Foundation of Magic
The chatter in Class S-1 ceased in an instant.
The doors opened, and a stunning woman walked in—tall, elegant, and impossible to ignore. Long crimson hair flowed down her back like a silken waterfall, and her eyes, a matching shade of glowing red, immediately caught the attention of every student. They shimmered with wisdom, power, and a faint, haunting beauty that
left many breathless.
She wore a high-collared mage's robe etched with ancient runes, and a brooch shaped like a burning rose—the emblem of her legacy.
Jullian stiffened as he looked at her, his crimson eyes mirroring hers. The resemblance was undeniable.
The entire class stood at once, instinctively acknowledging her presence.
She stopped at the center of the room and scanned the students before speaking in a calm yet commanding voice.
"My name is Velmira Daal Dena. Peak Rank 8 Mage. Vampire."
A hush settled over the class. Even the proud ones—like Synthros or Threx—said nothing.
"Some of you may have heard of me. For the rest of you, remember this: titles don't matter unless your power backs them. Sit."
The students obeyed instantly.
Seraphina's crimson gaze swept over them once more, then she asked a simple question.
"What is magic?"
No one moved—until she pointed.
"You there. Feldine Sagnius. Stand."
Feldine rose slowly, uncertain. "Magic… is the manipulation of mana to influence reality. It allows the user to cast spells through formulas, intent, and control of elemental forces."
Seraphina raised an eyebrow. Then… she smiled.
"Correct. That's a good answer. Sit."
Then her tone turned thoughtful, almost lecturing.
"There's a common misconception among young ones… that there's a vast gulf between magicians and weapon users."
"That's not entirely true."
She began to walk slowly across the front of the room.
"Anyone can become a magician. Just as anyone can become a weapon user. But walking both paths together?"
"That… is nearly impossible."
She stopped, looking directly at Arthur, then Nyssara, and finally at Jullian.
"A magician must master magical formulas, magic mathematics, and elemental control. Precision, calculation, and vast reserves of mana are essential."
"A weapon user must master mana control, physical reinforcement, and push their body past its mortal limits. Pain and destruction become their tutors."
"At higher ranks, both paths eventually converge. Weapon users begin to understand laws—the rules that govern reality. And magicians?"
She turned and raised her hand, casting a small flicker of magic. The space distorted slightly—then realigned.
"Magicians don't stop at mastering just one or two laws. They evolve. They refine. They learn to cast higher-level spells that go beyond the battlefield."
"A simple Blink at Rank 3 becomes Teleport at Rank 4. At Rank 6? Long-distance spatial warp. At Rank 7? Multi-location teleportation."
A few students murmured, impressed.
"Even if a magician has only mastered one law, they are trained to partially understand others. Versatility is what defines us."
She turned back to face the class.
"Magic is not just about destruction or flashy spells. It is about rewriting the rules of existence—to bend them, break them, or transcend them. And that… is what makes a true mage."
Silence fell.
Then—slow applause.
It came from Jullian first. Then Arthur. Then others joined, until the room rang with reluctant admiration.
Seraphina gave a slight nod, then gestured toward the blackboard behind her.
"Let's begin."
Seraphina turned toward the enchanted blackboard behind her. With a flick of her finger, glowing symbols appeared—organized in ascending rows.
"Now, let us talk about spell classification."
She wrote the following with glowing crimson magic:
F, E, D, C, B, A, S, S+
"Spells are divided into ranks. F being the most basic—barely combat-worthy. S+ being extraordinary, often restricted or forbidden due to their devastating nature."
The students leaned forward.
"At Rank 1, most magicians can barely master C-rank spells. Even mastering just one B-rank spell at that level is rare and worthy of recognition."
She turned, smiling faintly.
"Of course, exceptions exist. Some of you are… unusual."
Her gaze swept across the classroom.
"Synthros Zephyros. Feldine Sagnius. Threx Vaer Nyreth. Elias Vale Elydrion. Caelistra Evandis. All Rank 2 magicians… and yet, each of you has already begun to grasp S-rank or even S+ ranked spells—even if only partially."
A few heads turned. Some students blinked in shock. Others narrowed their eyes in silent envy.
"But mastering a single high-ranked spell is not enough. If you walk the path of a magician, you must build a vast spell repertoire—across elements, functions, and domains."
She raised a hand, and several illusions appeared—spells of fire, ice, light, and shadow, all layered atop glowing magical circles.
"It is not talent alone, but consistency and accumulation of knowledge that makes a true mage."
Before she could continue, a chair scraped back.
Jullian Reinhart stood, sharp and composed.
"Professor… if this is a class on magic, why are the weapon users here? Shouldn't they be training elsewhere?"
A few students murmured in agreement.
Seraphina raised her eyebrows, then gave a rare chuckle.
"That is a good question, Reinhart. But a misguided one."
She turned to face the entire room.
"To fight magic, you must understand magic."
"Weapon users—especially those aiming to climb the higher Ranks—will inevitably face mages, beasts, or phenomena governed by magic. Without understanding the basics, you will be defenseless."
She paused.
"And for those of you with an elemental affinity, you can—and should—learn basic magic. Even a low-level spell can become the deciding factor in a battle."
Whispers of excitement spread among the weapon users. Saryn leaned in with a spark in his eye. Nyssara tilted her head, clearly intrigued.
Then Arthur raised his hand, his voice calm and unwavering.
"What if I don't have any elemental affinity?"
The room quieted.
Seraphina looked at him curiously, then nodded.
"Then you will begin with basic mana-type spells. Mana Bullet. Mana Missile. Force Pulse. These may seem simple, but with mastery and creativity, even these can become lethal tools."
