Nez

There was something fun about watching Lux and Nil's late-night practice. Lux was getting pretty good at <Rejuvenation>. She also appeared to turn into light for a second, which managed to overwhelm Nil. Whatever that <Magic> is, he still needs to be able to move and react to what is coming for him. Important to note for his lessons. I was worried by the start. He originally got the sensation but started shaking pretty bad. Is he flashing back to when his <Magic> caused him to die? I mean, I would definitely understand him not wanting to try that <Magic> again. He still used <Warp> which is good, even if it was to swipe some fish to bribe Lux with. I better inform the head butler that Nil is the food pilferer and not someone else. One of the interesting parts was Nil practicing rapid <Mana> adjustments. Rather than just practice the movement, he was trying to learn the movement and be able to deliver the attack; it made it substantially more difficult. I was honestly surprised his ribs didn't crack from the strain he had placed on them with the twists.

The other was that bizarre <Magic>. From what I could tell, he never shifted his <Mana> from its innate <Space Affinity>. I watched carefully when he used it against Nox and then against Lux. It remained his natural <Affinity> the entire time. To make it more peculiar is he seemed to use his <Arcane Eye> in some fashion to control or focus it. Looking at the two times he used <Warp>, it didn't feel like his <Arcane Eye> was used. The one caught me off guard, and the other we were under attack, so my confidence in those observations was low to say the least. The version he used when dealing with Orga was another variety, perhaps an inferior version of what he used against Nox and Lux. It was certainly less taxing and achieved a similar effect. What I could not figure out was why the <Magic> felt so, off. It clearly used <Mana>, which should mean it was a <Magic> of some sort. His <Mana> was never shifted from his natural <Space Affinity>, so why was there absolutely no record of any other <Space Affinity> possessor performing similar <Magic>? I asked Azzeck to try and replicate it the <Warp>, and while his were highly polished and very efficient, none could match Nil's. It was a rough <Warp> that produced a ridiculously clean and efficient result; the ideal, willing himself from one place to the next in an instant.

Something was not adding up. Purity wise, he and his father were virtually identical, so it wasn't like Nil has a much purer <Space Affinity> than his father. Originally, I was going to write it off as a possible fluke, or maybe misjudging it because he somehow performed a much cleaner one than expected, but he repeatedly has invoked that bizarre <Magic> to different effects. With a little more practice, Nil could definitely use that <Magic> at will as casually as he uses <Warp>. His biggest hurdle for that <Magic> was understanding what it could do and his ability to withstand the absurd <Backlash> it possessed. For such seemingly minor effects, the <Backlash> was immense. Maybe looking into how it instills fear? It was able to make Nox actually shiver and be uncomfortable. It wasn't like the <Death> aura Nil currently possessed, invoking the sensation of finality, that your existence was about to end at his hand. <Death Magic> was notorious for the aura to be intimidating and make one feel like their end was upon them. From what I observed from Lux and Nox, as well as minor anecdotal experience of being in the vicinity, it worked differently. Their senses told them that this <Magic> was dangerous.

Why was it dangerous? The incredible <Backlash> it had? I mean yes, a scary feature, but not sufficient explanation to those it was being focused on to be made so uneasy. Was it a property of the <Mana>? It was still aligned with <Space Affinity>, yet it felt like an entirely different <Magic> entirely. None of Nil's <Blessings> explained it either. My gut was telling me it was a property of the <Mana>, a property of the <Magic> he was invoking. For it to be able to affect Lux and Nox in a similar fashion, who had vastly different levels of experience, <Magic Affinities>, and overall abilities, it had to have an impact on something they both shared. The most logical conclusion was their <Mana>. Beings in tune with their <Mana> were physically affected by their <Mana>; it's the basis of what allows <Techniques> to work. But then how did he get Nox to feel so anxious? Nil was a child. An immensely precocious child, but still a child. Nox was almost ninety years older than him. Nil and Nox both possessed <Space Affinity>, how could Nil produce a <Magic> capable of making someone that much stronger than him feel threatened? What were properties of <Mana> and <Magic> that might be relevant? They are categorized by <Affinity> and <Rarity>. The <Quality> is based on the density and amount of <Mana> an individual possesses. They are strictly hierarchical. The ways they can be applied to oneself is through <Tempering>, <Toughening>, and <Transcending>.

Wait. <Magic> is strictly hierarchical. A property that is nearly always irrelevant. <Magic> from a storage device will always lose to <Magic> produced naturally. It was why relying on <Stored Spells> is considered a terrible practice, because replenishing your <Mana> to cast a spell was slightly slower than using a <Stored Spell> but was substantially stronger than using a <Spell> you <Stored>. When <Mana> or <Magic> encountered one higher in the hierarchy, it would naturally lose to its superior. Meaning if Nil was using a <Magic> that was higher up on the scale, it would explain the difference in the effect of <Warp>, the <Backlash>, and why it made people so uneasy.

