The chill of the night air passing through my open window, curtains swaying, settles on skin as I sit in meditation, one hand cupped in the other. My new relic floats lightly above them, wisps of my Chi flowing into it as it slowly pulses, storing it in preparation of the next hour. I cycle my Chi through my meridians, performing my daily meditation and improving my cultivation, my years of ritual all leading to a feeling of fullness. With closed eyes, I focus inwards, observing my Chi.
Its been over four years since I first learned to cultivate under the Taoists of the Grand Temple, the process coming to me with ease, completing the Jing stage in a couple of weeks. I had wondered if my current stage, Qi, would come to me as easily Jing did, what with me reaching Skilled in it fairly quickly, but time has proven me wrong, and left me curious as to reason behind my early rapid progression.
I believe my smooth completion of the Jing stage came from a combination of good teachers, a suitable training method, Daoyin, and aid from a divinity. I don't have anything like the first two here at Kamar-Taj, as the sorcerers have limited exposure to Chi, let alone any kind of cultivation technique, nor have any gods responded to my calls when I tried to contact them. Even the gods of China, who I thought would've at least been curious as to why a foreign woman was attempting to talk to them, have ignored me.
So, I've been utilising Dao Child to it's fullest, guiding my Chi in whichever way feels right. This has caused my progress to slow and not improve too often, my frustration also hindering me, until last night, when feedback from my Chi told me that I'm nearing advancement. The Chi in my meridians feels thick and dense, moving around my body in strong pulses, as I search for the correct moment to advance. I let out a long, slow breath as I find it, the movement of my Chi coming to a halt.
In a xianxia novel, the early stages of cultivation are about expanding the size of your dantian and converting your Qi from a gas to a liquid, in preparation of forming your solid core. But Qi doesn't operate like that in the marvel universe, with it existing as a limited, quantifiable energy, as opposed to some metaphysical, all-encompassing power, leaving me wondering how to improve. My thoughts on this have revolved around either increasing its purity, converting it into a higher form of energy, or infusing it with an outside force.
My experiments with mixing my Chi with my spiritual power have yet to see any results, even with the assistance of Yi Hye-Rin, and I have no idea where to even begin with higher energy, if such a thing even exists. Thankfully, the rate at which my lifespan has been increasing has given me some room to breath, leaving me with more options, allowing me to slow down and think. After much deliberation, I chose my only remaining option, altering its purity; at least until I can figure out how to convert it in the future.
Breathing in, I manipulate my spiritual power, activating the magic circle engraved on the floor of my room, created with assistance from a master. As I do, a feeling of pressure covers every inch of my body, restraining my movements. Manipulating my Chi, I cycle it as fast as it can move, using it to resist the pressure, increasing the output of the circle all the while. A few minutes of resistance later, the two reach an equilibrium, my body under as much pressure as it and my Chi can handle.
Gritting my teeth in preparation, I pull back my Chi, gathering it in my lower dantian and beginning to compress it, upping the outside pressure at the same time, my bones creaking. Under the combined forces, the green of my Chi starts to deepen and gather into a point, before a clicking feeling resonates in my spirit, my Chi rapidly expanding and exploding out of me, the sounds of items getting thrown around my room sounding in my ears.
I begin to slowly lessen the power of the magic circle, gradually reducing the pressure. As I do, I activate the Ring of Containment, my previous, weaker Chi flowing out in a guided pattern, the power of Chi Healing washing over me and mending any injuries. A few minutes later, after I'm fully healed and the pressure has faded, I open my eyes, finding the golden runes of my status in front of me, a notification of my progress,
[Internal Alchemy – Qi Stage (Proficient): After a couple years of unsupervised training, and many theories on how to advance, you have reached the midway point of the Qi Stage.
You can finally begin to call yourself a true cultivator, your achievement separating you from common mortals, becoming something more than human. While you have finally advanced, earning your place among the powerful, you have only just completed the first step on a long journey, the peak of the mountain still out of sight.
Your Chi has improved in quantity and quality; the depths of your reserves greatly increased, as is the potency of your Chi. Your base physique, unbolstered by Chi, is now beyond the strongest of common men, reaching the realm of superhuman, with an increase in your physical senses.]
