Magic from the Age of Gods is completely different from later magic.
Later magic was created out of necessity as the great source of magical power gradually dried up. Their birth had to undergo a very complicated process beforehand: the system of magic had to be imprinted on the world in the form of religion or scholarship. Without this step, later Magic users with diluted bloodlines would not be able to use magic in an environment where magical power was depleted.
However, magic from the Age of Gods was fundamentally different from this "formalized" magic. Because they were born in an era where gods walked the earth, they were from the very beginning fragments of the divine authorities connected to the Root. This type of magic required no Magic Circuit, no rituals, or cumbersome sacrifices; as long as one knew the incantation, it could be released. And because it was directly connected to the Root, this magic could also be used in the environment of later eras.
Furthermore, in this era, where humans have not yet fully emerged into the world, there is no magic in the Age of Gods; it is all sorcery. This is because sorcery refers to things that humans cannot achieve through other means. In this era, if a person with the right conditions traveled back in time, even if they brought a lighter, that lighter would become "fire sorcery."
This was both a blessing and a misfortune for Ares. The misfortune need not be elaborated upon; Ares believed that no one who knew Baldy Kui would willingly face him as the God of War. The blessing, however, was that in this era, it would be much easier for Ares to approach the Root and explore those supreme mysteries, at least compared to later eras.
Just like the stone tablet he now held in his hand, personally produced by Hecate, the Greece Goddess of Magic. Although it was an introductory guide for new Magic users, it was entirely composed of Age of Gods sorcery written in the language of the gods. Ares estimated that if he were to throw these few stone tablets into the Clock Tower of later eras, it would cause the Lords there to fight tooth and nail over them.
Fortunately, although his account in this world would eventually be canceled, it was a privileged account. As one of the gods, and a very important chief god at that, Ares could naturally read these obscure divine texts with ease. The content written on them was also very easy for him to understand, almost like a math textbook from elementary school.
It was not difficult for gods to learn sorcery. It was just that many gods, being the embodiment of Authority themselves, looked down on sorcery as mere fragments of Authority. However, a god like Ares, who was full of motivation and patience for the sake of survival, could easily learn and absorb these things.
After receiving Hecate's "beginner's textbook," Ares casually found a corner in this Tree Palace, sat down, and quietly began to read.
Meanwhile, Hecate, who had transformed into a young girl, had returned to her hammock and reverted to her little girl form. She jumped onto her hammock, continued to complete the magic theory she had started writing, and then gently tossed the few sheets of papyrus.
After leaving her hands, these sheets of papyrus floated on their own, wrapped themselves up in mid-air, and then automatically found a suitable empty spot on a cabinet in the Tree Palace and placed themselves inside.
Having finished all this, Hecate yawned again. She smacked her lips, wanting to just sleep and refresh herself, but then she remembered that a hot-tempered Zeus's son was currently in her palace, and Hecate felt a little uneasy.
Immediately, she decided to go and check on Ares.
In her own palace, Ares's whereabouts naturally could not escape the Moon Goddess's eyes. In her perception, Ares's surging divine power was as conspicuous as a torch in the dark night.
However, when she bypassed layers of bookshelves and arrived at Ares's corner, she was startled by the God of War before her.
"Is this really the God of War?" Looking at the red-haired man sitting cross-legged in the corner, quietly reading the stone tablet, Hecate even felt a sense of absurdity.
Even Zeus probably couldn't imagine such a scene: his most violent son now holed up in a corner, quietly reading a stone tablet carved with obscure and mysterious knowledge.
Seeing that Ares seemed to be studying diligently, Hecate did not disturb him, but quietly circled back to her hammock.
"Maybe he's just staring at the stone tablet blankly," she muttered to herself while sitting on the hammock.
However, a day later, when Ares, having finished reading the stone tablets, came to consult her, Hecate realized that this fellow had actually thoroughly understood all the stone tablets she had given him.
After answering Ares's few questions about magic, Hecate sat on her hammock, smacked her lips, and asked Ares with great confusion, "Ares, do you really want to learn magic?"
"Of course." Ares was holding a blank papyrus he had asked Hecate for and making notes on it. Hearing her question, he said without raising his head, "Why else would I come here if not to learn magic? Isn't living on Olympus good enough? It's truly surprising that the Moon Goddess would ask such a question."
"I just didn't expect the fickle God of War to actually listen to me and finish reading these stone tablets obediently," Hecate said.
"Hey, look at what you're saying," Ares said, raising his head. "A father is a father, and a son is a son. Since I've recognized you as my teacher, I will naturally listen to you, just as soldiers must obey their commander's orders on the battlefield. An army that doesn't obey orders can't be considered an army; it's just a scattered mess."
"Then why do you want to learn magic?" Hecate asked again.
Hearing Hecate's words, Ares once again used Athena as a shield: "I've already said it, to defeat that woman Athena and reclaim everything she took from me."
"Really?"
Hecate's suspicious eyes moved up and down Ares's body, then she withdrew her gaze:
"Forget it, it's none of my business anyway. Just learn magic and don't turn it against me."
She thought for a moment, and even chuckled, instigating:
"If a God of War like you learns my magic, you might actually be able to trample powerful gods like Athena and Poseidon."
"Really?" Ares cooperated by showing an excited expression, then he asked, "Can I surpass Zeus?"
Hecate heard him, pointed at him, and laughed heartily, "You're dreaming."