The Grand Archive of Velnaira was more than just a library—it was a sanctuary of forgotten truths. Beneath its golden domes and enchanted ceilings, silence wasn't enforced by rule, but by reverence. Magic lights fixed above every aisle, glowing with a soft warmth that never dimmed.
Crystal's eyes swept across the room.
'Sound-proofed, temperature controlled, layered enchantments against scrying. They protect knowledge like it's sacred here.'
The walls were shelves—round, layered, alive with scrolls and books that moved only when called upon. Elyssia moved with certainty, selecting tomes with practiced fingers as though she'd known this place for years.
"We'll start with geopolitics," she said softly.
Crystal simply nodded and sat. The moment her fingers touched the book labeled "Foundations of Elarion," it unfolded itself in her lap, pages glowing faintly as her mana synced with its bindings.
Current Location: Velnaira
Velnaira, a trade-rich stone city, sat at the northern edge of the Kingdom of Aldenria, one of the larger human-led territories in the central continent Primarion.
To the south stretched the Greenmoor Plains, known for their alchemical herbs and roaming beasts. Crystal and Elyssia had arrived from this direction, having passed through the Whispering Woods—a dense forest said to hum with ambient mana.
To the northwest, mountains formed the natural border separating Aldenria from the dwarf-controlled dominion of Kharn Varr, while to the east, the terrain dipped into fertile river valleys and farmlands protected by a network of small noble houses.
To the west lay the Silverfold Expanse, an open Grasslands biome rarely patrolled, bordering the frontier lands that led toward the fractured Demi-Human Tribelands.
The city itself was built atop intersecting ley lines, granting it stronger ambient mana than most nearby settlements.
'Strategically positioned,' Crystal thought, flipping the page. 'Accessible but defensible. No wonder they built an Archive here.'
The World of Elarion: Structure and Continents
Elarion was divided into five known continents:
Primarion – Central continent and most politically stable; houses the majority of human nations, including Aldenria, the Holy Solari Dominion, and the Luthen Empire.
Sereveth – Eastern continent filled with floating islands and storm-wrapped archipelagos. Home to elemental races, wind spirits, and scattered skyborne civilizations.
Drael'Thar – A dark, harsh land to the southwest. Birthplace of the demon races. Controlled partially by the Demon King's influence.
Virelian Wilds – To the far north, a land of snow, aurorae, and isolation. Dominated by beastkin tribes, nomadic elves, and elemental beasts.
Zephandriel – A continent shrouded in divine fog. Rumored domain of ancient spirits and dragons. Maps were inconsistent—some questioned if it even truly existed.
'This world is built like a puzzle. Each continent a piece, each race a shard of its story,' Crystal mused.
Races of Elarion
Elarion was home to a staggering variety of intelligent beings:
Humans – Adaptable and numerous. Politically powerful but magically average.
Elves – Long-lived and magically attuned. Ruled by ancient forest courts.
Dwarves – Hardy, technologically advanced. Masters of enchanted forging.
Beastkin – Divided into two types:
→ Humanoid hybrids (e.g., fox-eared, feline-clawed)
→ Anthropomorphic (e.g., upright wolves, tiger-folk with bestial features)
Fairies – Tiny, flight-capable beings with powerful nature magic.
Demons – Highly varied, divided by houses and bloodlines. Feared and powerful.
Angels – Rare, associated with light and judgment. Most are secluded or mythic.
Undead – Not naturally occurring; often the result of dark rituals or curses.
Spiritfolk – Ethereal beings of thought, wind, and light. Live between planes.
Religion and Faith
Despite the diversity, most civilizations in Elarion adhered to some form of religion. Yet belief did not guarantee truth.
The Church of the Radiant Flame worshiped Solarius, a god of order and light.
The Coven of Thorns revered Nerezza, goddess of secrets and dark beauty.
The Cycle Monastery honored the balance between life and death, light and shadow.
And in the wild lands, races like the beastkin and elves paid homage to world spirits and ancestral beasts rather than humanoid deities.
But one truth remained:
No god had ever been definitively proven to exist.
'How interesting,' Crystal noted, pausing. 'So religion is unverified even in a world where magic exists.'
'Which means power and worship don't always align.'
Elyssia, reading beside her, nodded as if reading her thoughts.
"Even the devout cannot confirm divinity. Their miracles are often just magic in disguise."
The Magic System of Elarion
The book she now held bore no title. It opened to reveal glowing glyphs that pulsed as Crystal's presence activated its content.
The Six Core Elements:
Fire
Water
Earth
Wind
Light
Dark
From these, all other forms of magic were either derived or synthesized. For example:
Lightning = Fire + Wind
Ice = Water + Wind
Recognized Branches of Magic:
Elemental Magic – Base forms manipulated by will and skill.
Nature Magic – Control over flora, weather, and life essence.
Runic Magic – Glyph-based, used in enchantment and binding.
Spirit Magic – Communing with spiritual or elemental beings.
Blood Magic – Dangerous and volatile; requires sacrifice.
Light Magic – Healing, purification, sometimes used for control.
Dark Magic – Curses, illusions, soul corrosion.
Sub-branch: Cursemancy – Deep hexes and long-term afflictions.
Sub-branch: Curses of Judgment – Holy execution magic from Light-based sources.
Soul Magic – A forbidden, misunderstood discipline. Deals directly with a being's soul: manipulation, fusion, severance, and communication across reincarnation.
Few even dared to study it.
'So this is what Elyssia uses,' Crystal thought. 'Soul magic. That's why she can exist independently now… even though she was created inside a game.'
The Anomaly of Crystal and Elyssia's Magic
Though the systems above represented Elarion's known frameworks, Crystal and Elyssia operated outside of it.
They were anomalies.
Crystal's power was encoded in her very existence. Her core was a Divine Crystal Reactor, producing infinite mana refined at impossible compression ratios. She could replicate any known magic—but her execution far outpaced the natural laws of the world.
Elyssia's Soul Magic allowed her to bypass normal enchantments, sever curses at their roots, and communicate with dying wills. Her magic operated on a foundational level, not merely manipulating the world but reshaping the threads that composed it.
Together, their presence in this world was like inserting divine code into a stable simulation.
But they concealed that fact well.
Crystal and Elyssia always kept their auras sealed.
They mimicked local casting patterns when needed.
'Blend in,' Crystal reminded herself. 'I will focus on enjoying this second chance at life as much as possible'
Crystal closed the book slowly.
Elyssia looked up. "Shall I prepare a transcription of relevant maps and political borders?"
"Yes," Crystal replied. "And gather any religious myth you can. I want to know how belief evolved without evidence."
Elyssia rose without question and began sorting through cataloging arrays. Several magic panels lit around her, allowing her to copy select entries into a crystalline datapad she conjured from a simple application of light magic.
Crystal leaned back slightly, letting her fingers trail along the spine of the book.
'If this world lacks true gods… then maybe I'm the closest thing it has now.'
She didn't think it arrogantly.
She thought it plainly.
Just… a fact.
They remained in the Archive until sunset.
No one disturbed them. The staff, after a few glances, kept their distance.
'That girl...' one librarian thought while observing from the stairs, 'She hasn't blinked in minutes. Her eyes are… too clear. Almost unnatural.'
And still, Crystal read. Quiet. Tireless. Processing volumes of information with a serene detachment that made even the elder scholars uneasy.
Finally, Elyssia returned to her side and knelt slightly.
"I've gathered everything you asked for."
Crystal looked up at the amber sky through the stained glass ceiling.
"Then let's rest. We'll begin questing tomorrow."
They exited the Archive under fading twilight, their path lit by the magic lampposts