Blessed With Knowledge 6

(Gale POV) (Age: 6) (2002)

[+100 CP Milestone]

[+100 CP Achievement: Happy Birthday]

[900 CP Remaining]

"Breaking news: Superman stops bus from falling off a bridge!"

"Gotham currently reeling from effects of Joker toxin poisoning. Over 50 people in the orphanage were affected."

"Star City still on the hunt for the Green Arrow vigilante."

"Wonder Woman to receive honors in DC after saving a plane that nearly crashed into the Pentagon."

As I looked through the newspaper, as well as listened to the various news channels on the television, it really shows how much the world is changing.

Barely a few years ago, you would hear about the odd incident, which I mostly attributed to science experiments gone wrong or maybe some people accidentally using some type of magical spell or ritual.

But now the wave is beginning to gather. And to be honest, while I'm definitely not a paragon of humanity, even I can feel a bit jealous as well as a bit irritated over how pointless it all seems.

Not to mention how blind the public seems to be to the various activities of super-criminals. Focusing on the most popular example, that being Lex Luthor and Superman. To be honest, if Lex wanted to be on top, if it was an ego-related issue, all he had to do was just use his brain to actually help humanity.

The guy could probably whip up a cure for cancer in weeks and, if it was his comic prime version, a few hours, maybe. Not to mention if they wanted to do the whole Illuminati thing, just do what other Illuminati do—just take over countries one by one by influencing their economy.

But now, from the limited information I could remember from watching the couple of seasons of Young Justice, they instead just focused on bringing alien attention to Earth when we are so fully underprepared that it would quite literally be the coughing baby versus atomic bomb meme.

To be honest, even if Vandal was able to get access to the War World in this timeline as he does in the original timeline, it won't stop them all. Honestly, I think age has rusted the old man's brains.

Yet that wasn't my problem. My problem was gaining more knowledge and power from the Grimoire and making sure that my sister doesn't blow up the house again.

Thankfully, my father set up self-repairing runes around the place, especially after the cooking incident.

Let's just say trying to cook with magic prepared by an underage mage is not the best experience. And while Mother had to console my sister about it, Zatara and I had to deal with the monstrosities that had formed from the oven.

And while I really, really wanted to laugh at that memory, it would not end well.

Speaking of things that did not seem to end well, was what happened a couple of months ago. It's just a theory, but I think Martian Manhunter has finally arrived on Earth.

It was in early February when I sensed something tickling my mental defenses. It was only for a few moments, but since it was probably a large psychic scan, whoever was doing it probably barely noticed they couldn't access my mind.

And it was on that same day I thanked the Grimoire for giving me that shielded soul perk. Truly, having soul and mental defenses is a must-have for this universe. Since then, I haven't felt any mental attacks.

Speaking of my very fickle ability-granting device, it's been quiet for a while now—years, in fact—but I could sense that it was building to something again, and I let it do its thing since most of the time I was busy exercising and practicing with my magic.

Sadly, progress has been decently slow as I would believe. I currently have C+ bordering on B-rank magic, which I attribute to the general nature of how magic works from the Solo Leveling universe. Since it isn't something that is supposed to be built over time and just made toward a fixed level when given, it takes longer to build up, and I'm totally not jealous of a certain main character being able to gain power infinitely through game-like systems. Totally not jealous whatsoever.

As I put the newspaper back on the table next to the couch in the living room, I see my sister practicing with her backwards magic again. Currently, she's only able to do basic phrases and not-too-difficult short sentences, but she'll get better with time.

Not wanting to interrupt her, I give her a small thumbs-up, to which she smiles and returns the gesture.

Heading back into my room and shutting the door, I surround the walls and the door with my magic in a very obvious version of sound suppression. But maybe it's due to the foreign nature of my magic, but no one is seemingly noticing it. Even Zatara seems unaware, as the day when I unlocked my magic for the first time it was as if he never even noticed.

So either he's a masterful actor or maybe he's just not able to sense it. That alone created at least 10 more questions in my mind, but once I get access to my own abode, I'll be able to answer these questions.

I'm just happy that I can finally access magic, even if it's only on a basic level. Every night, I just watch as my magic flows through my body. It's honestly therapeutic in nature.

The book sends me a mental thing asking me to open it, and seeing that it hasn't done that for months now, I decide to oblige it.

The book then reopens, and that same golden light begins to emanate from it.

