Chương 2: Ways

Weeks flew by, but my memories did not magically return as I'd wished. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise—not being weighed down by regrets of my past life, and the sorrow of leaving my loved ones behind. Telling myself that was easy; it was filling the void they left within me with something else that was tough. And the task became increasingly difficult as I had nothing to occupy my mind with. My days remained the same: boring, repetitive, and forgettable.

Well, aside from the occasional messages like these: [Congratulations! Way of Essence Sense I (100/100) is complete.] [Attribute Gained: Focus (Elementary).] [+2 Focus.] [+1 Cognition.] [The Way of Essence Sense II (100/250) is now accessible.] [A new Way is accessible: Perseverance I (1/10).] The glittering texts of the Spell greeted my sight, followed by a narration of their meaning. I blinked twice and stared suspiciously, wondering if doubling my Cognition would make me twice as smart.

This line of thought led nowhere. But gaining another attribute provided hints for what I needed to do to acquire magic. The mystical power still eluded me, but I was only a little child. It was natural that magic was largely beyond my grasp. Imagine the atrocities a thoughtless baby would wreak because their milk was not at the right temperature. Still, I hoped Way of Essence Sense could help me with it. So far as I understood, it was the capacity to detect the magical power.

There was no such power in the wind or the atmosphere, so the only path for me to train it was only when Mother cast the spell on me, or had her magical power employed elsewhere. That made it difficult to have any good progress in the Essence Sense. But I still completed the first part of it, unlike meditation. I was not entirely convinced that meditation helped with magic, but seeing my mother meditate as part of her morning ritual was a great incentive to keep my hopes up.

I had been trying since I gained the Way, yet barely seemed to have gotten the hang of it. It did not help that the Way of Meditation likely measured the hours I spent meditating. It seemed to count only the time I spent in a completely thoughtless state. Being passed out or asleep did not help. On another note, I still failed to grasp what my mother's path was. A healer? A magus? or just a crafter? She was still paranoid about my health and cast the light spell on me three or four times a day.

She did the same for other babies occasionally, when their mothers brought them to the house with colds or other minor ailments. I supposed that made her a healer, but just the other day, she sent a man with a broken arm away, since healing broken bones was beyond her abilities. Other than that, she devoted most of her time to crafting, and her work was not limited to smithing metals into tools and weapons. She worked with leather, cotton, and wood as well.

I had even seen her fix light constructs—blobs of magical devices that emitted warm light when triggered. Villagers came to her for repairs on those and many other tools. She would scribble a peculiar symmetrical geometrical pattern with runes on them with a sharp pen, check their utility, and hand them back. When the villagers pressed her to accept coins for her effort, she always refused, telling them the little repair did not warrant payment.

After rubbing some smelly oil all over me, she had left me in the open for sunbathing, as I watched her carry huge chunks of stone from one corner of the yard to another. Sheesh! That stone was enough to squish any normal person to a bloody pulp, but she moved as if she were taking a stroll in the park. She did not even break a sweat. Her figure did not suggest any inhuman build either, though she did cut a tall, lean figure with long auburn hair bound in a braid.

I watched her carrying stones and gathering them near our house, which she was rebuilding. Single-handedly. Every time she passed after dropping a small boulder, she checked on me, a smile playing on her lips. My mother was a workhorse. She was relentless once she started, which was every morning. We were not poor enough that she had to put in half her waking hours doing heavy work. But she was not a brute either. The rest of her time was spent on writing and reading, other than taking care of me.

Slowly and unwittingly, she had become my earliest inspiration, rooting deep into my memory. Watching her work so tirelessly motivated me to do the same. I wanted to learn the language as soon as I could, to learn new things, to understand her better, and to understand the world. Since she took care of all of my needs, I devoted half my waking hours to meditation. At first, it had been largely draining, but one day, I felt rejuvenated after a meditation session.

And it was not simply because I completed the first layer of the Way. [Congratulations! Way of Meditation I (100/100) is complete.] [+2 Focus.] [+1 Cognition.] [The Way of Meditation II (100/250) is now accessible.] Now, with all these points, I was half as feeble. Hopefully, they would help me make more of my time. More points in Focus made it easier to concentrate at the very least. My progress in meditation skyrocketed from there. In the beginning days, I had barely gained a point every two or three days.

