Alice read the foreword of the book over and over, she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Even in the other books any mention of the System had an emphasis on it, the same way as when she thought of it or spoke of it. Yet in this book it was written as if it was just another word. The only thing that had been uncomfortable to read was the final line, she had no clue what it was referring to but something in the back of her head kept telling her she shouldn't think about it nor follow those words of wisdom.
The rest of the book read like research notes.
Fire Magic is created by altering the abstract mana in the air. Converting it into heat and then flame.
Water Magic is created by converting the mana, turning it from what I can only assume is a gasous form on a spectrum that cannot be naturally seen into liquid.
(Unsafe to drink? Further testing needed.)
Wind Magic is created by commanding the mana, ordering it to shift the air around it.
Earth Magic is created in similar fashion, but by infusing the mana into the ground and then commanding it.
(Test how infusing mana into living things works later. Surely a lowlife would be willing to for coin)
To recap, fire & water is to convert, wind & earth is to command.
Further elements exist through more complex means of mana control. Currently unknown if there is more ways to manipulate mana There is. See notes on the Ravendancer incident.
Law of Magic states that one is randomly given affinity to magic from the system.
(I seem to break this law, I should be careful who knows)
Since all magic seems to stem from the manipulation of mana it may be possible to neuter a mage by finding a way to remove mana from an area.
The first section of the book was on how the basic magics were used, although some of the smaller notes were interesting. Alice relayed the part on [Fire Magic] to Xana after she was done reading.
"Hm, that sounds correct? I've never given much thought into how it works."
Alice slowly pushed pages, the notes became more and more detailed as she went on, speaking of mostly theory rather than practical application. However she did find two things of note.
Shadow Magic, command in nature however differs from other magics. Not natural to the system? Forcibly integrated by the Shadow of a Queen Upon a Throne. Pompous bitch. Easily counterable like her schemes. Could be dangerous in the wrong hands though. Mostly illusionary but higher tiers involve construct magic. Total darkness counters it. Further testing needed for using light, for now seems to only strengthen.
The book continued for only another page on [Shadow Magic], noting applications and known spells. Finally after that nearing the end she found something... weird, it read less like research notes and more a personal journal.
The system "rewarded" me with a skill called omni magic. Is it trying to sabotage me? It's been clear its not completely mechanical for a while now but this is rather blatant. Ultimately it doesn't matter but I should be careful. The timeless are restricted in their influence but that restriction is from the system. I may have to kill a god soon. But it will be worth it. I'm close. I can feel it.
Alice sat there silent for a while. A lot about this was concerning the contents of the books and its written language. However in some ways it made sense. Both her and Lily were here so surely other people could be as well? The book was old so that other reincarnated person might not be around anymore but she thanked them for their help as she smiled looking at her notification.
Alice ignored that last notification instead turning to Xana.
"I knew reading books would be way more useful than that dumb meditation stuff! My intelligence score went up and I got [Mana Control]!"
Xana nodded, she felt proud even if the girl had been given a stupidly high level in [Human Language] and somehow could read the useless book she had. Alice was her student, her accomplishments were Xana's accomplishments she decided.
"That is good, once you gain more skill points you can unlock a magic"
"Oh I had actually unlocked one by mistake which is why I was so adamant on learning [Mana Control]"
Xana kept nodding, before freezing, and staring at the young bat.
"YOU WHAT?! HOW! ALL MAGIC IS LOCKED UNTIL YOU HAVE MANA!"
Alice let out a giggle and scratched the back of her head with her wing claws.
"Well... I sorta had the requirements removed somehow? They're just blank for me. But that's not important! I want to go test it out, where's a good hunting ground near here?"
Xana was struggling to process everything, that much was clear. She just kinda nodded slowly.
"Um, usually Horned Frogs like to roam the area. They're a little dangerous but I'll be nearby if things are bad."
Alice nodded and scrambled out of the little abode.
"Is it truly smart to interfere this much? Do not forget what happened the last time you tried to mess with a Passenger."
