HDXD: Omni Harem System-Chapter 23: The Gate of Magic

Adam stirred awake, his mind sluggish, his body heavy. A dull, throbbing ache pulsed through his skull, making him groan as he instinctively brought a hand to his forehead.

"Ahhh... why do I have a headache?"

He muttered groggily, as he shook his head slightly, as the pain beat away at his brains.

Priscilla, standing nearby with her arms crossed, was the first to answer.

"A side effect of crossing planes. Typically, it's your mind that leaves your body to interact with the Divine Spirit of Promise Medea in the In-Between to form spirit contracts. You'll get used to it eventually. For your first time, this is normal."

Adam winced and exhaled sharply.

"Haaa... right...

His mind was still sluggish, but he understood the gist of it. The process must've taken a toll on him. But then Priscilla spoke again, her tone more expectant.

"That aside, Adam, can I see it? Medea should have given you a copy in the form of a mark."

"A copy?...

Adam blinked, still not fully grasping what she meant.

"Yes, the spirit contract, of course. Normally, it manifests as a mark called an insignia somewhere on the body. It should be at the place where you feel a warm or oftentimes, a burning sensation."

She paused for a moment, then added.

"For example, here's mine."

Without a hint of shame, Priscilla raised her dress slightly and slid her panties down just enough to reveal her lower abdomen. Right there, on her womb area, was a unique and complex-looking mark.

It had a series of glowing pink and black patterns that were mesmerizing, and despite its chaotic design, ultimately took the shape of a womb.

Adam felt his breath hitch, and his soul partially left him at the sight.

'Damn... that's so fucking hot.'

He thought to himself, struggling to keep a straight face.

Before he could spiral into his imagination, Minerva sauntered up to him, pointing at the rose tattoos scattered across the lower, middle, and upper parts of her body, like a vine wrapping around a tree.

"Yeah, when you got marks like this, it means you are a Spiritualist. The size doesn't matter, as it does not mean anything significant, but each mark represents a contract, and just having them is a sign that you're a magic user. Mine is quite easy to spot, so people don't mess with me even if they don't know who I am."

She smirked, rolling her shoulder to show off more of her markings. Adam's gaze inevitably drifted toward the ones near her chest.

'Sigh... am I the only one who thinks chicks with tats are hot? I swear, I'm being tested. Just bear with it, Adam. You're only five. You must endure this torture until you grow up...

Pushing those thoughts aside, Adam tried to focus on what Priscilla had said earlier.

'Hmmm... wait... she did say it would be at a spot where I feel a burning sensation... He furrowed his brows as realization dawned on him. Damn, now that I think about it, my entire back feels like it's on fire.'

Adam instinctively tried to glance over his shoulder, which did not go unnoticed by Priscilla. Her eyes narrowed as she observed him closely.

"I'm guessing you're feeling a burning sensation behind you?"

Adam turned back to her and nodded.

"Yeah, my entire back is burning, Big Sis Priscilla."

Minerva let out a long, amused whistle, as she paid attention to the phrase, "My Entire Back," that alone caught her attention, after all, she was a fan of tattoos.

"Ohhh... so you got a big one, huh? I wanna see!"

Before Adam could react, Minerva dashed behind him with unnatural speed, grabbing hold of his single giant black Viking braid and lifting it effortlessly. As soon as she laid eyes on the mark, her jaw dropped.

"Hahaaa... badass. This shit looks sick as fuck!"

THUMP!

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The sound of Minerva's head colliding with Priscilla's iron-knuckled fist echoed through the area. Minerva staggered forward, holding her head in pain as she groaned.

"Can we not casually swear around Adam? He is just five years old."

Priscilla chided, glaring at her.

"Oi, that hurt, you know!"

"Then ease of the cursing, its bad manners."

"Fuck you... that's my answer."

"A brute as always."

Priscilla argued, on the other hand, Minerva went back to Adam ignoring Priscilla, as her attention went back to the large marking on his back, clearly mesmerized by its design.

But after looking at it, she began to question its overall design.

"But seriously, what the hell are we even looking at here? And also, what does 'As Above, So Below' mean? What's up with those weird symbols, triangles, and that hellish landscape along with those freaky-looking red stars?... well that aside, everything on it just looks so cool."

Priscilla's expression hardened as she, too, analyzed the massive insignia covering Adam's back. However, before she could speak, Adam suddenly tensed up.

