Chương 34: Gate Blindness

And when I say Fundamentals, I mean precisely that. Let us start with a simple question. Where does magic come from?" The lesson had begun before Jordan even had a chance to take in its import. The first question was as simple as advertised, but the simplest questions often demanded the most complicated answers." A lot of it is homebrew, but a lot of it also comes from D&D 5th Edition," Jordan blurted the first thing that came to mind."

I'd be dying of laughter right now if I were a Westerner, no doubt," Heron brushed Jordan off without a hint of laughter.

"Are you familiar, Recruit Yu, with the concept of the Original Void? Which is the scholarly term for what the layman would understand to be the spirit realm." On this count, Recruit Yu was more layman than scholar. Neither term appeared in Vesselia the base game, but Jordan was fantasy-literate enough to have a vague sense of what the 'spirit realm' might refer to. As opposed to the physical reality Heron and I occupy right now, which is probably called something like the'mortal realm'."

The Original Void is the unseen yet ever-growing reservoir of the universe's memories, where all magic is drawn from and returned to upon use," Heron continued, apparently happy to let his previous question remain a rhetorical one.

"Mana is merely the catalyst—the fuel we burn to activate, enhance, and manipulate our spells. But no one can be a spellcaster without a viable and persistent connection to the Original Void. Something we Stormvasters are born with, by heaven's grace. The degree to which that connection can be refined, reinforced, or even reinvented depends on a variety of individual factors—whether that be natural talent, work ethic, or perhaps some unique essence as yet indefinable by prevailing schools of thought."

Heron said this last part with that 'shrug'-like wave of the hand. In Jordan's mind, he equated the string of wishy-washy words with something like je ne sais quoi, though he doubted if the beta version of the Vesselia expansion had been localized to French just yet. Talent, work ethic, and/or a certain je ne sais quoi. Jordan didn't know if he was up to par in any of the three categories… and was also legitimately worried that he'd never get to find out.

His spellcasting 'block', at least on the surface, was one of a purely mechanical nature. Namely that he was in permanent [Hoarding Mode] due to a quirk of his Vessel. But he'd be a fool to volunteer that information to someone like Heron Catchgrain." You Stormvasters are born with a viable connection to the Original Void," he paraphrased instead.

"Are you implying that we Westerners aren't?"" You're the Westerner. Why don't you tell me?" That shut Jordan up. Maybe not the smartest thing he could've said, though perhaps not in the way Heron might imagine. In any case, the pupil was genuinely curious about the answer, and in this case, so was his teacher." No matter," Heron again.

"I suppose we'll soon find out. Starting by assessing your gate affinity." With that, the Ranger cleared his desk of the calligraphy stuff, to make room for a…" This is a solid piece of gate-blind mana. There are only several in circulation throughout the provinces, and Governor Saddleback happened to be in possession of this one. I took great pains to procure it for this purpose, so I do hope you're grateful. And this should go without saying: treat it with the utmost care."

Jordan wasn't sure what to be grateful for, at least not on first glance. In a word, the thing was a small rock of unremarkable appearance—dull, bumpy, and porous. If he saw this lying around on the ground, he'd walk past it without a single thought." The less you know about gate-blind mana, the better." Heron's sneer widened a touch at Jordan's obvious show of ignorance.

"Which is why, thus far, I've given you precious little in the way of explanation. All I want you to do, Jordan Yu, is to hold the crystal in your dominant hand and channel your spiritual energy into it."" Uh, hate to break it to ya, but—"" Yes, yes, you don't know what that means either, you Western half-wit," Heron snapped with the first real note of impatience.

"Hold the crystal in your hand and try to cast a spell. Any spell. Whatever spell comes to your mind first. It can even be one you haven't learned." Joke's on you. All spells are spells I haven't learned. But Jordan did as he was told, childlike curiosity winning out over sensible skepticism. Jordan took the rock in his hand, feeling a bit like he'd just been duped into buying an energy bracelet. The thing felt as ordinary as it looked, which didn't inspire any confidence.

I mean, there's a good chance this does absolutely nothing, right? Especially if the spellcasting restriction from [Hoarding Mode] also applies to… whatever we're doing here. Dexterity DC 8: success Nezha:"Learn to loosen up, human! Not like you have anything to lose." Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Couldn't argue with that. With that in mind, Jordan picked a spell, any spell.

