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  "The greatest battles are not fought with weapons, but with the forces that shape the world.

  When power transcends mortality, the question is no longer who will win — but what price will be paid for the victory."

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  Chapter 0: The Clash and Origins

  A Clash Beyond Mortal Limits

  The island was isolated, hidden by dense forests and a towering mountain that seemed to touch the heavens. Hovering above it, the Wanderer faced the Demon Lord of Earth, whose silhouette loomed menacingly in the distance. His dark figure summoned monstrous beasts, the shrieks of which filled the air. They charged toward her, claws outstretched.

  But then, something shifted.

  Her aura pulsed, radiating divine energy that poured into her, burning through her veins like fire and ice. The Light Goddess had chosen her.

  The pain was excruciating, but the power — oh, the power was beyond anything she had ever felt. Her body quaked, reshaping under the Goddess's influence, every cell stretching to accommodate the divine energy. She could feel her skin burning and her very soul shivering under its weight.

  The battle began.

  The Wanderer unleashed the full force of her fury, obliterating the beasts with a storm of blinding light. Trees snapped in half, entire trunks cleaved as her blade cut through the forest like a scythe. The once-vibrant woods turned into a battlefield of destruction, as the earth beneath them trembled with every strike.

  The clash between the Wanderer and the Demon Lord shattered the very ground beneath them. Their swords collided with deafening force, creating a shower of sparks that lit up the night. The mountain groaned beneath the chaos, crumbling as their battle raged on. With a single stroke, the Wanderer's blade cleaved the mountain into three uneven sections, sending debris raining down like an avalanche.

  As the fight ascended into the sky, the force of their movements tore through the ocean below, sending waves crashing like giant walls. Their blades struck again and again, sending shockwaves across the sea, as if the world itself were breaking apart.

  But the Demon Lord wasn't done. With a roar, his blade grew to monstrous proportions. The ground cracked as he prepared for a final, devastating strike.

  Her body screamed in protest as the divine energy overwhelmed her. Cracks splintered her skin, blood seeped from her mouth, and her left eye glowed with intense light. She could barely stand, yet the world needed her. She couldn't stop now.

  A thought nagged at the back of her mind — What if the Goddess wanted more than just victory? What if this power wasn't meant to save the world, but to reshape it entirely?

  The Wanderer Rises

  Through the dust and rubble, the Wanderer rose. Light seeped from her wounds, her body now a vessel of overwhelming energy. Her left eye burst open, golden particles pouring from the socket as her heart pulsed with radiant power. It felt like she was beyond human limits.

  Summoning every ounce of strength she had left, she raised her hand toward the heavens. A circle of pure light formed, searing the air. The blast shot forward, a beam of divine fury aimed directly at the Demon Lord. He barely managed to deflect it, the beam splitting as it tore through the sky, disappearing into the heavens.

  "Not enough," she whispered, voice soft yet resolute.

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  With a renewed surge of power, the Wanderer pushed forward, forcing the Demon Lord to retreat. But the devastation she had unleashed had unforeseen consequences. The world trembled, mana swirling violently, and monstrous magic beasts began to emerge from the shadows. Strange figures also appeared — guild members who had witnessed the chaos.

  "Lia, STOP!" A voice rang out from the shadows, its owner stepping into the light. His face was familiar, but his eyes — full of terror — were not. "You're about to destroy everything!"

  Lia turned to face him, her blood-drenched form radiating divine energy. Her left eye glowed fiercely, matching the panicked stares of the guild members who had come to stop her.

  The Origins of Magic

  The battlefield was silent, save for the crackling embers of destruction and the distant, fading echoes of monstrous roars. The war had ended, but the cost remained—a scar upon the world itself. The Wanderer stood amidst the ruins, her luminous form flickering as if the very essence of magic threatened to consume her. The last remnants of battle shimmered in the air before vanishing into history, swallowed by the relentless tide of time.

  The scene shifted. The past dissolved like mist, and in its place, a vast hall emerged, illuminated by floating lanterns. Rows of students sat in rapt attention as an elderly scholar, draped in a robe embroidered with the constellations of the old world, paced before them.

  "And so," the scholar began, his voice measured, carrying the weight of centuries, "what you call magic today did not always exist. It was not a gift from the gods, nor a power born of nature. No, it was something far more chaotic, far more destructive."

  The students leaned forward as the professor gestured toward a massive arcane mural behind him, depicting a world untouched by magic, its lands fractured, its people ordinary.

  "Before the first kingdom was forged, before man could even dream of controlling the elements, before the rise of our civilizations, before the first spell was ever cast, the Earth itself stirred. Beneath its crust, something ancient lay dormant—a colossal dark-purple crystal, vast beyond measure. It was the first source of magic, yet none knew it. Not until the world itself shifted."

  His voice grew quieter, drawing the students deeper into the tale.

  "Tectonic forces cracked the crust, and from the depths of the abyss, the crystal surfaced. A mountain of pulsing darkness, its veins coursing with an eerie glow. The world held its breath as it unleashed a mist unlike any other. Those who inhaled it... changed. Their bodies twisted in agony, their very essence rewritten. And when the pain ceased, they opened their eyes to a reality never before imagined."

  The professor turned, his eyes scanning the young faces before him. "Strength beyond human limits. Speed that defied nature. Control over the elements themselves. What we call 'magic' today was, at that moment, nothing more than an affliction—a sickness, a curse, an evolution forced upon humanity."

  He tapped the mural, and the image shifted, revealing humans wielding fire, bending wind, calling lightning from the sky. The students murmured in awe as they witnessed the birth of the world they now knew.

  "But magic was not humanity’s alone to wield," the professor continued. "From the depths of the wilds, creatures began to stir—beasts of immense power, their forms grotesquely altered by the same mana that had reshaped humankind. With magic came chaos. Kingdoms rose and fell. Wars were waged not with steel, but with the raw fury of nature itself."

  His voice deepened. "And amidst this chaos, a force darker than any beast emerged. A being of malice and hunger, forged in the shadows of magic’s birth. The first Demon Lord."

  A hush fell over the class. The flames in the floating lanterns flickered, casting long, twisting shadows along the walls, as if the very past threatened to return.

  "The world had awakened something it could not yet understand," the scholar said, lowering his voice to a whisper. "And those who dared to stand against it… became legends."

  He turned away from the mural, his gaze distant, lost in the echoes of history.

  "But that... is a story for another lesson."

  The students exhaled in unison, the spell of the past momentarily breaking. The lecture was over, but their minds burned with the weight of the tale, the whispers of an age where magic was not a birthright, but a force that had nearly shattered the world.

  And in that moment, they understood—the history of magic was not just knowledge. It was a warning.

  Chapter End

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  End-of-Chapter Note

  If you enjoyed this chapter or have any thoughts, I’d love to hear them! Whether it’s something you liked, something that felt off, or any suggestions, feel free to share. I’m always open to feedback, criticism, and discussions to make the story even better.

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  If you're enjoying the journey so far, please consider leaving a review and rating—it helps a ton and keeps this story going strong. Your feedback and encouragement mean the world to me!

  Thanks for reading, and see you in the next one! ????

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