One could argue that the concept of gods is a human construct, created to explain the unknown rather than provide evidence of their existence. But in this world, I can't be certain of anything. To think that an entire race of gods sacrificed themselves to kill a single human. It sounds like folklore, but I'm not from this world, so who am I to judge?
Anyway, I've read that same book 243 times now. By the age of 18 months, I had learned how to read. I stayed awake an entire night, pouring over its 1,200 pages—807,370 words in total, as thick as The Lord of the Rings. So, I'm now the smartest toddler in the history of mankind, which isn't unusual for me. I mean, I learned calculus when I was seven. It doesn't feel like much of an accomplishment anymore.
Despite my advanced vocabulary, I've decided to keep my abilities hidden. I still speak using simple words. My talents were always exploited by everyone my colleagues, my parents, and most painfully, my wife. They all believed that their sense of justice was the only justice, and that's a kind of evil I'd rather not deal with. So, I've learned not to share my talents openly.
This brings me to the storeroom, where the books are kept. The only time the door opens is when the maid goes inside to clean. I rushed in and hid behind the door. Once she left, I pulled out a book. Thick as a Bible and slept in the floor for reading. Now able to read the title, I saw it was called Basic Nature of Incantation.
The Concept of Aura
In this world, Aura is the life force generated by all living beings, an invisible energy field that surrounds and penetrates every living thing. Aura is essentially the byproduct of metabolic processes within the body, specifically the heat generated by cellular respiration. However, in this universe, heat is not just a form of energy. It's the foundational element that can be transformed into other basic elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether (the fifth element, representing space or the void).
"Oh, this is interesting. This world somehow follows the Law of Conservation of Energy," I thought, my curiosity piqued as I continued to read.
Conversion of Heat to Magic
Humans possess a unique organ called the Aurora Core, located within the heart binding Body and Aura together. It's similar to the heart in many animals but serves a different purpose. This organ is capable of converting the body's heat into Aura, which can then be manipulated to produce various elemental effects. The process works as follows:
Heat Absorption: The Aurora Core absorbs excess heat from the body, preventing overheating and storing this energy as Aura.
Elemental Conversion: The Aurora Core converts this Aura into specific elemental forms by channeling the heat energy through specialized pathways known as Elemental Channels, which are attuned to specific elements:
. Fire: Directly channeling heat energy outward creates fire-based magic.
. Water: Cooling the heat energy through internal condensation processes turns it into water or ice.
. Earth: Compressing and solidifying the Aura forms earth or metal-based structures.
. Air: Expanding and dispersing the Aura generates wind or controls atmospheric pressure.
. Ether: Manipulating Aura at a more subtle level allows for space-time manipulation, teleportation, or communication over distances.
"Oh, there's another organ?" I muttered, flipping through more pages, where I found illustrations of creatures—turtles with shells like lions, and other bizarre beings. Many animals have a core that contains Magicules. These cores can't be consumed but can be used to make machines or weaponry. The larger the animal, the bigger the core.
But humans don't have such cores. Instead, King Julius blessed humans with something different, Their core is almost mixed in blood. Hence, their core is much smaller than other large beasts yet this gives humans exponential strength, making them unique among the species of this world. Human cores cannot be extracted, and this is the unbreakable rule.
"Now, most importantly, how do I cast it?" I thought to myself as I read further.
To use Aura effectively, humans undergo rigorous training to enhance their control over their Aurora Core and Elemental Channels. This training includes:
. Meditation: Helps to regulate the flow of heat energy and maintain a balance between body temperature and Aura production.
. Physical Conditioning: Increases the body's natural heat output, thus producing more Aura.
. Elemental Attunement: Special exercises that align the user's Aura with a specific element, making it easier to channel that element in combat or other situations.
"This is a grueling process," I thought, but it made sense. Mastering such power should never be easy. However, there are limitations:
. Overuse of Aura: Excessive use of Aura can lead to Aura Depletion, causing extreme fatigue, hypothermia, or even death if the body can no longer maintain its necessary heat levels.
. Environmental Impact: The surrounding environment can affect the efficiency of Aura conversion (e.g., it's harder to use fire magic in the rain).
"Well, that makes sense," I thought, flipping the page, but what I found next filled me with unease.
Mastery and Stability
Mastering one or two Aura Manipulation Techniques is relatively safe, but attempting to master more than three is perilous due to the complex interplay of different elemental frequencies within the Soul.
The risks arise from:
. Soul and Aurora Core : Soul and Aura core are not fully understood yet. Soul has a job to maintain balance with body and aura, If someone masters one element of magic. Their soul binds itself to that element but it cannot bind more than 3 elements. Anyone can learn basics of any element but mastering takes time. Aurora Core is present within the heart but for humans, It's also present in blood.
"Okay, wow" I muttered to myself. "In this world, magic is not just an art but a highly scientific practice where the mastery of elements requires not only skill but also a deep understanding of the underlying principles of energy, resonance, and stability."
As I was deep in thought, Thorus suddenly barged into the room, shocking me as he saw the books in my hands. "Your mother won the bet, and you're already starting to walk in her footsteps?" he said as he scooped me up from the floor. I tried crying to make him leave me alone, but he didn't relent.
Then he said something that made me proud of him for the first time, "How do you keep getting locked in here? From now on, this room won't be locked."
I was thrilled. Finally, I would have access to the rest of the books.