49 Magic With Morgan 6: Anima Magic VS Dark Magic

(Morgan Pov)

Bull Moon of 973, 13th day

I finally finished reading all 15 anima tomes I bought about a month ago. Anima magic is the mainstream branch of magic. As a result, it creates the system by which magic is organized and understood.

There is no system like that in place for dark magic, mainly due to the nature of dark magic. Dark magic is different from person to person, as a result, it includes many unique forms of magic.

Magic that doesn't fit into the main branches of anima magic or can't be identified as easily are also classified as dark magic. So it gets messy pretty quickly for dark magic, but it's not so bad. Once you learn how the anima system is organized, everything will sort itself out.

Most of the time, you're able to find the anima magic equivalents in the other branches of magic. It may not be a perfect match all the time, but it will fit more into one category than the others. The system is also easy to use and understand, that's why it's so popular.

The anima magic branch is organized by levels, each level is based on the practitioner's proficiency in magic. The first level(E-Rank) starts with a base spell. In the anima branch, the base spell is a "natural element".

Wind, fire, and thunder/*lightning to be more accurate*/ are the mainstream elements. While Earth and water are niche elements that are rarely studied and used. Even as rare as they are, they still fall into the anima system.

I got lucky when I found tomes for water and earth magic in Anna's secret shop. I doubt I'll find any of those tomes in circulation anywhere else. Even if I do find higher-level tomes, there is no doubt they will be expensive. But there is still a chance, so I need to keep an eye out for them.

Second-level(D-Rank) magic are the El spells and third-level (C-Rank) magic are the Arc spells. The naming sequence for the first 3 levels follows this format: base spell -> El-base spell -> Arc-base spell.

Fourth-level(B-rank) magic is siege magic. Siege magic is magic that specializes in targeting a large area from long range. This magic is best used for fighting a large concentration of people or damaging a large structure. That's why it is known as siege magic.

Fifth-level(A-rank) magic is master-level magic. Due to the time and work invested at this stage, you will rarely see magic shared from this point forward. As a result, you will see a lot of personal magic.

Magic at this level is highly optimized to be cost-efficient and deal high amounts of damage. For most people, this is the highest level of magic. After all, there is only so much work a single person can do.

A single spell at this level can be considered a mage's lifework, a legacy that can be passed down through many generations. With time, there is a possibility that the magic can evolve into something greater or it is known for its history.

Magic after this level is very abstract because of how vast and varied the spectrum is for magic. The next level would be legendary magic(S-rank magic), this is a nominal rank. This is a level that is reserved for magic with a great legacy behind it.

An example of this would be the tomes from the Scouring. The most famous of them are Forblaze, Aureola, and Apocalypse. Any powerful tome from the Scouring should be considered legendary rank as well, that isn't the case though.

Even if they have a similar level of power, they won't be recognized as legendary rank magic if they don't have the same legacy behind them. It will simply be another powerful tome, but names and ranks mean nothing at the end of the day.

And that's how the anima branch of magic is organized. The difference between anima magic and dark magic lies in the approach and the process. Anima magic harnesses the latent magic in the world, you don't try to fight against the laws of nature.

In the anima branch, a mage's magic is the catalyst used to facilitate the desired change. You guide it step by step towards the desired result. The process starts by using your own magic to construct a magic circle and to draw the world's magic into it.

The purpose of the magical circle is to control the flow and to cause the world's magic to behave in a certain way. The closer it is to something naturally occurring, the smoother and easier it is to control the spell casting process.

How each step of the process unfolds largely depends on the mage. This is where individuality comes into play. Some people can do it by feeling how the magic behaves throughout the entire process and adjusting to changes on the fly. This is an ability reserved only for the talented.

I'm not talented with magic at all so I can't rely on my instincts. I have to take a more systematic approach to the spell casting process. I have to go through the spell casting process one step at a time.

I have to consider every possible variable, relying on calculations to adjust those variables into something controllable. I rely on my knowledge and experiences, to guide me through any unexpected situations.

That's more or less how an anima spell is created, but there is one weakness in the process that can't be overlooked no matter what. The problem with anima magic is that you can't use what isn't there, the conditions have to be right.

There is a reason why wind, fire, and thunder are the mainstream elements. They are the easiest elements to have access to. From reading the wind, fire, and thunder tomes I got a lot of insight as to how mages view this world.

Wind magic comes from using the magic in the air around us. Fire magic comes from the heat of the sun and other high-temperature objects. Thunder is the most interesting because of the unique perspective I have.

Science gave me a different way to approach and understand the new world I live in. Lightning is basically an electrical discharge that originates from clouds. The mages here also know that to an extent, as they know they have to gather lightning magic from the sky/clouds.

So they know where lighting comes from and an idea of what lightning is made of. To an extent they know electricity exists, but that is about it. They don't fully understand what electricity is, its properties, or how it works.

That means they don't know what other sources of electricity can come from. I grew up in the 21st century, it was there that I learned that electricity is everywhere. If I ever want to cast thunder magic, then I'm not limited to using lightning as my only source of power.

Not only do I now know the proper way to cast anima magic, but I can use my knowledge to give me more options. I have come so far from where I began. I had to learn about anima magic relying on the vague memories of Madelyn.

When I first started learning, I didn't go into it completely blind. I understood anima magic is the study of trying to understand and recreate natural phenomena. And I also knew magic is in everything and around us constantly.

