"Hey, Bird-head, what do you think you're doing?" I asked in annoyance. The old man, despite his great physique, is rather sickly. Yet, this griffin is ordering the old man to make him a nest! The Griffin, as if not noticing me, just yawned and laid itself on the giant nest.
Personally, I would have liked to ask calmly, but I think White's emotions amplified mine resulting in that rather harsh remark.
The old man noticed my arrival and joyfully held me in an embrace, "Oh White, don't worry about it. The forest's guardian said that he wanted to stay here because he can't relax in the forest. More importantly, are you feeling all right?" He then asked.
"I'm fine. Although I still feel weak, it's not hurting or anything," I said.
"That's good," The Griffin said, "it would have been a problem if you suddenly went into coma."
Yes, it would have been bad for me if I went into coma, but why does that concern you? I thought of asking, but my expression seems to have given it away as the griffin started to talk.
"Your magic. It's not magic," The griffin said, "well, not entirely at least."
"What do you mean?" I asked. Thinking back, I knew from the old man's words and the books I have read in this world that ice magic doesn't actually turn things into ice. Ice magic is simply the magic to control the lower side of temperature, using the moisture and mana in the air to form and generate ice. Although I knew something was odd about White's body, I can't pinpoint what exactly that is.
I looked at the old man, but he seems unsurprised. the griffin answered, "Magic is created from mana. Of course, you seem smart enough to know that, so I wouldn't delve into the details."
The Griffin's eyes illuminated as he released his magic. The space around us suddenly converged before diverging in a holographic dome that shows the creation of reality.
"Reality range, as we celestials call it, is the range in which worlds exist," the Griffin said, " You can think of realities as fabrics of space, where existences are permitted, and the more further back a reality was created, the stronger it's entities are."
I listened intently, trying to grasp what this Griffin is talking about. The old man beside me, contrary to his usual jolly expression, had a serious look on his face.
The griffin then continued, "Your magic is... unique. Similar to the abyssal energy that is from the abyssal reality, it surpasses the laws of both the material and celestial realities. However, wielding such power is nearly impossible unless you're a god."
Memories of gods from myths and religions came to mind. God's who ruled a certain aspect of nature, while there are also gods that are said to have created the world and spread their morals to the people.
I myself have never believed in them as I had no reason to, and I was too busy being a puppet to even thank a higher being that might not even exist in the first place.
Although the tower of Dorr Valia, where the supposedly "Gods" reside, proved me wrong. If they were the ones responsible for my transportation in this world, then I would like to thank them at least.
"So, what does this have to do with my magic not being magic?" I mean, he said it himself that 'It's nearly impossible to wield abyssal energy.' If this body is an exception, then that would mean... that I'm a god?!
The realization kicked in as a mixture of confusion and disbelief started flooding my mind. Noticing my pale complexion, the Griffin continued, "Just so you know, your not a God. Gods are existences that exist, but at the same time does not."
"Isn't that contradictory?" I asked. The old man looked in serious interest about our topic but stayed silent.
"In a way, it is. You seem like a smart kid, so tell me; what do you think about your mind?" The griffin asked.
I thought of everything I have learned through my previous world and came to a summary; the mind is simply what enables a person to think. From emotions to experiences, from knowledge to instincts, the mind is responsible for all of that.
I unconsciously placed my thumb below my lips as I thought of that, but when I arrived at the answer I was going to say, both the old man and the griffin were eyeing me with curious stares.
'Crap' I inwardly cursed. White isn't that knowledgeable to begin with, so formally answering that question would blow my cover. I opened my mouth as I spoke up, "It's what makes us think, right?"
I tried to answer unsurely to lessen the tension I felt. The old man gave me a gentle smile, while the griffin clicked his tongue, "Too short, but I'll let it slide," it said, "it's true that mind allows us to think, but do you know where they actually come from?"
"I don't know," I answered.
"The mind exists from Infinity," The Griffin said, "it is the reality where all the spaces of reality coincide. Where nothing and everything exists."
"Although that does sound cool and all, what does that have to do with gods and my magic not being magic?" I answered mutteringly from the unfamiliar knowledge I was trying to absorb.
"Hmm, you have no patience kid," the Griffin remarked, "listen well, for I will tell you the story of creation."
The dome around us changes to that of pure white.
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Everything must come from something
Once, there was an endless, boundless, infinite space of white where no reality existed, and the smallest, indestructible matter is formed. This matter would, later on, coalesce to create the abyssal reality, the reality in which the outer gods would exist.
These outer gods are living minds, as every fiber of their being is literally conscious of everything and anything. They are ever-changing in form, humongous in size, capable of devouring moons and planets alike. formless minds, naturally born from material generated from the abyss; those are the outer gods.
At the same time, the abyssal energy coalesced and form another reality within that reality which we now know as the celestial or spiritual reality. The celestial reality is where the gods of your world originally resided, a place in which that formed mana as we know of today. Intangible to the residents of the material reality, physically unkillable, and personified illusions of mind; those are the celestial deities.
The reality in which we currently reside is the material reality, a place in which the mind enters a material body in which the mana has created to form tangible matter. The reality in which the weak, insignificant beings reside, but also the reality where pain, pleasure, and all the ability to feel exists.
All realities exist in the same space, yet not in the same space. All realities are simultaneously existing within the progenitor reality, Infinity. All worlds have a Reality Range that shows how far they can reach to infinity.
From these realities, would exist worlds where we reside in. These worlds are generated in dimensions of realities where the space of infinity is prominent. This allows thinking beings to exist, oftentimes causing the creation of a world system as its god that even allows its residents to obtain skills directly from the celestial and abyssal realities.
If a world from material reality can range up to the celestial reality, then mana would be present in worlds between those realities. Otherwise, that world would just remain as a material world part of the material reality.
We celestial, call that as the reality range. Infinity can reach every reality, but the same could not be said vice-versa for the other realities it produced. Infinity is the source of all mind and consciousness and the place in which the mind cycles through after death before reincarnating.
However, if a world's reality range reaches out to the abyssal reality, then that world would be susceptible to the outer gods of the abyss.
For the protection of the mortals of the material reality, the gods of celestial reality built the tower of Dorr Valia, thereby obtaining the essence of infinity to fight back against those malevolent abyssal entities.
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I could feel my back sweating coldly from the story Griffin told. I took a peek at the old man who had a solemn expression, but soon gave a small smile when he noticed me.
"O-okay, so I'm not a god. Then what about my magic?" I asked.
"That's where it gets interesting," the Griffin said as he gave me a smirk, "Although most of it is mana, it has traces of abyssal and an unknown energy."
I gulped down my saliva as an inkling appeared in my head. Even though it was simply absurd, just the thought of it was enough to proclaim that my role in this world would not be as peaceful as I hoped it to be.
Time seems to have slowed down, as every passing second in anticipation for the Griffin's next words felt like hours long.
The Griffin then spoke up, "Although it's just a theory, it seems possible that that unknown energy is the energy of all creation, the essence of infinity."