"I see."
The Ancient One's correction caught her off guard, yet it made perfect sense.
She was one of the few formidable sorcerers in the universe, but the person standing before her was a peerless genius, a woman whose brilliance eclipsed all who came before her.
If anything, the Ancient One's own titles probably didn't seem all that impressive to her.
Accepting this with grace, the Ancient One remained unruffled.
She simply offered a faint smile and said, "Madam Herta, most magic in this universe has its own origin. To travel far along a mystical path, one must establish a connection with that 'Origin'."
"I'm aware of that."
Herta's research into the mystic arts was, in fact, quite extensive. "But I'm not looking to walk the path. I'm looking to deconstruct it."
They sounded similar, but the essence was entirely different. One was an insider; the other, an outsider.
In the Ancient One's experience, to deconstruct something, one inevitably had to enter the fray.
Yet, she wasn't about to underestimate the young girl before her. What if she possessed some unique method of her own? Much like her uncanny ability to see the future.
The Ancient One had no intention of playing coy with Herta. Besides, looking at the girl's certain expression, it was clear she had only come here to confirm her own suspicions.
"It is exactly as you suspect, Madam Herta." Her smile widened slightly. "That path didn't exist from the very beginning."
This was a secret buried in ancient records; fewer than ten people in the entire universe knew the truth of it.
Herta was brilliant, but she was still quite young. Fortunately, the Ancient One happened to be one of the few who understood the history of Chaos Magic.
"Chaos Magic is not a creation; it is a birth. Much like the Infinity Stones, it is the progenitor of all magic—the oldest, independent form of the mystic arts."
"It is the primal light at the dawn of universal consciousness and cosmic happenstance. When the strange, impossible fire of life is ignited, that is Chaos Magic."
"It is neither purely constructive nor destructive. It isn't bound by the notions of good or evil; it is the potential within, without, and between them both. It is the roll of a caster's dice, a balancing wheel spinning between life and death."
"However... that doesn't mean it is masterless." The Ancient One's tone shifted suddenly, her face clouding with a complex emotion. "An entity became the owner of Chaos Magic at the very birth of the universe. Since then, anyone who wields it must follow the most universal rule of all: 'Exchange'."
Her voice was soft, delivering a fact that made Herta let out a small, inward sigh.
Chaos Magic wasn't a creation, which meant she couldn't simply "crack the box" of the source to quickly download the knowledge of the path like she could with other magics.
Yet, unlike the Infinity Stones, it wasn't open to everyone; it had been locked away by someone who got there first.
What a total jerk.
"It's a bit different from what I imagined, but it seems the result is the same." Herta admitted her guess had been off. "Unless I forge my own path or track down that 'predecessor,' Chaos Magic is nothing more than a toy to me."
Her bluntness didn't surprise the Ancient One, but that final bit of dismissiveness made her lose her composure just a little.
After all, Chaos Magic was the ancestor of all magic. Even if the portion in Herta's hands was incomplete... it was still a power most sorcerers would give their lives to pursue.
Herta, however, didn't care about her complicated feelings.
She pressed on: "Speaking of which, I'm also quite interested in Kamar-Taj's magic."
Recalling Herta's mention of her previous studies, the Ancient One felt a spark of curiosity.
Sensing the girl wanted to trade insights, she replied, "Most of Kamar-Taj's magic comes from the Book of the Vishanti. We primarily draw power by establishing a connection with them."
There was also a fair share of dark magic and powers drawn from dimensional entities, but those weren't things one discussed openly.
"The source of my magic isn't something I can easily explain; it's only suitable for those who possess their own internal mana." Herta was far more decisive than the Ancient One. She reached out, produced a book, and tossed it toward her.
Since these spells were learned in a previous world, explaining them would be a hassle. She had created a few herself out of boredom, but not many.
Herta's casual disregard for a grimoire was a bit much even for the Ancient One. Combined with Herta's words, she began to form a theory about the book's origin.
'Could the source actually be…'
The Ancient One looked at the magic book floating in the air after she caught it, then looked back at Herta.
The thought was a leap, but given the person in front of her, it wasn't impossible. Even in their brief time together, the Ancient One could tell Herta was the type to be obsessed with time management.
She didn't rest; she only moved forward on her chosen path. Furthermore... "only suitable for those with their own mana"? How could such magic even exist?
Normal beings don't inherently possess mana.
Studying magic and meditating is, in itself, the act of borrowing power from a source. If one doesn't borrow, a practitioner could spend their whole life without ever grasping a shred of mana.
But if you aren't borrowing power from anyone else, then what was the point of leaving this book behind?
Then again, it made sense why she wouldn't disclose the source. She probably just didn't want people bothering her.
With that thought, the Ancient One dropped the subject. She followed Herta's lead and smiled. "I have yet to meet another person who treats a spellbook like a common paperback."
Seeing no resistance, Herta knew they had reached an understanding. Not one for small talk, she said plainly, "It's not that precious. More importantly, does Kamar-Taj have somewhere quiet?"
She had no desire to squeeze into a library with everyone else.
"Of course."
The Ancient One nodded. With a casual flick of her wrist, a portal shimmered into existence beside them. She led the way through.
Though she hadn't received good news regarding Chaos Magic today, Herta's haul wasn't small.
While the magic of Kamar-Taj and the magic of her previous world could produce the same effects, their underlying principles were entirely different. It also gave her a solid understanding of how "magical loans" worked in this world.
She never nitpicked the size of a gain; every discovery was a piece of the puzzle.
When Herta finally left Kamar-Taj two hours later, the Ancient One's expression was nothing short of dazed.
She watched as Herta, having reached some unknown agreement with the Vishanti, opened a portal and departed.
How should she put it...? She had seen many geniuses, and she knew Herta's talent was one-of-a-kind, but watching her master the fundamentals and then proceed to dismantle and reconstruct high-level Kamar-Taj spells in a mere two hours was nothing short of terrifying.
As the portal winked out of existence, Herta stepped back into her laboratory, right where the Simulated Universe stood waiting.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.