"Wait... Big Sis Minerva... can you repeat that? The words you saw on my back."

'Holy shitttt... could it be.... could it be.... how the fuck did I get it... is it really that.'

"Hmmm? Do you mean the 'As Above, So Below' part?"

Adam's eyes widened in shock, the moment Minerva confirmed those words, as the image of one of the most broken games he had ever played started to flash in his memories.

'c-c-COULD IT REALLY BE THAT.. if so is the incomplete version like the mc?!'

He asked himself, his heart thumping with excitement he had not felt in a while.

But he had to confirm it himself, and as such he began to ask.

"And the stars? Where exactly are they located, and what color are they?"

Minerva raised an eyebrow but answered anyway.

"Hmmm... they're at the bottom. There are two of them, and both are red... why?"

Silence.

A tense, almost suffocating silence settled over them.

"...Adam?"

Priscilla called out, her voice filled with suspicion.

Adam quickly snapped out of it and forced a chuckle.

"Ahh... nothing. Nothing!!.... I was just curious, Big Sis."

Of course, that was a lie.

Inside, Adam was screaming.

'Holy shittttt! Could it be...? Could it be...? How the hell did I get it?! Is it really THAT?!'

And as if to confirm his suspicions, a mechanical voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

『Important Notice!! You have completed a Secret Event... and unlocked your first DLC perk: "The Gate of Magic." This DLC perk can only be achieved upon forming a contract with either Medea, the Divine Spirit of Promise, an original character in this fanfiction universe, or "Merlin," the Divine Spirit of Magic from the mobile game Goddess of Magic and God of Science III. If it was through Merlin, you would have received an incomplete Gate of Magic, like the main character Arter in the original game. However, since you have completed the secret route, you will receive the True Gate of Magic, a power known to be used only by Merlin herself』

The voice of the system announced in the back of his head, and then, it continued to go even further. Because when the system explained what the true Gates of Magic can do, Adam completely lost it.

『The Gate of Magic (True)』

- The user of this permanent perk can instantly cast any spell, treating it like a normal ability as long as they understand its principles, without requiring preparation. However, Astrum will still be needed to compensate for materials and other conditions. For example, magic that can only be cast under specific celestial alignments or gender-restricted spells no longer applies to the user. If the mechanics behind the spell are known, it can be instant-cast.

This means, there will be no more need for spirit contracts, and existing ones will forever be bonded to the user, so the existing contracts, in this case, evolve the spirit bond to the user under the class of divine of course, can help them evolve endlessly without stop, the more power the user uses, and the more the user follow the contract of these first instances, this empowers both you the users, and your spirits now label personal familiars, who are more like guardians to you now, than mere contract beings.

『Other bonuses』

- All spell costs are reduced by 80%.

- Astrum absorption speed increased by 500%.

- Total encompassing magic resistance increased by 30%.

- Total encompassing magic affinity evolved to Absolute.

- Any Astrum absorbed is refined to five times its original quality, meaning higher efficiency with lesser quantity.

- The user has received the Blessing of Magic (True)—any magic the user has seen can be comprehended instantly, or over time, the more complex a spell is, the harder it will be to break down the logic behind it. Also quick reminder, Astrum will be needed to cast any spells you see, as the gate can copy attributes into being.

- You gain the natural ability of spirit creation, you can turn anything you can see, or touch if you are stronger, into spirits, it can be used 4 times a year, and the spirit created will range from as low as elemental, to as high as a Great Spirit. These Spiritual beings see you as their creator, as such their loyalty is absolute.

- Spirit Afterlife: A personal spirit reality, that exists solely to cater to your spirit familiars, if your spirit dies in battles, it will resurrect in the spirit afterlife over time. For Elementals, they can resurrect in 1 week, unique spirits in a month, and great spirits in a year. The only way to kill your personal spirits is to kill their master, beyond that, no matter what you throw at them, they cannot truly die otherwise.

These were the words of the system.

And rightfully so, Adam's mind was reeling.

He clenched his fists, his heart pounding. He had just unlocked a power so broken that it could reshape the very foundation of magic itself.

This news was more than enough to make him jump in excitement at where he stands.

'Hehehe... now this is what I call getting my money's worth. I knew choosing the DLC wish was the right move. While everyone else has to struggle with limitations, I get to dominate magic as long as I have the Astrum to fuel my spells. And it looks like Beatrice even threw in a little bonus for me, with that secret mission add-on from the Omni Harem System.'