Reborn as Demon Sorcerer

RADS 3. The World of Magic

[There are four types of magic user in this world.]

“Wait. Hold it. I'm hungry,” Sam said, rubbing his belly. “Is there any critter here I can hunt or any fruit or mushroom that is safe to eat?”

[There are no small monsters on this side of the forest and the big monster meat is usually poisonous for humans.]

[But there is a lot of edible fruit nearby]

“Which one?”

[You can try the jillberry. It has a shape like an apple in your world but bigger and has purple coloration. It grows on the black vine in your sight.]

Even though he can see through the screen, it hinders his vision. Sam got irritated. “Well, can you remove this screen from my face first? It's hard to look for berries.”

[Understood]

[The screen is now hidden. You can hide the screen by command ‘hide’ and unhide it by command ‘show screen’.]

Sam walked toward the black vine dangling in the tree and saw a big purple apple-like fruit. The tree where the vine coiled is quite tall and it has spikes in its trunk. There was no way Sam could climb such a tree. “How could I reach that?”

[Try to use your wind magic to knock the jillberry.]

“Oh, right, I have magic now! But … how do I use it?”

[Just feel your magic energy flowing in your body and redirect it to the point of release. The system suggests using your palm as the outlet.]

Sam raised his hand and pointed his palm toward the jillberry. He felt the flow of energy circulating inside his body, but could not quite understand how to redirect it.

Sam frowned as his body started to become hotter and he sweated profusely.

[You have agitated your energy too much. If you continue, you will experience a magic implosion.]

“That sounds bad!”

[It is bad. Depending on the severity of the implosion, you could die. The system advises you to release energy soon.]

“But how! Your instructions are unclear!”

[The system could not find a proper reference from your memory to explain it better.]

[Just release it.]

“For fuck sake!” Sam exclaimed. “Here I go!”

A burst of gale shot out from Sam’s palm. Sam was pushed backwards and rolled across the ground.

Leaves fly off, branches snap, even the fruit that Sam targeted is nowhere to be seen. It was such a big gale that it blew off most things in its path to the sky.

[You have used 512 magic energy. Your magic energy is now 3238.]

“I don’t care about that number right now!” Sam yelled as he tried to get up. His right hand was still shaking.

[Would you prefer what you call ‘percentage’?]

Sam grumbled and said in annoyance, "yeah, whatever!"

[You have used 14% of your magic energy, 86% left]

Sam was sure that the gale had blown away the fruit he was aiming for, but it turned out that the gale had also knocked several other fruits to the ground. Sam picked it up and ate it without a second tought.

It smells like mint, but has a texture similar to apples indeed. It tastes sweet but has a bitter aftertaste. “Hey, System. Continue your explanation about magic users while I eat.”

[Understood.]

[There is sorcerer, wizard, priest, and warlock.]

“What differentiates them?”

[These are grouped by how they gain magic power and the way they use it. A sorcerer, like yourself, draws power from innate magic, shaping magic through intuition and training. A wizard, on the other hand, studies arcane phenomena. They record and try various incantations and rituals to create a new spell. It is akin to the ‘scientist’ of your world. Priest and warlock are opposite sides of the same coin. They both acquired magic power and spells from another being, presumably a high spirit. The holy church deems their high spirit as divinity and condemn what they deem evil spirits as demons. The priest call their chant as prayer and their magic as divine blessing. Warlock are those that forge binding vow with demon and then granted magic power and spells at a cost, depending on the vow.]

“Is this widely known in this world?”

[Aside from the wizard bias about priest and warlock being similar, yes.]

“This is biased information?”

[Yes. You should understand that the system is taking reference from the memory of the wizard and also your memory. So there might be bias from him and from you.]

“So basically … there are those with talent, those that work hard, and those that have connections. Allright, I think I got it,” Sam said. He took the last bite of the fifth jillberry and threw it away. He heard a familiar ‘ding’ sound.

[Your magic energy has recovered by 5%. It is now 91%.]

“Say, System, you can tell me everything the old wizard knows, right? Why don’t you teach me some powerful spell?”

[Unfortunately, the system can not teach you any spells.]

“Why? You say you are made from the old wizard’s memory?”

[The wizard’s spell has been stolen by an unknown group of magic users and the wizard's spell is based on memory. The group has taken 24 master level and 9 legendary level spells, and erased the rest of the spells below master level from the wizard's memory. As the system is made from what memory is left, the system has no spell to teach you. This incomplete memory also affects the limited knowledge the system has.]

“Such a bummer,” Sam said, “Aside from the spell, I really want to know more about this world.”

[You could get that by exploration.]

“Yeah, I will do that anyway.”

[The system could also give you a more complete knowledge of this world if you reclaim the wizard spell and his memory.]

“Really? How could I do that?”

[By using the same method they use.]

“You know their way?”

[The system does not know. You must learn it yourself.]

“Where are you! I'm going to punch you in the face!”

[The system is inside you. Try to punch yourself.]

"So, punching myself in the brain, huh? That's a level of self-loathing even therapists would raise an eyebrow at," Sam quipped, an ironic smile playing on his lips. He figured it wasn't the best way to deal with a sentient system sharing headspace.

"Calm down, Sam," he chided himself, resisting the urge to fight this system inside him.

But he was unable to do so. He felt the energy inside him boiling, the same sensation as before. He must release it and he reflexively stomped the ground. At that very moment, Sam got thrown into the air by the wind force he produced under his bare feet.

Up in the air, Sam saw the vast horizon that stretched out before him. Far outside the forest where he was, he saw various miraculous things. A city with a red flag castle, rocks curved like giant ribs, islands floating in the air in the distance, tall towers piercing the clouds.

In the midst of this internal wrestling match, Sam's mind becomes contemplative.

The notion of exploring uncharted territories, facing magical creatures, and reclaiming the stolen spells of the fallen wizard appealed to him. It was a departure from the dreary cycle of paycheck-to-paycheck survival, a chance to wield magic, embrace the unknown, and perhaps, unravel the secrets of this fantastical realm.

This was a fresh start. A new life that bore a striking resemblance to the fantasy games he once escaped from in the monotony of his previous existence.

Reaching the peak of his accidental jump, he strengthened his resolve. Sam streched his hand, feeling all the surrounding wind. He shouted to the sky, "Alright, with this magic power I have and the other spells that I will learn and reclaim, I will do what I want! I will live my new life to the fullest!”