Now, it was quite the opposite. With nothing else to tire myself with, I clocked two or three points in the Way of meditation each day from then on. My hard work bore fruit. Within a few weeks, I completed the Way of Meditation II. The rewards did not disappoint me at all. [Congratulations! Way of Meditation II (250/250) is complete.] [+2 Focus.] [+1 Cognition.] [The Way of Meditation III (250/500) is now accessible.] The improvement was staggering, and I was not slowing down at all.

But there were still more things I could try. Days passed by. It was still autumn, the weather lovely, save for the occasional ashen storms when we had to spend entire weeks confined within the bounds of our house. My mother had stopped casting the golden light on me after I learned to crawl. I guessed her paranoia had eased as I grew fast and strong. Unfortunately, that deteriorated my pace of improving Essence Sense.

Still, she made sure to give me the rejuvenation light once or twice every week, and I clang onto them as if my life depended on it. Soon, that became unhelpful as well. It mattered little how much I visualised the golden energy threading its way into my body; there was no improvement to be made. After getting to 124 points, Way of Essence Sense seemed to stall completely. I did not believe it was due to the lack of trying, but perhaps because I mastered what could be learned of perceiving my mother's essence.

[A new Way is accessible: Motor Skills (1/100).] This had been a long time coming. Crawling was still difficult. I had bumped my head on the ground more times than I could remember. Oftentimes, I could not help but wail at the top of my lungs, even though I poured everything to control the urge. Some things simply were not in my control. It was an equal part strange and an equal part horrifying how baby-like I was becoming.

My past life became nothing but a feverish dream as the reality of this one took over, and shaped my understanding. Mum usually bolted from whatever she was doing to heal me. Unfortunately, she decided crawling was too much of a strenuous job for a barely 135-day-old infant. She would not leave me alone long enough to finish the Way of Motor Skills. The little practice she allowed would barely get me through it in about half a year. And a year seemed to be so painstakingly long.

Fortunately, she relented whenever I made a pouting face. I was glad to learn she was not immune to cute baby faces. Under her direct supervision, I got to practise for about an hour. Her cheers and encouragement for my feeble attempts were a pleasant addition, however. Whereas meditation became easier and easier. [Congratulations! You have completed the Way of Meditation III (501/500)] [+4 Focus.] [+2 Cognition.] [The Way of Meditation IV (501/1000) is now accessible.] Winter came with a sudden blizzard and snow. It was an atrocity of far less competency than the ashen storms, but the terrible cold, the chilly wind, and the measly six hours of sunlight made it just as detestable and confining. Good thing, snowstorms were rarer and seldom longer than a couple of days. [Congratulations! Way of Motor Skills (100/100) is complete.] [Attribute Gained: Alacrity (Elementary).] [+2 Alacrity.] Finally, an attribute to cast aside the frailty of my fragile form! I cheered.

