Antimage: An Isekai LitRPG Adventure (Ends of Magic Book 1), page 24
Low-tier Earnestness Rank 9 achieved!
Dalo studied him for a moment longer, pursing his lips slightly. Then, he released Nathan’s shoulder and stepped back, his expression changing to a sad smile. “I understand, many who escape Giantsrest wish them destroyed. They are an enemy of Gemore. See that your desire leaves space for caution, and I would warn you to not drag my daughter or the other Heirs into a doomed fight. They are to be our heirs, not fodder for your crusade. If they decide to help topple the city of Giants, let it be when they are older, wiser and more powerful. But our purpose here today aligns with both of our goals, so let us proceed.”
Chapter 26
A Mage’s Insight
“Dad! You’re being really rude! I told you Nathan’s all good. You’re not just insulting him, you’re insulting my judgment of character!”
Stella’s yell interrupted the man-to-man moment, and Dalo shrugged apologetically. The gesture seemed to say, “I’m sorry, but I had to check.” He gestured Nathan forward with a slight bow of his head.
Nathan entered the ring, feeling sheepish. Stella looked annoyed, and Kullal was giving her husband a knowing and not-entirely-pleased look. Then she turned to Nathan and said, “We know how to teach magic, but that’s not what you need, is it? Stella says you want to experience more spells and mana types, but how? If you don’t have a way to manipulate mana, how can we demonstrate spells?”
Nathan looked around the room, then shrugged and walked to its center, before sitting on the stone ground and removing his shirt. He looked up at Dalo and Kullal. “Yes, that’s about right. The way I learn about spells is by absorbing them. It takes a while before I get good at it, so please go easy on me at the start. I’ve got the most experience with fire and force magic because of practicing with Stella, but I’ve got some experience with earth and shadow. And I guess mental magic from Giantsrest, and necromancy from the Grave Tangle?”
Kullal rubbed her hands together. “We call the kind of mana that was in the Grave Tangle death mana. And most mental spells just require basic mana, though they are complex spells. But it appears somebody is volunteering to be a target dummy. Dear, I think you’re best suited to starting out.”
Dalo shrugged, then zapped Nathan with a small lightning bolt.
It happened instantaneously. One moment he was fine, the next there was a crack and his muscles gave a brief spasm. Nathan looked up to see Dalo inspecting him curiously.
“Can you do that again? A few times please, with at least five seconds in between.”
Dalo’s face split into a wider grin. “Indeed I can.” Then he zapped Nathan again. And again.
Now that Nathan was expecting it, he focused his mind on the feeling of the magic. It was clearly a type of mana he hadn’t experienced before. The mana felt like the buildup and release of a static shock, and carried a faint vibration like the hum of a high-voltage power line.
Once he had a grasp of it, Nathan focused on the spell, picking it apart as the fourth bolt struck him. It was simply a packet of insulated charge sent across the air and into him. He didn’t understand how it was isolated and directed, but the source of danger was obvious enough.
I swear he’s just sending free high-energy electrons at me using some kind of containment. But they’re magical somehow? Where do they come from? Honestly, it’s like asking where the conjured earth behind those [Earth Balls] came from. Magic!
Dalo pointed to cast the next bolt, and Nathan focused on controlling and guiding the magical charge around the surface of his skin, where it quickly dissipated. He’d meant to ground it into the floor, but just guiding it around him had been sufficient for the charge to be… absorbed?
Nathan felt his [Magic Resistance] flex, the otherworldly sense the Talent gave him sending a faint tingle through him. It was an intuitive feeling, but Nathan suppressed it all the same.
I think the Talent wants to Develop. Not yet, I can still learn more, expose myself to more magic. I’ll hold onto the thought that triggered it for later. Absorption. Absorption is the key.
Meanwhile, Dalo looked at him, utterly perplexed. “How did you do that?”
