《Descent of the Legendary Archmage》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Tradition is forgotten under the name of convenience. Truthfully speaking, this is an obvious fact. With the development of technology, old and inconvenient things are inevitably reduced, little by little. Just as how mobile phones, that were as heavy as bricks, became smartphones and how steam trains were developed to become the KTX. Things that were great in the past soon become obsolete and disappear. One can say that this is the obvious way of the world. ¡°The 21st century. Magic has made revolutionary advancements. Of course, there are no students here who don¡¯t know that, right?¡± Magic is the same. ¡°Come on, Instructor! Obviously everyone who¡¯s been enrolled at this school knows that.¡± The first archmage was the one who first defined the existence of mana and created the study of magic. The magic he created may have been revolutionary and at the time a ground breaking technology. However that is not the case anymore. ¡°The development of artificial intelligence that supports magic is a turning point in sorcery.¡± [collection-heating-conversion-cohesion-transmission-expansion-amplification-manifestation] Using magic in this order was common sense until about a 100 years ago. What do you think? Can¡¯t you tell it¡¯s complicated just by listening to it? ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right. The 21st century. As technology develops, the technology of artificial intelligence is also developed, and as a result, new horizons of magic were explored.¡± Of course, all this is just common sense from 100 years ago. ¡°The development of artificial intelligence has led to the shortening of magic formulas and the more elaborate the magic formula, the stronger the power. Needless to say, it got simpler.¡± The magic of present times consists of just collection and manifestation.These are the only two steps required. The caster simply needs to collect the mana. Then, the artificial intelligence automatically adjusts the magic formula and completes the magic. Finally, it ends with the caster shooting the magic at will. This is modern magic. How is it? Isn¡¯t it convenient?¡± ¡°Oh dear, I¡¯ve gone off on a tangent. First off, before I introduce myself, I would like to say congratulations. Congratulations, you are the elite of the elite, the top 1% of the world¡¯s population. Of course, just because the magic system has been simplified doesn¡¯t mean anyone can use it. Magic still remains as the exclusive gift for those who were chosen and blessed with talent. One must have an affinity for mana. One must be able to absorb mana. And one must be able to release that mana to the outside. And so on. Only 1% of the population satisfies all the conditions to become a mage. ¡°Having an easy life really is the best.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy that I was born with a mana spoon in my mouth.¡± ¡°Ahahaha!¡± The sound of laughter echoed throughout the classroom. Mana spoon. This is a word derived from the phrase ¡°golden spoon¡± and is a name for people who are able to feel mana from birth. ¡°As long as you can graduate from this school, you¡¯ll all have promising futures. And most likely will be on the road to success.¡± This may be obvious but in this world mages are high quality human resources. Of course mages are helpful in battle, but they also provide a huge assistance in everyday lives. And that is the modern mage. And the school that we¡¯ve entered is of the highest class even among all the other schools that train mages. It is one of the top ten most prestigious academies in the world. Just as the instructor said, if you are able to graduate from this school, you will succeed in life. And I was one of those elites who belonged in that 1%. That¡¯s right. I ¡®was¡¯ one of those elites. ¡°Instructor! Are you sure you can make such confident remarks?¡± ¡°It seems like you have forgotten that we have Shin Hayul in this class!¡± Once again, laughter could be heard from all sides. A jeer full of ridicule that was completely different from the one that could be heard a moment ago. At the same time, all eyes turned to focus on me. ¡°Shin Hayul is so pitiful.¡± ¡°How could the possessor of the greatest magical talent of all time plummet to rock bottom in an instant like that?¡± At the very least I¡¯m better than him. Eyes glistening with a sense of superiority. Eyes of pity and sympathy. And eyes full of joy that were pleased with my fall. Their raw emotions that could be plainly seen through their pupils pierce right through me. ¡°Who could have known that the prodigy of the Magic Shin Clan,Shin Hayul, is incompatible with artificial intelligence.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a mage who can¡¯t handle artificial intelligence. Kekeke.¡± As I said before, the magic of this world has made revolutionary progress. However, not everyone can benefit from this innovative technology. Just as how only 1% of the population have mana. Artificial intelligence, the hero of modern magic, has occurrences of some who are unfit for it. ¡°Fate is so cruel. How could that prodigious Shin Hayul be within that 0.00002%?¡± 0.00002%. I¡¯m someone who belongs to that small proportion of people who are incompatible. ¡°Wow, the more I think about it, the more pitiful I am.¡± Despite having the greatest talent of all time, I¡¯m an inadequate person who failed to be chosen by modern technology, and the only defective product of the Magic Shin Clan That is the public evaluation of me, Shin Hayul. ¡°¡­¡± But who would have known that being incompatible was actually a blessing in disguise. At the time, when I was fixated on suppressing my anger, I myself didn¡¯t know. 1 year later. Until I had met that book. Really. I would never have guessed it even in my wildest dreams. * * * [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] * * * A Noble family of mages in Korea, famous for continuously producing outstanding mages one after another. The Magic Shin Clan I was born as the youngest of three sons and two daughters in that family. I was called a prodigy after I started to play with mana when I was 4, used magic for the first time when I was 7, was able to double cast when I was 10 and at the age of 15, I succeeded in triple casting, and my reputation kept on growing. ¡°Now, at the age of 17, all you have to do is to synchronize with artificial intelligence,¡± ¡°You really are my son, finally a mage who will command the world has appeared in our family.¡± Of course, the expectations of the family also increased day by day. It was to the point that despite being the youngest, I could hear people here and there saying that I was in fact the next head of the Magic Shin Clan. ¡°If I could do as I pleased, I would have him synchronize with the artificial intelligence right now.¡± ¡°Honey, be patient. If you synchronize with artificial intelligence before the age of 17, when your personality hasn¡¯t been properly formed yet, all kinds of unknown side effects may arise. You already know this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying it since it¡¯s such a shame.¡± It would not be an exaggeration to say that my 17 years of life existed solely for the sake of magic. Sometimes the expectations around me were heavy, but it didn¡¯t matter much. Because I really liked learning magic in the first place. Doing what I love and receiving compliments from those around me. Could there be anything better than this? I thought to myself that I would continue to walk on the path of magic just like this and become the best mage in the world. However, At the high school entrance ceremony my dreams were smashed to pieces. ¡°Aaaah! My, my head! Aaaaaaaah!¡± ¡°Ha, Ha-yul!¡± Right after the entrance ceremony. The day of the artificial intelligence awarding ceremony. I passed out with a terrible headache. ¡°Student Shin Hayul is incompatible with AI and unable to synchronize with it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a peculiar constitution that only applies to 0.00002% of the world, but could it be that student Shin Hayul is¡­¡± I found out that I had a peculiar physical constitution that was unable to acquire artificial intelligence. It felt as if my world had collapsed. What had my life been for? Were my 17 years of existence all meaningless? All sorts of negative thoughts filled my head. ¡°¡­Stupid boy.¡± It didn¡¯t take long for my father¡¯s hopeful expectations to turn into disgust. From the start, the growth of the family was everything for my father. With the fall of me, a genius, all kinds of ridicule poured out towards the family, and so my father had no reason to view me in an affectionate way. ¡°I always knew from the start that you¡¯d be like this.¡± ¡°I knew it. Why did you think you could aim for the family head as the youngest?¡± My siblings, who were all inwardly jealous, reproached me as if my fall was deserved. ¡°Look over there. It¡¯s Shin Hayul.¡± ¡°The defective genius?¡± ¡°Hey, he¡¯ll hear us.¡± I was admitted to the magic school I had always dreamed of, but there was nothing but despair waiting for me. Everyone cussed me behind my back and showed pity whilst looking down on me. A year passed like that. ¡°You did a great job for the past year.¡± ¡°Congratulations on moving up a year.¡± ¡°Wow. Even Shin Hayul somehow managed to move up?¡± Despite a year passing, I¡¯m still being disrespected by everyone. ¡°Keke. It¡¯s Shin Hayul¡¯s turn next.¡± ¡°I wonder how many points he¡¯ll get?¡± ¡°Do you want to bet? I¡¯m betting that he¡¯ll get below the standard.¡± It¡¯s natural that they would look down on me like this. They must be happy. Because I was someone who was praised as a genius for over 10 years, my fall was bound to taste sweet to others. Especially since we were all of the same age, they would have been constantly compared to me in their respective families, and so my fall would have tasted even sweeter. I can understand it. I understand it all. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m against going first. Anyone can see that he¡¯ll get below standard.¡± ¡°We should bet on how much lower than the standard he gets.¡± ¡­Although I can understand it, I can¡¯t help feeling like rubbish. ¡°Next. Shin Hayul.¡± While I was in the process of suppressing my anger, the instructor called on me. ¡°Yes.¡± I shouldn¡¯t be focused on my anger. Right now I¡¯m doing the practical training. Concentrate! I shook off the negative emotions as much as I could. ¡°You saw the other students in front do it, so I don¡¯t need to explain it in any detail, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The instructor checked my information on the tablet. ¡°Second year, Shin Hayul. I¡¯ll start the practical exercise required for the unofficial magic ranking total.¡± With the instructor¡¯s words, a countdown appeared in the center of the exam hall. [10] [9] . . . [Start!] As soon as the start notification sounded, I moved my mana according to the non-AI assisted, 8-step magic activation. * * * [Report card] [Shin Hayul, a second-year student belonging to the Korean mage training school, the Obelisk Academy] After the practical training, I sat on the dorm bed and checked my report card. [The power of magic is acceptable, but the speed of magic activation is close to the worst. Even compared to the magic of the newly enrolled freshmen, it is more than 27 times slower.] [Despite this, it¡¯s not like the magic power is excellent either. When you take the preparation time into account, the power is insignificant. It¡¯s as if I¡¯m looking at a broken faucet.] [Overall review: Your magic skills are so miserable that it¡¯s hard to believe that you¡¯re in your second year.] I can only sigh. Each and every line shakes me to the core. It feels like I¡¯ve had my skull smashed in with an iron club made of facts. [Comprehensive evaluation: below standard] [Unable to Evaluate] [P.S. It is recommended that you find another path to take.] ¡°Below standard¡­¡± The last sentence that was written with a pen felt as if it had dug my heart out. ¡°Even I know. That I¡¯m not good enough¡­¡± Incompatible with artificial intelligence. Because the magic formula is unable to be shortened any further, my casting time is bound to be noticeably slower than the others and because of the lack of support from artificial intelligence, the magic formula is unrefined, and so the magic power is bound to be reduced. Therefore, receiving such an evaluation is to be expected. Even from home, I keep getting calls telling me to give up and come back. That I should stop bringing shame to the family and quietly come back. This is what my father said to me. ¡°¡­1 year.¡± He additionally asked if I was not satisfied after messing around for a year. It wasn¡¯t just my father. Everyone was urging me to give up. Even if you had the talent for magic what can you do? When the most important thing is missing. Why is the defective product who can¡¯t win against modern magic struggling so hard? You haven¡¯t made any progress in a year, so what more do you expect than this? From their perspective, it is natural for them to say so. However, ¡°I didn¡¯t stagnate.¡± Even if I don¡¯t know anything else, I know that I¡¯ve made progress. I¡¯m definitely improving. A year ago, I managed to cast magic that usually took 10 seconds in just 8 seconds. As a result, the magic formula became more stable and the power increased. Because of this even whilst double casting, the magic formula did not waver. My magic did not stagnate. To those who have received the help of artificial intelligence, it may not seem like it is any different. However, little by little I am improving. ¡°I¡¯m not giving up.¡± I haven¡¯t stagnated, but I can¡¯t give up. I will definitely become a mage. In order to show off to those who looked down on me. In order to achieve my old dream of reaching the end of magic. I will never give up. ¡°¡­Whew.¡± And like that, I gathered all my willpower and put my report card back. After taking a few deep breaths to relax my mind that was a mess, I got up. ¡°Let¡¯s just do some training.¡± There was no time to feel sorry for myself. Even in times of self pity, I must refine my magic formula, even if it¡¯s just by a little. There¡¯s a rule that states that if you¡¯re lacking, you have to work that much harder in order to compensate for it. ¡°Nice timing, since I¡¯ve bought some new textbooks. Great. Let¡¯s start again with a new feeling! I pumped myself up and took out the newly purchased books. These are the books I bought at the ancient bookstore containing only old texts. Since I¡¯m a person who is incompatible with modern magic, textbooks or popular reference books provided by the school are of no use to me. Therefore, I had no choice but to purchase books that had recorded the old magic system from ancient book stores and teach myself. ¡°What should I start with?¡± I held the ancient books in my hand one by one and looked over the covers. Which one would be the most beneficial? ¡°Hmm?¡± That was when a book suddenly caught my eye. ¡°This book¡­¡± Among all the books over 100 years old, this red book was the only book that was intact. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because it¡¯s a hardback but it¡¯s very luxurious. ¡°Did I buy a book like this?¡± I don¡¯t remember buying such a book. Whilst I was buying the books did I accidently buy this one as well? As I was looking all over the book, the title caught my eye. Scribbled cursive. In addition to bad handwriting it was written in an ancient language so it was quite difficult to read, but it wasn¡¯t to the extent that it couldn¡¯t be read at all. ¡°Ray Vell Bytenor?¡± The title of the book was quite ordinary compared to its unusual appearance. The first archmage of humanity, Ray Vell Bytenor. ¡°Long time no see.¡± This book is a kind of mythical autobiography that records the story of the hero. There is not a single aspiring mage who has not read this book. Of course I¡¯ve read it as well. I¡¯ve only read it as an e-book though, and not as a physical copy. ¡°Is this like a first edition?¡± With that in mind, it was time to open the book properly. Paah! A light emanated from the book. ¡°Ugh!¡± Suddenly my head was spinning. A piercing pain, as if someone was personally stabbing my brain. Immediately after that. ¡°To my successor who has the same constitution as me and can hear this voice, I, Ray Vell Bytenor, shall leave this book for you.¡± The voice which I¡¯d never heard before in my life, was transmitted straight into my head. Chapter 2 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 2 In that instant, my brain stopped working. What did I just hear? Ray Vell Bytenor. I¡¯m certain that¡¯s what I heard. You¡¯re telling me that Ray Vell Bytenor left this book to his successor who has the same constitution as him. ¡°¡­¡± I heard somewhere that when you get flustered, you actually become rather cool-headed. My current state is just that. Very cool-headed. ¡°¡­Yet another joke. ¡± Recently, I¡¯ve seen in the news that many have fallen victim to voice-phishing using magic. This book could be in the same sort of category. No, if you look at it with a cool head, there¡¯s a good chance that it is. If you actually think about it then it just doesn¡¯t make sense. Why would the great hero Ray Vell Bytenor leave such a book? Just the fact that his handwriting still remains in itself is amazing, but just by coincidence or whatever, it¡¯s now here in my room? What? And you¡¯ve left this book to your successor who has the same constitution as me? That¡¯s crossing the line. It¡¯s too over the top. ¡°Come on now.¡± This type of incident also happened half a year ago. There was a time when someone left a fake magic letter in front of my door to try and trick me. The theories in the book were too shabby, so I realised it was a joke after reading just 1 page, but that feeling of hope plummeting into despair in an instant was just too much. It was a pain that couldn¡¯t be explained with words. ¡®At least this time they put far more time into making it look convincing.¡¯ I checked the cover of the book ¡°Ray Vell Bytenor¡± once again. Even when looking at it for the second time, the book has a certain feel to it. How could they have written this ancient text so brilliantly? I can¡¯t believe they¡¯re working this hard to try and trick me. I actually want to give them a round of applause. ¡®Let¡¯s at least see what¡¯s written inside.¡¯ I carefully opened the book. Maybe what happened last time was just a one-time thing, but there was no voice this time around. ¡°Oh?¡± The inside of the book contained the same ornamental, glamorous style of writing. What the hell? They really did try. If they put this kind of effort into the joke then I¡¯ll respect it. But just how much do you have to hate me to put this much work in? Poor handwriting, cursive and ancient scripts. I slowly deciphered the book that contained these three things. [This book is made so that it can only be opened by those who have the same constitution as I.] The book was something to behold even from the very first line. This was probably the best prank for fooling idiots. [Therefore, reading this book means that you have an extremely exceptional brain, just like me.] The brain. Seeing how they¡¯ve even brought up the story of the brain, I¡¯m now certain. ¡°They¡¯ve done a lot of research.¡± My brain can¡¯t accept artificial intelligence. The reason is unclear. They did say that my brain¡¯s structure was peculiarly different from others. In other words, the reason why I¡¯m incompatible with artificial intelligence is because of my brain. This book mentions the brain. They¡¯re really evil. Sigh. [As I¡¯ve said before, my magic can only be mastered by those with the same brain structure as mine.] I continued to interpret the text. Let¡¯s see how far this joke goes. That was how I felt. [Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t find such a being in my time. At this rate, my magic will be lost on the other side of history forever.] [It may be that only the general purpose magic, that I made for my retainers and spread to the public, has remained for my successors.] ¡°General purpose magic?¡± Did you just describe the old magic system that¡¯s divided into eight levels as the general purpose magic? [That¡¯s why I decided to leave this book.] [In order to find a disciple from the future, who will master my magic.] I flipped onto the next page. ¡°Hmm?¡± Before interpreting the 3rd page¡¯s ancient script, The 4th page caught my eye first. ¡°A blank page?¡± The middle of page 3 till the end of page 4 were all blank. ¡°You couldn¡¯t be bothered to write anymore, huh?¡± To be honest, No one would have filled this book, which contains more than 200 pages, to the brim with this kind of quality just to make fun of me. Let¡¯s see what he wrote at the end. [To my successor. If what I¡¯m thinking is right, then you can make a circle of mana in your heart and use magic.] And the sky¡¯s blue, huh. Obviously a mage would make a mana circle in their heart, where else would they put it? [This may be natural in the context of general-purpose magic, but that¡¯s not the correct way for you and me.] [To my successor. If you have the will to continue my magic and become my disciple, you should first destroy all the mana circles around your heart, circulate the mana around in your brain, and after you¡¯ve revitalised your brain, you should reopen this book.] [If you do this then¡­] ¡°What a load of bullshit.¡± I stopped reading and closed the book because I had no further use for it. I¡¯m feeling quite annoyed. Just how much do you have to hate me to spout this kind of bullshit at me. ¡°What? Destroy the mana circles? Circulate the mana around my brain?¡± Mana is a poison to the brain. The structure of mana has not been fully explained so far, so I don¡¯t know why., but the brain develops a fatal defect when it comes into contact with mana. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve told me to do such a dangerous act. For what reason? You should have just performed some pagan ritual and prayed for my death. I threw the book I was holding onto the floor. ¡°Now my mood is ruined¡± I guess I¡¯ll just train. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] The next morning. The first class of the second semester was a practical lesson. ¡°Next. Ji Soonchan enter.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± This lesson started for the purpose of allowing instructor Ko Changsoo, who¡¯s in charge of the second year¡¯s class 1, to personally evaluate the skills of the class. The other class seemed to just introduce themselves in their first lesson. Only our class was different. Of course, that¡¯s fine with me. Because I don¡¯t have any money, I don¡¯t have many opportunities for these kinds of practical training sessions. ¡°Ohhh!¡± ¡°Ji Soonchan Great job!¡± Exclamations burst from the vicinity. Everyone is looking at the screen illuminating the inside of the training ground. I, too, also quit my image training and focused on the screen. ¡°Kya. Ji Soonchan really is the best~ That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.¡± ¡°He¡¯s the hope of us regular admission students!¡± Ji Soonchan. He¡¯s an excellent second year student whose combined grade always remained within the top 10. He¡¯s someone who¡¯s already achieved 3 magic circles at the age of 18 and is a rising star among rising stars. ¡°You did well.¡± His movements were so perfect that I myself unknowingly began to mumble under my breath. Raising his mobility by reinforcing his lower body with magic. Constantly repositioning in order to avoid being sieged by rushing enemies from all sides. Whilst still maintaining the reinforcing magic, continuously unleashing fire magic at the ¡°Giant rat¡¯s¡± weakness. Those that had managed to pass through the gap and were running towards him were blocked using a barrier. ¡°His mana output is insane.¡± Even if an ordinary three-circle mage were to combine double casting with moving casting, in truth, no one would be surprised. ¡°The hell you mean his output is good.¡± ¡°I heard from somewhere that he was illegally modifying the AI.¡± ¡°Oh? Really?¡± ¡°Otherwise, would a typical student be able to do that?¡± Someone from 100 years ago probably would have been very surprised. They probably would have said, ¡°No! Double casting combined with moving casting!¡± and fainted from the shock. However, in this present age, this is not the case. For the modern mage, who has the assistance of the extraordinary magic support tool called AI, double casting or moving casting has no particular merit. Rather, it was only natural that we could do it. Artificial intelligence takes care of all the intermediate operations required when casting magic so how could double casting or moving casting ever be difficult? On the screen, Ji Soonchan shoots magic all over the place. The Giant rats, who had numbered a hundred in total, were quickly set alight, and only the remains of burning mana were left. ¡°The movement is nice. And it seems like your stamina has improved by a lot as well.¡± ¡°But with that kind of stamina, you¡¯ll prematurely ejaculate. Look. You¡¯re already out of breath.¡± If the mage from 100 years ago was to be compared to a non-moving sack, then the modern mage could be compared to a mobile fighter jet. An ever-changing, spectacular fighter jet. A well rounded combatant who doesn¡¯t need any protection. That¡¯s the modern mage. ¡°Well done.¡± Once training had ended, Ji Soonchan, who had stepped outside, was welcomed by the instructor. ¡°Comprehensive evaluation A. The movement was good. The variations of magic and mana output were also fine, but again, the lack of stamina is noticeable. Just make sure to pay attention to that.¡± Movement. Variations of magic. Mana output. The number of magic uses depends on one¡¯s mental strength. This is the main standard for assessing modern images. All aspects of control are handled by AI, so there are no other factors to evaluate. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll try.¡± Soonchan lowered his head and went back to his seat. I let out a little sigh. Soonchan really is great. While I was proud of my friend¡¯s growth, I felt needlessly bitter. ¡°Next. Shin Hayul.¡± As soon as my name was called, the murmuring grew louder. ¡°It¡¯s Shin Hayul.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t monster rush training too harsh for Shin Hayul?¡± ¡°As soon as he¡¯s sieged, it¡¯s over.¡± Sympathetic gazes are cast upon me. The instructor also looked at me in the same way. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be alright? If you think that it¡¯s going to be too much¡­ I¡¯m used to these gazes. This is not the time to react to their responses. ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± All I have to do is think about the benefits. I don¡¯t have many opportunities to practice magic in such a full-fledged dome. As long as I have money, I can do it at any time. But for me, who¡¯s completely lost the support of my family, it¡¯s impossible. ¡°Alright then, very well. Go inside.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I lightly focused my mind, and went inside the training dome. And as expected, I was placed at the bottom of the class. Because it was what I had expected, I didn¡¯t feel all that bad. Rather, I felt pretty good. Three months ago, I could only defeat six of them. But today, I was able to defeat 17 of them. I¡¯m definitely improving. And that¡¯s enough for me. And that¡¯s definitely enough for now. That night. After eating dinner, I returned straight to my room. Originally, I¡¯d planned to go to the training ground after changing into some light clothes, but unwelcome guests, whom I had not anticipated came, so I decided to put off going to the training ground. ¡°I can¡¯t even tell if this place is a room or a library anymore.¡± Ji Soonchan. A fellow classmate, and the only person I can call my friend in this entire school. He came to my room after a while. ¡°It¡¯s quite a dilemma. I don¡¯t have anywhere to store my books.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just throw away all this stuff on the shelves? I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve seen these books in the exact same position half a year ago.¡± He said this as he wiped the dust off the books displayed on one of the shelves. ¡°I feel like it¡¯s been a while since I last saw this one. What about throwing it away¡­¡± ¡°No way. I¡¯ll have to review it later.¡± These are all books I left for a reason. It was a waste to get rid of them. ¡°Whew. It¡¯s almost like you¡¯re afraid that people won¡¯t call you an old book addict.¡± Ji Soonchan laughed and sat on my bed. ¡°What can I do? This is the only way I can learn magic. ¡± I replied playfully. It was just some dark humour without much significance. However, ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± It seemed that Soonchan was unable to take it as a simple joke. ¡°Don¡¯t take it so seriously. It¡¯s just a joke, some dark humour.You know that¡¯s my specialty.¡± He¡¯s always like this. The people around us were saying that he was of low birth and what not and that he was using some illegal modifications to increase his ability. But he¡¯s just a faultless, good boy. ¡°You came to see me today as well to see if I was alright, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just not true though?¡± ¡°Not true my ass.¡± The classmates were a bit severe with the ridiculing during the practical training earlier. If I was in the shoes of Soonchan, I too would have been worried. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you. I¡¯m not hurt by those kinds of words anymore.¡± It was better to learn another line of a magic formula than to spend that time caring about such things. ¡°Soonchan, don¡¯t worry too much about my rumours. We¡¯re the only ones who don¡¯t benefit from paying attention to them. I¡¯m just going to ignore it without making a fuss, and then¡­¡± I started to smile. ¡°Let¡¯s show them our success. Isn¡¯t that the most pleasing revenge?¡± Standing on top of those guys who used to ignore me. That¡¯s the best revenge that I can think of. ¡°Alright then¡­ You¡¯re right. ¡± Soonchan also laughed with me ¡°I came here to console you, but I¡¯m the one who got consoled.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this? Didn¡¯t you say you hadn¡¯t come to comfort me?¡± ¡°Shut up man!¡± Soonchan slapped my back and stood up from the bed. ¡°Then I¡¯m going to get going¡­ Hmm? What¡¯s this book? ¡± He probably tripped up on it whilst standing up. ¡°It¡¯s very elegant. Is this ancient text? What does it say? ¡± ¡°Oh. That¡¯s¡­¡± The book that I had flung away after reading it. Ray Vell Bytenor. A book that I had guessed was made by someone to make fun of me. ¡°Nah, it¡¯s nothing. Just forget about it.¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± He¡¯s the guy that came because he was worried about the mocking whisperings that were targeted at me. There¡¯s no reason to talk about this book as well. ¡°If you sell something that looks like this, won¡¯t it make a lot of money? It looks good to just keep inside the house.¡± ¡°Just forget about it already.¡± ¡°Give me a second. I just want to take a look on the inside.¡± Without even giving me the time to stop him, Soonchan had opened the book. No, he was about to open the book. ¡°Hmph! What the hell is this? Why won¡¯t it open?¡± He was putting so much strength into it that his face had turned red, but the book refused to open. ¡°What? Did someone super glue every page together? How can you stick something so well that there¡¯s not even a sign that it¡¯ll come apart?¡± Just as he had said, the book was impossible to open. There was no movement, as if the time around the book had stopped. ¡°¡­No way.¡± At that moment, something came to mind. ¡°Ha-yul?¡± I hurriedly took the book back from Soonchan. Then I gently opened the book. The book had definitely seemed like each page had been superglued together. But in my hands, the book opens smoothly; as smooth as silk. ¡°What, it¡¯s opening? Did you add some sort of security device to it? Though I couldn¡¯t sense any magic devices from it.¡± Soonchan¡¯s incessant murmurings passed through one of my ears and went straight out the other. My retina was accurately registering just one sentence. [This book is made so that it can only be opened by those who have the same constitution as I.] ¡°No way¡­¡± Is this for real? I flipped the pages as if I was possessed by something. [If you do this then¡­] And I read the words I had stopped reading yesterday, slowly, step by step. [Then you will be able to become the best archmage in the world.] Only that sentence filled my retina. Chapter 3 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 3 After Soonchan went back, I was left alone in the room, blankly staring at the mysterious book. ¡®What could this be?¡¯ Ray Vell Bytenor. The prank of someone who hates me alot. ¡­That was what I had thought this book was ¡®Soonchan wasn¡¯t able to open this book.¡¯ At first, I had suspicions that magic was being used to only allow me to open it. And lock magic is quite common. It didn¡¯t take my identification or anything like that, but I thought it was a possibility. I searched for any magic that could¡¯ve been used on the book. However, ¡®You¡¯re telling me there¡¯s no magic cast on this¡­¡± There was absolutely no magic detectable in the book. And it¡¯s not like I was the only one who checked it. Soonchan also checked a few times as well. Nevertheless, I couldn¡¯t detect even a single drop of mana on the book. ¡°Though if you use telepathic magic, and use it just once, it¡¯s easy to leave no trace¡­¡± It¡¯s impossible to completely conceal a lock spell. Continuously concealing the spell even till now? It¡¯s absolutely impossible. It¡¯s against the very principles of modern magic. Though there¡¯s a one in a ten thousand possibility that someone managed to create such magic. ¡°Okay, well there¡¯s no way that happened.