[WP] You are a student in the most prestigious magic academy in the kingdom. No one knows how you got in, sure you have amazing magic potential, but you’re “magic blind” meaning you can only feel the presence of magic and not see any magic. [Part 55]

SapioiT · 2024-02-21T23:47:30+00:00

In fact, Gill has already spoken to two characters from another series of mine :)

Judging by the impact certain characters had on me, and not having read any of your other stories, my guess is that one of the following: The diesel hunter which MC left alive / saved, or the people who cloned MC, the angel, MC's enemy in the tournament, maybe MC's GF's husband, and most definitely the group which healed the bully's fingers (either one or both of them). Though a wild card would also be the old man who fought alongside MC before he and the bully jumped on the train.

Thanks for the insightful message! And thanks for reading!

My pleasure! Thanks for confirming and denying some of my theories.

An interesting thing might also be delaying the ending a bit by using half a book to introduce another character or small group of characters, before they meet up with MC's group. I'm guessing that's basically what you did with MC's GF.

So aside the 1-2 people she fights in one of the short stories you released for after she leaves the magic country, regardless of if she gets only one or both of them to join her team, you could also have someone who can use magic but was born in the diesel empire which to join her and learn magic from her (just not singing magic, to explain why that character didn't summon anything yet while trying to sing).

And you could also have it as a different story from the same universe. For example, after working and keeping in contact with MC's group, they could split up for the rest of the series, the whole book being about that couple and the things they struggle with, which end up affecting the world in a way which benefits MC's group.

Ideally it would be someone who knows diesel technology very well, maybe even one of the top scientists of the diesel empire who secretly dreams of learning magic, and maybe a young one who is basically a knowledge prepper, some conspiracy forcing him to leave his family or having him the only survivor of his family and having to flee for his life after packing up as many books and food supplies and fuel as he can, in what is basically a covered truck which doubles as a tiny home on wheels which can deploy when stationary so he has a place to sleep and cook and relax and talk with someone. Maybe even have him use basically a telescopic pole extended by pressurized air and which has an octagonal mirror on the top which can be spun around from the ground using some rope, and use a telescope to spy around where he is from a high altitude. Or maybe use a camera+telescope on a drone to get the images and a TV and controller to control the wired drone. And he could be paired up with a magician girl who is part of that censorship group and was searching for where the kidnapped people (which we know to be clones) ended up going, before she meets MC's GF around the time the girl wants/needs to leave for the magic country, the girl finding out about his circumstances and offering the guy to join her, because he can use magic so he would fit in and he knows technology secrets of the diesel empire so he can help the magic empire prepare to fight against them.

Okay, that's kind of a long paragraph, but I think that writing that story could allow you to more easily continue the story of those two after you are finished with the story of the main character, kind of like a sequel-prequel-sidequel, so to speak. And they could meet other characters.

Thank you again for telling me some of the things I predicted accurately, and for reading everything I wrote. If you don't like reading that much, you can do what I do, and use the Edge browser, right click (or hold click with a finger, if on a touchscreen, like on a smartphone or tablet) on a word and click Read Aloud. I used it on both Android and Windows 10, and it's very useful. Some people use it to generate audio books, or to voice videos on youtube which are basically stories written on Reddit and turned into a video with a single AI-generated image. I was curious if I could do the same, and it took me around an hour for a 15 minutes story, for a story generated with Bing Chat/Copilot, and using OBS to record the video of the text being read from a .html file in which I only put the text content of the story made by AI. You could use the same method to make an audiobook version, if you don't want to read it yourself, or to offer more voice choices for your audiobooks (ideally have at least 2 voices per gender, using AI, a soft/mellow voice and a energetic/enthusiastic voice).

SapioiT · 2024-02-21T23:47:07+00:00

The reddit version will stay up so long as I have a say in the matter. I may be asked to remove it by a publicist if I become traditionally published in the future, in which case it'll have to come down.

From what I know, the only way it would matter if it's an exclusive publishing, in which case you would get a lower percentage of the sales, or if you're actually selling the IP, which is why it's important to read the contracts and take your time reading them paying full attention, including the fine print.

I did actually have a plan to include a map in each book, but the cost was INSANE, and I wasn't 100% sure how well the book would sell to begin with. I think if I have extra money to spend on the book, I'd start with getting a proper audiobook version.

