Athar noted the evident lack of ladders, though the shelves nearly reached the top of the high ceiling. "My lord, how can I reach the ones I cannot grasp with my arms?" Athar asked. "Find a way, although I suggest you start with this one," his master replied coldly, tossing him a heavy, leather-bound book that he almost let fall to the floor.
"Spells For Those With Baseline Mana Manipulation Skills, by Feranger Efer. Who the hell is that?" he asked in a hushed voice. "He was one of the pioneers of mana after its discovery. It's been a few millennia since then, but his methods are still used throughout the Continent to varying degrees. You would do well to read through that one first, then move on to learning spells," the Masked One said, already pulling another book out.
Athar felt a hint of happiness for the first time since he was brought there. "That was uncharacteristically supportive of you, my lord," he grinned, knowing the intrusive thought wouldn't be hidden anyway. "Uncharacteristic, you say?" the Masked One asked.
"Normally, you have some demeaning remarks to make, but I think this is the first time you have shown a side that is far more humane than I am used to, my lord," Athar explained. His master stood silently for a moment as if pondering how to respond to the comment.
"Athar, I have always sought power," the Masked One began, making Athar's ears perk up like a dog hearing the word meat. "And throughout my many, many years procuring it, I have often found that those who do not seek power, or get excited by the prospect of it, are useless to me. Until I looked into your core, I had assumed you to be weak-willed, skittish, and an idiot in my eyes. That perspective has now changed, though the Undergod's command also drives it," he continued.
"Do you think I have potential, my lord? To wield mana, I-I mean," he stammered. "You do, but it will certainly take its toll on you. I just hope you're up to the challenge," the Masked One answered after a moment of consideration.
"Y-you're going to mentor me, my lord?" Athar's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Mentor is a strong word. Think of it as more of a push in the right direction than anything else. There is only so much I can do for you, since you will eventually walk your own path," the Masked One concluded.
"Walk my own path," Athar repeated the words. "What do you mean by that, my lord?" he asked. "I have already said too much," his master replied. "Use this hall as you see fit. I will be expecting you to be here more often than not, as I will have a few glicks to bring some of your things down from your room that you will need," he continued, making Athar blink repeatedly in surprise.
I can't believe what I'm hearing. It's like he's turned into someone else entirely in the span of a day, he thought.
"I can still hear you, Athar," the Masked One noted before leaving him to his studies. The door shut behind him, and Athar gave himself a small chuckle as he rushed to open the first book his master had given him.
This is the author's signature. How long has this book been around? he thought as his eyes finally met the preface and began to read aloud.
"This book, incomplete as all good magic books should be, serves as a guideline to the one who desires to acquire a higher knowledge than that of his or her colleagues, or as a review for those who already have. All spells and incantations do not require a basic knowledge of mana to learn, as I aim to instruct those on how to draw from both currently known Realms properly. Though many believe that one must be a direct descendant of one who has imbibed the famed plant's formula, this is not so, as I will demonstrate in the first chapter," he read.
"He wasn't joking after all," he smiled with a light scoff.
"With that being so, it is important to acknowledge that the plant makes mana manipulation easier, more effective, and poses much less risk. Perhaps, the one who reads this guide might even match their abilities," his eyes opened wide with the last sentence.
"If the process of drawing mana is not done in the correct order, the risk of failure or death grows exponentially," he read, feeling a drop of sweat trickle down his cheek.
Death doesn't sound fun. I'd better pay attention to this part, he thought.
"First comes the Silence; not of the world around you, but the silence of one's thoughts. One must not think of anything other than the task to prevent those thoughts from interfering with one's ultimate goal. Long, deep breaths and a comfortable sitting position are advised for this portion," he continued, trying to imagine what that would feel like.
"Second comes the Immolation of Consciousness. The most difficult part of connecting to the other Realms lies here, for an untrained and unsilenced mind will cause one to lose grip of reality, driving one mad," his eyebrows raised quickly. "Oh, that sounds… fun," he grinned nervously.
"The Immolation of Consciousness requires one to detach their consciousness and actively send it to the other realms. While there are various levels, or stages, as the Synners call them, to this ability, it is still one of the parts of this process that holds the most risk. It is important to note that your physical body will be about as conscious as a potato is aware of its own existence, so be careful where and when you try this," he read, feeling his stomach sink a bit.
"The third step is the Draw. One must command and mold the mana to their will using their emitted consciousness. Condensed mana can get extremely hot, so it is customary for a mage at the initial level, or stage, to use a ward-ring. I have provided one such ring, which I have stored in a small pouch on the backside of this book," he read, immediately flipping the book over to remove the small, silver ring from its holder.
He regarded it curiously for a few moments and put it on his index finger. It sat a little loosely, but within the heartbeats that followed, it shrunk itself to fit his finger perfectly.
"Hah! I didn't think it would do that," he chuckled, turning his hand over to observe the ring before continuing to read.
"Now, assuming one hasn't lost control of their consciousness to their realm of choice and has successfully drawn mana, it is time to Condense. You must command it into the locations you wish it to go, though it is much easier to do this with an idea already in mind. Those ideas, in essence, are known as spells," his heart skipped a beat when he read the words.
I can't wait, he thought, immediately flipping to the next page.