LightReader

Bonus Chapter: Magic System and Nomenclature

POV: You, my dear reader.

In the world of The Scream of a Thousand Libraries, powers don't originate from birth, gods, or ancient rituals; they are gifts from something much simpler: books!

Every reading is a living, unique, and irreplaceable experience. When a reader delves deep enough into a work, this experience manifests as an Enchantment, a form of magic that reflects the essence of what was understood, felt, and absorbed.

Enchantment

An Enchantment is magic acquired by gaining profound insight while reading a book. It embodies the learning or emotion of that reading.

Its form and function depend on two fundamental factors:

Aspect of Interpretation – Defines how the enchantment manifests, as well as its rules and descriptions.

Reading Mastery – Defines how strong and essential one's connection to the book is.

Note: The number of enchantments does not directly depend on your QP. A reader might have 200 QPs and only one or two Literary Marks.

Aspects of Interpretation

These aspects determine how the power is manifested based on the interpretation of the book:

Literal (Physical): The elements of the book materialize on the user's body. Examples include strength, armor, and mutations.

Analogous (Spiritual): Abilities or weapons are recreated as magical energy. Examples include the invocation of symbols and symbolic manifestations.

Connotative (Sentient): The user emulates the sensations caused by the book like fear, hope, pain, ecstasy, amplifying or softening them in combat.

Denotative (Absolute): The user becomes the very essence of the text, living it word by word, as a literal avatar of the work.

Enchantment Mark (Literary Mark)

Every dominator carries a special "Bookmark" where the signatures of their main enchantments are registered. Each mark has a color that defines the corresponding Reading Mastery:

Blue – Secondary Dominator

Purple – Primary Dominator

Red – Authorial Dominator

Gold – Generational Dominator

Types of Reading Mastery:

Secondary Dominator: Common readers who use basic book experiences to create spells.

Primary Dominator: Those who have best understood the work—they become the main magical representatives of its ideas.

Authorial Dominator: The author of the book themselves, the originator of the book's knowledge. Their enchantment cannot be used against them.

Generational Dominator (Theoretical): An individual who achieves mastery over an entire literary genre. Extremely rare, they are considered almost mythological.

Quote: It is a theoretical supposition widely discussed in enchantment literature regarding the possible existence of an individual capable of conquering the seal of mastery over an entire literary genre. Vividly representing enchantments that define that genre as a whole. It is believed that few such individuals have emerged in history, such as Pear, The Wielder of the Sway. A legendary Authorial and possibly Generational Dominator of the connotative literary aspect who lived in the Kingdom of the Angles between the 1st and 2nd centuries A.L. (After Literature).

It is believed that his enchantment was "The Sway of Being," which generated doubt between being and non-being, thus creating a rift in the perception of reality. He is capable of emulating the central emotion of any scene or situation.

Principle of Mastery Time (PTD) — or Mastery

This refers to the time a reader carries a certain Literary Mark, determining the depth of their mastery over that enchantment.

Mastery Level | Time with the Mark

Supreme | +30 years

Master | 20 to 29 years

Experienced | 15 to 19 years

Proficient | 10 to 14 years

Intermediate | 5 to 9 years

Beginner | 1 to 4 years

Difference between Reading Mastery and Mastery (PTD):

A mage can possess multiple enchantments at different levels, but the key question is what the Reading Mastery or PTD levels of these enchantments are. Having a higher PTD in an enchantment does not necessarily guarantee that its respective Reading Mastery level will be equally high. The Reading Mastery level influences the nature of the power and how comprehensive or strong it is, while Mastery (or PTD) reflects how proficient the user is in employing the enchantment in question.

In other words, if a mage possesses a Secondary Dominator enchantment with Supreme Mastery (Example A), they might be fully capable of defeating a Primary Dominator with Beginner or Intermediate Mastery (Example B). Although the enchantment of Example B is naturally stronger, its wielder lacks the necessary practice to use it effectively.

There is an old metaphor that illustrates this concept well: the Swordsman Metaphor. Suppose Reading Mastery is the material that makes up the mage's sword and its physical specifications—such as size, shape, and blade details. PTD or Mastery would then be the time of training and practice the swordsman has with their sword. Indeed, some swords are stronger than others due to the material they are made of—a sword made of Damascus steel will be more resistant than one made of bronze, for example. However, a master swordsman, even with a bronze sword, will be more lethal than an inexperienced student wielding a Damascus steel sword.

In the metaphor, the Master Swordsman represents Example A, and their student, Example B. Although the student's sword is stronger, their lack of experience in handling it diminishes its potential. The master, with a lower quality sword, has the ability to leverage the strength of their blade much more efficiently. This is the principle governing the functioning of enchantments and the dynamic between Reading Mastery and Mastery.

Qº de Papyrum (QP) – The Readers' Mana (Magical Energy)

QP is the indicator of an individual's magical energy, measured by the amount of reading accumulated throughout their life.

QP Recharge:

Daily reading (without a specific book): +0.5 to +1 QP

Reading a complete book: +3 to +5 QP

TempusTic Elixir (TT): +7 QP per hour

Note: From the second dose onward, the body becomes dependent. The individual begins to lose QPs gradually faster and needs 2 hours of TT daily just to stabilize.

Magical energy is accumulated in the brain, serving as its reservoir. There are specific cases of enchantments that allow temporary reserves to be created in different parts of the body. The energy from QPs is constant, so unless it is directly spent on channeling an enchantment, it will not disappear.

National Average QPs (MLA – Annual Reading Meter):

A country's average QP, known as the Annual Reading Meter (MLA), is calculated by multiplying the country's average books read per year by 50 years. Brazil has an average of 100 QPs, Portugal has 200 QPs, Canada has 600 QPs, among others.

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