Sean sat cross-legged near the edge of a rocky outcrop, overlooking a dense, untouched forest somewhere deep in the Canadian wilderness. His breath was steady as he practiced the meditation technique, extending his senses outward.

  Faintly — ever so faintly — he could feel it. Traces of elemental particles drifting through the atmosphere, thicker than anything he had sensed elsewhere on Earth so far. Admittedly, the concentration was only about 10 percent compared to the in-game world. Still, it was far better than other locations, which were either too remote, too dangerous, or outright forbidden for visitors.

  “I’ve found it,” he murmured, pulling up his phone and opening a private group chat.

  KuroUsagi: “Confirmed. Elemental particle density in Area C is abnormally high. New meditation hotspot secured.”

  He and his party members had split up across various locations in the US and neighboring countries to scout for promising areas.

  A few moments later, responses started flooding in.

  ChickenSmackdown_MaxLevel: “LEZZGOOO. Camping trip when?”

  ButterflyWingsAreDelicious: “I’m bringing a metal bat and beast traps. Not for wildlife, but for you clowns. Jokes aside, it’ll take me three days to get there.”

  DigitalMagicianPatrick: “Fascinating. I’m still inspecting Area D, so I’ll be a bit late.”

  LunaticScarlet: “On my way.”

  Sean smiled slightly. What had started as a theory — a crazy idea of a bored gamer — was now turning into something tangible. They had found a place where practicing their meditation techniques in the real world, and perhaps even becoming true mages, might actually be possible.

  About ten days later, the secluded clearing in the Canadian wilderness had transformed.

  A modest wooden cabin now stood at the center, built with the combined efforts of Sean and his friends. It wasn’t much — just a simple structure with basic insulation, solar panels for electricity, and a small water filtration system — but it was enough. Surrounding the cabin were several tents, a fire pit, and neatly organized supplies carefully prepared to sustain them through the coming months.

  In the mornings, mist hung over the clearing like a silvery veil, and the air crackled faintly with traces of elemental energy — still thin compared to the game, but noticeably thicker than any place they had visited on Earth so far.

  This place, as Sean knew, was special. Located close to a native American reserve, it had long been considered a sacred site by the Native American tribes. Despite the local government’s warnings about trespassing, the sheer vastness of the forest made it easy to slip inside unnoticed, which was what Sean had come to do.

  Sean sat cross-legged outside the cabin, his breathing slow and steady as he entered another round of meditation. Beside him, Chicken, Butterfly, Patrick, and Scarlet did the same, each radiating a faint but growing aura. It was subtle, imperceptible to the normal eye, but to them, the difference was profound.

  They were accumulating infused mana, little by little, and their bodies were to adapt, slowly nurturing a connection to the elemental particles that most of humanity remained blind to.

  Suddenly, Sean opened one eye and glanced at his friends

  Chicken — whose real name was Jason — was a man in his mid to late twenties with a large, imposing build, which was as expected of a professional MMA fighter. He was at least one head taller compared to Sean when standing side by side.

  Across from him stood Butterfly, whose real name was Marceline. She was a tall, brown-haired woman, noticeably taller than average. While she wasn’t as towering and red-skinned as her in-game character, her muscular, athletic frame reflected her real-life profession as a gym and boxing instructor.

  As for the other two, they appeared more ordinary at first glance. Patrick — whose real name was, unsurprisingly, also Patrick — was a man in his early thirties who favored Victorian-era clothing, complete with a magician’s top hat. He was a street magician through and through. Sean was surprised when he showed a magic trick the first time they met.

  Lastly, Scarlet was a Japanese American whose real name was Kaede Saenji. She had black hair, a distinctly refined, oriental features, and carried a katana at her side at all times. From her poised bearing to the quality of her equipment, it was immediately clear that she was the wealthiest among them.

  Even though they had discovered the existence of mana and elemental particles on Earth, Sean still found it surprising how seriously the others had taken it. Perhaps they were all genuinely committed to becoming powerful mages — or maybe they simply felt an existential threat now that the possibility of extremely powerful beings existing out there. Sean wasn’t entirely sure.

  Regardless, he stepped into the cabin and grabbed his gaming helmet. He had brought it all the way out here, and the others had done the same, for several important reasons.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  One, he was using it to compare the magic principles between the two worlds. He had noticed subtle differences, slight variations that made the meditation technique less effective on Earth. Fortunately, the Spell Generator program included an extension that allowed him to tweak parameters of the Myriad Elements Method to better match the conditions of the real world.

  Two, he felt it was important to show his face around other players from time to time, if only to avoid drawing unnecessary suspicion. Besides, he and most of his party had recently advanced to third-stage Initiate Attunement acolytes in the game, deepening their understanding and control over magic.

  Third — and perhaps most simply — he couldn’t quite give up the ultra-realistic sensation of the game and the power that he possessed in that world.

  “It’s about time to hop back into the game,” Sean muttered.

  The last time he had logged in had already been a few days ago. Although a player’s in-game body could remain active for an extended period without direct control, the resources it used would be used up. Most importantly, his merit points would soon run dry if he didn’t do any missions. Luckily for him and his party members, they had stacked up on merit points before this whole endeavor.