¡± This kind of ground-breaking and sensational magic was developed by some idiot who didn¡¯t like me much? There¡¯s not even the slightest chance that happened. From the moment I realised that there was undetectable magic embedded in this book, I knew that it probably wasn¡¯t someone¡¯s prank. ¡°So this is actually the handwriting of Ray Vell Bytenor?¡± When I think about it with a cool head, the chances aren¡¯t great. The probability that was previously 0.001% had only increased to about 1%. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s check it out. ¡± However, that 1% was important. For an academic of magic, 1% is a sufficiently probable figure and should not be ignored. The only problem is the method of verifying it. ¡°There¡¯s just too much risk to experiment with it.¡± Destroy your mana circles and circulate the mana around your brain. If I do as is said in this text, not only would my life as a magician be certainly over, but I would also become brain dead and my life would end as well. I can¡¯t risk my life for the low possibility of 1%. ¡°Then for now I¡¯ll just try to increase my chances.¡± Seizing an opportunity that has come is not luck. Thorough calculations and thorough analysis. Return calculations based on risk. Only after thinking about all that and acting methodically can you grasp the opportunity within your hands. ¡°I¡¯ll start with a basic check. ¡± I left the room immediately. The place I was headed to was the staff room. I¡¯m pretty sure that the person on today¡¯s watch is class 1¡¯s home room teacher, instructor Ko Changsoo. He should definitely be here. ¡°Student Shin Hayul. What brings you here?¡± Found him. Seeing as how he wasn¡¯t at his post, I thought that perhaps he¡¯d gone outside, but it seems that he¡¯d just gone for some coffee. ¡°If it¡¯s about the practical today¡­¡± ¡°Instructor.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Instructor Ko Changsoo. One of the top three most famous people at this school. An actual specialised mage who remained active in the field until he was 50 years old, and a teacher who was remarkable enough to be requested to lecture in the U.S. ¡°Would you be able to check over this book for me?¡± I handed him the book [Ray Vell Bytenor]. Though neither Soonchan nor I was able to detect any magic from this book, if there was indeed any magic present, Instructor Ko Changsoo would be able to tell. ¡°Hmm. I can tell it¡¯s an expensive book just from a glance.¡± Ko Changsoo received the book from me. ¡°Is it in an ancient language? It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t use this writing system, but even still it¡¯s too hard for me to read.¡± It seems that the ancient language on the cover is difficult for the instructor to read. Though that¡¯s to be expected. The instructor is, in the end, a mage who focuses on modern magic. If you¡¯re not an archaeologist and have no need to practice the magic of the past, then there¡¯s no reason to master the ancient language. Even if by chance, you¡¯ve become proficient with it, you probably won¡¯t be at the stage of deciphering such poor handwriting. ¡°Indeed. What did you say was in this book? ¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, could you try opening it?¡± ¡°Opening it?¡± The instructor briefly narrowed his eyes a little before opening the book with a look that said, ¡°Well I suppose it¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± I should say that he attempted to open the book. ¡°Did you glue every page together?¡± It¡¯s the same as before. It¡¯s exactly the same situation as when Soonchan tried to open the book. Ba-bump! My heartbeat started to accelerate. What is this emotion? Is it joy or a sense of exaltation? Anyway, it¡¯s clear that this emotion stemmed from my hopes. I calmed my heart that was vigorously shaking, tried to adopt a cool head and said, ¡°Maybe the book isn¡¯t unfolding because of a magic seal¡­ Could that be it? ¡± ¡°Seal?¡± Ko Changsoo frowned at me as if he were asking me what on earth I was talking about. ¡°Uhm, it¡¯s nothing much, it¡¯s just that between friends there were some strange rumours surrounding this book. I said that such rumours didn¡¯t exist but¡­¡± ¡°Ugh. It¡¯s like some school ghost story.¡± ¡°Yes. I thought it would be best if I were to get Instructor Ko Changsoo¡¯s assurance to put an end to the suspicions.¡± Instructor Ko Changsoo looks over the book with meaningful eyes. ¡°Okay, I get it. It¡¯s not good for academics to be uselessly interested in ghost stories.¡± As expected. I thought that if I said this to Ko Changsoo, he would do as I asked. ¡°Please be quiet for a moment. I¡¯m going to concentrate.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The instructor closed his eyes and put his right hand on the book. A magic circle is drawn under the instructor¡¯s palm. A special magic circle that looked like a modified version of a pentagram. Probably Ko Changsoo¡¯s very own vision magic. The instructor focused on the magic circle for a long time. And about a minute goes by. Finally, I could hear the answer. ¡°It¡¯s just some nonsense. I can assure you that no magic measures were used on this book. ¡± ¡°¡­Thank you very much.¡± This was the answer that I had hoped and hoped for in my mind. After thanking the instructor and leaving the office, I immediately headed for the library. My objective was to do research on Ray Vell Bytenor. The information on him was all pretty decent. I collected every single piece of information that I thought was unusual. From his hobbies to the food he liked to his personality. There was a lot of information about him in the library. I assimilated all the information as if I was possessed by something. And finally after some time I succeeded in getting information that could be a hint. [Ray Vell Bytenor¡¯s magic is said to have shattered the sky, caused thunderous rain and transcended space and time.] A thesis written in 2029, 20 years ago. This was a thesis that analysed Ray Vell Bytenor¡¯s myth from the perspective of the modern study of magic. [But, as most myths are, this can be assumed to be fictional.] [The limits of the magic of the past are clear. It¡¯s impossible to display this sort of ability with that magic system.] The old-fashioned magic that had died out 100 years ago had clear limitations. This is because dealing with each stage of the 8-stage magic individually is too much for a human to handle. The human brain cannot do 8 things perfectly at the same time. Some geniuses were able to do it, but even still the limits were clear. [There are some records that only Ray Vell Bytenor used a different magic system, but this is probably fiction as well.] [If there had been such magic, there would have been no reason for it not to have been passed on.] After reading up until that point, I quickly took out another book. ¡°Next¡­¡± I¡¯m pretty sure that I had seen it in this book. Thesis on brain science. Found it. [Mana is a very special substance. When it comes into contact with the human brain, the brain is overloaded and it results in a loss of brain function.] [Though there are rare occasions of patients avoiding brain-death, these people end up becoming lunatics due to the destruction of their personality.] [It¡¯s quite unfortunate. Especially since if we are able to invoke the central nervous system, that is the brain, using magic, then modern magic would be able to be advanced by an additional level.] My heart has been racing for some time now. My breathing became ragged, and I started to smile. It felt like every piece of evidence was screaming at me, saying that this book was genuine. Though humans are said to only accept what they want to hear as fact, and disregard everything else. I¡¯m starting to think that maybe this is what I¡¯m experiencing. If that¡¯s the case, perhaps linking what the doctor said on the day of the artificial intelligence awarding ceremony to this situation is in itself a form of self justification. ¡°Student Shin Hayul¡¯s brain completely rejects all outside interference. Therefore, it¡¯s impossible for him to acquire artificial intelligence. ¡± That day when the sky seemed to have fallen. The doctor said that my brain had a peculiar property of completely rejecting all outside interference. If this peculiar property was actually the ¡®exceptional brain¡¯ written in the autobiography,then maybe my brain is completely immune to the poison called mana. Perhaps the book was stating the truth in saying that I am the only one who is able to learn his magic. My mouth is really dry. My heart is also pulsating fiercely. The trembling of joy combined with the trembling of fear. The two conflicting emotions seemed to fuel my heart. To be honest, I was scared. There¡¯s no guarantee that what is written in this book is true. No matter how much I investigated, the probability of success was just slightly over 10%. The chance of it being fictional is overwhelmingly high. What¡¯s worse is that it risked my magic circle as well as my life. 10% is too low of a chance to risk my life. ¡°Death¡­¡± When I thought of death, my hands and feet started to tremble slightly. Was my trembling an indication of my lack of courage? If it had been someone else, would they have grabbed this opportunity without hesitation? I closed my eyes and sat in a comfortable position. Life is the C(choice) between B(Birth) and D(Death). I think it was Jean-Paul Sartre who said that. Because there are an unfathomable number of choices between life and death, you mustn¡¯t miss that opportunity. That¡¯s the sort of thing it meant. I¡¯m at the diverging road of my life¡¯s biggest decision. If you think about it with a cool-head, it¡¯s best to just forget about it. Because I can¡¯t risk my life for a probability that low. However, [Then you will be able to become the best archmage in the world.] I can¡¯t quit now, because that sentence refuses to leave my head. Would I ever be satisfied with my normal life if I backed out here? If I were to cast away this golden opportunity I couldn¡¯t have even dreamed of, all in the name of fear,would I be able silently trudge along like I did up till now, knowing what I could¡¯ve been? ¡°No way.¡± That¡¯s impossible. My will would shatter just how my dreams had been. To back out here would be the same as denying my very existence. ¡°Whew.¡± I took a deep breath and opened my eyes. In truth, my decision was fixed from the start. ¡°10%.¡± It¡¯s enough of a probability to risk my already ruined life. I got up from my seat. ¡°He who does not challenge can not gain anything.¡± With that saying in mind, I headed for my room. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] That night. I sat down in the centre of the room and focused. Tonight, I¡¯m going to destroy the mana circle in my heart. ¡°Taking one step back for the sake of two steps forward.¡± Whilst continuing these thoughts, I focused my mana on the three circles that were coiled up in my heart. I¡¯m very knowledgeable on the procedure of destroying mana circles. How could I not be, when my family tried to persuade me into destroying them, sending me medicine and detailed instructions on how to do so. I smiled bitterly and looked at the pill in my hand. The fruits of disappointment that my father had sent me. I cried all day when this arrived. It¡¯s a bitter memory. ¡°I had no idea I was ever going to eat this.¡± I held the pill in my hand and took a couple of deep breaths. I¡¯d already prepared my mind. It¡¯s too late to show any hesitation now. I immediately put the pill in my mouth. Ba-bump! My heart beat loudly. It pulsated 2 to 3 times per second. ¡°Hmph!¡± It hurts. The three circles surrounding my heart start to push down on it. The circuit through which my mana flows is also trembling. The heretical molecules that had been absorbed into my body are completely destroying its mana structure. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± It hurts. It hurt as if it wasn¡¯t my heart that was torn to shreds but my mind. A sense of despondency, as if my 18 years of life were coming to an end. It felt like tears were unconsciously going to start flowing out of my eyes. Gnaw. I chewed on my lips. Now¡¯s not the time to cry. I can cry tears of joy later, and that¡¯ll be enough crying. Wham, wham, wham! Whilst the heart pain slowly started to stop, the three mana circles had completely lost their structure and were being reverted back to mana. As a mage, Shin Hayul was as good as dead. For now. Yes, right now he was as good as dead. ¡°I¡¯m going to start right away.¡± I immediately circulated the mana. Even without the circle, mana can still be circulated. Following my will, the remains of my destroyed mana circles were circulated around my whole body. Around my toes, to the end of my fingertips, and by riding up my spine, it entered my central nervous system. The brain. Circulating mana in the central nervous system is regarded by mages as an unconditional taboo. I broke that taboo and circulated my mana around my brain. I gritted my teeth and prepared for the impact. The fear of becoming brain dead dominated the thoughts in my head. ¡°¡­What?¡± However, What I felt was not pain, but refreshment. ¡°Hehehe.¡± Could I be hearing things? It felt like I was hearing laughter. I could hear the innocent laughter of children one after another. The refreshment I felt was like being in the middle of a forest in midsummer, floating atop of a cool river. It feels good. I felt like even the slightest feelings of worry I had in my head were being washed away. And in that moment, unknowingly tears started to flow down my face. A continuous stream of tears. Were these tears of relief? ¡°No.¡± They¡¯re a little different. My survival is no different than a testament to Ray Vell Bytenor¡¯s biography, proof that its contents are actually true. When I realised that, without me knowing, tears of joy started to flow down my face. I opened the book titled [Ray Vell Bytenor], which I had left in such a state. There had definitely been a gap of blank pages starting from the middle of page three. But now they were filled to the brim with familiar, poor handwriting. [Congratulations. My successor. No, I suppose I should start calling you this from now on.] Could it be an illusion? ¡°Congrats.¡± It felt as if even the mana that had completely filled my head were congratulating me. [My disciple.] It was at that moment, that my time, which had been stopped,started to flow again. Chapter 4 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 4 Since that day, my life¡¯s been flipped around 180 degrees. High-risk high return. I put my very life on the line and in return, I was able to taste the sweetness of the heavens itself. [Mana has a will.] [When mana permeates the brain, it causes it to want to do too many conflicting things at once, which results in an overload of information and eventually leads to a rupture in the brain.] [This is why mana acts as a toxin to the brain.] Ray Vell Bytenor. The book, which was left by the great hero who overcame time and took me on as a disciple, was filled with dormant knowledge. [However, our brains have the property of blocking the will of mana from the source. This allows us to use magic directly in the sensitive organ known as the brain.] I thoroughly looked over the sentences recorded in the book one by one and committed them to memory. The sense of accomplishment at being able to explore the forgotten knowledge all to myself. Even sleeping felt like a waste of time. [The general purpose magic consists of eight stages: collection-heating-conversion-cohesion-transmission-expansion-amplification-manifestation.] [However, just as this name suggests, this is just ¡®general-purpose¡¯ magic. It¡¯s a low-rank magic system that, I the King, made for my vassals, who were unable to transmit mana to their brain.] [It¡¯s a type of magic that¡¯s got nothing to do with us. Forget all of it.] [I¡¯ll start by letting you know the correct channel to circulate your mana that suits us.] I enjoyed every single day. I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯s been since I felt like this. Learning the new magic system was really difficult, but it was definitely worth it. [Once you have mastered circulating the mana around your whole body to the point where it¡¯s as natural as breathing, you may move on to the next stage.] [Always remember that impatience is poison in the study of magic.] The circulation of mana through the brain is taboo in the modern study of magic. I trained all day in order to make circulating my mana through that channel as natural as breathing. Spending just 4 hours a day sleeping and dedicating the rest of the day to mastering my mana circulation. ¡°There are six things that are valued in the modern study of magic. Student Shin Hayul. Do you know what they are? ¡± ¡°Student Shin Hayul?¡± ¡°¡­Ye-yes?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so lucky aren¡¯t you? I can¡¯t believe you can afford to not concentrate in class.¡± ¡°Sorry. I¡¯ll stay focused from now on.¡± Sometimes I was criticized by my teachers in class, but I don¡¯t regret it. It¡¯s all knowledge I already know, and these theories are all irrelevant to me now anyways. [It won¡¯t be easy. Changing the method of circulating your mana is like changing the way you breathe.] [It¡¯s the same as telling a person who breathes with their mouth that they¡¯ve actually got gills and that they must breathe with them instead.] [Let your body learn it in a relaxed manner for about a month or so.] Life continued like this for more than 10 days. Before I even realized it, today was already the evening of the 11th day. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m starting to get to grips with it.¡± I don¡¯t know if my food¡¯s going into my mouth or into my nose. I completely committed my focus to circulating my mana. ¡°What are you thinking about so deeply?¡± Soonchan sat next to me. His food tray was empty. It seems that he had already eaten all his food and was going to leave, but had spotted me and decided to approach me. ¡°Just you know. Giving the new theory I learned some thought.¡± ¡°Does something not make sense? You¡¯ve been in a daze lately.¡± It felt as if the words ¡°I¡¯m worried about you¡± were written on Soonchan¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s a pretty interesting theory, it¡¯s just that there¡¯s a lot to think about. It¡¯s not like anything doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± ¡°Really? Well, I¡¯m glad to hear that¡­ But you haven¡¯t been in the training room in over 10 days. There¡¯s really nothing going on right?¡± ¡°No, really. Nothings going on.¡± I do understand why Soonchan¡¯s having these worries. At this school, I¡¯m known as the crazy training addict as well as being incompatible with A.I. I have never missed a single day of going to the training room, even on weekends. So since I haven¡¯t been to the training room in over 10 days, it¡¯s natural to wonder if something¡¯s up with me. ¡°Look at me. Does this look like the face of someone who¡¯s going through something?¡± I enjoy every single one of my days so much. What worries could I possibly have? ¡°To be fair, It seems like your complexion got better.¡± ¡°Right?¡± I laughed and quickly shoved all the food I had left on my tray into my mouth. I wanted to eat quickly and go back to my room to focus on my training. In an instant, all the food had disappeared into my mouth. I got up from my seat. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get going first! See you tomorrow!¡± ¡°Hm? Uh yeah. See you tomorrow.¡± After leaving Soonchan who was waving blankly at me, I ran to the dormitory like a thunderbolt. Ah. I wish I had 48 hours in a day. The smile on my face refused to leave. The next day. The first lesson was a subject called the ¡®Theory of Magic and its Application¡¯. It¡¯s the class that most students look forward to, and is one of the five main exam subjects with the highest distribution of marks. Personally, this is the class I hate the most. ¡°About 99% of a mage¡¯s worth is determined from their bloodline.¡± Or to be exact, this is the class with the instructor I hate the most. ¡°When a mana-bearer marries another mana-bearer, there is a 99% chance that the child will also be a mana-bearer. It¡¯s fair to say that at this point, it¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that the importance of the bloodline has already been proven. ¡± Instructor Len Smith. A 43-year-old French wizard, and the second son of a very distinguished French family. ¡°In addition, the nobler the bloodline, the higher the growth ceiling is raised, and so more mana circles can be created. This has been statistically proven.¡± A highly notorious instructor. A firm believer in the doctrine of elitism, and was infamous for judging students based on their families. ¡°In the contemporary study of magic, where intermediate processes are all done by artificial intelligence, it¡¯s one¡¯s innate gift that matters.¡± I think I¡¯ve heard somewhere that one can tell a lot about a person just from their appearance. A stupid-ass beard and a weasel-like face. He¡¯s an instructor that completely suits his appearance. ¡°In the end, even those who are born with mana cannot overcome the hurdle of the sixth circle. This is also a statistically proven established theory.¡± The traitorous weasel said this while obviously staring at Soonchan sitting behind me. Anyone could tell it was an action filled with malice. Some students burst out laughing. ¡°Keke. What kind of mage can a merchant be? A mage my ass.¡± ¡°Exactly what I was thinking.¡± The laughter came from the few idiots who agreed with the elitism of that weasel bastard. They sure are spouting a lot of bullshit. ¡°Of course, not everything is determined at birth. There is no such thing as 100% in the world. There is always an error of 1%. That¡¯s why I said 99%. ¡± Oh, boy. This time, he glares at me. ¡°Especially since despite being born from the most prestigious family in the world, there are instances of useless, defective products existing.¡± That¡¯s right. I was wondering why you weren¡¯t picking on me. ¡°Ah, Student Shin Hayul. Don¡¯t get me wrong. I didn¡¯t really just look at you.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± How could I like this instructor¡¯s class? ¡°As expected, Instructor Len Smith is different. He¡¯s very knowledgeable.¡± ¡°He¡¯s like the model mage.¡± ¡°For God¡¯s sake. That weasel. You really are a jerk.¡± ¡°I want to rip that stupid-looking beard off your face.¡± Students either loved Instructor Len Smith or hated him. Most special admission students were liked by him, whilst the general admission students were disliked. ¡°Hm. I hope I haven¡¯t offended Student Shin Hayul. Otherwise, I would feel bad.¡± Anyone could tell that this bastard was insulting me, yet he was pretending not to nonetheless. The way he acts is really disgusting. ¡°Okay then. I¡¯ll give you a piece of advice.¡± The weasel bastard laughed wickedly. Just looking at him I could tell it wasn¡¯t going to be good news. ¡°You should know by now that in 15 days, on the 30th of April, there will be an aptitude assessment for the second years.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± This will be a mid-term evaluation for all second years. The purpose of the evaluation is to see how much our skills have improved over the course of the year. It¡¯s an important test, but why did he mention it? ¡°The test has a new set of rules.¡± ¡°New rules?¡± I felt anxious. ¡°Indeed.¡± My impression of that weasel bastard was becoming worse and worse. My anxiety increased. ¡°Students who fail to receive a passing mark will be expelled starting from the beginning of next year. Immediately.¡± ¡°Expulsion?¡± ¡°Holy shit. Awesome.¡± The whispering around me grew louder. ¡°I heard it was a new rule introduced by Shin Inhyuk of the Magic Shin Clan. He asked if it was necessary to keep the students without any talent.¡± At that moment, not a single sound broke the silence. ¡°¡­Woah, that¡¯s really awesome.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that just targeting Shin Hayul?¡± ¡°Did Shin Hayul get abandoned by his father?¡± I thought my father was being unusually quiet recently, but he had prepared something like this for me. I can sense his strong desire to expel me by any means. It tastes bitter. ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to worry too much. It¡¯s quite hard to get below the passing mark. Unless there¡¯s a problem somewhere in the body, everyone will be able to get through. ¡± The weasel bastard looks at me with a filthy, snake-like glare. As if he was saying I would never pass. ¡°Oh, I still haven¡¯t told you the advice. Student Shin Hayul. In preparation for this comprehensive evaluation, you should at least do what you can to speed up your magic casting. That is all.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I¡¯ve listened very closely to your great advice, and I would really appreciate it if you could go die. I cursed inwardly while laughing outwardly. ¡°Yes, thank you for your advice.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± The weasel bastard frowned. He must have thought that it was odd since I replied in such a calm manner. I think he said that to try and break my will. It may have worked on me ten days ago, but it won¡¯t work on me now. ¡¯15 days is enough.¡¯ I was incredibly motivated by the feeling of my mana circulating all around my body, starting from my brain, to my fingertips to my toes. Even in such a crappy situation, my mana kept circulating through a constant route. I was not far off absolute mastery ¡®I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡¯ I¡¯m looking forward to seeing instructor Len Smith¡¯s pleased expression become contorted. ¡®And¡­¡¯ Even my father¡¯s embarrassed expression [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] ¡°¡­I¡¯ve done it. ¡± The 14th night. I finally achieved my goal. The new mana circulation method that used the brain was completely natural for my body now. It¡¯s now possible for me to maintain constant circulation even while sleeping. I¡¯d accomplished this on day 12, but I postponed doing anything else for 2 more days just in case something unexpected happened. As my master said, impatience is a fatal poison in the study of magic. Anyway, it¡¯s time now to move on. [If you are able to circulate mana through your whole body as naturally as breathing, then it¡¯s time to make a mana circle next.] The first step in the modern study of magic; a mage¡¯s introduction if you will. The creation of a mana circle. It was the time to do that. Of course, it doesn¡¯t mean making ordinary mana circles. [I¡¯m warning you in advance, but you must completely forget the method you used to create mana circles previously.] [What you¡¯re going to create is not the general-purpose heart circulation mana circle that I made for my retainers, but a whole-body circulation mana circle.] My master¡¯s mana circle is different from the modern mana circle which is engraved on the heart. [While thinking of your body itself as a mana circle, create one using your whole body.] [If you can circulate the mana as naturally as you breathe as I instructed previously, the mana rings will interweave naturally.] Nothing was written after this. Completely blank. Perhaps new sentences are revealed as I progress through the stages. Since last time, after I destroyed my mana circle and circulated mana around my brain, new letters appeared. There¡¯s probably no need to worry about it. With that thought in mind, I sat down as I was. I¡¯m not in the lotus position. The modern study of magic recommends the lotus position as the ideal position for creating mana circles in the heart, however, I¡¯m not creating mana circles in my heart. I had no reason to adopt the lotus position, which disrupted the circulation around the legs. ¡°Whew¡­¡± I sat down in the position that I felt was the most comfortable. Even now, I¡¯m increasing my concentration on the mana that was naturally circulating around my whole body. It feels as refreshing as floating in the middle of a forest. A mysterious sensation where my body doesn¡¯t feel like my body. Is it because my senses have been freed from their shell? I can feel mana more vividly. ¡®Hehehe.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m happy.¡¯ ¡®It hurts.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s fun.¡¯ As if the mana was proving that it was a sentient being, I could hear its voices. My consciousness plunged deeper and deeper into the water. I forgot to breathe. And I forgot to think. And I even forgot that I was concentrating on something. I fell into a trance. My whole being was focused only on the movement of mana. Passing from my right leg to my left arm, reaching my head and then passing by my left leg to my right arm. And then back to my head again. Mana continued to revolve around me. Like the symbol of infinity, it revolved around as it made the shape of a M?bius strip (¡Þ). Continuously. Never stopping. It revolved at a fixed speed. As if this symbolized infinity as well. I revolved continuously without stopping. The foundation of the Bytenor style of magic. The M?bius strip symbolizing infinity. The ¡®Infinity Circle¡¯ began to appear on my body. Chapter 5 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 5 I slowly opened my eyes to the sensation of sunlight hitting my eyelids. The sound of chirping birds can be heard. ¡°¡­Is it morning?¡± I stood up in a hurry and checked the time. [April the 15th, 2054] [7:42 AM] I¡¯d last checked the time yesterday at 10:00, so a full 10 hours had passed. ¡°I¡¯ve maintained the mana circulation for 10 hours.¡± Despite doing so, my head feels clear. Normally, after exerting myself to this extent I would have exhausted all my mental strength and fainted, but I feel refreshed as if I¡¯d woken up from a 10-hour-long sleep. ¡®No, that¡¯s not what¡¯s important right now.¡¯ I hurriedly entered a meditative state. I had to start by making sure that the circles were interwoven safely. I closed my eyes and observed my inner self. I felt something that wasn¡¯t there yesterday filling my body. ¡°So this is the Infinity Circle¡­¡± In my body was one circle. It was a circle so large that it couldn¡¯t be compared to the circle the size of a heart I had previously. ¡®I didn¡¯t know a mana circle this large could be this efficient.¡¯ Just because a circle is big doesn¡¯t mean that it¡¯s good. If a circle is larger, generally the maximum amount of absorbable mana will be increased. However, increasing only the maximum capacity has no benefit. Having a large circle just means that it takes that much more time for the mana to revolve around the circle (the time it takes to circulate mana). Having a longer mana circulation just means the magic is processed that much slower. So mages weave the rings of mana around the heart. The heart is the organ which circulates blood throughout the body, and by creating a circle there, it¡¯s possible to infuse the blood with mana, and send it to anywhere in the body. The disadvantage of having a small circle can be offset by weaving several circles together. This is the basic principles of modern magic. But what about my Infinity Circle? My circle is a vast circle that encompasses my entire body, and is much larger than the size of a heart, but the speed of the mana circulation is no different when compared to the smaller circles. If we use racing as an analogy, it¡¯s like running a track 10 times longer than all the other competitors but still finishing faster. ¡®I think the rate of circulation is actually better than what normal circles can do.¡¯ It feels like I¡¯m using the motor of a luxury sports car, while everyone else is using the motor of an electric scooter. ¡®Is this the difference between having mana travel via the brain and not having mana travel via the brain?¡¯ I wondered if this was the difference between having and not having a command center. ¡®But it¡¯s going to take some time to properly get used to this.¡¯ I scratched the back of my head. What difference does having the motor of a new sports car make? When I don¡¯t know how to use it. Learning how to use a new motor takes time and effort. Fortunately, I have the means of minimizing the time and effort required. I immediately picked up the [Ray Vell Bytenor] that I had left on the floor. Flipping the pages, I checked beyond page 8 which had originally been left blank. [Congratulations on formally being introduced to the Bytenor style of magic.] ¡°As expected.¡± As I had expected, this book seemed to follow a structure where the pages were revealed as I accomplished more things. [There are a lot of things I want to say, but I won¡¯t bore you with my idle talk of the past. I know that you¡¯re not at all interested in any of my nonsense.] I calmed down my rapidly beating heart and read the next sentence. [I¡¯ll pass on to you the basics of the Bytenor style of magic from now on.] The Bytenor style magic. The vision magic of Ray Vell Bytenor. [The First Steps of Bytenorian Magic. I call this first step the ¡®deliberation¡¯.] Deliberation. The one word made my heart beat violently. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] From then on, my daily routine returned to solely learning the Bytenor style of magic. [The symbol of Bytenorian magic is freedom.] [Think freely. That will be your strength.] The infinity circle, symbolizing infinity. The Bytenor style of magic, symbolizing freedom. These two synergies were far more remarkable than anything I could ever imagine. [There is no set equation for the Bytenor style of magic.] [There¡¯s no need for any triggers, formulas, or algorithms for my magic.] Not only do they display synergy in terms of the performance of the magic, they are also similar in how difficult it is to learn. Basically what I¡¯m saying is that it¡¯s disgustingly difficult. [It¡¯s like how the human body doesn¡¯t do any calculations to move the arms and legs, breathe, or blink.] Doing something as effortlessly as breathing is easier said than done. It¡¯s like saying all you have to do to win in football is just kick a ball into a goal or basketball is as easy as just throwing a ball into a hoop. [The mana is your arm. It¡¯s your legs. It¡¯s the heart and it¡¯s your head. Move it as you please.] This is like telling a swordsman or a marksman to use their sword or gun as if it were their limbs. I say it twice because it¡¯s important, but it really is easier said than done. If achieving mastery at something were as easy as just saying the words, then there wouldn¡¯t be a single competitive sport in the world. [Think freely. That¡¯s the beginning and the end of the Bytenor style of magic. That¡¯s my magic¡¯s everything.] Freedom was such a vague term that it was hard to establish as a concept. After going through countless trials and errors, before I knew it, 3 days had already passed. Today is the 18th of April. It¡¯s a Saturday. ¡°Transmit directly what the brain thinks¡­¡± Even today, I was constantly revolving the infinity circle around, and raising the intensity of my magic training. Despite waking up and spending 5 hours trying to learn the ¡®deliberation¡¯, I wasn¡¯t able to grasp the proper shape of the magic. And the current time is 1PM. It¡¯s time to go to my part-time job. ¡®I think I¡¯ll be able to get the feel of it with just a bit more¡­¡± I don¡¯t think there¡¯s even a real need for me to say this but I¡¯ve been abandoned by my family. The support from the family was cut off a year ago. From food to textbooks, I had no choice but to work and buy them all myself. If I didn¡¯t at least do some part-time work, I wouldn¡¯t have enough money to survive. On the bright side, The Obelisk Academy employs a system where only those who have paid the school fee in full can enroll. Thanks to that, I was able to avoid the worst case scenario of having to pay for my school fees as well. If I had to earn money for my school fees as well, I probably would have chosen to just leave. Or I might¡¯ve been involved in something illegal. ¡°Poverty really is a sin.¡± In order to buy tomorrow¡¯s food, I have to work hard today and tomorrow. I got up from my seat, smiling bitterly. Magic also requires money to learn. I changed into my outdoor clothes and headed out. ¡°The weather¡¯s good.¡± The sky was sunny and joyful. Just like my mood. After finishing my part-time safely, I returned straight to the dormitory and did everything I could to learn the Bytenor style of magic. ¡®I¡¯m going to go insane.¡¯ It feels like it¡¯s just barely out of my reach. Like some sort of thin, invisible veil is blocking my hands from grasping it. In the study of magic, this kind of thing is called the ¡°Wall of Enlightenment.¡± I have to break this wall, but I can¡¯t think of the right way to do it. ¡°What could be the problem?¡± I already knew the theory to a T. The newly revealed theories that I had learnt combined with the theories I had already gotten, meant that my understanding of the theory of the Bytenor style of magic couldn¡¯t be any more perfect. And I genuinely understood everything. My analysis of the structure of the infinity circle was also complete. I even came to fully understand how the infinity circle interacted with the Bytenor style of magic. ¡°But why can¡¯t I do it?¡± The problem was that despite doing all this, the magic would not properly activate. This is why I was actually losing my mind. I don¡¯t know what else I can do anymore. ¡®Did I miss anything?¡¯ I read out the contents step by step once again. There were 3 entire notebooks just on the theory, and this equated to over 100 pages. It took more than an hour just to check over it again. ¡°¡­It should be perfect.¡± No matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t find anything I had missed out. I scratched my head. It¡¯s so frustrating. ¡°Ehh¡­¡± Then I noticed the mountain of notes and documents that had piled up. I had flipped between the pages so many times that some of them were starting to wear out, and in-between the pages there were hundreds of post-it notes which made everything look disorderly. ¡°What a sorry sight¡­¡± As I looked onwards at the mess I had made, I felt a strange feeling. I¡¯m sure I had seen this sight somewhere before. ¡°Oh.¡± I remembered. ¡°¡­The day when I tried to create my second circle. ¡± Age 12. When I was still called a prodigy. It was a time when I held the entire weight of my family¡¯s expectation on my back. I had prepared for a few months to try and create the second circle. I had revised the concept of magic circles, seen which structures would interweave, checked what type of chemical actions would occur, found which size circles were most efficient and so on. I¡¯d compiled all the information that there was to know. ¡®I¡¯m going to perfectly create my second circle!¡¯ My mind was clustered with these arrogant thoughts. And of course, I failed to create the second circle. It was my first ever failure. I remember crying in anger. ¡®Hayul.¡¯ Back when my family was still kind to me. My father embraced the me kindly and said: ¡®Perfection is just a word that restricts you and binds you down.¡¯ ¡®Overthinking things may be to your advantage, however, sometimes it¡¯s best to just stupidly charge forward.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t understand what he had meant back then. But for some reason, I felt like I could understand it now. I immediately got up from my seat. Then, I sat down as comfortably as I could, and focused on my mind. I emptied my brain, and erased all the distracting thoughts. As I concentrated solely on the revolving of mana, the thought of removing all thoughts vanished as well. ¡®I took the long way around.¡¯ Nowhere in my master¡¯s message was there any mention of having to have any understanding of the Bytenor style of magic and the infinity circle. The only thing he said was to think freely. I had overcomplicated this simple sentence. ¡®Perfection is a fictional word created by human arrogance.¡¯ There is no such thing as perfection in the study of magic. It seemed that the me who had been short sighted due to my urgency had not realized such a basic thing. I softly smiled and circulated my mana around. Diing, ding,ding. A clear, resonant sound rang out. There was not a single distracting thought in my mind. [It¡¯s like how the human body doesn¡¯t do any calculations to move the arms and legs, breathe, or blink.] Only my Master¡¯s words were present, shimmering like a haze. [The mana is your arm. It¡¯s your legs. It¡¯s the heart and it¡¯s your head. Move it as you please.] That was the enlightenment that I had needed. A minor, but giant, realization. [Think freely. That¡¯s the beginning and the end of the Bytenor style of magic. That¡¯s my magic¡¯s everything.] Just as how slightly tilting your head makes you view the world in a completely different light. Enlightenment is just as trivial. Phwaa! A flame blazed over my palm. Instantly. With just a thought, a flame appeared. There was no need for the eight-stepped magic of old, nor for the two-stepped modern magic. Instant casting. Just as how one doesn¡¯t think about moving their arms. Just as how one doesn¡¯t think about breathing. Flowers of flames blossomed according to my will. [The first step in the Bytenor style of magic. I call this first step the ¡®deliberation¡¯.] ¡°I¡¯ve succeeded¡­¡± It was the moment when I succeeded in taking my first steps as a mage of the Bytenor style. Chapter 6 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 6 Even after I was officially introduced to the Bytenor style of magic, my daily life remained the same. I would wake up and do some training in the morning before attending my classes, and after my classes, I would train my magic until dawn. If I had to say something had changed, it probably would be the fact that I did my training in my own room rather than at the training facilities. And as per usual, today I¡¯d finished my classes and was doing magic training in my room. ¡®Water.¡¯ A small drop of water, about 10 cm in diameter, floated above the palm of my hand. This was water magic, the basics of elemental magic. In the past, it took me almost 8 full seconds to create this small droplet of water. But now, just by thinking about it, I can naturally manifest it. ¡°Deliberation. Immediate casting.¡± A magic that triggers just by thought without needing any algorithms or calculations. It was a type of magic beyond great; it was marvelous. ¡°In addition to this¡­¡± In accordance with my thoughts, the shape of the water drops began to change. Gulp gulp. It changed from the shape of a star to the shape of a spear. And then to the shape of a bow. Even changing into a form like that of a lion or a tiger. And finally, it changed into the shape of a bird, and as if it were real, it flapped its wings and flew around me. It changed form and moved all in accordance to my thoughts. ¡°That¡¯s awesome.¡± I stuck my tongue out and canceled the water magic. The bird that was flying in the sky dispersed into water droplets and vanished. ¡®I wonder if anyone would believe me if I said all this was done impromptu and was cast without any algorithms.¡¯ I bet no one would. I don¡¯t think they would trust me. I can¡¯t believe I can freely change the magic I¡¯ve manifested to this extent. This is something that should be impossible according to the basic principles of modern magic. If you think about the eight-step magic activation formula, you can see just how crazy this is. ¡®It¡¯s like going against the magic formula and modifying the middle of it.¡¯ Currently I was changing the appearance of the magic after I had finished casting it. In other words, after finishing the 8th and last stage of magic (manifestation), I was modifying the previous 3rd (conversion) and 4th (cohesion) stages. If we use the analogy of manufacturing a car, it¡¯s like building an entire car and then afterwards saying that you don¡¯t like the frame so you¡¯re going to change it. Or if we use the analogy of constructing a building, it¡¯s like saying that you forgot to build the earthquake prevention measures so you¡¯ll just add them in. Basically this should be physically impossible. And I did the thing that was supposed to be physically impossible. Of course, I didn¡¯t actually defy the laws of physics. This was only possible because the structure of the Bytenor style of magic was completely different from the structure of conventional magic. The more I think about it, the more I can¡¯t help but to admire it. Not only does this magic not require any casting, one can also freely alter any magic that they¡¯ve manifested. I wonder if there could be another magic system as overpowered as this one. ¡®And it feels very compatible with me as well.¡¯ Especially considering my combat style, my compatibility will be shown to an even greater extent. ¡®The only problems are that it consumes a large amount of mental power, and that I haven¡¯t been able to learn all of it yet¡­¡¯ Due to the structure of the Bytenor style of magic, the brain itself is directly used, and so it drains a large amount of mental power. Because of this, despite having a huge reservoir of mana thanks to my infinity circle, I¡¯m unable to overuse my magic. I only have one circle, so it¡¯s to be expected. ¡®Well, since both problems can be solved with time, I¡¯m not too concerned.¡¯ Even though there are problems present, since they can be slowly overcome with more progress, I¡¯m not too fussed. Rather, I¡¯m feeling happy and knowing that these are the only downsides. ¡°This is enough for now.¡± Now that I¡¯ve overcome my weaknesses, that in itself is enough. I¡¯ve only taken just one step forward. I have no need to be impatient at all. As my master said, impatience is but a poison in the study of magic. Slow and steady wins the race. If you take one step at a time, you¡¯ll find that eventually you¡¯ll reach the target you set for yourself. With this conviction, I read the newly revealed pages of the book [Ray Vell Bytenor]. [If you have set foot on the basics of the Bytennor style of magic: ¡®deliberation¡¯, then it¡¯s time to set foot on achieving full mastery.] I couldn¡¯t help but let a huge grin break out. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Monday, 20th of April. In the afternoon, I took some time off and went out to the personal training grounds. I intended to try out the Bytenor style of magic that I had mastered over the last two days by using the training grounds that I hadn¡¯t used for a while. ¡°This place really is ridiculously expensive.¡± Although the Obelisk shopping district boasts an enormous amount of mage training facilities, it¡¯s stupidly expensive to use any of it. 800,000 won per hour. Using those facilities for just one hour instantly burns about a month of my living costs. I can¡¯t afford to use such high-class facilities. ¡°And they said that money doesn¡¯t matter.¡± I smiled bitterly and walked through the main street of the Obelisk shopping district. After walking for a long time, I entered a back street. [The exclusive mage training room, ¡®Destiny¡¯] And in the corner of the gloomy street was the training room that I had made my destination. Old signs and a shabby building. It¡¯s a stark contrast to the shops on the main street that I had passed by a short time ago. [200,000 won per hour.] However, it¡¯s much cheaper. I swiftly walked into the store. ¡°Welcome.¡± The inside of the shop was quite tidy. Unlike the shabby, unmanaged signs on the outside, I felt that the interior was definitely being maintained. ¡®To be fair, I doubt they would neglect maintenance at a mage training facility. ¡® I know just how picky mages are. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m trying to use a training room where I can fight virtual monsters for an hour.¡± ¡°Can you show me your ID?¡± I took out the student card that identified me as a student studying at the Obelisk Academy. The shop assistant took my student card and placed it where the scanner was. The shop assistant was using a mana scanner which checked if my ID was fake. ¡°Yep, you¡¯re good to go. Would you like me to take you straight to your room?¡± In an instant, the shop assistant gave back my student ID. ¡°Yes, please.¡± ¡°Then, follow me this way.¡± I followed the shop assistant inside. Judging by the number of lights that were turned on, there seemed to be a lot of people who were in the middle of using it. It¡¯s unusual for so many people to be here at this time of day. I searched for the cheapest place possible, but I guess it¡¯s a good place in its own right. I walked for about a minute, and arrived at room 14. The inside of the room was also quite neat. The training dome is definitely old, but considering the price that¡¯s to be expected. ¡°You may use this place. Should I explain how to use it? ¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m alright thanks.¡± There¡¯s a training dome like this near my house, so I know how to use it better than anyone. ¡®¡®Alright then. Please call me if you need any assistance.¡± After saying this, the shop assistant left the room. ¡°Whew.¡± I, who was left alone, did some light stretches and headed for the control panel. Using the control panel, I selected the type and number of monsters without making it too difficult. Next, I selected the terrain I wanted. [PvE mode confirmed.] [Creating the specified terrain and monsters.] BEEP ¨C ! The mana inside the dome trembled fiercely. The surrounding landscape began to change. The ordinary interior of the dome was changed into a modest cave. At the same time, monsters began to be created. The monsters that I chose. Blood razer wolves. An agile mammal monster of the dog species, ranked E in the risk rating. Ten of them. They were randomly generated around me. [The creation has been completed.] [To begin training, please shout ¡®Begin Training¡¯.] Monsters that have a risk rating of E class are weak monsters that can be defeated even by a 2-circle mage without any problems. The reason I chose the blood razer wolves was because there used to be an odd trend at the Obelisk Academy that was called the [Blood razer wolf Challenge]. ¡°If you were able to defeat 10 of these guys at once without taking any damage, you were said to be a proper two-circle master.¡± Even if they¡¯re E Rank 4 Tier Monsters, dealing with 10 monsters at once isn¡¯t all that easy. No matter how fast modern magic has gotten, it¡¯s the mage themselves who are using the magic. There was no way it would be easy to defeat 10 monsters rushing from all directions without taking any damage. Of course having the ability to use magic at the right time is a must, but the ability to judge situations, a wide field of view, ability to multitask and being skilled at moving one¡¯s body. All of this is required in order to defeat the blood Wolves without receiving any harm. ¡°At the time I couldn¡¯t even conceive the idea of trying it.¡± It took me 7 seconds to cast basic magic, so it was absurd for me to even think about defeating 10 blood razer wolves ¡°I¡¯m trying this after all the hype has died down.¡± I felt needlessly embarrassed. ¡°Still, there¡¯s no other way to be more certain about my strength than this.¡± I¡¯ve heard that there weren¡¯t that many who actually succeeded in overcoming this challenge. That¡¯s why this would be a good way of telling how strong I am. ¡®¡®Hoo. All right. Let¡¯s do it. ¡± I took one last deep breath, and pulled myself together. I revolved the Infinity Circle, lowered my center of gravity and prepared to fight. I was filled with adrenaline. ¡®¡®Begin training.¡± [The training is starting.] The mana briefly vibrated, and then the training began. ¡°Have a nice day.¡± ¡°Goodbye.¡± After Shin Hayul had left, a part-timer headed to room 14 to clean it. Reverting the settings of the training dome back to how they were before, if someone had littered then picking it up and by chance if someone had smoked, removing any trace that they had left. Such was the life of a part-timer. Occasionally there were people who made a mess of the room. But there were instances of claiming damages against those people using the student ID that was already scanned. ¡°As expected, the students of the Obelisk Academy use the rooms very neatly.¡± Fortunately, this guest had no reason to worry about such claims. Room 14 was very tidy. It was so tidy that the part-timer had no need to do any additional cleaning. ¡®Looks like I only need to reset the settings.¡¯ The part-timer swiftly opened the settings window. All they had to do was plug in the master key and reset the settings. The ID card of the student who had used room 14 suddenly came to mind. ¡®Come to think of it, the student who used this room¡­ Was it Shin Hayul?¡¯ Shin Hayul. The great genius that not a single person who¡¯s work related to magic didn¡¯t know¡­. A boy that used to be such a person. ¡®I was told that he wasn¡¯t compatible with AI and I haven¡¯t heard much from him in a while. Seems like he was still at the Obelisk Academy.¡¯ I would have thought that you would have already quit everything to do with magic and be all cooped up. ¡°I wonder what kind of training Shin Hayul did.¡± And suddenly the part-timer¡¯s curiosity got the better of them. What results would the training of Shin Hayul, the former genius but current failure bring? By how much did that genius prodigy fall? Even I was curious. ¡°Shall we have a quick look?¡± The thought was short and the action was fast. ¡®Yeah, let¡¯s take a quick peek¡¯. The part-timer stopped resetting the settings, and checked the training records. And was shocked. Although it was surprising that he managed to finish 5 different types of training in 1 hour, what was even more surprising was the results of the training. ¡°You succeed in the blood razer wolf Challenge?¡± And the faces of the monsters that were defeated were brilliant. ¡°No, this is¡­¡± Shin Hayul¡¯s last training session was the [PvE Monster Survival Training]. This was training that was included in the Obelisk academy test and was set up to be appropriate for the international exam standards. It was a training exercise where monsters would continuously pour in and it tested how long one could last, or how fast one could wipe out all of the virtual monsters. For reference, the average time it takes for the top academy students around the world to defeat the monsters is 12 minutes and 33 seconds. ¡°Holy!¡± And the time it took for Shin Hayul to clear it was¡­ ¡°Wiping out all of those monsters¡­ in just 6 minutes and 37 seconds!?¡± 6 minutes 37 seconds. It is not a time a student should be able to achieve. It¡¯s a time one can see at a competition where the participants are all mages that are 5-circle or higher. The fact that Shin Hayul, who is incompatible with AI could set such a mind boggling score, meant that¡­ ¡°¡­Oh, you crap machine. There¡¯s another error again.¡± There had been another error in this old training dome. ¡°How many times has it been just this month?¡± The part-timer let out their frustration, and hit the crappy machine with their fist. From recording errors to operating errors. Anyone would be sick of this. ¡®¡®Looks like I¡¯ll have to call the repairman soon.¡± 6 minutes and 37 seconds was such a ridiculous time. The part-timer reset the settings in an offhand manner, as if they hadn¡¯t even considered that this may have been Shin Hayul¡¯s real score, and returned back to standing behind the counter. Chapter 7 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 7 April the 21st. All of the boring, indoor classes that Tuesday was full of, had come to an end. Once I had returned to my room, I intensively read [Ray Vell Bytennor] again while revising it. I¡¯ve already read it a few times, but just in case I had missed anything. I wanted to double-check that I hadn¡¯t made any mistakes, so that¡¯s why I was reading it again. I thought that maybe I had made a mistake in interpreting the ancient language, so I checked that aspect of it again as well. ¡®¡®Hmm. Nothing seems to be wrong.¡± Luckily, I don¡¯t think I missed anything. I closed [Ray Vell Bytenor] and left it on the desk. And as I did that, the calendar I had left nearby caught my eye. In between the calendar that was crammed full of plans, I saw the last thing I had planned in April. [30th of April] [¡ï Comprehensive mid-term evaluation] ¡°I haven¡¯t got all that much time left.¡± Starting from this mid-term, there was a new rule that stated that those who failed to receive a passing mark would be expelled. The rule that was clearly targeted at me was issued by none other than my very own father. Even if I must use force, I will bring you back. My father¡¯s actions showed this type of strong will. ¡®¡®If I hadn¡¯t found my Master¡¯s book, I would have been expelled too, right?¡± I would have certainly been expelled because of the mid-term evaluation. Especially since no matter what I did, my magic casting speed would never have met the pass mark. Well, it¡¯s all irrelevant now. The likelihood that I will fail to achieve a ¡®pass¡¯ is 0%. ¡®Instead, I¡¯ll probably be ranked as one of the best in the school.¡¯ I became convinced of this after doing all kinds of training drills yesterday, including the blood razer wolf. Even if I can¡¯t be within the top 3, I¡¯ll at least be able to reach the top 10. ¡°And the timing is great as well.¡± The mid-term comprehensive evaluation is a day that draws not only the eyes of Korean but international magic companies as well. Because of the chance to view future prospects, there were a lot of people who came in person, including scouts. There¡¯s no better place to announce that the country¡¯s fallen genius has risen again. ¡°Top 10. No matter what, I will reach this.¡± On that day. I will take back everything that I¡¯ve lost. My dreams, my status, my honour. I will take back everything. The next morning. ¡°Student Shin Hayul.¡± On the way to school, by chance, I met Instructor Ko Changsoo in the hallway. ¡°Good morning.¡± I stood up straight and greeted him. The instructor greeted me back by lightly waving. ¡°I was looking for you, so it¡¯s good meeting you here.¡± ¡°You were looking for¡­ me? ¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Instructor Ko Changsoo made a gesture that told me to follow. ¡°I have a visitor for you.¡± ¡°A visitor¡­¡± There aren¡¯t that many people that would come visit me. And the fact that the guest was a person important enough for Instructor Ko Changsoo to personally come and find me before class¡­ ¡°Was it perhaps my father who came to visit?¡± The head of the Magic Shin Clan, Shin Inhyuk That was the only person it could be. ¡°That¡¯s right. Patriarch Shin Inhyuk has come to visit you. ¡± ¡°¡­I see. ¡± Given the new system that was implemented starting from this mid-term evaluation, I had expected him to come and visit me soon. ¡°Where do I go?¡± I had something I wanted to say to him as well, so this was a good thing. ¡°He¡¯ll be at the reception room.¡± ¡®¡®Okay. Thank you. ¡± There was not even a trace of anxiety coming from my steps that were heading towards the reception room. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] The head of the Magic Shin Clan, Shin Inhyuk At the age of 63, he¡¯s an entrepreneur who¡¯s grown the Magic Shin Clan to become the best clan in Korea, whilst simultaneously being a high-ranked 8-circle mage. His current goal, after having already achieved being the best clan in Korea, is to become the greatest noble family in the world. And it was actually going well. He has good relationships with world-famous families, and in fact, the family¡¯s share price was rising day by day. Shin Inhyuk who looked as if he had no concerns had but one. His youngest son. The gem of the Magic Shin Clan. Having a brilliant mind and gifted with the ability to learn. A great genius who might appear once in a 100 years. To the point that the Blue Tower Master who was astonished by his talent gave him the title of ¡®the genius prodigy¡¯. ¡°Long time no see. Father.¡± ¡­A son who used to be such a person. But now, a son who became a pain in the back and was abandoned, Shin Hayul. ¡°Tsk. Are you happy now that I¡¯ve personally come?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Shin Inhyuk glared at Shin Hayul, who was sitting opposite him. ¡°You must have been living well. Your complexion¡¯s gotten better since I last saw you. ¡± ¡®¡® Yes, I¡¯ve attained a couple of small achievements recently¡­¡± I¡¯ve attained achievements. As a mage father with a mage son, these words should have caused his heart to overflow with joy, but Shin Inhyuk wasn¡¯t happy at all. ¡®¡®Achievements, achievements. It seems you still haven¡¯t abandoned your vain dream.¡± The fact that Shin Hayul had achievements in magic meant that he hadn¡¯t abandoned his dream of becoming a mage. To Shin Inhyuk, who had hoped that Shin Hayul would abandon his dream of becoming a mage, this was not something pleasant to hear. ¡®¡®Yes. I¡¯m going to be the greatest archmage of the ages.¡± Shin Inhyuk sighed a little. All sorts of emotions can be felt from the eyes that looked upon Shin Hayul. Pity, regret and hatred. Emotions that couldn¡¯t be described swirled around. ¡°If you¡¯ve been idly wandering around for a year, you should have regained your senses.¡± He deeply sighed once again. ¡°Even with that brilliant mind and eyes, you still seem to be unable to view yourself objectively.¡± There¡¯s a time-worn saying that states that there¡¯s nothing more difficult than viewing yourself objectively. It seems to apply to Shin Hayul, the genius as well. ¡°No, you¡¯re wrong. I¡¯m evaluating myself without letting my emotions get the better of me. ¡± ¡°Are you saying that having evaluated yourself, you are still vainly deluding yourself into thinking you can be the greatest ever archmage?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shin Inhyuk frowned as if he was frustrated. ¡°Hayul. My son.¡± Then, he stared at Shin Hayul with a glare as sharp as a knife. ¡°I¡¯ll say it once again. You can¡¯t be a proper mage.¡± He¡¯s repeating exactly what he said 1 year ago to Shin Hayul when he found out that he was incompatible with AI. ¡°Whatever you achieve now, whatever you may achieve in the future, you will never be able to compete against other mages. Never, as long as you are lacking what is most important.¡± No matter how intelligent a person may be, they simply cannot match the processing speed of a computer. ¡°But there¡¯s a field in which you can make use of your bright mind. The study of artificial intelligence for magic. If it¡¯s this field of study, you can make use of 120% of your brilliant brain. If you can just get rid of the vain delusion of becoming an archmage, everything will be solved.¡± To Shin Inhyuk, Shin Hayul is like a hurt finger. A finger that can¡¯t just be cut off, but one that can¡¯t be cured either. ¡°Father,¡± said Shin Hayul calmly. ¡°I told you back then, but I have no intention of studying artificial intelligence.¡± Shin Inhyuk¡¯s glare turned sharper. He had lost his temper at his son who still wouldn¡¯t regain his sense after this much. ¡°I refuse to follow the path you¡¯ve created for me and merely become a cog of the family.¡± Shin Hayul¡¯s eyes shone coldly. ¡°The only thing I want is a place in the family. I don¡¯t want to be a cog in the family that laughs and cries at someone¡¯s command. ¡± Lightning flashed between Shin Inhyuk¡¯s eyes. ¡°Even if nothing else does, at the very least your aspiration will be what leads the family.¡± ¡°Because I was raised that way.¡± Shin Hayul didn¡¯t particularly resent his father. That time when his father spoke to him roughly a year ago? No big deal. His father is also human; it¡¯s not impossible for him to lose his temper. That time when his father sent him a potion to destroy his circle? Shin Hayul gets it. It was just an extreme measure proposed by his father since he wanted him to abandon the vain dream of becoming a magician and focus on the new study of artificial intelligence, which doesn¡¯t require a circle. The same is true for this threat of expulsion. Expulsion if the pass mark is not met. This must just be another type of extreme measure to make his son regain his senses. After all, how could a mage who couldn¡¯t even reach a past mark become the greatest archmage? In the first place, even if it wasn¡¯t Shin Hayul, anyone who gets below the past mark deserves to be expelled. Although he may have felt hurt by Shin Inhyuk¡¯s actions, he didn¡¯t particularly hate or loathe him. ¡°Now, even for the Magic Shin Clan, one cannot become an archmage just with ambition.¡± ¡°Father.¡± Shin Hayul just wanted to show it to him. ¡°I will show proof that my dream is not a vain delusion.¡± He wanted to show that he was still alive. The mage in Shin Hayul was still very much alive. The fact that genius that his father had loved so much was still growing. He wanted to prove it. ¡°Prove it? In what way? I hope you¡¯re not going to say that¡¯ll you prove it by merely reaching the past mark and not being expelled?¡± Shin Inhyuk¡¯s gaze shone sharply. ¡°If you¡¯re thinking of proving that your vain delusions are realistic dreams just by achieving a pass then¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t intend to do that either,¡± said Shin Hayul calmly. ¡°I will be within the top 10 with just my score in the practice for this comprehensive mid-term evaluation.¡± ¡°¡­Top 10? You¡¯re going to be in the top 10 out of the entire second-year student body?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡®¡®Is it possible for you to be in the top 10?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shin Inhyuk stared into Shin Hayul¡¯s eyes. ¡°If I fail, I¡¯m going to drop out of the academy and devote myself to the study of artificial intelligence, as you wanted, father. ¡°¡­ ¡± ¡°But if I succeed, please acknowledge me as someone worthy of becoming a mage, and promise me your full support, including financial support.¡± It was his son¡¯s clear eyes that he hadn¡¯t seen in some time. It was the same eyes, brimming with confidence, as he had seen 5 years ago when Shin Hayul had won the youth magic competition. Where the hell did he get that confidence from? ¡°¡­Come to think of it, you said you had achieved something earlier. ¡± ¡®¡® Yes. I had a little epiphany. ¡± ¡°Then that achievement must be the source of your confidence.¡± Shin Inhyuk¡¯s eyes seemed doubtful. No matter what kind of enlightenment he had received, a person incompatible with AI would remain a person incompatible with AI. He would never be able to approach modern magic. ¡°I¡¯m asking just in case, but you haven¡¯t installed any illegal artificial intelligence have you?