Sadly, Motor Skills seemed to end there, though I was not disappointed as more Ways were waiting for me to unlock. [A new Way is accessible: Balance I (1/100).] [A new Way is accessible: Mobility (1/100).] [Congratulations! Way of Meditation IV (1000/1000) is complete.] [+4 Focus.] [+2 Cognition.] [The Way of Meditation V (1000/2500) is now accessible.] [Congratulations! Way of Balance I (100/100) is complete.] [Attribute gained: Body Coordination (Elementary] [+2 Body Coordination.] [The Way of Balance II (100/250) is now accessible.] Yeahhh! No more (less) falling on my head from now on. Winter was painstakingly long, extending over two hundred days. But in those two hundred days, I'd finally learned to stand on my own feet and run. [Congratulations! Way of Mobility (100/100) is complete.] [+2 Alacrity.] [A new Way is accessible: Running I (1/100).]... I was going to be buff in no time. Magically speaking, it would take months—years even—but I was too moved to care." Can you say it again, Pumpkin?" Mum asked, lifting me with her hands under my arms." Mum-ma," I obliged. She pulled me close, kissing my cheeks, a twinkle of tears in her eyes. It was difficult for me to comprehend the kind of joy my mere existence brought her, and I likely would not be able to understand it for a long time. It had taken me longer to speak my first words than it had to do most things. I guessed it was mostly because I was a silent child. My vocal cords and voice probably had not developed enough. Who knew not crying at every little discomfort would come back to bite me like this? My mother had been worried sick for some weeks, since all the other infants my age were babbling incoherent sounds. It did not take me a whole year, but that was only due to a year being over six hundred days long. From what I could piece out of my vague memories, that was perhaps twice as long as Earth." Mum," I called again and pointed towards the bookshelf. It was story time, and I'd even miss my meditation session for it." Sorry, sweetheart," she whispered into my ear." I have some errands to run." My expression fell, but she knew how to coddle me." I promise to read you one at bedtime. One you haven't heard yet, about the Oracle and her Knight." I beamed. She asked if I wanted to come with her, but I declined, shaking my head. Just after she left, I jumped to my feet and dragged a stool over to the bookshelf. I could not read, but some books had beautiful pictures in them. I enjoyed them as much as the tales bound within the pages. Although I could not deny that a tiny part of me hoped to gain a Way—perhaps something related to reading—out of it. Not all the books had pictures in them. In fact, only a few did. The rest were large leather-bound volumes. Who knew what kind of gospel they held? Mum rarely reads those. After a few minutes of scuffling around, I found a picture book. Well, it was more of an encyclopedia of rare plants and exotic animals. But to my infant mind, all that mattered was that it had pretty pictures. The book was thick, and the number printed on its cover suggested it was the third volume in the series. I searched for its predecessors but failed to find any. Well, it was not like I could read... A thought crossed my mind, and I immediately summoned my full profile, turning my attention to the tiny wheel mark on my palm. [Profile] Arilyn Arcis O'Ryon Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Path: U/A Honours: U/A Attributes [4/8]: Unallocated Points: 0 Cognition (Elementary): +8 Focus (Elementary): +14 Alacrity (Elementary): +6 Body Coordination (Elementary): +2 Gift: [Fractal Soul] Ways: In progress: Meditation V (1542/2500) | Essence Sense II (177/250) | Balance II (232/250) | Running II (107/250) | Swimming I (4/100) | Perseverance II (9 /10) | Fractal Sight I (1/100) Completed: Meditation IV | Essence Sense I | Balance I | Motor Skills | Mobility | Running I My [Profile] looked a little better than the time it first revealed itself. Meditation remained my most accomplished Way, while I had found some success in Essence Sense. The physical Ways required some work. Running was the fastest growing among them, while swimming was completely under her supervision, and I was glad for that. As a baby, I had limited freedom. I had pushed Meditation and Balance the farthest because I could do both while confined to my cradle and the house. More attributes sure helped, but I was still very much within mortal limits. Engaging in Essence Sense for more than a few minutess inflicted piercing pain on my mind, and only Meditation could save me from the headaches. And then there was Fractal Sight, which eluded me since the beginning. Perseverance seemed to count the total number of layers of each Way I persevered through. I had to wait a little longer to find out what benefit it gets me. Right now, my focus was not on my growth. What mattered was the fact that I could read profile texts. Why? The Spell had narrated them so many times that my mind had memorised them, but even before that I could still somehow interpret them. What intrigued me was the possibility of learning to read from this. Grabbing a notebook and a pen, I sat down on the floor and started scribbling all the unique letters from the profile. I counted thirty-three of them. Then I went back to the thick volume and wrote down the missing letters. There