Chương 6: Four Paths to Infinity

Sieghart barely slept that night. Whenever he closed his eyes, he remembered the tiny black flame hovering above his finger. Excitement chased away his exhaustion, filling his mind with possibilities that grew increasingly absurd each time he examined them. He could create fire. Granted, it had been a flame so small that a gentle breath probably could have extinguished it. It couldn't burn down a tree, melt steel, or reduce an enemy to ashes. It might have struggled to light damp firewood.

Still, Sieghart could now light things without a lighter. That wasn't exactly the overwhelming magical power promised by his infinite mana, but it was a beginning. Every legendary archmage had to start somewhere. Perhaps some began by summoning sparks, while others spent weeks learning how to warm tea. Sieghart had skipped directly to producing a flame, even if it looked embarrassed to exist. More importantly, he had accomplished something everyone believed impossible.

Master Oswin had declared that he lacked whatever channels. His parents had responded by treating him like a failed heir, and he had been sent away before his replacement was even born. Yet magic had answered him. Sieghart raised his hand again. He focused on his anger, recalled the sensation of his mana stirring, and pushed his intent toward his index finger. The strange internal barrier yielded more easily this time. A flame appeared. It was tiny, dark, and streaked with faint crimson light.

The flame didn't produce enough heat for Sieghart to feel it against his skin, but the fact that it existed was enough to make him grin. He dismissed it. Then he summoned it again. And again. And again. For the next several minutes, Sieghart repeatedly created and extinguished the flame. He experimented with different fingers, altered the intensity of his anger, and tried moving his hand without losing the spell. The results varied slightly. When his concentration weakened, the flame became unstable.

It flickered, shrank, and vanished within seconds. Stronger anger made it burn more steadily, but it didn't become noticeably larger. He tried feeding it more mana. That seemed like the most obvious solution. If one unit of mana created a weak flame, then ten units should produce something stronger. With an infinite supply, Sieghart had no reason to be conservative. Unfortunately, he couldn't tell how to control the amount. Mana answered his intent, but it did so according to rules he didn't understand.

He could summon the flame or dismiss it. He couldn't simply order a million units of power into the spell and expect the room to survive. That was probably a good thing. Burning down his grandparents' farmhouse on his first week would make their welcome party seem like a poor investment. Sieghart continued practicing until his arm grew tired. Nothing changed. There was no notification announcing that the spell had leveled up. Its size, heat, and appearance remained the same.

He had cast it dozens of times, but the system refused to reward his persistence.

"So much for easy grinding." Perhaps skills required more than repetition. Maybe he needed to use Flame successfully, discover new applications, or perform some meaningful action with it. Or perhaps dozens of casts simply weren't enough. The book's title promised a million spells, after all. He couldn't start complaining before reaching three digits. Sieghart summoned his status screen.

Name: Sieghart Race: Human Age: 1 Level: 1 Health: 20/20 Mana: ∞/∞ Stamina: 20/20 Strength: 2 Endurance: 2 Vitality: 2 Dexterity: 2 Magic: 2 Mentality: 12 Resistance: 2 Perception: 2 Class: None Skills: Black Magic — Level 1 Sieghart studied the information. His Magic attribute had increased from one to two. That was the only numerical change. Instead of skills, he could only see Black Magic — Level 1. There was no mention of the flame he had created. Sieghart focused on the title. The screen changed.

Thin black lines spread from the words Black Magic, forming the beginning of a branching tree. Most of those branches ended in dark, empty spaces, but one had become visible. BLACK MAGIC — LEVEL 1 └── Fire Magic Path — Level 1 └── Flame — Level 1 There it was. Black Magic wasn't a single spell. It was the foundation of an entire magical system, while Fire Magic was one path growing from it. Flame was merely the first spell on that path. The remaining branches were concealed.

Sieghart focused on one of the dark sections, but the system offered no information. Apparently, it wasn't interested in revealing every possible form of magic before he discovered them. That was mildly annoying. If the system could display his abilities, it should at least have included a tutorial. A few instructions would have saved him an entire year of silently glaring at his hands. Still, the structure was simple enough. Black Magic was the tree. Elemental paths were its branches.

Individual spells grew from those branches. Unlocking Fire Magic had increased his Magic attribute by one. If the same thing happened whenever he discovered another elemental path, then learning new forms of magic would improve his overall magical ability. Sieghart looked toward the candle. His grandmother had used more than fire. She had also used water, wind, and perhaps other elements he hadn't yet witnessed.