¡± If it was an illegal artificial intelligence that paid no heed to the safety of its wearer, then even an incompatible person like Shin Hayul could have somehow installed it. ¡°Of course not.¡± Shin Hayul showed the back of his neck. It was a silent gesture that said ¡°If you¡¯re suspicious then check my artificial intelligence number.¡± ¡°¡­If that¡¯s not the case then it¡¯s fine.¡± If he¡¯s that confident, then he probably hasn¡¯t installed any illegal artificial intelligence. In the first place, his brilliant son had no reason to lie about something that could be exposed soon. For that same reason, there was no chance that he was bluffing. He wasn¡¯t stupid enough to lie about something that¡¯ll be proved in just 8 days. That means you¡¯ve really achieved something great. ¡°May I ask what the accomplishment is?¡± Shin Hayul lightly shook his head. ¡°Even if I put it into words, you wouldn¡¯t believe me.¡± He could show off the Bytenor style of magic right here, right now, but that would be the worst plan. The effect it would have would be drastically different depending on when this ability was revealed to the public ¡°On the day of April the 30th. You¡¯re telling me to check it with my own eyes? ¡± And there is no better place than the midterm comprehensive evaluation for Shin Hayul to show off his hand, the Bytenor style of magic. ¡°It¡¯s said that seeing is believing.¡± Shin Hayul¡¯s eyes were filled with confidence. ¡°I¡¯ll prove everything on that day.¡± The Shin Hayul of the present was confident of that much. Chapter 8 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 8 After my father had left, I entered school late. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late.¡± ¡°I heard from Instructor Ko Changsoo that your father was here.¡± In an instant the muttering started to grow. As my relationship with the Magic Shin Clan was of interest to the entirety of the Obelisk Academy, such mutterings were natural. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°My temper isn¡¯t bad enough for me to punish a student for something that was unavoidable. Sit down.¡± At the instructor¡¯s joke, a few laughs burst out. ¡°Thank you.¡± I bowed my head and took my seat. ¡°Then I¡¯ll start the class again. I think I was explaining how to use an algorithm with magic and how to apply this with artificial intelligence.¡± ¡®¡®Yes, after creating the data, you explained up till how to map this data onto the AI chip.¡± ¡°Hm. Then in that case I¡¯ll move straight on to the open source magic recorded in the ¡®library¡¯.¡± I sat down and was trapped in thought, allowing what the instructor was saying to pass through one ear and go out the other. ¡®Good. For now the first step¡¯s been taken. My father gladly accepted my offer.¡¯ Although of course he didn¡¯t accept it because he believed in me; he accepted it because he judged that either way he wouldn¡¯t lose anything.¡¯ Though in the first place it was an offer that was trying to use that fact. ¡®Anyway, with this I¡¯ve passed over the first hurdle.¡¯ All that¡¯s left is to get a good grade in the mid-term. ¡®Within 10th place. It won¡¯t be all that easy, but it won¡¯t be all that hard either. ¡® Before I had received the Bytenor style of magic, it would have been impossible, but now it¡¯s within reason. ¡®Hmm, let¡¯s see. Then, I have to prepare for eight days¡­¡¯ I had a feeling that the 8 days of preparation would be worthwhile. In an instant, two days had passed, and today was Friday the 24th of April. Even though all the classes had ended, there was not a single student who had left the classroom. ¡°Whew¡­ I¡¯m shaking. What kind of test do you think it¡¯ll be?¡± ¡°Last year was a test on wiping out the monsters. Maybe this year it¡¯ll be a fight against humans?¡± Today was the day they revealed what test the mid-term comprehensive evaluation would be composed of, so everyone was on edge. ¡°Personally, I prefer fighting humans.¡± ¡°I definitely prefer it. Especially since I have no talent in multitasking or ranged magic.¡± It was a time when everyone was eagerly praying that the test that they excelled in would be chosen. ¡°Everyone, please take a seat.¡± Just in time, Instructor Ko Changsoo came into the classroom to announce what the test would be. The students quickly took their seats. ¡°I¡¯ll make this short and tell you what test the midterm will be straight away.¡± With the words of Instructor Ko Changsoo, the whole classroom went silent. Everyone is praying earnestly for the test they want to be chosen. ¡°The test method of this mid-term comprehensive evaluation is a one-on-one tournament, against each other.¡± With those words, two types of reactions burst out. ¡°Oh yeah! Fights against humans!¡± ¡°And it¡¯s 1:1 too, that¡¯s my specialty!¡± Half of the class cheered. ¡°Oh, out of all the things it could have been it had to be fights against humans?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not too confident.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s 1:1 as well¡­¡± And the other half were in despair. If you were wondering what half I was on, I was on the cheering side. I also personally preferred fights against real people. ¡°The test is to be scheduled to run for three days from April the 30th to Saturday, May the 2nd.¡± Due to the nature of the test being a tournament, not all will have finished in a single day. So naturally, the test period was increased by three days. ¡°The top 16 will fight on Saturday, where outside companies and even those affiliated with magic towers will attend, so try your best.¡± The commotion grew even more at the mention of business and magic tower officials. ¡°So if you¡¯re able to get into the top 16, you¡¯ll give off a strong impression.¡± ¡°Reaching the quarterfinals may be hard, but if it¡¯s only reaching the top 16, well¡­¡± ¡°Getting into the blue magic tower is my dream.¡± Everyone was all riled up. This was because they held the hope of entering a ¡®coloured¡¯ magic tower if they were able to luckily give off a strong impression. ¡°Then, I will reveal the all-important tournament bracket.¡± The instructor fiddled with the interface of a small machine. And simultaneously, the classroom darkened and a hologram screen lit up. Slowly, the tournament bracket began to appear on the screen. ¡®¡®There are 16 groups divided fairly according to the student¡¯s grades, and a tournament bracket has been made randomly within that group.¡± In short, the higher-performing students were distributed evenly so that they weren¡¯t all in one group. ¡°There is also an individual score separate from the tournament¡¯s rankings based on the performance displayed in the matches, so you don¡¯t need to feel disappointed that the opponent¡¯s not a good match for you.¡± Even if you were to unluckily meet the strongest student right off the bat, as long as you perform well, you¡¯ll receive a good enough mark. That was what he was saying. ¡°Of course, if the student underperforms in this process, then that student will be judged to be ¡®below standard¡¯ and will be expelled, so be careful.¡± With those words, the class¡¯s attention all turned to me. In the history of the Obelisk Academy, there were less than 5 people who were deemed to be ¡®below standard¡¯ and I was one of those rare students. ¡®I think it was 4 including me.¡¯ In fact, I was the only student in the second year who had not received a passing mark. In other words, it meant that I was the only one who was at risk of expulsion. ¡®Well, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter anymore.¡¯ I brushed aside the eyes that were focused on me. ¡®In any case that tournament bracket¡­¡¯ More important than that were the tournament brackets. ¡°No way. Amazing.¡± ¡®¡®Hey, look at the second match of Group H.¡± Some of the students who had noticed what I had noticed started to make a fuss. At the same time, more gazes focused on me. ¡°Holy crap. Those two are facing each other?¡± [2nd match of group H] [Baek Sahyuk VS Shin Hayul] Baek Sahyuk. There were only 22 people who were 3-circle mages out of the second years, and even among them, he was one of the top students. In addition, ¡®¡®Doesn¡¯t Baek Sahyuk really hate Shin Ha-yul?¡± ¡°He always went around singing that he would kill you half to death if he ever got the chance.¡± ¡°He¡¯s got his final chance to do just that now.¡± After receiving a crushing defeat from me in the youth magic competition 5 years ago, he¡¯s been a bully-like bastard that tries to have a go at me whenever he has the chance. ¡°Shin Hayul¡¯s luck¡¯s really bad. How can that happen to him even up till the end?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s this much hasn¡¯t he been abandoned even by the sky?¡± Everyone looked at me with sympathetic gazes. Everyone seems to feel sorry for my misfortune. ¡®Baek Sahyuk, huh.¡¯ However, my thoughts were a little different. Misfortune? No way. ¡®I¡¯m so lucky to get a chance like this.¡¯ There¡¯s no one more suitable for my first opponent than that bastard skill-wise, personality wise or popularity-wise. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] The bout between me and Baek Sahyuk was a hot topic between the second years that spread like wildfire. ¡°Have you heard? Baek Sahyuk said he¡¯s going to just go kill Shin Hayul. ¡± ¡°He said he¡¯d mess him up so badly that he won¡¯t even be able to fight in the consolidation match.¡± Rumours about me quickly spread, regardless of whether they were big or small. This time, the speed and the impact of the rumours that spread were completely different. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it Shin Hayul who made the nickname ¡®loser¡¯ stick with Baek Sahyuk 5 years ago at the youth magic competition?¡± ¡°I heard that he was the reason why there were problems with his family¡¯s succession war.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why Baek Sahyuk grinds his teeth whenever he even hears Shin Ha-yul¡¯s name.¡± The bad relationship between me and Baek Saehyuk was quite deep. But in the first place, the relationship between the Magic Shin Clan and the Baek clan wasn¡¯t that great, and 5 years ago, the final blow was dealt. When the two of us were decided to be faced off against each other, of course, there would be lots of interest. ¡°But to be honest was there anything that Shin Hayul actually did wrong?¡± ¡°All he did was win against Baek Sahyuk. ¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. It was because Baek Sahyuk lost he gained the nickname of loser, so it was all his own doing.¡± ¡°If even the Baek family were unable to silence the media, then just how badly must he have lost?¡± It¡¯s just that kind of relationship. All I did was win the competition fairly and squarely, but Baek Sahyuk decided to take that to heart and now he just can¡¯t wait to kill me. ¡®¡®Honestly, don¡¯t you think Shin Hayul wants to kill Baek Sahyuk as well? Considering what Baek Sahyuk did to him in our first year¡­¡± ¡°I felt sorry for my eyes after witnessing what he did to him.¡± For Baek Sahyuk, I was good prey, having been someone incompatible with artificial intelligence. And because of this, he annoyed me all throughout the first year. Like the snake-like bastard he is, he kept getting under my skin, and you don¡¯t know how frustrating it was. ¡®The worst thing he did to me was when he burnt all of my ancient texts.¡¯ Others just feigned ignorance, but for some reason, I just couldn¡¯t ignore that incident. ¡®I collected them so diligently as well.¡¯ Just thinking about it pisses me off. ¡®¡®Hey, shush! Baek Sahyuk¡¯s coming.¡± Speaking of the devil, I could see Baek Sahyuk approaching from afar. A foul expression like that of a demon who had crawled out of hell. A foul expression that complemented his tall height and muscular build. Anyone could tell from his short hair adorned with scratches that he wanted to give off the impression that he was a tough guy. ¡°Long time no see? Huh, defective product?¡± Baek Sahyuk. He puts his hands in his pocket and looks down at me. The students buzzing around us began to increase. Everyone looked at me with an interested expression. ¡°Our defective product. Your luck really is rotten. You were hiding in your room to try and avoid me. And who¡¯s your opponent now?¡± He tapped my shoulder and sneered at me. His eyes shone with jealousy and hatred. ¡°I heard this was your last exam? That you were abandoned by your family. Kehehe!¡± He was referring to the ¡®expulsion in case of failure to receive a pass mark¡¯, a new rule that my father proposed. ¡°Our pitiful defective product. What should we do? It would be sad to get expelled. And I guess now you¡¯re going to be punished by me before leaving~?¡± It was a dreary laugh, like the laughter of a snake. ¡°Well, I wonder. Don¡¯t we have to wait and see who¡¯ll get beaten up in the end?¡± I swatted Baek Sahyuk¡¯s hand off my shoulder and returned the sneer. ¡±Kekek. Even in this situation, you¡¯re still our defective product. You still have confidence, huh.¡± Baek Sahyuk gave a croaky laugh. Then, after properly facing me, who had been sitting down, looked me straight in the eyes. ¡°Wake up, you defect. How long are you going to be obsessed over the glory that you can never obtain?¡± I could feel the filthy murderous intent coming from him as if he was a mad, white snake flickering his tongue. ¡°You¡¯re a defect with nothing now. If you¡¯re a defect, you should act like one and be begging for mercy on the floor. Hm?¡± The filthy pair of eyes that I had seen every day since I had first enrolled at the Obelisk academy is looking down at me. I stared at those eyes and laughed. ¡°You really¡­ haven¡¯t changed.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still a lowlife that can only talk shit. It¡¯s still the same as it was five years ago. You haven¡¯t grown one bit.¡± Baek Sahyuk¡¯s expression contorted. ¡°¡­You. You son of a bitch. ¡± As always, Baek Sahyuk¡¯s fuse was shorter than a finger so his temper soon exploded. ¡°Did you hate being compared to me that much? Loser Baek Sahyuk?¡± ¡°This son of a bitch¡­!¡± I too was also angry at Baek Sahyuk. Over the past year, my anger has been piling up, and now that I had gained confidence due to my Bytenor style of magic, this was a good time to let it all out. But I can¡¯t be angry here. True anger can only be revealed after being patient. I¡¯m not an idiot who loses himself to his anger. ¡°If you¡¯re really that mad, should I at least try to comfort you now? Should I call you Baek Sahyuk the genius?¡± I rationally continued the conversation. I included the keyword ¡®genius¡¯ not just to anger Baek Sahyuk. I only included it because I had to. ¡°This disgraced, defect bastard¡­¡± ¡± I don¡¯t really want to hear that from a loser who hasn¡¯t been disgraced yet.¡± My purpose was to implant the word ¡®genius¡¯ into his head so that he is able to recall this conversation subconsciously. ¡°Have you heard this before? The saying that once you¡¯re a genius, you¡¯ll eternally remain a genius ¡± I hoped that after this conversation ended when he thought of what I had said, he would remember these last few words. ¡°Why was such a saying created? I¡¯ll show you on April the 30th.¡± While hoping that he would do as I intended, I desperately twisted the corner of my mouth. ¡°Look forward to it. Loser. ¡± ¡°AAHHH!¡± Back in his room, Baek Sahyuk couldn¡¯t control his anger and wreaked havoc. ¡°That defective bastard!¡± When I think of Shin Ha-yul¡¯s face, who kept talking back without any anger, I can feel my anger flaring. ¡®That relaxed expression!¡¯ I want to tear that expression that reminds me of what happened 5 years ago at the youth magic competition off his face. I want to enjoy watching that face twist into despair. I want to see Shin Hayul become nothing short of a corpse and be in despair of everything in the world. For that reason, Baek Sahyuk had bullied Shin Hayul for the past year, but still, Shin Hayul¡¯s relaxed expression remained. ¡°Defective product bastard¡­¡± Shin Ha-yul working hard without fail, despite being embraced with the fatal disability of being incompatible with AI, was unpleasant to him. Being compared to him, after losing in the youth magic competition did nothing to lighten his hatred. ¡°Defective products should just be cast aside in a warehouse somewhere¡­¡± And most of all, he hated how Shin Hayul, the defect, was making him feel so unpleasant. ¡°I was going to be satisfied just by giving him some shame and kicking him out but¡­¡° Baek Sahyuk¡¯s eyes shone like that of a white snake. He took his phone out of his pocket and made a call. ¡°It¡¯s me. Please could you publish some articles?¡± The Baek family had many close connections with celebrities. So they were obviously well versed in taking control of the media. In terms of the ability to take control of the media, they are regarded as being superior to the Magic Shin Clan. ¡°And make the contents of the article¡­¡± Baek Sahyuk recalled the last thing Shin Hayul had said to him. ¡®Did you know? There¡¯s a saying that goes, once a genius always a genius. ¡® ¡®Look forward to it, loser.¡¯ Shin Ha-yul¡¯s face, who had been repeating the word genius over and over, was the epitome of annoyance. ¡®You said you¡¯re going to show me why you said that on April the 30th?¡¯ There was no way that a defective bastard who couldn¡¯t forget his glory of the past was going to crawl back up. ¡®If you like the title of genius that much then go ahead. Call yourself that all you want.¡¯ Baek Sahyuk scoffed, and said, ¡°Shin Hayul. April the 30th, the return of the genius. The declaration to the expectant world. Yeah, that would be great.¡± Baek Sahyuk¡¯s mind was filled with the idea of disgracing Shin Ha-yul. ¡®On April the 30th, you too will be ruined in front of the watching public, as I was five years ago.¡¯ The sound of Baek Sahyuk¡¯s laughter echoed vilely. Chapter 9 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 9 Sunday, April the 26th. The unexpected new article caused the entire student body to get excited. [Korea¡¯s prodigious genius, Shin Hayul! On April the 30th, in the mid-term comprehensive evaluation, he will show the world why he was called a prodigy. ] [Watch the brilliant resurrection of the genius.] It was a very sudden news article. ¡°Is this real?¡± ¡®¡®The revival of genius?¡± Because of the original article, new articles were being created by the minute. Although it was a very unexpected article, not a single person even had the thought that it might be fake. ¡°Awesome. So this was why Shin Ha-yul was so confident against Baek Sahyuk.¡± ¡°No wonder. He must have been so bold because he had the confidence to back it up. ¡± ¡°Oh And now that I think about it, Shin Hayul¡¯s complexion has gotten a lot better.¡± These comments were made because of how Shin Hayul had been looking recently. Not only did he show brazen boldness when facing Baek Sahyuk, but recently he was starting to look better. There were a lot of similarities between how the new article portrayed him, and the Shin Hayul now. ¡°His confidence is freaking awesome. He¡¯s saying I¡¯ll show you my skills on April the 30th, so come and watch me.¡± ¡®¡®Him being incompatible with AI was what really pushed him to work harder. Wow¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that just baseless self-confidence?¡± ¡°Who knows.¡± ¡°But more important than that, this article. There¡¯s no way it¡¯s real right?¡± There was one more reason why they believed that this article was true. ¡°What are you talking about, of course it¡¯s real. What family do you think Shin Hayul came from? ¡± ¡°Ah. The Mage Shin Clan?¡± That reason was that Shin Hayul¡¯s family was none other than the Magic Shin Clan. If this article was fake, they would have refuted it ages ago. ¡°Well, seeing how it¡¯s been 4 hours, and there¡¯s been no statement refuting the articles, I suppose it actually is true.¡° ¡°Just from how fast the news is spreading, I¡¯m starting to suspect that perhaps it was the Magic Shin Clan who directly ordered the article to be written.¡± And in this way, the article on Shin Hayul¡¯s interview was becoming regarded as fact. Of course, all this isn¡¯t true. Shin Hayul had never done an interview like this, and the Magic Shin Clan had never released any articles like this either. So you may be wondering why the Magic Shin Clan had not refuted the articles. ¡ª You don¡¯t have to refute those claims. Well, the answer to that question is that although the Magic Shin Clan were preparing to refute those claims, Shin Hayul personally called the patriarch of the Magic Shin Clan, Shin Inhyuk, to ask him not to do so. ¡°Don¡¯t refute the claims you say¡­¡± Shin Hayul¡¯s phone call asking not to refute the articles. The ones who¡¯ve appeared to have published the articles seem to be the Baek family. And Shin Hayul proposed the deadline of April the 30th to Shin In-hyuk. If you considered all of these factors then¡­ ¡°Hm. This article. Did you provoke Baek Sahyuk into publishing it?¡± ¡ª Yes. Shin Hayul had pulled all of Baek Sahyuk¡¯s strings in order to induce him to publish it. This kind of conclusion can be drawn. ¡®¡®Did you do this so that more people would come and watch? ¡± ¡ª Yes. I thought that in order to make the most out of my resurrection, I needed to get as much attention as possible. The most glamourous spotlight had to be shone on Shin Hayul¡¯s glamorous resurrection. ¡°You¡¯ll recover your tarnished reputation in front of the eyes of a great audience?¡± ¡ª That¡¯s right. Not only my reputation but also all the prestige that the Magic Shin Clan had lost. ¡°Hm. If it goes just as you said, then that would be most spectacular,¡± Shin Inhyuk replied coldly. ¡°But it¡¯s hard to believe.¡± When Shin Inhyuk gave it some thought, the chance of Shin Hayul being ¡®resurrected¡¯ was incredibly unlikely. ¡®¡®I¡¯ll tell you the truth. I didn¡¯t accept your proposal to wait until April 30th because I believed in you.¡± On April 30th, Shin Hayul promised to place within the top 10 on the mid-term comprehensive evaluation. He didn¡¯t accept that proposal because he believed in Shin Hayul. ¡°I just accepted your offer because I wouldn¡¯t lose anything either way. I honestly don¡¯t believe that you¡¯re able to overcome the disability of being incompatible with AI.¡± Shin Inhyuk had thought that Shin Hayul¡¯s words were simply baseless confidence. A person incompatible with AI is unable to become a mage. No one knew this fact better than Shin Inhyuk, an 8th circle mage. ¡°I¡¯m certain you will disgrace yourself. For what reason do I need to heed your request of not refuting the articles?¡± If Shin Hayul were to disgrace himself again on the 30th of April, this would have a significant impact on the Magic Shin Clan. They would be subject to the world¡¯s mockery once again. Considering the potential losses, it¡¯s the correct decision to refute the articles. ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything more to say, I¡¯m going to end the call now.¡± That was how Shin Inhyuk tried to wrap up the phone call. ¡ª Even if I were to be disgraced, the impact it would have on the Magic Shin Clan won¡¯t be that great though. Shin Ha-yul said this with a firm voice. ¡ª It is recognised by the public that I¡¯ve already been excommunicated from the family. Given this, no matter what I do, I don¡¯t think that it will affect the Magic Shin Clan.¡± It was a reasonable argument. ¡®¡®I suppose it won¡¯t damage the family¡¯s reputation all that much. However, that is not to say that it won¡¯t be hurt at all.¡± Whatever Shin Hayul did, the Magic Shin Clan¡¯s name would always be mentioned. Because Shin Hayul was born into the Magic Shin Clan, no matter how small or large the action was, it would impact the Magic Shin Clan. ¡°I don¡¯t have that kind of personality to just watch something that I know for sure will harm me unfold.¡± Shin Inhyuk was a calculating person. He would consider all the positives and negatives, and only when the positives outweigh the negatives would he make his move. ¡ª I admit it, there¡¯s a possibility that things might not go to plan.¡± Shin Hayul understood the personality of his father far better than anyone else. And that¡¯s why he also had prepared a sure-fire way of persuading him. ¡ª But that chance of loss would be nothing compared to the potential benefits.¡± ¡°Benefit. What benefit are you talking about? If you¡¯re talking about restoring your reputation and the prestige of the Magic Shin Clan then¡­¡± ¡ª No. I¡¯m not talking about those minor benefits. ¡°Minor?¡± ¡ª Yes. Shin Inhyuk¡¯s eyes twinkled in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡¯s a minor benefit¡­ Then what is the benefit that you¡¯re talking about?¡± Shin Hayul didn¡¯t beat around the bush and said exactly what he meant. ¡ª It¡¯s me. ¡°What?¡± Shin Inhyuk was stunned for a moment. ¡ª I¡¯m saying that the benefit is that the Magic Shin Clan can recover me. Father. Shin Ha-yul said confidently. ¡ª I¡¯m talking about me, who will become the greatest family head of all time and will make the Magic Shin Clan the world¡¯s best while allowing us to hold on to that spot for the next 100 years. Shin Hayul¡¯s confident voice rang in the rim of Shin Inhyuk¡¯s ears. ¡°¡­If nothing else, your aspiration really is what will lead the family.¡± The look on Shin Inhyuk¡¯s face had profoundly changed. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] ¡°Fine. I will not refute the articles.¡± My father eventually accepted my offer. ¡°Instead, if you are to show yourself in a disgraceful manner even after saying all this then you better be resolved for the consequences.I¡¯ll make sure you pay the price for making a fool of yourself and the Magic Shin Clan.¡± He ended the call with that threat before hanging up. ¡°¡­I can feel my life force seeping out.¡± I was even thinking of showing my power to just my father if he had continued to stubbornly refuse till the end. Fortunately, things went well. I leaned heavily against the chair and stretched out. ¡®Anyway, with this, all my preparations are over.¡¯ Baek Sahyuk is still spreading the articles and drawing in more attention. On that day, the media will probably all flock to our fight. Baek Sahyuk will be trying his best to ensure that happens. Since I¡¯ll be wanting to disgrace him in front of the eyes of all the people watching. ¡®I suppose one could say that he¡¯s digging his own grave?¡¯ Anyway, if he continues with this vigour, he¡¯ll be able to accomplish what I want. 3 days passed by in a flash, and it had finally become the long-awaited date, the 30th of April. The current time is 20 minutes past 11 in the morning. There are 10 minutes left till my duel. ¡°It¡¯s filled to the brim.¡± Colosseum 3, which was where group H¡¯s bout was taking place, was packed to the brim full of audience members. I can occasionally see familiar faces in some parts of the audience. I can see the scouts of guilds as well as the fact that some guilds have also brought their guild masters. In addition, I can see the magic tower officials and the executive of a couple of magic corporations. Just how good of a job must the Baek clan have done in manipulating the media for all these great people to all want to come and see the first bout? ¡®Though it may also be partly due to the topic of my resurrection¡­¡¯ This also showed just how expansively Baek Sahyuk had publicised this. I heard that hatred is the driving force that moves people. Just how much do you have to resent me to do this much? It¡¯s a tiny bit admirable. ¡°Woah. As expected of the super prodigy. You¡¯re very popular.¡± I saw that our Santa Claus, Baek Sahyuk, was approaching from afar. ¡°I¡¯m getting all this attention because our resurrected genius did some interviews. I guess I should be thankful to you?¡± The saviour, who even gave me this kind of present for free, stood opposite me with a nasty expression on his face. ¡°Kekek. How does it feel?¡± He said this with his characteristic snake-like smile and with laughter in his voice. ¡°This many people gathered over an interview you didn¡¯t even do.¡± He chuckled while leering at me. ¡°Our defective product. What can you do now? Everyone came all this way in anticipation of your revival.¡± Among all the eyes I¡¯ve ever seen, his eyes are within the top 3 most filthy. ¡°Won¡¯t it be so funny if you¡¯re unable to use any magic properly and make a fool of yourself? Right?¡± He looked like a complete fool. ¡°I told you that you shouldn¡¯t have talked so much shit and come to your senses. Hmm? You defect bastard. Why would a deformed bastard that got abandoned by the Magic Shin Clan talk so much shit?¡± That bastard didn¡¯t even realise that all his actions were done in accordance with my will and was having a blast. ¡°Hey Sahyuk,¡± I said with a big grin. ¡°Have you ever heard of having someone in the palm of one¡¯s hand?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± It was time for the bastard to realise he had been dancing on my palm this entire time. ¡°All you¡¯ve been doing is just playing on the palm of my hand.¡± ¡°¡­What bullshit are you saying now.¡± Baek Sahyuk frowned. ¡°Can¡¯t you understand? Thanks for publishing what I had wanted to say in an article for free.¡± ¡°What you had¡­wanted to say?¡± ¡®¡®I¡¯m talking about the articles you wrote for me.¡± I can see reporters in the distance. Judging from their urgent movements, it seemed like they were looking for me and Baek Sahyuk. They¡¯ll soon find us and come and approach us. ¡°You don¡¯t understand how comfortable it was having you do everything I wanted for me.¡± Thanks to it, this great arrangement had been prepared. ¡°What kind of bullshit is this son of a bitch spouting¡­!¡± I grinned at Baek Sahyuk, who had a foul expression on his face, and pointed to the back. ¡°Student Shin Hayul! Student Baek Sahyuk! Can we get a short interview before you begin?¡± Baek Sahyuk¡¯s expression became fully distorted. His expression seemed to say that now wasn¡¯t the time for an interview so what the hell are they talking about. ¡°Fuck off while I¡¯m being nice. You paparazzi scum¡­¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯d be happy to do an interview.¡± I cut off Baek Sahyuk, who had declined the interview and gave them permission. ¡°Ah, in that case¡­¡± ¡°Stop talking and fuck off!¡± Baek Sahyuk stared at the reporter with his eyes glowing with fury. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to lose your job then fuck off! You paparazzi sons of bitches!¡± It seemed that what I had said about him dancing in my palm seemed to have unnerved him quite a bit. Because of the rage that had been building up in his head, his attitude had become really ugly. ¡°Uh, okay?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± The reporters panicked. If you think about the relationship between the media and the Baek family, then it¡¯s the right decision to back off now. But they had the expression on their face that said they couldn¡¯t miss the opportunity of this exclusive interview right in front of their eyes. ¡°Haha. Sahyuk¡¯s only behaving like this because he has low blood pressure before the start of the match. I hope you look over this.¡± ¡°But I do understand Sahyuk¡¯s feelings. Even if I do an interview, I don¡¯t have much time so we won¡¯t be able to do a long one. One word at most.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. That much is more than enough!¡± The reporters bowed their heads. ¡°You son of a bitch! Don¡¯t ignore me and answer me!¡± Baek Sahyuk grabbed my shoulder. ¡®¡®Move aside. I¡¯m doing an interview right now.¡± I pushed Baek Sahyuk to the side and spoke to the reporters with a smile. ¡°One circle.¡± ¡°One circle? What do you mean?¡± I looked at the reporters who were tilting their heads in confusion once, looked at Sahyuk, who had a scowl on his face once, and chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll beat Baek Sahyuk using just 1 circle magic.¡± ¡°This defective bastard!¡± At my final provocation, Baek Sahyuk finally exploded. He grabbed my throat and glared at me. It seemed that he was so filled with rage that he didn¡¯t notice all the cameras around him. I looked at Baek Sahyuk and laughed inwardly. ¡®Yes, this is perfect.¡¯ He¡¯s in the perfect condition to play around with. Chapter 10 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 10 [April the 30th, 11:28 AM] Two minutes before the start of the match between Shin Hayul and Baek Sahyuk. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here, Patriarch Shin Inhyuk.¡± In the VIP showroom, Shin Inhyuk was talking to a man. ¡±The Blue Magic Tower master.¡± ¡°Long time no see.¡± The master of the Blue Magic Tower, Kim Kangin. Korea¡¯s best mage, and the first one to succeed in establishing a magic tower in Korea. A genius among geniuses, who, at the age of 50, became the youngest 8th circle mage. He greeted Shin Inhyuk with an indulgent smile. ¡°Did you come to see Hayul too?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡± Shin Inhyuk doesn¡¯t like this man much. Or I guess I should say that he¡¯s not fond of him. He wasn¡¯t fond of how this man more than 10 years younger than him was an 8-circle mage like him. And he wasn¡¯t fond of how there was a magic tower that could oppose the Magic Shin Clan in the small country of Korea. And most of all, he wasn¡¯t fond of how he criticised everything that the Magic Shin Clan did. ¡°So it seems like you have the same purpose as me?¡± Of course, Shin Inhyuk was not as foolish as to reveal his thoughts about him, since nothing bad would come from becoming close with a big shot like the master of the Blue Magic Yower. ¡°The news article was just too provocative. Without even realizing it, I found myself throwing aside all my work. Hahaha!