were seven more, but most of those seemed to be rarely used. Next, I began noting down words that only used the thirty-three known letters from the encyclopaedia. I pronounced them aloud, or at least tried, hoping they'd be among the words I already knew. The grand total was not that large, despite being enough to understand most of what my mother or other people uttered on a daily basis. The results were depressing. Out of the couple dozen words I noted down, I barely recognised a fraction. While I could make guesses for the rest, they'd just be that—guesses. Simply asking Mum to teach me would be so much easier… Learning the numbers was easier. It ran on a decimal system, which I picked up from the page numbers in the book. Oh, I remember what a decimal system is… Clicking my tongue, I trudged along the path of literacy. It was a dark, depressing road full of guesswork, but I persevered. Here's what I managed to learn about a certain plant: So? egir Grass: A highly — grass, grows on —. It does not demand (require?) earth to grow, — water grows like — Hardly readable. But I did not give up easily. After all, I had all the encouragement I needed. [A new Way is accessible: Education I (1/100)]"Great!" I jumped to my feet in triumph." Thank you, Spell… I've been waiting to hear your voice all week…" I had likely been scribbling for over an hour, prompting the Spell to grant me this new Way. Most Ways were time-based, so far as I reasoned. It barely took me any time to complete my homework, but I spent about half an hour on other studies before I dashed to find Mum. A month had passed since I picked up running, and I had not grown bored with it yet. Learning to run had stretched my world vastly wider than it used to be. I did not believe I would ever grow tired of it. Mum was cooking our supper, humming some familiar tunes soothing to the ears." Move carefully within the house, pumpkin." The kitchenette was stacked tight with tall shelves filled with all kinds of containers, dishes and plates. By its side were a pair of ovens that emitted colourful flames. Behind them was a table of four, though we were merely a family of two." I'm done," I called, sniffing the aroma wafting from the pan." Spinach, yuck!"" Already?" Mum turned to face me, completely overlooking my dissatisfaction with the food. She took the notebook from me and turned page after page, her eyes scanning over my messy handwriting." Wow, pumpkin, you weren't lying when you said you've learned all the letters."" That's not all..." She flipped to another page, where I had tried to arrange letters into words and sentences. Her brows furrowed as she examined the page. It's normal for infants to do at least this much, right? I thought as her gaze returned to me." Ari, how did you learn all this?" I shrugged." I read your books... I mean, I tried to read them and imitated..."" You imitated," she mumbled, her impressed tone fading." The sentences are clumsy, but for you to learn all this by yourself... Which books did you read?"" It was a record of exotic creatures. It has a lot of beautiful pictures. Let me bring it to you." Wasting no time, I hurried to the study room and climbed onto the stool to pick up the leather-bound tome, already set apart from the rest. I returned with the same enthusiasm, clutching the huge encyclopaedia to my chest, when my foot bumped into something. Unable to balance myself in time, I fell, my head knocking against the hardwood floor. It was only a couple of months ago Mum had removed all the cushioning after I had learned to walk properly. Without it, I felt the full brunt of the blow. A yelp escaped my lips, prompting Mum to leave everything behind to come to my rescue." Pumpkin," she cried, swooping down to take me into her arms." Are you alright? I told you not to rush within the house. Now look at yourself."" I'm fine—" She shushed me, drawing her palm over the slight bump on my forehead. Golden light spilled out of her hand and soothed the pain instantaneously, while the power rejuvenated any kind of exhaustion or weakness I had not even realised I had. It barely took a fraction of the golden light to heal the bump, while the rest spread throughout my body slowly. [Congratulations! Way of Ballance II (250/250) is complete.] [+2 Body Coordination.] [The Way of Balance II (250/500) is now accessible.] It was almost funny that the inability to balance myself completed what was left to complete the layer. Either way, that marked the tenth completed Way, that means... [Congratulations! Way of Perseverance I (10/10) is complete.] [+2 Unallocated Points.] [The Way of Perseverance II (11/25) is now accessible.] [Congratulations! You have met all three requirements for an Advanced Attribute.] [Analysing available options...] [Please choose between the two options: Arcane Acuity | Essence Sensitivity.]"Wow!" I mumbled unwittingly before the spell could finish. I did not know what the other requirement had been, but for the first time, I was given a choice for my reward." Ari, what's wrong?" Arcane Acuity or Essence Sensitivity... Why do both sound so impressive? I thought hard, as both options seemed like they could push me closer to wielding magic. One literally had the word "Arcane" in it, while the other, "essence," basically meant the fuel of magic. My joy knew no bounds. It was only when Mum nudged me, pulling