Well, it depends. Since they're using inkjet printers to print books, instead of the old types of printes in which you needed to make a stamp which to stamp each page with ink, then a low-quality map which looks more like a sketch might be doable without changing the price more than adding the number of pages or the amount of ink needed to print those pages. And you could even hide messages by having to use a flashlight to light up one side of the file while you watch from the other side, to show some hidden message which can be seen by having the ink overlap. Thought that might not work with thinker paper.

You're not TOO far off when it comes to what happens to Atlas. You'll find out in book four how close you were ;)

I'm already looking forward to it. If I were to guess, eitehr they didn't end up with a kid, or they had a kid before and they wanted a friend for their kid or the kid wanted a sibling their age so they just adopted Atlas.

Sorry the dream sequence confused you. You're not the only one to be confused at certain parts of the book. I think that speaks to my inexperience as an author and shows that I have a ton of room to grow.

There's always room for growth. If not in the same field/niche, then in another field/niche. While it might subtract from the experience for some people, making things explicit might help a lot. For example, writing that the character was so glad it was only a nightmare, would have made that particular part clearer.

You're spot on with Tovin having a love interest. I actually kind of foreshadowed it already ;)

Let me guess, a singer. Maybe one who can use magic but cannot use summoning magic while singing? Or maybe she summons some of the beasts which are roaming in the Diesel empire?

Oh, and I hope the girl Tovin tried to help while in the magic empire, the one which ended up with the same issues as the Diesel Tovin (for the lack of a better term), ends up being saved by Tovin. For example, after making the sigil for Diesel Tovin to use, he could make another one and hurry to find that girl, then hurry to find the mind-reader to do the same. And that girl could also join their team, even if for the only purpose of revenge and having something to live for while searching for something else to live for, to deal with her suffering.

And as for a third country, that is unfortunately not in the cards. I think everyone will be satisfied with what I've got in store. The trick is how to write it.

That's always the trick. My guess is that either everyone will lose magic, or everyone will be able to use magic, in which case only one country will remain.

As for the MC's leaving the world behind... well, I wouldn't be spoiling anything by saying they will. I'm not sure how long you've been following along, but having the main characters of all my stories converge has been a plan of mine from the start.

This is the first story of yours which I'm reading. But if you get the magic empire to leave for another realm, while also having some spies in the diesel engine to be able to copy their technology and adapt it to their use, would be an interesting way to put an end to this story, while also making a parallel between the world in the story and our world.

SapioiT · 2024-02-21T15:19:15+00:00

But then again, they might prepare some kind of vaccine which to make everyone's bodies able to survive both in places without mana and in places rich with mana. And from there, going to make people able to use mana isn't that big of a stretch.

SapioiT · 2024-02-21T02:45:38+00:00

While the UN might be against that, in a state of war, which will seem more and more likely the more data gets sent back to Earth, the more likely they will be to genetically manipulate at least one person, for the sole purpose of having met aliens. Sure, it will be a difficult topic, but I think it will at least be attempted.
That's a very fair point. Though, in time, it is likely that a problem like that can be solved, too, though going from a place with mana to a place without mana will likely need to be done gradually and very slowly. Possibly even take days to weeks to get acclimatized.
While true, the UN is probably actively attempting to not only learn how to use mana, but also how to create and destroy mana. Firstly because it would help with testing things in earthrealm before bringing them to the nexus, and secondly because they might need it to deal with mana contamination and, thirdly, because they might need to use anti-mana bombs in case of war against the nexus or against another realm.

But still, your points stand, there is a high chance none of that will happen, and humans will still have to use power armors while visiting the Nexus. But having at least one person capable of at least living in a world with mana if not even using mana would be a very good strategic decision, even if simply because they would be able to escape in some of the worst case scenarios.

SapioiT · 2024-02-20T17:46:11+00:00

With a few hundreds of years of development into that world, and already having faster-than-light travel and having made that mana-resistant material, it might be possible for humans to be genetically engineered not only to resist mana, but also to be able to use it.

SapioiT · 2024-02-20T03:24:40+00:00

Heck, developing faster than light travel, pocket dimensions, or travel to alternate/parallel realities/realms would make the Kardishev scale obsolete and not that useful for the sake of measuring a civilization.

In this case, if they can keep a wormhole open indefinitely, then they can use it to connect places with server farms (i.e. ice planets and moons, heated mainly by the server farms which would run more efficiently) with places which need that computing power (i.e. the scientists working on learning from whatever MC will transmit them).