A smile dominates my face as I finish reading the update, before a squeak from Stuart gets my attention. Looking towards its position on my bed, I find it tangled in long grass, its body completely bound. Confusion fills me until the state of my room finally registers to me, my eyes widening as I find my things scattered all over, with wild grass, colourful flowers, and small clouds filling the room, projecting outwards from where I'm sitting.
Standing, I start to move through the accidentally created flora, only for my increased strength to cause me to overstep, tripping me in the grass. Catching myself on the frame of my bed, I slowly straighten, a sigh escaping me. I can tell that it's going to take some time and purposeful training until the enhancement to my strength starts to normalise. Leaning over, I look at the tangled Stuart, its dark eyes staring up at me as it waits patiently.
After examining its binding for the best way of freeing it, I conjure a small knife and cut Stuart free, its little feet clutching my fingers. I pick it up and stroke its head, causing it to chirp, then place it on my shoulder, the two of us ducking under the clouds to eye the chaos around us. The Chi-born mess covers almost every inch of the floor expect for a small circle where I was sitting, climbing over my furniture and crawling up the walls.
Getting an idea, I retrieve my Sling Ring from my other Ring, then gesture, creating a portal to the room of my apprentice. Walking through, I find Thomas sitting at his desk, book in hand, his head turned to me. A questioning look sits on his face as I step to him, a smile on mine, before I grab him by his waist and hoist him onto my free shoulder. He exclaims in surprise as I return to my own room, keeping the portal open behind me, and deposit him on my bed.
He crashes down on it, then sits up with an indignant expression on his face, before he sees the state of my room. He looks around, his eyes darting about, before his stare settles on my smiling face, a pleading look appearing on his own. Giving him a small bow, I step back through the portal, leaving him a wave as I go, ignoring his sounds of protest as I do.
After all, two pairs of hands are better than one.
…
The library of Kamar-Taj is host to a wide selection of magical tomes, scrolls, and grimoires, each detailing various schools of magic, collections of spells created by powerful sorcerers, and the known structure of the multiverse according to the Masters of the Mystic Arts. Over their thousands of years of existence, generations of talented and powerful sorcerers have created their own spells to match the threats of their era, then recorded them down, creating dangerous books of magic.
From the Book of Cagliostro, that focuses on the study of time and dark magic, and the Orbital Omnibus of Okina, which lists and describes celestial objects and their connection to, and uses in, complex rituals; to the Planes of Present Principalities, that documents all the Mystic Principalities encountered by the Masters of the Mystic Arts and how to deal with them.
Tonight, I've come to the library in order to expand my knowledge on Exocentric Magic and the dimensions we sorcerers can draw power from, paving my path to becoming a master sorceress. From what I've learned in my time here, through my own studies and the teachings of Yi Hye-Rin, Exocentric Magic is the most advanced and powerful form of sorcery, and is cast by communing with powerful beings from other planes, like the Octessence.
Through complex incantations and subtle gestures, a sorcerer can call upon the power Mystic Principalities, who are usually happy to help, providing aid when needed. Asking for help from a Principality provides them with power, so they usually respond, especially to powerful sorcerers, but they can refuse to help. It is also possible to form a long-standing pact with a Principality, reducing the need for rituals and incantations, becoming able to cast a spell in their name with pre-established words or gestures.
Unfortunately, not all Principalities are benevolent in motive. Amongst the numerous Principalities of the universe, there are some malevolent members, such as one of the surviving Elder Gods of Earth, Chthon, creator of the Darkhold. Should, for some reason, a sorcerer need to wield the power of such dark forces, the Principality will demand the caster pay a price, such as their everlasting soul, so the Masters have strictly forbidden students from interacting with such beings, and to guard their minds from temptation.
Not finding what I'm looking for in this book, I place it back where I found it on the shelf and move on, walking to the entrance, intending to ask the librarian for assistance. Seeing him sitting behind his front-facing desk, I approach him, taking in his greying hair, tied above his head, and his curious brown eyes that gaze up at me from behind his wood-frame glasses, a questioning look in them. Bowing to him, I request help finding books on Exocentric Magic.
