"All right, I know you all still have a lot of questions, but Mystryl has plenty of questions herself."
Tom looked around at the group. "She's just arrived here. She knows even less about this world than Morgan did when she first came, so give her some time to adjust. I'll fill her in on some basic knowledge and the current situation first."
"Come back tomorrow during the day if you have any questions for Mystryl."
Only then did everyone finally disperse.
Before leaving, though, nearly everyone couldn't help glancing back at Mystryl.
She was a genuine goddess, after all. Even though she was now a teacher in the Study Space, where everyone was supposed to be equal, they still instinctively felt a little intimidated around her.
At the same time, they were excited.
Tom's space was really flourishing now. One powerful figure after another kept appearing, and a casual bit of guidance from an actual goddess would be enough to benefit them enormously.
Jeanne had originally planned to leave the Study Space and continue working on the City of Darkness that Jalter had come up with, but Ariana dragged her into her room instead, saying she had some private girl talk to discuss.
Gradually, the crowd dispersed.
Tom looked up at the sky. Only now did he finally have the time to properly examine this divine realm that belonged to him.
(AN: I used "Divine Domain" instead of "Divine Realm" before as Wizard Kings have domains, so this is essentially an upgrade of that concept... It was also clearly inspired by D&D settings from the beginning.)
...
The magic laws in the world that Ravenclaw had only vaguely sensed were as clear to him as an open-book exam. Everything was laid out right before his eyes.
If he continued studying them, it wouldn't take long before he fully grasped the rules governing this place. From there, he could draw parallels to the outside world as well. At this rate, he would probably reach the level of a Wizard King before long.
As the saying went, master one principle, and countless others would follow.
Different worlds might have their differences, but their underlying physical laws and the way elemental forces operated shared a great deal in common. Only certain details varied, causing those laws to manifest differently from world to world.
For example, the composition of the atmosphere, the strength of gravity, and the concentration of elemental energy in this world were all different from those of Mystryl's original world.
But once one understood the deepest underlying rules, one could adjust the structure of a spell to suit the environment instead of being restricted by its original method of use.
"This is an excellent divine realm," Mystryl commented. "It has more potential than any divine kingdom I've ever seen. Of course, that may also have something to do with the differences between the laws of your world and ours. At least in our world, divine kingdoms are subject to the suppression of the Overgod."
Tom raised a curious eyebrow. "But I don't remember you having a divine kingdom."
In truth, he didn't know much about the D&D world. He was only familiar with a few famous events, such as Karsus's Folly.
As for Mystryl herself, his impression of her could basically be summed up in two words: powerful and unlucky.
"I don't," Mystryl explained. "But that's because I'm a special case."
"I am the Weave, and the Weave is me. The two of us were inseparable. And magic exists everywhere. Even the divine kingdoms of gods bear traces of magic."
"Because of that, I couldn't build a separate divine kingdom of my own. You can think of the Weave as my divine kingdom, except it doesn't have fixed boundaries like an ordinary one."
The two of them strolled through the sky. Each step carried them hundreds of meters, taking them from mountains to the sea, from fertile plains to polar ice fields.
As they walked, Mystryl explained the differences between divine kingdoms.
"The environment and nature of a divine kingdom are closely tied to a god's divine domains and personality. You could say they are the physical manifestation of the laws of the path that god walks. For example, the divine kingdom of Tyr, the god of justice, is known as the Court, while Lathander, the god of the sun, shaped his into the Sun Fortress."
"Neutral gods have beautiful realms as well, places like the Brightwater and the Garden of Delight."
"The evil gods are the ones I dislike. Places like the Dread Fortress of the god of tyranny or the terrifying hellish realms of the Lords of Hell. You only need one look at those environments to know their owners aren't exactly pleasant people."
Mystryl went on to share all sorts of knowledge about divine kingdoms before finally turning the topic back to Tom's divine realm.