An echo of a voice filled the air with song, giving the sense of petrichor to all that heard it, twisting and infecting the mind, soothing it into servitude, truly it is such a sweet thing to be loved, such a cruel thing to be cared for, know naught vim or kin for all things return to whence they came. Yet despite all of that despite all of that the shadow of a woman did not react, no no no, she did! She sneered amongst the stars, folly upon ye temptress!
"Hush little flower, it'll be fine, do not mask your jealousy with concern... my lips are still free for yours even if I've found an adorable Passenger to tease."
An echo consumed, senses blocked as shadow wraps and coils, oh so tight, yes, let skin welt and twist, split and fain in secret, secret that fills the throat, choke upon ye temptation, drown within sin and guilt. Little flower so trampled, easily forgotten, yes? no! Dig deeper! Twist upon the concrete of a dead world, feast upon the joy of a utopia!
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
"You tease too much for one whose lost her throne my dear Seamstress. Perhaps I will take your lips, perhaps I shall turn that black oval gold."
Dance! Dance among the stars! Among the people! Each step a nation, each performance a world! Yet all falls silent, raw passion cannot substitute! You speak naught of devotion but of manipulation! No! Hear me I say! This is no game! You sprinkle poison upon thine garden to root out a single rotting flower!
Alice clung to the ceiling of the Cave, watching and listening, she heard a squelch and honed in on a frog, she had seen horned frogs before, but she hadn't expected it... to be quite so literal. Below a frog with literal horns that curved forward was hopping around. It must be some sort of common evolution for the frogs that lived down here?
It made Alice wonder what other kinds of creatures existed down here. Her gaze turned away from the frog over to the massive cavern, the one that promised death every time she considered going near it.
Alice removed such thoughts from her head, she was here to hunt not to theorize and wonder. She focused back down on the frog, it had moved but she still felt it was well within her reach, magic had opened an entire new field of combat for her.
She focused and noted something interesting, she didn't need to chant as Xana did? Was she even more special than she thought perhaps this was a gift. Regardless the shadow of the frog began to shift before a spike made of shadow shot out stabbing it. The frog let out a cry of pain, but Alice casted once again.
Stab! Stab! Stab! Blood poured from multiple holes on the frog as it desperately tried to find who was attacking it, before long however it slowly stopped. Dropping into a puddle of its own blood as Alice got the notification.
Her snout twisted into a big grin, she not only could attack from range but also from stealth! And she had obtained two skills! She quickly looked at her Status.
Name: Alice
Race: Baby Blood Bat (Tier 1)
HP: 15/15
Mana: 6/10
Strength: 4
Dexterity: 7
Constitution: 4
Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 1
Charisma: 5
Luck: 1
Skills
Echolocation 1
Supernatural Sense 2
Blood Drain 3
Pain Resistance 4
Shadow Magic 1
Stealth 1
Assassination 1
Human Language 5
Language of the Deep 1
Mana Control 2
Spells
Weak Shadow Spike 1
Alice nodded to herself, she had made progress, real tangible progress. Every skill, every level, every evolution, it was all another step towards finding Lily. That remained her ultimate goal, but for now she had a goal that was easier, one she knew she would be able to complete soon. Killing The Plaguemaster.
Leopold was a proud frog. His horns were thicker than the likes of his kin. That meant he was stronger! And he would prove it!
He hopped along towards the place he had promised to meet Gordon, stupid Gordon with his horns that curved outward! Leopold would show that his back curved thicker horns were more useful! He had unlocked [Charge] recently, it would surely give him the advantage.
Ribbit. Ribbit. Why was Gordon laying down? Was he that confident was he- Iron in the air. Leopold's entire posture changed in an instant. He gazed around now, noticing all the blood around Gordon. He wasn't laying down, he wasn't confident. Something had killed him.
It wasn't The Salamander, there were no burn marks, in fact there was no trace of a fight at all. And Leopold prided himself on his ability to notice things. His [Heightened Sense] was revered among the Frog Court. This was surely some trick of the Rat Kingdom, they were always scheming and planning nefarious ways to mess with the Frog Court.
