Threads of the Weave

At this point, it's necessary to discuss the magic system of the Nolanda continent and clarify the distinctions between the powerful profession of the Arcanist and other spellcasting professions like Mages and Warlocks.

The core of the Nolanda continent's magic system lies in the spell slots of the Weave. Spellcasters must connect to the Weave, drawing energy from it and using their mental strength to construct spell models, which are then stored in spell slots. When needed, these spells are released.

A Mage, in essence, is a profession that increases mental strength through meditation, connects to the omnipresent Weave to gain spell slots, builds spell models to store them, and casts them when required.

The Weave is a vast network of rules spanning most planes. It can be said to simplify the application of magic, allowing Mages to avoid the need to channel mana and construct spells on the spot. By memorizing spells in the Weave's spell slots ahead of time, they can cast them whenever necessary.

Warlocks operate similarly, though their magic largely stems from their bloodline. For Warlocks, casting is more instinctual—they sense spells from their bloodline, store them in spell slots, and release them when needed.

Unlike Mages, who can freely choose which spells to learn, Warlocks' spells are entirely random with each advancement, determined solely by the nature of their bloodline.

The convenience of the Weave makes casting significantly easier for spellcasters, which is why many Mages worship Mystra, the Mistress of Mysteries and Goddess of the Weave. She is the overseer of the Weave, ensuring its proper function.

Muse scoffed at this. Yes, the Weave's spell slots made casting more convenient, but would those lofty gods truly allow mortals to wield great power so easily? The number of spell slots a caster could obtain from the Weave was limited! Spellcasters had to carefully choose which spells to memorize each day, and once those spell slots were depleted, they were as helpless as chickens!

Worse still, any spells memorized in the spell slots—even if unused—would be completely erased the next day! Spellcasters had to re-memorize them anew—a phenomenon known as [Spell Forgetting].

The true purpose of the Weave was as a conduit for the gods' faith. Through it, the gods received their followers' devotion and bestowed divine spells in return. The Weave served the gods. The complete Weave was called the "Inner Weave."

What was open to spellcasters was merely a castrated version with many capabilities stripped away—the "Outer Weave."

Arcanists, however, were different from other spellcasters. This profession was the culmination of the most cutting-edge truth-seekers among Mages. It emerged from their exploration of the ruins left by ancient outsiders on the Nolanda continent—Wizards. By uncovering the secrets of the Wizard profession and adapting them to the local conditions of Nolanda, they created an entirely new profession.

Unlike conventional spellcasters, Arcanists could use special techniques to bypass the restrictions imposed by the Goddess of the Weave, accessing the true Weave—the Inner Weave. When casting through spell slots in this state, Arcanists were exempt from the [Spell Forgetting] effect.

Moreover, Arcanists could deeply analyze the structure of the Weave itself. When connected to the Inner Weave, the spells they memorized retained a primal spell model, which would automatically reconstruct itself over time—a process known as [Arcane Recall].

Arcanists could automatically recall spells they had previously cast without needing to re-memorize them. This was a remarkably powerful ability. In tense, prolonged battles with no respite, Arcanists held an overwhelming advantage over other spellcasters.

Beyond the Weave's spell slots, Arcanists could also use arcane runes to craft spell models within their souls, inscribing spells directly into their being—a process called [Arcane Memory].

Furthermore, reliance on the Weave was only necessary for low-level Arcanists.

As Arcanists advanced, they gained deeper insight into the Weave's composition. With sufficient mental strength to craft more arcane runes and an increasing reservoir of arcane energy within their bodies, they grew less dependent on the Weave. They could construct spell models themselves and channel arcane energy to cast spells independently!

Thus, the fundamental difference between Arcanists and other spellcasters lay in this: Arcanists absorbed elements through meditation to form an internal energy called "arcane power," allowing them to cast spells through complex spell models of their own making, rather than relying on the Weave!

Grand Arcanists achieved complete independence from the Weave—a state known as [Mana Bar Mage].

With sufficient knowledge, Arcanists could even create unique skills exclusive to their profession—Arcanes!

Some Arcanes possessed immense destructive power, like Muse's [Black Hole Vortex], while others had no offensive capability at all, such as one Arcanist's [Fat Burner], designed purely to eliminate excess body fat.

But no Arcane was superior or inferior—each was a milestone on its creator's path to truth! Though, admittedly, some were rather eccentric…

And now, Muse had entered the state of initiating into this powerful profession of the Arcanist!

In Muse's perception, the world around him receded into the distance until all objects vanished, leaving only a chaotic void.

He knew this was the first trial of an Arcanist's initiation. Those undergoing the process had to sense the elements of the elemental planes within this chaos—a task that demanded sufficient mental sensitivity. Failing to detect the elements rendered everything moot—a requirement known as [Elemental Sensing Ability].

But before that, Muse had something else to do.

Soon, faint golden specks of light appeared before his eyes, connected by delicate threads. The energy they emitted was minuscule.

This was the outermost layer of the Weave.

The mark of becoming a Mage Apprentice was making contact with this outermost layer, enabling the casting of 0-level cantrips.

Delving deeper, one would encounter a vast world composed of an endless golden grid. Each cell in this lattice of golden threads was a spell slot—the first layer of the Weave. Touching this layer with mental energy granted the qualification to learn 1st-level spells.

Muse lightly brushed the Weave with his mind, sensing a faint tremor as it registered a spellcaster's connection. His mental strength effortlessly met the requirements to access this lowest tier of the Weave. The layer opened to him, and two 0-level spell slots glowed faintly.

But Muse wasn't here for these spell slots. Touching the Weave was merely a pretense for what he planned next.