Ascendance of a Novice Witch
Tyla's body became a steady source of a soft golden glow that pulsated with rhythmic intensity, casting soft shadows across her darkened apartment. She sat cross-legged on the aging carpet, steadying her breath while Mana flowed like a rushing tide through her veins.
As she inhaled, she would channel the energy through her magical pathways, honing it further into a purer form.
Her senses highlighted—she could hear the minute creak of the wooden floor beneath her, the slow hum of electricity through the walls, and even the slightest disturbance of air around her.
And then, like the final tum of a lock that has resisted a little bit, a barrier within her shattered.
A surge of power poured forth from her core, radiating outward in a golden ripple that illuminated the room for half a heartbeat before fading into nothing.
A deep warmth settled down into her bones and flowed outward, pouring strength into her limbs—it felt like giving up an invisible burden she had not known she had been holding.
Breathing became smoother and easier—deepening with each breath she took in ,an infusion of Vitality.
Her head became sharper and more alert. Suddenly, as if the very fabric separating her from existence had been thinned, the air became more lucid, crisp. Sounds entered her ear with a greater degree of distinction, and she could feel the presence of objects around her with an eerie precision.
Slightly frowning, she moved her fingers. The grace with which they moved seemed to indicate a very fine, subtle adjustment had been made in her physique. Underneath her skin, energy hummed with a steady, vigorous fire, readily responsive to her every intent.
A notification manifested itself in her sight.
[Congratulations! Your mana pool has reached 300 MP, and you have officially stepped into the Third Stage of Novice Witch (Ascendant)!]
[Your body has fully adapted to mana circulation. Mana regeneration speed has increased, and your affinity for spells has improved!]
Tyla sighed, sensing her transformation from deep within. Her mana flowed smoothly through the channels of her body; it was no longer slow, sluggish or unstable. She tried casting , the he difficulty she used to experience when controlling her spells was gone and now her mana obeyed her every command with elegance and vigor.
She called up the translucent system interface and entered the section labeled [Host].
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[Host: Tyla White]
Race: Human
Cultivation Level: Novice Witch (Ascendant Stage)
Mana Pool: 300/300 MP
Mana Regeneration: 5 MP/minute
Skills:
Mana Cultivation (Novice) – Passively draws the ambient mana into the body.
Astral Projection (Novice) – Separation of the soul from the body for spiritual travel.
Purification (Basic) – Cleansing of negative energies and low-level corruptions.
Household Spells (Basic) – Minor magic for everyday convenience.
Water Manipulation (Basic) – Minimal control over water elements.
Light Manipulation (Basic) – Minimal control over light elements.
Light Arrow (Basic) – Concentrate light mana into an arrow, which can be shot at the target, doing minor damage and dispelling darkness briefly.
Minor Astral Prison (Basic) – Some weak astral creatures can be trapped for minimal time.
Tarot Reading (Basic) – Can give vague clues about a certain future or personal situation.
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Tyla's breath held for a while as she came to terms with the significance of this breakhrough.
She had reached the 3rd and last stage of being a Novice Witch.
Novice Witch is the very starting stage where a mortal awakens and refines their mana.
The hardest part of this stage for her had been the mastering of mana cultivation- including proper mana introduction- into the body. Her initial attempts were very slow and patience was required as the body had to accommodate the presence of mana gradually.
However, as long as someone has sufficient aptitude and affinity, the mana begins to build up following the natural order, making the whole process seems easier with time-
Apart from that, she needed to work on spellcasting because at the end of the day, how precisely, how efficiently, and how fluently you can command magic with your spell or technique determines how well you can control it.
The Novice Witch is divided into three stages: Beginner, Intermediate, and Ascendant, each with their own mana requirement and characteristics.
Beginner (Fledgling) is the first stage of Novice Witch with mana pool ranging (from 10 to 100 MP). It's more about introducing mana into the body. Usually in this stage, the mana is unstable, leading to difficulty in precise control , and the witch can only use the most basic spells with high energy consumption. Also, Spells may misfire or have unpredictable effects due to lack of control.
