When Fantasy Glitches

Standing on the surface of the moon, Magnus had the grandeur of space and Earth as his audience. He interacted with the Command Console with a mere thought, summoning a massive cube of smooth, black metal above him. Despite the moon's feeble gravity, the cube plummeted down swiftly, crashing into the lunar surface and sending debris and dust flying in all directions.

"Whether it's creating, editing, or destruction, the Command Console can do it all. I just wish it were this easy back on Earth. It would save me a lot of trouble," he mused aloud as he waved his hand. He chose not to use the Command Console this time and instead used his natural imagination. Simply by willing it, he made the cube vanish and the ground mend itself—his mind effortlessly taking care of the details.

As his surroundings snapped back to normal, Magnus leaned back and let himself gently fall to the ground, landing softly as if in slow motion.

"So, this place is called a dreamland, right, Basker?" he asked, speaking to seemingly no one. Within seconds, shadows from across the moon began to shift—moving from craters, behind rocks, and crevices, converging and taking form behind him. The shadows morphed into a three-dimensional shape, materializing into Basker's form.

"That's correct. All sentient beings who dream create dreamlands like this where their dreams unfold," Basker explained, giving the mystical space a more definitive name than before.

"I see. So, the reason it's so easy to use the Command Console here is because everything is already influenced by my thoughts? I suspected as much, but it's still surprising to see I was right," Magnus remarked. Basker slowly walked up from behind Magnus and sat down next to him, almost like a normal dog.

Well, a normal dog that also looked like a demonic hellhound.

"From what I understand, and from what you've told me, Master, your ability hinges on precise visualization, understanding, and concentration. However, the criteria for these skills vary depending on your location. Since dreamlands stem from the subconscious, they're entirely separate from reality. Even if they seem real, that’s just your mind mimicking reality," Basker said, turning its gaze towards Earth, framed by a celestial array of stars.

"The space around us appears just as you remember and imagine it to be; the Earth too looks exactly how you picture it. Similarly, the gravity here is just your interpretation of lunar gravity, shaped by all the books, movies, and shows you've seen over the years. Even the metallic cube you manipulated and its impact was a realistic recreation of your expectations; real physics had no role in it." Magnus absorbed Basker's explanation, understanding the crux of what the creature was saying.

"So, the Command Console adapts to the logic of my dreamland to judge if my visualizations are detailed enough to carry out my wishes. Since the rules of the dreamland are essentially whatever I imagine, consciously or not, my commands are always executed flawlessly," Magnus concluded.

Basker nodded in affirmation, confirming Magnus's understanding.

In essence, while Magnus could conjure a metal cube effortlessly here, replicating such an act in the real world was beyond him. He lacked a true understanding of creating something from nothing. He knew only what he thought it should look like, which allowed the Command Console to operate here in the dreamland, where his imagination dictated the rules.

But back in reality, the Command Console couldn’t act on his visualizations without a tangible basis. It was just like how programming gave people the ability to make all kinds of things, whether it be programs for entertainment or something more practical for everyday use. But even though the possibilities of what could be programmed were almost endless, the act of programming itself still had rules that needed to be followed in order for the program to run. How strict or loose those rules were depended on what the developer was programming on.

"You know, I'm surprised you grasp all of this, Basker, considering you're essentially a newborn by human standards." There was a slight pause before Basker responded.

"Though I was freshly created when I first entered the world and met you, I came with inherent knowledge and wisdom. How, I'm not sure, but I had an innate understanding of myself, my powers, and the workings of minds, human and otherwise. Yet, it's only through connecting with your mind that I've begun to comprehend existence and life more deeply."

Magnus looked at Basker as he spoke these words. Though Basker had the ability to tap into and influence Magnus's mind and memories, this connection was reciprocal. They influenced each other in different ways.

While it might be premature to say Basker was becoming more human, Magnus could see that the hound was gradually changing, evolving through his experiences and exposure to Magnus's life.