[Rolling]

Fate/Legends - Garden of Avalon/A Different Age: (Free): This isn't the year 2004 anymore. We're in an age and a place where mystery is heavy in the air and heroes still spring up like weeds to challenge hordes of creatures out of legends and nightmares both. To be born in this era, especially to be born with the potential to be a hero, means to be something special. You have physical and magical abilities beyond the common man of the modern era. As an adult with no further training, you have a good deal of talent for combat and the physical attributes to kill a modern man in a single blow or outrun an Olympian with little effort. You also possess just over 100 top-quality magical circuits, at least by modern standards. In these times, they're only high quality. You have no magical training, but the potential thrums eagerly within you. And of course, the mystery in the air is seemingly quite good for a growing body, as you're very likely to grow up to become quite the lovely specimen. You won't be wowing many people in this country, but in the modern day, it's likely you'd be quite the lusted-after creature. Especially since your body, if you want, is naturally inclined towards becoming very curvy. Or hard. Depending on what you prefer.

….

...

(Continued…)

I don't know how to feel about this.

On one hand, I'm finally getting access to a deeper magic system. In fact, one of the deepest across the entire Omniverse. On the other hand, it's another beauty-enhancing perk… yet as I looked and read the description of this perk over and over again, I never even realized when the manic smile crossed my face.

But Grimoire, you're essentially about to do soul surgery on me. Should I be prepared for pain?

The book then proceeded to almost frantically shake itself left or right as it opened once more.

[Do Not Worry. The Creator Isn't So Barbaric As To Make The User Needlessly Suffer. You See, One Thing About Your Body Is That It Was Made To Accept And Adapt To All Magic. There May Be Some Discomfort.]

[900 CP Remaining]

In that moment, the book, instead of glowing in a golden color, glowed in that bluish color from when I unlocked my Mana. And instead of an all-consuming wave, it was as if hundreds of needles pierced my body. As the energy entered my body, the needles made their way down into my very soul and from my soul, 100 circuits formed across my body.

And while there wasn't pain, there was an almost burning sensation as each of the circuits began to take shape, which I assume is most likely due to the circuits being closely linked to the nervous system.

But there is a problem. While I have gained 100 beautiful magic circuits, I have no foundation to learn from. And unless I pull a suicidal hero-of-justice learning strategy, I'm going to have to base this purely off my memory.

Yet the very thought of being able to use spells like projection, reinforcement, structural analysis, and so many more leaves me salivating. But for now, I need to learn my trigger. For some, it feels like the thirst when walking through a desert, but what should be mine?

As I look at the circuits forming beneath my skin, I notice their blue coloring—not light blue like the sky, but a darker one. Not yet navy, but a deep blue. It reminds me of the sky where I'm at, the angel, and where this journey started. I didn't know so much then. Even now, I've barely scratched the surface.

The circuits then begin to show their benefits on my body as my musculature begins to look more refined without losing its volume. I can feel the individual muscles becoming more efficient and denser. Yet there's no pain. I assume the book must place some type of soul- and body-based anesthesia, which would be amazing for various transformation processes.

And soon enough, all 100 magic circuits form. As I look, one thought comes to mind: the search for knowledge. The feeling of wanting to know more.

As if they were never there, the circuits then disappear, yet I could feel them in the back of my mind, recording any and all information I am currently able to process.

Closing my eyes, I focus on my endless search for knowledge, and across my left arm, the circuits form and glow in a deep blue light. Yet I wasn't satisfied with this. As I focused on my mind, I tried to separate my thoughts, trying to understand. As the circuits began to form around my forehead in a pattern all too similar to something like the weave from DND, I feel my mind expand but then painfully contract.

I bite down on my lip so as not to make a sound, and blood begins to slowly come down from one of my nostrils. Taking a deep breath, I release the feeling, and the circuits disappear.

"OK, not doing that again, at least not for a while." As I take deep breaths to focus my attention on the almost migraine-like feeling in my brain, I stare out the window and notice that in the supposed short time that I was in my room, the evening sun had already set.

Standing up, I look to the mirror in my room and find that while the benefits are somewhat noticeable, unless someone was taking a deeper look, no one should be able to see the difference. As I look into my green eyes that I inherited from Zatara, I notice how they've gotten a bit brighter—not glowing, but just brighter.

Placing my hand on the mirror again, I focus on that feeling of wanting to know more and try to use my circuits as a sort of microscope to understand. As the circuits spread throughout the mirror, information begins to fill my mind—information on every single aspect of this mirror, from its creation in a cold factory to the feeling of being enclosed in a box for transport.

