Yusuf groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. The world around him seemed to spin, colors blending together in a surreal haze. He forced himself to focus, pushing down a sense of nausea that lingered from the intense disorientation. As he rose unsteadily to his feet, he took a moment to survey his surroundings, trying to recall what had just happened.
His last memory was of talking to Merlin, his guide in the virtual realm, about the complexities of his grimoire. The conversation had taken a strange turn when a new player joined their session. Merlin had been visibly frustrated by her interruption, reprimanding her for her timing. Then, without warning, Yusuf had felt a shock course through him, a jolt so intense it was like being struck by lightning. He staggered, clutching his head, and everything went black.
Now, as he regained his bearings, a troubling thought crossed his mind: could the VR Game Pod be malfunctioning? If the immersive technology was glitching, things might get much worse before they got better. Maybe it was best to log out and check for any system issues.
As he considered this, he noticed something strange in the room. Most of the other players around him appeared to be in a sort of daze, as if they too had experienced some kind of disturbance. Glancing around, his eyes fell on the female player who had interrupted his conversation. She sat across the hall, engrossed in a book, seemingly oblivious to the chaos around her.
Still puzzled, Yusuf shifted his gaze to an NPC standing nearby. The NPC, a figure with an aura of wisdom and mystery, was watching him with a curious expression. Yusuf hesitated, unsure whether to speak, but curiosity got the better of him. "What… what just happened?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
To his surprise, the NPC responded with a nod, as though acknowledging the unspoken confusion shared by all. "Ah, yes. Apologies for the disturbance," the NPC said, his tone calm and matter-of-fact. "It appears that some entities from the upper floors let their powers slip momentarily. They were trying to make their presence known, and you were all caught in the residual effects. But worry not, everything is under control now."
Yusuf blinked, momentarily at a loss for words. He hadn't expected an actual answer let alone one involving entities from upper floors. As he processed this information, his curiosity deepened, and he remembered something that had caught his attention before. "When that player over there came in," he said, gesturing to the woman, "you snapped your fingers, and everything went silent. How did you do that?"
The NPC raised an eyebrow, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Oh, that caught your interest, did it?" he replied, his voice laced with amusement. "That, my friend, is magic. The ability to manipulate the underlying arcane forces of this world and bend them to your will."
The NPC raised his hand, and before Yusuf's eyes, a small, flickering ball of fire materialized, hovering just above his palm. Then, with a casual wave, the fire transformed into a shimmering orb of water, droplets splashing softly to the ground. Another wave, and a gust of wind swirled through the room, flipping the pages of nearby books and rustling clothes. Yusuf's eyes widened, awe and excitement mixing within him. He felt a pull, a deep and instinctual yearning, as if a voice within him whispered, *This is what you need to learn. Devour this knowledge. Master it.*
The urge to understand this power overwhelmed him. Magic wasn't just a tool or a game mechanic it was a force that called to him on a level even deeper than his passion for science and Quantum Mechanics. "Teach me!" he blurted out, his voice filled with a fervor that surprised even him.
The NPC, Merlin, paused, seemingly taken aback by Yusuf's intensity. He stared at Yusuf in silence for a moment, his expression unreadable. Yusuf, feeling a flush of embarrassment rise to his cheeks, began to wonder if perhaps his request had been too bold. Maybe this NPC didn't have the authority to teach him magic. Just as he was about to ask again, Merlin let out a long, thoughtful sigh, breaking the silence.
"Learning magic," Merlin said, his tone grave, "is not for the faint-hearted. It demands more time and concentration than you might be willing to give, especially with the Tower of Apotheosis looming ahead. Climbing it is no easy task."
Yusuf shook his head, his determination unwavering. "I'm not here to race to the top," he replied. "I came here for something different, a change of pace. And I'm ready for whatever it takes."
At that moment, a murmur of voices filled the hall as the other players slowly regained their senses. Confusion flickered across their faces as they looked around, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Merlin watched them with a faint smile and addressed the crowd. "You all just received a special welcome from the denizens of the Tower of Apotheosis," he announced. "Some entities on the upper floors have decided to grace you with a glimpse of their presence. You were… shall we say, unprepared. But do not despair. In time, as you grow stronger, you may stand before these beings and witness the Tower's wonders for yourselves."
Merlin's words seemed to spark something in the players. Many of them glanced toward the entrance, remembering the grand architecture that had first greeted them a majestic tower rising from a void of stars, a structure of such beauty and mystery it had taken their breath away. Motivated, they turned back to their books, straining to comprehend the dense text. Though much of it made little sense to them, a notification on their screens reminded them that progress was being tracked. They would eventually meet the prerequisites to pass this initial test.
Watching them, Yusuf turned back to Merlin and grinned. "You're quite the motivator," he said, unable to hide his admiration.
Merlin chuckled, giving Yusuf a conspiratorial wink. "Of course. But as for you, since you've chosen the path of magic, we'll start with the fundamentals. What makes up magic, you ask?"
With a theatrical flourish of his hands, Merlin summoned a stack of ancient tomes, each one heavy with the promise of hidden knowledge. The books thudded onto the table between them, filling nearly every inch of space. Merlin cast a sidelong glance at Yusuf, clearly expecting a reaction.
"Magic is not mere trickery or sleight of hand," Merlin began, his tone serious. "It is the accumulation of knowledge of logic, elements, metaphysics, and the nature of the universe itself. To wield magic, one must understand the essence of all things. Only then can you manipulate reality."
Yusuf listened intently, absorbing each word, and when Merlin finally paused, expecting a reaction, all he got was a single, determined question: "Where do we start?"
Merlin's jaw dropped slightly, clearly surprised by Yusuf's response. He had expected some awe, maybe a few words of hesitation, but the young man's unwavering focus had thrown him off. "Huh?" Merlin managed, blinking in surprise. But Yusuf only smiled, nodding at the pile of books with a look that said he was ready.
With a wry smile, Merlin picked up the first book and placed it in Yusuf's hands. "Very well. Let's begin with the basics," he said, tapping the book's cover. "The fundamentals of magic are rooted in understanding. The ancient scholars divided the arcane into four pillars: logic, elements, metaphysics, and perception. This book," he added, motioning for Yusuf to open it, "is an introduction to arcane logic. You'll need to understand how the world's underlying structure operates, how patterns emerge in everything."
Yusuf opened the book, his mind absorbing every word, every concept, as if he were reading the secrets of the universe itself. He felt like a child peering through a telescope for the first time, awed by the boundless cosmos before him. The diagrams and symbols were complex, but he felt a strange familiarity with them. As if he was revisiting knowledge long forgotten.
Hours passed as Yusuf immersed himself in his studies. Perhaps thanks to his high Intelligence Attribute he was able to assimilate everything, he would glance up occasionally to see Merlin observing him with quiet amusement, nodding approvingly whenever Yusuf solved a particularly complex concept. As the other players continued to work on their own tasks, the room buzzed with the low hum of focus as some players completed their quests.
Finally, Merlin interrupted, closing the book with a decisive thud. "Enough for today. You've shown a remarkable aptitude, Quantum Sage, but don't let that make you overconfident. Magic is a journey, one that will test every part of you."
Yusuf nodded, his face set in an expression of fierce resolve. "I understand," he replied. "But I'm not stopping here."
Merlin's eyes gleamed with a hint of pride. "Good," he said softly. "Tomorrow, we delve deeper."
With that, Merlin disappeared in a shimmer of light, leaving Yusuf alone wondering why Merlin's left so suddenly