Strange use of Magic (Black Clover AU)

[Third Person's PoV] 

"Do you remember anything else about the legend?" Stephen asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow. His curiosity about his past was growing stronger with every word Secre uttered.

Secre furrowed her brows in concentration, her crimson eyes narrowing as she tried to recall long-forgotten details. "Uhh…" she murmured, her voice hesitant. "It's been 500 years, so I'm definitely not going to remember everything, or even get it all right, for that matter. But I'm pretty sure the Elves were once human. After some... incident—I can't recall exactly what happened—they were transformed into Elves by Agamotto. And that's how the Elves came to be."

Secre paused for a moment as something else popped into her mind. Her eyes widened suddenly. "Oh, that's right!" she exclaimed, her voice full of realization.

"Hm?" Stephen leaned back, giving her a strange look. "What is it?"

"The Magic Stones!" Secre said excitedly, waving her hands as though the memory had just burst to the surface. "They were designed after the stones Agamotto created. I remember His Majesty asking Licht about them once, and Licht explained that they were crafted to replicate what he called the Elemental Stones—stones made by Agamotto himself. But they couldn't replicate them perfectly. The Magic Stones were made entirely of mana, not... whatever element those stones were supposed to embody."

Stephen's gaze sharpened as he reached up and carefully removed the Eye of Agamotto from his chest. The green gem glinted faintly in the dim light. "I think I can already guess what those stones were," he said quietly, turning the amulet in his fingers.

Secre tilted her head slightly, her raven hair falling over one shoulder. "Are you saying… the stone in your amulet is one of them?"

Stephen nodded thoughtfully. "And based on the name Elemental Stones, it seems obvious. They must represent the purest forms of elemental energy—energy that's been given form."

Secre's brow furrowed further. "But wait... there are so many elements. Are you suggesting this Agamotto guy created a stone for every single one?"

"Not necessarily," Stephen replied, his tone thoughtful as he analyzed the concept aloud. "It could be limited to the four classical elements—earth, fire, water, air. Those are the foundations for most others, except for the more unique ones like time. If time exists as an element, then logically, so must space."

Secre blinked, still confused. "What makes the classical elements so special?"

Stephen smirked faintly, sensing an opportunity to explain. "Take water, for instance. At its purest, most powerful form, you wouldn't just control the water itself. You could manipulate ice, blood, mist, or any liquid, even liquid metal, to some extent. The stone would embody the absolute essence of that element, granting unparalleled mastery."

A flicker of understanding passed over Secre's face. "Ah, so that's what you mean. But wait…" She paused as another idea came to mind, she looked at him with a questioning expression. "Can't we just… ask the library? I mean, if this Agamotto was so important, there must be books about him here, right?"

Stephen blinked. "I've never thought about doing that…" He glanced upward, addressing the library directly. "Uh, Mister Library? Ma'am? Can you, uh, give me a book about Agamotto?"

"..."

"...Please?" Stephen tried again, his tone more pleading this time.

Still, nothing happened.

"I guess this library only focuses on magic and magical artifacts," he muttered with a disappointed sigh.

Just as he turned away, a soft hum resonated through the room, followed by a golden glow. A thick, ornate book descended slowly, landing in Stephen's outstretched hands. Its cover was a rich red, adorned with gold filigree and an intricate design of an eye in the center.

Secre stepped closer, peering over his shoulder. "The Path to Dimensions… by Agamotto," she read aloud, her tone both curious and apprehensive.

Stephen and Secre exchanged a glance before looking back at the book.

"Well," Secre said with a wry smile, "I guess the library couldn't give you an autobiography, so it handed over the next best thing—a book written by him."

"Better than nothing," Stephen murmured as he opened the book. His eyes scanned the first page, and he began to read aloud:

"If you are of weak mind or will, then shut this book and put it back."

Without hesitation, Stephen closed the book. "Alright. Message received, Mr. Agamotto. Thanks."

Secre stared at him in disbelief. "Seriously?"

"What?" Stephen asked defensively. "That's an ominous warning. It's there for a reason! I'm just respecting it."

Secre folded her arms, giving him a pointed look.

Stephen sighed. "Fine, fine." He opened the book again, this time carefully reading silently to ensure he didn't accidentally activate a spell. His track record with such things was far from spotless. 

Stephen then continued to read it out loud, "Dimensional Magic isn't for the weak mind and can be considered one of the most dangerous types of magic in existence. Although most Dimensions are empty and are of free use there are those that aren't… And if your mind and will is weak you could be taken advantage of by the others of who's Dimensions you take power from. These beings vary greatly—some are benevolent, others malicious, and a rare few are neutral."

"To master Dimensional Magic, one must not only fortify their mind and will but also understand the delicate balance between dimensions. Reckless use can cause rifts—portals to unstable planes that, if left unchecked, can unravel the very fabric of existence."

He paused, his eyes narrowing. "This feels less like a how-to guide and more like a don't-do-this manual."

"No one Dimension is the same. Each is different, governed by its own set of laws and rules. The relationship between a Sorcerer and a Dimension is one of give and take. To draw power from a Dimension, a Sorcerer must offer something in return. This can range from simple energy exchanges to more complex pacts, depending on the nature of the Dimension. Be warned: some Dimensions demand more than others. Failure to uphold your side of the bargain may result in consequences beyond mortal comprehension."

He flipped to the next page, Stephen read, "Dimensional Sorcery requires not only precision but also discernment. Before invoking the power of a Dimension, a Sorcerer must first attune themselves to its frequency. This process is delicate and fraught with danger; improper alignment can lead to catastrophic results."

"Catastrophic how?" Secre asked sharply, leaning closer.

"Let's find out." Stephen scanned the next line. "Misaligned attunement can result in dimensional bleed, where the rules and entities of one Dimension spill into another. Such an event is nearly impossible to contain and often ends in annihilation or irreversible corruption of the affected dimensions… So I wrote this so you wouldn't do what I did…"

"What he did? What did he do?" Secre muttered curiously, 

Stephen shook his head as he still had no idea and kept reading. "Those who successfully attune to a Dimension gain access to its unique properties. However, this power comes at a cost: the more one draws from a Dimension, the more one risks becoming tied to it. In extreme cases, Sorcerers have been absorbed entirely, becoming nothing more than extensions of the Dimension itself…" 

Secre looked at Stephen warily, "Do you think… He was becoming stuck or absorbed by one of the Dimensions and to leave behind a legacy he created the Strange Clan or family, or whatever it's referred to?" 

"The possibility is there…" Stephen muttered. 

Stephen then read the last page of the introduction, "To those who dare tread this path, know this: the key to mastering Dimensional Sorcery lies not in power but in balance. Only those who respect the boundaries of what they wield may hope to survive."

Stephen then flipped the page onces more, he saw that the page was blank except for a sentence in the middle of it "Stephen, if you are reading this Good Luck…" 

"NOPE!" Stephen shouted as he closed the book, "Nuh uh, I'm not reading this anymore, it was fun while it lasted"

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