The Scum Emperor's Redemption System

Chapter 101 Magic Bestowal Is More Than Bestowing

"You know, this just doesn't make any sense!" Argider fumed, swinging her broken sword with all the frustration that had been building up in her chest.

The jagged wooden end whipped through the air, slamming into the ground with a force that made her knuckles ache. "I can bestow magic. Magic! But I can't even bestow it to myself! What kind of nonsense is that? And don't even get me started on how I can't bestow magic when I don't even have that magic!" She threw her hands up in exasperation, the broken sword hanging loosely from her grip.

"Well, you know, that's something I didn't understand either, back when I first started... but over time, I spent hours watching from the shadows, observing the flow of mana, reading it, feeling it..."

"So?" Argider snapped, her patience at the end of its tether. She glanced at him impatiently, raising a brow. "What did you learn? Spit it out already!"

Alvator, clearly unperturbed by her sudden outburst, straightened up a little, his eyes glinting with that familiar spark of someone who had a secret and was dying to share it. "You ever wonder why emotional connection is the key to triggering this skill?" His voice was laced with intrigue, but there was a calmness to it that made Argider's curiosity twitch.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Why?" Argider asked, half-exasperated, half-curious. She was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet, eager for an answer that might finally make sense of the madness in her mind.

"Well, here's my theory," he began, his voice turning thoughtful. "To truly bestow magic, you need more than just having it. You need to embody it. You have to understand it on a deeper level. Its essence, its nature. And yeah, it sounds kind of like a cheat code to get extra power, but it's actually not. The catch is, you can't bestow magic to yourself. Not unless there's someone else. That's the hitch. You can't be both the giver and the receiver."

Argider blinked, processing this new tidbit of information. "Wait, so... you're saying I can't just magically bestow something on myself? What kind of cosmic joke is that?"

"Exactly. Not yet atleast. The real magic comes when you connect with others. When you really connect. You see, connecting with another person isn't just about sharing a moment. It's about understanding them. All of them. And that includes their magic. When you understand the essence of someone's being, their anger, their joy, their struggles... when you feel it yourself, that's when you can embody it."

"So... let me get this straight," she said slowly, like she was mentally assembling a puzzle. "I need to emphatize with them?"

"Exactly!" Alvator's tone lightened, as if he were explaining a simple riddle to a child. "It's like this: you can't pretend to be angry for someone else if you've never experienced their anger. How could you? You'd have no reference point. No real understanding of what it means to feel their anger, to be their anger. Magic is the same. To bestow it, you need to understand it fully, which means you have to connect, feel, and embody what someone else is going through."

"But why do I need a connection to embody the magic and get the magic?

She thought about what Alvator had said. About connection, about understanding, about embodying magic.

But this time, instead of trying to force it, she let herself feel.

Not power, not frustration, but something simpler. Softer. She thought of warmth, the way a fire crackles and glows, the gentle heat of the sun on her skin, the way Faeralys' lips felt on hers.

Her mana stirred, sluggish at first, like an old engine trying to come to life.

She could feel it gathering in her core, the Navel, moving hesitantly toward her outstretched hand.

It wasn't much, just a faint whisper of energy, but she encouraged it, coaxing it like a shy creature emerging from hiding.

Then, faint and flickering, a tiny flame appeared in her palm.

It wasn't strong; the light barely illuminated her face, and the heat was so weak she could hardly feel it. Explore more at empire

The flame wavered, as if uncertain it belonged there, but it was there nonetheless.

Her breath caught, and her heart leapt in her chest. She stared at it, wide-eyed, as though she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing.

The flame danced unsteadily, its fragile glow reflecting in her eyes.

"I... I did it."