"If your mana control grows sharp enough, you might even learn to use spatial-type spells like Blink. Though difficult, it is not impossible."
Arthur nodded once, as if evaluating the challenge.
"Understood."
Then he sat back down.
Seraphina raised her hand once more. The glowing runes vanished, replaced by strange, intricate symbols.
"Now, let's introduce another fundamental: Rune Magic."
She turned to the class.
"Before that, we'll conduct a brief mathematics test. Rune magic relies heavily on geometric and arithmetic precision. You cannot shape a rune if you cannot calculate its pattern."
Some students groaned quietly, but she continued without sympathy.
"But first… can anyone here tell me what Rune Magic actually is?"
Caelistra Evandis raised her hand—elegant and confident.
"Rune Magic is the act of inscribing or manifesting magical symbols—runes—that contain encoded effects or spells. Unlike traditional casting, which requires real-time control, rune magic stores and releases spells through pre-written sequences."
Seraphina's crimson eyes sparkled in approval.
"Exactly."
"Rune Magic is the language of the world's foundation. You inscribe reality itself—compressing power into symbols and unleashing them with purpose. It is not flashy. It is not fast. But it is terrifyingly efficient."
She turned back to the board.
"Now. Mathematics. Prove your worth."
With a graceful flick of her fingers, Seraphina summoned a glowing orb that floated to the center of the room and expanded. The orb projected five complex magical diagrams into the air, each inscribed with cryptic numbers, angles, and geometric arrays.
"You have ten minutes," she said.
"Solve them. These are basic rune calculations—but challenging enough to test whether you have the right to continue."
The room tensed.
Each problem was a blend of high-order arithmetic, mana density computation, geometric balance, and elemental stability matrices. It wasn't mere math—it was magic rendered into logic.
Whispers fell silent.
Pens began to move. Some students frowned, chewing their lips in thought. Others scribbled nonsense in desperation.
Arthur narrowed his eyes. He glanced at the first problem, quickly working through the variables in his head.
Elaris, the entity within his Soul Archive, remained completely silent.
"Good. I don't want her help right now."
"Let's see what I can do on my own."
He moved to the second question. Then the third. Then the fourth. But the fifth… even he hesitated.
He set his pen down just as time ran out.
"Time's up."
Seraphina waved her hand, and the answers lit up in gold above each problem.
Gasps spread through the class as students looked at their sheets.
"None of you answered more than two…"
Her tone was unreadable.
She looked around slowly.
"…Except Synthros Zephyros. Feldine Sagnius. And Threx Vaer Nyreth."
All three sat calmly, though Threx smirked a bit too confidently.
"Five out of five. Excellent."
Her crimson gaze gleamed with respect.
Then she continued.
"Only three others managed to solve four problems correctly: Arthur Valerian, Saryn Bhumari, and Caelistra Evandis."
"Well done," she said softly.
"Not perfect, but commendable. Rune Magic is not just about intelligence—it is about clarity of thought under pressure. That clarity, few possess."
Saryn gave a small nod to Arthur, one that was returned subtly.
Caelistra merely crossed her legs with quiet elegance, satisfied.
Most of the class looked disgruntled, especially those who had barely managed a single answer. Elias tapped his quill in frustration.
"How the hell did he solve four?"
Just as the class began to relax, thinking the test marked the end of the session, Seraphina clapped her hands again—this time with sharper intent.
"Don't even think about leaving."
Several students flinched.
"We're not done."
The glowing orb returned, this time fragmenting into dozens of smaller lights—each one floating toward a student and stopping in front of them like a sentient firefly.
"Each of you will now receive a spell. One basic spell to begin your foundation. You will study its rune structure, solve the embedded calculations, and practice its casting over the next week."
A translucent scroll of light materialized in front of each student.
As each name was called, the spell assigned became visible:
• Threx Vaer Nyreth — Flame Arrow
• Feldine Sagnius — Glacial Shard
• Synthros Zephyros — Wind Slash
• Caelistra Evandis — Light Orb
• Nyssara — Shadow Dagger
• Saryn Bhumari — Stone Edge
• Nyx Akers — Static Needle
• Elias Vale Elydrion — Solar Flare Spark
Finally, a scroll floated toward Arthur Valerian.
"Arthur Valerian — Mana Bullet."
Some students blinked in surprise. A few snickered quietly.
Mana Bullet was the most basic of spells—unimpressive to most eyes.
But Seraphina's gaze remained firm as she addressed him directly.
"Don't underestimate it."
"The more fundamental the spell, the greater the room for manipulation, efficiency, and personalized evolution. Mana Bullet has the potential to become a technique no one else can replicate—if mastered."
Arthur read the floating scroll silently.
The rune was compact, dense, deceptively simple.
But behind its shape… infinite possibility.
He nodded without a word.
"Now," Seraphina continued, her voice crisp, "your homework."
Magical sheets formed on every desk. Intricate diagrams filled with numerical grids and partially-complete runes appeared.
"These 20 rune formulas have errors. Your job is to fix them, complete their sequence, and calculate their mana cost per use. Submit them to me next week."
Groans echoed softly across the room.
"If you submit incorrect work, you will redo it until you get it right. Rune Magic is not tolerant of sloppiness. In battle, one wrong curve can backfire your spell and kill you."
The air turned serious again.
Arthur rolled his shoulders.
"This is good. Precision. Calculation. Just my kind of challenge."
Seraphina looked over the class one final time.
"Now…"
Her voice softened, but her presence remained as imposing as ever.
"You may go. And remember—runes are the first step to reshaping the world."