Chapter 23

"Well, show me your abilities."

Zatanna said with great curiosity.

Dio raised his hand and pointed at the table in front of them. The entire table turned black, and four skeletal hands emerged from this darkness.

The teapot was held up by two of them, and the cups were filled with tea by the other two, who took them from Zatanna and Diana and brought them to the teapot.

The two hands then poured tea, returned to the darkness, and the darkness itself vanished.

While Dio displayed this little ability, he kept his eyes on Zatanna, who observed his magic closely and mumbled some words that he couldn't understand.

"Understood,"

Zatanna said this after a few seconds of watching the table, even after his magic disappeared.

"Now that you understand, could you also share with us, Zatanna? Dio isn't the only one interested,"

Diana asked.

"Sorry, sometimes I get lost in my thoughts when I'm contemplating."

Then Zatanna turned on her chair and looked at the shelf behind her.

"Koob em ot emoc"

Dio didn't understand what she said, but the effect was instant.

One of the books on the shelf at the other end of the room flew into Zatanna's hand at incredible speed.

She turned around and placed the book on the table without opening it.

"Dio, where does magic come from?"

Zatanna asked.

Dio had to think about it.

'My memories of magic in the DC universe were quite limited, as I never really focused on it.'

The only thing he could say with confidence was that magic didn't originate from just one source.

"From various places,"

Dio answered vaguely.

"You're partly correct. In reality, there are several ways to access magical energy."

"Is this related to my magic?"

Dio asked and tried to understand where this conversation was heading.

"Your type of magic is quite rare, even among other magicians. It has direct access to magical reality, or in your case, the underworld."

'It made sense that my magic came from the underworld, which meant I could use magic as long as the underworld existed.'

"Why is my magic rare?"

Dio asked and wanted to know more.

"Any magic has its price, Dio. The magic itself requires some cost, and every magician must pay this price. The only exception is magicians who have access to the magical realm, where there are no prices, or it was reduced."

When Dio uses his gift, he feels a strong mental and spiritual weakness. If he didn't have this reduced cost for using magic, he would likely be dead by now.

It appeared that he was correct; experimenting and not properly training with magic could be extremely dangerous.

"Dio told me he gets tired when he practices his powers. He would surely die if he tried something powerful. Does that mean he's reached his limit?"

Diana asked and looked concerned for him.

"Not at all, Diana,"

Zatanna replied and smiled.

"What do you mean?"

Dio asked.

"The reason for your exhaustion isn't that you've reached your magical limit, but rather that you're using magic incorrectly."

Zatanna raised her hands and waved them in the air, and blue light began to emit from her fingertips.

Soon, this energy enveloped the cup from which she sipped tea, and then the cup transformed into a beautiful red rose.

"Did you notice anything special?"

Zatanna asked him.

"Well, it looks like you put a lot of effort into it."

Dio replied and noticed the beads of sweat running down her forehead. What she did should be quite short.

"That's because I was pushing the magic."

Zatanna explained.

"What do you mean?"

Dio asked.

"Think of the spellcasting process as a mathematical equation. You have to solve the equation, and the correct answer to the equation is the spell's execution. You can make the calculation complicated, but if you use a mathematical formula that helps solve it, achieving the result becomes easier and lighter."

"Because of my lack of fundamental knowledge, I've been choosing the difficult path, and that's why I get exhausted."

Dio replied and understood the example Zatanna provided.

"That's absolutely right,"

Zatanna replied.

"So, all I need to do is learn the 'mathematical formula'?"

Dio asked.

"In essence, yes, but of course, it's not that simple."

"For example, my family possesses the ability to perform magic, but to say it backward, However, it took some time to perfect it, and this knowledge was refined in each following generation until it reached me."

She continued.

"Are you saying I'll have to start basically from scratch because I'm the first?"

Dio said as he grasped the issue.

"Correct, but not entirely from scratch. You'll be able to guide yourself using magic similar to yours."

Then Zatanna handed him the book she had been holding all along, and Dio took it.

It was a white book on a leather cover, with Latin words on the cover.

"This is a basic magic book, an introduction of sorts."

Zatanna explained.

"Let's start with the basics before I learn to control my powers."

Dio said this and nodded.

"Yes, that's right, but I haven't decided yet whether I'll be teaching you!"

Zatanna said.

"Zatanna, you said you would teach him."

Diana interrupted.

"I said I'd get to know him better, Diana, and then see if I could teach him."

Zatanna repeated her words.

"May I ask why the decision hasn't been made yet?"

Zatanna looked at Dio, and this time, there was no smile on her face.

"Your magic, or let's call it underworld magic for now, closely resembles necromancy and dark magic. To learn how to use it, you'll need to use them as a reference."

"I understand, and if I study this magic, you're afraid I'll turn to the dark side of power."

Dio said it jokingly.

"If I choose to teach you, the responsibility for your actions as a magician will be on me. I don't want the burden of raising a crazy necromancer on my conscience."

...

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