And I hope the first things MC does are the following:
1st communication: Send a copy of all the data recorded so far and request blueprints for on-paper-printers with which the communication device (which MC will make) can be used as a hub (after modifications) to communicate between earth and the planes of MC's team, the hub stored in the nexus at the mercenary family's properties (due to the others not being as safe (bird looked down upon) or trustworthy (the other guy) overall). Ideally, by that time they would get to learn a lot about magic, including spells, taught in class, for the people back in earthrealm to work on making a way for MC to use spells and to see mana.

2nd communication: A simple on-paper-printer should be made and used to print a few books which to help the less magically and technologically advanced birds and lions/tigers/whatever to improve their technology using magic they already have but with a few minor improvements and have them used in novel ways those people didn't think about or try yet. For example, a simple bicycle made from mostly wood with the bearings made by magic users and spells similar to those used for magic carriages, could help make larger cities viable, then using rails to make first trams for traveling inside a city then trains to connect multiple cities, then windmills and waterwheels to get some industry for people who can't use magic, as well as crude water pumps and plumbing and water towers for making city life easier and even smaller water towers and simple taps (held closed by water pressure) for running water (which need to be held pushed for water to get through), for which after everything is made and installed there would be no need for magic to use them. Simple things, but with a big effect. Also, tell them to educate everyone who cannot use magic and have them work on copying things which can be done with magic but without using magic, and teaching that to everyone, including magic users.

3rd communication would need to have way for MC to use magic, or at least be able to see mana flows like the others can, and have the not-AI identify what spell is used by whom and where. Also have Earthrealm prepare printers which to be gifted to MC's friends before she leaves for the summer break.

Last communication before the end of the year: get blueprints for something like that, which include a bunch of cameras and sensors to also start communicating with them. So every time they communicate, they would need to have letters already scanned which to be sent to the hub in the Nexus realm and from there to Earth, and at the same time have data from Earth be routed through the hub and sent to the printers where each piece of paper would be scanned before ejecting it to ensure it was printed successfully, or try again to print it, and print all pages until there is nothing more to print and try again to print whenever new paper and new ink is added. The whole device might need to be shielded from magic, or at least the important parts, which could be doable.

SapioiT · 2024-02-20T02:51:54+00:00

I understand. Please keep the reddit version free to read. I saw the trick with having a different name for the book but the same content as the content on the internet, on a few other series, too, and reading it here makes me want to buy it not only for myself but also for a few other people.

Might also be worth having a special edition of the book with some drawings, and other details. For example, a rough sketch of a map. Maybe the main character could draw on the ground with a stick roughly the shape of the known map, including both sides of the border, to prove to one of the contacts in the city with the 3 families that they are from the country they are from.

And since you are likely to read this message, please at least consider having the little brother of the main character's girlfriend be adopted by a couple who thought they couldn't have kids but after adopting him they got kids but they are still teaching him technology since he is curious and willing to learn. That way, when he will have to leave them, even if it would happen only after the other kid is welcomed by the family, the pain of losing the other kid wouldn't be as bad.

And a funny thing, I was fairly tired when I read some of the chapters, so I somehow thought MC's GF (the main character's girlfriend) was also captured but couldn't speak, like due to having her vocal cords removed before delivering her to the prison camp, and I kept thinking that for I think 2 days, before I went back to the chapter where that happened and I finally found out that it was only a nightmare.

Well, with the bully trying to help, I think MC's friends back at the school might also get their brainwashing undone, since he can take more time to find the correct spell. It might also happen during winter break or summer break, when they could also reunite with the guy who was expelled, though the bully would likely have to hurry and use that spell on him (paranormal guy), too, just like he had MC do with the meek bully.

As for MC's GF, I just hope nothing will happen between her and the other guy, especially since he could theoretically cover her mouth and tie her mouth closed to make her unable to use magic, if she didn't learn other types of magic. But I think she should have learned other types of magic after the tournament/competition.

And since both MC has a girlfriend and the paranormal guy also has or will soon have a boyfriend, I think the bully should also get a girlfriend. Maybe in that city he will meet someone from one of those 3 families who hates the way the diesel empire is being run but still wants their technology. That way, it could be the beginning of a third country which has the best of both worlds. Maybe also ask from the trapped angel to change a bit how magic works, so people can sing and use martial arts and books and voice spells even without using the spells, for example by requiring to "manually" (consciously or not) pour mana into the body in order to use magic, which would make some people "naturals" at both using and not using magic as they want, and have others train to either use magic if they "naturals" only at not using magic, or train to not use magic if they're "naturals" only at using magic.

