"Could magic books... actually expire?"
A ridiculous thought flashed through Charles's mind. He instinctively glanced for a production or expiration date. As the second book crumbled to dust in his hands, the seriousness of the problem dawned on him.
This emergency warehouse had been sealed for centuries. Its guardians had changed over generations. Many ordinary books had long surrendered to time's erosion, becoming nothing but historical dust.
Damn it! Was I hundreds of years too late?
Still doubting the idea of curses, Charles noticed something odd.
Not all the magical artifacts around were antiques. Many were recent additions—meaning Fels still deposited unused items here from time to time, even entrusting the shopkeeper to sell some on consignment.
This place was mentioned countless times in stories. It held priceless magic tomes for sale, though few could afford them.
"Judging by the fact that Fels dared to entrust thirteen magic books worth 6.5 billion to that lecherous fox, he definitely isn't short of resources!"
Charles flipped through the pile, hoping to find a recently written book not yet corroded by time.
Something simple.
As the carton's contents dwindled, near the bottom lay a book titled A Guide to Magic Construction from Scratch, which immediately gave him a different feeling.
Magic divides into innate magic and acquired magic. Innate magic stems from one's race, while acquired magic is a blessing from the gods...
Turning the page...
Acquired magic is interest itself, a personal reality. It involves maintaining passion for something: identification, hatred, admiration, lamentation, worship, oaths, longing. The trigger lies with you, and by the gods' grace, it becomes manifest.
Turning another page...
As Charles read this profound yet straightforward theory of magic, sleepiness crept over him.
"Sure enough... it worked!"
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips before he collapsed onto the floor, sinking into the sea of words.
In this pale world, a painting appeared. It showed a human face outlined in ink.
Turning the page.
"That's me... the ordinary me in the past. The me who once toiled in the winery. The me struggling to survive now... another me."
Turning the page again.
The face dissolved into chaos, as if merging and rubbing past and present lives into a wholly new individual.
"Well, let's get started."
The voice of "I" echoed in his ears.
What is magic to me?
Magic is a miracle, the unknown, an anomaly even gods cannot fathom.
What is magic to me?
It is the cornerstone of all ambition!
A power unreachable by any known human means.
A golden finger, a miracle that lets me survive, live freely, and rewrite my fate.
Turning the page.
What is magic to me?
There is no concrete answer.
If I must say, magic is a miracle.
And if miracles had a color, it would be orange!
What do you want from magic?
The underworld's unknown!
Miracles are miracles because they are unpredictable, unknown.
If I must name it, it is chaos. The birth of worlds, the splitting of parallel realities, soul manifestations, secrets beyond reach, the elusive flow of time.
Are you too greedy?
I can't help it. This is who I am.
Let me ask you—should a time traveler be humble?
The blurred face cracked a defiant smile:
Exactly! People's dreams never die!
Then, Charles lost consciousness.
In endless chaos, Charles fully merged memories of his past and present lives. How long passed before he woke was unknown.
"Oh shit, what time is it now?"
Inside the sealed secret room, time felt suspended. Yet by the usual process of these magic books, he must have slept at least a full night.
"No, I have to leave before Fels notices anything strange!"
Charles didn't know Granny Renault's ties to Fels, so he needed to evacuate quickly. His original plan was to take the magic book and other treasures to a safe place and study them later. That plan had changed.
With no time to gather more, Charles grabbed the most conspicuous item on the shelf—the [Reversed Spiritual Veil].
It was the most commonly used artifact in all stories, with an effect similar to the "Hades Helmet" from Almighty: it rendered the wearer invisible.
Unlike the helmet's forced invisibility, this garment's effect could be toggled anytime simply by how it was worn—front or back.
Of course, stealing while retreating was justified. Charles grabbed a few "unknown" magical items he thought useful and pushed open the secret room's door.
Grandma Renault still sat behind the counter. But compared to last night's dim gloom, bright sunlight now poured through the witch's windows, chasing away some of the dusky atmosphere.
Seeing Charles emerge, Granny Renault asked kindly, "Well? Did you find your answers?"
"Hm... some clues."
She quickly checked the secret room and saw only the old magic book was gone. Not many other items were taken.
"Is that enough?" she asked.
"Yeah."
"That's good. If you need help, just ask. I still have some influence in Orario." Renault put her hands behind her back and forced a smile beneath her hooked nose—odd but kind.
Charles hesitated for a moment. "Actually, there is one thing. Do you have any 'renewal medicine' here?"
"Renewal medicine? Awakened some magic, have you? For this, we just ask the gods..."
"Gods can't be trusted."
Charles cut her off.
Her expression softened with relief. "Right, I do have that stuff. It's contraband, so I don't sell it regularly."
As expected.
Charles's eyes glittered.
In Orario, all impressive items were mostly the work of the "Sage." Right now, "Almighty" was just beginning, not yet dominating the market.
Moments later, Charles held a parchment covered with replicated sacred texts. Wearing the reversed veil, he vanished from the Witch's Hideaway door.
Charles Lv1
Strength: I78 → H129
Durability: H157 → F377
Dexterity: I97 → H101
Agility: I66 → I84
Magic: I0 → I0
Magic:
Miracle Wheel
Summoning magic.
Can use all types of magic, but the condition to use each is randomly generated by unknown external factors, actions, and spell content.
Consumes the mental energy needed to summon the corresponding magic.
Chanting adds a fixed development attribute "Luck E."
Chant: None (optional).
Skills:
[Crispy College Student]
[Go Wherever You Want]
-End Chapter-
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