I spend some time just lounging around after breakfast. I spent some time reading through the books that Kari ‘borrowed’ from the Temple yesterday. Now I’m just browsing through again, hoping for a little inspiration for interpretation.

  Finally, I give up and put them down. Closing my eyes, I meditate my way into my Mind Palace and start my usual upkeep.

  When I was young, I did poorly in school. Poorly everywhere actually. Anything that required memory was difficult for me. Don’t know if it was a natural condition, related to my disability, or the result of the many beatings I took from my birth parents before the State took me away. They never seemed particular about where they hit me and they often used a cane or kitchen utensils.

  Fortunately I had an uncle who stepped up and took me in. His family never really wanted me around but at least I had a place to live and was mostly left alone.

  My uncle was a stickler for education, though. He bought me access to a memory course and that gave me a bunch of strategies for remembering stuff. I worked hard at it and my grades finally came up. That was around fifth grade, I guess.

  Over the years that followed I kept getting better and better at those techniques. I even came up with a system of my own. That system became what I call my Mind Palace. I would use my methods for remembering stuff to put things into the Mind Palace and then spend a lot of time each day cross-indexing and making associations between things.

  Over time, this process became automatic. Most of my other abilities related to data grew from there. Statistical analysis and computation became like idiot savant skills for me.

  All that is a long roundabout way of saying that I can do amazing things with data in my head. At the same time, I’m not able to tell you how I do them. I just can.

  I need to answer the question: What are we doing here? But right now I have nothing.

  I believe I can confidently say that we’re here for a purpose. In addition, I can tell you that our summoned colleagues do not have the same purpose we do. I also have a feeling that our purpose is greater than theirs. There are Gods involved.

  Nothing else I can tell you. Don’t really even know how I know all that. All I can do is channel Elwood Blues and say, We’re on a mission from God.

  I need a gym. I've been a weight lifter for three years now. I started after watching the Summer Olympics. The powerlifters there were awesome. They're short but extremely strong. I decided then to give my own tiny body a strength upgrade. By the time we were summoned, I was able to compete with some of the best in the region. And I really enjoy it. Time to get back into the game!

  I wander around the castle till I find some soldiers. I approach them and ask where they work out.

  It takes a while to get my point across. They have a whole lot of jokes to make about the little girl who wants to be strong. Like a man. Chauvinists!

  There's one big guy about 6' 2" who's 'specially annoying. So when I finally lose my temper, I decide to pick on him. I knock his feet out from under him and before he can react I grab him by the collar and belt and do a nice clean and jerk. Then shoulder press him twice before throwing him across the room.

  I was sure his buddies would be pissed, but they all think it's a great joke. Start making fun of him instead of me. He did do a fairly credible ‘little girl scream’ as he was flying through the air. Touchdown!

  That breaks the ice. They all troop down with me to their exercise area and show me around. It almost looks like a modern gym with steel bars and iron plates and all the normal accessories. They say it’ll be free in the mornings so I decide I'll get up and work out before breakfast tomorrow.

  Excerpt from Saki's journal

  Still working on trying to figure out Magic. Everybody’s interested in this question so we talk about it a lot.

  There are four different types of magical energy extant in Emulgren: Spirit, Mana, Primal, and Demonic. Emulgren, by the way, is what they call this world.

  Spirit magic is present in all living things. Mana magic is present in all non-living things. Primal magic is a fundamental component of the universe and is related to space and time. Demonic energy comes from Molokh, the world of the Demons.

  Different types of energy are generated in different ways and are used in different ways. Spirit energy is generated by all living things. It is also generated within the Hexes that are spread throughout the lands and seas of Emulgren.

  Mana energy is present in all matter. It is also generated within the Dungeons which can be found throughout Emulgren.

  Primal magic is much more of a mystery. Very few people can see, use, or manipulate Primal energy.

  Demonic energy flows into our world from Molokh through the Mlkh-nee portal. It dissipates after it travels a certain distance so it cannot normally be found outside of Mlkh-nee (also known as the Demon Lands). Only Demons can use Demonic energy.

  Nobody really knows why people have affinities for one type of magic over another. But it is absolutely a fact that you can’t use a type of Magic you don’t have an affinity for. And within the major types of Magic, there are many many sub-affinities that an individual may or may not have.

  It is my greatest fear that my affinities will be limited. I don’t feel like they will be, though. Wishful thinking?

  I head to the library. Saki is our liaison, but I have a couple of topics I need books on before she goes back tomorrow.

  Plus, Saki has written quite a bit about how beautiful the librarian is. Since I have a duty as an itinerant horn-dog to investigate any and all reports of pretty girls to verify their veracity, I feel a personal visit is necessary.

  ###

  It turns out that Saki was wrong. Penelope, the Librarian, is not beautiful. She is beyond mortal concepts like beauty. She is a Goddess walking the Earth!

  A Goddess who shot me down and then toasted metaphorical marshmallows over my burning soul until there was nothing left but ashes in the desolate crater of my dreams. All with a smile on her face.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Honestly, what is wrong with the girl?!?

  She does have good Librarian magic, though. Once I pulled myself together again and explained what I was looking for, she was able to hand me a couple of books within seconds.

  With only one brief stop seeking closet consolation from a girl who has much better taste in men than any old librarian, I go back to my room and start reading.

  I give a sad groan as I roll out of bed at 5:30. Addie, Saki and I'd been up late reading our new books and discussing what we read. I hit the bricks. The excitement of training again for the first time in a week over-riding the desire to stay in bed.

  The gym is more modern than medieval. It has everything I need for a free weight workout. Even a safety rack for doing squats and such.

