My Magus Academy is Run by Players?! [Western Cultivation LitRPG]

While the discord server buzzed with activity, Victor remained unaware, fully immersed in learning about a new meditation technique. Before him lay a thick physical book titled the Myriad Elements Method, with its pages opened to a specific passage.

Eventually, he opened his eyes and released a long exhale. “Hmm… No matter how I look at it, the Cosmo element is better suited for me than Anemo…” He deeply considered changing his meditation technique to Myriad Elements Method, but this didn’t come without its own consequences.

Switching meditation techniques could be a risky endeavor. When a Magus transitioned to a different technique, especially one from a different elemental path, it could trigger a backlash and detrimental effects on their infused mana. The compatibility between a Magus’s elemental affinity and their meditation technique was crucial; altering it risked disrupting this harmony, potentially damaging their mana or even imperiling their life.

Additionally, such a change demanded a period of adjustment and retraining, as the Magus needed to become attuned to the new technique’s intricacies and nuances. Thus, this decision held weighty implications for a Magus’s overall advancement and must be approached with utmost caution.

“Then, what are you hesitating for? Not that you’ve become an official Magus anyway. And didn’t you say, ‘Only by following the path you have the highest affinity with can you progress the furthest’? I was watching you, hmm-hmm.” Lizbeth was literally jabbing him, both verbally and physically.

“You’re right,” he agreed. The longer he hesitated, the greater consequences he would face down the line.

Besides, the Cosmo element was one of the two exceptionally rare elements, with the other being Chrono — an even scarcer element that involved the manipulation of time. Victor had never seen anyone with Cosmo elemental affinity in his life, let alone Chrono. Overlooking such a powerful choice for something mediocre would be a huge loss and helplessly stupid.

In Victor’s view, it remained reasonable when comparing the seven basic elements to elements such as Lux, Umbra, Bio, and Necro (light, darkness, life, and death), which were rare but not exceptionally so. Even though they were powerful, these elements came with complex prerequisites and intricacies.

Steeling his heart, Victor began meditating using the Myriad Elements Method… Fortunately, as his affinity with Cosmo exceeded 90 percent, and his progression as a Magus wasn’t that high yet, there was no backlash.

“The path to becoming an official Magus is through fusing my elemental path with infused mana. Once this fusion occurs, I will be bound never to change my elemental path again,” Victor muttered to himself.

For mortals to become Initiate Attunement acolytes, they must learn to tap into their inherent elemental affinity. This could be done through exposure to energy and elemental particles in specific environments while practicing a meditation technique. Elemental particles were ubiquitous, and even rarer varieties could be found in places where they usually didn’t belong, albeit in small quantities. Once they grasped the concept of mana infusion and were able to store mana inside their bodies, they would reach the first-stage Initiate Attunement and embark on the path of true acolytes.

After that, first-stage Initiate Attunement acolytes focused on basic mana control, which involved understanding how to manipulate and channel infused mana, enabling them to create pockets of infused mana within their bodies. First-stage Initiate Attunement acolytes practiced conjuring simple Aleph-tier spells and techniques associated with their chosen element, gradually improving their control and proficiency.

Progressing to the second stage demanded refining mana control and establishing sufficient pockets of infused mana. Initiate Attunement acolytes in this stage needed to learn to manipulate larger amounts of infused mana to make denser pockets. This stage was marked by a significant increase in mana control and the ability to cast more powerful Aleph-tier spells.

Reaching the third stage necessitated a deep connection to infused mana. At this stage, Initiate Attunement acolytes learned to explore deeper aspects of elemental magic, such as learning to weave intricate spell patterns and advanced spellcasting techniques. This enabled them to create complex interactions between elemental particles and infused mana, resulting in versatile and potent spells. Acolytes who reached this stage were well on their way to becoming official Magi. This was Victor’s current stage.

As Victor delved deep into meditation, the space around him began to subtly distort. An hour later, he exhaled a frosty breath, and the surrounding disturbances gradually settled as his meditation concluded ahead of schedule. “Myriad Elements Method is far more potent than I initially believed… Even a brief session has yielded remarkable progress. With this… I don’t even need years or decades to become an official Magus!”