"Anyway, I need to wake up soon, so let's run the final test with the Command Console while I'm still here," Magnus said. As he spoke, Basker stood and began to shift its form. Being a creature that could transition between the real world and dreams, Basker was at risk whenever it was near Magnus during his experiments with the Command Console.

So after hearing Magnus’s intent, Basker started to dissolve into the enveloping darkness of space, its form blending seamlessly, ignoring any sense of depth perception. Once Basker was out of sight, Magnus wasted no time.

He extended his hand, outlining aloud the parameters he wanted the Command Console to implement. Here, in the realm of his mind, nothing could be internalized.

"I'm holding a legendary one-handed sword," he announced.

"With each slash aimed at a specific location, a portal will open along the blade’s edge. Stepping through this portal in my mental form will transport my physical body to the destination I've chosen."

No sooner had he defined the rules than the Command Console sprang into action. It whirred, processing lines of cryptic code. A sword materialized in Magnus’s grip, every bit the legendary weapon of a child’s fantasies—embellished with gold and silver, its design intricate yet robust, and its blade sharp enough to seemingly slice through dragon scales with ease.

But as the code streamed through its completion, an unexpected pause occurred. A glaring red line of text flashed before Magnus, interrupting the flow.

Command Console

↑…

ↆ™ⅩℱⅩℰↃℝ⅒⅂ⅲ⅌ℽ™Ↄ℞ℚℽ⅌ↂⅸ℄ℍↃⅠℶⅈↈΩ℘⅖ⅫↃ℡ⅥⅬ℉℺ℝⅧↁℸÅ⅂ℊℋⅫⅉⅠↂℳℌΩℽ⅘℮↊⅖⅛ℎⅫⅾℐⅴ⅂ↅⅰ℺ℽ⅏Ωⅶ⅕ⅰⅺⅿℴ⅖ⅩℋⅉℎⅣÅℰↆℰ⅒Å⅂ℊ

ℋⅫⅉⅠↂℳℌΩℽ⅘℮↊⅖ↀⅬ℥ℰ℣⅝℀⅑ⅲℯⅆⅫℋℵ℣ⅧⅪⅆⅥ™⅌

[ERROR]: Insufficient permissions to perform this task!

Users:Magnus_Wright:\>

"Huh? That's new," Magnus muttered, his curiosity piqued by the unexpected error message.

When Magnus awoke in the real world, his face still wore an expression of bewilderment. He was sleeping in the nude because he lacked nightwear and decided against wearing his academy uniform to bed. In any case, he had other, more pressing thoughts on his mind now.

As he rose and began preparing for his day, the events of the dreamland, particularly the failed test with the Command Console, replayed in his mind. Historically, as long as he met the criteria, the Command Console had always executed his commands without a hitch. The dreamland, being less restrictive than the real world, should have made his executions using the console a guarantee every time.

But surprisingly, it hadn’t worked.

Insufficient permissions? I remember seeing that error before when I first encountered the Command Console in that void. But I've never faced permission issues before. Why now?

Lost in thought, Magnus moved on autopilot as he washed, dressed, and walked across the academy grounds to his first class.

[Master, if I may. I have a theory.]

"Oh, really?" Magnus responded, momentarily distracted from his inner turmoil.

[Yes, technically, it's an idea that's been forming in your subconscious. I've just helped it along and refined it a bit.]

Huh, I didn’t even know you could do that. But go on.

[Not too long ago, you theorized that this entire world and the Command Console operate under a logic similar to a massive game engine. Given what just happened, I think it’s safe to say that the language of the Command Console isn't exclusive to just itself, but might just be what makes up everything.]

What Basker was trying to suggest aligned with an idea Magnus had already considered himself before: what if this entire world existed in a matrix-like state and was composed of some kind of code? He had seen glitches in the world before, back in his room on Earth, before he was even brought here.

And the introduction of the Command Console only made such a theory more believable. But that kind of idea also opened a floodgate of doubts about everything he knew.

Sensing Magnus’s hesitancy and his mind racing with questions, Basker continued without waiting for a prompt.

