Chapter 21: Ch 21: The Dawn of Magic

Veridia, Sunny's burgeoning world, now pulsed with an unprecedented vitality.

It boasted five colossal SS-Grade mana veins, each tirelessly infusing the planet with raw magical energy.

Two S-Grade talents, one in the human tribe and one among the elves, stood as beacons of his divine intervention.

In just a single Godly day, Sunny's progress had outstripped that of many other Gods, a testament to his strategic mind and unique abilities.

As time passed, the landscape of Veridia shifted, reflecting the growing dominance of its nascent civilizations.

The elves were now firmly ruling over the northern continent, their graceful forms moving with innate harmony through their mana-rich forests.

The humans, under Thorn's formidable leadership, held sway over the southern continent, their settlements expanding, their cries of triumph echoing through the valleys.

The remaining continents, vast and untamed, remained full of diverse wild animals, a constant source of challenge and resources.

Sunny was not partial towards any single continent or race; he had ensured that each major landmass was infused with at least one SS-Grade mana vein, guaranteeing balanced growth.

It had now been 16 hours since the start of the second Godly day, and there was still no sign of the predicted misfortune.

The only anomaly Sunny detected was that the mana level in Veridia's atmosphere was rising continuously, a subtle but relentless increase.

Initially, this didn't directly result in any immediate deaths among the lifeforms.

However, Sunny knew that if this atmospheric mana concentration continued to rise unchecked, the lifeforms in his world would surely face immense pressure, akin to an unbearable increase in atmospheric pressure, but many times higher and far more insidious.

Their bodies, while strengthened by mana, could only withstand so much before succumbing.

Sunny thought of many immediate options to mitigate this looming crisis.

He could swap out the SS-Grade mana veins for less potent A-Grade ones, thereby reducing the mana influx.

But if the mana level still rose, even at a slower rate, it would merely be postponing the inevitable, granting his lifeforms only a few more years of strained existence.

Alternatively, he could directly remove the mana veins once and for all, or at least until the effect of the misfortune dissipated.

Though, instead of all these drastic measures, Sunny could simply use his precious Faith points to directly control and stabilize the mana increase.

But Sunny, ever the meticulous experimenter, wanted to explore all possible solutions first, reserving the direct expenditure of Faith as a last resort.

Sunny began to observe every minute detail of Veridia, his divine gaze sweeping across the planet.

The more he observed, the more he began to understand the true cause of this continuous mana rise.

"There is mana, but no magic, only body strengthening," Sunny said aloud, the realization striking him with a sudden clarity.

The fundamental purpose of mana, as he understood from his vast knowledge of novels, was to be used for magic—for spells, for enchanting, for complex manipulation of energy.

The lifeform's body could only absorb and utilize mana to strengthen itself up to a certain point.

After that threshold, any excess mana was of no further use to them, simply accumulating in the environment, leading to the growing pressure.

This accumulation was the core of the problem: his creatures were absorbing it, but not actively expending it through magical practices.

A clear solution formed in his mind: his lifeforms needed to learn how to actively use mana.

He decided to consult his newly formed private group, The Cosmic Alliance.

The alliance was now thriving, boasting hundreds of Gods, representing both magical and technologically advanced worlds.

The way to enter this exclusive alliance was deceptively simple: just give Sunny an order to manifest something that he found interesting or useful, thereby providing him with valuable blueprints and knowledge.

Cosmos: "To all Gods with mana-infused worlds, do your civilizations possess any developed magic spells or specific techniques for mana utilization?"

Zir, ever eager to please his 'boss,' was the first to reply, a hint of frustration in his words.

Zir: "No boss, unfortunately. My world's inhabitants simply sleep, hunt, and eat all day. No magic yet."

Nyx: "I have many body strengthening techniques in my world that my people have developed. I can provide them to you, boss, if they are of any use." Nyx offered, perhaps hoping to gain favor.

