[Another day of deceit and surprises. +3 Magic Ritual]
[Magic Ritual: 6]
[Current Magic: Healing x1]
In the end, Juan didn't do the ritual yesterday as he was busy researching folklore about rewinding time. Still, nothing out of the ordinary happened, plus he had also accumulated a lot. So Juan wasn't the least bit unhappy.
"But it's time to replenish my repertoire of magic." Juan took the time while his clone was still in his room before he went out of the house with a mini house model towards the forest behind the backyard.
Seeing that no one had seen him, he immediately walked faster into the forest and saw the familiar mound. And then he noticed that the mini-house he offered back then had vanished. Don't tell me, those Duwende really accepted the offering, right?
Where did it go? He shook his head and guessed that someone might have seen it and taken a liking to it, so it was taken. Juan, however, had no time to waste. His illusion still had work to do, and he needed to immediately return to his room.
So after putting the offerings at the top of the mound, He took out a piece of bread wrapped in a plastic wrapper and placed it on the tree stump not far away as he chanted.
"Oh Duwende of the mounds, the spirit and guardians of mountains and hills, please grant me magic that can trick anything and anyone." Juan didn't stop; instead, he followed by another chanting.
"Oh Diwata, the spirit and guardians of mountains and forests, please grant my wish to have the magic of healing any kinds of sickness, illness, diseases, and injuries."
He planned to divide his six magic rituals into two. Three for healing and illusion although he didn't know if it would work. At least he can try it and see how its results. After bowing, he immediately returned home and locked the door.
Before returning to his room and lying on the bed. His illusion clone immediately left for work after bidding farewell to his parents. Turning around, he checked the door, and it was locked. The window too, knowing that he was safe and sound from the jamming of the illusion magic around the room.
Juan finally relaxed greatly, and at the same time, the familiar text box appeared. He wasn't bothered by his lying posture, as his eyes only focused on the text.
[Ritual Successful. Created Illusion Magic x3, Healing Magic x3]
[Magic Ritual: 0]
[Current Magic: Healing Magic x4, Illusion Magic x3]
Juan's eyes immediately beam with happiness. At the same time, with relief, he found another thing about how to use his magic ritual. So it can also be done like that, huh? Doing two rituals at the same time, then dividing the total counts to accommodate both magics
With four uses of healing magic and three for illusion. He can now feel a little safer. Still, the next magic would be related to the future. What if everyone just forgets about my existence? And then no one will remember me, right?
No trouble, no worries. Just the way of life. That's right! Why haven't I thought of that? I should have just thought of that from the start. But if I use magic that makes them forget me, I need to use it carefully, or I might even forget myself.
That would be too dangerous and no different from killing a myself into a dead man. Since he doesn't have much to do now, why not use this time to browse the internet? And Juan did indeed do what was on his mind.
[In folklore, there is a creature known as the "Tiyanak" that is sometimes associated with the power to erase memories or existence. The Tiyanak is believed to be the vengeful spirit of an unbaptized child or an aborted fetus. It takes the form of a baby or toddler to lure unsuspecting victims into its trap.
The Tiyanak possesses the ability to erase memories and manipulate perception. It uses its powers to make people forget their surroundings, lose their way, or even forget the existence of their loved ones. The creature preys on individuals who venture into the wilderness or deserted places, enticing them with its innocent appearance.
Once the Tiyanak has successfully entrapped its victim, it reveals its true nature and attacks. The encounter with the Tiyanak can result in physical harm or even death.
However, some versions of the folklore suggest that those who manage to resist the creature's influence and escape its clutches will regain their memories and return to reality.
The Tiyanak folklore serves as a cautionary tale to discourage people from wandering alone in unfamiliar or dangerous places.
It emphasizes the importance of vigilance and the potential consequences of being deceived by illusions or supernatural entities.]
Juan's eye lit up as he read the information he had. He was disappointed to know that it seems to only erase an individual's memory of their existence. Would he still have work hard to find them one by one to use the magic individually?
No way; that would make things more complicated. However, can he use it over long distances? Although it's a waste to use it like that, it's would be better area of attack instead. If it's useful, then he might as well try.
Juan, however, wasn't fully convinced. So he searched abroad. And then he saw it. A suitable folklore he can choose!
[The Whispering Wind:
In certain folklore, there is a tale about a mystical wind known as the "whispering wind." It is said that this wind has the ability to erase memories and even the existence of individuals.
Legend has it that if someone hears the soft whispers of the wind, their memories of a particular person or event are instantly wiped away.
The wind is often depicted as a gentle breeze that carries with it a haunting melody, lulling unsuspecting individuals into a state of forgetfulness.]