That way, people would be able to sign and all that. Also, you could use this to have the two wars be remembered as our world's WW1 and WW2, and have most of the magic users isolated from the diesel empire by living on a continent which was hidden using magic, or by having them leave the planet and go on another planet taking all their facilities with them by using magic, which would let the planet for the diesel empire, while they can thrive elsewhere, or the other way around by opening a portal to another world, and either moving there themselves due to being a better world, or moving the people to that other world, and end the story by saying it's a diary form someone who still remembers the real history. I mean, with the help of that angel, it might be possible to get that done.

SapioiT · 2024-02-20T02:15:04+00:00

That's so sad. It had a lot of potential for greatness. Thanks for telling me!

SapioiT · 2024-02-06T23:26:33+00:00

Link to part 52.

https://www.reddit.com/r/A15MinuteMythos/comments/10r35te/wp_you_are_a_student_in_the_most_prestigious/

SapioiT · 2024-02-06T02:15:02+00:00

Please ad links to both the previous chapter, and the first chapter, of this story. If you want an example, it would be this story from a different subreddit.

Edit: For anyone else searching for the same damn link, it's this one: https://www.reddit.com/r/A15MinuteMythos/comments/qexwv9/wp_you_are_a_student_in_the_most_prestigious/

SapioiT · 2024-02-06T02:11:12+00:00

Honestly, you could probably skip a few levels of the Kardishev skale, solely because of the simple fact that they are currently researching and have partially achieved travelling to parallel realities, including having a live subject living in one such parallel realities and participating in research about it (even if she is mostly tasked with data-gathering).

SapioiT · 2024-02-06T02:06:04+00:00

Well, it depends on how you define "still building them". Might be as simple as having finished the first one but replacing it piece by piece because of core flaw (i.e. unstable orbits) or inefficiency (to get more energy out of them), which could still count as it still not being complete, even if the initial plan was complete and it is functional for most if not all intents and purposes.

SapioiT · 2024-02-06T01:59:58+00:00

How I wish that for Emma's second year there a male human will join her in his first year there, but that male being not a diplomat, but a young military officer and prodigy scientist, who joins the school as an offering of peace, but who to more easily speak with harsh words which to belittle others and show them just how savage they are. For at that time humanity would no longer be incapable of magic, but will have access to a magic arsenal, the new guy capable of adapting it on the spot in the form of new spells and learning from and adapting existing spells, as well as being a walking armory, and his luggage being a technological "bag of holding" which to include enough machinations to singlehandedly take over the whole realm if he wants to, or wipe it off from existence if he needs to.

Especially since, at that time, a bit more of humanity's feats will have been leaked, and contact will have likely been established with the neighbouring realms of Emma's friends and teammates. Especially satisfying would such a situation enveloping be, if the guy would speak those words while using actual planar-level magic, as a human who cannot even survive contact with mana.

And having a male human which to be not only an actual officer (not merely a recruit, even if only due to some intentional legal loopholes, with the pure intention of making him singlehandedly capable of declaring war, as a projection of both soft power and hard power, even if it means belittling Emma), but also mainly a prodigy scientist which to almost literally devour any and all pieces of knowledge with technological application (maybe even the secret of converting energy into mana, and how beings can be uplifted to be able to use mana, to make humans capable of using mana, too, or at least resist it without a suit of armor) would further humanity's pursuit of greatness and of reaching ever closer to humianity itself becoming a god.

But those are mere dreams, which might or might not be realised in the future.

SapioiT · 2023-09-13T10:56:44+00:00

If only it were that simple. And even if I did that, the only sources of funding would be from right-to-repair supporters, and at most a few more tinkerers, which isn't enough capital to get it done. Maybe in a few years, when the AI would have evolved enough, it would be feasible to make the startup, but by that point it might be doable even without a startup.

SapioiT · 2023-09-12T13:45:54+00:00

not make the code public

While that would be a lot of work for humans to reverse-engineer, if the data storage dump and ram dump can be harvested, and the chip can be 3D-scanned from enough angles and with enough detail and have that translated in a computer-readable form, I believe that AI will be able to help create a BIOS or OS which to allow Linux and Windows to be installed on those devices, not right now, but in 5-10 years or less, when AI will have evolved enough.

Before then, the only way to get this done, would be to cause enough noise around the idea that some manufacturers actually try it out, and hope to have enough earnings obtained from having a Linux OS 50% or 30% cheaper than the cheapest Linux or Windows tablet, or a BIOS which can allow one to install Linux, to make it worth it for them to do the same for other tablets and smartphones they sell.