Intermediate (Adept) is the second stage of novice witch with a mana pool range of (100 – 300 MP). In this stage, mana control improves, allowing for more efficient spellcasting. The spells require less energy, and they become more stable. The witch can sustain minor magical effects for longer durations, such as : Tyla's transfiguration spell which could last for about 2 hours, Also the witch gains the ability to slightly manipulate spell characteristics, such as size or speed.
Ascendant (Peak) , the third stage of novice witch with a mana pool requirement of (300 – 600 MP) . At this stage ,mana fully integrates with the body, allowing magic to flow naturally. The mana regeneration rate increases, enabling prolonged battles without exhausting mana too quickly. Affinity with magic deepens, accelerating the learning and mastery of new spells, and the manipulation of spell characteristics is more freely, enhancing power, speed, or effects.
For example, Tyla's Light Arrow if used at the Fledgling stage , The arrow would flicker and lack proper shape, dissipating before reaching its target or veering off course. It would also consume excessive mana for minimal impact. But at the Adept stage , The arrow takes on a more defined shape, travels in a straight line, and reliably hits its target. It consumes moderate mana and can briefly dispel weaker dark influences.
And now ,
At the ascendant stage…
Tyla stretched out her arm, calling upon her mana. The familiar warmth of light-elemental energy gathered and sparkled at her fingertips, but this time it felt dense, sharp. In her palm materialized a thick, golden arrow, throbbing with an intensity so refined she had never before achieved.
With a flick of her wrist, she aimed at the far wall and let the spell loose.
The arrow flew suddenly through the air in a blur, faster than she had ever cast . Gone was the soft beam of light; replaced now with a compact, lethal, furious bolt.
And instead of fading on impact, as it usually did, it punched straight through the wall. The moment it struck, a sharp crack echoed through the apartment as a clean hole burned straight through, sending faint wisps of smoke curling into the air , and A faint golden glow lingered around the hole edges, softly illuminating the darkened space beyond.
Tyla blinked. Then blinked again.
The other side of the hole revealed her bathroom.
She stared at the damage, then at her still-outstretched hand. Oohh….
Stepping forward, she peered through to confirm the damage. The arrow had gone clean through the bathroom tile and embedded itself in the opposite wall, before disapeating, the faint shimmer of residual light still clinging to the surface.
Tyla and System 111 stared at the hole in the bathroom wall in complete silence. *\0/*
The faint golden glow around the edges flickered before fading, leaving behind nothing but a clean, round hole punched straight through the tile.
System 111 slowly turned her head to look at Tyla. Tyla turned to look at her. (ㆁωㆁ)
Neither of them spoke.
The silence stretched.
Then, out of the corner of her eye, Tyla noticed something off. Her eyes narrowed slightly.
Her bottle of face cleanser sat open on the bathroom counter.
Her gaze flickered to the tiny pixie floating suspiciously in front of her.
System 111 flinched midair, her wings giving a guilty little flutter. "Whaaaat?" She let out a nervous giggle, tucking her hands behind her back.
Tyla crossed her arms, staring the system down. "My cleanser is open."
The pixie zipped an inch higher. "M-maybe it just… Wind? or Mana disturbance?..mm….mmmm…Ghosts? Maybe there was really a Nancy who lived here?" The pixie kept explaining , with her voice becoming lower with each word. (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)
Tyla arched a brow.
System 111 held out for another second before caving. She wrung her tiny hands together, her wings drooping slightly. "Okay, okay! I might've… borrowed a tiny bit…"
The system fidgeted, her face flushing a faint pink. She hesitated before mumbling, "I… I need to moisturize…".
Tyla blinked.
System 111 immediately started rambling, her tiny hands gesturing wildly. "I mean, I'm a system, sure! But I have an image to maintain! Do you think I can just fly around looking dull and dry? No! I must remain dewy and radiant! What if I meet another system? What if they judge me?!"
Tyla covered her mouth, trying to hold back a laugh. "So you're stealing my skincare?"