His grandfather favored earth magic, but there was no reason Sieghart couldn't try imitating that as well. He raised his hand again. Water would be next. When Elara used water magic, she always appeared calm. Her shoulders relaxed, her breathing slowed, and her eyes became peaceful. There had been none of the sharp intensity she displayed when creating fire. Sieghart closed his eyes. Anger had come naturally. Serenity required more effort. He pushed thoughts of his parents aside.

He stopped thinking about his failed examination, his death, and the year he had spent unable to use mana. Instead, he remembered the quietest moments of his first life. The library before the earthquake. Rain striking his bedroom window. The silence of the early morning before his parents woke and began discussing his future. His breathing slowed. The excitement in his chest settled. Sieghart imagined still water beneath a clear sky.

He focused on its smooth surface and the gentle way Elara's streams had flowed through the fields. Then he formed his intention. He didn't want to move existing water. He wanted to create it. Mana stirred again. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The feeling was different from before. Fire had answered violently, rushing toward his hand in a burst. This power flowed more gently, sliding along invisible pathways that existed only because he willed them to exist.

A cold droplet formed on his fingertip. Sieghart opened his eyes. The droplet swelled. A thin stream of water emerged from his finger, curved downward, and splashed onto his blanket. It lasted less than two seconds before his concentration broke. Several blue windows appeared. New magical path unlocked: Water Magic Water responds to serenity, patience, adaptability, and the intention to sustain or reshape. New spell unlocked: Water Creation — Level 1 Produce a small amount of water from mana.

The water soaking into his blanket was real. Sieghart touched it with his other hand. It was cool, clear, and apparently identical to ordinary water. There was no faint glow or strange magical residue. He had created matter from mana. That felt more significant than summoning fire. Fire could be understood as energy, but water had weight and substance. If it remained after the spell ended, then Sieghart had gained the ability to produce a physical resource from nothing. He attempted the spell again.

Another short stream emerged. It lasted slightly longer this time, adding to the wet patch on his blanket. Sieghart stopped before he created enough evidence to attract his grandmother's attention. Explaining why he had soaked his bed would be impossible without sacrificing some of his remaining dignity. He checked his status again. Magic: 3 Magic: Black Magic — Level 1 He focused on the magical tree.

BLACK MAGIC — LEVEL 1 ├── Fire Magic Path — Level 1 │ └── Flame — Level 1 │ └── Water Magic Path — Level 1 └── Water Creation — Level 1 His Magic had increased by another point. That was definitely interesting. Unlocking paths provided immediate attribute growth, but unlocking individual spells apparently did not. Either each elemental path granted one point of Magic, or the increase came from successfully manipulating mana in a new way. The system didn't explain the difference.

It displayed results, offered short descriptions, and left Sieghart to determine the rules himself. That might have been frustrating if he disliked experimentation. Fortunately, he had spent much of his first life studying things that didn't want to be understood. Compared to mathematics, magic was almost cooperative. Sieghart considered trying wind next. Elara used it with a sense of freedom and movement.

She had relaxed while controlling water, but when she manipulated wind, her expression became lighter and more alert. He thought he could reproduce that. Earth would likely require firmness, stability, or stubbornness. Sieghart possessed at least one of those qualities in abundance. He raised his hand. Then the room seemed to tilt. Sieghart blinked and lowered his arm. His mana remained infinite. His Stamina had decreased only slightly.

Nevertheless, his thoughts had become sluggish, and a dull pressure had formed behind his eyes. The internal ocean of mana remained untouched. His mind did not. Casting magic required focus, intention, and emotion. Maintaining the correct mental state placed a strain on him that the system didn't include as a numerical resource. His mana might never run out, but his concentration could. That was an important limitation. Infinite fuel meant little if the engine overheated after a few minutes.

Sieghart lay back against the pillow. He wanted to unlock every element immediately. If fire and water had worked, wind and earth should also be possible. Perhaps lightning, ice, light, darkness, and dozens of stranger paths were waiting inside the Black Magic tree. His body disagreed. His eyelids became heavier with every passing second.

"Fine. Tomorrow." The magical tree disappeared. Sieghart closed his eyes while the candle continued burning beside his bed. This time, excitement couldn't keep exhaustion away for long. He fell asleep almost immediately. Sieghart woke to morning light entering through the curtains. For a moment, he wondered whether the previous night had been another strange dream. Then he noticed the damp patch on his blanket. Fire. Water. Black Magic. It had all been real. He sat up just as footsteps approached from the hallway.

Elara entered with a tray containing warm milk, bread softened with fruit, and a small bowl of porridge.

