I've Got A Mana Processor In A Magic World

Zephyr kept taking subconscious steps backwards from the mental pressure emanating from Lytheron, until he stepped out of the room.

Just as he did, as if it was never there in the first place, the pressure disappeared.

Zephyr panted deeply as his tense body relaxed. 'What was that?' he wondered in fright. It was nothing like he'd ever felt before.

He stared at Lytheron from outside the cavern. A Tier 8 Paragon… What did that even entail? He had just learned a bit about Tier 7 Lawbearers and how terrifying they were. And yet even they were so scarce, Zephyr had only met one.

Now here was a person claiming to be a Tier 8 Paragon.

Lytheron stood still, watching the changing expressions on Zephyr's face as he tried to comprehend the entity standing before him.

"Have I quelled your doubts?" He asked again.

Zephyr inclined his head slowly in response, causing Lytheron to release a deep sigh. "Be glad it is I you found and not some other. Not all Progenitors are as accommodating as I am," he turned, walking back to his platform to sit cross-legged.

"Come. We have much to discuss, for it seems as though you really don't know a thing."

Zephyr let out a breath and stepped back into the cavern unhesitatingly, crossing the doorway. This time he more clearly felt the difference as he entered. The doorway served as a barrier of some sort. A border that had prevented the effects of Lytheron's mental oppression from reaching past it.

'Is he trapped in here?' The thought crossed Zephyr's mind as he walked straight towards the old elven soul.

Not all of his doubts had been assuaged; Lytheron's goal for being this accommodating and cordial despite how powerful he was still puzzled him. But at least he knew now that the elf could kill him whenever he wanted, and that he wouldn't be able to do a thing about it.

He walked through the cleared path to Lytheron, sitting down right before him, just a step below.

"Good. Now we can converse like proper mages," Lytheron nodded.

A short beat passed where nothing was said, before Lytheron broke the silence, "I have introduced myself. It is only proper courtesy for you to do the same."

"...Zephyrus Sol Ra'Elis. Human… with a some elven lineage... from my mother's side."

"Oh?" Lytheron's brows shot up in surprise. "You do not look the least bit elven. Your father must have been a very powerful figure for certain."

Zephyr opened his mouth to correct Lytheron's assumption, but then closed it back. He truly didn't know enough about his father to refute the Elf's words.

He had looked like every other average human. In fact, even average than most. Besides his good looks, there had been nothing spectacular about him. Zephyr had never seen him cast magic once in the short time he knew the man.

But with the existence of his nano-enhanced body, Aegis, all the knowledge he'd learned so far, and even that last message from his father, he knew the man was anything but ordinary.

"Most likely a Tier 7 Lawbearer at least for such a dominant gene… and your mother must have been low tiered," Lytheron surmised.

Zephyr raised his eyes to meet Lytheron's, "Tiers affect offsprings?"

Lytheron had made to say something else but Zephyr's question cut his statement short. He immediately frowned in confusion, "You do not know of the effects of evolutions?"

"What has the current era devolved into?" He criticized harshly, genuinely disappointed.

Zephyr felt like he'd just gotten the end of the short stick, and was being criticized for the negligence of his elders.

Lytheron had launched into a tirade of harsh criticisms, particularly targeted at the human kingdoms of Zephyr's world, and to a lesser extent the elven kingdoms too.

"—This could even be somewhat understandable for a devolved human society, but elves too?" His spittle scattered as he wagged a finger at Zephyr, "Your mother should have educated you in the history and working of the world!"

"Well, my mother died birthing me, so…" Zephyr replied with a straight face. He wasn't about to reveal the secret fact his father had told him about his mother; that she was alive somewhere…

"Oh." Lytheron mellowed. "My apologies then. Forgive me for overstepping," he said before quickly moving on to another topic. "Yes. Back to your query… Tiers do indeed affect the child. It even affects the possibility of childbirth."

"Every evolution further separates every awakened from a non-awakened, extending the gap with each Tier till the point where it is nearly impossible for any offspring to be borne." Lytheron explained. "Every anatomy is the same, but there is a fundamental difference that prevents breeding, or at least makes it extremely difficult the further an awakened progresses."