Next, find the right materials for the ritual steps. First are the time and place. Since it's a wind, then there's no need to think about that, right? Or should he delve more into its history?
Juan did the latter. Then he looked at the results.
[The whispering wind is a mystical element that is elusive and intangible, often portrayed as a gentle breeze that carries soft whispers or faint voices.
It possesses the unique ability to manipulate memories, occasionally erasing or distorting them. This ethereal wind is accompanied by haunting melodies and holds a mystical connection to the spirit realm.
It acts as a bridge between different planes of existence, conveying messages or warnings. Symbolically, the wind signifies transformation, renewal, and the importance of releasing the past.
However, it can also be enchanting yet deceitful, leading individuals astray or causing them to lose touch with reality.
Ultimately, the Whispering Wind embodies the profound influence of memory, perception, and the enigmatic aspects of the supernatural.]
Alright, although it may seem redundant, Juan still gleaned a lot of useful information from it. First is the time and place, which should be in some places with unique geography where, when the wind passed by, it would produce some howling or whispering sounds.
"It felt like I was on a journey towards courting death with a bouquet of white flowers ready to marry her in due time." Juan knew that doing rituals was dangerous, but what could he do?
He loves magic, and he needs it. What's more, he was already exposed. He didn't expect this world to actually hide such a behemoth that could detect his magic activation immediately.
Juan should be thankful that his magic was activated. It won't be detected anymore. It's also the reason no one thought he was using his magic anymore after that one time.
Even the owner of that old voice thought that Juan had already died under his tricks. Juan shook his head and immediately searched for a place to set up the ritual. A place that emits sounds when wind passes by it.
It should be quiet with no one around, as long as it isn't bustling. Then it can be used; that should be enough. But he did find one, but it was too far away. Should he go? By his estimate, it should be a four-hour journey on the bus, or maybe much shorter.
But he still had to change rides multiple times to arrive there. Should he go? Nah, he should. Although it was dangerous, he should be safe for now, seeing as no one had come to disturb his life or kidnap him again.
He suddenly realized that he was showing his cowardly nature. Although staying in his house will give him safety, what can a pile of wooden planks do in the face of the supernatural? Juan has clearly overlooked this.
"Right, what I did is only to cover an illusion that nothing is wrong in the room I'm in for those with investigative supernatural powers. If they really wanted to do something on me, then I can do nothing or even resist at all," Juan finally thought.
"I'm still naive; I actually haven't noticed where I'm lacking. It looks like my cowardly nature has caused me to look at the smaller picture than the bigger ones." And so, he had decided! He'll go outside personally!
And he'll do it tomorrow! It's best if he can accumulate more magic rituals so that he won't have to travel back and forth just to acquire that kind of magic. Without further ado, he immediately got to the second task.
The offerings, according to the folklore, are related to the spirit realm, so he might as well buy things that have anything to do with that as a symbol. Next is what it likes and dislikes; it's not a living being, so he had no way of knowing that.
But based on the information he gleaned from it, "I think I can just offer to listen for a while, right? Although it's scary, I'm not offering myself whole. It's just a bit of time to listen." Juan suddenly widened his eyes as he thought he might have gone crazy thinking of that.
"Am I nuts? How could I do that? What if I forget my existence and memories? Then all the things I've done will have no meaning." He felt like he had just thought of offering himself to death.
Just what was he thinking? In the end, I am still too naive. Juan immediately had a hint of caution in his mind about everything he did when it came to ritual. "The steps towards offerings must be carefully thought upon."
In case he suddenly thought of offering himself, he had to double or triple check. What if he was suddenly influenced because he had been thinking too much of that folklore that somehow found its way to him?
With a pale face and a fast-beat heart, Juan took hold of his blanket as he wrapped himself, feeling cold all over. "As expected, all things lead to mysteries, and rituals are too dangerous! I need to trek in carefully."
And so, Juan checked the place he was going, and this time he realized some discrepancy in his understanding. The place he was planning to go seems to not be the right place to set the ritual.
This made him immediately tense as he suddenly thought of something horrifying. Did he get noticed by some evil being without knowing it? Could it be that old man in a coat who abuses his authority?
Or, did his rituals with those mysterious beings finally make them mad at him and affect his thoughts, leading him somewhere far and dying?This made him immediately shake under the cover as he held his breath in and out slowly.
No way...
Juan felt the world was so messed up. Or it can be said that he was just knocking on everyone's door almost every day, only to leave immediately then they finally got angry enough to play some pranks on him.
He might have brought it to himself. At the same time, he made some guesses in his heart. Why not do the ritual at home? In his room, but that would be dangerous, right? What if some unknown consequence happened to his parents?