The pixie gasped, pressing a hand to her chest in exaggerated offense. "Not stealing! Borrowin!!" ( ´◡‿ゝ◡`)
Tyla finally let out a chuckle, shaking her head. "Fine, but if you finish my expensive face wash, I'm making you buy me another one from the system shop."
System 111 lit up, zipping in delighted circles. "Deal! Oh, oh! imagine glowing with actual light magic! I could be even cuter!" )ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ *.✧(≧▽≦)
Sound like someone intends to BORROW her cleanser again.
Tyla groaned playfully. "Yeah, yeah, we'll check later."
Curious about her breakthrough physical manifestation, Tyla flicked the lights on and made her way to the mirror. As she held the sight of her reflection, a sharp breath caught in her throat.
It appeared as If her smooth skin had taken on a soft, radiant glow, as if lit from inside. Traces of fatigue that had once lingered in her face were gone now, replaced by a smooth, almost ethereal quality. Her hair gleaming under the light, fell over her shoulders in long silky black waves. Even her eyes seemed brighter, clearer, soulful like polished green gemstones catching the light.
She raised a hand to her face.The mana doesn't just settle within —it refine the body, reshaped it, making it more.
The system gasped. "well! Look at the postive side! You became more beautiful ..and which bathroom hole can't be fixed?!"
Tyla shook her head fondly.
System 111 twirled in excitement, her tiny wings fluttering. "…And You finally reached the Ascendant Stage! Now you're at the peak of the Novice Witch rank! Woohoo!". ✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧
Tyla smiled indulgingly at the pixie. "So, does this mean I'm ready for the next stage?"
The little pixie shook her head furiously. "No! To advance from Novice Witch to Apprentice Witch, your mana Pool needs to at least reach : 600 MP , then refine your soul to withstand an even higher mana influx. You also need to master At least one spell to reach Proficient level. And at last , you need a Catalyst or a breakthrough method—like rituals, more advanced meditation, or elixirs."
Tyla furrowed her brows. "So, if I'm at the limit of Ascendant Novice Witch, I still need to strengthen my soul?"
System 111 twirled in the air. "Yup! Advancing to Apprentice Witch isn't just about mana—it's about strengthening your soul's connection to magic. Otherwise, your body won't be able to handle the sudden surge in power, and BOOM—mana backlash!"
Tyla frowned. The Apprentice witch stage is certainly more demanding
"What happens at Apprentice Witch?" she asked.
The pixie's eyes sparkled. "Oh! That's when magic truly comes alive! Listen up!"
With a dramatic twirl, System 111 clapped her tiny hands together, and in a burst of golden light, her outfit transformed. Gone was her usual pink flowery dress-now she wore a long flowing black robe speckled with shimmering stars. A tiny pointed hat sat askew on her golden curls, and in her hand, she now clutched a miniature wooden staff barely the size of a toothpick. <(￣︶￣)>
Tyla blinked. Where did the system even get that outfit?
System 111 puffed out her chest, adjusting her tiny wizard hat before summoning a glowing golden scroll. "Listen up, Lady Boss! Stepping into the rank of Apprentice Witch is where true magic begins—"
Tyla tilted her head. The system hat is a little bit …crooked?
The pixie spun her tiny staff, causing the scroll to glow brighter. "It has three stages , In the first Stage (Initiate) your mana pool would expand greatly and Spells become more stable , requiring less effort! And you would gain the ability to form your Witch Sigil—a magical imprint unique to the caster."
Tyla hummed. No, it definitely looks lopsided..
System 111 pouted, frantically trying adjusted the hat, wings flapping in distress. "Are you even listening?". ಡ ͜ ʖ ಡ
Tyla finally let out a chuckle. " I got a little distracted by your fashion choices."
The pixie huffed, dramatically spinning her tiny staff. "Hmph! Fine! But don't come crying later! I won't explain again.". :-(
Tyla smiled fondly . "l am sorry, I'll definitely listen this time."
System 111 narrowed her eyes suspiciously but sighed in defeat. "Okay, okay, let's start over. But this time, no distractions!"
Tyla grinned. "I'll try my best."