"In your case, I can accurately surmise that your father must have been a high tier awakened, and your mother — the elf, a low tier. Simply because on equal Tiers, or at least close enough, elven blood is most dominant, regardless of which race it is intermixed with." He explained with a tinge of pride to his voice.

"You understand now why it is glaringly plain to me?"

Zephyr nodded, astonished, "This is the first I'm hearing of it."

"Truly?" Lytheron rubbed his short chin in confusion, observing Zephyr.

The visage took Zephyr slightly off guard, for the past minute, he'd forgotten he was talking to something in the body of a monster — a short, grey, stubby monster that frankly, looked somewhat comical with such a serious expression.

"What is it?" Lytheron caught Zephyr's weird expression, quickly realizing the reason for his short pause. "What? My appearance amuses you?"

"N—No it's not like that," Zephyr stuttered, trying to pacify the elf quickly.

Lytheron snorted dismissively. "This is but a vessel. A vessel to contain my mind," his tone suddenly turned solemn and serious, "It is all but for a purpose; A purpose which if I fail, you could very well end up also doing at some point in the future…" he stared Zephyr dead in the eye.

Lytheron let the words sink in, filling Zephyr with slight trepidation as he pondered the words. "H—How did you end up… this way?" he asked after a long minute.

Lytheron sighed, his eyes going distant, "This is something you will find out either way as this trial progresses, but considering that you are from Plane Astralis; what is now known as The Supreme Universe, I am obliged to make an exception."

Lytheron squinted his eyes, as if deliberating where to start from.

"I suppose it all started from the Diverse Era," he began without preamble. "During that age, nothing was known of other universes. Not even the existence of other worlds was known."

"Back then, there was only Astralis. The single plane of existence known. "

"Magic was inherent to everyone. And all had access to origin freely. It allowed for magic to be expressed in various forms, without any fixed state. A person could use his words to express magic in the form of chants. Some could use songs. Some, incantations… even pops and weird noises."

"It wasn't limited to just these alone. There were sigils, body etchings, spell weaving… As long as the will was there, and there was intention behind the method, origin could accept it, giving it real expression."

Zephyr's expression flickered as a question arose in his mind. What then was the limit?

Lytheron, understanding the question in Zephyr's eyes, explained further, "Not all could give their form of magic actualization. A person needed to have a deep understanding, strong will, and an even stronger mind to forge a path that origin would accept, and actualize."

"And most certainly, this meant; Not all magics were equal. Some were more powerful than others. The most powerful of all being Emitting magics," he stated.

"All magics could be classified under three broad umbrellas: Emitting magics – consisting of the stereotypical 'Spell slinging mage archetype', Enhancing magics – like the crafters, and body enhancers; through sigils and the like—"

"Wait—" Zephyr interrupted. "Sorry, crafters as in runesmithing?" He asked, surprised.

"Yes. Inscription magics—for enhancing tools if that is what you mean." Lytheron replied, slightly disgruntled. "Do not interrupt me again." He chided, making Zephyr smile sheepishly as he continued.

"The last…? Spellsong magics." Lytheron's eyes flickered in something akin to reverence, and a slight bit of fear. "The path that birthed Lawbearers…" he trailed off with a vacant gaze.

He spent a minute that way, before snapping back, "Pardon me. Where was I… ah; Spellsongs. They were a confusing one to understand, as their magic could either be used to enhance, or actualize like an emitter's. They used only the words of their mouth to cast magic as they saw fit."

"The world of Astralis at that time was relatively peaceful. While the various types of magic grew plentifully under these three paths, they were still within reason, keeping each other in check…" he dragged out the last statement for dramatic effect, staring Zephyr in the eyes solemnly.

"...that was, until the birth of Algernon Digit… the father of all spell logic."

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A/N: This chapter's special thanks goes to DestroyerMagus. Thank you for the Golden Tickets! Many thanks to all who give power stones too! LunarEcho, John Smith and others!

On a side note, I hope you all can also drop some reviews for the book if you've been enjoying it. Mana Processor only has one review thus far and I hope we can remedy that .🤞

I would really appreciate!