¡± The Blue Magic Tower master had an indulgent smile on his face as he looked around at the arena outside of the showroom. Shin Hayul and Baek Sahyuk were standing in their positions waiting for the match to begin. ¡°Is it true?¡± He asked as he looked onwards at Shin Hayul¡¯s back. ¡°True?¡± ¡°The article on Shin Hayul. Is it true?¡± Was he really able to overcome his disability and resurrect? If he somehow had overcome it, then how? Was a new technology of AI developed for those who were incompatible? Or was Shin Ha-yul able to fix his peculiar constitution? ¡°¡­¡± Shin Inhyuk didn¡¯t answer. Or rather, he was unable to answer. Since even Shin Inhyuk was not fully sure, he had no way of answering. ¡°Hm. I won¡¯t tell you. That¡¯s what you¡¯re implying, huh.¡± Kim Kangin inferred his own meaning from Shin Inhyuk¡¯s silence. ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine. Since there¡¯s only 1 minute left till the duel, I¡¯ll figure it out myself.¡± He can tell what¡¯s happened to Shin Hayul just by looking at him. You can¡¯t fool the eyes of Kim Kangin, an 8-circle mage. [Starting from now, the second bout of group H will begin.] And just in time, the notification that announced the start of the bout could be heard. At once, the two people both looked out the showroom and focused their attention on Shin Hayul. [Match begin!] After a moment of stillness, the duel began. And after exactly three minutes had passed. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Kim Kangin and Shin Inhyuk. At the same time, the two people rose from their seats in astonishment. ¡®¡®What on earth is that magic¡­ ¡± The two men¡¯s eyes that had been looking at Shin Hayul violently shook. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Modern magic is fast. It¡¯s the same as how even problems that humans have to tediously calculate are able to be done by a computer program in 0.1 seconds. Artificial intelligence embedded on the nape, responds to the user¡¯s mana ¡®collection¡¯ and produces results in an instant. The result produced is the ¡®manifestation¡¯ of magic. With the development of this kind of magic, it is natural that the magic of the past would die out. However, even modern magic has its drawbacks. The drawback was that one was unable to freely use this magic. If you cannot understand why this may be a drawback, it¡¯ll be easier to understand if you use the analogy of a game. Inside a game, the boss monsters follow only the set processes and repeat the attacks in a set pattern. If you¡¯d extended your arms just a little bit more or if you¡¯d swung your sword just a little bit more to the side then you would have been able to kill the foe, but because the process is already fixed, you are unable to do so. This is exactly what modern magic is like. For example, there is a magic spell called Reverse Cutter. [Reverse Cutter] [Max Range 37.44 meters] [Max Speed 117 km/h] [Note ¨C The trajectory can be modified only once.] Modern magic is unable to escape these fixed characteristics. If the opponent is 38 meters away, then Reverse Cutter will never be able to reach. And because I know that it can only change direction once from its orbit, I don¡¯t even have to think about a second change in direction. Most will dodge the first change in direction and counterattack. Just like the attack patterns in games, this is something very obvious. In this way, modern magic had been excessively standardized. For this reason, sparring between modern mages is like that of a game of baduk*. *(T/n: A board game.) How well you are able to read the opponent¡¯s moves, and how flexibly you are able to react. One can say that this is the most important ability in a fight between mages. Kwaaaaaang! ¡°Oh! He dodged it again!¡± ¡°Shin Hayul¡¯s insane at reading the opponent!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the fifth time already!¡± And fights, where one must read the opponent, happened to be my greatest speciality. ¡°You¡¯ll beat me using only 1-circle magic? ¡°You¡¯re a defect who doesn¡¯t even know himself. If you can do it, then do it!¡± Baek Sahyuk shouted and moved his mana. In less than 1 second into the future, that mana will turn into a magic spell and fly toward me. At that moment, my brain accelerated at an unimaginable rate. ¡®Currently, the distance between me and Baek Sahyuk is about 25 meters.¡¯ ¡®After dodging the fire missile just now, my body is currently in an awkward position.¡¯ ¡®Before I had dodged 5 of his spells because I had announced that I would beat him using only 1-circle magic, Baek Sahyuk is currently filled with rage.¡¯ ¡®This is the time when the audience members are starting to cast their doubts upon Baek Sahyuk.¡¯ ¡®And from Baek Sahyuk¡¯s perspective, it must be humiliating that he had used 5 spells against someone incompatible with AI.¡¯ My brain is special. Not only because I¡¯m incompatible with AI, but ever since I was young, my brain was different. The speed at which I process information is different. In the blink of an eye, my brain processes countless thoughts all at once. So it¡¯s inevitable that a fight like this is my speciality. ¡®The only magic that Baek Sahyuk can use in this situation is¡­¡¯ And my brain¡¯s memory is different as well. In my head, I have every single piece of information on ¡®open source magic¡¯ that presently exists memorized. When I analyzed all the magic information, Baek Sahyuk¡¯s personality and the present situation. ¡®3-circle magic. Specifically, Baek Sahyuk¡¯s specialty. Explosion or Wind Tempest. ¡® This kind of conclusion can be drawn. But it¡¯s still not enough. Explosion and Wind Tempest. Both are AOE three-circle magic spells. If I¡¯m unable to guess which one it is out of the two, it¡¯s impossible to perfectly counter it. I need one more hint. I observed the mana floating around Baek Saekhyuk¡¯s body with a penetrative gaze. ¡®A flash of red.¡¯ And with that, I was able to confirm it. [With the Bytenor style of magic, depending on your achievement, you are able to see mana. For a 1-circle mage, you¡¯ll be able to see the mana¡¯s ¡®color¡¯ for a very brief moment.] Although it was only for an instant, I saw mana that glowed red. ¡®Conclusion. Explosion.¡¯ The spell that Baek Sahyuk was preparing was the 3-circle fire magic explosion. After reaching that conclusion, I instantly moved my mana. This was the first time I had used magic since the start of the fight. ¡®1 circle magic. Water.¡¯ My magic, which had been cast 0.5 seconds later than Baek Sahyuk¡¯s, covered the area faster than his explosion did. ¡°Die! Shin Hayul!¡± Baek Sahyuk shouted with bloodshot eyes. At the same time, his mana burst out. In theory that mana will react with the air, and cause an explosion around me. However, ¡°¡­What?¡± Pshhhh-! Explosion did not activate. All that was around me was just steam. The 3-circle magic, explosion, was a spell that set fire to everything in a large radius. An outstanding attack spell, boasting a short activation time combined with an AoE trait that makes it difficult to dodge. However, it still has its weaknesses. ¡®Explosion won¡¯t trigger in spaces filled with water.¡¯ If you know the opponent¡¯s going to use Explosion, it¡¯s not particularly hard to block. ¡°¡­Water?¡± Baek Sahyuk, who had seen the vast amount of water floating around me, frowned and murmured. ¡°You did that to my explosion with just 1-circle magic? No, hold on, you. That magic casting speed¡­¡± ¡°Why? Is it weird because my magic is activating so fast?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence fell upon the stadium. Everyone seemed astonished that I, a person incompatible with AI, had used magic without any preparation. The same was true of Baek Sahyuk. His face showed that he was quite shocked. I didn¡¯t miss the moment when Baek Sahyuk was not paying attention. ¡®1 Circle Magic, Wind Spear.¡¯ In that instant, the wind attack magic, wind spear, formed at my fingertips, and flew towards Baek Sahyuk. ¡°You son of a bitch¡­! Do you really think you can beat me with only 1 circle magic!¡± Regaining his senses, Baek Sahyuk used ¡®barrier¡¯ to deflect Wind Spear. He then dropped his barrier and gathered up his mana, as if he couldn¡¯t care less about what happened to the deflected wind spear. ¡®¡®Just because you can use a bit of magic don¡¯t think you can start crawling back! You pile of trash¡­!¡± Thump! At that moment, the sound of Baek Sahyuk¡¯s shoulder blade brutally ripping apart could be heard. ¡®¡®Argh!¡± Fortunately, the safety settings inside the stadium prevented any blood from spilling, but he would still be in the same pain. ¡°You, you son of a bitch! What have you done¡­! ¡± Baek Sahyuk does not know what happened just now. ¡°You can¡¯t figure it out? Should I show you again? ¡± I cast Wind Spear again and threw it at Baek Sahyuk. Slam! Once again Baek Sahyuk formed a barrier and blocked my wind spear. I don¡¯t know if Baek Sahyuk has the capacity to learn, but this time he didn¡¯t release it. My wind spear steadily soared through the skies and at the very moment my wind spear had reached a certain height, ¡®¡®That, that¡¯s!¡± my wind spear stopped mid-air and did a 180, with the sharp end facing Baek Sahyuk. Phwoosh! And accelerated. Slam! Of course, this Wind Spear was stopped by Baek Sahyuk¡¯s barrier and disappeared. ¡°The wind spear¡­ After being deflected, it accelerated in the air again¡­? ¡± ¡°Nice observation.¡± Baek Sahyuk¡¯s eyes trembled with confusion. ¡°There¡¯s no way that a mere Wind Spear can trigger twice¡­¡± My Wind Spear is special. No, it¡¯s not just my Wind Spear. My ¡®magic¡¯ is special. ¡°There¡¯s four this time.¡± This time I cast four Wind Spears. The wind spears that were floating above my head flew towards Baek Sahyuk. Baek Sahyuk quickly created a barrier and blocked the Wind Spears. However, Phwooosh! ¡®¡®Argh! ¡± Baek Sahyuk was only able to block 3 of the Wind Spears. The wind spear, which had avoided Baek Sahyuk¡¯s barrier and flew towards his back by changing its trajectory, could not be avoided. ¡°H-how did only one Wind Spear¡¯s trajectory¡­?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to ask questions but,¡± I looked at Baek Sahyuk groaning in pain and taunted him. ¡°I still have three shots left, so should you be blanking out like that?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Baek Sahyuk immediately looked around the vicinity. And sure enough, the 3 spears that had been deflected had all turned to face him. Baek Sahyuk immediately moved away. ¡®In modern magic, spells that have been activated are the same as projectiles that have already been thrown.¡¯ In the study of magic, for a Wind Spear that has its flight path already determined, changing direction is impossible. For this reason, Baek Sahyuk chose to try and dodge. ¡°That¡¯s a good decision.¡± But that¡¯s only true for modern magic. For the Bytenor style of magic that I wield, things are different. ¡®¡®What!?¡± The wind spear that had been loaded in the air, changed its trajectory once again in accordance with my will. The target was the place where Baek Sahyuk¡¯s body was moving to. ¡®The wind spear doesn¡¯t have enough mana to travel that distance.¡¯ And that¡¯s why I fused three wind spears together. ¡®Combine.¡¯ The Wind Spears, which had quickly become one, swiftly flew towards Baek Sahyuk. Phwoooooosh! ¡®¡®Arghhh! ¡± I hit Baek Sahyuk¡¯s stomach. ¡°Th-the magic is fusing mid-flight? What kind of bullshit¡­¡± This is the scary thing about the Bytenor style of magic. A type of magic I can use with liberty, that completely shakes the very foundation of modern magic. The opponent¡¯s ¡®common sense¡¯ is all but an advantage for me. ¡®Just like how Baek Sahyuk, who had thought about wind spear¡¯s traits, immediately dropped his barrier like that was the obvious thing to do after deflecting it once.¡¯ The false information had become a fatal poison. That¡¯s the scary thing about my Bytenor style of magic. Baek Sahyuk let out a groan and stood up. ¡°You son of a bitch! Looking past the magic casting speed¡­ What kind of witchcraft did you use for mere 1-circle magic to behave like this¡­!¡± He shouted with an expression completely distorted with pain. ¡°Mere 1-circle magic you say.¡± I laughed. ¡°You¡¯re looking down on 1-circle magic too much.¡± 1-circle magic has its own strengths. ¡°Sahyuk. Do you know this?¡± I smiled and focused my mana on the lower half of my body. ¡°When you kill people, you don¡¯t need some grand knife.¡± At the same time, I kicked off the ground. I, who had arrived at Baek Sahyuk¡¯s side in an instant, said this while releasing the mana left in my infinity circle. ¡°A person can die from just a bolt point pen.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you saying again¡­¡± He immediately tried to use magic. My magic casting speed can¡¯t even be compared to Baek Sahyuk¡¯s. ¡®1-circle magic. Water.¡¯ The released mana shortly became a droplet the size of a human head. ¡°Hmph!¡± ¡°Gulp!¡± ¡°Gurgle!¡± Baek Sahyuk¡¯s face was entirely submerged in water. ¡°The same is true with magic.¡± Baek Sahyuk, who became unable to breathe, urgently scratched at his mouth and nose. ¡°There is no need for such grand magic to kill people.¡± I gripped the shoulder of Baek Sahyuk whose body was frantically moving around and sat straight down. ¡°Safety Zone? The magic that protects the body is completely useless here,¡± I muttered to Baek Sahyuk, who was convulsing at the pain of being unable to breathe. ¡°People easily die, even with just water.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± ¡°Gulp gulp!¡± ¡°Arghh! Ackk!¡± Baek Sahyuk¡¯s, whose windpipe had been clinically blocked, desperately kicked about. ¡°Just like what¡¯s happening to you now.¡± At the same time, Baek Sahyuk¡¯s body began to lose strength. It¡¯s only been 30 seconds, but he¡¯s already turning purple. If I maintain water for any longer, he might actually die. Upon slightly releasing the water, I got up. ¡°Instructor. Is there any reason to fight beyond this?¡± I said to the instructor, who had dropped his jaw to the floor in astonishment. ¡°¡­Ah, ahem.¡± The instructor, who had stared at me blankly, came back to his senses. ¡°The match is over! Shin Hayul is the winner!¡± At the Instructor¡¯s announcement, there was a momentary silence. And exactly three seconds passed. ¡±Woahhh!¡± ¡°Amazing! Did you see that?¡± Acclamations burst out. ¡®¡®That was a wind spear? ¡± ¡°I thought it was a reverse cutter for a moment.¡± ¡°I seriously got goosebumps.¡± ¡°Fuck. Did he really defeat Baek Sahyuk with just 1-circle magic?¡± I laughed in the center of the cheers. ¡°¡­This feeling. It¡¯s been a while.¡± Achieving victory and hearing cheers for the first time in a year tasted quite¡­ No, very sweet. Chapter 11 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 11 It¡¯s currently 6:47 in the afternoon. The match had ended just now at 6:30 and all the scheduled fights for the 30th of April had come to an end. ¡°3 matches 3 wins.¡± Today I fought in 3 matches and won all of them. It was obvious I would win. I even managed to win against Baek Sahyuk, who was a 3 circle mage, so there was no way I would lose to the other 2 circle mages. ¡°Hayul!¡± All of a sudden, Soonchan urgently burst into my room. His clothes were a mess as if he had just fought a battle. ¡°Did You Win?¡± Soonchan had just finished his final match. ¡°What? Yeah. I won.¡± I took out a sports drink for Soonchan. ¡°Ah, thank you.¡± Soonchan downed the drink in one shot and let out an ¡®Ahh¡¯ sound. ¡°Seems like you¡¯ve worked hard.¡± ¡°Yeah. The last guy was a 3 circle user so¡­ Wait a minute, more importantly!¡± Soonchan grabbed my shoulders and with shining eyes asked, ¡°You, what was that magic?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb with me. What was that magic you used today?¡± He shook my shoulders as if he was curious to death. ¡°How did you make the Wind Spear fire twice like it was a Reverse Cutter?¡± By the way, the Reverse Cutter is a 3-circle wind magic. Its characteristic is in the name. Once you¡¯ve fired it, it reverses and fires again in the opposite direction. ¡°Changing the trajectory in whatever way you want and combining the magic. What the hell is that all about?¡± ¡°Hm, I wonder?¡± ¡°Oh, come on you!¡± Soonchan stamped his feet like a puppy who needed to go to the toilet. ¡±Hehe.¡± It was natural for Soonchan to show this kind of reaction. My magic transcended all the principles of modern magic. My wind cutter, which shouldn¡¯t ever change direction, changed direction. My fireball was thrown way further than what was thought to be possible. And my water, even after it had been created, moved around as freely as my limbs. By the standards of the modern study of magic, what I had done shouldn¡¯t have been possible and couldn¡¯t have been possible. ¡°And in the first place, what was that magic casting speed?¡± ¡°This?¡± I nonchalantly formed a water droplet over my hand. Of course, the casting time was zero seconds. There was no lag whatsoever. ¡°Yeah! That! It takes me half a second to make water. What kind of magic is that fast?¡± ¡°I wonder.¡± I replied and cancelled my water. ¡°You didn¡¯t buy illegal artificial intelligence or anything right? Let me see.¡± Soonchan checked my neck. He was checking for the barcode that had the AI number that should have been on my neck. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not here?¡± ¡°Why would I have that you dumbass.¡± Of course, there¡¯s no AI number on my neck. How can there be an AI code when there¡¯s no AI? ¡°¡­So you really used that kind of magic without any artificial intelligence? ¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that magic was all from just your own power? Without any illegal doping?¡± ¡°Illegal doping my ass.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being serious right?¡± ¡°Just trust me, man.¡± He wouldn¡¯t believe my words. ¡®¡®I told you the other day. I realized something small.¡± ¡°Oh, that new ancient text that you got?¡± ¡°Mhm. That one. Using that I was able to accomplish a little something. This magic is thanks to that accomplishment.¡± ¡°What did you accomplish?¡± ¡°Curious?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going insane from it.¡± ¡°Then lend me your ear.¡± I gestured to Soonchan with a serious expression. Soonchan, who had also become increasingly serious, brought his ear close to me. ¡±So basically¡­¡± Soonchan sat tight as if he was expecting something. I paused for emphasis and said in a grave voice. ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± ¡®¡®Hey, you!¡± Soonchan shouted in an irritated tone and expression. ¡°Hehehe.¡± I laughed at him. ¡°I¡¯m joking. I¡¯ll tell you.¡± I sat down with my legs crossed and answered sensibly. ¡°Well in the first place, it¡¯s not that big of a deal.¡± Of course, I had no plan of telling him about the Bytenor style of magic. I¡¯m not stupid enough to reveal my vision magic to the public so casually. In the future, I may do so, but at the very least now is not that time. ¡°I¡¯ve woven a 4th circle.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Soonchan rubbed his ear as if he had heard something wrong. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve gotten 4 circles.¡± ¡°¡­For real?¡± ¡°Are you really going to keep saying ¡®Really? For real?¡¯ All day today?¡± Is this guy a bot? ¡°No, hey. You¡¯re the one who¡¯s making me say all that.¡± Soonchan, who was astonished, kept on repeating the same thing over and over. ¡°Achieving 4 circles right now is a record that could rival the records of the magic tower masters of old.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard that before somewhere.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve heard that somewhere? Do you understand how impressive that is¡­ Wow, you can¡¯t be serious. I literally can¡¯t speak because I¡¯m in disbelief.¡± Soonchan pretended to laugh and then exploded. ¡°No, but what does having a 4th-circle have anything to do with the magic you used? Your cast speed doesn¡¯t get faster just by gaining more circles.¡± ¡°It does get faster.¡± ¡°¡­It does?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± I replied nonchalantly. ¡°It¡¯s something that¡¯s been forgotten because of the use of artificial intelligence. But basically, there¡¯s a 4th circle support spell called ¡®Memorize¡¯.¡± I recited the cover-up story that I had planned beforehand. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Meanwhile, in the staff room, the instructors had all gathered and were assessing the match that had taken place that day. ¡°The magic that Shin Hayul had used is a support magic called ¡®Memorize¡¯.¡± This was said by the Blue Magic Tower master, who was beside them assessing Shin Hayul¡¯s match, even though it should¡¯ve only been the instructors. Kim Kangin had said something strange. ¡®¡®Memorize?¡± ¡°Does such magic exist?¡± The Blue Magic tower master, who had anticipated that it would be hard to grade student Shin Hayul, stayed true to his personality and nosily weaseled himself into the staff room. ¡°Yes. I suppose it¡¯s a type of memory magic. It¡¯s a spell that allows you to cast magic beforehand and store it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it before. I¡¯ve heard that it was a spell used by mages up till about 100 years ago, but now it¡¯s a spell that¡¯s been lost¡­¡± The homeroom teacher of Shin Hayul. Instructor Ko Changsoo seemed to have recalled information about Memorize. ¡®¡®Yes that¡¯s right. Now in the present time, it has become a spell that no one uses.¡± Unless you were interested in ancient books, like Ko Changsoo or Kim Kangin were, then it would be obvious to have never heard of it before. ¡°With this spell, it is possible to cast a spell immediately. It¡¯s one step faster than the triggering of magic through artificial intelligence. You can see it as immediate casting.¡± ¡°That kind of magic¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that magic something that we must all learn?¡± The instructors spoke among themselves loudly. ¡°No, you¡¯re wrong. Memorize has clear limitations.¡± ¡°What are they?¡± ¡°You can only use spells that are 3 circles below the number of circles you have.¡± ¡°Oh, that kind of weakness¡­¡± Even if a 7 Circle Wizard uses Memorize, they can only use 4 Circle Magic. This is a critical disadvantage. ¡°If such conditions are required, then it¡¯s natural for it to have died out.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no point in me being able to cast 2 circle magic immediately.¡± In the modern era of magic that uses AI, Memorize is only compatible with low-rank magic. This is why Memorize is no longer ever used. ¡°W-Wait a minute.¡± Instructor Ko Changsoo raised his hand with an embarrassed expression. ¡°You said you could only memorize magic that was three circles lower than your own, right?¡± ¡®¡® Yes. That¡¯s right.¡¯¡¯ ¡°And you said that student Shin Hayul used Memorize.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shin Ha Yul only ever used 1-circle magic throughout all 3 of the matches today. ¡°Then are you saying that¡­ Student Shin Ha-yul has become a 4-circle magic user?¡± ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°Oh my¡­! ¡± Exclamations burst out from all the teachers in the vicinity. Kim Kangin replied with a grin. ¡®¡®Yes. It seems that student Shin Hayul has succeeded in weaving four circles.¡± ¡°My word¡­¡± ¡°No way.¡± The teachers occasionally expressed words of disbelief. ¡®¡®In the first place, Memorize is a 4-circle magic spell¡­¡± Kim Kangin laughed as if he was having fun. ¡°During student Shin Hayul¡¯s match, I confirmed that the vibrations he emitted were of a 4-circle mage.¡± ¡°No way¡­¡± ¡°If the Blue Magic tower master confirmed it, then I¡¯m sure it¡¯s true.¡± The Blue Magic tower master is famous for many reasons. And he is most famous for his very own ¡®vision magic¡¯, the ¡®Eyes of ruby¡¯. ¡°¡­I¡¯m impressed. Achieving 4-circles at age 18¡± ¡°I agree.¡± The instructors were tongue-tied. ¡°I¡¯ve understood the secret behind the rapid casting speeds. But, what¡¯s the deal behind that extraordinary magic?¡± What could the identity of that extraordinary magic that destroyed the very principles of modern magic be? ¡°It¡¯s simple. He¡¯s modified the magic formula.¡± He said this with a sharp gaze. ¡°M-modified?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what the scholars of AI magic have been attempting to do?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Modifying the algorithm of artificial intelligence was something that could push magic forwards in great strides or something that could go in the complete opposite direction. ¡°Student Shin Hayul has modified the magic formula to his own tastes.¡± ¡°D-does that make any sense?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s something that¡¯s unbelievable.¡± What Shin Hayul has done is like saying that it would be nice if cars could fly and then giving one the ability to fly. ¡°And since he¡¯s done something so impossible in real life, even I¡¯m in disbelief.¡± Kim Kangin scoffed a little. He had already known about Shin Hayul¡¯s exceptional mind, but he didn¡¯t think it would have been to this extent. ¡°If I told this to my friend who¡¯s recently been specializing in the study of AI magic, he¡¯d probably come to fly all the way to Korea.¡± ¡°Your friend you say¡­¡± ¡°James Piller.¡± ¡®¡®Th-the Red magic tower master¡­¡± The instructors took a gulp of air. ¡°Furthermore, his combat sense is also outstanding. Did you see how he countered Explosion before it was cast using water? He¡¯s truly a genius.¡± Kim Kangin¡¯s eyes shone while he had a touching expression on his face. ¡°He¡¯s really someone to be desired. It¡¯s to the point that if I wasn¡¯t shackled by the fact that he¡¯s affiliated with the Magic Shin Clan, I would make him my successor this very instant.¡± ¡°¡­I-it¡¯s to that extent, hm.¡± ¡®¡®Yes, that¡¯s right,¡± Declared the Blue Magic Tower¡¯s master. ¡°So it¡¯s even more of a pity.¡± ¡°A pity?¡± The Blue Mage Tower¡¯s master smiled bitterly. ¡°If only Shin Hayul was compatible with AI, just how much more would he have been able to achieve¡­¡± Upon hearing those words, the instructors felt goosebumps. For an instant when they thought of a non-incompatible Shin Hayul, they could feel goosebumps. ¡°¡­The status of Korea could have changed.¡± Kim Kangin, who knew the importance of superstars more than anyone, regretted Shin Hayul¡¯s incompatibility so much more. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s it for my input.¡± Kim Kangin returned to smiling brightly again. ¡°The magic of student Shin Hayul is not the result of illegal artificial intelligence, or from doping. It¡¯s the fruits of diligent hard work.¡± Kim Kangin looks around at the instructors with fierce eyes. ¡°I, the Blue Magic tower master, Kim Kangin can guarantee it.¡± That night. The news exploded once again. That time it was not an article someone had deliberately spread, but an article that was genuinely spread. [The resurrection of the genius has become a true story!] [The master of the Blue magic tower. Makes it public that Shin Hayul has become a 4-circle mage.] [What could the magic that Shin Hayul used, Memorize, be?] [I will win using only 1-circle magic! The truth behind that declaration! Memorize magic!] [The new, brilliant idea contained within the Wind Spear.] [Shin Hayul vs. Baek Sahyuk. Replay of the highlights.] They were all very satisfying articles. ¡°Just as I had expected.¡± I know a bit about the Master of the Blue Magic tower. I know about his eyes of ruby, I know about his nosy personality and I know that he still had some interest in me. So I brought some attention to myself. If I did that, I thought that the Master of the Blue Magic tower would come. ¡®If he hadn¡¯t come, then I would have had to use a more annoying method.¡¯ Fortunately, I didn¡¯t have to worry about that. Thanks to the Blue Magic Tower¡¯s master, I received no suspicion at all and took my position as a 4-circle mage. With this, it would be easier for me to use the Bytenor style of magic from here on out. ¡®If I was questioned about my magic, I would have had to be placed under investigation and if that had happened, then everything about my infinity circle could have been revealed.¡¯ But I don¡¯t have to worry about that anymore. No one will have any suspicions about my magic. This is the power of the Blue Magic tower master¡¯s guarantee. With a lightened heart, I did some stretches. ¡®All that¡¯s left now is to place in the top 10.¡¯ If I win 1 more match tomorrow, I¡¯ll be through to the round of 16*. *(Pr/n: ¡°Round of 16¡± is the round before the quarter finals.) As the name suggests, there¡¯ll only be 16 people left. If I can just make it to the quarter-finals, then I can achieve my goal of being in the top 10. ¡°Two wins.¡± In other words, I only have to win 2 more to reclaim everything that I¡¯d ever lost. Chapter 12 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 12 May 1st, 1:30 PM. I was watching Soonchan¡¯s match from the stands. ¡°Ji Soonchan. For someone who¡¯s from a family of lowly merchants, you¡¯re hanging on quite well.¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± Soonchan had the skills to rank within the top 20 out of all the second years, but even as a rising prospect, his opponent was a really bad match. ¡°But Adella really is out of this world.¡± Adella Stuart. Her Korean name is Wi Jisoo. She¡¯s of both Korean and French descent and she¡¯s a genius among geniuses who since enrolling in this school, has never ranked below first place. ¡°Sigh. I¡¯m so bloody jealous of her vision magic. ¡°Same man. That¡¯s a real golden spoon.¡± In this world, there exists a special type of magic called vision magic. Unlike the magic recorded in [The open source library], this type of magic can only be inherited by those in the bloodline; it¡¯s not a type of magic that can be learned just because one wants to. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have a golden spoon, she has a platinum spoon.¡± ¡°True, especially since she has two vision magic spells.¡± The prestigious Stuart family of France. The prestigious Mystic Wi clan of Korea. Of course, as a child from both of these families, Adella Stuart was bound to inherit both of the vision magic that these families boasted. ¡°Moonlight bullet. No matter how many times I look at it¡¯s awesome.¡± ¡°Ha. The effect makes me piss my pants.¡± One of them was the Mystic Wi clan¡¯s pride: magic with a unique attribute. Magic that fused the attributes of both light and dark. Also known as moon magic. The name stuck, as the harmony between the light and dark magic was said to resemble moonlight falling from the sky. ¡°What¡¯s the range of that thing?¡± ¡°How the hell are you supposed to dodge that?¡± An advantage of vision magic is how little is known about them. Unlike open-source magic, where everything from the range, distance, power, and traits are all widely available, all this information is hidden for vision magic. The magic of the present is like Baduk or chess and requires one to read the opponent¡¯s moves and counter them accordingly. And so, the secrecy of one¡¯s abilities becomes the greatest weapon. Of course, you can gather information from analysing videos and whatnot, but when compared to the information available on open source magic, the information is bound to be uncertain. ¡°With that power and range, I don¡¯t see how that can be a mere 3-circle magic spell.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been slapped back to reality.¡± And most vision magic spells boast incredible performance. It¡¯s classified as a 3-circle magic spell, but it¡¯s pretty much a 3.5-circle spell. Furthermore, vision magic spells have countless strengths. ¡°As expected, Miss Adella really is spectacular.¡± Whilst I was focused on the bout between Soonchan and Adella, out of the blue, I could hear a male voice in the rim of my ear. ¡°Oh my! Th-the Blue Magic Tower master!¡± ¡°S-sir Kim Kangin!¡± Before I even checked who it was, the exclamation of the people around us could be heard. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Sir.¡± The Blue Tower magic¡¯s master held my shoulder and sat straight down right next to me. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Sir. Have you been well?¡± ¡°Yep. Of course. In fact, I¡¯m feeling unwell from being too well! Haha!¡± His smile hadn¡¯t changed since the last time I had seen him. ¡°Amazing. To think that I would be able to see the Blue Magic Tower¡¯s master up close like this.¡± ¡°Sh-should I ask for his signature?¡± ¡°No more importantly, did he come all this way just to see Shin Hayul?¡± The murmurings grew louder. ¡°Thank you for vouching for me. Thanks to that I can focus on the test.¡± ¡°I thought that I might have been a bit nosy, but I¡¯m glad it helped.¡± The master of the Blue Magic Tower answered with his trademark grin. ¡°Anyways. I was surprised. I hadn¡¯t expected you to become a 4-circle mage.¡± ¡°I was lucky.¡± ¡°You¡¯re as modest as always.¡± Kim Kangin, the Blue Magic Tower¡¯s master. The youngest 8-circle mage in Korea, the greatest mage in Korea. And his hobby happens to be holding conversations with skilled talents. ¡°The wind spear that you used yesterday. May I ask what magic formula you used?¡± And analysing their magic. It seems that he had become interested in how special my Wind Spear that I had used yesterday was and decided to approach me. ¡°Is there a single mage who would give away their secrets?¡± ¡°Hmm. I expected that to be the case.