  Sliding the helmet over his head, Sean took a steadying breath and initiated the login sequence.

  Almost instantly, he opened his eyes within his game avatar, finding himself back in his familiar room inside the Sanctum of Interdimensional Magi, as the sunlight filtered softly through the windows. Immediately, through his enhanced senses, he realized that he wasn’t alone in the room.

  “Oh? Are you finally awake?” a voice spoke lazily from nearby.

  Sean froze for a moment before turning his head and spotting a figure casually leaning against the wall — a young man with striking red hair, dressed in an acolyte robe similar to his own. He had his arms crossed, and a faint smirk played on his lips.

  The player was Thunder, and he’d clearly been waiting for him… But why?

  No, was it possible that Thunder had already found out that Sean had discovered magic was real in the real world?

  But how could that even be possible?

  Sean’s mind was searching for all kinds of possibilities. Soon, however, Thunder opened his mouth and explained everything.

  Jacky, known in-game as Thunder999, stared at the data he had gathered on his screen with narrowed eyes.

  Over the past couple of weeks, he had been tracking a certain group of players within Magus Academy Online. This group was none other than KuroUsagi’s party of five, as they had been behaving in ways that a perceptive observer like him would notice that they were up to something.

  As such, after striking a deal with the headmaster — who, unbeknownst to all players, was actually the game’s promotional manager — he accepted the task of investigating them. Using his new in-game privileges as one of the academy’s staff, he was able to gather all data and evidence on KuroUsagi. In time, he reached a startling conclusion: KuroUsagi might have realized that this “game” was more than just a game, just as Jacky himself had suspected for some time.

  Thus, he waited in KuroUsagi’s room for two days straight, patiently standing guard until the person in question finally logged back in.

  KuroUsagi looked startled as he addressed him.

  “Thunder? Why are you in my room— No, how did you even get in?”

  According to the rules outlined in the player guidelines, trespassing into another player’s dorm room without permission was strictly forbidden. Each player who owned a dorm room could configure a list of individuals they allowed to enter. If someone attempted to barge in without authorization, the Shadowlink Mark on their wrist would immediately issue a warning and send an alert to nearby players. If they still insisted on forcing their way inside, the Shadowlink Mark would automatically punish them and forcibly disconnect them from the game.

  “You’re not a normal player, are you? Have you discovered something that most players haven’t?” Jacky asked bluntly, taking a step closer to KuroUsagi.

  KuroUsagi furrowed his brows, clearly surprised. “What do you mean by that?”

  Jacky crossed his arms. “Don’t play dumb. I’ve been monitoring your activities — and your friends’ — for the past few weeks. It’s as clear as day.”

  Realizing he was cornered, KuroUsagi let out a resigned sigh and confessed, “Yeah. There’s no hiding it from you anymore.”

  “Tell me, Thunder,” he said while staring directly at him, “have you ever considered that mana might not be limited to just this game?”

  The words struck like a thunderbolt.

  For the first time, Jacky hesitated.

  Ever since he had uploaded his consciousness permanently into the game, returning to Earth had become impossible. He had accepted this fate, but the idea that mana existed in the real world? That was something he couldn’t verify himself. Not anymore.

  “…Tell me everything,” Jacky said at last. “And in return, I’ll tell you what I know. How’s that sound?”

  Of course, as someone playing the role of a double agent, he couldn’t share everything he knew. But there were no strict rules in place here — not with the game’s secrets unraveling faster than anyone could contain them.

  KuroUsagi thought for a moment, then nodded slowly. “Fair enough.”

  He stepped over to the table in the corner of the room and took a seat in a nearby chair. “First, let me make this clear. This isn’t about speculation or theory. I’ve felt it — mana, elemental particles, real as day. Not here... but out there. On Earth.”

  Jacky’s expression didn’t change as he listened.

  “And I’m not the only one,” KuroUsagi continued. “My friends felt it too. We’ve started meditating back on Earth to accumulate infused mana — experimenting with what techniques can transfer over.”

  “And it works?” Jacky asked, almost unconsciously.

  KuroUsagi nodded. “Barely — but yes. There’s enough elemental density in certain places to make it viable. Still weak compared to this world, but definitely possible.”

  Jacky leaned against the wall again, folding his arms. “Then that means the barrier between the two worlds is thinner than we thought.”

  KuroUsagi raised an eyebrow. “You’ve suspected this, too?”

  Jacky smirked. “Let’s just say… I’ve been working with someone who has a vested interest in keeping the balance stable.”

  KuroUsagi’s eyes narrowed slightly. “The headmaster? Possibly one of the game masters in this game world?”

  Jacky didn’t confirm, but the faint glint in his eyes said enough.

  That made KuroUsagi pause. Since he realized that if Jacky was being watched by someone that high up, this conversation had just become far more dangerous… and far more important.

  “No need to worry. I’ve made sure this conversation stays private,” Jacky said with a shrug. “But your suspicious activity won’t go unnoticed anymore. So, how about this: We talk to that person directly and strike a deal that benefits both of us.”

  KuroUsagi stroked his chin in thought before giving a nod. “Fine.”

  “Good.”

  With that, the two shook hands and exchanged faint smiles. This moment would mark the beginning when both of their fates started to change.

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