"Good morning, Sieg."

"Morning," he replied. Her gaze moved toward the wet blanket. Sieghart followed it. There was a brief silence. Elara touched the patch, then looked at him with a sympathetic expression.

"It is all right," she said.

"These things happen." Sieghart stared at her. She had reached the wrong conclusion. Unfortunately, correcting her would require an explanation even more embarrassing than remaining silent. He accepted his breakfast with as much dignity as a one-year-old could maintain. After eating, Elara changed the blanket and took him outside. The morning was cool, and a steady breeze moved across the fields. She placed him on his usual blanket beneath a tree before joining Edric near the irrigation channels.

Sieghart waited until no one was looking directly at him. Wind first. He closed his eyes and remembered the lightness in Elara's expression. Water had required calm, but wind felt less controlled. It moved where it wished, changing direction without warning and passing through every open space. Sieghart loosened his thoughts. He focused on movement rather than shape. His mana stirred. A faint green light entered his vision. The grass in front of him bent away as a gentle breeze left his outstretched hand.

It traveled less than a meter. The breeze was too weak to move anything heavier than grass, but it was undeniably his. A notification appeared. New magical path unlocked: Wind Magic Wind responds to freedom, motion, curiosity, and the intention to move or carry. New spell unlocked: Breeze — Level 1 Generate a light current of air. Sieghart dismissed the windows and checked his Magic. Four. Another path, another point. He waited several minutes before attempting earth.

He didn't want to exhaust his concentration as quickly as he had the previous night. The ground beneath his blanket was firm and slightly damp. Sieghart placed one hand against it, copying the way Edric often touched the soil before using magic. Earth didn't require calmness. It required certainty. Sieghart thought about immovable things: stone walls, mountains, and the shelves that had refused to stop falling even when his body was beneath them. He decided not to use the last example.

His relationship with large pieces of furniture remained complicated. He concentrated on stability. Weight. The refusal to move. His mana answered with a slower, heavier sensation than the other elements. It gathered around his palm before sinking into the ground. Nothing happened. Sieghart frowned. Then several grains of sand rose between his fingers. They trembled in the air, gathered into a tiny clump, and moved half an inch to the side before falling. The result was pathetic. It was also magic.

New magical path unlocked: Earth Magic Earth responds to patience, endurance, certainty, and the intention to shape or preserve. New spell unlocked: Sand Control — Level 1 Manipulate a small quantity of loose sand or soil. Sieghart opened his status screen again.

Name: Sieghart Race: Human Age: 1 Level: 1 Health: 30/30 Mana: ∞/∞ Stamina: 30/30 Strength: 3 Endurance: 1 Vitality: 3 Dexterity: 3 Magic: 5 Mentality: 14 Resistance: 3 Perception: 1 Class: None Skills: Black Magic — Level 1 When he expanded the magical tree, four branches appeared.

BLACK MAGIC — LEVEL 1 ├── Fire Magic Path — Level 1 │ └── Flame — Level 1 │ ├── Water Magic Path — Level 1 │ └── Water Creation — Level 1 │ ├── Wind Magic Path — Level 1 │ └── Breeze — Level 1 │ └── Earth Magic Path — Level 1 └── Sand Control — Level 1 Sieghart stared at the tree. In a single night and morning, his Magic attribute had increased from one to five. He had unlocked four elemental paths and four spells despite supposedly lacking the physical ability to use magic. Each spell remained weak.

Flame produced little more than a match. Water Creation generated only a few mouthfuls. Breeze disturbed grass. Sand Control moved a pinch of soil. An ordinary mage might have considered those spells useless. Sieghart saw something different. They were starting points. His mana was infinite. He could repeat each spell more times than any normal person could afford. Even if his concentration limited the number of casts he could perform in one session, that limitation could be trained. He could improve his control.

He could increase his Mentality. He could discover new spells and additional paths. Sieghart lifted one finger, created a black flame, and used a breeze from his other hand to make it bend sideways. The two spells lasted only a moment before his focus broke, but the interaction worked. The possibilities multiplied inside his mind. Fire could be strengthened with wind. Water could reshape earth. Earth could contain fire. One weak spell meant almost nothing. Four weak spells could already work together.

Sieghart extinguished the flame before anyone noticed. His heart beat faster as he looked toward his grandparents working in the field. They believed they were teaching him nothing. In reality, every spell they cast gave him another clue. Sieghart smiled. Infinite mana had never been the complete advantage. It merely gave him infinite opportunities to learn.