"Your divine realm is the purest, least biased one I've ever seen. It's like a pristine sheet of blank paper. The quality of that paper alone is already enough to amaze countless people, yet you still have the chance to make it even more perfect."
"Maybe that's because I haven't actually become a god yet." Tom rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Having a divine realm before becoming a god probably isn't something you see often in your world."
Mystryl shook her head.
"Not often. Never."
"If a god falls, their divine kingdom collapses with them, unless, like me, they manage at the instant of their death to recreate a divine body and take back all their former authority and essence."
"And before my own fall, I had never even heard of a truly powerful god dying. Even Selûne, that unlucky fool, still retained greater divine power."
"Let's not talk about things that far away," Tom said, waving a hand. "When in Rome, do as the Romans do. No point dwelling on what happened in your old world."
Mystryl nodded in agreement. "I know. My task now is to familiarize myself with the magic of your world as quickly as possible and become a qualified teacher."
"Oh, right, Tom. Have you ever considered setting up the Weave in your world? If you have, you'll need to start preparing in advance. That's no small undertaking."
Tom hesitated for a moment without giving her a definite answer.
"Let me think about it. My understanding of the Weave is basically zero. I need to learn about it first, and you need to figure out whether it's even possible to construct a Weave in this world."
Mystryl nodded again, "That makes sense. I'll keep it in mind."
The two spent three hours taking a rough tour of the entire world, crossing hundreds of kilometers with every step.
Now that the Study Space had evolved into a divine realm, Tom's control over its flow of time had improved as well. At its fastest, time could move at five times the speed of the outside world, and slowing it down had the same limit.
After making their rounds, Tom started feeling a little restless.
He looked at Mystryl and issued an invitation. "Want to go a round?"
He wanted to test the limits of his current strength, and he also wanted to see what Mystryl was capable of.
Mystryl was equally curious about Tom and the spells of this world, so she readily nodded.
The instant she did, a colossal sphere of energy, like a miniature sun, came crashing down from the sky.
BOOM!
For several kilometers in every direction, the world was swallowed by a blinding flash of light.
The moment the energy sphere struck the ground, the lightning surrounding its outer layer erupted first, ripping dozens of bottomless fissures through the earth.
Then the fire element compressed within broke free. Terrifying heat spread outward, and the nearby rocks didn't even have time to be blasted into the air before they were scorched red-hot.
The shockwave swept across the ground, shearing several distant mountains clean in half. Even the clouds overhead were blown away by the explosion, leaving a massive hole in the sky.
Mystryl remained calmly suspended a few meters above the ground where she had originally been standing. A faint layer of fluorescent light protected her.
What was even more astonishing was that the violent elemental energy rapidly calmed the moment it touched that glow. It was then broken down into the most basic form of magical energy and dispersed into the air.
The woman gave a slight nod. "Not bad. To gather such a vast amount of elemental power in an instant, then arrange and combine it in such an unusual way to amplify its destructive force…"
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "This method doesn't seem human. Did you use biomodification on yourself?"
"More precisely, it isn't a power from this world," Tom said. "But yes, it's related to a creature known as Rayquaza."
Slowly, Tom drew out Hakuna Matata.
Under the surge of his immense magical power, layer after layer of seals began to break.
He had possessed Hakuna Matata for so long, yet he had never once brought out its full power.
But as the seals continued to shatter, the ancient runes contained within it began to stir.
Golden light spread from his arm and across his entire body. Magic gathered over his skin, forming a thin, gauzy garment. Fine, intricate runes appeared across it.
In an instant, Tom's black hair turned gold, and a detached, divine radiance shone in his eyes.
The surrounding elements no longer merely gathered around him.
The magic actively submitted to him.
"Mystryl, this is my first time using this form."
Tom tightened his grip on Hakuna Matata and rose into the air. Rings of distortion spread through the atmosphere around him beneath the crushing pressure of his magic.
"So... be careful!"
.
.
.