The Magical World

"I met with the One on High."

Bane sat on the floor next to the fireplace as the two women stood gazing down at him with worry etched on their faces. He still rubbed his head as he sat there, sorting everything out in his mind.

"What?!"

"You met with the One on High?!"

The two women shouted simultaneously. At their outburst, Bane winced; the healing spell that Liora had cast was slowly wearing off, and his passive healing was doing too little. At that, the two kneeled down, looking worriedly at the young man before them.

This was another new thing for Eir. She'd seen him cry, but the pain he was feeling now was unknown to her. Even the healing spell hadn't seemed to help him much earlier.

"What happened, Bane?" Eir took the lead and moved closer to Bane, putting her face near his and looking deep into his blue eyes. All she wanted was to help her young adventurer. Seeing him like this was unbearable.

"When I prayed, I was transported to a domain like yours. The One on High was there..." Bane said, maintaining eye contact with Eir.

Liora desperately wanted to ask about the One on High's appearance and form, but as soon as she opened her mouth, Eir turned and glared at her. Liora's eyes widened—it was the first time she'd seen such emotion from Eir.

"I see. What can we do to help?" Eir asked gently. When Bane didn't respond immediately, she continued, "You can trust us. We're here to help." Bane nodded.

He knew that, but he didn't know what would help. After coming up with nothing, he requested some water and moved over to the bed. With water and a more comfortable spot, he decided to share some of what he'd learned.

Bane did his best to describe the One on High's appearance, but it turned into rambling as he got lost in trying to explain its figure and strange details. The more abstract his description became, the more confused the two women grew.

"A black box over its face?"

"Flowers?" they asked.

Bane simply nodded. They couldn't even begin to comprehend what he had seen, but they humored him for his sake. Bane left out the story of the dungeon and any mention of the system for now.

"Basically, all they said was that I have the potential to become a great adventurer." What Bane said wasn't untrue, just very vague. "That's about it."

"Wow... the One on High answered your call. You must be something special," Liora murmured.

Bane's passive healing was in full effect now, finally suppressing the headache that had plagued him.

"Is there anything else?" Eir asked, worry still shimmering in her eyes.

Bane shook his head. "No, I think I'll just rest until my training session with Mr. Grey."

Eir and Liora each nodded. The three went about their day, each occupied with their own activities. Eir and Liora were in different parts of the room with books, while Bane sat in bed with his newly acquired grimoire.

The book began with an introduction to magic and how it came to be on Earth—surprisingly similar to what the One on High had shared. It stated that mana and magic had existed since the creation of Earth but only became usable after the gods gave it form through spells.

Next, the grimoire covered legalities, specifically that combat spells were forbidden outside the dungeon, and offenders would be quickly apprehended. Bane already knew this, but seeing it in writing reinforced the rule in his mind.

After that, the book wasted no time. On the very next page was the first spell: a simple but essential one—a water spell. Because of magic, no one, not even those in the slums, died of dehydration. However, dirty water was still common, leading to other illnesses.

The grimoire explained the spell's uses before detailing the incantation and magic circle. Bane didn't know the difference between the two, but thankfully, the book explained it:

"Magic circles and incantations are both ways to cast spells. Modern spellcasters, known as mages, mostly use incantations because they're faster and simpler than drawing a magic circle. However, magic circles are useful for traps and silent casting. To activate a circle, you only need to draw it and then infuse it with your mana."

The water spell on display had both a magic circle and a short incantation written beside a blue water droplet symbol. The spell was called "Water Ball," and its description read: "Produces a ball of water in the caster's hand."

Deeming it safe to cast indoors, Bane warned the two women before reciting, "Water around, gather and bound—water ball." He held out his hand, palm up. Mana flowed from his fingertips, merging with the air above his palm.

Water droplets gathered and swirled, forming a small orb that hovered above his hand. Bane stared in awe. The spell was simple—childish, even—but he was proud he'd succeeded.

Liora and Eir turned their attention to him when he announced he was casting, watching with admiration as the water ball floated above his palm.

"Wow! That's incredible, Bane!" Liora shouted, jumping up from her bed and rushing over.

Startled, Bane lost focus, and the water ball splashed onto his hand, dripping onto the covers.

Liora immediately backed away, covering her face. "I'm sorry, Bane..." she said, bracing for anger.

But Bane just laughed. "I didn't think this through. Now the covers are soaked."

Still riding the high of his first successful spell, he wasn't upset. He simply removed the damp blanket and hung it to dry. He wanted to keep practicing, but when he noticed the sun beginning to set, he decided it was time to head to Mr. Grey's.

As he walked, he couldn't resist casting the spell repeatedly. The sensation of mana leaving his hand was strange, but he enjoyed it. Water droplets splattered the ground behind him as he moved through the alleys.

Bane usually traveled light, often surviving on just one meal a day. Thirst had been a constant struggle, but now, with this spell, that was no longer an issue.

When he was younger, he'd heard stories of powerful mages who could cast spells without speaking a single word. He'd even seen Eir do it—lighting fires or conjuring water silently.

Bane guessed that the way mana flowed during casting might be the key to silent magic. If he could replicate that sensation without speaking, maybe he could cast wordlessly. But no matter how hard he tried during his walk, he couldn't make it work.

Another thing he noticed was his mana reserves. After using his Speed Boost skill a dozen times, he'd be exhausted. Yet he'd cast Water Ball dozens of times now without feeling drained.

Shaking his head, he pushed thoughts of magic aside and focused on his training session.

But Mr. Grey noticed his distraction immediately.

"You're slow today. Got something on your mind?"

Bane hesitated. Between the One on High, the dungeon, and magic, there was plenty occupying his thoughts. But he only shared part of it.

"I started reading a grimoire today... It's all I can think about."

Mr. Grey clicked his tongue. "Magic. Tch." His disdain was clear. "Back in the dungeon, mages were the weakest. Slow, dependent on incantations, always running out of mana. Why would someone like you bother with it?"

Bane didn't back down. "I think it'll make me stronger. I'm not giving up the sword—I just believe magic can be useful too."

Mr. Grey sheathed his blade and gathered his things. "Fine. As long as you don't abandon the sword."

"But we've only just started," Bane protested.

"You said it yourself—sword training requires focus. You don't have any today. Take the day off and come back tomorrow."

Annoyed, Mr. Grey walked away, leaving Bane frustrated. But the dismissal only strengthened his resolve.

If he wanted to conquer the dungeon, he needed to master everything—swordsmanship, magic, all of it.

They walked back in silence, the unspoken challenge lingering between them. Bane had questions about Mr. Grey's hatred toward magic. He gave a few examples that made it seem less than using a sword, but there had to be something else.

But Mr. Grey looked in no mood to talk as they continued forward. After a long uninterrupted silence, Mr. Grey said his good bye as they reached the weapons shop.

"Yeah, good bye. See you tomorrow." Bane returned, his voice laced with sadness at his mentors feelings towards magic. 

Bane sighed and shook his head, knowing that it would be up to Mr. Grey to sort out his feelings. The walk back was similar to the stroll there, Bane occasionally summoned water balls and propelled them around the back allies. 

He tried time and time again to recreate the feeling to achieve silent casting, but once more was met with only disappointment. 

So far the system had given him everything to succeed. He could read faster, adventure efficiently, and learn to use weapons quicker. He had an inkling that silent casting could be apart of that and stuck to practicing with incantations, hoping he would be able to do so one day.