¡± The Blue Magic Tower¡¯s master smiled brightly and looked upon Adella who was in the arena. I couldn¡¯t detect any trace of regret from his expression. This was because, from the start, he had never expected me to reveal my secrets. ¡°Then I suppose you don¡¯t plan to sell the magic formula of your improved Wind Spear either.¡± ¡®¡®No plans whatsoever.¡± I couldn¡¯t sell it in the first place, even if I had wanted to because I hadn¡¯t modified the magic formula of Wind Spear. ¡°It seems you¡¯re adamant about your decision. James is going to be upset.¡± ¡°¡­The master of the Red Magic Tower will be upset?¡± ¡°Yes. He contacted me yesterday at daybreak saying that he wanted to purchase the magic formula of your improved Wind Spear.¡± Kim Kangin covered his mouth and laughed a little. ¡°That was the first time I¡¯ve ever seen him so excited. You don¡¯t understand how highly he was praising you.¡± The master of the Red Magic Tower is notorious for being stingy with his praise. It felt strange receiving compliments from such a person. ¡°Then you probably have no intention of revealing any newly developed magic spells you create in the future.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± As I said before, there was no way of sharing it in the first place. Unless they had the same condition as me and were able to use the Bytenor style of magic, it¡¯s impossible. ¡°Wow.¡± The master of the Blue Magic Tower¡¯s eyes shone in a strange light. ¡°Then can I infer that it means you have other magic spells that you¡¯ve developed and improved like the Wind Spear?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­This is fun.¡± The Blue Magic Tower¡¯s master laughed, grinning from ear to ear. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be going now.¡± The Blue Magic Tower Master rose from his seat and gently patted my back with a smile on his face. ¡°Oh, by the way, your next match. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± With that, the Master of the Blue Magic Tower left the seats. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] ¡°Welcome back, Loser.¡± I beamed broadly and greeted Soonchan back from his match. ¡°¡­Yeah. Thanks, you¡¯re a great friend.¡± Soonchan replied while his forehead twitched. ¡°How was she?¡± I gently handed a sports drink to him. ¡°Do you even need to ask? You saw her do her thing. She was great.¡± Soonchan smiled bitterly and drank his drink. ¡°She¡¯s gotten way stronger since last year. It took everything I had to just hang on.¡± ¡°Well, you held on pretty well though? ¡± ¡°If you give up on counter attacking, anyone can last that long.¡± Soonchan let out a deep sigh. ¡±Phew, it¡¯s just my luck. Out of the 32 people it could have been, of course, I had to face off against Adella of all people.¡± ¡°Yeah, you had it really rough.¡± I laughed playfully. ¡°¡­Alright then. I¡¯ll pray for you to get her next.¡± Soonchan ground his teeth and laughed. ¡®¡®It would be nice if we got to face off against each other.¡± A woman¡¯s voice could be heard from behind us. ¡°Adella Stuart¡­¡± Adella, who had just left the waiting room, approached us with a blank expression. ¡°Our battle just now. You worked hard. It was a good bout.¡± Adella greeted him with a stiff expression. ¡°Ah, yes. I learned a lot thanks to you.¡± Soonchan replied with an awkward smile. He couldn¡¯t look at Adella¡¯s face properly and was hesitant when talking to her. Soonchan wasn¡¯t acting like this because he was afraid of strangers or because he liked Adella. It was just because he was overwhelmed by her aura. ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to our next match.¡± ¡°Y-yes. I¡¯ll try to improve for the next time we face off.¡± The mysterious charisma that emanated from her doll-like appearance. A strong gaze that gave others no choice but to look away. And even great magic skills that completed her atmosphere to boot. It¡¯s not just Soonchan; the majority of the school body also acts awkwardly when face to face with Adella. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± After greeting Soonchan, Adella turned her attention to me. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± By the way, I¡¯m one of those included in that majority. Of course, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m overwhelmed by her atmosphere or her good looks. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the news that you¡¯ve finally found your way.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± I suppose the awkwardness comes from the complexity of our relationship. ¡°It¡¯s a relief.¡± Well, to begin with, Adella and I had been acquainted even before we were enrolled at this school. The Magic Shin Clan and then Mystic Wi Clan had been forming a great relationship, so we frequently met at exchanges and things. ¡®¡®It is.¡± If I had to use one word to describe the relationship between Adella and me, it would be the word ¡®rival¡¯. Although of course, it was only Adella who was inciting such competition. Anyway, Adella is the only person my age who could be called my rival. ¡°I¡¯m delighted that you¡¯re back again since you¡¯re the reason why I chose to attend the Obelisk Academy.¡± The reason why Adella had given up her studies in France and had chosen the Obelisk Academy was because of me. The image of her declaring that she would beat me no matter what appeared in my head. ¡°Well, I may have got back on my feet, but it¡¯s not enough to be your goal again.¡± However, when I finally enrolled in the Obelisk Academy, I was revealed to be incompatible with AI and at that moment everything collapsed. Adella¡¯s goal also disappeared in an instant. Since then, our relationship had gone up in flames. Thanks to that, she and I had not had a single proper conversation at school for the past year. Neither I nor Adella knew how to face each other. ¡°That may be the case now.¡± Adella¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°But I think you¡¯ll soon become my goal again.¡± Her mysterious gaze gave me no insight as to what she was thinking. ¡°Because the man I know to be Shin Hayul is that kind of man.¡± If I had to put her expression into words, well. Her expression was like that of a fisherman, who had been floating aimlessly, lost at sea, who had finally found the light of a lighthouse. Adella Stuart stood by the stands and was watching Shin Hayul¡¯s match on her own. ¡°Wow, that Wind Spear really is like an impenetrable fort.¡± ¡°Up till now, everyone¡¯s been made a fool of by that Wind Spear right?¡± ¡°Both Baek Sahyuk and Ji Minhu, 3-circle magic just isn¡¯t enough to oppose it.¡± Shin Hayul¡¯s opponent in the round of 32 was Ji Minhu. He¡¯s a rising prospect that¡¯s woven 3-circles just like Baek Sahyuk. Rather, he¡¯s assessed to be even better than Baek Sahyuk and one of the best 3-circle mages. ¡°He¡¯s really a 1-circle archmage.¡± ¡°The hell¡¯s that nickname?¡± ¡°Dunno. That¡¯s what people were calling him on the internet? Saying that he¡¯s the 1-circle archmage that makes a fool of his opponents by using mysterious 1-circle magic.¡± Ji Minhu, who was a great mage in his own right, was being overwhelmed by Shin Ha-yul. It wasn¡¯t like he was using powerful magic either. ¡®He¡¯s anticipating every single magic spell that the opponent can throw out and from that, he¡¯s targeting their weakness. He¡¯s toying with them.¡¯ Even unimpressive, basic magic spells became fatal when used by Shin Hayul. The 1-circle magic, Water, countered the 3-circle magic Explosion. The 1-circle magic, Wind, distorted the opponent¡¯s magic¡¯s trajectory. ¡°How are you supposed to fight against that Wind Spear?¡± ¡°If you try to block it, it¡¯ll come flying right back at you, and if you try to erase it, it¡¯ll just change its trajectory.¡± In Adella¡¯s eyes, Shin Hayul¡¯s combat style was a work of art. A combat style that can only be performed by him. Right now, Ji Minhu is probably starting to wonder if Shin Ha-yul might actually be reading his mind. ¡®He¡¯s back.¡¯ Adella could feel shudders spreading from her back. That¡¯s Shin Hayul. The monster of PvP that would counter everything you could throw at him, no matter what it was that you had prepared. The very first man to have defeated Adella, and the man who was her goal. ¡®My idol is back.¡¯ When she had heard the news of his resurrection, she had felt like she was on cloud nine. She felt like a lost sailor that had found a lighthouse. ¡°The match is over! Shin Hayul is the winner! ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Amazing!¡± ¡°Shin Hayul you¡¯re awesome!¡± When the winner was revealed, cheers rang out throughout the arena. ¡®Shin Hayul.¡¯ Shin Hayul who had secured victory. Adella¡¯s eyes filled with eagerness when looking at him. ¡®I want to fight him.¡¯ I want to compete with the Shin Hayul of now. Adella¡¯s heart was set aflame from her desire to win. 10 PM that night. I, who had looked at the newly revealed tournament bracket for the best of 16, was absorbed in thought. [Game 8] [Shin Hayul vs. Adella Stuart] ¡°¡­If I see Soonchan tomorrow I¡¯m going to throw some hands.¡± Soonchan¡¯s curse has become a reality. My opponent in the round of 16 was chosen to be Adella. I sighed. Adella¡¯s vision magic is too much for me to deal with right now. In fact, it¡¯s the perfect counter to my current combat style. ¡®My tactics, which use information as the foundation for containing my opponent, are probably the worst matchup possible against something like vision magic, where all the information on it is kept private.¡¯ The last time I fought Adella was when we were 17 before she had received artificial intelligence. Back then Adella wasn¡¯t that good at using her vision magic. So of course, I have no data on her vision magic. ¡®As I thought, she¡¯s not someone whom I can defeat with just 1-circle magic.¡¯ Adella is that powerful of an opponent. Right now, with my current strength, I have no way of winning. ¡®But I must win.¡¯ My purpose is to place within the top 10 in this exam. In order to do that, I must defeat Adella no matter what and get through to the quarter-finals. And right now, I have only one way of defeating Adella. ¡°¡­I was going to do this after I had achieved greater mastery.¡± But I have no other choice. With a firm expression, I opened [Ray Vell Bytenor]. [In the instance that you believe that you have completely mastered ¡®deliberation¡¯, pour your magic power into the magic circle on page 203.] [The magic circle will lead you to a new stage.] [I say this again, but don¡¯t be impatient. Impatience is a poison in the study of magic. Only use this magic circle when you believe that you have mastered ¡®deliberation¡¯.] Chapter 13 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 13 From yesterday onwards, I was starting to feel that I had mastered deliberation. But I wanted to master the magic a bit more before activating the magic circle. It says this in the book as well, but even if I have become proficient with it, impatience is a damning poison. So let¡¯s activate it when I¡¯m completely ready. That¡¯s what I had planned. ¡®But I don¡¯t have that kind of liberty right now.¡¯ Since the situation has changed. My goal was to get into the quarterfinals. And since my opponent in the round of 16 is Adella, I must give it my all. I quickly turned to page 203. A magic circle that I had never seen in my life was stuck slap bang in the middle of the page. When I placed my fingertips onto the unique magic circle which I couldn¡¯t even think about deciphering, mysterious sparks were let out. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡± I placed my entire hand on the magic circle and started to revolve my infinity circle. And as soon as I did that. ¡®O to the official successor of the Bytenor style of magic. I wish you great success.¡¯ Ray Vell Bytenor. I could hear my Master¡¯s voice directly in my head. And the next time I woke up; ¡°¡­Where am I?¡± I was standing in a room I had never seen in my life. It was a mysterious room that looked like an antique library while simultaneously looking like a training room. ¡°I congratulate you for making it to the page of the first test.¡± At the center of this mysterious room, a woman bowed her head to me. ¡®¡®I¡¯m the guide who administrates the test on the first page. I¡¯m called Alpha.¡± The woman, who introduced herself as Alpha (¦Á), welcomed me with a friendly smile. ¡°¡­The page of the first test?¡± ¡°Yes. This is the first page among the tests that exist inside the grimoire, Eadred.¡± The grimoire Eadred? This book was called Eadred? No, more importantly. ¡°Th-this is the inside of a book?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me that on page 203¡­ In that single little page, there was something like this contained within it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°So you didn¡¯t transport me somewhere else with space magic or anything like that, you¡¯re telling me that this separate space was made within a book?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­Huh.¡± I was so shocked that no words would come out. What kind of divine skill must you possess to do something as impossible as creating a room like this inside of a book? ¡°Please don¡¯t be so shocked. In the future, you too will also be able to accomplish all these feats as well.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s even more shocking.¡± Just what were the limits of the Bytenor style of magic? I could do nothing but laugh. ¡°What¡¯s the purpose of this room?¡± I decided to swallow my surprise and focus on the situation at hand. ¡®¡®Just as its name suggests, it¡¯s a room created for the test.¡± ¡°Ah, you said that this was the page of the test, didn¡¯t you?¡± I can¡¯t believe I asked something so obvious. I guess I couldn¡¯t get all the shock out of my system and haven¡¯t regained my senses yet. ¡°On the page of the first test, we will assess whether you, the successor, have fully mastered ¡®deliberation¡¯.¡± Alpha explained with a bright smile. ¡°You will learn what the test entails as the test begins and you will pass the test when you are judged to have fully mastered deliberation. In the case that you pass, pages 18~31 that contain information on 2-circle magic will be revealed. ¡°I see. So the rest of the pages will be revealed in this manner.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± No wonder. There was a reason why no further pages were revealed no matter how much I trained my deliberation. ¡°That¡¯s it for the explanations. Would you like to start the test immediately?¡± Alpha asked with a grin. ¡°Yes. If there¡¯s nothing else to explain, I want to start now.¡± ¡°As you wish. Then I will commence the first test.¡± Along with Alpha¡¯s announcement, her body disintegrated into mana and scattered across the sky. ¡°¡­I had my suspicions but to think she was actually someone made out of mana.¡± This too is magic that only exists in people¡¯s imaginations. Just what were the limits of the Bytenor style of magic? The question I had earlier once again floated around in my head. ¡®I will now announce the contents of the first test.¡¯ And once again, I could hear my master¡¯s voice in my head. I, who had been distracted, focused in an instant. ¡®This jewel is called an Elemental Mana Light.¡¯ Suddenly, a jewel with a mysterious shape appeared, floating before my eyes. ¡®This is an imperfect jewel of chaos with four different attributes of mana mixed together.¡¯ It was a beautiful jewel which formed an aurora that emitted the colors red, blue, green, and yellow. ¡®There is but one way to refine an Elemental Mana Light. You must precisely separate the different elements of mana, that have been mixed, into their respective elements.¡¯ Just by looking at it, I can tell the mana¡¯s a mess. The elements of mana here can be compared to sand, sugar, salt, and pepper that¡¯s been mixed. Actually, it¡¯s even worse. The four elements of mana are attracting each other while simultaneously repelling each other; they¡¯re in a state that is physically impossible. ¡°Your test is simple. Completely refine this jewel.¡± I had thought that might have been the case and it turned out that I was right. When I thought about what he had said, it made sense. ¡®If deliberation has been fully mastered then this is perfectly achievable.¡¯ ¡¯It won¡¯t be easy, but if it¡¯s my disciple, then I have confidence that you¡¯ll succeed.¡¯ ¡®Then I¡¯ll wish you the best of luck.¡¯ With that, I could no longer hear my master¡¯s voice. ¡°Elemental Mana Light¡­¡± I held the jewel that was floating in the air, shining in four colors. ¡°This isn¡¯t good.¡± Now that I¡¯ve touched it I understand more clearly. Inside this jewel is chaos. It¡¯s to the point that I¡¯m wondering how it hasn¡¯t exploded despite there being four different elements jumbled together. ¡°So you want me to sort out this mana.¡± Sorting this mana with anything short of perfect control is impossible. The jewel is bound by a structure where if one element of mana is moved, all 3 will move along with it, so any minor mistake will result in an irreversible effect. ¡®¡®The only person who can refine this crystal really is someone who¡¯s a user of the Bytenor style of magic and has mastered deliberation.¡± When you give the fact that the mana are simultaneously attracting and repelling each other some thought, you quickly realise that it¡¯s impossible to refine this jewel using modern magic. I, the sole user of the Bytenor style of magic, am the only one capable of refining it. ¡°¡­This should be fun.¡± A smile bloomed from the side of my mouth. There¡¯s just something about a challenge that¡¯s exhilarating. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s do this.¡± My infinity circle, in accordance with my will, was spinning hard. *** [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] *** At that time, elsewhere. The Blue Tower¡¯s master was mid-call with the Red Tower¡¯s master. ¡°Sorry, James. I think it¡¯s going to be hard to try and buy the magic formula of the Wind Spear.¡± Kim Kangin spoke fluent English. ¡ª I expected that to be the case. The Red Mage Tower¡¯s Master smiled bitterly. Even the Red Magic tower¡¯s master didn¡¯t think that Shin Hayul would reveal his secrets. The Red Magic Tower¡¯s master knew better than anyone that the priceless treasure known as vision magic was a magic that could not be shared with others, even if it meant death. ¡ª There¡¯s no use in me trying to persuade him, right? ¡°Probably. It was the only breakthrough that he had whilst at the edge of hell; why would he share that with others?¡± That marvelous Wind Spear was Shin Hayul¡¯s ray of hope. The only ray of hope that he had which allowed him to overcome the disability of being incompatible with AI. There was no way that he would give away such magic so easily. ¡°It seems like the vision magic was better than what we had expected.¡± ¡ª Better? Kim Kang-in¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡°I had a conversation with Hayul earlier. It seemed like he had other magic spells that he had improved other than the Wind Spear.¡± ¡°What?¡° Shin Hayul had answered yes to Kim Kangin when he had asked if he was going to improve any other magic spells. ¡°I¡¯m only guessing here but I don¡¯t think the Wind Spear is Hayul¡¯s vision magic. I think that his vision magic is the ability to improve any magic spell.¡± This was Kim Kangin¡¯s answer. ¡ª That doesn¡¯t even make sense! Shouted James Piller, the master of the Red Magic Tower ¡ª There¡¯s no way such magic can exist. You know just how sensitive magic formulas are. ¡®¡®Hmm. That¡¯s true, but.¡± Kim Kangin answered while drumming his left thumb on the table. ¡°I don¡¯t know. For all we know, such a spell could exist among the undiscovered ancient magics.¡± Ancient magic and vision magic are essentially the same things. For example, if a certain family was to obtain an ancient magic formula and were to keep it to themselves whilst not disclosing it to the public then that ancient magic would become a vision magic. ¡ª Ugh. You said that it was Shin Hayul¡¯s hobby to collect ancient books, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡ª If he had obtained a really special ancient book, then it could make sense. The Master of the Red Magic Tower was deep in thought. ¡ª If what you¡¯re saying is true, then that¡¯s a magic spell I would pay millions of dollars for. ¡°I feel the same way.¡± The two men laughed with mysterious expressions. ¡±Well, I¡¯ll confirm if my hypothesis is true or not at tomorrow¡¯s match.¡± ¡ª If he uses a spell other than Wind Spear then we¡¯ll know for sure. One can speculate that these two men will watch Shin Hayul¡¯s match live. ¡°Well, that¡¯s all our business taken care of right?¡± ¡ª Ah. You said that you still had tons of experimenting to go, didn¡¯t you? It seems like I¡¯ve disturbed you, sorry. ¡°No worries. It was about time I had a break anyway.¡± ¡ª Then that¡¯s a relief. The Red Magic Tower¡¯s Master laughed. ¡ª Okay I have one last question. I¡¯m asking this because I want to know this personally, but is your research going well? ¡°¡­No.¡± Kim Kangin smiled bitterly and shook his head. Then, he turned his attention to the jewel that he had left on one side of his room. ¡®¡®It¡¯s not easy to perfectly control the four elements.¡± ¡ª See. I told you it was going to be hard. A mysterious jewel that exudes four colors in an irregular pattern. [The Elemental Mana Light] emitted a brilliant light. ¡ª Don¡¯t be too preoccupied with the research. Though, of course, if you do manage to refine it, you¡¯ll be able to make the ¡®All Type Artifact¡­¡¯ The Red Magic Tower¡¯s master didn¡¯t have to add anything more to that statement. May the 2nd, 4:40 AM. With a sunken face, I laughed to myself. ¡°¡­Did it really take 8 hours and 40 minutes?¡± In my hand was a single jewel that shone in four colors. However, this jewel didn¡¯t shine in an irregular pattern like before. It¡¯s in a state where each of the four colours are perfectly divided. ¡°Well, I succeeded nevertheless.¡± Refined Elemental Mana Light. It was emitting a brilliant glow in my hand. I laughed brightly while opening [Ray Vell Bytenor], no I should call it by its formal name, [Grimoire Eadred]. [Congratulations on passing the test.] The 18 pages that were empty were filled with my master¡¯s handwriting. [In congratulation, I shall gift you the Elemental Mana Light. It will aid you immensely when creating artifacts.] I already know this. I intuitively knew, the moment I laid eyes on this jewel that it would be the highest quality of material for creating artifacts. The reason I was so nonchalant was because I hadn¡¯t thought that I would be able to take it outside of the book. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to be allowed to take it out with me.¡± All¡¯s well that ends well I suppose. ¡®I need to find a true master craftsman to leave this to.¡¯ I can¡¯t leave such a high-quality ingredient to any old craftsman. It can only be left to someone worthy of working with such material. ¡®No, this isn¡¯t what¡¯s important right now.¡¯ I put the Elemental Mana Light into a suitable box and placed it in a drawer. I can think about the Elemental Mana Light later. Right now, I have to focus on my bout with Adella that¡¯s coming up soon. ¡°I have about 7 hours until the match starts.¡± Then, once I had double-checked the time, I held [Eadred¡¯s grimoire] in my hand. ¡°I wonder if I can grasp a lead on becoming a 2-circle mage in 7 hours¡­¡± My eyes twinkled. [Now I¡¯ll explain how to weave your second ring.] There was only one match left for the round of 16. And that match was between Shin Hayul and Adella. The current time is 11:25 AM. There are less than five minutes until the start of the 8th game. ¡°I am still unable to contact Student Shin Hayul.¡± ¡°Could there have been an accident or something¡­¡± Despite this, Shin Hayul still had not shown up. ¡°What, did Shin Hayul run off?¡± ¡°As if he¡¯s afraid of Adella?¡± ¡°I knew this would happen.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a cowardly rat.¡± ¡°He scurried off just as a rat would. Keke.¡± From the stands, criticisms laced with jealousy erupted one after another. ¡°Are you sure there hasn¡¯t been an accident?¡± ¡°Soonchan. Give him a call.¡± ¡°¡­He¡¯s not picking up.¡± Of course, not all of them were like that though. There were also a lot of people who were actually concerned for Shin Hayul. ¡°I think something¡¯s actually happened.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we go check his room?¡± ¡°I tried knocking earlier, but there was no response.¡± Ji Soonchan bit his lips with a serious expression. ¡°¡­¡± In the heart of the noisy Colosseum, Adella alone had closed her eyes and was focusing on her concentration. She cannot hear the voices of the audience. Her mind was calm and still like a tranquil lake. She seemed like she hadn¡¯t even thought of the possibility of Shin Ha-ul not appearing. ¡°There¡¯s one minute left.¡± And in an instant, 4 minutes flew by. ¡°Do we really have to give her a win by default?¡± ¡°I suppose so.¡± And in that exact moment when the instructors were thinking about giving a win by default. ¡°¡­I¡¯m here.¡± Adella opened her eyes. And at the same time, a man could be seen at the entrance of the Colosseum. And underneath his expression of urgency, there was an expression of joy and happiness. ¡°Student Shin Hayul. Why are you so late?¡± An instructor approached Shin Hayul and tapped his watch. With an expression that demanded if he knew what time it was right now. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was a little late getting ready.¡± Shin Hayul lowered his head slightly. ¡°What kind of preparation were you doing to be this late¡­¡± The instructor was about to say something more but stopped themself. ¡°Tsk. We¡¯ll discuss this later.¡± There was no time for any nagging. They had to start the match this very instant. ¡°I can¡¯t give you any additional time to focus your mind. I hope you can put up with it.¡± ¡°Yes. I already know.¡± ¡°Then, to your corners.¡± The instructor slipped out of the colosseum as the signal sounded. In the Colosseum, where there were only the two of them left, Adella asked in a voice as tranquil as a lake. ¡°Have you finished all of your preparations?¡± It was a question that she had asked nonchalantly upon hearing that Shin Hayul was late because of his preparations. ¡°Yes, I have.¡± Shin Hayul answered while warming his body up. ¡°May I ask why you were late?¡± This was also a question she asked nonchalantly. ¡®¡®Hm. It was nothing.¡± However, ¡°I was just getting ready to defeat you.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Her response just now was very much the opposite of nonchalance. The corner of Shin Hayul¡¯s mouth started to rise. ¡°Look forward to it. Because I¡¯m thinking this match will be amusing.¡± Inside the body of Shin Hayul, whose eyes were shining, there were two distinct circles of mana that had settled down. Chapter 14 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 14 About 3 minutes had passed since the 8th match started. Adella was currently having the time of her life. Because she was so expressionless by default, you couldn¡¯t see it just from her expression, but her eyes shone with delight. ¡®He¡¯s strong.¡¯ The target that Adella had lost had returned. The genius prodigy of the Magic Shin Clan had been revived. And Adela was very pleased by this. ¡®Flame Revolver.¡¯ The 3-circle magic that Adella had cast was swept aside by Shin Hayul¡¯s wind. Having calculated the exact speed of the Flame Revolver, he used the perfect amount of force and used his wind to guide the Flame Revolver¡¯s shots away from him. He had used the advantage of the Flame Revolver¡¯s bullets being light against it. ¡®Earth Needle.¡¯ An earth needle ruptured out of the ground. Although it was an attack with the most perfect timing, Shin Hayul, as if he had been expecting it, leapt into the sky and dodged it. ¡®Aero Impact.¡¯ Adella, who had expected Shin Hayul to dodge, immediately cast her next attack. A wind-type magic spell that unleashed high-velocity winds at the opponent. Its advantage was its rapid speed. It sped towards Shin Hayul, who was suspended mid-air. When a person is mid-air, they become defenseless. Knowing this, Adella used ¡®Earth Needle¡¯ to force Shin Hayul to jump. ¡®If my opponent can predict all of my magic, then I¡¯ll just use that against him.¡¯ Everything was as Adella had planned. But, ¡®Barrier.¡¯ There was no way Shin Hayul hadn¡¯t read through Adella¡¯s plan. A transparent barrier formed at the feet of Shin Hayul. Using the barrier as a stepping stone, Shin Hayul jumped. ¡°¡­!¡± The Aero Impact passed beneath Shin Hayul¡¯s feet and caused a strong gust of wind to blow. ¡®Barrier¡­ He used it as a stepping stone!?¡¯ Genuine goosebumps ran down Adella¡¯s back. Shin Hayul¡¯s unbelievable use of magic caused her these goosebumps. ¡®Now isn¡¯t the time to be lost in admiration!¡¯ Shin Hayul, who had jumped twice after reinforcing his lower body, was launching an attack on Adella from above. ¡®His back¡¯s to the sun¡­!¡¯ As if everything had been planned beforehand, Shin Hayul had his back to the sun. Because of this, Adella was unable to see him clearly. ¡®Great Shield.¡¯ Adella had no choice but to go on the defense. An immense shield appeared in front of her. She didn¡¯t know what Shin Hayul was aiming for, but what she did know was that the Shin Hayul, who was only able to use 1-circle magic, would never be able to penetrate her Great Shield, a 3-circle defense spell. It was a safety measure she had used with this in mind. ¡°Earth.¡± Shin Ha-yul created dirt with elemental magic and held it in his hand. Using deliberation, the dirt that had instantly appeared soon morphed into the form of a sword. And at the same time, he cast wind, causing the sword to plunge faster and faster. Baaaaaang-! Shin Ha-yul¡¯s earth sword and Adella¡¯s Great Shield collided, causing a thunderous boom. From the intense impact, Adella frowned for a fraction of a second. ¡®Strong, but I can block it.¡¯ However, as expected, it didn¡¯t break through the Great Shield. Since she had avoided the opponent¡¯s attack, it was now her turn to go on the offense. However, ¡®Earth Bind.¡¯ Shin Hayul acted faster. In the first place, the sword made out of dirt was just a diversion. In an instant, as he lowered his body and touched the ground with his palm, he used a 1-circle confinement magic spell. ¡®When will you change your stance¡­!¡¯ Adella, who had been looking at the sky, was unable to properly grasp the movement of Shin Hayul, who had suddenly changed his stance. ¡°Ugh!¡± And with that, Adella was tied up with a dirt chain. Tap-! Seizing the opportunity, Shin Hayul immediately flew behind Adella. The Great Shield only shielded the front; her rear was left completely vulnerable. It seemed that he intended to use that. But, Crush! Shin Hayul¡¯s efforts were for naught. ¡°Please don¡¯t think that you can trap me with just an Earth Bind.¡± In an instant, she removed the Earth Bind and turned to face Shin Hayul, with the Great Shield turning with her. As if the Great Shield didn¡¯t matter, Shin Hayul fired a magic spell at Adella. ¡°Water Missile.¡± 4 water missiles collided with Adella¡¯s Great Shield. Of course, it didn¡¯t damage the Great Shield one bit. That¡¯s the difference between a 1-circle magic spell and a 3- circle magic spell. ¡°With only this much¡­¡± And when Adella attempted to say something. Baaaaaang! ¡°Aghhh!¡± Without warning, a roaring explosion sounded out behind Adella and caused her to scream. On her back, Adela¡¯s wounds, which were caused by a magic spell, were clearly visible. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Inside the VIP showroom. Shin Inhyuk, who had been watching the game with a serious expression, jumped out of his seat. His eyes are trembling with embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯d never imagined his combat sense would be of this level.¡± This was true for Kim Kangin as well. Everyone who knew what kind of high-level calculations were required to perform such a move had no choice but to display a similar reaction. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he¡¯d planned everything, starting from dodging the first Earth Needle.¡± The move Shin Hayul had just pulled off had been planned ever since he had jumped over the first ¡®Earth Needle¡¯. ¡°When I saw Hayul jumping over the Earth Needle for seemingly no reason, I had thought that, ¡®oh even Hayul makes mistakes¡¯. But it seems I was the one who had been mistaken.¡± After dodging the Earth Needle, he taunted Adella into doing an additional attack. He used a barrier as a stepping stool to elevate himself to a higher altitude. In the process, he turned his back to the sun and sealed Adella¡¯s vision. And with this window of opportunity, Shin Hayul prepared a deadly surprise. ¡°I had never thought that he would use the brilliant move of concealing a ¡®Wind Spear¡¯ with the delayed activation trait by using the brightness of the sun.¡± The wind spear was concealed in the space between Adella and the sun. And then, as if he hadn¡¯t prepared anything, he used ¡®Earth¡¯ to form the sword made out of dirt. The speed of the sword was accelerated using ¡®Wind¡¯, dealing a heavy blow to Adella¡¯s Great Shield. The only purpose of the attack was to draw Adella¡¯s attention to himself. ¡°Upon drawing Adella¡¯s attention using the earth sword and after he had used Earth Bind to turn her attention to the ground, he completed his plan by making her turn around and have her back facing the sun by flying behind her. That was perfect.