Chapter 16: The Eastern Magic System
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"Has mankind really progressed this far?"
Zhang Jiao mused aloud, his tone filled with awe as Chihiro led him through Fuyuki City. The sights and technology on display were unimaginable from the era Zhang Jiao hailed from. He gazed at modern conveniences, appliances, and cityscapes that defied anything conceived millennia ago.
Particularly notable to him was the fact that nations were no longer ruled by emperors, and power structures had vastly changed.
"What a pity this isn't the Central Plains," Zhang Jiao remarked with a sigh. "I'd really like to see how things have changed there."
"Wow, this juice tastes amazing!"
Red Hare exclaimed as he downed a glass of carrot juice with enthusiasm. Despite his appearance as a burly man thanks to Zhang Jiao's illusion, his joy was rather childlike, especially when it came to his favorite treat.
Chihiro couldn't help but wonder how a centaur's "human" mouth could open so wide.
"The real action won't start until tomorrow night," Chihiro explained as he led them to a rented detached house on the outskirts. He had put considerable effort into finding a place suitable for their stay, given Red Hare's sheer size. A normal hotel wouldn't do.
Zhang Jiao's curiosity extended beyond the city's wonders; he found modern appliances fascinating. Within a short time, under Chihiro's guidance, he quickly learned how to operate a television and was soon engrossed in watching various programs.
"It's like magic," Red Hare commented as he observed Zhang Jiao flipping through channels.
As night fell, Chihiro, exhausted, went to bed. Zhang Jiao and Red Hare, however, remained wide awake, enthralled by the endless array of televised entertainment. Even though the TV signal faded late at night, they managed to entertain themselves with videotapes they found nearby.
Chihiro awoke the next day to find that his companions had spent the entire night glued to the screen, having somehow figured out how to use the old video player without any prior instruction.
After breakfast, Chihiro approached Zhang Jiao with a more serious intent, to learn the mystical arts.
Zhang Jiao proved to be quite generous, teaching Chihiro many of the Mystic techniques he had mastered.
"You have no elemental affinity," Zhang Jiao remarked with surprise after checking Chihiro's magical foundation.
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In the context of this world, what the West referred to as "magic attributes," Eastern traditions might describe using different terms. The concept of "spiritual roots" in Eastern mysticism could be roughly compared to the magic circuits of Western magecraft.
In the Western Magic Association, there were five basic magical attributes: earth, water, fire, wind, and ether. The attributes in Eastern teachings varied slightly: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.
Some attributes were considered rare in both systems, with certain gifted individuals possessing multiple or unique attributes. For instance, Rin Tohsaka possessed all five basic elements, while Sakura Tohsaka was an anomaly with her imaginary number attribute.
Chihiro, however, was an unusual case. According to Zhang Jiao's assessment, Chihiro had no natural affinity with any of the basic elements.
Yet, his magical potential was not limited.
Despite having no elemental alignment, Chihiro possessed a remarkable number of magic circuits—a total of 108, divided into 36 primary and 72 auxiliary circuits. This was a significant amount, considering that even someone like Rin Tohsaka had only 70 circuits.
What's more, these circuits were an inherent part of Chihiro's body, not something acquired through external means.
After discovering that Chihiro could manipulate magic of all elements without difficulty, Zhang Jiao began to understand the boy's unique nature. While lacking any specific elemental affinity, Chihiro's versatility enabled him to wield magic of different types without the usual drawbacks.
Ordinarily, a person with a fire affinity would find water magic difficult to use, and using it would be inefficient and costly in terms of magical energy. Conversely, they would gain a natural boost when using fire and metal-based spells.
Chihiro, having no elemental predispositions, faced none of these restrictions. He didn't benefit from any elemental boosts, but likewise, he wasn't hindered by any oppositions.
Zhang Jiao found it difficult to categorize Chihiro according to any standard classification of magecraft. As it stood, Chihiro was an outlier even in the world of Eastern mysticism.
Furthermore, Zhang Jiao himself didn't exactly fit the mold of an orthodox mage.