Stella responded, pointing directly at Nathan. “It’s amazing, Dad! That’s exactly what I wanted to show you! He’s gotten really good at getting rid of fireballs. Here.” She tossed a fireball at Nathan.
Nathan rolled his eyes. Stella had been trying to surprise him during practice recently, wanting to test how well he could resist her magic without warning. It had been useful practice, and at this point it required next to no attention to deconstruct the fireball and absorb it into him.
Dalo had been slightly alarmed at Stella’s casual fireball, but controlled himself as Nathan took apart the spell. Then he raised his hand once more. “Very interesting. Nathan, are you good to continue? You appear unhurt, but I would be sure.”
Nathan nodded up at him, a feeling of excitement building in his chest. He had this Insight on lock. “I’m just peachy! Please move onto other mana types as quickly as you can.”
Dalo raised an eyebrow at Nathan’s strange choice of words, but proceeded nonetheless. “Let us proceed through the basic elements then. I skipped ahead with lightning, and you have already experienced earth and fire, but we will move on to air, cold and water, now.” He raised a hand and a jet of wind assailed Nathan.
The spell was narrow and controlled, more like being the target of an air hose than a gust of wind. It was continuous, and though the force threatened to push Nathan backwards, he resisted and picked apart the feeling of the mana. Despite the speed, the mana felt… slow. Like it was always in motion, but never in a hurry to go anywhere. The spell itself was more complicated than the last, with some sort of spiraling pattern and a construct at the end to deliver the force effectively. Nathan bent that force construct, causing the wind to jet to the sides and destabilize the spell. It sent out a puff of air in every direction as it broke.
Dalo frowned again, shaking his hand slightly. “Fascinating. Every spell reacts differently. Now, for cold.” He gestured, and the temperature around Nathan dropped. The spell chilled the air around him and tried to dig into his flesh. It slid off with no concentration on Nathan’s part. The mana was absolutely still, conveying the impression of complete stasis. Nathan shook himself and the spell shattered as he imparted motion onto the mana around him.
The elderly mage didn’t bother speaking, just stared intently at Nathan as he gestured again.
An orb of water appeared around Nathan’s head. He hadn’t anticipated it, but he had been expecting something weird, so he didn’t panic, merely holding his breath. The spell only affected his head and followed with his movements. The water was formed of mana, and its constant motion reminded Nathan of the air mana, but slower. It damped his movement, suppressing and absorbing any energy released into it. The spell itself was surprisingly complicated, locking the mana to his head. He poked it with a finger, and the water mana flowed around his hand, resisting the attempt to flick it away.
Instead of trying to push the mana away, Nathan pulled on it, absorbing the mana into his pores, then into the bloodstream. His Talent flexed again, and it was all Nathan could do to keep it steady. He opened his eyes and took a deep breath.
Low-tier Spellsense Rank 8 achieved!
Mid-tier Focused Mind rank 7 achieved!
Kullal spoke up next, raising a hand to interrupt her husband. “My turn, you nearly drowned him. And since Stella has shown him some force spells, let’s go with… this.”
She made no gestures, but Nathan was suddenly encompassed by absolute blackness. It reminded him of his trip through Taeol’s portal. The sudden shift was disorienting, and Nathan felt his ears pop, but it wasn’t the eye-sucking vacuum of before. Nathan closed his eyes and reached out with his Talent.
There was mana there, but it was more… abstract. It was defined by an absence, like everything that made up the world had stopped existing. Nathan identified it as a new type of mana, and felt the weave of the spell. The mana felt like an absence, like it was the opposite of material reality. The spell was pushing things away from Nathan, with multiple layers of different spell patterns. Nathan guessed they were each pushing away a different aspect of the world. Not perfectly, as demonstrated by the thin layer of air around him. But all Nathan had to do was break the weave, which had already started to dissolve on contact. He sped up the process, using his Talent to grab the nothingness and pull it into him. The spell vanished with a faint pop.
Stella applauded, and Dalo stroked his beard again, looking pleased as he spoke. “See? It’s not just elemental resistance. Void broke just like the others.”