¡± And in that instant, the Wind Spear that had been concealed by the sun flew straight for her, striking her in her undefended back. This is the truth behind what had happened in that short engagement. ¡°The 1-circle Archmage. I don¡¯t know who gave him that name, but there¡¯s nothing that suits him better.¡± Kim Kangin was tongue-tied. There is probably no one better than Shin Hayul at using 1-circle magic. If only 1-circle magic was used, even Kim Kangin himself wouldn¡¯t be a match. ¡®If we were to have a match using only 1-circle magic, there¡¯s a chance I could lose.¡¯ Is there anyone who could beat Shin Hayul if they were to both use the same 1-circle magic and the same 1-circle magic outputs? I assure you, there is not. His magic was just that perfect. ¡°You have a good son.¡± ¡°A good son you say¡­¡± Shin Inhyuk looked at his son with a complex expression. On the one hand, Shin Hayul, who was not giving up his chance to deal a blow and continuously driving his opponent into a corner was certainly admirable. ¡°But he¡¯s just a flawed mage who can only use 1-circle magic.¡± On the other hand, that¡¯s all he was. No matter how meticulous and calculating Shin Hayul was, in the end, he was nothing but a half-assed mage who could only use 1-circle magic. ¡°Despite obviously gaining a lead, he¡¯s unable to wrap things up.¡± Shin In-hyuk looks at his son with a complicated expression. ¡°Especially since Adella hasn¡¯t even brought out her vision magic.¡± When Shin Inhyuk thought about it, the limits of his own son were clear. Four circles at the age of 18. A new combat style using ancient magic known as Memorize. A precise battle strategy using improved magic spells. Everything was great, but that was it. Strategy, tactics and analysis. No matter how much you polish up these skills, there¡¯s nothing you can do in the face of overwhelming power. Shin Hayul had no power. He lacked the overwhelming power that could crush his opponent¡¯s shield into ash. ¡°No matter what you do to 1-circle magic, it¡¯ll stay as 1-circle magic.¡± As long as that was what he was lacking, Shin Hayul can never become the greatest mage. And as proof of that. ¡®¡®It¡¯s started.¡± Mysterious mana emanated from around Adella¡¯s body. ¡°The pride of the Mystic Wi clan. Lunar magic.¡± As if saying that playtime was over, Adella started to use her proper vision magic. ¡°Three-circle magic. Halo.¡± Halo. It can be interpreted as a halo made of moonlight, a magic spell where it looks as if moonlight is being unleashed. With just one blast of that magic, the tide of the match shifted in an instant. Shin Hayul and Adella¡¯s roles were swiftly reversed. ¡®¡®That¡¯s my proof. Hayul will never be the greatest.¡± Shin Hayul can never be the greatest. Shin Inhyuk was certain of that one fact. ¡°That may be true. Forget being the greatest in the world, as long as Adella¡¯s around, becoming even the greatest in Korea might be a bit much.¡± ¡±Even though Shin Hayul was pretty impressive, he wouldn¡¯t be able to stand a chance against the other great talents of the world. And that¡¯s why it was such a pity. ¡®If only Hayul was compatible with AI.¡¯ Thinking of it in that way caused an overwhelming sense of pity. Shin Inhyuk put on his overcoat with a bitter expression. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Is there any reason to watch a fight that¡¯s already over?¡± Shin Inhyuk had already decided that this fight was as good as lost. Watching any more than this would be a waste of time. ¡°Hm. I see.¡± Kim Kangin was also having similar thoughts. ¡°This match will be difficult for him to win. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because of the lack of information on the vision magic, but his movement is worse than before.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll be going first.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± It was at that time when Shin Inhyuk turned his back. ¡°Woooaahhhh!!¡± Suddenly, beyond the VIP showroom, the cheers of spectators burst out. ¡°¡­This doesn¡¯t even make sense!¡± At the same time, Kim Kangin shouted out and jumped out of his seat. In the sudden situation, Shin Inhyuk turned back around. And at that moment, when he got a full view of the arena that was beyond the glass panes of the VIP showroom. ¡°¡­!¡± Shin Inhyuk¡¯s eyes widened as wide open as they possibly could be. ¡°2-circle¡­ magic?¡± On the palm of Shin Hayul¡¯s hand, the distinctive form of the 2-circle fire magic, ¡®Flame Vulcan¡¯ could be seen. And when taking the traits of the memorise spell into account, the fact that Shin Ha-yul had used 2-circle magic could only mean one thing. ¡°Hayul¡­ has woven his fifth circle?¡± Shin Hayul had become a 5-circle mage. ¡°This can¡¯t be possible¡­¡± Kim Kangin and Shin Inhyuk¡¯s eyes shook violently as if there was an earthquake. ¡°2-circle¡­ magic¡­?¡± ¡°Why are you surprised? I told you earlier. I was late because I was getting ready to defeat you.¡± I smiled as I looked at Adela, who was widening her eyes like a surprised rabbit. ¡°Did you¡­ really reach 5-circles?¡± Adela asked with an astonished expression on her face. ¡°You¡¯ll know when you see it.¡± The Flame Vulcan blazed in a vivid red on the palm of my hand. ¡°Why now¡­?¡± Why was it that he had hidden the fact that he could use 2-circle magic until now? That was what she was asking. ¡°Same reason as why you held back on using your vision magic.¡± At the start of our fight, Adella only used universal open-source magic spells. There was only one reason why. ¡°¡­Was your objective also to just observe me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± That reason was to gather intel. Vision magic drains one¡¯s willpower rapidly, so it¡¯s not suitable for gathering intel. Therefore, she had made a plan to use ordinary magic that was less draining. And after she had finished gathering intel, when she had determined that she had an opportunity to win, she used her vision magic to try and pressure me. Though, I had the same plan. My 2-circle magic is pretty exhausting as well. Until I had a clear opportunity to seize victory, I couldn¡¯t use it recklessly. And by using only 1-circle magic, I had gathered intel on Adella¡¯s magic. Furthermore. ¡°Then the reason you decided to use your 2-circle magic now is because¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve gathered all the intel I need.¡± I was now certain that the chance of victory had revealed itself. That was why I had used my 2-circle magic. ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Adela¡¯s eyes shone sharply. I guess my words struck her pride. ¡°Then here I go.¡± I lowered my center of gravity, and fired the ¡®Flame Vulcan¡¯ I had already prepared. 10 bullets of fire were unleashed at the opponent, like its namesake, the *M61 Vulcan cannon. *(T/n: The name of a machine gun) ¡®Great Shield.¡¯ Just like before, Adella used a 3 ¨C circle defensive magic spell to block Flame Vulcan. 2 ¨C circle magic is on a different level when compared to 1 ¨C circle magic. She frowned, signifying that she was feeling overwhelmed. ¡®Artillery Battery.¡¯ I immediately positioned Flame Vulcan in the air. With this, the Flame Vulcan, which was no longer tied to my body, turned into a floating artillery battery that shot fire at Adella. And I immediately wrapped myself around Adella¡¯s blind spot. ¡°¡­!¡± Adella found herself in a situation where she was neither able to move nor able to cancel the Great Shield due to the Flame Vulcan. I, who was steadily getting closer to Adella¡¯s rear, activated the 2-circle magic ¡®Flame Shock¡¯ at close range. And at the very moment that my fire had brushed against Adella. ¡®Halo!¡¯ Moonlight burst out everywhere in the vicinity of Adella¡¯s body. The lunar halo that spread out from Adella evaporated my ¡®Flame Shock¡¯ and my ¡®Flame Vulcan¡¯ and was rapidly heading towards me. And beyond the moonlight that was drawing closer, I could see Adella¡¯s back. I could only see one of her eyes because she had her face slightly turned, but that one eye gleamed as if it was sure of victory. The magic that was a fusion of light and dark magic could not be stopped using any old method and on top of that, its firepower was insane as well. She had succeeded in casting ¡®Halo¡¯ at this short distance. So it wasn¡¯t unusual for her to be sure of victory. However, ¡®You¡¯re being too clumsy.¡¯ She should¡¯ve thought about why I had got so close to her, despite knowing about her Halo magic spell. She should¡¯ve considered that it may have been my goal to make her cast Halo. She should¡¯ve realized that I had continuously been observing her ¡®Halo¡¯ up till now. [The second ring of the Bytenor Style of magic is also known as the circle of resonance.] Zing-! ¡®Here it comes.¡¯ The second infinity circle in my body began to resonate with the mana in the surroundings. Chapter 15 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 15 The first circle of the Bytenor style of magic. The first circle is known as the ¡®circle of deliberation¡¯. This, as everyone already knows, allows one to use magic freely and without restraint. It can be said to be the supporting foundation of the Bytenor style of magic. Then what would change if one were to have 2 circles? Well, the second circle is known as the ¡®circle of resonance¡¯. And as its name suggests, its ability is to resonate. It resonates with the mana in the surroundings and other mana circles and by doing so, it rapidly increases the speed of the mana circulation, therefore, resulting in the magic spell being strengthened. That is the effect of having 2 infinity circles. [Although the circle of resonance is powerful, it comes at the cost of fleetingly consuming your mental strength. You must always be attentive to your surroundings before using it.] Of course just because the magic is strong doesn¡¯t mean that it¡¯s an almighty power. As it¡¯s an ability that forcefully accelerates the mana circulation by resonating with both the circle and the mana in the surroundings, it quickly depletes one¡¯s mental strength. ¡®The maximum amount of times I can use the ring of resonance right now is maybe twice and that¡¯s stretching it.¡¯ And that was only once or twice if I didn¡¯t use any special magic. So that was why I had only used 1-circle magic to fight Adella. I was preserving my mental strength while gathering intel and waiting for the perfect moment to use my circle of resonance. All to maximize its effectiveness. [A trait of the Bytenor style of magic is that the more you progress, the more information you¡¯ll be able to see through the mana.] [Having 1-circle allows you to get a momentary glimpse of the color. And having 2-circles allows you to see the structure of mana.] I dragged out the fight using only 1-circle magic and continuously observed Adella¡¯s mana. The light type magic¡¯s unique trait is its white color and the dark type magic¡¯s unique trait is its chilling darkness. [Of course, even if you are able to see the structure of mana, you are only able to see it in little snippets.] I constantly observed the moon magic the Mystic Wi clan was so proud of. By piecing together the tiny fragments of mana structure that I saw, I was able to learn one complete piece of information. And as a result. ¡®Halo has a structure similar to that of the 3-circle magic, Light Impact.¡¯ I succeeded in understanding the structure of Halo. ¡®Light impact is a powerful, light type magic that shines light in every direction damaging any foes that get near it.¡¯ The Mystic Wi Clan¡¯s magic was a magic that was based entirely upon ratios. Its effect depends entirely on the ratio of light and dark type magic. If you were to increase the ratio of the light-type magic, then the range would increase and if you were to increase the ratio of the dark-type magic, then the power would increase. ¡®Skills that have a high range such as Halo and Moon Fall contain a high percentage of light-type magic and skills that have high power such as Moonlight bullet contain a high percentage of dark-type magic. ¡®Light type magic and dark type magic are completely opposite attributes.¡¯ This means that the light magic and dark magic cover for each other¡¯s shortcomings, meaning that the magic essentially has no weakness. ¡®That¡¯s why up till now, the Mystic Wi clan¡¯s magic has been an impenetrable fort.¡¯ It can be seen as a type of magic that is able to do everything. ¡®But that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t have a way of dealing with it.¡¯ By continuously observing Adella¡¯s magic, I found a way to defeat her. ¡®Halo is constructed out of 78% light type and 22% dark type mana.¡¯ Therefore, in order to break apart Adella¡¯s Halo, I must first change the ratios of mana. Ziiing-! The circle of resonance rang out. The infinity circle revolved while ringing throughout my entire body. The moonlight was approaching fast. And just as the Halo had reached the tip of my nose, I activated my magic. ¡®Darkness Blind.¡¯ ¡®Strengthened by the circle of resonance.¡¯ The 2-circle magic, Darkness Blind. A supporting magic spell that spreads out dark attributed mana in every direction to blind the opponent. Normally, this spell isn¡¯t used in this situation. However, ¡®The amount of dark attribute mana that Darkness Blind releases matches well with Adella¡¯s Halo.¡¯ Surprisingly, my analysis of Adella¡¯s Halo showed that the structure of its mana was very similar to the mana structure of Darkness Blind. Hwaaaaak-! The darkness rapidly spread out and instantly collides with the moonlight. Upon doing so, it began to start mixing with Adella¡¯s Halo. ¡®After being contaminated by my Darkness Blind, Adella¡¯s Halo¡¯s ratio of light and dark has been put in a state of total disorder.¡¯ This caused the Halo, which was usually a spell with a fixed range, to malfunction. ¡®With the addition of the dark type mana, instead of the moonlight spreading out, it began to contract.¡¯ The moonlight, which had been gathering momentum, suddenly started to return back to Adella, as if time was being reversed. ¡®My Darkness Blind had reduced Adella¡¯s Halo¡¯s range to less than a quarter of what it should¡¯ve been.¡¯ A gap appeared in between Adella¡¯s Halo due to the moonlight disappearing. ¡°¡­!¡± And through the gap, Adella¡¯s flustered expression could be seen. She had an expression on her face that showed that she had no idea what just happened. Upon seeing Adella with such an expression, I smiled to myself. ¡®I believe that you¡¯ll soon become my goal.¡¯ Suddenly, I remembered what Adella had said to me and her face came to mind. That face reminded me of the Adella of the past who¡¯s eyes sparkled even after being defeated by me. It made me feel something I had never felt before. ¡®Try and catch up with me.¡¯ This was my declaration. ¡®I¡¯m back.¡¯ ¡®This is my magic that all of you have looked down on.¡¯ A declaration I was directing at her whilst simultaneously directing at all those people who were watching over me. Burn! ¡®Blast lance.¡¯ The 2-circle magic, Blast Lance, blazed from my fingertips. ¡®Strengthened by the circle of resonance.¡¯ The circle of resonance shook the Blast Lance and caused the spear of fire to blaze even more spectacularly. ¡®Condense.¡¯ I forcefully held back the Blast Lance from bursting out and increasingly concentrated its power, making it more and more solid. A spear of fire that I had created by pouring every last piece of mental strength I had into it. ¡®Go.¡¯ Sweeeek! It flew towards Adella. Ba-dump, ba-dump-! The sound of my heartbeat was thunderous. I could see Adella¡¯s body slowly tilting before falling almost in slow motion. And afterwards. ¡°The fight is over! Winner! Shin Hayul!¡± ¡°Woahhh!!¡± ¡°Shin Hayul!¡± ¡°Shin Hayul!¡± The cries masked out the sound of my heartbeat. Eventually, it felt like the cheers were instead filling up my heart. ¡°¡­I won.¡± No matter how often I felt it, the sweet taste of victory never got old. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] After the match had finished, I used the break to be interviewed by the journalists. Although I wanted to rest a bit longer, I had to clear up any misunderstandings that could have arisen as a result of the match. ¡°So are you saying that you¡¯re not a 5-circle user?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m not.¡± I used 2-circle magic at the match today. And as a result, people thought that I had woven my fifth circle. I had something to say about that. ¡°Then how were you able to use 2-circle magic¡­?¡± ¡°I used vision magic.¡± ¡°Vision magic?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡®¡®I assume you¡¯re not referring to the Magic Shin Clan¡¯s vision magic, so what type of vision magic is it? ¡®¡®It¡¯s a vision magic that has the effect of enhancing other magic spells. ¡± ¡®¡®Enhancing¡­ other spells?¡± ¡°Yes. Just like my Wind Spear.¡± ¡°Ah¡­!¡± There are many reasons why I¡¯m saying this. First of all, achieving 5-circles at age 18 is a bit too outrageous. There will definitely be people who are suspicious. ¡®And soon when I start to be able to use 3-circle magic, the same problem will occur.¡¯ Because then that would mean that I would become a 6-circle mage, and that would be frankly unbelievable. Therefore, I had to clear this all up now. ¡°Although it may be a great vision magic, how does enhancing spells relate to being able to use 2-circle magic spells?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± I had thought about how to explain it in advance. ¡°I¡¯ve improved Memorize.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve improved the spell so that I¡¯m able to use magic spells that are 2-circles lower than the number of circles I have.¡± Exclamations burst out amongst the reporters. ¡°I-is that kind of thing possible?¡± ¡®¡®Yes. Memorize is a magic spell, too.¡± ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true but¡­¡± The reporter¡¯s response showed his doubt. Though that kind of response was to be expected. It was hard for even me, who had made up this story, to believe it as well. Now then, how should I try and prove it? And it was at that moment when I started to have those kinds of thoughts. ¡°I see. You really enhanced and used Memorize.¡± ¡°Th-the Blue Magic Tower¡¯s master.¡± ¡°Why is Kim Kangin here¡­?¡± All of a sudden, the Blue Magic Tower Master approached us with a smile. ¡°I failed to predict this. To think that you had really improved Memorize¡¯s flaw.¡± He grabs my shoulders with an excited expression. ¡°Haha! I¡¯m impressed. I saw something truly spectacular.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± As the Blue Magic tower¡¯s master said this, his eyes were shining with a ruby hue. He was examining my body with his ¡®Eye¡¯s of ruby¡¯. I had heard that his eyes were able to detect even the slightest tremblings of mana caused by the clashing of mana circles. By the way, once you achieve 5-circles, your mana will constantly tremble. Therefore, if he can¡¯t detect any kind of trembling, he¡¯ll be able to confirm that my words are indeed the truth. ¡°As expected. It seems you haven¡¯t woven your fifth ring.¡± ¡®¡®Yes. I haven¡¯t.¡± Of course, at this point in time, my infinity circle doesn¡¯t release any trembling. ¡°M-master of the Blue Magic Tower. Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the truth. I can¡¯t sense the trembling of mana that should be present in a 5-circle mage from Hayul. Hayul isn¡¯t a 5-circle mage.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Of course, there¡¯s no illegal artificial intelligence or illegal doping either.¡± The Blue Magic Tower¡¯s master put his hand on the back of my neck and laughed. ¡°Forget illegal AI, I can¡¯t even detect the presence of normal AI from him.¡± Then, he touched my body in various places and laughed again. ¡°And I can¡¯t see any trace of illegal doping.¡± ¡°Then is he really¡­¡± ¡®¡®Yes. Hayul is telling the truth.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Only then did the reporters finally look like they believed me. I guess there really is a difference depending on who says the words. ¡°Oh, would I be allowed to put this in an article?¡± ¡®¡®Yes. Of course. You can even add the fact that I authenticated it. Haha!¡± ¡°Oh! Th-thank you so much!¡± The reporters bounced out of the room in joy. This kind of reaction is to be expected. Not only were they able to have an exclusive interview with me, but they also were able to gain highly credible information from the master of the Blue Magic Tower. When they get back to their companies, they¡¯re probably going to get praised a whole bunch. ¡°By the way, Hayul. Everything from your Flame Vulcan to your Blast Lance. It was the very definition of perfection.¡± The master of the Blue Magic tower kept patting me on my shoulder to the point that it started to hurt a bit. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± ¡°Especially the Darkness Blind! I didn¡¯t know that it would cause that kind of response when it interacted with Adella¡¯s Halo! Could it be that the reason you preserved your strength at the start of the fight was to analyze Adella¡¯s Halo?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°As I had thought! I was wondering why you kept trying to engage in close combat, but it was all to make Adella use her Halo! To think that every single one of your actions were planned beforehand. I can only express my admiration. It¡¯s been so long since I was last impressed at a magic battle that I feel incredibly satisfied after watching yours. In fact, I¡¯m so satisfied that I feel like I¡¯ve stuffed myself full with the highest quality food¡­¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m completely out of energy.¡± I learnt the hard way why the Master of the Blue Magic tower was called a chatterbox. He talked so much that I thought that he might¡¯ve had a machine gun attached to his mouth. Though, of course, that served as a testimony to just how interesting my match was. But after 20 minutes of being pestered, my energy had no choice but to deplete. ¡®Anyway, thanks to the Master of the Blue Magic Tower, I was easily able to get through the interview.¡¯ I skimmed through the news articles. [Shin Hayul¡¯s secret is vision magic? Let¡¯s dig up everything there is to know about his magic.] [The Master of the Blue Magic tower authenticates Shin Hayul¡¯s claim for the second time! Is the Magic Shin Clan finally cooperating with the Master of the Blue Magic tower?] [Everything behind Shin Hayul¡¯s victory.] [The shattering of the Mystic Wi clan¡¯s magic! What kind of impact will this have? Each country¡¯s representative for the magic Olympiad.] In the midst of the countless news stories that were spreading out, I was able to confirm that a considerable number of them were on my Vision Magic. With that, any misunderstandings about me being a 5-circle mage should be dispelled. ¡°And in the future, I¡¯ll be able to use my magic as freely as I wish to.¡± Since I have the convenient cover-up story about having a Vision magic spell that improves other magic spells, no matter what magic I use later on, I shouldn¡¯t ever be in a situation where people are suspicious of me. Even if I were to use 3 or 4-circle magic no one would catch on. It¡¯s perfect. ¡°All that¡¯s left now is to¡­¡± Successfully get through the 3 matches I have left, and begin negotiations with my father. Chapter 16 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 16 The fourth match of the quarter-finals. In the match between Shin Hayul and Ha Sangjun, Shin Hayul one-sidedly overwhelmed his opponent. ¡°This match feels a bit dull.¡± ¡°Yeah, true. The round of 16 was just too exciting.¡± The reactions from the spectators were lukewarm. ¡°The finals are going to be more boring than I thought.¡± ¡°Agreed. It¡¯s gonna be no fun.¡± It felt as if the finals had already happened in the 8th match in the round of 16. The greatest battle, filled to the brim with plot twist after plot twist. Looking back at it for a second time, it really was a spectacular match that gave the spectators no choice but to cheer. Having already seen such a match, it was inevitable for the spectator¡¯s standards to have risen. Of course, there were still some who showed interest in the current battle. ¡°Hey. Look over there.¡± ¡°Seems like she¡¯s already woken up, huh? Does your resilience improve with your magic ability?¡± Adella Stuart. Her eyes were still shining brightly. ¡°What is she staring so hard at?¡± ¡°Did you know that she¡¯s looking for Shin Hayul¡¯s weakness to get revenge on him?¡± She was focusing on Shin Hayul with so much intent, that if her eyes could shoot lasers, Shin Hayul would have burnt to a crisp. ¡°Well since she lost in the round of 16 because of Shin Hayul, she does have a right to be resentful.¡± ¡°I bet it hurt her pride.¡± Although it may appear like that at a glance, Adella¡¯s fixated gaze was not caused by negative emotions such as resentment or revenge. In fact, it was the very opposite. ¡®That Aero Shot just now. He deliberately slowed it down to increase its power.¡¯ Joy, delight. The desire to absorb every piece of information there was on Shin Hayul. Her eyes were filled with these kinds of positive emotions. ¡®I see. By slowing down the speed of the skill like that, you can catch your opponent off guard.¡¯ For Adela, Shin Hayul was sort of like a textbook. The greatest textbook, that was filled with things that she would have never thought of. ¡®He was able to land a blow with his 1-circle magic because his opponent was so wary of his 2-circle magic.¡¯ ¡®Oh, I never knew that you can not only tie the enemy¡¯s feet with Wood Bind, but you can also cover their eyes.¡¯ Adella, who had been presented with the greatest textbook that could not be obtained anywhere else, felt her heart burning as fiercely as it possibly could. I will absorb everything that he has. Her head was filled with those intentions. ¡®What will he show me next?¡¯ Adella had found the past year unbelievably boring. She had learned magic from a textbook and familiarised herself with the magic her family taught her. And although this was an extremely rational and reliable way of doing things, for Adella, it was nothing but a time of pure boredom. ¡®As expected he¡¯s different.¡¯ Adella, who had been chasing the genius known as Shin Hayul since youth, could never be satisfied by mere textbooks. ¡®My heart pounds whenever I see it.¡¯ Shin Hayul, a person who had made a fool out of her in ways she could never have imagined. Shin Hayul, who in his youth, had said that the Mystic Wi Clan¡¯s method of teaching didn¡¯t work. She remembered that time when Shin Hayul had playfully laughed and told her that if she continued to follow what was written in the textbook, it would be easy to keep making a fool out of her. ¡®I want to see more, learn it all and steal everything.¡¯ To Adella, Shin Hayul was a ¡°superstar¡±. In the monotonous world of magic, he alone was the shining star with no equal. The light that Adella had kept chasing. The brightest star that had been unable to shine through the clouded skies for quite some time. ¡®I want to be like him someday, too.¡¯ He was the embodiment of all of Adella¡¯s ideals. He shone brightly, with absolute confidence in himself. Adella, without realising it, had reached out with her hand. ¡®Some day I want to be able to overcome him.¡¯ I want to overcome him with the things I learned from him. Ba-dump-! Her heart pounded. It felt as if the time that had been frozen for a year started to flow again. ¡°The match is over! Winner! Shin Hayul!¡± ¡±Woaaaaahhh-!!¡± Adella¡¯s radiant eyes drilled holes through Shin Hayul¡¯s back. As she stared, she found herself unknowingly smiling. ¡°¡­Wow. I¡¯ve never seen Adella smile before.¡± ¡°She¡¯s prettier when she smiles.¡± Adella got out of her seat and quickly left the stands. The reason for her doing this was obvious. She had so many things that she wanted to ask him. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] ¡°Uh..!¡± After my duel had ended, Adella was there waiting for me. With a sort of flushed expression. ¡°You¡¯re awake then? Are you feeling well?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± My final Blast Lance had struck her with its full force so I had assumed that it would take her some time before she regained consciousness. I can¡¯t believe she woke up in just two hours. She must have great resilience. ¡°So, what¡¯s up?¡± Unlike how she usually presented herself, her clothes were all crumpled up and her gold hair was quite messy. I can clearly see that she had come to see me as soon as she had woken up. That meant that she had some business with me. And when I looked at her flushed cheeks, there could only be one reason she had come. ¡°I just wanted to talk about our match.¡± ¡®¡®You want some feedback right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She wanted feedback reflecting upon our recent bout. That was the only thing she could have come to talk to me about. ¡°Since you have your semifinals and finals coming up, if you need some rest I can ask you later¡­¡± Adella was looking at the floor, fiddling with her fingers as she hesitantly said this. When I saw her acting like this I unknowingly let out a laugh. ¡°No, don¡¯t worry. Giving feedback will benefit me as well. Let¡¯s do it now. ¡± Before we had enrolled at the academy, this kind of thing had also occasionally happened. Especially, when we would have mock battles, she would always without fail, ask me for some feedback. Even then, she used to hesitantly ask as she had done just now. Nothing has changed since then. ¡°Okay. So you know when you used Barrier to double jump.¡± And like in the past, as soon as I accepted, she began passionately talking, removing any trace of hesitance. ¡°Did you plan all that from the very moment you had dodged the Earth Needle? If you had planned it, then how were you so sure that I would use Earth Needle?¡± ¡°Remember how when I had dodged your magic, my stance got a bit messy? I¡¯d deliberately lowered my centre of gravity.¡± ¡°Ah, so you had planned everything from then on. Then the way you had naturally hid the wind spear with the sunlight was also¡­¡± ¡°I had planned all that from the very beginning as well.¡± ¡°As I had thought! Then¡­¡± I continued to give Adella feedback until the start of the semi-finals. I was touched by Adella¡¯s smile, which was broadening more and more. At that time, elsewhere. A man and a woman were talking on the top floor of an affiliated building owned by the Magic Shin Clan. They are staring intensely at a monitor screen with serious expressions. ¡°Oppa are we going to let this be?¡± ¡°Let what be?¡± The high-tech hologram screen that was occupying one side of the room was broadcasting Shin Hayul¡¯s semi-final match. ¡°I¡¯m talking about Hayul. Are we just going to leave him be?¡± Shin Hayul¡¯s elder sister and the oldest daughter in the family. Shin Seha glared fiercely at the man. ¡°Of course I¡¯m going to leave him be. What do you even expect me to do?¡± Shin Jihan, Shin Hayul¡¯s eldest brother, nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Oh, come on! Why are you so composed? Haven¡¯t you heard? Father is planning on reinstating Hayul back to the family!¡± Shin Inhyuk had already decided to reinstate Shin Hayul to the family. One reason was that he had lost the bet with Shin Hayul. And at the very least, unlike how he was 1 year ago, Shin Hayul was deemed more than worthy to be someone worth looking over. When all the matches were finished, Shin Hayul was most likely going to become a member of the Magic Shin Clan again and would be able to enjoy all of the benefits that position held. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve heard about that.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s so frustrating.¡± Shin Seha pounded on her chest. She looked as if she was so frustrated that she could die. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Do I really have to put it into words for you to understand?¡± She was getting increasingly more hysterical. ¡°Shin Hayul. If he returns to the family, then don¡¯t you know our positions within the clan will be threatened? Did you forget what it was like just a year ago? Are you an idiot?¡± The Magic Shin Clan is a clan that values skill before all else. In fact, there¡¯s a tradition where regardless of age, the position of the clan leader is given to the most exceptional mage. Of course, until a year ago, Shin Hayul had received an overwhelming amount of support. In fact, he was treated as the next head of the Magic Shin Clan. ¡°Both of us could end up becoming outcasts again¡­¡± That was why Shin Seha was expressing so much emotion. If Shin Hayul returned to the family, then the position she had spent 1 year building up could vanish into thin air. ¡°Seha. The situation now is different to the situation a year ago.¡± Unlike Seha, Shin Jihan who was more easy-going smiled without a care in the world. ¡°The Hayul then and the Hayul now are different. I think you¡¯ve lost your cool because you were reminded of what happened back then.¡± Shin Jihan thought that Shin Hayul¡¯s return was of no concern at all. ¡°A year ago, Hayul was a prodigious genius that the entire world was paying attention to, but the Hayul now is nothing more than a pile of rubbish.¡± Shin Jihan looked at Shin Hayul, who had come up on the screen, with a sense of superiority. ¡°But everyone¡¯s making a fuss about how great he is¡­¡± Shin Jihan laughed as if he had heard something ridiculous. ¡°If a basketball player who had no right arm were to make a play that looked as if it required both arms, then, of course, it would look impressive. Even if in actuality it was just a normal feat.