Isekai Journey Of The Magic Archer

[Eon's POV: ]

Second last test, High magic theory.

'These past three weeks were quite something…'

Of the twelve papers that we have, this one was the last one of my individual papers and there was only one common paper left after this one.

The last one, Economics and currency, should not be the same for every one of us, but it was going to be taken on the same day for all of us.

We were going to be gathered in different locations and we will receive a different test, but we will have the test on the same day, and that much was confirmed already.

'We were planning a 'see you soon' party for everyone, and though we were only planning it for our close friends, I know the news of it will spread all across the academy.'

We were planning for something unexpected as well, so we were looking forward to the day after tomorrow.

'It's going to be a fun day. We know that much.'

But before that, before we go on with the preparations for the celebration, I should focus on what is in front of me right now.

[A thread of Mana bearing an energy rating of 12mJ intersects with a thread of Aether bearing 121 mJ. The point of intersection produces an Energy discharge of three distinct D type energy particles which permeates the surface of the testing device used, causing a fusion reaction. To prevent this fusion reaction and destruction of the device, at what angle shall the two threads intersect?]

The high magic theory was, thankfully, a theory paper. There were more than three dozen questions with each one being as complex as this one, but they were doable.

'From the past few papers, I've been writing much more than what a simple paper was supposed to contain, having to fill many more questions than what I should be doing for a test of this level.'

I was still a first year student so I should actually be skipping a few of the questions that were asked to me in these tests. I'm pretty sure some were created so that I skip them as well, but I attempted all the questions.

Even though they were difficult and I had to use Lucy's help, I attempted the questions that shouldn't be answered at this level even if I knew about them.

Many questions were directly related to a few things people all over the world were trying to solve, so I held back on those questions and only gave a hint in my answers for what might actually be the answers.

'If the people that are going to check my papers know what they are doing, they will find what they are looking for, and if they cannot do that, well… it's not my problem.'

This is the last paper before the actual last one so I want to finish this quickly and go back… so, even though no one actually specified whether I can use magic or not, since it wasn't restricted, I was using it.

'With the help of Solnova spells that acted as Telekinesis, I used various pens to fill the papers before me and write down the answers as I solved them inside my head.'

It was much like copy paste but it was much more effective than writing down everything by hand.'

There were so many things that I needed to answer with each weird question that asked about a different kind of question concerning a topic completely different from the previous one.

'Well, it was just a theory and understanding based paper so it wasn't as difficult as the alchemy and weapon and magic practice tests that we had a while back.'

Those were some really interesting papers, but still, I haven't had many practical papers this time around.

Aside from the obvious ones like the weapon and magic practice, which were easy as well, I didn't have many papers with practical questions.

'I was bored during a few papers so I made practical answers to the theory questions and just left it to the teachers.' Your next read awaits at empiren/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

They were simply questions that I had to answer any way I wanted unlike the first test where I was specifically asked to kill a rabbit.

Since there weren't any specifications, I could also create the scenarios asked in the theory questions if it was possible for the answers.

'But just like this one, there weren't many questions that had a practical application that I could create in the middle of a test as tough as this one.'

I did visualise them inside my head to find the answers, but that was it. Recreating them when I had many other things to focus on was not a good idea.

Anyway…

"Done."

[Define the correlation between magic and energies, magic and skills, magic and different types of skills, magic and runes, magic and enchantments, and then describe their corresponding attributes in individual as well as collective viewpoints.]

"Hmmm…"

In the first test that I had, I learned about the Fictional aspect of all the things around me. In the following tests, though I didn't get the chance to go deeper into that concept, I certainly got the chance to look through the various other concepts that were stored inside my head.

'With a cursed memory like mine, locking down a bunch of things was the only way for me to keep my sanity.'

A disciplined mind was necessary to prevent this strange mind of mine from going berserk and driving me insane.

'I'm afraid of what I'll do if something like that actually happens, but with Lucy here, I don't have to worry about that.'

Anyway…

I keep a lot of things locked up in the large shelves of my mind tower, only accessing them when I need to. And, there hasn't been any need for a lot of things over the past few years.

However, thanks to these various tests that I have had, I reexported the records that I had sealed away, and reorganised a few things that needed organising.

'I definitely learned a good lot from each of the tests that we have had until now.'

And perhaps, this high magic theory test was going to teach me about a certain special thing that I will have to teach to a certain someone pretty soon.

"Magic and skills…"

What is magic? We already know many answers for this question with the simplest answer being change in the certain natural state of any element of this nature.

'Or as dad taught me: magic is nothing more than bending the shape of reality.'

Be it change of one element to the other, creation of something, destruction of something, recreation, or any certain perceivable or non perceivable Change that is caused by an intentional or unintentional act of a being can be considered 'magic' in a simple sense.

'We know what magic is and what energy is. As well as how skills are a gift a being is born with which might materialise in the form of a Skill stone at the end of that being's life.'

Energy is a concept that encompasses everything that we talk about, be it spells that are made with the knitted threads of these energies, or skills that are a permanent engraving of a certain skill circle on the physical body of a being.

A skill is essentially a permanent engraving of a Spell Circle on a physical body that one can only use through their physical self.

A skill requires energy and when triggered, regardless if one has energy to trigger that skill or not, if one uses the skill, the skill forcefully sucks in any kind of energy within the individual to manifest itself.

In many cases, skills are considered a threatening weapon or a double edged sword that might as well slice through their own beings.

'Magic on the other hand, requires too deep a comprehension of a particular spell structure as well as a few other basic preparations in order to manifest itself.'

Many basic (tier-0) to (tier-2) spells aside, to actually cast what we can call magic on a general level requires too deep a comprehension of that particular spell as well as required energy and calculative abilities.

'A few of us might be exceptions when it comes to magic but, magic itself isn't anything simple or easy.'

Very few could ever cross the border of (tier-3) and even fewer could enter the realm of the high mages (tier-6).

Going beyond that is a historical achievement in itself. That's the main reason there are only a handful of (tier-7) and (tier-8) high mages.

That's the reason there are even fewer (tier-9) elders. And the complexity of magic and the challenges one faces to obtain the overwhelming, unfathomable power known as magic is the main cause behind the minuscule amount of Archmages— the epitome of magic users.

'Anyone can learn magic and with enough dedication, even without talent, there are ways one could achieve the high peaks of magical abilities.'

But not just anyone can have the various kinds of skills that exist in this world.

'Some powerful skills could only be obtained by similarly powerful people. Some unique skills from unique creatures could only be obtained by unique people with affinities for these skills.'

Origin skills and Unique skills one is born with are one of a kind, the same also goes for special World given skills like Pinnacle skills.

Borrowed skills given by the creator of that skill are temporary skills, the World authorities are not skills but abilities that could be mistaken as skills, and same goes for the inherited powers of various origins.

'Magic and skills are abilities that require energy in order to function. Magic is a simplified and upgraded version of skills, while skills are spells engraved on physical or mental bodies of different beings.'

Essentially, they aren't the same.

'But still, it is pretty difficult to mistake it differently due to their close resemblance to one another.'

Still, personally, I don't think either is above or below the other.

'Both have their places.'

Especially when it comes down to actual life, both are equally valuable to a wounded soldier on a battlefield.