Sunny saw an immediate opportunity here. While not full magic, body strengthening techniques were crucial for his growing populations and could help them adapt to mana.

Cosmos: "Nyx, I am very interested in those body strengthening techniques. I can pay you well for them. Could you send me a trade request with all you have?"

Nyx: "Of course, boss! Sending it now."

After a brief moment, Sunny received a trade offer from Nyx for 8 distinct body strengthening techniques.

He accepted, transferring 8,000 Faith points to Nyx.

This was a modest but valuable acquisition, ensuring his people could better utilize the mana within their bodies.

Then, the conversation in the alliance chat continued.

Gaia: "My world also lacks specific magic techniques, unfortunately. If any God is willing, I'd be interested in trading for some myself."

Then, a new voice entered the conversation, concise and to the point.

Reflection: "I have some copies of magic techniques and spells."

Gaia typed back immediately, her curiosity piqued.

Gaia: "Wow, brother, how did you acquire so many?"

Reflection explained calmly.

Reflection: "My talent is A-Grade Comprehension. All lifeforms under my influence have their comprehension strengthened, allowing them to rapidly decipher and even create such things."

Sunny's interest instantly locked onto Reflection.

This was precisely the knowledge he needed to resolve the mana anomaly.

Cosmos: "I can pay 2,000 Faith points for each copy. Sell me all you have."

Reflection, perhaps a little surprised by the generous offer, replied with deference.

Reflection: "Boss, you can just take them. No need to pay."

Sunny, however, understood the value of a professional transaction and the importance of maintaining his business model, even within his own alliance.

Cosmos: "Just offer the trade request."

After a few seconds, Sunny received a comprehensive trade offer from Reflection.

It included 13 foundational books on general magic theory, 7 distinct magical techniques for mana training, and 12 individual spells of different elemental affinities.

Sunny accepted the trade without hesitation, instantly transferring a substantial 64,000 Faith points to Reflection.

Thanks to his many successful transactions and the continuous offerings from both his human and elven tribes, even after the payment to Nyx and Reflection, his Faith reserves now exceeded 500,000 Faith points.

He was effectively swimming in divine currency.

Sunny decided to bestow one complete copy of each book and technique—both the body strengthening techniques from Nyx and the magic spells/theories from Reflection—upon both the human and elven tribes.

This would allow both races to independently embark on their journey into learning magic and, hopefully, to upgrade and develop new techniques over time, creating a diverse magical landscape.

He waited patiently for their next scheduled offerings, planning to deliver these invaluable tomes at that auspicious moment.

As several planetary days passed on Veridia, the elves were the first to provide their regular offerings to their unseen God.

Sunny, conserving his divine energy, did not descend onto Veridia himself.

Instead, he simply teleported the collection of books directly in front of the magnificent statue the elves had meticulously carved of Cosmos, a towering representation of his masked visage, nestled amidst their tree-top dwellings.

Looking at the books manifesting spontaneously before them, materializing from thin air, all the elves present were utterly dumbfounded.

Their graceful forms froze in place, their sharp eyes wide with astonishment and wonder.

They began to cautiously approach the newly appeared items, then slowly, reverently, opened the books.

They discovered many intricate illustrations within, depicting mana flows, precise hand gestures for spells, and complex diagrams of magical theory, alongside detailed diagrams for body strengthening.

Though they were not yet able to fully understand the written words immediately, the detailed illustrations would surely serve as a profound guide.

With their innate comprehension talents, particularly their strengthened perception, they would undoubtedly begin to understand and learn the principles of magic rapidly.

A few more planetary days later, the humans also offered Sunny their regular tribute.

And Sunny performed the exact same divine act for them as he had for the elves.

He manifested the same sets of magic and body strengthening books and techniques directly in front of Thorn's communal altar, a silent, awe-inspiring gift from their powerful, unseen God.

Now, his world, Veridia, could finally embark on the true journey of magic, evolving far beyond mere physical strength and into the boundless realm of arcane power.

The stage was set for a new era of magical advancement.