Chapter 8.5. The History of Wizards

In the history of magic classes, Arthur eagerly absorbed knowledge about a world far vaster than he had ever imagined. The teachers explained that their world was just one of many small realms governed by the Wizard Council, the supreme organization ensuring order and development across all subordinate worlds.

Each world had its own unique traits: in some, magic flourished; in others, it waned for various reasons; and in certain realms, magic was entirely unknown, though they produced rare resources essential to magical civilization.

Every subordinate world contributed to the advancement of magical society. Some supplied rare magical materials, others talented wizards or even slaves, while certain worlds, due to their unique environments, served as locations for magical experiments.

The Council also enforced strict laws governing inter-world interactions, with severe penalties for violations.

The most fascinating topic for Arthur was the tales of the 12 Eternal Wizards. These legendary figures formed the foundation of magical civilization. Their achievements and wisdom shaped the magical world as it was known today.

The teachers explained that these wizards had achieved a level of power beyond description or comprehension. The textbooks available to students detailed only the first nine levels of magical mastery. Each level was uniquely challenging and required immense effort, yet even the most powerful ninth-level wizards could not approach the greatness of the Eternals.

Little was known about the Eternals, and much of the information about them was considered more myth than fact. However, the textbooks described them as having reached "eternity"—a state where time and death no longer held sway over them. It was said they had become literal embodiments of laws and energy, capable of creating and destroying entire worlds at will.

Arthur also learned in his history classes that the current era was far from the first and that magic had undergone significant transformations over countless ages. In ancient times, wizards used an entirely different system of practice compared to modern methods.

Unlike today's wizards, who unlocked their unique spiritual worlds, ancient wizards opened what was called a spiritual sea. This sea was a formless spatial void containing only a small amount of spiritual energy, which was drawn from the wizard's soul. To transform this sea into a functional tool for working with magic, wizards employed meditation techniques involving specialized runes.

However, the meditation methods of that era had a significant flaw: compatibility. Each person had a predisposition to specific methods, and if compatibility was too low, progress became nearly impossible. As a result, the number of wizards in ancient times was extremely small, and magical abilities were a rare gift.

Despite these challenges, those who succeeded in opening and developing their spiritual seas became immensely powerful.

But history also recorded moments when wizards faced the brink of extinction. The first major threat came during the War with the Gods. It was believed that in the distant past, the worlds of wizards and gods coexisted in parallel, but conflict eventually erupted between them.

The war began because the gods sought to fully subjugate mortals to their will. The gods drew their power from mortal faith, and the magic of wizards posed a threat to their dominance. Wizards, in turn, were unwilling to relinquish their influence and were deeply interested in the materials from the bodies of gods and their divine realms. A grand war ensued, involving both sides.

The war proved devastating for both wizards and gods, with both sides suffering near-total annihilation. Realizing that continued fighting would lead to mutual destruction, the wizards and gods negotiated a peace agreement.

The treaty had several key points:

1. Neither wizards nor gods could directly interfere in the lives of mortals.

2. The development of mortal civilization was halted at a specific level, allowing the gods to continue gathering faith energy.

3. Exceptions were made for territories where wizards gathered and trained. In these areas, there were no restrictions on technological advancement.

This agreement ended the war but permanently divided wizards and gods.

The second existential threat came from within. During an internal conflict, wizards split into two opposing factions: the White Wizards and the Black Wizards.

The war between them was so destructive that both sides were on the verge of extinction. At this critical moment, the Eternal Wizards intervened, using their immense power to force both factions to cease their fighting.

It was after this event that the Wizard Council was established to maintain order and prevent such conflicts in the future. The Council also instituted rules regulating the use of magic to prevent its abuse.

The third threat to wizard survival arose in later eras, when wizards began experimenting heavily with technology. One of the most controversial discoveries was the cloning of humans.

Magic academies began mass-producing artificial humans with exceptional magical talent. At first, this seemed like an ideal solution: instead of searching for suitable students, perfect wizards could be created artificially.

Initially, this approach was highly successful. The number of wizards skyrocketed, and civilization experienced a golden age, conquering numerous new worlds. However, after millennia, a critical flaw was discovered in artificial humans. They lacked creativity. These wizards could only follow established methods but were incapable of creating anything fundamentally new. Moreover, artificial humans were unable to surpass the ninth level of power. Despite their exceptional talents, they could not achieve the legendary level, which Arthur presumed lay between the ninth level and Eternity.

These issues brought magical civilization to the brink of crisis, as the number of legendary wizards dwindled. Fortunately, cloning technologies were eventually banned by the Wizard Council, allowing civilization to return to a natural path of development.

To Arthur's surprise, the history lessons also delved into fundamental questions about magical energy.

It was believed that magical energy originated in the earliest days of the material worlds. Some theorized that magical energy stemmed from a so-called "Prime Source." This source was impossible to see or sense, but it was said to have released the first magical energy. Some theories suggested that the Eternal Wizards achieved their power by gaining direct access to this source, though none of these hypotheses were ever confirmed.

Arthur also came to understand why all children were taught the knightly breathing method. It turned out that during training, when a knight synchronized with the rhythm of nature through complex breathing exercises, their body became a conduit for magical energy. This energy flowed into the knight, nourishing both body and spirit.

Most astonishingly, upon a knight's death, the magical energy they had accumulated was released into the world in far greater quantities than they had absorbed in life. This occurred due to the unique properties of the human body, which acted as a container, accelerating the transformation and accumulation of magical energy.

Moreover, the teachers explained that magical energy resembled a living organism that required nourishment. When wizards used their spiritual power to interact with the magical energy in the air, the energy "fed" on this power and began to divide, increasing its quantity. While magical energy could self-replicate without human intervention, this process was much slower.

These lessons gave Arthur a deeper understanding of how magic worked and its role not only in the lives of wizards but in the entire world. The history of magic was not only rich but also instructive, showing how the mistakes of the past could shape the future.