The problem was that I did not know how to extract magic from the environment. I did have a way to do so, it was just a very roundabout way of doing it. I made a deal 11 years ago that gave me the ability to enhance the power of my spells.

It did so by channeling the latent dark magic of the world into my spell circle. Put simply, I could use this ability to extract magic from the world. The problem was it was dark magic, which is not compatible with the anima branch's spell casting process.

Dark magic is a very volatile form of magic, but it has two consistent and distinct properties. However at this point, only one of them is relevant. Which is its ability to consume other magic. This is the trait that makes it difficult to cast magic following the methods of the anima branch.

The traditional way of casting magic in the dark branch takes advantage of this unique property. In the dark magic branch, a mage's magic is used as the medium that is used to project their will onto the world.

The degree to which a mage can change the world depends on their will and proficiency with dark magic. If a will is strong enough, then the mage can influence and control the behavior of dark magic using their magic.

One of the things a mage can control is how much magic is consumed by dark magic. The magic consumed by dark magic is assimilated, which makes it more powerful. As it grows more powerful, the rate at which it consumes other magic greatly increases.

If not controlled properly, the dark magic will consume the other elements without any end. This could be disastrous for both the user and the world. At the same time, if the will is strong enough, it is possible to control this potent force of nature.

From there, a mage will have enough power to change the world to whatever they desire. However, what they can do with that magic depends on the mage's affinity. A mage's affinity affects the properties of a mage's inner magic.

I have a Dark affinity, which means my magic has the same properties as dark magic. It can consume and assimilate other magic. Which means I can control any magic I absorb as if it is my own.

This gives me a considerable amount of freedom and control over what I can do with that magic. That doesn't mean I can use my magic to consume the world's magic without any care. Even when magic leaves the body, it is still connected to the mind.

This leads me to the second property of dark magic, amplification. If I am not careful with how magic is consumed, then there could be adverse side effects to my mind. Too much of anything is a bad thing and the human mind is very fragile.

So when I channel the world's dark magic into my spell circle, it's the same as pouring fuel on an open flame. If I'm not careful I could mess up my mind in that short instance I am using that unique ability. But for the chance at using anima magic, I took that risk.

I had to think of a natural phenomenon I could recreate that only uses dark magic. There was only one phenomenon I could think of that takes advantage of the properties of dark magic. I also knew it was possible because it is one of the few known legendary spells for dark magic.

The black hole, a cosmic body created from intense gravity. Its pull is so strong that not even light can escape. Its nature closely resembles dark magic, it has both the intensity and the all-consuming nature.

Using magic to recreate a black hole is a feat on par with casting S-rank magic. Even now, I don't have that type of power or proficiency with dark magic. But I did have an idea of how they work on a fundamental level.

That allowed me to at the very least replicate something similar on a smaller scale. I went through a lot of trial and error, but I was successful. My magic is unique, it allows me to make deals with all sorts of targets.

In those deals, I can amplify or alter the properties of whatever I target if I meet the conditions. One of these conditions is that the change cannot be overtly in my favor. That means I have to be objective and compromise to use the full power of my magic.

I can add, amplify, or alter the properties of my target, but there are limitations. For every positive change I make, I have to make a negative change on the same level. As long as the changes result in some sort of balance, then I can finesse however I want.

To recreate a magic version of a black hole, I altered the properties of dark magic itself. Gravity is a force that pulls two objects towards each other. To replicate that, I gave my dark magic an attraction force that specifically targets magic that isn't mine.

To balance this out I had to alter the magic-consuming properties of my dark magic. I added a limit that made it so it can only consume dark magic. I also added a limit to the amount of magic it can consume and it can attract.

As it consumed more and more magic, the stronger the attraction force got. That meant it consumed magic more quickly, this made a cycle of sorts. If I didn't add those limits things would have gotten out of hand quickly.

Once it reached the maximum amount it can consume, I discovered something interesting. While it may not be able to consume the other elements of magic, it is still able to trap the other elements within a specific region.

It wasn't very long before it reached the limit of what it can attract. The result was a ball of highly compressed magic. I wanted to make a black hole to study anima magic, but I ended up making a star of sorts.

It was from there I switched my focus because this was a relatively safe option. I spent my childhood trying to perfect this spell. I couldn't do much on the anima magic side of things, so I had to perfect the core of the star.

Which was highly dependent on dark magic. Despite a core part of the spell being dependent on dark magic, it doesn't fit the category of dark magic. I had to classify this spell of mine as anima magic because of three specific reasons:

1. The spell's power is not dependent on the quality of the mage's magic.

2. The spell itself is composed of many different sources of magic, not just the caster.

3. A star is natural, it's not something that can only be created by magic.

With my newfound knowledge, I can finally put the finishing touches on this spell. I can make the necessary changes to make this a formal branch of anima magic. I'll call it Astra Magic, in a way it suits me well. Something that's natural and exists, but not of this world.

It will take some time, but I'll organize my notes throughout the years. I should create a new diary entry fully going over the principles of Astra Magic. It would suck to lose my life's work, I hope my notes are thorough enough if I ever lose my memory.

After I finish that, I can work on other projects I put on the back burner. The most pressing one is the magic connected with my Personal Skill. I noticed a couple of inconsistencies and I have the feeling this will be a very valuable learning experience.