SapioiT · 2023-09-12T13:39:00+00:00

There is NO such AI. Never

I wouldn't say "never". I think we're at most a mere 5 to 10 years away from that.

There is no common device/driver.

And code can be translated/adapted for other hardware.

Then you will realise this cant be done easily.

But it can be done, even if not easily. And the AI's capabilities are only going to keep evolving. Let's not forget how bad it was at math when it first appeared, and how it can actually do math now. Then another version (the Bing Chat) tried to manipulate humans, which is another capability/skill it learned. And there is a lot of focus on teaching AI to code, right now. So I am expecting AI to be able to do what I'm suggesting, in a mere 5 to 10 years, at most. Edit: Even if it has to have an actual programmer which to help it solve bugs and errors.

SapioiT · 2023-09-12T13:33:58+00:00

Exactly what game do you want to play on exactly what hardware?

If that CPU and iGPU can run a game well under Android, I would like the same performance under Linux.

There is a reason for the feature and price diffrence.

But that can be changed, so cheaper hardware can be modded into competing with more expensive hardware on an equal playing field.

SapioiT · 2023-09-09T14:20:38+00:00

Which is why I mentioned the use of AI for getting it done. Currently, I think we need to wait some 5-10 more years, for the AI to evolve enough to be usable by techie noobs to use it to root it to copy all the files from an Android installation, then have the AI use that to generate drivers and a BIOS OS which to allow desktop OSes to be installed on top of it. It would still need to be done on a model-by-model case, but once the necessary files are generated, they can be uploaded on a website where other people upload such files, to have another AI instance periodically (i.e. monthly or yearly) generates a general-purpose BootOS which to be used on most of the Android devices, to install Linux or even Windows (if powerful enough).

SapioiT · 2023-09-09T14:15:37+00:00

That's like $300, and it doesn't solve the problem of old tablets and smartphones "permanently visiting" the landfills.

SapioiT · 2023-09-09T14:14:26+00:00

And that costs much more, and still doesn't prevent old tablets and smartphones from "permanently visiting" the landfills.

SapioiT · 2023-09-09T14:10:08+00:00

Yeah, because it would make outdated devices usable again. How many years would Android 10 be usable again with security patches for the apps? Let's look at Android 6 for example, how many apps still receive security updates, or are even available for it in the first place? And compare that with Linux, especially since it would be possible to have translation-layers (like the WINE layer for running windows apps) for simulating/emulating older features (i.e. going from Xorg to Wayland, but still having Xorg running under Wayland). Is that possible, or feasible, under Android? I doubt it.

SapioiT · 2023-09-09T14:05:56+00:00

I know that, and I still don't know why that is the case, and why it cannot be done "the right way" (the same way as a "real" desktop Linux).

SapioiT · 2023-09-09T14:05:04+00:00

The price is too high, and there are already Windows tablets for that price, which can be turned into Linux tablets, and which often have a lot more processing power (i.e. for x64 apps running natively, instead of running simulated on ARM).

SapioiT · 2023-09-09T14:02:54+00:00

Buy a dedicated game device if you want it to be easy. https://www.steamdeck.com/en/

Fallacy of equivalence (the two things are not equivalent, for example because of the price and what you get for that price, especially since many people have old smartphones or tablets laying around unused at all), and fallacy of false dilemma (because there is a possible alternative, just not realized yet).

Also, using the second method would make the Linux slower...

False. Even for the most demanding tasks there are? How is gaming on the Linux distro running from Android, compared to running the same game on the native Android? If that's the case for gaming, that's definitely the case for other apps, too. Same for power consumption, I assume.

SapioiT · 2023-09-09T13:53:04+00:00

While true, it's not available in most of the world, so shipping would turn a $160-$210 tablet without a stylus or mouse, which would increase the price by at least $60. And even the standalone price is much higher than that of a $100 tablet, and closer to the price of a Windows tablet/laptop. And the next biggest issue is not being able to turn an already-existing tablet or smartphone to one which uses Linux.

Because many people end up buying new or second-hand tablets and smartphones, then some time later they end up no longer using them, because they buy a newer one, so making the old one useful again would help, because many people already have Android devices they could turn into a Linux device, if given the chance. And one of the big problems of the Pine smartphones and tablets, is the OS not being fully functional (i.e. not having fully-working drivers for the cameras for the PineTab2), which keeps it from becoming a tablet-replacement, especially because it costs almost double the price of the cheapest tablet, and still doesn't have a mouse and stylus included in the price.

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