A look of understanding crosses his face, before he nods and holds out a hand, a large, leather-bound tome appearing in on it, its cover depicting various representative symbols I somewhat recognise as belonging to a few Principalities. Taking it in both hands, I bow again and check its title, Howard Hoffman's Doorway Dreams, then move to a reading table at the back of the room, passing by some focused apprentices, their noses buried in their own books. Taking a seat, I place the book on the table and open it to its table of contents.
Seeing a promising section on page 56, chaptered Who and How, Drawing Power From Patrons and Mystic Dimensions, I flick to it and start to read. The chapter opens with an entry from a previous Sorcerer Supreme from all the way back during the Copper Age, Hermes Trismegistus, and tells of how he discovered additional principles of Exocentric Magic. He tells that if a sorcerer invokes a Principality in a location associated with them, such as a temple, the success of your chosen Principality aiding them increases.
The text goes on to describe a number of helpful Principalities that have aided us sorcerers in the past, and the rituals and incantations needed to begin, that I memorise as best I can, before moving on. Flipping through pages, skimming chapters on dimensional compositions and tales of torturous fates, I finally find what I'm looking for, a chapter titled A Sorting of Mystic Planes; As Found by the Blind and the Mad. Resting my elbow on the table, I lean in, focusing.
According to this, mystic dimensions are realms governed by magic as opposed to physics, and are reachable by any sorcerer powerful and knowledgable enough. The recorded realms have since been sorted into four groups by the sorcerers, named the Inner Planes, the Outer Planes, the Splinter Realms, and the Far Realms. The further out one journeys beyond Earth, the less the physical world has a presence, becoming realms of pure idea, concept, and consciousness. Very few are capable of reaching this far, let alone surviving the journey.
The Inner Planes were something I was already slightly familiar with, knowing them as a collection of dimensions connected to the Earth, composed of the same basic elemental components and obeying the same physical laws. Some that I knew of, like the God Realms, are planes inhabited and created by godly pantheons, such as Asgard for the Asgardians, Olympus for the Olympians, and Tír na nÓg for the Tuatha de Danaan. But this book tells of four major planes, the first in existence, made by four Elder Gods.
The Astral Planes of Oshtur of the Vishanti, a dimension shaped by the mind, accessible to by those who can astral project, or sufficiently powerful telepaths. The Serpent's Sea of Set, a realm of monsters, an abyss of tears and cold blood rippling with Set's insatiable hunger. Avalon of Gaea, a lush, forest kingdom in Otherworld, home to the likes of faeries and elves. And finally, K'lay of Chthon, also known as the Flickering Realms, an ever-changing realm of demons and dark magic, with its creator slumbering inside, waiting for the day of his return.
Reading further, the text goes on to describe the Outer Planes, the Consecution of Colours, a point of reality where the physical laws start to fall away, revealing colourful abstractions, its material makeup composed of crystal radiant essences. These planes are where most Mystical Principalities choose to make their home, being close enough to the material world to provide access to mortals, and near enough to the Far Realms as to reach the furthest shores of reality.
To access these planes, one must pass along the Prismatic Bridge of Asbru, the only known path through the dimensional barrier separating the Inner and Outer Planes, known as Brona's Barrier. Thess planes themselves are the limit at which most sorcerers can draw power from; their mystical strength insufficient, or their knowledge not deep enough, to be able to pass beyond and reach into the Splinter Realms.
A warning to not interact with beings of the Splinter Realms without sufficient preparation sits at the top of the next page, its text glowing with the red of blood and flowing. Taking the warning seriously, even though I have no plans to get involved with forces such as these anytime soon, I move on. The Splinter Realms, more commonly known as the Archipelago of Anguish and Redemption or the Dark Dimensions, is a collection of dimensions created by the shattering of a single, massive plane.
