Magic… the manifestation of fantasies and the imagination of many people… something no one hadn't thought about at least once, at some point in their life.
At least, that was what Christian believed.
And through essence, one really could walk the path of magic.
Magic was also one of the three main power systems he had talked about with his sister, and it was the most versatile one.
Because unlike the Core Creation power system, which only allowed a person to follow the path of a single attribute, or a limited few, the Magic power system gave one the ability to wield any kind of attribute they could think of.
All it took was studying a spell related to that attribute… or constructing one.
Those who walked the path of magic, unlike Core Masters, who, from the beginning, needed to convert essence into one that matched the attribute of their technique and then accumulate it in their bodies.
Mages, instead, took essence as just pure essence… as an energy source. And how many spells a mage knew determined their strength.
They could be all-rounded, or they could specialize in one attribute while dabbling in others.
And unlike Core Masters who, at the end of the day, had no choice but to follow an essence technique passed down by their predecessors, because one simply couldn't create new techniques before even touching essence.
Mages were different.
They weren't restricted in the same way.
They could accumulate essence to prolong their lives while studying the topics that interested them.
If, at the start, they were studying something related to fire, for example, but became bored after some time, they can just change to another attribute or topic they want to study… be it more difficult or more simple.
The best part was, that they didn't have to throw away everything they had learned so far.
They didn't have to change their entire fighting style.
They could keep what they had already mastered and even come back to it anytime if they changed their mind.
Naturally, it wasn't all advantages. There were downsides to this power system too.
Mages were just too fragile, after all.
Even compared to Core Masters, whose bodies Christian was already not satisfied with—mages were far weaker.
But even so, Christian preferred this system among all others.
Because at its core, magic was a power system that relied on talent and knowledge.
And that made it the most suitable one for him.
Because gaining knowledge… was what he excelled at.
And talent? With his system… did he even need it?
Most importantly, it wasn't like there were no solutions to the physical weakness problem… it was something he was already working on through his Flawless Body skill, after all.
And even if the result hadn't yet reached what he wanted it to be… it was still getting there, slowly, but steadily.
So, Christian truly did plan to learn magic.
Christian briefly explained the magic power system to Nina, before he finally smiled and asked, "So, what do you think?"
And Nina didn't even take a moment to think, before she asked back, "When can I start?"
Seeing how she wasn't even trying to hide her excitement anymore, and her eyes were practically sparkling, he chuckled and said, "Now."
And with that, Christian took a tablet from the side, opened it, and started browsing.
He was still debating which technique he should give her, after all.
Because even though mages gathered and accumulated essence simply as energy, there were still slight differences here and there between the techniques they used.
That even if it was just used as energy… there could still be differences.
The problem was, he didn't yet have a strong understanding of the magic system, so he couldn't be sure which technique was the best.
But then, as he browsed through the techniques he currently held, his hand suddenly paused on one.
Looking at it, he thought— this is it.
And it wasn't because he thought it was the strongest… but because of where he got it.
Over these past five months, Christian had started to understand many things.
And one of them was the background of those people from the other world.
There were strong groups and weak groups… small factions and giant powers.
The strong ones had mostly revealed themselves, forming alliances with governments… naturally, only with the strongest countries. Not just any nation could qualify.
So, returning to this technique… it came from what he considered the strongest group among them all.
A group that represented a Magic Empire.
Located in England, they were the most dangerous of all the otherworldly people.
Even more so than that strange pair of man and woman he'd once met.
He had actually almost been discovered by them once.
He still didn't fully understand, but after that encounter, he became a lot more careful.
Then, was it dangerous to use their technique?
But it was a publicly spread technique, known by many. So he doubted they'd care if just one more person learned it… and he didn't plan to let Nina go any where near there, anyway.
So, he went ahead and choose it, for her.
He sent the technique to her device, along with a collection of magical knowledge and several spells, then finally said:
"Mages are unique. Each one walks their own path. So the magic circle around the heart that represents a mage's stage of power… the one you'd think would be included in the technique I sent, is actually not there."
"Later, when you reach a stage where you're ready to construct your own magic circle… the one that will represent the accumulation and amalgamation of your effort, and your own magic identity… I'll send you some reference diagrams to look at."
"But in the end, you can't just imitate them directly."
"Anyway, since no one else practices this power system here in this house… you'll have to study on your own."
Nina took a moment to digest everything he had said.
Then, bowing her head slightly, she softly replied, "Thank you very much."
And just like that… she turned around and left.
Christian sat there, watching her go.
And how the room was quiet once again.
But a small, strange smile had unknowingly formed on his face.