen up, I want you guys to gather 32 kids tonight. Each kid that you manage to get will earn you 10 silver coins" Stick said loudly. Even if he was small, in the slum his words still hold some weight after working for black bear for years.

The money that he used would come from his lifesaving. It would cost him 3 gold and 20 silver. He didn't have a choice but he still feels bitter about spending the money that he saved up for years to be gone in a night.