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There were two main problems with this theory. The first problem with that theory is it didn't explain how he could dodge those attacks or change the course of his attack so well. There was no known <Space Magic> that could produce a similar effect. The second was it was based on the idea of him using a <Magic> of a higher rank than Nox and Lux. Naturally occurring <Mana>, the <Mana> used by virtually everyone to perform <Magic>, was considered to be the highest in the hierarchy of <Magic>. What could possibly be above it? According to theological text, and verified through revelations and messages from the Lords, the <Magic> we naturally made and was around us was the same as they did. There was no difference or distinction.This was a starting point. First, I needed to verify my assumptions about that <Magic>. If it was an ability of his <Arcane Eye> there was no way anyone else could replicate it. I needed more samples of him using that <Magic>. If what I thought was correct though, what assumption about <Magic> as a whole was actually incorrect? Was one of my underlying assumptions wrong? There were so many unknowns; I needed more data.

*

We anxiously waited for the result of the <Appraisal>. Previously, Azzeck and Senna had done an <Appraisal> on a one-year-old Nil, so they did as much without risking damage to his young self. Today, they wanted to be as detailed as possible. Nil was clearly capable of withstanding <Magic>, interacting meaningfully with <Artifacts>, and able to manipulate his <Mana>. After waiting around for three hours, Grand Archmagus Solomon returned with Nil. He handed the packet to Azzeck and Senna immediately. After scouring over it, they looked relieved, and confused.

"Nez, could you please come over here? There are a few parts we need explained." Senna requested, motioning for me.

"I would be able to assist if you wish." Grand Archmagus Solomon offered.

"We have already taken enough of your time. You have to be busy." Senna replied politely.

"I am, but there was a portion I was hoping to discuss with Nez if your Imperial Majesties would not mind. It was peculiar." Grand Archmagus Solomon stated.

"His <Affinity>?" Azzeck checked, looking at the packet.

"Precisely; that is an anomalous result. I repeated it six times thinking I somehow was making an error. It is the correct result." Grand Archmagus Solomon explained.

Nil perked up at that statement, looking concerned. I walked over, somewhat excited. I had a theory or two, and there might be some insights here. I excitedly grabbed the packet. Immediately, two words stuck out to me. <Celestial> and <Spacetime>. What? Affinity tier and type? Tiers were divided between <Standard>, <Rare>, <Exotic>, <Mythic>, and <Divine> based upon rarity and the overall strength of the <Magic>. What on Tenebrae was <Spacetime Affinity>?

"What is this <Affinity Tier> and type of <Affinity>?" Senna inquired, looking a bit nervous.

I looked at Grand Archmagus Solomon, and he shrugged at me. Peculiar was an understatement. I had never heard of either; it might explain the bizarre <Magic> actually. Now that I thought about it, that explained why Azzeck could not replicate the <Warp>. What gave that bone chilling sensation then?

"Actually, the <Spacetime Affinity> makes some sense. If we assume <Celestial> is above <Divine>, and <Spacetime> is a superior version of <Space>, a lot of things make sense. He was able to perform a <Warp> that Azzeck could not replicate and is able to produce a spine chilling <Mana>." I replied, trying to figure out what this meant for the theoretical.

When I said <Spacetime>, Nil lit up. He seemed excited, bouncing up and down mischievously. He is so going to pick a fight with Lux within an hour of us getting back, there is something he wants to test. On the other hand, it opened a wealth of possibilities up. A <Magic Tier> above <Divine>. That is amazing.

"So, your working theory is <Celestial> is above <Divine> on <Magic Tiers> and that <Spacetime> is a superior version of <Space> based on being a higher tier?" Grand Archmagus Solomon verified, looking intrigued.

"It is consistent with what I have seen. Nil, could you please demonstrate that <Magic> of yours?" I explained to him.

Nil nodded excitedly and closed his eyes. He took several deep breaths, getting his focus. When he reopened his eyes, the same chilling sensation emanated from Nil. He probably uses his <Arcane Eye> to focus and handle the <Mana>. He likely doesn't need the <Arcane Eye> to use it, but it help him grasps and control what he's doing. Grand Archmagus Solomon instinctively stepped back.

"I think your theory holds some merit Archmagus Nez." Grand Archmagus Solomon said, seeming caught off guard by the sheer presence of Nil.

"I have no idea how to prove or research it further, as far to my knowledge this is a first." I stated. This was so exciting.

"You could prove differences between <Space> and <Spacetime>, but as for the <Celestial> unless a Lord gives us the revelation, I have no idea how to prove that." Grand Archmagus Solomon proposed.

"What does this mean?" Senna asked, looking at us.

"It means that Nil quite likely has an <Affinity> much stronger than you or Azzeck. He has an unexplored <Affinity> with immense potential. <Affinity Tiers> are divided mostly by strength, with rarity being a small factor. With a few exceptions, higher the tier, higher the strength." I explained. A flood of relief washed over them.

"If I may ask, what prompted this <Appraisal>? Especially one this thorough?" Grand Archmagus Solomon asked.

"Nil had an incredibly close call with death. We were making sure that aura emanating from him was not because he had become an <Undead>." Azzeck answered, looking at his son with awe.

"I understand. I can say with certainty he is not. Now, I must be off. If I am allowed, I would love to see your findings on this subject Nez." Grand Archmagus Solomon declared. We all exchanged pleasantries and left.

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