I Ask You, What Is Magic?

"What does a 'spirit' even mean? Wait, does everyone else also belong to this hybrid race? Do we have any racial quirks? So Cool. And this Runes and Affinity thing, is magic real? How do I—"

[Hold your horses, Ryan. Let me explain what I know.]

"Yes, please." I nodded patiently.

I wanted to go back out as quickly as possible, but I also somewhat trusted Codex when he said rest of the nanites were 'being pumped' into my body.

From where though? I wondered.

[First things first, information has been trickling into my database ever since I came online three months and one week ago. I know more things now, but still only a little that can actually be of help right now.

What a spirit is, I do not know. Whether the rest of your family members are also spirit-hybrids, I do not know.

As for affinities and runes, those I can explain in a reasonable manner with some of my own hypothesis, would that be alright?]

"Yeah, of course. Hit me with it." I permitted off-handedly.

I mean, why even ask?

[Affinity: This is the measure of how close a 'magical beast' is to a certain element of magic. It is said humans are the average of most magical elements, and hence cannot directly manipulate any of them freely. While certain animals can directly interact with certain magical elements. Therefore, termed as magical beasts.

Runes: These are the marks of magic that allows anyone or anything to command magic to do certain things. Magical beasts instinctively form certain runes depending on their natural habitats, lifestyles, affinities, etc.

Furthermore, in the database, there is a mention of some magical constructs that allow humans to borrow affinities from magical beasts to perform magic as well. Though I don't know if you — being a human-spirit hybrid — need such a construct or not.]

"I see... Yeah, I can work with that. How long till I can go back, again?" 

[It should not be long.] Codex replied dismissively.

"Hmm, so boring here." I commented, taking my eyes off of the user interface panel and looking around the empty void.

[Agreed.]

"Meh, in any case, how do I do magic?" I asked the question that has been on my mind since my first breath in this world but has taken a backseat recently.

[I... don't know. But I may have an idea about it. Before that though, I think you would like to know that you can wake up now.] He smoothly maneuvered his lack of knowledge with adequate bait, one that I gladly took.

"Wonderful! Send me out." I readily dropped my curiosity in favor of home sweet home.

–

–

–

Yawn~

I opened my eyes to the familiar ceiling I usually do when waking up.

No, slightly different. The alignment is kinda off?

Trying to sit up, I realise my body being ever so slightly heavier. Not much, but definitely heavier.

I guess knowing what was about to happen made me more attentive to the changes.

Also, looking around, I was not in my crib. Maybe...

"Hoh, look who decided to wake up?" Mum came up near the counter as she dried her hands on her apron.

"Mamma!" I exclaimed happily while throwing my arms in her direction.

"There, there." Dropping off her apron, she scooped me up from behind the counter.

"Ohh, Is this your youngest, Eloise?" Someone — female, I decided — called out from one of the tables I hadn't noticed was full with a woman and two children, one sitting on another chair and the other one in her lap.

Why though? What kind of shop do we run here? Is this why I saw so little of mom during winter? Wait, Eloise? Is that mom's name? Cool name. I let my thoughts wander.

"Yes, that is so, Bern. His name is Ryan." My mother introduced me to her and walked over with me in her gentle arms.

"Hello, sweetheart." The brown haired elegantly dressed woman greeted me with a smile.

But of course, me being me, I ignored the stranger wholeheartedly. Why bother with strangers when you can spend more time with your family?

"Momma... hungry." Well, I wasn't lying.

"Quite the shy one, isn't he?" The woman laughed.

"Yours is the first new face he's seeing in a good while, after all." My mother chuckled alongside her.

"Can I hold him?" Came the accompanying child's innocent request.

I prayed in my mind, Please, say no.

"I think you and him are both a little too young for that, maybe try asking me that in a few more moons." Mom gave a nice smile as a peace offering, as she shifted me in her arms.

Is she going to feel the difference in the weight? I thought in alarm.

[The weight difference shouldn't be that significant. You are maybe feeling it so much because it is significant for what your body is used to pulling. Plus, you are a growing child, it is only natural for your weight to increase with time.] Codex assured me.

Hopefully.

"It's getting late too, so we need to leave. As always, food was great. Keep up the good work!" The woman said while standing up.

After a moment of small chit-chat, the nosy woman gave some metal coins to mom and left with her kids.

Soon after, I was fed my bi-hourly serving of milk as mom went back into the door on the right. One from where delicious aroma was coming.

Apparently, we ran some sort of eatery business, where some people paid in different types of goods, from flour to seeds, and sometimes, metallic coins.

Definitely not an advanced society, then. I noted as I suckled on my milk sipper while sitting on the counter.

I wonder what Triss and Ollie are up to. They should be helping mom out, instead of whatever they are doing.

Oh, yeah. Codex, you were telling me where the rest of the nanites came from. Mind continuing where you left off? I prodded the silently lurking Codex.

[About that.]

Uh-huh. Don't you dare say 'I don't know anything' now.

[It's related to magic, I think you might already be able to use it to an extent.] He revealed.

That's great and all, but it doesn't really answer the question. I probed further.

[As I said, it is related. Apparently, they were being stored in your... 'Soul Space.' I don't know what it is, but by the sounds of it, it seems like some intangible volume inside your soul.] He elaborated without being asked for it.

Ouh, matter turning intangible. That is so magical. Can I turn intangible too?

[You might be able to, I don't know. What I do know is, the nanites' energy source was changed from electricity to mana somehow, likely due to the same reason they were intangible before. Mana being the driving energy behind all Magic. And since the protocol of them charging via sunlight falling on your skin still being roughly the same, they are charging up with Mana. You might be able to somehow harness it.]

I see, I see. How though? And what is the total time till they fully charge? Which of the original functionalities remain? And what about—

[Ryan. I think I know what being a spirit means.]