Indeed, the one spell that he'd thought about casting more often than any other since arriving in Stormvast. Uhh … [Dig Hole]? The effect was startling in its immediacy, and frightening in its intensity. First, the rock—the so-called gate-blind mana—vibrated in Jordan's hand. Kinda like that pager thing they give out at the food court when you're waiting for your order. Jordan nearly dropped it because of that, and actually did drop it when the vibration was followed by pain. It was like breaking his arm again…

except all over. Arms, legs, skull, spine, ribs. What felt like every bone in his body shook and rattled as if someone had reached in and tried to yank them out of their sockets. The moment was mercifully brief, passing as soon as he let go of the offending item. He even had the presence of mind to feel bad about dropping it, knowing how precious this gate-blind mana was to these Stormvasters. Luckily, Heron must have anticipated Jordan's reaction, for the Ranger had reached across the desk to catch the rock."

What spell did you try to cast?" the man asked. His voice was calm enough, but his countenance was taut and absent its usual sneer." [Dig Hole]," Jordan obliged after taking a moment to collect himself. Heron stared, expression unreadable. He then presented the rock to Jordan again. The latter took it, though even more reluctantly than the first time." Do it again," the teacher commanded, "but this time, cast [Manipulate Winds].

You've seen Finch's example several times; it should be no trouble for you to emulate it in spirit." Intelligence DC 10: success Fuxi:"Do it, pupil. This is… fascinating." Jordan did. At the command of a hated boss and as a favor to a squatting tenant. He gripped the rock in his hand, shut his eyes to brace for impact, and… [Manipulate Winds]? The pager went off again, but on this occasion, it wasn't accompanied by pain. No, but in some ways, it was even scarier. Jordan let go of the rock almost immediately.

He then grabbed his throat with both hands as if he'd started choking. And for good reason. For at least one instant, he really had stopped breathing, because all the air had been sucked out of his lungs. Once again, the sensation passed as soon as he let go. Once again, Heron caught the rock before it could clatter onto the desk. And once again, he handed it right back to Jordan, this time with the instruction:" Cast [Manipulate Water]. Gods know you and the rest of your platoon need a shower." [Manipulate Water].

The pain was back with a vengeance, only concentrated in the space behind the sternum. Jordan clutched his chest and grimaced like he was in an ad for heartburn medication. In reality, it felt more like what he imagined a heart attack to be. Tightness, sharp pain, a sense of impending and inescapable doom. The miracle of human adaptability. This time, it took Jordan an extra second or two to remember to let go. He did so with a controlled if badly trembling motion, resting the rock upon the desk.

For the last time, I hope. Jordan looked up at Heron for confirmation. He was disturbed to see a sneer—no, a genuine smile —quirking the corners of the teacher's lips. Then doubly dismayed to hear the next instruction." Last one. A different spell. And I would like you to choose again. Something that feels near and dear to your heart. A spell that best exemplifies the spellcaster Jordan Yu. Do you have one in mind?" As a matter of fact, Jordan did. And he hated himself for it. What kind of sick torture is this?

I should refuse; should've refused the first chance I had. And yet, he also knew that he would keep going. Willingly. Because he too needed to know. Needed to make sense of the spell-less spellcaster that was Jordan Yu. He grabbed the rock and cast… [Gatekeep]. This one, ironically enough, was harder to conceptualize than the other three. The only example he'd seen had come in glyph form, courtesy of a Pathfinder and his smuggling ways. Then again, if [Gatekeep] didn't exemplify Gatekeeper Yu, then what did?

In the end, he opted for something simple and well-aligned with his Earthling sensibilities. A door, opening and closing on a hinge like in any suburban home. Jordan held the knob. And it was up to him —him and him alone—whether the door should be open or closed. The result was beyond his ability to describe or even comprehend. It felt… like an out-of-body experience. Jordan thought he could see himself from many different angles all at once. And from his myriad vantage points, he could see his own body glow.

Giving off a rosy iridescence, almost like it was a Vessel unto itself. Not just any kind of glow, either. The light seemed to follow a discernible pattern, tracing pathways that connected every part of his body. From the head to the neck to the shoulder to the arm. Down the spine and spreading through every muscle and organ in the trunk. Out through the legs and every toe on his feet. It was beautiful. Awe-inspiring. Whole. Like the model of how a person—a soul—ought to exist in the universe.

Only Jordan himself was this perfect model… and that couldn't be further from reality. And it was this pang of cognitive dissonance—a mismatch between what was and what ought to be—that broke Jordan out of his trance. He again brought the rock down under control, though he had no idea how, given that he was outside his own body. The sensation passed, but the dissonance lingered. He looked up at Heron with an exhausted and uneasy frown, now seeking guidance more than anything.

The teacher stared at his pupil for a long time, faint smile inscrutable. In the end, Heron too had to grasp and fumble for his words." It seems to me, Gatekeeper Yu… that I ought to teach you about gates."