[If we assume that, fundamentally, everything in this world—and potentially your old world—is constructed from some kind of source code, then the reason for your error message becomes much clearer, wouldn’t you agree?]

Magnus paused to mull over the idea before nodding decisively.

I guess so. If the world really is made of some kind of code, then the Command Console has the ability to manipulate that code. In that case, we can take that 'insufficient permissions' error at face value.

Almost everyone understood that things that were part of one's imagination couldn't exist in reality; they lacked substance. But why was this considered common knowledge? Yes, it seems perfectly logical—a conclusion anyone could come up with as long as they used their heads—but if the entire world is made of code, then even logic was something that had to be created.

Assuming Magnus and Basker's theory was legitimate, the reason was that somewhere within the source code of this world, there was a designation stating that the imaginary couldn't directly interfere with reality.

This designation reflected itself onto the world in the form of a universal law.

Even in games, that's how all rules and limitations are made, no matter how complex. If you want a character to shoot a fireball, you start with the binary—yes or no. Does the character have more than 20 MP? If yes, they can cast it; if no, they can't. Then you build on that: Are they stunned? Are they in the middle of a conversation with an NPC?

That was how hierarchies were formed within code as well. When Magnus tried to create a portal-generating sword in the dreamland, he was challenging these very foundations—real-world laws derived from source code that required a certain level of authority to override, an authority his Command Console did not possess.

But if there are different levels of authority, then that means-

"Ah, Magnus, hello. You're the first one here," greeted Professor Eredim as Magnus looked up, surprised to find himself already at the classroom door. Wrapped up in his chat with Basker, he hadn't noticed his own arrival.

"Good morning, Professor Eredim," Magnus replied, pushing aside his complex theories for the moment. He entered the classroom and chose a seat, his gaze drifting towards the board.

The board was a jumble of phrases, sentences, and a collection of unfamiliar signs and symbols. It reminded him vaguely of algebra class, where he often felt just as lost.

“There’s no need to feel overwhelmed. Although we don’t typically cover things at a beginner’s level, I do tend to go over basic concepts briefly for students in the first few classes. Plus, the library has plenty of books that can expand on the subjects,” Eremid said, noticing Magnus’s confused expression as he looked at the board.

In response, Magnus couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. A few minutes later, students started arriving. Compared to yesterday, everyone looked a lot less tense, and a few of them already seemed to have gotten close, chatting casually as they walked into the classroom.

Although Magnus didn’t go out of his way to interact with anyone, he could feel the occasional gazes of the other students on him as he sat there. Even though he was used to being stared at, he couldn't help but shift in his seat a little.

“It looks like there is quite a rift between the Knight Division and Mage Division; makes you wonder why they put us in the same class, right?” Caught off guard by the voice, Magnus turned to his side and saw someone standing over him.

After a moment, he recognized the figure; he was the only other boy in the Mage Division in this class. Including himself, this guy, and that quiet girl from before made up the total number of 'mages' in this class.

Looking at him, Magnus had to admit he made quite the impression. He felt this might be the first student he’d seen so far that actually had the aura of a noble, or at least what he imagined proper nobles to be like. He didn’t know how to exactly describe it. Perhaps it was like meeting a person who you knew truly had their entire life ahead of them.

"Yeah, this is a bit awkward. I'm Magnus Wright, by the way." Magnus extended his hand as he introduced himself. The gesture seemed to catch the boy off guard, his surprised look sending a ripple of confusion through Magnus. It only clicked a moment later why his greeting might seem strange.

Right, I forgot this is a school filled with nobles; they probably don’t shake hands as a greeting.

"Oh, my bad." Just as he was about to pull his hand back, the boy cracked a smile and grasped Magnus's hand.

"It’s fine; I’m Luden from the Rilhawk Family. Nice to meet you, Magnus." With introductions out of the way, Luden kept the conversation going.

"You know, even when I first saw you, you didn’t seem like much of a nobleman, though at the same time, your hands aren’t those of someone who does hard labor either.” Listening to him, Magnus realized yet another person was interested in his non-existent background. All he could offer in return was an ambiguous reply.

