Trials of the Multiverse

--- Akira ---

The advantages of Enlightenment were more than I expected.

Having no doubts on the path forward is actually worse than having them.

Because that means the path you're following is too simple. 

To sum it up, that's the situation I am in.

I was too passive, and naive.

Learning magic from multiple worlds is an opportunity so convenient it feels almost unfair.

With each world, you can pick apart the strengths of their systems, refining your own 'Magic System' as you go. By the time you reach Trial 10—if luck is on your side—you'd already have a solid foundation for the future.

Who would dare doubt this method?

Whatever question is left unanswered now, can always be resolved with more information on Magic from Future Trials

Slowly, this mindset took root in me, shaping the way I approached everything. Even when someone as perceptive as Yui tried to poke holes in my reasoning, striving for objectivity, she couldn't find a single flaw.

This is the way it should be.

But, is it?

When I entered Enlightenment, this question, among many others, exploded in my mind, with its answer clear before I could even ponder further.

I was being led by the nose.

[You felt smart, didn't you?]

I could almost hear the System whisper those mocking words.

It knows I'm growing stronger.

So why does it allow it so easily?

The answer is as chilling as it is simple: this path only leads to mediocrity, at most.

All those before me—they weren't fools.

Far from it.

Yet none of them managed to escape the System's grasp. Why?

Because the System's design is flawless.

The first batch of hopefuls is weeded out by the 'friendly' Tutorial. Those who survive—the raw gems—are refined over time, becoming tools of value.

They grow stronger, maybe even strong enough to oppose the System for a while, perhaps causing it real trouble.

But that's when it strikes. When you're feeling smart. Confident. Victorious.

The System waits, silently carving out your future growth, your limits, and your role as a pawn in its grand design. Those who survive become loyal enforcers, its 'puppies,' executing its will across the countless universes.

It's a terrifying thought. And yet, I can't help but admire it.

For all my resentment, I have to acknowledge the brilliance of its methods. If it couldn't ascend through normal means, it's seizing that right with ruthless precision.

What kind of Ability or Magic do I need?

During Enlightenment, this question caused me some trouble, but that was the answer itself.

The answer is actually...

None.

I already have so many abilities I didn't even have the chance to properly test yet.

What could one more ability do to me?

It would, at most, be a quantitative change.

But would this do Enlightenment justice?

No.

That is why, I wanted to go higher.

To seize the most out of this state, what can I do?

The question subtly changed to this before I even realized it. 

But that's exactly when everything clicked together.

Seize.

Plunder.

I wasn't seeking understanding.

I was a greedy leech that wanted nothing more than to plunder as much as possible, to achieve something I couldn't quite fathom yet.

Just like the System.

Elevation.

Ah.

That's it.

[The Authority of Mana is reacting]

[The birth of a Noble of Mana has been confirmed]

[Your lineage of Mana has subtly strengthened]

[Mana is bowing to you in respect]

[The Talent [Mana Noble] has leveled up]

[The Talent [Mana Noble] has leveled up]

[The Talent [Mana Noble] has leveled up]

.

.

.

Thanks to Enlightenment, I didn't even need to glance at the useless prompts cluttering my mind.

I knew what I had to do.

Overworking my mind to its absolute limit, I began piecing together the fragments of knowledge I'd accumulated over countless battles, experiments, and rewards from the System.

Each spell I knew, each concept of Magic, was painstakingly unravelled and condensed into something more fundamental, more pure.

Soon, a dull ache blossomed in my temples.

Warmth dripped from my nose—a faint tickle at first, before the steady trickle of blood drew a crimson line down my chin.

Though, it was completely ignored soon after.

Pain was irrelevant.

Fatigue was irrelevant.

All to seek something higher.

The concept of 'Magic' itself began to crystallise in my mind, refined and compressed until I felt a ceiling.

Hah.

You think I'd give up now?

F*ck you.

[You have forcefully activated the Passive Skill, [Limit Breaker]]

[The Passive Skill [Limit Breaker] does not have enough power to breakthrough]

[You have forcefully activated the Passive Skill, [Mind's Dominion]]

[You have forcefully activated the Passive Skill, [Body Zen]]

.

.

.

[All your Active and Passive Skills besides one are forcefully activated to breakthrough #!?__??!!#...]

.

.

.

Even after all this, I could still feel it.

Once again.

A limiter.

You should stop there.

I could vaguely grasp its meaning, but at this point, understanding wasn't enough to hold me back.

I'd been stopped once.

It won't happen twice in a row.

But, I was still hesitant.

Up until now, I had used every skill except [Overload].

The reason was simple: the side effects were too excessive.

If I activated it now, would I be able to endure them? Or would my body shatter?

Death means the end for me.

If I can achieve this, though, there won't be a problem.

I'm sure of it.

Thanks to Enlightenment, I can at least discern this much.

But just as I was about to will for [Overload] to activate…

A cutting sound was heard.

It wasn't loud. No, it was impossibly quiet.

Yet, somehow, my eardrums were about to shatter.

A shock rippled through me as the red prompts hovering in front of my eyes—the ones blaring their warnings to stop—began to split apart.

One clean cut.

Two.

Four.

Eight.

Sixteen.

.

.

.

And then more than I could count.

Soon, the red prompts disintegrated into specks of light, scattering like ash in the wind.

My skin prickled, my breath caught, and for a moment, I felt as though I was standing before something far greater than myself

[The Authority of the Sword had enough]

I exhaled, my chest heaving.

It took me by surprise, but only for a moment.

Finally—it happened.

Floating quietly above my hand lay the culmination of my efforts: an ethereal, intangible book.

It had no color, no weight, and its pages bore no words.

If an ordinary person was standing next to it, they would mistake it as some cool party trick and quietly go away.

Yet, for those who could understand its true meaning, its presence was overwhelming.

The essence of Magic.

If this had been the me from before, my first instinct would have been to analyze it—study its properties, dissect its secrets, and figure out how best to wield it.

But the me standing here now had no need for such methods.

Without a moment's thought, I clenched the book in my hand and crushed it. Fragments splintered and scattered, but instead of vanishing into nothingness as expected, they dissolved into streams of light and shadow.

The strands flowed into me, not harshly, but with purpose—a rushing current pouring into the depths of a parched desert.

The sensation was overwhelming.

My body shuddered as the energy coursed through me, threading itself into every corner of my being.

This... this feeling of ascension.

My lips curved into a grin before I even realized it. I didn't need any sort of confirmation to know.

I had succeeded.

---

Author's Note:

Welp, I'm sorry I have to stop at such a critical joint, but there's a lot to explain and to see, so we'll delve into it properly next chap.

Either way, we'll slowly understand what all of this means in the next few chapters.

What do you think so far? Is it good? :D

I'm striving to improve, so any feedback is always appreciated, no matter the kind.

For those who wander, the name of this chap will be explained in the next one, lmao.