Victor Asteriscus

Power Rank: Third-stage Initiate Attunement
Elemental Affinity: Cosmo (95%) | Anemo (82%) | Pyro (57%)
Status: Healthy

Strength: (22)
Agility: (23)
Vitality: (22)
Magical Power: (29)
Infused Mana (total): (148)

Victor had only been at the third-stage Initiate Attunement for about two months. While he had consolidated his foundation, he was nowhere near completing his elemental fusion and reached the rank of Elemental Adept. He felt like there was an enormous chasm that separated him from that rank, one that would demand considerable time and effort to traverse. Yet now, this concern had lessened considerably with the newfound meditation technique.

Beyond this, there were other ways to bypass the step of elemental fusion and become an official Magus using elixirs or forbidden spells, though these methods would limit the individual’s potential. Another grim option involved making a deal with malevolent entities lurking beyond Seraphia, but Victor quickly dismissed this idea before giving it any real thought.

“Unfortunately, this meditation technique comprises of only three levels and lacks progression beyond Initiate Attunement…” Victor lamented, shaking his head in disappointment. 

He had scoured the Headmaster Budget tab, but came up empty-handed regarding its continuation. Other techniques existed for Elemental Adepts and beyond, but switching again would pose the same risks… What a shame.

Out of the blue, Lizbeth broke her silence and held up a holographic screen, exclaiming, “Master, you’ve got to see this! The players are going wild over the game!”

It appeared that while he immersed himself in his meditation, she had taken the liberty of using his Discord account to gauge the players’ reactions to the initial gameplay. Victor couldn’t blame the players for their excitement; after all, the circumstances warranted it.

Intrigued, he turned his attention to the screen as Lizbeth presented it to him. There, he discovered that the first batch of players had established a new Discord category on the server called “MAGUS ACADEMY ONLINE,” complete with a “game-reviews” channel within.

Storm Bringer (Acolyte): “Alright, let’s dive into the setting of the game first.”

Storm Bringer (Acolyte): “First things first, I want to ask you something: Are you familiar with Xianxia novels and the world of Harry Potter? Have you ever daydreamed about joining an immortal sect or enrolling in a magical academy? As a veteran gamer, I don’t read novels that much, but during my streaming breaks, I enjoy reading some transmigration-type manhuas (Chinese manga) and immersing myself in the MC’s shoes as they ascend to immortality. This! This game is exactly that, but with a Western-style twist to it! Instead of an immortal sect, we got a Magus academy. In place of cultivators, we’ve got Magi… Swapping out immortal techniques for magic spells, and trading qi for mana!”

Storm Bringer (Acolyte): “So, what’s the deal you may ask? Well, we — us, the lucky ones in the closed alpha — begin our journey as fledgling acolytes of an ancient, nearly-forgotten Magus academy. Our mission? To resurrect the former glory of our ancestors and make the academy the best there is in the universe. Now, while we haven’t fully plunged into the main storyline just yet, fear not. We might have to bide our time with meditation practice until the closed beta or even the open beta to unlock more secrets and revelations, so I won’t skip past that fact.”

Storm Bringer (Acolyte): “Now, let’s talk about the game’s mind-blowing realism. When I say mind-blowing, I’m not exaggerating or being hyperbolic. This game obliterates every other title out there in terms of realism, and even if we fast-forwarded fifty years into the future, I’d bet my gaming rig that nothing could touch its level of realism. It’s like this game is an ‘isekai’ DLC that our world desperately needs! Whether it’s the effect of light and shadow, how it dances on your senses, to the tactile feel of the objects you encounter, everything will make you believe that you’ve stepped into a parallel reality. This immersive experience hits a whopping 100% on the realism scale. Yes, you read that right, ONE HUNDRED PERCENT!! I mean, seriously, I haven’t stumbled upon any glaring bugs or hiccups so far.”

Storm Bringer (Acolyte): “And then there’s the freedom factor. Despite having a centric focus on an academy, this game checks all the boxes to be called a true sandbox game. You can tinker with practically everything your in-game fingers touch. It’s not just limited to pure object collision; you also have the ability to change the position of objects by subjective will or even morph their shape and state within the realm of physics. And that’s not even counting the magic system!”

Storm Bringer (Acolyte): “I can guess what you’re thinking. It’s like Skyrim had a baby with an expanded sandbox, right? Or perhaps Hogwarts Legacy went on a DLC binge and modded up the wazoo… But let me blow your mind, folks. It feels less like a game and more like an entirely separate world — not just building blocks of pixels and textures, trapped inside your gaming device! For that reason alone, this is a must-play for all you sandbox and RPG fanatics out there!”

