(This is the book the protagonist is reading shortened with only the key points included)
Magus:A book on Awakening as one
In the world of Asterisk, there exists a special group of individuals known as magus. These individuals possess the ability to control elemental energies derived from a fundamental energy known as ether. Magus is said to be able to control elements like fire, water, earth, metal, lightning, and more. They are a supernatural part of this world. But how do they come to possess such incredible powers, and what role do they play in the society of Asterisk?
The Awakening
Magus are not born with their powers. Instead, they undergo a process of awakening that grants them their abilities. The process of awakening typically occurs before the age of eighteen and involves the injection of artificial ether into the child's body by another magus. However, only children with a certain amount of innate ether can awaken. This means that some children are unable to become magus, even with the injection of ether. They can take the alternative path, becoming a knight. But becoming a knight is only possible if a child is unawakened. After going through the process of awakening, a child only has one path ahead, becoming a Magus however low their talent might be.
Some children can awaken naturally, without the need for artificial ether injection. However, to be able to awaken naturally, a child must have vast amounts of innate ether. These children are rare and are often seen as prodigies within the Magus community.
The cultural significance of magus is significant within the society of Asterisk. They are seen as powerful and respected individuals, with non-magus individuals often looking up to them. The process of awakening is often seen as a rite of passage for magus, and those who awaken naturally are viewed with particular reverence.
Talent ranks
Not every person is the same and that is the same for the magus. They also possess different characteristics and one of them is the amount of innate ether in their bodies which decides their talent ranks.
A child born with a higher amount of innate ether has higher sensitivity to ether than a child born with a less amount of ether. So, innate ether is taken as a deciding factor for talent ranks for the magus. But higher innate ether doesn't always correspond to higher sensitivity. That is why the magic council created a formula to calculate a person's talents which aren't affected by the amount of innate ether a person has.
The talent ranks of magus are inferior, basic, superior and supreme. The ranks are decided by a formula which uses innate ether and their recovery speed when a person is emptied of ether to calculate the speed of ether absorption which is all done on the day of awakening. Once a child is awakened, his amount of innate ether is calculated by a device named the thermometer created by one of the council members of the magus council some 100 years ago. After which he is emptied of ether and left with 0.1 unit of ether(unit is the measuring unit for ether which is also measured by the Etherometer). And then he is asked to absorb ether until he cannot do so. The time taken to absorb the ether in seconds is then used to divide the total ether the child initially possessed(the initial 0.1 is subtracted from his total) to get the speed of the child's ether absorption. And the speed of ether absorption determines one's talents and how much the person can accomplish as a Magus.
Elemental Control and Magus Types
There are nine elements derived from the ether that magus can control. These include water, air, fire, earth, lightning, ice, metal, life, and death. Each magus can only control one element and is classified based on their element, resulting in nine types of magus.
Each element has its unique strengths and weaknesses. For example, air magus excels in mobility and speed. Fire magus are feared for their destructive powers, while earth magus are known for their defensive capabilities. Lightning magus possesses incredible speed and power, while ice magus can freeze their opponents. A metal magus can manipulate metal objects, while life magus can heal and regenerate themselves and others. Water magus is flexible and can be good at both offence and defence using their ability to manipulate water. Finally, Death magus can manipulate the death ether which is a derived ether produced by death of living beings.
Magus must master their powers through rigorous training and practice. They often specialize in particular techniques or styles, refining their skills to become more efficient in their elemental control.
The Role of Magus in Society
Magus has a significant role in the society of Asterisk. They have a history of being integrated into the ruling class and are often seen as advisors to leaders. They are expected to use their powers to protect the populace and maintain order within the society.
The Magus Council is the governing body of magus in Asterisk. It is responsible for regulating the use of magus powers, resolving disputes among magus, and providing guidance to the magus community. The Council is made up of eight members, each representing one of the elements excluding the death element. Explaining the reasoning behind this situation would take some time. But in essence, death mages or necromancers who are capable of raising dead and using their bodies for selfish gains are not looked upon in good light not only due to the twisted nature of the magic but also due to the destruction wrought by previous necromancers.
However, the integration of magus into the ruling class has not always been smooth. Some magus have rebelled against societal norms and have used their powers for personal gain or destruction. This has led to conflicts within the Magus community and has sometimes resulted in the Council being overthrown. But the existence of the church has helped the Magus council immensely in maintaining their control over the supernatural part of the population of Asterisk.
The Ethics of Elemental Control
The power of magus comes with great responsibility. The potential for abuse of power and destruction of the environment is significant. The ethics of magus powers are therefore an important consideration within the society of Asterisk.
Magus are expected to use their powers responsibly and for the greater good. They are often held to higher moral standards than others.
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Roan sighed as he closed the book which he had been reading for an hour now. He had managed to learn a lot from this book. First of all, he had awakened as a magus. A talented one considering that he had managed to awaken naturally. Good news but one that he had guessed early on. And then came the bad news. He had awakened as a necromancer, a type of magus hunted down by the church, the magus council and even the kingdom.
Roan shivered as he thought about the implications of him being a necromancer. He couldn't let a single soul other than himself know about it. Otherwise, it would probably be his last day.
Roan closed the book and put it back in its place, his head filled with how to keep his deepest and darkest secret a secret.
He walked towards the door leading outside, flashing a smile towards the librarian who also returned the smile.
Roan exited the library unaware that the librarian had been staring at him the entire time he had been reading the book.
"A deathly aura...The church is gonna love this." The librarian muttered to himself with a smile on his face. A dark one.