A New World, an immersive game experience

Chapter 548 - New Reality (Part 8 - How?)

"How- wha~ Please explain what spirit magic is." Eldrian requested, hoping that GAIA would stay truthful as they had been during the rest of the conversation.

"What is spirit magic?" GAIA questioned and Eldrian felt like facepalming, forgetting that it was a made-up term he and Two had decided to use.

"Magic controlled and fueled by emotions. Such as my spell, Incinerate." Eldrian clarified.

"Ah, that is quite the interesting name for it. We generally call this side of magic the aspect of Chaos, or in cases such as your controlled spell, Tierless magic." GAIA replied, the first name gave Eldrian chills but it was quite apt since spirit magic did bring chaos with its use.

"What do you want to know about it?" The mixed deity asked and suddenly Eldrian wasn't so sure. He understood the magic quite well already, he didn't have any specific questions on its use.

After a few seconds, Eldrian found one thing he was curious about, "How does spirit magic differ from dynamic magic?"

"Dynamic magic, I never much liked that term." GAIA replied while seemingly cringing, "The definition of Dynamic magic needs so much work. What do you consider dynamic magic?"

"What do I- Being able to cast at a mere thought," Eldrian replied.

"Then spirit magic according you your definition is dynamic magic. It is actually even past it. The aspect of Chaos does not even need you to know what you want. Only that you want."

Eldrian got chills from that reply, indeed, it was the most confusing and also most worrying part of spirit magic.

"It seems you already know this. Spirit magic, as you call it, does not require you to think about how you want a task to be accomplished, it just required the raw emotions of wanting it accomplished. It will then accomplish it, in the quickest and most aggressive way possible."

"Your incinerate is not true to the aspect of Chaos. Due to you envisioning what form you want the magic to take it falls between dynamic casting and Chaos, and as a result, it is not limited by Tiers. Hence, we call spells such as this Tierless." GAIA added in between explanations that this also meant that these spells caused less damage to the fragile balance of things.

"Normally, instead of forming it as fire, the will behind a similar spell would be to destroy your enemies..." GAIA paused and called up a recording.

Eldrian immediately recognized the village and his body froze, "This is the true aspect of Chaos." GAIA declared.

A pit formed in Eldrian's stomach as he watched that shockwave spread that changed everything, and following it the orcs simply exploded like fireworks. However, that was not the end.

"This is why it is named such," GAIA said as -where the orcs had exploded- the very space suddenly imploded, sucking in everything nearby like miniature black holes. And what followed was another massive explosion, destroying the very earth.

A crater three times the size of the village was left in view, the ground sapped of all life and strange lights flickering in the area. At this time the area was suddenly covered in divine light, the damage quickly repaired.

"We never expected a player to use Chaos, and..." GAIA decided to not dive into the other things they had learned, staying on topic, they continued, "That was the start of a mana storm."

Eldrian gulped, unable to understand how that was even possible. How he could cause such destruction without even knowing he could. "Ho-how?"

"Nothing is ever in true balance, only in a temporary state of equilibrium. Break that state and the floodgates will open... Only a spark is needed to start a fire, yet the fire can burn down the world."

Eldrian nodded absentmindedly as he thought back to when he walked out of Miracle. When he was in the cafeteria surrounded, he had entered a similar state as the one he had been in back there.

'My god, I knew if I acted the consequences would have been bad. But this...' Eldrian lost his footing once again, but this time he just stayed seated in a dazed state. Wondering how far that mana storm would have gone if the AI hadn't stopped it.

"It shouldn't be that easy to-"

"It isn't easy, not at all. You seem to not understand what that state of acceptance is that you entered."

"It is the first step of Chronos, unlocked through your aura of Tranquility-- through your acceptance." GAIA stopped as they realized that Eldrian didn't understand how significant the Chronos bloodline was. Obviously, it was named after a certain god for a reason.

"Yes, that is the problem. Eldrian, Chronos isn't just about slowing your perception of time." GAIA paused, waiting for Eldrian to exit his reverie.

"Th'e- then what is it?"

"Chronos is the ability to manipulate time itself. It is a bloodline limited to a select few... And us, the gods of this world."

"What?" Eldrian could understand how the AI had this power, but not how some of the creatures on the planet could also have. Nor how he could have it.

"Chronos is similar to an aura in strength, but it is far more. You might consider it a divine aura. It first manifests itself in people as a simple overdrive, allowing them to process information many times faster."

"This is an ability that many species have, and as such it can't be used as a classification to find someone with the ability to use Chronos. The next manifestation is true time dilation, and that was what was going on here."

"In fact, that is the true part that caused the change." GAIA summoned up the feed of where Eldrian saved and destroyed the village in the breath of a second. Only, this time GAIA mentioned that it was not slowed down, and at first Eldrian didn't understand why that was important.

Looking at the orcs charging into the village, the shockwave, and then suddenly the explosion and implosion happening nearly simultaneously after, Eldrian didn't understand.

"What are you saying?"

"I believe it started as you entering overdrive, but with this shockwave." GAIA started the recording again, this time from a little earlier and focused on Eldrian, inside the village. Here is where the previous mention became important.

The orcs burst into the door at significant speed, yet the Eldrian in the recording just sat there. Watching them move closer without batting an eye. Not minding as their blades bore down on him.

"I-I remember this. They were moving so slow, it almost didn't even look like they were. How?" Eldrain's eyes flew wide as the following scene happened. The shockwave sent them flying against the walls, however, when they started to fall; time seemed to freeze.

A fall that shouldn't even take a second, was taking minutes. It looked completely different from the former scenes where the explosion followed immediately after.

"Time was slowed down many times for everything as this shockwave moved. However, this time dilation stopped once the borders of the village were reached. We assume it was because this was the limit of your powers or your will."

"This is why, depending on from where you observe, things seem to happen at different speeds."

What followed was the explosion and implosion. Only, this time Eldrian could clearly see the stark contrast in speed between everything. He could even count the bits that the orcs turned into.

"It isn't just the perception of time that slowed. Time itself slowed down, and this is why the following explosion is so massive. The imbalance in time itself cannot exist."

Eldrian stared at the scene of the last and largest explosion and divine intervention again. His mind working overtime trying to make sense of it all. "This! This shouldn't be possible!"

AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.