“Tell me, Eren. Do you want to become a Hexer?”
Kino asked Eren with a look of expectation in her eyes. The latter wanted to say yes. But he still had some doubts. He didn’t want to commit to a different school of magic just because it had many advantages over normal magic.
There had to be another reason why Hex magic was not a preferred choice for many rankers. After all, if what Kino said about Hex magic was true, there had to be a lot more Hexers than their current numbers. Hex magic’s advantages were tempting to him, so they must have been to others as well.
Eren wasn’t sure if he was overthinking things due to his OCD nature. But he decided to voice his doubts anyway.
“Kino, you said a strong will is necessary to cast Hexes. The thing about a person’s will is that it is not always at its lowest or highest. You can’t be a person that’s always cheerful.
You also said that a weak-willed person is better off casting normal magic. What did you mean by that?”
Kino wasn’t expecting Eren to still want to dig deeper. She thought the advantages she had listed were enough to convince him to get on board with Hex magic right away. She realized that she had misunderstood his nature.
Still, it was not like she didn’t want to answer. She pursed her lips and pondered a bit before opening her mouth to speak.
“I see that you want to know about the disadvantages one has to face when using Hex magic. I’ll try to explain as clearly as I can.
A weak-willed person won’t receive that much of a boost from using Hex magic, Eren. As a result, he would almost be wasting his time training for Hex magic.
After all, he could use the same time to practice different normal spells and get higher benefits through variation. The time dedicated to training will not be worth it if the Hexer’s will does not allow him to excel beyond conventional standards.
I wouldn’t have told you about these things if I had found that you have a weak will. The fact that you cleared the first stage with 100 percent clearance tells me a lot about the kind of will you possess. But then again, the choice is yours.”
Kino said and shrugged her shoulders. She then folded her hands and straightened up her stance before adding further.
“As for the will, it fluctuates. The will of a ranker can sometimes dip to the depths of hell, but can also rise to the heavens at other times. I think you must have guessed the outcome.
The Hexes become more or less powerful than normal spells depending upon the will the Hexer adds to them. Therefore, integrating a low will into a spell is likely to have subpar results.
At the same time, Hexers who are emotionally driven by certain situations have had their names recorded in the annals of history for pulling off something extraordinary.”
Said Kino and sighed. Every coin has two sides. Hex magic wasn’t any different either.
Eren understood that Hex magic traded the reliability of spells for exceptionality. He also started thinking about the repercussions it would bring to Hexers and the Hex magic they cast.
Kino knew what Eren was thinking. So she decided to voice his thoughts.
“That’s right. Hex magic can be unreliable for certain Hexers. The unreliability might grow as their ranks grow and they get access to spells of their rank.
A lot of Hexers with weak wills had failed to do the job they were assigned to do. This was because they were overwhelmed with feelings of rage, fear, grief, and more. Since they were unable to control their emotions and wills, they couldn’t bring out their true potential and ended up costing more to the team they were part of.
I guess this is why Hexers are not easily accepted into parties. They work solo. Hexers act like lone wolves because they can become a danger to their party with the risks they bring to the table with the addition of unstable wills.”
Eren smirked when he realized it was not his paranoia or OCD nature that was sending him the wrong signals. Hex magic would make him a loner just like the rest of the Hexers. He still had another doubt when he heard Kino’s explanation.
“Kino, can’t Hexers switch between normal magic and Hex magic? If they know that they are not emotionally stable at the point of casting spells or their will is not strong enough to cast the intended effect of a certain spell, they can just use the normal spells, right?
What is stopping Hexers from becoming normal rankers when they figure out that it is not the right time to cast Hex spells?”
Kino gave Eren another appreciative smile. She didn’t care whether Eren would end up choosing Hex magic or not anymore. That’s because she had come to realize that if the guy becomes a Hexer despite knowing everything about it, he would end up becoming one of the greatest Hexers of his generation.
After all, wanting to find everything there is to know about a certain topic was also a form of strong will. Committing to a task after learning everything there is to know about it was a sign of solid determination. Alternatively, it paved the way for a strong will.
Kino chuckled before responding to Eren’s question.
“Eren, you know how you tap into the state of epiphany, right? The higher consciousness is integrated into the very core of the world. Or the World’s Will that is also part of the same higher consciousness.
You enter the state of epiphany when you establish contact with this all-encompassing consciousness. They guide you and aid you in your ranking journey when you enter the state of epiphany.
But what happens when you try to exert your will and drive out the existing will that is integrated into the core of mana? Keep in mind that the higher consciousness keeps track of every being that is living under its domain.
This higher consciousness has its own goals and decision-making powers. What will it do if you try to defy its will?”
