Magic

"First, children, let me help you feel the magic power inside you."

As she spoke, warm fire magic power flowed from Toriel's hands into the two children's bodies.

The children closed their eyes and concentrated on sensing it...

"I can't feel anything at all..." After an hour, both children gave up and left, dejected.

"Oh, how could this be?" Toriel found it rather hard to believe.

After all, any monster could awaken their own magic power with no more than ten minutes of magical guidance.

"I remember the ancient texts clearly stating that humans can use magic power too. But... oh! I think there was a book..."

Toriel dug out a book about magic power and began researching the problem.

[Humans and monsters have different magic-power structures. During the great war, we discovered that most humans attacked through purely physical means, with only a tiny minority using magic.]

[Monsters have very simple magic-power structures. As beings of pure energy, monsters can easily contain magic power, which is why all monsters can attack using magic.]

[Before the great war, we exchanged knowledge with human mages and discovered that humans apparently used magic through the power of their souls.]

[Because humans possess "determination," their soul power is usually locked tightly within their souls. Only beings with unstable souls can use magic.]

[Destabilizing a soul is extremely dangerous. Consequently, most human mages have short lifespans of only around fifty years.]

[However, this is not true of all humans. Some can become mages without affecting their lifespans. We call them the Dual-Souled.]

[The Dual-Souled exist only in theory. Their souls are naturally unstable, yet this does not affect their lifespans.]

[However, since it is almost impossible for humans to possess two equally strong traits at once, we have yet to discover such a being.]

[To return to the subject, when a human soul becomes unstable, determination can no longer contain its power, allowing the human to use the power that leaks out.]

[This is how humans use magic.]

Toriel put down the book and sighed. It seemed the children would not be able to learn magic. She would have to find a way to tell them later.

However, the two children hiding in a nearby corner waited until Toriel entered the kitchen, then secretly took the book she had been reading from the shelf.

"This is the book Mom was studying. Let's read it too!" The two returned to their room expectantly and opened the book.

"Children, dinner is ready!" Toriel knocked on their bedroom door.

The two children ran out excitedly. They had already given up hope, but after reading the book, Linde had been delighted to discover that he was actually a human with the potential to become a mage!

Frisk looked at Linde with a little envy, though she was not jealous. She could load saves, after all! Linde could never beat her!

"Come along! Time to eat." A freshly baked Snail Pie sat on Toriel's table.

"We forgot to buy groceries when we went out earlier, so I could only make you another pie," Toriel explained, cutting the pie into eight small slices.

"Um... uh... how do I put this..." Frisk awkwardly took the Butterscotch-Cinnamon Pie from her inventory and placed it on her plate. "I'm actually... um... allergic to snails... so..."

Linde froze, then remembered that an Easter egg in Hard Mode did seem to mention Frisk being allergic to snails.

"Oh, thank goodness we still have the Butterscotch-Cinnamon Pie from earlier." Toriel sighed. "I'm sorry, Frisk. If I had known, I wouldn't have made Snail Pie."

"It's okay, Mom... oh, right! We discovered something!" Frisk pointed excitedly at Linde.

"What is it?" Seeing both children beaming, Toriel could not help growing curious.

"Ahem." Linde made a show of clearing his throat twice. "Mom, try starting a battle with me."

"Huh? You want me to hit you?" Toriel covered her mouth in astonishment.

"No!" Linde was a little embarrassed. "It's just... I want to show you something."

Toriel thought for a moment, then finally nodded and summoned a fireball with almost no attack power.

The next instant, Linde's purple-and-yellow soul appeared on its own.

Toriel froze, then remembered what she had read in the book. "Oh! Good heavens! My child! You..."

"That's right!" Linde chuckled smugly and took out the book. "I can learn magic!"

Toriel dismissed the fireball, her expression returning to calm. After all, she had lived for hundreds of years. What hadn't she seen?

She clapped her hands. "All right, eat up."

They all lowered their heads and quietly enjoyed the delicious food on their plates.

After dinner, Linde experimented with his leaking soul power outside [Home].

His soul extended throughout every part of his body, just like the magic power within a monster. Because his soul was unstable, wisps of insubstantial energy appeared and vanished at every moment.

Linde tried to capture that insubstantial energy, but he had no way to control it.

Think! What exactly did that book say?

Right! Determination! Determination can contain this power! And what controls determination is... willpower!

Linde devoted his entire being to focusing his determination on containing his soul power.

Soon, deliberately guided by his determination, the power streamed into Linde's hands-

With a hum, Linde felt that he could finally use this power!

He raised both hands, and the energy gathered outside his body into-a keyboard!

Fuck! Was this really dredging up that old humiliation?

Linde could not help remembering his days battling Cloud Brat, and sorrow welled up inside him.

In his grief and anger, he typed the word "death." The word flew out of the keyboard and struck the large tree by the entrance.

Linde felt as though every ounce of strength had been drained from his body. He collapsed to the ground, pale-faced-the word "death" had taken effect.

The withered tree actually turned straight to dust, scattering through the air.

Linde's heart lurched. I hurt that tree. This won't raise my LOVE, will it?

The moment that thought crossed his mind, a notification sounded in his ears.

*You won! You earned 20 EXP and 0 G.

*Your LOVE increased!

"Fuck! That tree really was a monster!" No longer caring about his weakened state, Linde hurried back into [Home].

"Frisk! Load the save, quick!"