Pain magic, she explained, is rooted in the ability to convert raw pain—whether physical, emotional, spiritual, or existential—into a usable form of energy. This energy can then be channeled through a funnel, an object of personal significance to the user, which acts as a conduit to manifest various effects in the physical world.
For physical pain, the most straightforward type, the pain must be acute and intense, often self-inflicted through injury or harsh stimuli. The resulting energy can enhance physical attributes, such as strength or speed, or be released as a destructive force, like shockwaves or concentrated blasts.
Emotional pain, on the other hand, is more nuanced. It requires the user to evoke deep-seated feelings like sorrow, guilt, or anger. Once harnessed, this pain can be used to manipulate the environment, such as freezing the air with sadness or igniting flames with anger. The effectiveness of pain magic depends on the intensity of the pain and the user's ability to control and channel it without being overwhelmed.
The instructor emphasized that the true challenge of pain magic lies in balance. Too little pain, and the magic fizzles out, ineffective. Too much, and the caster risks losing control, either by causing unintended destruction or by succumbing to the pain themselves. It's a delicate dance, she warned, one that requires both mental and physical fortitude.
The instructor continued, explaining that physical pain is categorized into three primary groups: neuropathic, nociceptive, and nociplastic pain.
Neuropathic pain arises from damage to the nervous system and often involves sharp, burning sensations, making it particularly potent for spells that require precision or intense bursts of energy.
Nociceptive pain, the most common, results from direct injury to body tissues—like cuts, bruises, or broken bones—and is typically harnessed to enhance physical abilities or create defensive barriers.
Nociplastic pain is less understood but involves pain without obvious tissue damage or nerve injury, often linked to chronic conditions. This type is more difficult to channel but can be used to maintain long-lasting effects, like persistent auras or fields that drain energy over time.
The power of physical pain magic is not just in the type but also in its duration: acute pain offers quick, explosive power; subacute pain sustains spells for longer periods; and chronic pain, though difficult to endure, can provide immense, stable energy over extended durations.
Emotional pain, in contrast, is more fluid and depends on the depth and intensity of the feelings involved. It scales from simple emotions like sadness or anger, which can produce moderate effects—such as chilling winds from sadness or small bursts of fire from anger—to more complex, deeply rooted emotions like despair, guilt, or rage.
These can manifest in powerful, often uncontrollable effects, like small floods, mini earthquakes, or intense mental assaults on opponents. The key to emotional pain magic lies in the caster's ability to tap into their own emotional well, drawing out the necessary feelings without being overwhelmed by them. This makes emotional pain magic both versatile and dangerous, as it can turn on the user if not handled with care.
The instructor then shifted the focus to spiritual pain, explaining that it is far rarer and more difficult to harness.
Spiritual pain stems from a person's sense of self, identity, and belief system being shattered. This can occur in a few specific ways: experiencing deep, life-altering delusions, having one's core beliefs violently contradicted by reality, or enduring moments of false hope that are brutally dashed.
Unlike physical or emotional pain, spiritual pain is often inflicted by external circumstances rather than self-imposed, making it difficult to control or replicate.
The only users who have been able to successfully impose spiritual pain on themselves at will are E&R's very own Trioge twins, Geo and Boro.
When successfully harnessed, however, spiritual pain can be used to manipulate reality itself, warping perceptions, creating illusions, or even altering the fabric of the world around the caster. This makes spiritual pain users among the most feared and respected, as their powers are as unpredictable as they are potent.
Finally, the instructor touched on existential pain, a forbidden and largely misunderstood branch of pain magic.
Existential pain arises from grappling with the fundamental truths of existence—such as the guilt of murder, the futility of life or death choice, or the crushing weight of prolonged isolation. It is often induced through prolonged isolation, horrible ethical evils, or severe mental conditions like schizophrenia.
The effects of existential pain magic are terrifying in their scope, capable of inducing madness, erasing memories, or even warping the fabric of reality to a degree that threatens the caster's own sanity. Because of its devastating mental impact and the high risk of irreversible damage to both the caster and those around them, existential pain is strictly forbidden at E&R. Only the most desperate or reckless would attempt to wield it, knowing that the cost is often far greater than the power gained.
It wasn't long before Jordel's sinking feeling was confirmed. Drain VanHeart, who had been lounging in his seat with an air of boredom, suddenly spoke up, his voice dripping with condescension.
"This lesson is a waste of time," Drain announced, cutting off the instructor mid-sentence. "Anyone who's worth anything already knows this stuff. Why should we be forced to sit through it?"
The classroom fell silent, all eyes turning to Drain. The instructor's expression tightened, but she didn't immediately respond, clearly caught off guard by the outburst.
Jorel felt a surge of anger at Drain's arrogance. He had seen enough of this kind of behavior to know that it was about more than just boredom—it was about power, about asserting dominance over those who were less experienced.
Unable to stay silent, Jorel spoke up. "Maybe you should let the rest of us learn, then, if you're so far ahead."
The room seemed to hold its breath as Drain turned his gaze on Jorel, his eyes narrowing in disdain. "And who are you to tell me what to do? Some nobody who barely made it into Raven House?" With a swift motion he muttered something else before slicing into his hand with a small dagger that had been hidden in his waist band.
Jorel clenched his fists before starting to lunge at Drain, but before he could reach him, the instructor stepped in, her voice sharp and commanding.
"That's enough, VanHeart," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "If you think you're above this lesson, then you're welcome to leave. But I suggest you remember that this is E&R University, where every lesson, no matter how basic, could be the difference between life and death- and I will not forget this rude interruption."
Drain sneered, but he didn't push the issue further. Instead, he leaned back in his seat while wrapping his hand, his eyes locked on Jorel with a promise of future trouble.
The lesson continued, but the tension in the room was palpable. Jorel could feel Drain's gaze on him throughout the class, and he knew that this was far from over. Drain VanHeart wasn't the type to let a slight go unanswered, and Jorel had just made himself a target.
After the class ended, Jorel, Ryen, and Jain gathered outside the classroom, the weight of what had just happened hanging over them.
"Drain's going to be a problem," Ryen said, his voice laced with frustration. "He's not going to let this go."
Jain nodded, her expression serious. "He's dangerous, Jorel. Be careful around him. Students like Drain have connections, and they can make life very difficult if you cross them."
Jorel took a deep breath, steadying himself. "I know. But I'm not going to back down from him, either. If he wants to make this personal, then we'll just have to be ready for whatever comes next."
The three of them shared a look of mutual understanding. They had faced challenges together before, and they knew that they would have to rely on each other even more in the days to come.
As they made their way back to the next class, the sense of foreboding that had settled over them didn't fade. If anything, it only grew stronger.
And somewhere in the back of his mind, Jorel couldn't shake the feeling that things were about to get much more dangerous.