  I've been feeling stronger ever since we were summoned here. Pretty excited about testing my limits. After warm-up, I start pushing myself to find my 1 repetition maximum for each of the five competition lifts I focus on. It's amazing! I'm lifting half again as much as back home. Must be my summoned bonus.

  The guards and others who're here watch me the whole time. Some look shocked, some impressed, and a few even look scared. Sadly, none look at me like they think I'm cute. Even though I am! Story of my life. Sigh.

  I do have one admirer, though. The guy I bounced off the wall yesterday sticks close to me. Anytime it looks like someone is going to give me crap, he'll tell them to take a hike. I'll thank him for that later.

  Take a quick shower, head over to have breakfast. I've really worked up an appetite.

  Addie took some time to read to me today. Penelope, the librarian, found us an old book on Spirit Magic. The force of life. Lots of people have affinities for different types of Spirit Magic, but very few have ever had the sort of overarching control of Spirit Magic that I seem to have.

  It seems I might be a bit OP. Or at least will be. Unlike most people, I can manipulate Spirit energy. The raw stuff. Without any need for spells or enchantments. The book tells me what is possible. But I'll have to work out how to make it happen on my own.

  This is going to be fun!

  I’m a thief. Or, what do you call someone who steals temporarily? A naughty borrower?

  That's how I acquire the items, magic and mundane, we need for the affinity tests. I've always been such a good girl. I hadn't realized being a bad girl would feel so good. Thrilling, even! I'll have to experiment with being a bad girl again in the future.

  My library is quite busy. Not something I'm used to. With all five of the self-styled 'Accursed' milling around, things have become quite lively. We will spend most of the day working out magical affinities. Since their Blessings were cut short by the Curses, we have no idea what magical Energy they might be able to access. It might be none or all.

  So it's a multi-step process. First we test to see if the person can manipulate magical energy: Spirit, Mana, and/or Primal. Then we need to determine what kind of Magic is accessible to them with that particular energy. There is also physical enhancement to consider, a special type of Spirit Magic for enhancing the body.

  These are all the known options:

  Spirit Magic:

  Life, Death, Dark, Light, Mind, Heart, Soul, Blood, Holistic

  Mana Magic:

  Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Lightning, Kinetic, Alchemy

  Primal Magic:

  Time, Space, Fate

  Body Enhancement:

  Strength, Speed, Endurance, Constitution

  Some people also have the capability of directly manipulating magical energy. These people are rare and extremely powerful. Nix is one of these with Spirit energy. Saki also with Mana energy. Others might combine three or more magic affinities to make a powerful meta-class. There are dozens of known meta-classes.

  So I do the tests and Saki records the results. The results are shocking. Everyone in the room right now is extremely powerful. Everyone here has a meta-class! And more, besides. Virtually unheard of!

  And they've been thrown away because of a Curse.

  Like me.

  Excerpt from Saki's journal

  { } Signifies a meta-class.

  Aoede (Addie) Westridge

  Magic Energy Type: Spirit

  Affinities: Holistic, Vampire [Blood Curse] {Blood, Mind, Soul, Dark, Body Enhancement (Conditional)}

  Ilarion (Rio) Partidon

  Magic Energy Types: Primal, Spirit

  Affinities: Oracle {Fate, Holistic}, Gravity, Body Enhancement (Constitution)

  Karina (Kari) Saraiva

  Magic Energy Types: Primal, Spirit

  Affinities: Time Lord {Space, Time}, Seeker {Light, Dark, Holistic}, Body Enhancement (Strength, Speed, Endurance, Constitution)

  Nixon (Nix) Sordes

  Magic Energy Type: Spirit (Direct manipulation)

  Affinities: Spiritwalker {Spirit Energy Manipulation, Soul, Life, Death}, All-Healer {Life, Death, Mind, Heart, Holistic}, Body Enhancement (unknown type)

  Sakura (Saki) Tsubaki

  Magic Energy Type: Mana (Direct manipulation)

  Affinities: Enchantress {Mana Energy Manipulation, Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Electromagnetic, Kinetic}

  We are isekai. That much should be clear by now. We have all been transported to another world and we can’t go back.

  We are not ashamed to admit that we enjoyed a good anime on occasion. We’re no strangers to light novels and manga. But we also have to say that they have their limitations as true accounts of anything. Artistic license applies with works of fiction.

  But not in real life.

  And our isekai lives are very real. I ponder this as Kari and I sit at the conference table, sharing a plate of snacks and sipping tea. We’re studying Primal magic.

  Now if this were an anime, first day training would go something like this: Hold out your hands and channel magic into them. Now visualize the result you want. Now use your Mana to make that happen.

  Boom, crack!

  See? Now you can cast the spell ultra-high-level-devastating-super-duper-meteorshower-shock! You can easily beat the Demon Lord! And still be back by tea-time. Your five minutes of training were exhausting, I know, but I think you will find your sacrifice was worth it! Here's your graduation certificate. Next!

  Ha ha. It is a bit sad, really. The way our anime expectations are so easily crushed underfoot. Or honestly, how anime, manga, and light novel authors are too lazy to develop their characters properly.

  Learning magic is hard. It's the study of a lifetime.

  Kari and I have embarked on that study. So have Addie and Nix. Saki is already way ahead of us.

  Kari and I both have Primal magic affinities. That is extremely rare. Kari has Space and Time affinities, while my affinity is with Fate.

  Books on Primal magic are beyond rare, but the palace librarian came through for us. I suspect she dipped into the restricted collection.

  The few texts we have are either too simplistic or too dense. Nothing in-between.

  Just the way we like it. When it comes to learning, the five of us are the best in the business.

  We are the Accursed. We play life on Hard mode.

  And we win.