Infinite Forge: I Can Devour Everything

The Central Black Tower loomed like a god's blade, its obsidian spire piercing the heavens, its rune-etched walls pulsing with mana that hummed through the earth. Edwyn stood at its base, his red hair catching the luminweed's soft glow, his new leather shoes scuffed from the trek across the Academy's grounds. The library, perched on the 50th floor, was his goal, a sacred vault of knowledge that could answer his burning questions about the Magus World. But without a levitation spell, he faced a brutal climb up the tower's spiral staircase, its black stone steps worn smooth by centuries of Mages.

"No elevator? These wizards are sadists," he muttered. "Alright, legs, let's rock this cardio from hell."

The climb was a gauntlet, each floor a maze of lecture halls, ritual chambers, and sealed labs where mana crackled like lightning. By the 30th floor, his thighs burned; by the 40th, his breath came in gasps; by the 50th, his legs were jelly, trembling with every step. He leaned against the grand library doors, towering slabs of dark wood carved with dragons and runes, their handles glowing faintly, and tidied his Apprentice Mage Robe, its silk-like fabric shimmering with Force Barrier runes.

"Lookin' sharp, Edwyn," he said, winking at his reflection in a polished rune stone. "Time to charm some books."

He pushed the doors open, and his jaw dropped. The library was a cathedral of knowledge, its vaulted ceiling lost in shadow, its rows of bookshelves soaring ten meters high, stretching into the distance like a forest of secrets. Crystal chandeliers floated overhead, their light refracting through stained-glass windows depicting Mages battling planar beasts, casting kaleidoscopic patterns on the polished stone floor. The air was thick with the scent of aged leather, ink, and mana, every shelf humming with faint enchantments. Apprentices whispered in corners, their robes rustling, while a gaunt librarian, a Rank Three Arch-Mage, watched from a desk, her eyes like voids, her presence a suffocating weight.

Before Edwyn could take it all in, a palm-sized sprite materialized in a burst of sparkling dust, her wings shimmering like stained glass. She was breathtaking, her tiny face a perfect human miniature, her silver hair flowing, her emerald eyes sharp with authority. Save for her wings, she could've been a doll crafted by a god. She zipped around Edwyn, her voice a melodic chime. "Newbie, huh? Show me your crystal orb."

Edwyn grinned, fishing the orb from his pouch with a flourish. "Easy, fairy-lady. Name's Edwyn, and I'm here to raid your book stash." He held out the orb, its flawless surface glinting in the chandelier light, far finer than the exam's crude versions.

The sprite touched it, a flicker of mana rippling across its surface. She floated back, her expression a mix of cute and stern. "Apprentice Edwyn, I'm Fiona, library administrator. Wanna borrow a book? Press your orb to its catalog number, I'll log it. Rules: no noise, no horseplay, no magic except levitation. Break 'em, and I'll toss you out. Screw up bad, and you're banned for life. Clear?"

"Crystal, boss," Edwyn said, saluting with mock seriousness. "But, uh, how do I find anything in this book jungle? Got a map for us ground-pounders?"

Fiona rolled her eyes, pointing at his orb. "Your orb's synced with every book you're allowed to borrow, newbie. Want more? Get stronger. Each Apprentice rank-up unlocks new shelves. Hit Arch-Mage, and the whole place is yours. Questions?"

Edwyn probed the orb with his Spiritforce, a flood of titles flashing in his mind, Zero-Circle Spellcraft, Mana Weaving Basics, The Gazetteer of the Magus World. "Damn, that's slick," he said, his grin widening. "I'm good, Fiona. Go flutter off and terrorize someone else."

She smirked, waving a tiny arm. A portal of glowing dust spiraled open, and she vanished with a pop.

"Show-off," Edwyn muttered. "Bet she's got a spell for everything."

He followed the orb's guidance, weaving through shelves that hummed with mana, their tomes bound in dragonhide, etched with runes, some chained to prevent theft.

He found The Gazetteer of the Magus World on a lower shelf, its leather cover worn but free to borrow, a godsend for a Mana Stone-poor farmer's son. Settling in a quiet corner, its table carved with ancient sigils, he cracked it open, the pages crackling with faint mana.

The Magus World unfolded, a super-massive planet far larger than his old Earth, home to hundreds of continents, thousands of Magus Academies, each ruled by Rank Four Grand Overlords or higher. The Howling Winds of the Far East, where storms carved floating cities; the Grand Desert's molten seas; the Magnetic Floating Islands, suspended by mana veins; the Sky-Piercing Ice Walls, guarding the world's edge, all painted a vivid, majestic tapestry.

But the map revealed scars, vast swathes marked uninhabited, devoid of academies or cities.

"What's the deal here?" Edwyn muttered, flipping to the history section.

The Magus World's history was divided into three eras: the Age of Ignorance, the Age of Enlightenment, and the Age of Expansion.

In the Age of Ignorance, Arch-Mages operated alone, carving out pockets of knowledge in a hostile world. At that time, they were far from dominant, sea monsters and dragons reigned supreme.

Then came the Age of Enlightenment, when Arch-Mages began to unite. Those with similar fields of study formed associations and schools. Magus Bloodlines rose to power, tying bonds through marriage and contracts.

It was during this age that Arch-Mages replaced dragons as rulers of the land and even reached pacts with ocean beasts.