Storm Bringer (Acolyte): “And I haven’t gotten into the best aspect of this all! When you immerse yourself in this game, your real-world body is asleep, which means you can indulge in endless gameplay without worrying about feeling groggy the next day! Imagine the potential impact this technology could have on modern entertainment and even people’s daily routines. Even if gaming isn’t your thing, who wouldn’t want an extra eight to twelve hours each day? It’s mind-boggling to think that a game with the potential to revolutionize the world is being tested so quietly and casually. It’s almost like the company doesn’t care about making a profit!”

Storm Bringer (Acolyte): “Now, onto the most crucial intel! When you make your grand entrance into the game, you’ll notice a sleek black mark on your left wrist. No need to panic, though, because this mark is your ticket to the status screen, aptly named the ‘Shadowlink Mark.’ But no matter whether it’s the player or a magical beast, there is no HP or MP bar — at least not in the game’s current build. Also, you might notice that the initial attributes don’t differ much from player to player. But this game is a world of magic and is different from any other games in that kind of sense with mana aptitude and elemental affinity, which I will save those juicy details firsthand when you try the game yourself.”

Storm Bringer (Acolyte): “Next are NPCs. In this corner of the closed-alpha phase, there are only two NPCs in the game. The headmaster of the academy, known as ‘Astralium,’ and a fairy named ‘Lizbeth.’ Yup, you heard that right, a charming little fairy straight out of fairy tale lore — think Tinker Bell vibes — and she acts as the assistant of the headmaster! I bet there will be a huge fan club for her once more players join. Anyway, what we know for sure is that both NPCs have a high degree of intelligence, fully capable of conversing and mingling with us players. With how some of us were reprimanded for our less-than-stellar behavior, I’m guessing there should be a hidden favorability or amity gauge at play, but this is just my personal theory.”

Storm Bringer (Acolyte): “Next, I want to talk about the pain setting, a topic that could be cause for some concern. Here’s the deal: While this game is a masterclass in realism, we don’t want to go overboard and have players writhing in pain for missing an arm or two, right? Fear not, because the game’s designers have our backs. So, yeah, you’ll feel sensations of pain alongside touch, but there seems to be a protection threshold. For example, when the headmaster punished us with magic spells, at a certain point the pain met a hard limit. It’s like there’s a safety net that keeps the excessive pain in check, like how we can feel pain in dreams but never end up screaming ourselves awake… However, when we were doing an aptitude test, it appeared to exceed this threshold a tad bit. I don’t know if this was intentional by the developers or something they overlooked. Overall, the realistic feel of the abnormal status in the game is something praiseworthy. 👏”

Storm Bringer (Acolyte): “One criticism would be that I think the game should give more control to players with their settings, such as allowing players to adjust their own pain levels. Some folks might want to crank it up to the maximum level, while others prefer pain-free adventuring. Personally, I’m very satisfied with the current five senses immersion and pain shielding.”

Storm Bringer (Acolyte): “And now, onto the million-dollar question: respawn mechanics. I haven’t tried it yet, but while the game’s keeping hush on the consequences of biting the dust, it’s safe to assume there’ll be a twenty-four-hour ban on login and some payment in the form of merit points. Merit points are actually easy to get; you can earn them by completing missions and tasks. More on this later. Now, as for me, I’m steering clear of the respawn button for now. But if you’re wondering what death feels like in the game, why not give it a try? Who knows, maybe there will be some other gameplay that can be exploited from doing so.”

Storm Bringer (Acolyte): “So far the list of missions in the current state of the game feels incomplete. The first one we spent a good amount of time on involved plowing a field. Inherently, there is nothing wrong with it, but there’s no continuation like planting seeds and such. There are also several other available tasks like building walls and constructing buildings. However, there are no prerequisite missions to gather the materials… Maybe this is something that the developers have to take a second look at. Furthermore, the current missions are limited to life skill instead of battling magical beasts, though I think it’s still too early for such missions to appear.”

Storm Bringer (Acolyte): “Last but not least, let’s give the devs a little friendly nudge. Why are all the characters teenage boys? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind tapping into my inner teenager and reliving the good ol’ awkward days. But I’m strongly requesting that the game allows players to set their own gender! It’s the 21st century, and we’re all about options here! Hell, I’m willing to sign any kind of risk agreement contract for it!”

Over the last message, Victor could only roll his eyes and remain silent…