>>6247364
(NOTE: I took my sweet time getting to the point and I realize it might be a bit slower paced rn so feedback is always appreciated)
“Thanks, Remu,” the words come out a bit too loud, awkward, and entirely genuine.
She smiles and reaches out, arm outstretched towards you. The girl stops herself halfway, exhales sharply and then with a sudden burst of confidence closes the distance and aggressively ruffles your hair.
You can’t help but chuckle in response.
It’s likely that she just doesn’t have much better options. You’re positively soft compared to all the other males she’s ever met, and yet, you’re powerful enough to claim and protect her.
But the same goes for you. It’s not like you’ve ever had someone care for you like this. Dysfunctional family and an awful school life, a life bereft of meaningful positive social contact. A true loser.
Regardless, you’ve got each other now, and it's nice.
“Well, I’m going back to reading, so…” you say, book in hand, settling with your back against the hut’s wall.
“Do you mind if I stay here?”, she asks, somewhere between coy and honestly wanting to respect your space.
“Nah, I’d enjoy your company.” With that response, she settles next to you.
You spend a couple of hours reading the book. She eventually asks what is so interesting about it, so you take the time to explain it to her.
Magic, at last. The nerd in you is salivating at the thought. It is quite mysterious even to J.T., or at least it was at the point when he wrote this section of the book.
There is an entire unseen world of patterns and meaning that exists overlaid on top of the material world.
Becoming any type of caster involves three distinct capabilities.
The first is Sensation, it lets you perceive this layer of magic as well as direct your own magical reserves. To normal people without the ability to feeling magic, this whole thing is completely useless.
He continues to explain that you’re either born with that, or you acquire it from an entity with a pact. Infernal, fae, celestial, any being that doesn’t dwell entirely in the material can grant it to you — though for some reason it can never be given freely.
He does say it’s possible to *steal* it from someone else. Whatever that means he doesn’t go into any detail.
The second capability is Understanding. He uses a simple math formula as an example. One either gets it or doesn’t. If they don’t, they can’t use the spell.
This means you may need to spend a long time experiencing the natural world, someone else’s magic or experimenting with a spell before you can truly use it.
Really, just grinding spell XP. Damn it, why is there so much grinding in this world? Then again, the system makes it all so much easier.