Re: The Villainess Does It With Class

Chapter 205 - The Arcane Tower Pt. 9

The contents of Est Magicae are just as what it means, the magic itself. I didn't get to read the entire book in one sitting and had only got to finish it in three days. Makes sense because the book was thicker than the first one and has broader information relayed. The first book was all about the history of why magic is sealed in Terra, while the second one talked more about magic and its subcategories within subcategories.

It was a long ride from the first to the last page and I really learned a lot. Much more than my initial research from the libraries I have visited. Starting from what is magic, where did it sprout from, was it always a natural occurrence, and more. 

According to the book, magic is constant from the start. It is present in every place, nook and cranny, and corner of all universes. It truly surprised me.

I was like, 'Hmm… If that was true, then the world I came from also has magic?'

But there was nothing like that back there at all.. Magic wasn't practiced but instead, science was flourishing. Flying is possible with the use of modernity. Unlike the magic carpet here that flies because of magic, things fly because of advanced technology.

Plus the stuff that talks about magic and witchcraft are always linked to the occult and supernatural beliefs. And these beliefs are even frowned upon by the majority and are ruled as unrealistic.

So how come this book says it is everywhere? 

And just like that, my question was then answered in the next paragraph. Apparently, those who can access magic are only possible for people that have an affinity for it. Everyone is blessed with mana inside them, whether it's humans, plants, animals, etcetera. As long as it has a soul. 

But the said mana varies from person to person.

One can have a droplet of mana inside them while the truly blessed ones can have an ocean. And the even rarer ones are those who have an endless supply. Inexhaustible. And these people are the ones who can access magic easily.

The bigger and stronger your mana reserve, the higher the chance you can perform miracles. So in retrospect, everyone is truly capable of doing so, as long as they are aware of it.

But there are also underlying factors for people to use magic. Not just within themselves but the world they live in too. The likelihood of it is if the surroundings are teeming with spirits and magic particles, otherwise would be impossible.

Terra is filled with people like that and is also graced with these spirits. Before it was sealed off, that is. In our current case, magic can still be used but only for those who have blessed genes. They were the lucky ones who were spared and had avoided Solomon's punishment to mankind because they are literally the descendants of the Gods.

And thus why Earth is unable to practice them. Now that I think about it, it might be that they don't have direct access to magic because it lacks magic particles. If there is any, it is so minuscule that it's next to impossible to perform anything magical at all. Hence the reason why there are people who can execute miracles or something like that.

"Hmm… but why does it feel like there's more to it than what's perceived?" I muttered unconsciously.

I mean, I have read things about mythologies and stuff like that. There is even a dedicated field for them and has a great following too. People would even go crazy about them…

I mean, there wouldn't be smoke if there was no fire, right?

Hmmm...

Moving on. The concept of anima and spirits was also introduced to me and even though I have already heard of them before, the book had further explained them more clearly.

Within these three whole days, I learned that the anima is a mixed entity between magic and spirit and that it often gets confused with the latter.

Anima is, you know it, magic with a consciousness. They are able to think freely and manifest in all types and forms but they depend on a host. Spirits, on the other hand, are divine beings that can use magic and don't usually need hosts. They can be contracted too but mostly, they are independent. 

What I was interested in regarding the anima is the three types that Lost had told me before. Well, he didn't really mention all of them because he doesn't know what they are and is only aware of them, but you get it.

There are three types of Animas: Spirit type, Divine type, and Innate type.

Spirit type animas are like their names, low to high-leveled spirits that are contracted, thus becoming an anima. Just like Kuro and Lost who are both animal types of spirits. It is speculated that someone can contract spirits as many as they want as long as these spirits are willing to take them.

But contracting a spirit is not an easy task either. Spirits can be picky and would not simply bind themselves to a human contractor. You need to catch their attention and make them like you. Over the years, those who have knowledge of contracting spirits have tried countless times but only a select few are successful. And the spirits they usually get are low-level. The higher the level, the more powerful they are and the more finicky they get. 

Low-level spirits are spirits that have low intelligence. Mid-level are capable of thinking but cannot necessarily overpower a magician. High-leveled ones are the intelligent bunch that morphs freely as they please and is versed in a certain field of magic.

An example of high-level spirit is Lost and surprisingly, Kuro too. Goodness, I still wonder about my luck to this day. What could have happened if I didn't stick my nose to the bushes (literally) and ignored the fox's cries?

Kuro is a breed of the mythological nine-tailed fox that is so rare it is already deemed extinct. A legend, if you may. They grow up to 7 feet tall but can freely adjust their sizes if they want to. It is said that if they bind themselves to a contractor, their growth is affected by the contractor's capability. Their full potential is utilized when they have nine complete tails.

So if I think about it, Kuro has eight-tails now… Therefore… 

"Oh my goodness… What does that mean? Am I… strong?"

'I mean, Kuro is contracted to me, isn't he? And so… Oh dear…'

I began to rigorously research more about it, sparked by curiosity and the thirst for answers. After all, if my assumptions are true, then there must be a reason for it. It will definitely lead to the strange thing inside of me.

Thus, my next discoveries. 

The Divine type Anima is just as its name implies. They are divine favors from the Gods because the people who have this are literally demigods. They are offsprings, a direct descendant, the children of Gods, etcetera. 

So are these the blessed genes I'm talking about earlier? Nope. That's different. 

You see, blessed genes are the bloodline that received blessings from Gods but they are still complete mortals. On the other hand, the people with divine animas are half spirit and half human. In most cases, they are the animas themselves.

Apparently, these people are on the verge of disappearance. Because of their vast mana capacity, they are hunted down by a hostile group. So now, they are hiding from the world or either that, they're already gone. 

One great example of them is the ruined kingdom of Nightshade, the Noble Vampyres.

Such a shame… I wonder what the world could have been if Noble Vampyres still roamed the lands? They are known as guardians of humans after all…

'And these humans have the audacity to raise their hands against them. So not cool.'

The last one is the Innate type of Anima. This type is where the blessed genes come in. Innate because they are already born with their abilities and because it comes from within. People who are from the blessed bloodline usually don't need to contract an anima because they already have one. 

And just like the rest, the more capable you are, the stronger your anima will be. Strong animas have consciousness and can materialize if one wishes it. Supposedly, animas that have awareness are very rare and only one within a million can have that. 

This type of anima moves inside the host but can also manifest outside if summoned. 

"Moves inside…" 

I read that sentence again and again just to make sure that I am seeing it correctly. My heart started to beat like crazy, deafening my ears even. My eyes zeroed onto the next paragraphs, soaking the information in and processing them all in my head. 

"Innate type…"

Just then, something stirred inside me as if it was reacting to what I said and if I'm not going crazy or anything, it purred as well. Like some damn cat.