Okay, so that was void mana. Makes sense?
Kullal looked mildly frustrated. The fox-woman gestured for the first time, and Nathan’s weight lightened until he began to float.
Gravity. Seriously?
Low-tier Identify Rank 5 achieved!
Nathan turned his attention to the magic, trying to ignore an immediate flash of nausea. The spell was both simple and complicated, woven of bands that felt of weight. There was no other way to describe it. The connections of the spell were also uniquely dense. They resisted Nathan’s effort to break them, staying firmly anchored to one another as he pitted his will against the spell.
His concentration was disturbed by his head bumping into the ceiling. Below him, Stella chuckled, and Dalo shushed her.
This isn’t working. How to break gravity? You don’t. How to escape a spell that uses it? That’s a better question.
He was the target of the spell that was tracking him – and only him – since there wasn’t a cyclical air current in the room. As he looked again, he noticed another element to the spell. Thin wires bound the dense structure to Nathan, which he found he could more easily manipulate. They resisted for a moment and then snapped, sending him falling to the ground.
Low-tier Spellsense Rank 9 achieved!
Nathan landed on his feet, bending his knees and rolling to absorb the rather long fall. Nathan brushed a speck of imaginary dirt from his shoulder and turned towards Kullal. “Gravity mana is weird. Got any more?”
In response, beams of white light shot from Kullal’s eyes and hit Nathan in the shoulder, tracing down his arm. They left a light burn behind, and Nathan focused on the feeling.
If that’s a laser, it shouldn’t be visible unless it’s strong enough to ionize the air. And in that case, it should sound like a lightning bolt. You know, the way that this magic seems to follow some natural laws and not others is really throwing me. But it’s magic, the entire point is that it doesn’t follow natural laws.
The light mana was like a scorching hot wire vibrating against his skin at high speed. For all that, the spell was fairly... simple. Just lots of high-energy light mana absorbing into his skin to cause painful burns.
And it would probably blind me if it was hitting me in the eyes.
Spurred on by his earlier Insight, Nathan thought about absorbing the light without it damaging him. He didn’t recall how silicon solar panels worked, but he knew photosynthesis, and he’d read a paper about how fungi could use melanin to absorb ionizing radiation. The trick was absorbing the energy as something other than heat. What other energy was there for him? Stamina was the obvious answer, and that thought resonated.
His Talent flexed again, and this time Nathan didn’t stop it. Distracted, he spoke to the mages around him. “Please cast a variety of spells at me, right now.”
He closed his eyes and centered his attention on absorbing the light mana, using it to fuel his Stamina. As more spells impacted him, Nathan broadened the absorption effect. He could manipulate and resist all of these mana types. If he could absorb light mana, he could absorb all of them.
A blue box shoved its way into his vision.
Congratulations, you have Developed the [High-tier Magic Resistance] Talent into [Magic Absorption]. It starts at rank 1 and becomes more effective as it ranks up. Think about how you use your Talent’s functions to aid in Talent Development at rank 10. Beware, it is harder to rank and Develop non-tiered Talents.
Permanent Talent: [Magic Absorption]
You have Developed High-tier magic Resistance Talent into a permanent pillar of your being. You are heavily resistant to all forms of magic, and can directly absorb the mana of spells cast on you into Stamina. You are forever unable to cast spells or access magic. Magical items cannot affect you and will degrade at your touch.
Mid-tier Focused Mind rank 8 achieved!
A voice penetrated into his trance. “What is happening? Stop, stop casting.” The volley of spells quickly ended.
Nathan opened his eyes to the two older mages staring at him in befuddlement. Stella just looked excited. As soon as she saw him open his eyes, she jumped forward, bouncing from one foot to another. “Did you Develop the Talent? The spells started doing even less and all the mana got sucked into you! What does it do?”