me up to her eye level, that I came out of my stupor." Pumpkin, you feeling alright?" Worry tinged her voice." If there's any discomfort, I can take you to the mender, and—""Mum, which one is better?" I asked, excited enough to fumble the question." Arcane Essence or Essence Acuity?" Mum blinked, then her eyes narrowed sharply." What did you say?"" Oh, I said it wrong. It's Essence Sensitivity and Arcane Acuity. Quick, tell me which is best for a magus..." My voice slowed as I realised Mum did not share my enthusiasm." Sweetheart, where did you learn all this?" she said, a line forming between her brows." The Spell told me." I noticed she was holding her breath." The Spell always rewards me whenever I complete a Way, and this time..." Mum rubbed her forehead. Did I do something wrong?" it gave a choice between the two options." Her expression only grew grimmer as she began examining me. Her eyes squinted, spilling deep golden light. Those unusual eyes bore down me as if searching to find something wrong with me." Did I do something wrong?" My voice came out hesitant, perhaps even frightened. Realising her reaction was inappropriate, Mum's eyes returned to normal, and she hugged me tightly." No, pumpkin, you did nothing wrong."" Are you not angry at me?"" I can never be angry at my sweet boy," she said, stroking my head." No matter what you do."" Even if I don't eat spinach?"" Even if you don't eat spinach, broccoli, fish, or any of the vegetables," she said, cradling me quietly." I'm sorry, Ari. Mum did not want to scare you..."" Mum is never scary." She kissed me on the cheek, her eyes turning teary." Alright, can you tell Mum what this is about?" I explained about the Way of Essence Sense, from where it all began. Mum listened in silence, her face was a mask of solemnity. I had learned a general idea about the Spell from all the stories she narrates me to sleep. Of course, there were still many holes in my knowledge, as Mum deemed some stories were too convoluted and sensitive for a child's mind. Essentially, the Oracle had devised the Spell to fight against dark forces that had threatened to engulf the entire realm. And it had worked. It had been centuries since the world had experienced any calamity. Civilisation was thriving. With the support of the Spell, the number of elite awakened was multiplying in each generation. Apparently, only one in thirty was born with a mark like the one on my palm, and the Spell helped them cultivate their powers. Of course, my curiosity had only piqued from there, and Mum had to narrate stories about the Oracle and the First Knight to appease my thirst. Nobody knew how much of the story was the truth and how much of it was pure fiction, but the presence of the Spell proved there was at least some authenticity to the tales. Eventually, Mum rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache building." To awaken a perception-based attribute of Advanced rank, one must complete the fifth step of meditation," she said to herself and turned to me." How did you even learn Meditation, much less complete five whole steps of it?"" I watched you meditate every morning..." I said, as though it was only natural. She seemed like she wanted to object, but suppressed it." What about Essence Sense?" she asked." It is by no means any less impressive than meditation."" Oh, it was a coincidence. Whenever you healed me, I could see the golden threads spreading all over… then the Spell said it was Esssence Sense..."" More like visualisation, hmm..." Mum said, and then her eyes opened wide." Wait, did you say you glimpsed the golden threads of light?" I tilted my head in confusion and nodded once. Is this something to be surprised about? Exhaling sharply, she stooped down to my level." Can you describe it to me, pumpkin, exactly what you see when I cast the spell on you?" I told her about the golden shimmering threads, weaving their way inside me in a symmetrical form. How the power resonated before spreading completely. By the time I finished, her expression could not have been more astounded." There's no mistaking it now," she muttered to herself, "my son can really see the aether. I don't think Jinn had that gift..."" Mum?" The smell of burned vegetables drifted to our noses, causing her expression to stiffen. She carried me back to the kitchenette to stir the pan." Pumpkin, do not choose your rewards right away?" she said, turning the fire down." Mum will check if it's safe for you to gain those attributes at your age." I could only agree and stayed in her arms while she finished cooking. She did not seem to trust me enough to leave me out of her sight, while the promise of magical power lingered in my mind. After serving me my supper, she crept to the study room and unfolded dozens of thick books that were filled with small-lettered words. She even put on her glasses at some point, which she always avoided unless she was drawing geometrical figures and runes on things. Flipping through one book after another, she noted down a number of things in my notebook, which went completely over my head. I gave up on understanding an hour ago and instead concentrated on solving the puzzle piece Mum had made for me. There were some complex runes in it that my feeble brain barely comprehended, but it was fun to play with. Not to mention, my time spent solving the puzzle counted