Although he both loved and hated them, he actually didn't want anything to happen to them that would make him worry because of responsibilities. Juan hated responsibilities the most.
Why can't everyone just be happy? Ah, I shouldn't have thought of that. After a few minutes of calming down, he made up his mind. "I'll try it in the forest tonight." At the same time, Juan plans to do it at the weekend.
He counted the days before Saturday. "Another four days and it will be Saturday. I can wait at least by that. While on it, I can use this time to relax." And so, while his illusion worked hard with the materials gathering.
Juan enjoyed the leisure of his stay at room time after giving the list of necessary materials for initiating the ritual to his illusion after it got home.
At the same time, he used illusion magic on his illusion clone once again, just for safety precautions. What if it suddenly vanished? Although he didn't know what kind of power was fueling his illusion's existence, Juan still felt the need to reinforce his illusion with another illusion.
So what if it's redundant? At the same time, he heard interesting news from his illusion. If his illusion can't talk, won't he be a retard to send a mute in his place at work? That's so stupid: "But I'm not!"
"Tell me what interesting things you talked about or heard at work today." Juan somehow feels helpless at being ignorant. If he can just have enough time to gather enough information and make preparations.
He will surely find magic that lets him synchronize memories with his illusion. And by then, would he still have to ask as he used his limited imagination to see what the scene was like back then?
"I heard the supervisor say the company's anniversary was coming nearer. So he bought a decorative bamboo used for happy occasions occasionally on festivals. It was placed on the entrance of the gas station for everyone to leave their wishes on a piece of paper, then hang them on the leaves."
Juan heard this and couldn't help but think of something familiar. The word 'wishing tree' inexplicably appeared in his mind as he immediately took out his phone to search for it. At the same time, his illusion clone sitting on a stool continued.
"I also heard the supervisor has visited many countries, and in Japan he particularly had some impressions of their wishing tree culture." Juan heard this was further confirmation of his guess. It's really that thing!
[In Japanese folklore, the wishing tree is associated with the Tanabata festival celebrated on July 7th. The wishing tree is represented by bamboo branches adorned with colorful streamers and ornaments.
People write their wishes on small pieces of paper called tanzaku and hang them on the bamboo branches. The bamboo acts as a conduit for the wishes to reach the heavens.
The belief is that the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi, represented by the stars Vega and Altair, meet on this day. By hanging their wishes on the tanzaku tree, people hope that the deities will grant their wishes.
The tanzaku tree tradition is a symbolic and cherished practice in Japan, where people express their hopes and aspirations, seeking the fulfillment of their desires.]
Looking at his phone, Juan sees hope! Hahahaha, this is it! I found something more incredible and easy! The power of granting wishes! It's easy to see just how many things he can do with this kind of power.
Juan was determined to have that! "Wishing Magic, it looks like I have to go to work personally tomorrow." Eyes flashing with light, he asks his clone, "How's the preparation for the Babaylan ritual?"
After all, wishing magic can be diverse. There are also some who say that it has some dangerous repercussions. Juan had to be careful. After all, there's no free lunch in this world. The future-sight magic can also come in handy when it comes to communicating with a spirit.
Who knew he could get a contract with it? But he still had to create that contract magic via a ritual. Time, as long as he has enough time. He will be able to acquire all kinds of magic by then.
And so, a day passed.
[You pissed off two entities yesterday with your increasing tyrannical rituals. You had been affected by gloom, panic, helplessness, restlessness, and worry. +3 Magic Ritual]
Juan paled upon reading this. So it's true! He had indeed poked the hive! Damn! I'm screwed. I thought it was too light; I didn't expect my magic ritual's forceful creation of magic according to my request to make them unhappy.
It's because my rituals don't need their permission at all! If it were him, he would also feel angry. What should he do? Wait, Juan suddenly thought of something. Why not just give them an offering and not ask them for magic?
That's it! I can at least do that! "Illusion, go and take the remainder of the bread from the kitchen and give it as an offering in the forest. Remember to plead forgiveness for disturbing them after you offered."
"Mm." The illusion clone immediately left. Following the illusion out with his gaze. Juan couldn't help but feel satisfied by how it became like this. At first, he only wanted to make a realistic illusion of him and work on his instead.
But who knew it could also be used like this? Like a butler indeed. As for him? He became too cowardly because of the debuffs from those hidden existence! Juan swears that he just wants to exchange some offerings with them for magic.
Who knew that they would be so narrow-minded? Juan, however, can't show his displeasure or irritation at all. Lest he anger them further. "I only hope they don't place too much attention on me. It would be good if they could just forget about my existence!"