But that was not all. Chi cultivation and the magical arts were measured, named, systematized, and categorized. Then it was discovered that human practitioners had only scratched the surface of what was possible. Magical essence could be refined, cultivated, and manipulated by humans in a fashion that mirrored roleplaying games.

The Outworlders had previously had the monopoly on magic, but now with the integration of technology and magic, humans could more than compete. Stat readouts could be applied to almost anything, and clear, linear upgrades could be achieved. Everything from magically enhanced cars to enchanted sex toys flooded the market, and everyone—or at least everyone with money to spend—could access them freely.

Skills that had previously taken years of diligent practice to acquire could now be achieved with the use of enchanted items and magical skill injections. Even without items, it became possible for even low-level cultivators to cast a wide range of impressive and useful magic.

The world became a playground for any humans who wanted to increase their levels through magic. Some thought we would ascend to divinity, whereas others just wanted to grind levels so they could shoot bigger fireballs.

Video games had become a reality.

World governments recognized the threat that unlimited cultivation could pose to social order, so they either enforced level caps or outlawed cultivation altogether. The United States, thankfully, was among the former.

In the US, Level 3 was the cap for civilians like me. This meant we only had access to minor spells like cantrips or sleight of hand, and even those were strictly regulated. Simple spells like limited invisibility on an object could be abused, and a tiny fireball could be lethal if the cultivator were precise enough. Under repeated doses, even low-level potions could turn almost anyone into a junkie.

Suffice to say, the heavy regulation of magic was a bit of a downer, but most people were able to accept it. And my job in the enchantment shop allowed me to tinker with all kinds of different spell runes. Most of the time, it was low-level enchantments. Now and then, however, we handled clients who were given special permission to attain levels above the civilian level cap. That gave us some interesting materials and orders to work with now and again.

I had grown up in a world surrounded by the effects of widespread magic use. I couldn’t imagine a world where magic didn’t exist. Those people who lived before Gateway Day had truly been missing out.

The car bumped over a pothole, rattling my teeth in my skull and bringing my attention sharply back to the dark forest road.