Nathan felt his face blossom into a manic grin. This new Talent was incredible. He’d never use magic or magic items, but he’d already reconciled himself to that. And now he could use spells to recharge his Stamina.
He raised both his arms in triumph. “Yes! Now I absorb the mana of spells cast on me to replenish my Stamina.” Nathan threw back his head and laughed.
Stella was just as excited as him. “All that I hear is that when my ally is wounded and surrounded by enemies, it’s absolutely correct to hit him with a fireball.”
They were interrupted by Dalo walking past them, holding out his hands. “I need a drink.”
Two tumblers full of pink liquid flew toward him, and he handed one to Kullal. “Cheers. I think we’ve just witnessed the birth of a new school of anti-mage combat. Not entirely sure I’m pleased with this Development.”
Meanwhile, Stella went to hug Nathan, but he held his arms out to decline. Not only was he still shirtless, but he was worried for her heavily enchanted robe. She looked upset, so he explained. “My Talent says, ‘Magical items cannot affect you and will degrade at your touch.’”
“Oh.” She took a step back.
Kullal choked in suprise on her drink, before elbowing Dalo. “Immune to magic, but he can’t use magical items – that Talent has some serious downsides. Brightfruit isn’t his only meal.”
Dalo’s expression brightened, but he still seemed somewhat bitter about Nathan’s skill. “I bet he can use that to break curses. Do we still have that cursed wand from the Kalis Conclave teleportarium?”
Kullal frowned at her husband, pointing a finger at his forehead. “No! That’s a soul-curse, and we’re not experimenting with it. It’s unreasonable, and you know it! Maybe once he’s higher level, and understands the Talent better. Not before then. Now, come, I believe we have some more time to practice.”
Dalo grumbled, but accepted his wife’s rejoinder with only a little additional glaring on her part.
They spent the next couple of hours practicing with Nathan’s Talent, and he was glad to have powerful mages on hand who could help him figure it out. His Development had made Nathan even more magic-resistant than he’d been before, though powerful spells that Nathan wasn’t good at converting could still injure him.
Low-tier Spellsense Rank 10 achieved! Congratulations, you have maxed out this skill! It cannot be improved any further. You must achieve Insight into this skill to Develop it to the next level.
It took some time to determine what the variables on the conversion efficiency of the Talent were, and they finally cracked it once Nathan stopped the mages from randomly casting spells on him, making them test one hypothesis at a time.
If Nathan understood the structure of the spells and purposefully disrupted them like he had earlier in the day, that made absorption better. He was more efficient at gaining Stamina from single-target spells that directly affected him and nothing else. Mana type also made a difference. He was pretty good with light, fire, cold, electricity and water; only middling with gravity, earth and air; and pretty bad with void, force and, surprisingly enough, basic mana.
The Stamina he replenished was dependent on the amount of mana spent on the spell. Nathan couldn’t generate tons of Stamina from a low-powered spell. But, it seemed he could hit the max efficiency if he fulfilled two out of three criteria: if he understood the spell, if it was single target, or if the mana types were in his favor.
Awesome. Artha said I needed a way to replenish Stamina, and it’s hard for me to think of a better way than absorbing magic. Especially when my enemies specialize in magic and I’ve got a prodigy mage on my team.
Talent text comparison:
Permanent Talent: [High-tier Magic Resistance]
Your body has no magic inside it, and magic-resistant alchemical ingredients permeate your bones and brain, making you difficult to affect with magic. This Talent will turn a personal quirk into a personal Talent. You will be able to resist and interfere with spells, and will have great difficulty casting spells. Less effect on higher-tier spells. Magical items will have less effect on you, and weaker magical items degrade when in prolonged contact with you.
Permanent Talent: [Magic Absorption]
You have Developed High-tier magic Resistance Talent into a permanent pillar of your being. You are heavily resistant to all forms of magic, and can directly absorb the mana of spells cast on you into Stamina. You are forever unable to cast spells or access magic. Magical items cannot affect you and will degrade at your touch.
