6 Chapter 6. Mind Blowers 2

Absolutely all living and "dead" beings are bound by their own perception. All our knowledge is mainly limited by our senses of perception. There is a lot of unknown knowledge hidden in places we cannot see, touch, smell, taste or hear. Our sense organs allow us to understand the world, but they also prevent us from truly studying this world in detail.

But at the moment when I realized "Sagitta Magica," my perception broke free from its shackles. It's not that I'm so special... no, I just had a couple of VIP privileges like a Gluttony user.

Now the world was painted gray for me, and time began to crawl at a snail's pace. Drops of the just-started rain froze in the air, not reaching the ground. And the lightning streaking across the sky looked like a scar of light on it. It was a state of enlightenment... as if my IQ had suddenly become 530,000.

"Nagi Springfield, were you really crazy... Or is this how true genius manifests itself? Although, as one captain said, these are two extremes of the same thing."

Reflecting on and contemplating the "truth" of Thousand Master's magic, the first thing that comes to mind is that all genius is simple. Of course, not without the typical complexities of magical theory.

First of all, it is necessary to understand that "human" magic is somewhat special. Personally, I like to compare it to science, magical science - Arcana. Of course, I call it that only, paying tribute to a very interesting novel. But its essence does not change, because "human" magic is based on mathematical calculations, construction of geometric structures, as well as knowledge in such areas as physics, chemistry, and biology.

Compared to demonic magic or some holy mechanism, human magic seems damn weak... even insignificant. Based on my observations, almost the entire magical community of humans share this idea, but I don't agree with it!

Of course, human magic is much more tedious and complicated than any other, and its other parameters are average, but that doesn't mean it's weak. After all, it's still magic. As mentioned earlier, we are all bound by our own perception. For example, demons limit themselves, believing that their magic is already strong enough, and their long life has contributed to a certain slowness compared to humans. In turn, humans are limited by the perception of their own magic, assuming in advance that it is weaker.

But not Nagi Springfield! This great mage believed that any magic could become stronger, you just need to look at the problem from a different angle and, with courage, jump into the unknown.

Yes, the main proof of my disagreement turned out to be the person I am currently inside of - Nagi Springfield... I hope no one had any strange thoughts.

So, what did the Thousand Master do that was so special? Perhaps I'll start a little further back, with mana... It's really quite simple.

Mana is a natural energy that fills the world around us and is the source of power for all magic. Interestingly enough, almost no one uses mana in its pure form: demons transform it into demonic energy, angels and fallen angels into holy energy, and humans into magical energy.

However, simply converting mana into energy is not enough to create magic, just like pouring gasoline into a car without an engine won't make it go... which is logical. And at this point, the mage turns to spells for help. Usually, each spell consisted of a general set of magical circles, mathematical formulas and calculations, and a specific activation ritual. To put it more simply, a spell can be thought of as a kind of technology for processing magical power and mana outside the mage's body and creating a supernatural phenomenon.

Finally, why did I call Nagi's use of magical arrows madness?

It's simple, the Thousand Master improved "Sagitta Magica" in a way that completely contradicted the above-described concept of spell creation. He concentrated magic inside his body, creating a conductor out of his flesh and blood, that is, a magic circle. At the same time, the information that was originally supposed to be recorded in the circle was carved into his memory, turning Nagi into a walking spellcaster, and his speed of casting magical arrows was reduced to an instant.

This was an extremely difficult method, as the human body was not a vessel for storing magical spells. To achieve this level of efficiency, one needed exceptional talent, an incredibly strong body, and a tempered mind.

Thanks to special training, he transformed his body into one large magic circle, and his incredible memory helped to reduce the activation speed of the spell to a minimum. Together, this contributed to the growth of the effectiveness of this magic, and he was able to create the most powerful magical arrows in the world... But how did he manage to use other magic?"

Everything has its own price, especially such a special magic as "Sagitta Magica". Firstly, in order to use magic in this way, you need to have an incredibly strong body so that it won't be torn apart by a couple of spells. Secondly, the spell should not be too complicated, as even creating a magic circle of the 2nd circle from one's body is very difficult, not to mention something more serious.

But the most expensive price Nagi would have to pay for using Sagitta Magica was the loss of the ability to use any other spells. After all, when you create a magical circle from your flesh, blood, and bones, you have to understand that the body will reject any other spells, since it will already be a ready-made magical circle.

However, the Thousand Master was not burdened by this. He could not only use various types of magical arrows but also many other spells, including 7th circle spells. After all, he was called the Thousand Master for a reason.

"The only thing that comes to mind is..."

"I am indeed a talented mage, didn't you know?" Nagi replied, realizing what I was thinking.