Stepping back, I see the circuits again recede into my body. While it is slight progress, the smile never leaves my face. As I walk back to the bed, I see the book, and for the briefest of moments, I consider trying to analyze it before realizing that a mirror was enough to almost cause my head to start hurting, so trying to understand an artifact on the level of the Grimoire would be foolish.

For now, I grab it out of the air and caress the front of it and, without an ounce of shame, give it a small hug before letting go as it floats away. For a moment, the book seems almost confused on what it should do next before opening once more.

[Rolling…The Hug Was Nice]

Odd comment aside, I see the book and its pages beginning to turn once more. But instead of a blue, pink, or yellow light, a green light turns on. And instead of knowledge or power, something else forms—a connection.

Fate/Legends - Garden of Avalon/Holy Staff: (-400 CP): "For a magus who looks to do work in the crush of battle yet still requires a proper mystic code, there's no need to look further than this. A fairy-made weapon, similar to Excalibur if much weaker, has been mounted on a staff made from a very old and magical tree. Together, they form the perfect weapon for one such as you. The blade, beyond being a holy blade of excellent power, can unleash good-sized blasts of holy light on command. The staff will significantly increase the power of magic used while holding it, as well as making magical energy much easier to shape and direct, even energy from outside the wielder's form."

[500 CP Remaining]

From the green light, something began to take shape, looking similar to that of a large tree branch shaped in the form of a sickle. From the top ends were colorful ribbons holding a sheath for a sword, and even I could tell how powerful it was.

Soon enough, the green light faded away, and the staff floated in the air in front of me. My hand reached out for it, and as I took it, it fit into my hand perfectly, even shrinking itself down to fit my younger age.

It was so beautiful… before realizing I was already in tears just looking at it. Fairy-killing memes aside, they truly made wonderful works of art. And as I focused on my magic circuits, I could feel the power I could pull from the head increase by multiple times. Although this does cause a small problem to arise, as I wouldn't be able to use the sword that's held within the staff, as I haven't had any training in swordplay.

And as much as I wanted to test it, I found that it would be difficult to do in this place, and as I wondered where I would be able to store it, as I don't have a storage dimension, the book then opened, and I understood immediately.

Items from the Grimoire could be stored within the book, but nothing else. Yet I felt hesitant to give it up. It felt like giving up a part of me, yet I've only been holding it for a few minutes now.

Reluctantly, I placed the staff into the book, the process itself looking similar to what Asta does in Black Clover with his demon-slaying weapons. And even for the few moments the staff leaves my hand, I feel a tiny bit emptier.

A small part of me was afraid that I'm using up years of my luck for today's rolls, yet if I could, I'd be running and screaming around the house in pure and utter jubilation, but again, I'm not alone—not yet, at least.

[+100 CP Milestone]

[+100 CP Achievement: Gain Your First Wizard Staff]

[700 CP Remaining]

But for now, the book is seemingly done for the day, and it has left me much to think about and so much more to do… so much more to learn. But first, I really need to learn how to crack memory partitioning. I also need to think of a name for the staff. I can't just call it the Holy Staff.

Yet as I wielded my lightning in my left hand and my magic circuits activating in my right, I feel so much more complete.

(Age: 7) (Year: 2003)

[+100 CP Achievement: Happy Birthday]

[800 CP Remaining]

"Project," a single word uttered as suddenly as I could, and as I watched electricity beginning to arc around me, I see from the burst of energy a single steel knife. As I hold it in my hand, it feels just as I imagined it.

Twirling it in my hand, I both practiced my mental partitioning as well as my reinforcement, as while I am twirling it, I am trying to get it to cut my hand. I am wearing a leather glove over the hand, and I'm trying to reinforce the glove itself.

So far, I've managed to keep the glove from getting cut a single time. In the other hand, I'm focusing my thoughts on creating a continuous electrical current. Soon enough, in my right hand, a ball of electricity forms, its energy causing sparks to erupt across the room, and in response, I tried to condense it and focus it.

Soon enough, it begins to shrink in my hand before settling no larger than a marble. I then toss it toward the punching bag I have set up in my room. Mimicking a certain railgun, I flick it toward the punching bag and see as it flies directly into it.

Sand then begins to fall from the sandbag on both sides, but with a small bit of duct tape, the problem is fixed.

Staring at the decent amount of holes in my punching bag, I wonder if I should get something stronger to use as practice. It also helps to distract me from some news that I've learned.

I wasn't supposed to know about this, but it was hard to miss the medical files being tossed in the trash. It seems that my mother has developed cancer. But she's going to be starting treatment soon, and at least she won't have to worry about wearing wigs if she loses her hair, as my father can simply regrow it with a simple spell.