towards the Way of Education." Arilyn, can you summon your [Profile]?" she asked, resting the tomes. I nodded again, eyeing the mark on my palm." Repeat everything the Spell says," she said, her tone unusually serious." Don't leave anything out." As I listed my attributes and the points in them, she nodded along, though her expression twitched momentarily once or twice. Surely, my attributes explained why I was so smart for my age. Her lips parted slightly when she heard about my gift." [Fractal Soul]?" she repeated after me, her expression growing contemplative." This is likely what enables you to see essence threads and aether."" You can't see it?" I cocked my eyebrows." I can visualise my threads well enough," she said." It's the others I have trouble detecting." Apparently, the best anyone could make out was faint outlines and the shimmering light, nothing as detailed as my eyes could see." Alright, Ari, you've given me a great scare today," she said." I guess it's time to educate you a little about the Spell and the attributes... I'm not sure I can make it clear enough for you to understand, so if you don't get something, ask me questions, alright?" I nodded eagerly." Foremost, you need to understand that you're special," she said. I raised an eyebrow, urging her to elaborate." There are two types of gifts. Actually, more than two, but a vast number of them could be divided into two forms. There are those born with the spark of magic; they can channel the primal force to reshape the world. They are called Shapers, whereas the other party, the Augmenters, they are more limited in the ways they wield their power. Most often, their gift relates to a physical benefit."" So I'm a shaper?" I asked, unable to keep my hope from spilling into my voice." Maybe." The corner of her lips curved upward." You're also blessed by the Aether. Magic will come easier to you, but that'll also make their path more... arduous. I won't go into unnecessary details. It'll only confuse you right now. You just need to make sure you keep your gift a secret until it's time."" Why?" Mum considered how to lay it out so that a child could understand. In her words, people blessed by Aether received unwanted attention from various groups, both good and bad. Some simply wanted to study unique gifts, while others sought to use them for their own designs. The empire had a protection law in place that allowed them to take anyone blessed into custody, where they would be trained through all the hoops. While it did not sound bad to my ears, Mum seemed highly against it, so I promised her to keep it all a secret." Now that's out of the way, it's time to decide about the attributes," she said." Even with all its limits and constraints, the Spell is a force of goodwill and..." She still seemed worried and hesitant to go forward with this." Mum, as soon as I learn magic, I'll help you with your work," I said, clasping my palms into fists." My sweet boy, you don't need to worry about that. But if you really want to learn magic, I suppose I can't stop you. Be aware, however, for the path of a shaper is not easy to trudge through." With my enthusiasm returning, I did not even hear the last part." Which one should I take? Essence Sensitivity or Arcane Acuity?"" It depends," she said, pausing to think of an explanation." As the name suggests, Essence Sensitivity sharpens your senses toward various essences, while Arcane Acuity is a more specialised attribute that enables a shaper to explore more specific fields of study. I'd advise any novice not too keen about studying to take the first option, whereas Arcane Acuity needs immense hard work for it to come to fruition."" Then which one should I take?"" There is no wrong choice," she said with a smile. Fearing I did not understand her explanation properly, she decided to provide easier examples." Think of Essence Sensitivity as a magical nose, whereas Arcane Acuity is a magic wand which will only be useful if you know your way around it." I hummed, considering." Hmm, if I cannot use the magic wand in the end, is it not better to have a magic nose?" Hopefully, it actually doesn't grow a second nose, or I might lose it." Like the answer to most questions involving magic, it depends," she explained." But you can already see essence threads. There's no point in taking Essence Sensitivity. It would hardly add anything that your eyes will fail to perceive."" Right," I agreed, though I did not understand half of it." The process may give you a headache," she said, "but I'll be with you throughout to help. It shouldn't be a problem." She clutched my shoulder, her golden essence at the ready." You can begin now." I sucked in a deep breath. With her approval, I wasted no more time summoning my [Profile]. The Spell presented the options once more, and I focused on the tab for Arcane Acuity. [Please confirm your choice: Accept | Decline.] [You have chosen Arcane Acuity (Advanced). However, since your body and mind are not fully developed, as a safety protocol, the Advanced Attribute may take a few hours to take effect.] [The Spell hopes you understand their consideration.] Huh, I guess most of Mum's worry was unfounded after all. In the end, the process took all night. I did not feel anything out of the ordinary and slept through it, while Mum stayed awake the entire night to ensure nothing went amiss.