Rip! The squelching sound of his skin echoed as it was punctured, the skin ripping open as something stabbed him from below, Leopold howled out in pain, and then another! It stabbed into him effortlessly, it was coming from below... he waited a moment, focusing, he had to focus! Ignore everything else and focus on the ground beneath him, he heard the slightest shift, just barely noticeable, if he hadn't actively been trying to listen to the area directly below him he would've never heard it.
Leopold leaped into the air! His powerful legs sending him high up as he watched a spike of pure shadow shoot up and barely miss him! Magic! A sinister and sneaky magic! And then he heard a cruel sounding voice.
"Oh wow you dodged! That was impressive. I thought for sure I'd be able to take you out without you figuring it out. That other frog certainly didn't."
Leopold snapped his gaze to above, he saw a small red furred bat clinging upside down on the ceiling. He glared, she was high up probably thought he was too low even with his powerful leap for him to reach her. He would teach her! [Double Jump]! He kicked off the air, leaping further up, the bat looked shocked at his action before he opened his mouth and swung his tongue out! [Tongue Strike]!
His tongue slammed against the bat! Cracking the stone she clung to, her body limply falling downwards, but he wasn't done! His tongue coiled around her using [Prehensile Tongue] and then he swung her downward sending her into the ground with a satisfying CRACK! filling the air!
Alice laid on the ground, everything hurt and she was pretty sure a few of her ribs had broken. It had all happened so fast... she hadn't expected any of what had just occurred, and what's worse she heard the thump of the frog landing. She glanced at him, hatred had filled his eyes, yeah that made sense... she had killed his friend? And then tried to do the same to him. She'd be upset as well.
She stumbled up, facing the frog she didn't like what she was feeling. She had enjoyed talking to Xana, enjoyed not having to fight someone she had met in this Cave... but... this felt so much better. The way her blood pumped, how she could hear the frog's heart beating quickly, the pumping of his blood.
She could taste the hatred in the air, taste the iron, it was sweet to her, and she wanted more. She felt alive, she had never been this violent before, but violence... violence leads to advancement, she had to evolve. In her current state even if she found Lily she couldn't be more than a pet.
So she moved forward, it hurt to fly, one of those bones must have been cracked or broken but she ignored the pain, flight allowed her to move fast. [Weak Shadow Spike] activated, as she soared forward, she smiled when it stabbed into the frog, he hadn't been expecting it this time.
CHOMP! She dug her fangs into his body, it felt amazing as the blood drained out, flowing into her, even if it was a little weird tasting, she could actively feel her pain numb. But then she was struck hard, the frog had... punched her??? What?! Frogs couldn't punch frogs... also didn't usually have horns and jump mid air... focus Alice! Fantasy world! Normality is the exception not the rule.
She backed off, she would need to finish this with magic, she couldn't risk more- SLAM! As Alice floated away the Frog had suddenly sped up, slamming his horns into her, everything hurt now, she definitely had broken bones, she looked down and grimaced as a rib bone was poking through her body, blood dripping down.
Focus Alice, [Weak Shadow Spike] didn't need casting, she could just do it. She could use that. She reapproached. the frog must think her insane, maybe stupid. But she had to win this!
Leopold was terrified, the bat was still coming, he could see various bones poking out yet it ignored all that pain! The hunger in her eyes, she didn't just want to kill him she wanted to devour his very being! He had to- Pain. She was incredibly quick, claws cleaved into his skin, hooking in and burrowing themselves into his skin, teeth stabbed and chewed into his slimy skin blood should've gushed out, coated them both. But instead it simply flowed into the bats mouth.
It was fine, it was fine! [Sucker Punch] would work again he just had to- STAB! STAB! Everything was going dark... he couldn't... give up... Ezmeralda... was...
Alice looked down at the frog corpse. She was breathing heavily, but she was alive, losing blood but alive. She watched as Xana came running, she looked a little rough herself but fine... slowly she closed her eyes slowly...as she began to fall over.
Splash! She was... oh no. She was back here... the Dark Place.