By the end of the Enlightenment, the world had been thoroughly explored. Only the deep sea and elemental storm-zones remained untouched. Everything else was claimed.

But the number of Arch-Mages kept growing. With the world's resources finite, conflict was inevitable.

The Mage Wars broke out.

Those wars had been apocalyptic. Elementalists drowned towers in magical tsunamis. Necromancers raised undead armies that blotted the sun. Soulmancers summoned soul-beasts that devoured minds. Alchemists unleashed golem swarms from mana-forged factories. Cursemancers cast plagues that killed silently, leaving continents barren. A third of the planet was ravaged, birthing the Ring Archipelago, shattered lands floating in a mana-charged sea. Peace came when the five major schools formed the Primordial Alliance, their leaders, the Primordial Sages, reigning above thousands of Grand Overlords.

The Age of Expansion saw Mages master interstellar navigation, piloting floating space-cities to conquer other planes. But planar wars demanded armies, and bloodline breeding was too slow. Thus, Magus Academies were born, military forges churning out Mages for cosmic battlefields. Edwyn closed the book, his grin fading, a fire kindling in his chest.

"So, this place is a war factory, and we're the cannon fodder," he said, his voice low but fierce. "Planar wars, starships… damn, it's like my old sci-fi flicks, but real."

In his past life, he'd devoured tales of cosmic adventure, dreaming of stars and peace. Now, reincarnated, he faced a universe of war, but also possibility.

"Gotta become an Arch-Mage," he vowed with a smirk. "No way I'm dying again before I see the stars."

As Edwyn scanned the Gazetteer in the library, Fiona reappeared in a puff of dust, her wings buzzing. "Newbie, you're hogging that corner like it's your throne," she chirped, hovering over his table. "Find what you're after?"

Edwyn leaned back, his grin sly. "Just soaking up the cosmic vibes, fairy-lady. This Gazetteer's a wild ride, wars, starships, the works. Got any hot tips for a guy chasing Arch-Mage status?"

Fiona's eyes narrowed, her tiny face serious. "Big dreams, huh? Tip one: don't get cocky. High Apprentices are sniffing around, heard about your beast-killing stunt. They don't like newbies with rep. Tip two: hit the meditation manuals hard. Spiritforce is your ticket to bigger spells, and bigger shelves."

She gestured at a chained tome glowing with runes.

"That's Planar Navigation Basics, Arch-Mage only. Want it? Get strong."

Edwyn's grin widened. "High Apprentices, huh? Let 'em come, I've got fireballs to spare. Thanks, Fiona. I'll keep my eyes peeled."

She snorted, vanishing into a portal. "Don't say I didn't warn you, hotshot." Her words lingered, a reminder that the Academy's dangers didn't end with the forest.

Night cloaked the Academy, the luminweed's glow casting the grounds in a dreamlike haze, their faint hum a lullaby for the sleepless. Edwyn descended the Central Tower's stairs, his legs still wobbly, cursing the lack of levitation, and headed for Dormitory Tower 012. At the entrance, he spotted Elia, her golden hair gleaming, her burns healed, her new dress, a sleek, mana-woven number, hugging her frame. She waved a steaming baguette, its rich aroma cutting through the night's chill.

"Hey, Edwyn! Where've you been? Want some bread?"

Edwyn's stomach growled.

"Goldilocks, you're a lifesaver!" he said, snatching the baguette and tearing off a chunk, the crust crackling, the warmth melting in his mouth. "Been at the library, diving into the Gazetteer of the Magus World. You gotta check it out, makes our forest romp look like a picnic."

Elia's eyes lit up, her cheeks flushing as she nibbled her own bread. "The library? I'll visit it tomorrow. Any good stories in that book?"

"Oh, yeah," Edwyn said, leaning against the tower's wall, his robe shimmering faintly. "Continents, wars, starships, the works. Read the history section; it'll blow your mind." He patted her shoulder, his grin teasing. "You're lookin' sharp, by the way. Academy hospital's got some serious mojo, huh?"

Elia shivered at his touch, her blush deepening, her mind flashing to the airship, where Edwyn's silhouette had stood like a hero against Ramsay's goons.

"Y-yeah, they fixed me up fast," she stammered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "You're not looking bad yourself, you know. Clean clothes, less… forest grime. Kinda bookish now."

Edwyn puffed out his chest, mock-offended. "Bookish? Nah, this is pure wizard swagger. Red hair, killer robe, I'm the full package." He winked, but his eyes softened. "Good to see you in one piece, Elia."

She nodded, her smile warm. "I'll read that book, promise."

Back in his room, Edwyn kicked off his shoes, the luminweed's glow filtering through his window, casting shadows over Saban's greatsword and the Synthetic Beast Core.

He grabbed the Elementary Meditation Grimoire, its pages humming with faint mana, the key to boosting his Spiritforce, a Mage's lifeblood.

The Infinite Forge stirred, offering:

[Material: Elementary Meditation Grimoire]

[Extractable Knowledge: Elementary Meditation]

[Extraction Cost: 10 Spiritforce]

[Proceed with extraction?]

"Hell yeah," Edwyn said. "Time to level up, Forge-style." He braced for the blackout, ready to dive deeper into the Magus World's secrets.