It should be fine, but the world has fucking super science, for Pete's sake.

I should just keep focusing on learning how to use my magic circuits… I have to learn more…

(Age: 8) (Year: 2004)

[+100 CP Achievement: Happy Birthday]

[900 CP Remaining]

Displacement spells are very difficult to use. I've been attempting some minor things, like trying to warp various plastic forks and spoons into opposing utensils. I'm nowhere near the level of being able to displace the floor into the sky, but eventually, I'll be able to make those miniature portals, which would definitely help in combat.

It's definitely been a ridiculous time sink, as I barely even noticed the months passing by. Zatara has been focusing on teaching my sister more and more of his magic, I would assume to either pass on his legacy or to take his mind off my mother's cancer.

To be honest, it's the first time I've ever been afraid to ask a question, and almost in a childlike curiosity, I'm curious as to why he just doesn't use his libromancy to get rid of the cancer. But then I remind myself how hard it is to use basic reinforcement, and even with backwards magic, he must have to apply his knowledge to some things, and maybe cancer is just something too complex for his level of power.

Zatanna has also been noticing the more tense atmosphere, even if both of our parents are trying to hide it. There must be something I'm missing, as I may have to take desperate measures in the future. I've been trying to keep up with a routine of physical exercises as well as magical practice during the night, in addition to some basic martial arts and swordplay from various videos off of YouTube.

Zatara didn't even question it, as he probably just assumed it was my way to cope with the higher levels of anxiety and stress.

The Grimoire has been silent again, and in the smallest parts of my mind, I consider praying to that angel again, but I slap that down. He's already helped me enough. I need to do this myself if the treatments don't end up working.

Displacement magecraft is essentially the entry-level to alchemy. I can make something.

(Age: 10) (Year: 2006)

[+100 CP Milestone]

[1000 CP Remaining]

Current Mana Level: B+

This is how I've registered my current level of power. I can crumple steel in my hand. I can keep up with luxury vehicles going over hundreds of miles an hour. I've learned to do so much, yet I feel so limited still.

I'm essentially wandering in the dark without a lamp. Zatara has withdrawn into his hero work and magic shows. He sometimes shows up to help my sister with her studies, and he set both of us up at a Catholic school that includes elementary and middle school levels of education.

It's not the most strict Catholic school, but we have had to take classes based around Catholicism. My sister is able to learn it pretty easily, along with myself, due to the model student perk, and while she doesn't really believe in it, I know the fact that at least in this universe, God technically exists. I mean, for the heck of it, the devil may one day end up opening a bar in Los Angeles.

But I can't really blame Zatara, as he wants to keep us focused on other things. Sindella still keeps smiling. She wakes us both up in the morning and makes us a meal, even as I see her start to degrade.

I remember the last time Kent Nelson came by a couple of months ago, and it's then that I saw Zatara beg the man to help with his wife and her cancer. It's the first time I've ever seen him beg. Nelson refused, saying that he didn't have anything to help her, which I knew was bullshit. He just didn't wanna put on the damn helmet again.

But I couldn't blame him. Who would want to have their life zapped away being the puppet of the Lord of Order that does fuck all for the world other than keep the Lords of Chaos amused?

My alchemical studies have dropped to a standstill, as I don't have any resources to continue studying, so I've been throwing myself into learning projection and structural analysis. I've also attempted to replicate the railgun technique from that one anime that I can't remember.

The book remains silent. But I will not beg.

I look to the book just floating there, utterly silent.

(Age: 11) (Year: 2007)

[+100 CP Milestone]

[1,100 CP Remaining]

Beep Beep… Beep Beep

The sound of the heart monitor echoes throughout the room as I sit and hold my mother's hand. She's asleep right now. No one knows I'm here. It helps that I can run miles in minutes now. I think my father knows that I'm leaving the house to come here, but I don't think he cares.

Her hand, once vibrant, is now sickly, and she's getting worse…. I never thought this would happen. Please keep your eyes open.

Her eyes open for a few moments, and she smiles and falls back to sleep while I just look at the book.

However, before looking back to my mother, I hear the mental ping before accepting immediately.

And as the book begins to turn its pages, I wonder what I would do if these next rolls fail me…

(Ok boys and girls, next chapter will be picking up speed a bit more, and I will leave you guys to wonder what is going to happen next chapter. Also, I apologize if he doesn't seem to be growing so fast, but he's essentially doing all of this based on training plus practice equals progress. We should begin to get into some real story within the next couple of chapters. I hope y'all have had a wonderful start to the new year.)