“My situation is a bit strange… Yeah, strange; that’s the word for it.” Luden looked at him with a flicker of amusement and shrugged.

“Fair enough; everyone has their own predicaments. Do you mind if I sit here, by the way?”

Magnus shook his head, and Luden took a seat beside him as the classroom began to fill up. As the last few students filed in, Professor Eremid wasted no time starting the first lesson.

“Since it’s your first day, we will be starting off simple and covering fundamental concepts and philosophies that you all may or may not know. Either way, I expect your full attention.”

Magnus wasn’t sure what to expect from his first class at Takerth Academy. The symbols on the board didn’t spring to life or anything dramatic; it all seemed surprisingly ordinary. Yet, the knowledge itself was far from it. He had realized earlier, when he visited the library, just how much information the Ten Great Magic Academies kept under lock and key, and now he was once again reminded of that fact.

Even with his extensive reading back at the Major General’s Villa, Magnus felt like he was learning more about magic and aura in just one hour of listening to Eremid’s lecture on what were called the basics.

There were a bunch of different topics, and a lot of them fascinated Magnus to the point he made sure Basker committed them all to his memory. Still, even after a few hours passed, by far the most interesting topic to Magnus was the one about spirits, something he had only heard about from Mia. Surprisingly enough, information about them seemed even scarcer than information about magic and mana.

“Now, before we go on, does anyone know one key difference between a knight’s aura and a mage’s magic?” Eremid asked, his eyes sweeping over the class as hands shot up.

He paused for a moment before choosing a boy at the front.

“You.”

"Is it that knights and their aura are unaffected by the suppression effect of spirits?" The student's answer brought a smile to Eremid’s face as he nodded and responded.

"Exactly, very good. Although to the untrained eye, magic and aura might appear similar because they both produce supernatural effects, the aura of knights is regarded as the 4th Aspect of Being. In contrast, mana cores and their magic are considered external to the mages themselves. Due to this, spirits barely react to knights below a certain level; and even when they do react, their responses are almost negligible compared to how they react to mages." As Eredim explained, Magnus quickly learned more about what exactly the suppression effect was.

Spirits existed in various forms, ranging from wind spirits, like the one Mia had mentioned during their journey, to many others. Still, despite their diversity, all spirits served a distinct purpose in the world, akin to the cogs in a machine. Mages wielded mana and could perform supernatural feats, from simple levitation to manipulating the weather in areas that typically saw no rain.

Their powers challenged the natural order, bending and reshaping it at will. However, magic was not eternal, and the reason was because of spirits. Each spirit aligned with a specific natural law that governed an aspect of creation. Their duty was to enforce strict adherence to these laws. Water flows, gravity pulls—these principles are never meant to change unnaturally. But with the existence of magic and mana, disruptions were bound to arise.

That’s where the spirits stepped in. As vital components in the world’s mechanism, their role was to rectify these anomalies that strayed from natural laws, and because of that, all magic had a finite life span.

This information intrigued Magnus, especially after his discussion with Basker. They had theorized that Magnus’s Command Console had experienced an error earlier because it contradicted a principle defined by the source code. But if that was the case, why hadn’t he encountered an error before?

Surely, his experiments, testing, and even his weapon, Rokshaata, had violated various natural laws, yet he had faced no pushback or errors. It raised a few contradictions to what he and Basker had guessed, causing Magnus to think their theory was already dead in the water. But after a few moments, he reworked his thinking.

Wait, no. If source code is real and there are levels to it and what can manipulate certain aspects of it, then in that case, it wouldn't just be limited to my Command Console. It would make sense that some laws also have greater authority than other laws as well.

With that insight, his thoughts became a bit more coherent.

Right, that makes sense. How could a law that governs both reality and fantasy be equal to laws that merely govern a segment of the physical world? One clearly encompasses the other. Though that does make me wonder... How exactly do the spirits react to the things I do with the Command Console?