Here, the physical laws of earth have no hold, with islands floating in the gravityless ether only to be consumed by unseen gaps in reality, and time moving in strange ways. The splintered dimensions are ruled by myriad of entities, be they outsiders who gained control, or creatures who embody the realm, each seeking to expand their territory, with the greatest power being that of Dormammu and his Dark Dimension. Many of earth's underworlds are connected this the Splinter Realm, with the realms associated with dark aspects, such as death and fear.
A smile suddenly appears on my lips and my concentration intensifies as the subject I've been searching for appears before my eyes, my vision falling on three words; The Winding Way. The image of a wooden loom is stamped at the top of this page, it threads made of gold, it feet standing on a path of stone a gnarled roots. The first passage I read makes my eyes go wide, it reading, 'The Winding Way is many things; a gateway, a source of immense mystic power, and a living entity.'
As I begin to read further, the cover of the book starts to glow with the magic of sorcery and float off the table, snapping shut and shooting above and behind me. Shocked, I spin in my chair to follow it, where I find Yi Hye-Rin, a grave expression on her face and an open portal behind her. As I stand to bow, she interrupts me, starting to speak in a rushed tone, "Your assistance is required, Sarah. There's been an incident." Going by her urgency, I know now isn't the time for formality.
Nodding, I move to her side, forgoing placing the chair back in its place, as she passes the book over the suddenly appearing librarian. I follow her through the portal, leaving the librarian behind with an apologetic nod, finding myself standing in an average-sized room I haven't seen before. Placed in the centre of the room, sitting on the stone-bricked floor, a magic circle surrounding it, is a rudimentary, cushioned exam table, on top of which lays a sweating man, the top half of his robe removed.
A frown forms on my brow as I take him in, his face one I haven't seen before, when something catches my eye, causing me to cringe. Some multi-legged entity is crawling under the skin of his chest, clawing against it, it position held in place by the spell of an assisting sorcerer, a ring of magic appearing around it.
Looking away from him, I glance at Yi Hye-Rin, her expression serious as she turns to me, "We've trapped the creature in place, but it's woven itself into his body, bonding to him. We can't destroy it without a chunk of his midsection with being torn from him, so we need you to heal him. Can you do it?" She asks. If this were a couple of days ago, I would've said no, not certain I could heal him fully before he bleeds out, or goes into shock. But with my recent breakthrough, the power of my Chi increasing, I'm fairly certain I can.
Raising a hand, I channel my Chi; its new, vibrant green colour emanating, giving her a confident nod as she raises an eyebrow and looks me in the eye. With a accepting gesture, she leads me over to the now screaming man, placing a hand on his head, causing his eyes to flutter and close, his screams stopping. I move beside him as she does, preparing my Chi Healing, as she give me a look, a questioning look in her eyes, leading me to nod. Sighing, she signals the other man to start.
The magic circle below us start to rotate, as does the one on the chest of the man, only in the opposite direction. As is turns, it slowly burns a ring into the man, the creature beginning a piercing screech of pain and terror, the sound causing the sorcerer to stumble and bleed from his ears. Yi Hye-Rin catches him and moves him back, then takes over, placing a hand above the ring, causing it lower around the creature, down into the chest.
Large quantities of blood begins to flow from the wound, pooling around our feet, my nerves shot as I wait for the signal to heal. Yi Hye-Rin suddenly flips her hand and slowly raises it, causing a cylinder of flesh, bone, and lung to rise out of his body. The sight causes me to shiver, before a shout from Yi Hye-Rin sounds out, "Now!" Moving into action instantly, I place my hands over the large hole and channel my Chi, the damage starting to reverse before our very eyes.
From outside in, new lung tissue to starts to form, sections of his rib bones next, protecting the organ, before veins begin to branch out, followed behind by flesh. Three minutes later, the wound fully heals, his chest good as new, as if no damage ever occurred. Letting out a breath, I turn to Yi Hye-Rin, the cylinder of flesh floating beside her, contained in a sphere of magic. With a furrowed brow, I open my mouth, "What happened?" I question, my tone serious.
A pained expression appears on the face of the Sorceress Supreme before a severe look flashes in her eyes, the word that sounds from her making my blood run cold,
"...Demons."