Chapter 696 A Simpler Understanding

'I wanted a label to call the focus when envisioning spell modules when attempting to share how I managed to learn magic.' Eldrian recalled, 'Mageia is what I decided on and originally it wasn't something magical. With time I gained control of this distinct method of visualizing things—like it was some sort of unique skill different from just concentrating on things.'

'Then much later I learned how to weave in mana with it, allowing me to create floating runes as I thought of using runes instead of spirit magic. But before that, I learned how to guide mana and emotions into spells, and before that even just how to guide mana, and before that...'

'Again, such acts were only possible through using mageia. But mageia is simply intense focus on a clear visualized goal.'

'The type of mageia used in runic casting is the most different from all other types of mageia as it is both clear and unclear, but I lack proper labels for all the different types. Mageia of auras is the most chaotic, and mageia of spirit magic the most draining.'

'Clearly, mageia has become a category of connecting with mana through thinking, rather than a clear explanation of the act currently being used. But I've digressed.'

'Mageia is now synonymous with magical visualization, no matter what type of visualization. But it wasn't always like that, that wasn't my original goal in naming it. It started just being the focus I needed when I tried to picture a spell module. Pure and simple concentration. Nothing magical about it.'

'It is clear that labels can be misleading. What mageia means now is no longer what it meant originally. The same should be true of other labels. Indeed, trying to think things through without relying on them is for the best. If even my own label can't be counted on clearly I can't rely on the labels of others to give me a clear understanding of a topic.'

'Mageia is now what I call all thoughts connecting me with mana and the world of magic. When I connect with mana, feel it, sense it, control it. That is all mageia, as is when I envision the outcome of spells or skills. As is when I manipulate the space inside my soul, my mental room... As is...'

'...As is...'

It almost felt like the term had lost all meaning yet it was still a useful label. It included so many things that it was clearly no longer a precise label but rather a category covering a range of activities. Yet, as a category, it was useful to label a range of actions. Its meaning and use simply changed with time.

'This is likely the same for all the other labels, people named something once and everything that was similar fell under the same name. Never receiving their own labels.'

'Before they realized it, it was now so broadly defined the original intent is lost. The labels and names they made are still useful but are no longer connected to the core concept. Or rather, the core concept is buried beneath all the other things that it now also describes.'

'Ashliel told me that the space inside my soul, the space inside my mental room, is XP. And that this is also called lifeforce, the term XP only having been used to match the energy with gaming terms. Only used by players and the system.'

'I can accept them wanting a term for it, but to me, it is only space inside my mind. It doesn't feel like a type of energy nor do I think it is a force. I can alter this space at will. But I can't make use of that alteration outside... At least I don't know how to at this point in time.'

Recalling the message to Gaia when he wanted to confirm if Ashliel was a friend, made Eldrian think of his telepathic talks with Ceph.

'That connection was a manipulation of mageia too, one in which we need to have our minds on a similar frequency with the intent to communicate. Accomplishing this requires subconscious manipulation of lifeforce, but again the space doesn't really do anything. It just needs to not be chaotic while we wish to communicate. It is the wish to communicate that creates our connection.'

'Diving into it is complicated as I don't even know how it really works, back to basics! Though, using the interface is similar. But that is again a digression.'

'My mental room is the visualization of my consciousness. It is what I see when I close my eyes and think, dream, when I am falling asleep. When I am pondering something, even as I sit here.'

'As I sit here, eyes closed, I see an endless space of nothingness. Behind me, Two is going through a book, hopping between this space and our inventory, creating a book of notes on the book he was currently investigating. The book he is creating and all the writing appearing in it appeared as if from nothing. Behind him stood a library filled with books created in a similar manner. Currently, he is finishing notes on point-to-point teleportation, our next goal would be resurrection, but that is besides the point.'

'This is my mind. And my mind is my soul. XP, lifeforce—it doesn't matter what I call them. As far as I can tell they simply represent how large my mental space can be. They exist only in my mind, but they have definite categorization and can even be measured to an extent...'

Long ago this mental space of Eldrian's had been just a few meters. Now it appeared and felt endless. 'But I don't feel like I became all that wiser. I have noticed some increased mental capabilities, but not to the extent that endless versus a few meters would indicate. I am still mostly the same me.'

'Perhaps it is more a representation of my will? Or spirit? Agh, I don't know the words to describe it! Actually...' Eldrian's figurative eyes flew wide as he stared at this empty void and thought of how little sleep he required recently.

Even though he was personally connecting his mind with the world of ANW and thus did not have the systems that players had. The systems that induced sleep. He was fine.

Eldrian wasn't sure what type of rest his body, nor his avatar, received while his 'mind' was absent. He only knew that to others it would appear like he was asleep or knocked out. Eldrian had no way to prove that his body, his brain, in particular, was getting proper rest.

For his mind was always active.

He recalled that back in Miracle his brain would be active while inside the game. If the same was true here, that should mean it is impossible that he was getting proper rest.

An active mind must mean active brain, or that was what common sense wanted to tell Eldrian.

And this made sense, every few days he would need to stop and take time to sleep. The most Eldrian had managed to hold out before feeling exhausted was around a week.

'Perhaps this space is an indication of the energy I have as a person? Labeling it would be dumb since I don't even understand it but it kinda fits with current labels. So that might be one of the original thought processes. I feel certain I don't need as much sleep because of this increased space.'

'Another benefit might be that the larger it grows the easier it is for me to connect with mana. I just know my connection with mana is uncanny. Perhaps the former is where the 'life' in 'lifeforce' comes from and this is where the 'force' comes from?

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