"He's clearly teasing me... Are strong personalities always so extravagant?"

"Don't think too much about it," Nagi spoke, clearly reading my thoughts. "And returning to your question, the main reason why I was able to use other spells is my high sensitivity."

"Just high sensitivity... Bullshit! To achieve such incredible results, sensitivity must be hundreds, if not thousands of times better than that of an average mage!"

"I already told you that I am a talented mage, didn't I?" Nagi only smirked in response to my dissatisfaction. "Anyway, as interesting as this may be, you already got what you came for. But our time is coming to an end."

Immediately after those words, I felt my consciousness begin to dissolve into the surrounding world. Such a sudden change left me with no strength to respond. But before our connection with Nagi was completely severed, somewhere in the distance, the last words of the Master of Thousands echoed:

"They say that the pinnacle of magic is the study of God... However, once you reach high enough, you'll be burned by the sun like a ΨΩφϐϕαε."

Some of the words were incomprehensible to me, as if they were spoken in an unknown language. What my already fading consciousness was able to perceive of the rest of the sentence was good enough. And in the next moment, I fell into darkness.

In the room of a mediocre student at the Grau Zauberer Association of Magicians.

My name is Ryan Romano, and I opened my eyes, waking up from a very strange dream.

[Synchronization with Nagi Springfield has been completed.]

[Synchronization rate: 90.7%.]

[The experience gained has been saved.]

["Sagitta Magica" of the 2nd Circle has been transformed into "Sagitta Magica" of the Master of Thousands.]

[Nagi Springfield's experience has improved your mastery of this magic.]

[Gluttony is satisfied with the food consumed.]

[Ask her a question or provide the grimoire with another book.]

The first thing I did after waking up was grab my splitting headache. An enormous amount of knowledge from "Sagitta Magica" and Nagi Springfield's years of experience had been ingrained in my brain and refused to leave.

"What a strange feeling... I don't like it," I said, looking at my pale hands, which were thinner and weaker than Nagi's. The feeling of weakness did not leave me.

In the real world, I had been unconscious for only 20 minutes, but in synchronization, an hour had passed. And in such a short time, my body already felt unfamiliar.

This was a clear indication of how deeply the knowledge and experience of the Thousand Master were rooted in my consciousness.

"But even so, it should work."

I murmured quietly, reaching my hand towards the open window.

The previously motionless magic circles spun like an engine. Magical power, like a raging river, flowed into the bloodstream. All of this caused magic to act outside of my body, creating the legendary magical arrow of Nagi Springfield.

There was no magic circle, no signs of magic usage... only a bright blue flash. And in the next moment, a magical arrow with a lightning attribute flew out of my window.

"The cast time is minimal, the size of the arrow is 50 centimeters, the ability to use other spells is present, physical damage is also present," I analyzed, looking at the quickly forming bruises on my hand.

You don't have to be a genius to understand my situation and come to several interesting conclusions. First, the magical arrow I released was already twice as powerful as usual. Second, even though I fully understood the magic of the Thousand Master's arrows, I wouldn't be able to fully unleash their power at the moment. All because of the third conclusion - I am physically weak... very weak. Compared to ordinary humans, I may be above average, but comparing me and Nagi is like comparing a tiger and a kitten... No, this comparison is disrespectful to the kitten. And fourth - I gained much more than just an understanding of the essence of Nagi Springfield's "Sagitta Magica."

The comprehensive experience of a war hero is deeply engraved in my bones.

So, in order to maximize the strength I have gained, I will need to seriously focus on combat training. But first, I still have some questions for Gluttony.

"I have a question for you, Gluttony," I said after a short pause. "How can I increase my magical power?"

There was silence for a while before Gluttony finally answered.

"The answer is too long. There are over a hundred ways to increase magical power. But I can only tell you one. What are your conditions?"

Over a hundred ways... I and the rest of the magical world only know three. But then again, I shouldn't be surprised, now that I have the ancient grimoire, the embodiment of greed, Gluttony, in my hand.

"Based on my assumptions, I have two years left... In that time, I need to become strong enough to not suffer from all the chaos that will begin."

"I need the most effective and quickest way that I can use right now," I continued.

"I understand," Gluttony replied immediately. And then a familiar voice rang out in my head.

[Gluttony's hidden ability unlocked!]

[Like the Greedy Grimoire, Gluttony can feed on anything related to magic.]

[Until now, Gluttony had only been able to extract essences. But now it can absorb part of an item's abilities.]

[Items with built-in magical power that are absorbed will increase the owner's magical power.]

[Gluttony can even digest cursed artifacts.]

[Simple absorption of items, without extracting essence, can even be used while Gluttony is asleep.]

"Can I now consider myself an Intermagical Reviewer?"