Despite launching into the creation of this new magic with grand plans and boundless motivation, I hit a wall at the very first step: where to begin?
My goal was to create a magic with minimal backlash, one that exerted very limited strain on the mages' mental health. But to even shape a concept, I first had to define what Fate actually was.
Back when I was a human, I was convinced there was no fate or destiny. I had absolutely no doubt that our actions determined every second of our future. But as a god dragged into this world, where the Goddess clearly planned so many things for me… can I really say this wasn’t my destiny?
I glanced at the shining stars tethered to the Crimson Guardian manifestation in my realm.
Weren’t they also prepared for me? The entire race of Velmoryns trapped in the forest without contact with the outside world - wasn’t that the same as them waiting for me?
Even if this isn’t Fate in the absolute sense, because I could’ve avoided this outcome by taking a different route, there is no doubt that my present, and perhaps even my future, was heavily influenced by the Goddess. That’s what I should aim for - magic that isn’t guaranteed to work, but pushes the target toward a certain outcome by tweaking causality.
My goal wasn’t as significant as what the Goddess had done. I wasn’t trying to create magic that would allow my believers to alter a target's entire life. It would only act as a minor hex - a sudden itch, a stumble, a sneeze. Furthermore, it would be strictly limited in time; the hex could be planned for a maximum of one minute into the future.
By placing such strict limitations, I hoped to minimize the risks of using the magic. As Aurelion had already proven, when you gave up something, this world always balanced it with an appropriate reward.
The concept felt solid, but then it came down to casting the spell. I had already witnessed runes, diagrams, artifacts, and even markings engraved on the body.
For me, the most convenient method was engraving because it couldn’t be cancelled by disrupting the mage’s focus and could be easily veiled beneath clothes. But I wanted to try something different.
What if the mage chanted the spell instead?
Spoken words took time. They required breath and rhythm. They revealed the mage's position and, more importantly, if someone could understand the words, they were likely to predict the effect of the spell.
Wouldn't these disadvantages serve as a limitation that, according to the laws of this world, would boost the success rate or power of the spell?
I took a moment to properly consider the theory. That’s when my gaze drifted to the Red Grima. It had sat dormant and functionless ever since I fell into slumber. With its tether to me severed, it had lost all ability to communicate with my believers. It was strange. The basilisk had remained completely unaffected, yet my limited clone had become nothing more than an empty core.
Still, that was a mystery for another time. I would figure out what happened to the Grima later.
For now, I needed test subjects. I decided to create two new clones - one imbued with mana and the capacity to use my experimental magic, and the other a simple dummy to serve as the target.
Thanks to my new skill, splitting my essence and assigning specific functions came easily now. Soon, two small figures hovered in the void of my realm. The first took the shape of Othrien; I didn't know why, but his visage came to mind first. The second took the shape of Avenor.
That choice, admittedly, was entirely on purpose.
But while molding the vessels was effortless, converting my Divine Power into mana proved far more difficult than I had anticipated.
My understanding of the relationship between the two energies was limited to what the system had told me: divine power was a purer, higher form of mana. Basically, the magical energy was simply a derivative of divinity, so I assumed that if I diluted my essence, it would naturally degrade into mana.
The problem was, I had no idea how to dilute it.
So, as usual, the moment I felt stuck, I activated Guidance.
[Creation of Mana]
It is impossible to dilute your divinity, as your essence is already Pure.
To revert divinity to a lesser state would require gathering all latent impurities into a single fraction of your power - a feat impossible for any deity below a certain Rank. However, even if you possessed such mastery, you would still fail because there are no impurities within your essence to manipulate.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
Suggestion: Attempt to create magical power directly, rather than seeking to degrade your divinity.