¡± A mage without artificial intelligence is like a basketball player that¡¯s missing an arm. If they were to perform well even whilst missing something so important, then, of course, people were going to pay attention to it. ¡°And especially since it¡¯s a person who, in the past, was praised as a prodigious genius no less. How could there not be interest around him, right?¡± All the attention currently on Shin Hayul is like an illusion that¡¯s soon to be dispelled. ¡°And just put everything down and think it through with a cool head. It should be obvious why Shin Hayul is overwhelming his competition right now.¡± ¡°Think it through¡­? Ah.¡± Shin Seha exclaimed as if she had understood. ¡°Hayul alone is a 4th circle mage while all his opponents are 3 circle mages¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Even if it wasn¡¯t Ha-yul, it¡¯s normal for a 4th circle mage to overwhelm 3-circle mages.¡± In the modern study of magic, the most obvious indicator of victory was the difference in the number of circles the mages had. This can be proven just by looking at all the records of past fights between 3 and 4 ¨C circle mages. The odds are 1:9. The 4th-circle mage¡¯s chance of winning is more than 90 percent. ¡°Hayul¡¯s barely making up for his defect using the vision magic he¡¯s luckily acquired, his brains and his technique. If you think about it rationally, he¡¯s way weaker than a normal 4-circle mage.¡± Would anything have changed if it wasn¡¯t Shin Hayul in that position but just some ordinary 4th circle mage? What if it was a normal 4th circle mage who had fought Adella? They probably would have secured victory without struggling nearly as much as Shin Hayul did. ¡°Hm, I see. In the end, no matter how hard he may try, a defect is just a defect.¡± Shin Seha let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Do you get it now? Why I said there was no point in fussing over it?¡± ¡°Yep, I get it. No matter what Ha-ul does, he¡¯ll never be able to beat mages on the same level as him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Even if Hayul reaches 5 circles, 6 circles or whatever, he won¡¯t ever be a threat to us. So there¡¯s absolutely no reason to get stressed over it.¡± Shin Hayul is unable to beat a mage on the same level as him. You¡¯d probably scoff if you heard that the 4th circle mage, Shin Hayul was only able to use 2-circle magic. ¡°And well, if we leave him be for a bit, and it looks as if he¡¯ll be a threat to us, by then it still won¡¯t be too late to take care of him.¡± ¡°As expected of you. You had everything thought out.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The two looked at each other and laughed. The midterm comprehensive evaluation has come to an end. ¡®¡®The match has ended! Winner! Shin Hayul!¡± ¡±Woahhhh-!!¡± ¡°Shin Hayul you¡¯re awesome!¡± ¡°That was a great match!¡± Of course, I was the winner. Of the remaining contestants, none were nearly as strong as Adella, so I was able to win without any problems. ¡°Congratulations. As the instructor in charge, I¡¯m impressed.¡± Instructor Ko Changsoo congratulated me as his representative. ¡±Thank you.¡± The sound of clapping echoes from all directions. People were chanting my name and applauding just for me. The cheers of the people congratulating my victory were like a drug, making my heart beat like crazy. ¡°¡­So annoying.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if he wins, he¡¯s just a defect.¡± ¡°I really hate vision magic.¡± Although there were a few students who I could sense were jealous of me, I still felt great. I believe that you are only ever jealous of a person if you¡¯ve concluded that you can never overcome them. In other words, all these people who are glaring at me with jealousy are just future losers who¡¯ve convinced themselves that they¡¯ll never be able to defeat me. ¡®I¡¯ve been receiving attention for all kinds of reasons for the past year so something like that is nothing to me.¡¯ In the first place, I shouldn¡¯t be concerning myself with such petty negativity. I skimmed past those gazes and basked in the joy of victory. ¡°Hayul! We have to have a celebration party! ¡± Soonchan approached me whilst putting his arms around my shoulders. ¡°Yeah! We should have one! ¡± ¡°A glorious winner has come from class 1, so of course we have to! ¡± ¡°What, you guys even considered the idea that we wouldn¡¯t have one? I thought that there was no way that we wouldn¡¯t have one.¡± Second-year students from class 1 flocked all around me. Everyone was sincerely congratulating me on my victory. ¡®¡®Instructor, you¡¯re coming too right? ¡± ¡°That¡¯s a funny way of saying that you need me to pay for it all.¡± ¡°Come on~ instructor. It¡¯s not like that.¡± Soonchan wrapped his right arm around my neck and made a fuss. ¡°Hey, what is there to even think about? Let¡¯s go! The instructor said that he would pay!¡± He had a huge grin on his face that told me that he was happier about my victory than he was for his work. When I saw that smile, even I had no choice but to let out a laugh. I thought that if it was a celebration party with this kind of atmosphere then it wouldn¡¯t be all that bad. However, ¡°Sorry. I really want to go, I really do. But I have something I need to get to.¡± ¡°Something you have to get to?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Unfortunately, I had something I needed to do. [Father] [I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a lot we have to talk about.] [When the finals are over, immediately come home.] [I¡¯ll send a car to come and pick you up.] Going home for the first time in 1 year. That was something that was very important. Chapter 17 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 17 After that, I got on the limousine that had been waiting at the school gates and headed towards the main house for the first time in a year. The main house was located about an hour away by car. We rode alongside the well-maintained garden inside the main house for about 5 minutes and eventually were able to see the grand mansion that announced that its inhabitants were filthy rich. All that was left was to pass by the heavily armed security guards and we were at our destination. ¡°We have arrived.¡± ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± I bid my farewells to the chauffeur, who had safely taken us to our destination and got out of the car. ¡°The patriarch is waiting for you in the study.¡± I received the maid¡¯s instructions and headed to the study. The study was the same as ever. The interior completely reflected my father¡¯s disdain for mess. As long as it¡¯s my father who is using this room, I can¡¯t envision it ever changing. After walking around the inside of the mansion for about 2 minutes, I finally arrived at my destination. ¡°Clan leader. Master Hayul has arrived.¡± The maid knocked on the door and announced my arrival. ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± The maid lowered her head and opened the door. The well-maintained door didn¡¯t even let out the quietest of creaks as it opened. I gave my thanks to the maid and made my way inside the study. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, father.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother with your needless greetings. Sit down.¡± My father gestured to sit down on the seat opposite him. I sat there as he had asked. ¡°I had believed that you would never achieve success as a mage.¡± He didn¡¯t beat around the bush and cut straight to the chase, just as he had always done. ¡°Because as someone incompatible with AI, you faced countless disadvantages. Your casting speed was 20 times slower than that of an average mage, your magic formula would fail if you were to lose focus and you were unable to multicast to say the least.¡± In the modern study of magic, AI holds importance as great as the number of one¡¯s circles does. In terms of the human body, if circles were the heart then AI would be the brain. Just as if a human was missing one of those things, they would be unable to live, it¡¯s the same story for a mage. To others, this was a fact that was set in stone. ¡°That is why I told you to forget becoming a mage and specialise in the field of artificial intelligence. Because that way, you would have made the most of your wits.¡± If I was in my father¡¯s position, perhaps I would¡¯ve done the same thing. Since if a son, who had a heart disease, were to say that he was going to become a swimming athlete, everyone would agree that would be ridiculous. ¡°So when you proposed your offer, I wasn¡¯t expecting much.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°When you said that you were going to place within the top 10 of the exam, I had thought that you had finally given up.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Even I would¡¯ve thought in the same way. ¡°When you said to leave the articles that the Baek family had spread alone, I had thought to myself that this would be a good chance. If you had been humiliated and had finally regained your senses, I had thought that you would finally listen to what I say.¡± I had already predicted that would be the reason. ¡°However, the results were completely different to what I had anticipated. You have admirably overcome your disability of being incompatible with AI.¡± I could feel my father¡¯s mountainous presence. ¡°4-circles. Vision magic. You have used a method that only you are capable of to form your very own path. Your matches showed me that you are someone worthy of being called a ¡®mage¡¯.¡± His voice was as deep as his presence was great. ¡°You have proved to me through your worth as a mage, that you are someone that I should support.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You have won the bet. As promised, you have my absolute support. If you have anything you need, just ask for it. If it will help your magic then there is nothing the Magic Shin Clan will not do to support you.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡± These words gave me no choice but to smile. Magic was a subject that required a lot of money and starting from the second year I had to buckle down and start practising in earnest, so I was put under a lot of financial pressure. I had no other option but to be happy after being released from that burden. ¡°In addition, I will permit you to return to the clan. As one with legitimate blood, I expect you to once more endeavour for the eternal peace of the Magic Shin Clan.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll bear that in mind.¡± ¡°And finally. I¡¯ll give you a warning.¡± My father¡¯s spirit squashed the mana in the surroundings. It was the savage pressure emitted from the head of the Magic Shin Clan and one of Korea¡¯s three 8-circles mages. ¡°Giving you the Magic Shin Clan¡¯s absolute support once again does not mean that you are completely cleansed of your sin of being incompatible with AI, it merely means that sin has been temporarily relieved.¡± ¡°If I feel that there is even a slight indication that you have plateaued or are going back to how you were before, then even if it¡¯s by force, you will have your circles destroyed.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep those words close to heart.¡± But father. Although it may be a big declaration, that will never happen. Since I have the Bytenor style of magic. But I stopped myself from saying those words. ¡°Hm. Alright. What do you plan on doing from now on?¡± A moment of silence passed before my father spoke. ¡°What do you mean, father?¡± ¡°Your goal. Your goal of becoming the next family head. How do you plan on accomplishing that?¡± My father rested his chin on his palm as he spoke. My eldest brother, Shin Jihan was the candidate most likely to become the Clan head. He¡¯s my most troublesome opponent in competing for that position. On the flip side of the coin, there¡¯s my second oldest sister, Shin Miinji. In truth, she was effectively out of the race. Of all my siblings, she was the least influential. ¡®No, my sister isn¡¯t in last place anymore now that I¡¯ve returned.¡¯ I have even less influence than Shin Minji. ¡°Being a previously failed candidate, a year-long expulsion, no influence whatsoever and doubts about your newly found magic. You have quite the list of disadvantages.¡± If right now, Minji noonim and I were to compete for the position of clan head, she would win 10 ¨C nil. My influence within the Magic Shin Clan is just that small. ¡°Jihan, Minhyuk or at the very least Seha. In your current situation, joining one of these three factions would be most wise.¡± My father is correct. The rational thing to do would be to support one of the 3 powerful factions and receive at least a small crumb, instead of reaching for the position of clan leader for myself. That¡¯s how low my influence is within the Magic Shin Clan. ¡°Do you really intend to become the next clan leader despite being in the worst possible situation to do so?¡± My father¡¯s eyes drilled into mine. An enormous pressure, like that of the sun or of the ocean, exerts on me from all directions. An oppressive force that makes me feel as if I must kneel before him at this very instant. This must be the pressure felt in the presence of an 8th circle mage. It was suffocating. Any conceit or arrogance is bound to immediately vanish when faced with this kind of strength. But none of this applies to me. ¡°Yes.¡± Since my resolve and goals have nothing to do with conceit or arrogance. ¡°As I said before, my goal is to be the head of the Magic Shin Clan. That¡¯s all.¡± I faced his enormous presence straight on and spoke clearly. ¡°I have absolutely no intention of serving under my siblings.¡± Father¡¯s smile grew even wider. ¡°You asked what I planned to do going forward.¡± Had I got used to my father¡¯s presence? Or perhaps Father was slowly easing the pressure. I didn¡¯t know the exact reason, but the pressure exerting on my body was getting weaker. ¡°For a start, I¡¯ll make it so that everyone will have no choice but to acknowledge me.¡± As I looked at the corners of my father¡¯s mouth rising little by little, I confidently spoke out. ¡±I will accomplish things that no one else has accomplished one after another, to the point where others will not even be able to notice that I¡¯m incompatible with AI.¡± I looked directly at my father, who now had a full-blown smile on his face, as I declared my aspirations. ¡°And like that, I will become the best in the world, and proudly take the place of my father as the head of the Magic Shin Clan.¡± Right now, I am confident that I can do that. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Once Shin Hayul had left, Shin Inhyuk remained in the study alone and reflected on what Shin Hayul had said. ¡±¡­Keke.¡± What he had said was truly delightful. ¡°You¡¯re going to accomplish things that no one else has accomplished one after another?¡± He had said that as if he was announcing that he was going for a light walk. ¡°How daring.¡± What? You¡¯re going to become the best in the world and take over the Magic Shin Clan? They were words that invoked only laughter. The last thing he had said was the icing on the cake. ¡®Of course just about anyone can make these bold statements so I doubt you¡¯ll believe me.¡¯ ¡®So, I¡¯ll make a promise this time.¡¯ ¡®I will take first place at the World Academy Olympiad that¡¯s to be held in two months.¡¯ The World Academy Olympiad. Held every year, it¡¯s a global festival where only academy students under the age of 20 are able to participate. As the participants are all geniuses from around the world, the standard of this competition isn¡¯t all that different from the standards of competitions between regular adults. ¡°You¡¯re going to take first place?¡± The only medal ever won by Korea in the World Academy Olympiad was a silver medal won by Kim Kangin. That was the standard of this competition. Shin Hayul had declared that he would take first place in this kind of competition. As he declared this, he also said this. ¡®So for the two months before the tournament, please keep my brothers and sisters in check.¡¯ ¡®If you can just keep them in check, I will give Korea¡¯s first-ever gold medal to you, father.¡¯ He¡¯s bold. He¡¯s so bold that it¡¯s hard to stop laughing. ¡°To think that he would demand protection for now by offering a gold medal that he¡¯s not even certain to win.¡± Shin Inhyuk laughed out loud again. ¡°Since I accepted that baseless offer, I too must be out of my mind.¡± It was an absurd proposal that under ordinary circumstances, Shin Inhyuk wouldn¡¯t have paid any heed to, but for some reason this time he wanted to accept it. There wasn¡¯t any grand reason for wanting to accept. It was just a feeling that he had. For some reason, he felt that if anyone could win a gold medal, it would be Hayul. ¡°A mantis blocking the path of a wagon wheel, huh.¡± T/n: Chinese folk story used when one recklessly confronts a stronger enemy without realising their own limits. Shin Inhyuk leaned back on his chair with a satisfied expression. ¡°If it were human, it would be a terrifying warrior.¡± He recalled an old tale that he had forgotten. Later in the evening. I returned to the dormitory, took a light shower, changed into some comfortable clothes and sat down at my desk. It had been an incredibly long day. I had finished a total of 4 battles starting from the round of 16 and had even finished negotiating with my father. I had a lot to do today, so the day felt way longer than normal. ¡°It¡¯s fine though.¡± Though it was long, the day was rewarding. I was able to take first place with no issues and returned to the family and was able to receive their support again. Furthermore, I succeeded in earning two whole months of time. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that my father would accept the offer so easily.¡± Frankly, it was surprising. To think that my father had accepted such an absurd offer. Everything I had prepared to persuade him became meaningless. Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter since it all worked out in the end. I was just a bit disappointed. ¡°Anyway, with this, for at least the next two months, I can comfortably focus on my magic training while receiving the support of my family.¡± 2 Months. These 2 months should be used to their fullest extent. ¡°Then for starters¡­¡± A thousand-mile journey starts with the first step. I picked up Eadred¡¯s Grimoire, Ray Vell Bytenor, from the corner of the table and opened it. I then started to resume deciphering and perusing from where I had got up to yesterday early in the morning. [The circle of resonance¡¯s efficiency varies depending on the rate of rotations and the number of vibrations.] [The state of being able to handle the circle of resonance perfectly is called ¡®resonance¡¯ in the Bytenor style of magic.] Chapter 18 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 18 I spent the entire night focused only on reading Eadred¡¯s grimoire and before I knew it, it was already morning. ¡°¡­Ah, there¡¯s no next page?¡± The next few pages were all blank. Although I want to read more, I¡¯m unable to. Could there be anything sadder than this? ¡°3rd circle¡­¡± In order to read past page 31, you must have 3-circles. [If you have fully reached the stage known as ¡®resonance¡¯, turn to page 210, and place your palm on it, moving your mana according to its principles.] [That is the page of the second test] [If by chance your resonance is insufficient in the slightest, the page of the second test will not work, so please be careful.] And in order to achieve 3-circles, my resonance, which is the mark of one who has mastered the 2nd circle, must be refined to its limit. ¡°I wonder how long it¡¯ll take.¡± If I had it my way, I would have started the second test right this very instant. Though unfortunately, right now I have not mastered resonance. No, forget mastered, I¡¯ve been grasping at straws this entire time. ¡®Connecting the circle of deliberation and the circle of resonance so that they are codependent on one another¡­¡¯ The theory has definitely been drilled into my brain, but I can¡¯t seem to connect all the dots. It feels like someone¡¯s placed two different engines in front of me and told me to combine them. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m supposed to do. ¡®This looks like it would require a serious data investigation.¡¯ Since the theories feel a bit vague to me, I think I should properly investigate this. I¡¯ll have to take a rummage through the library. ¡®Oh, I should go to my part-time job first.¡¯ The current time is 11:00 AM. It¡¯s time to go to my part-time job. Upon returning to the Magic Shin Clan, all my financial pressures had been taken off my shoulders so there was no real reason to work part-time. But, I couldn¡¯t just quit on such short notice. I had to take responsibility for that much. ¡®And I can give my final goodbyes as well.¡¯ For the last time, I left the dorm room and headed off to my part-time work. ¡°Then see you next time!¡± ¡°Bye, Hayul~ Make sure to work hard at school~¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll come to visit sometime.¡± 10:20 PM. I had just finished my final part-time shift and was on my way home after sharing a late-night meal with my senior colleagues. As I walked on, feeling the cool breeze of the early May, I encountered someone unexpected in front of a convenience store near the dormitory. ¡°Adella?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Adella Stuart. Perhaps she had stopped by the convenience store for a moment. She was holding a plastic bag with the characters CS24* printed on it. *(T/n: Parody of the Korean convenience store chain GS25.) ¡°Good afternoon.¡± Adella bowed her head. ¡°Have you had supper?¡± ¡°No, not yet. I forgot about dinner and so wasn¡¯t able to eat¡­¡± ¡°I see. You were so busy focusing on your magic studies that you weren¡¯t able to find the chance to eat.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Adella blushed in embarrassment. ¡°I often forget too.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Mhm. Sometimes when I find a decent ancient text, I¡¯ll be so engrossed in it that I won¡¯t even notice the time flying right by, and before I know it, it¡¯ll already be dawn.¡± ¡°I see, I see.¡± Adella nodded as if she truly understood. ¡°But you¡¯re not that bad. If I miss dinner, I¡¯ll just skip it because it¡¯s too much of a hassle.¡± Since you¡¯re not allowed to order food to the dormitory, if you want to have dinner late at night, your only option is to leave and go to the convenience store. I usually skip dinner because I can¡¯t be bothered to leave. ¡­And also I didn¡¯t want to waste money on food either. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do that. You must take care of all your meals.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t eat, your brain will rust, your muscles won¡¯t grow, and you¡¯ll have nutrition problems, something that should be avoided at all costs, especially during your teenage years.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She¡¯s right. It¡¯s not a good idea to skip too many meals, especially as a teenager. And although what she¡¯s saying is all true¡­ ¡±Pot calling the kettle black much?¡± It¡¯s not something I want to hear from someone holding a plastic bag full of convenience store food at 10 o¡¯clock. ¡°Well no matter how late, at least I always take care of my meals.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not something to be proud of.¡± For both of us. Adella lightly laughed as well, as I said that with a smirk. ¡°Would you like one?¡± She took a carton of banana milk out of her bag and handed it to me. ¡°Thanks.¡± Adella took out another carton of banana milk and put a straw through it. And as she did that, she slowly began to drink, savouring its taste. She appeared to be very happy. ¡°Is this still all you¡¯re drinking?¡± ¡±Yes. I¡¯m telling you that it¡¯s the best drink ever created by man.¡± ¡°Is this milk really all that great?¡± Though I won¡¯t deny that it¡¯s delicious. I also put in my straw and enjoyed the unique taste of artificial sweeteners. ¡°Did you stay at the dormitory for the weekends?¡± ¡°Yes. I wanted to take a look through the mid-term comprehensive evaluation videos and I also had a lot to do.¡± ¡°You sure it had nothing to do with what people were saying back home?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s that too.¡± As I have known Adella since childhood, I know what Adella¡¯s parents are like. They were sure to have nagged at her a lot for losing to me in the round of 16. And Adella didn¡¯t want to have to deal with that, so she stayed at the dorm. ¡°I heard that¡­ you went back home.¡± ¡°Yeah. I stopped by for a bit yesterday.¡± ¡°Are you going to return to the Magic Shin Clan again?¡± ¡°I already have.¡± Adella¡¯s eyebrows rose very slightly. As to whether she was raising her eyebrows in surprise or in joy, I had no idea. Since unless it has to do with magic, her expression is always the same. ¡°¡­It¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡®¡®It is. Since I would probably have needed a bunch of money for the second year, I was a bit worried about what to do.¡± Starting from the 2nd year, the intensity of the practical training increased, so I needed a huge amount of money to cover the cost of textbooks and equipment. It¡¯s certainly not an amount I can afford to pay with just my part-time job. You don¡¯t understand how much of a burden this takes off my shoulders. ¡°Your dream¡­ Is it still to become the head of the Magic Shin Clan?¡± ¡°What¡¯s this about, out of the blue?¡± ¡°No, I was¡­ just curious. I was reminded of what you said in the past.¡± What I had said in the past? ¡°Did I say that?¡± ¡°Yes. Though just as a passing comment.¡± ¡°¡­I did?¡± I don¡¯t seem to remember. Perhaps I don¡¯t remember since it was something so brief. ¡°If it was a rude question then you don¡¯t have to answer.¡± Adella spoke out immediately, perhaps taking my silence as a sign of embarrassment. ¡°No, don¡¯t worry. What¡¯s there to be embarrassed about.¡± I¡¯m not ashamed of my dreams. And there¡¯s no reason to hide them either. ¡±Yeah. But I guess my goals are a little different from back then.¡± ¡°¡­Different?¡± Adella looked a little disappointed. ¡°As expected¡­ Have you come to terms with reality?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Since becoming the clan leader is too unrealistic, you¡¯ve set your goals to something more attainable¡­¡± ¡°Hold on.¡± I knew what Adella was thinking. ¡±It¡¯s the opposite, the opposite.¡± ¡°The opposite?¡± ¡°Yeah. When I say that my goals have changed, I don¡¯t mean it¡¯s because I have compromised with reality.¡± ¡°Then¡­?.¡± As I looked at Adella tilting her head in confusion, I confidently spoke out. ¡°I¡¯ve set my goals higher. Becoming the head of the Magic Shin Clan is just a stepping stone for me.¡± ¡±A stepping stone?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, a stepping stone. Something that I¡¯m going to simply pass by.¡± My dream was much grander than just becoming the clan head. ¡°Once I¡¯ve become the head of the Magic Shin Clan, becoming the world¡¯s best mage and standing above all the magic towers. That is my ultimate goal right now.¡± Adella¡¯s eyes widened. Her eyes showed that she was visibly surprised. ¡°Standing above all the magic towers. That¡¯s a goal that exceeds my imagination.¡± And she smiled as if there was something to be happy about. ¡°To the point that it¡¯s a bit difficult to follow¡­¡± It was a smile that announced that she was so excited that she could not wait for the events of the future. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Meanwhile, at the mansion of the Magic Shin Clan. Shin Jihan and Shin Seha were talking to each other. ¡°Even so, I could never have expected this.¡± Shin Jihan, who was sitting with his legs crossed, tapped the side of his chair with his index finger. This is a habit that Shin Jihan often does when organising his thoughts. ¡°¡­You¡¯re telling me not to mess with Hayul?¡± Shin Inhyuk ordered Shin Jihan and his children not to interfere with Shin Hayul. His reason was that Shin Hayul was still a minor who had just returned to the family, and so wasn¡¯t ready to compete in the succession race. Especially since he¡¯s been gone for a year, he should at least have a 2 month long grace period to get used to the clan again. That is what Shin Inhyuk had said. However, even the dog of the Magic Shin Clan would know that this was just a cover-up story. ¡°Why would he say that?¡± There was no way Shin Inhyuk would intervene in the succession race for that kind of reason. Since he¡¯s just returned and he¡¯s a minor we should give him a break? Ordinarily, Shin Inhyuk would have said that the one-year gap was caused by his own lack of qualifications as a successor and that it was something he had to simply deal with. Same with the case of being a minor. The protection should have only lasted until he had received his artificial intelligence at 17 years old. The 18-year-old Shin Hayul shouldn¡¯t be eligible for that protection. ¡°Oppa, could it be that father has taken Hayul as his heir?¡± Shin Seha said this with a serious expression as she gnawed on her nails. Anyone could see that Shin Inhyuk¡¯s behaviour showed that he was taking Shin Hayul¡¯s side. Unless Shin Inhyuk planned to make Shin Hayul his heir, this kind of thing should never have happened. That was what Shin Seha had speculated. ¡°No. That¡¯s not it.¡± However, Shin Jihan¡¯s speculations were slightly different. ¡±If that were the case, he would have blatantly supported him from a year ago. There¡¯s no reason for him to do all this now.¡± Even though a year ago, Shin Inhyuk favoured Shin Hayul, he had not chosen him as his successor. Would Shin Inhyuk really make him his successor right now despite this? Though it¡¯s a possibility, the likelihood isn¡¯t all that high. ¡°Then what? Why did he suddenly tell us not to interfere with Hayul?¡± Shin Seha vented out her frustrations with an annoyed tone. ¡°Well for starters, I think father may have seen something in Hayul.¡± ¡°Something?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what that thing is. I don¡¯t have our father¡¯s eyes.¡± It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that the reason for the Magic Shin Clan¡¯s prosperity was all down to Shin Inhyuk¡¯s eye for things. ¡°Anyways, I reckon he saw something in Hayul and thought that he would need to look over him for a bit longer. I think he¡¯s decided something along those lines.¡± Shin Inhyuk had favoured Shin Hayul in the past, so it was also possible that he might have been a bit more generous towards him. ¡°Since Hayul¡¯s way of magic is curious, a desire to watch over him for a little longer could have formed as well.¡± All mages are investigators. This tendency was particularly more noticeable in high-ranking mages like Shin Inhyuk. He may have become interested when he saw Shin Hayul¡¯s unusual system of magic. ¡°Or perhaps¡­¡± Shin Jihan¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡°Maybe Hayul made a deal with father.¡± ¡°What kind of deal?¡± ¡°As to what kind even I don¡¯t know. Like I said before, this is all just my own speculation.¡± Shin Jihan shrugged. ¡°Hayul¡¯s return to the family is too fast. And this two-month-long grace period as well. I just can¡¯t imagine our father making these decisions unprovoked. Something along those lines maybe.¡± Too fast and too resolute. The probability that Shin Hayul was involved in these decisions wasn¡¯t low. ¡°Or what.¡± Shin Jihan crossed his legs the other way and laced his fingers around his neck. ¡±It could be all three.¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s that?¡± Shin Jihan smiled brightly as he looked at Shin Seha who had a frustrated expression. ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s certain is that father hasn¡¯t chosen Hayul as his successor.¡± Although it was clearly a bright smile, the smile was a bit awkward. ¡°Well, it¡¯s unfortunate but we can¡¯t do anything about it. We have no choice but to just watch over him for 2 months because I don¡¯t want to get on the wrong side of our father.¡± ¡°¡­Ugh, it¡¯s frustrating. I guess I should tell the kids I attached to him for surveillance to all come back?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re confident that they won¡¯t get caught by the Shadows, then it¡¯s alright for them to continue tailing him.¡± The Shadows. They¡¯re an intelligence unit under the direct control of Shin Inhyuk and the black ops organisation of the Magic Shin Clan. From infiltration to reconnaissance to escorting, there is nothing they are unable to do. It¡¯s impossible to break through their surveillance network and keep tabs on Shin Hayul. ¡°Agh, it¡¯s really annoying.¡± Shin Seha frowned hysterically and picked up her phone. ¡°It¡¯s me. I¡¯ve decided to stop watching Hayul, so pause everything that you were preparing and leave.¡± Shin Jihan left Shin Seha where she was and positioned himself by the window. ¡®¡­2 months huh? It¡¯s natural for Seha, but for even me to be unable to do anything.¡¯ If, as Shin Jihan had speculated, Shin Hayul had made a deal with Shin Inhyuk with a goal in mind, then Hayul couldn¡¯t be let loose so freely like this. ¡®Should I commission the Black Magic Tower?¡¯ The black magic tower would be able to avoid the eyes of the Shadows and neatly deal with everything. ¡®And even if they do get caught, there would be no evidence that I was behind it.¡¯ A corner of Shin Jihan¡¯s mouth rose. Today, I think I¡¯ll have to use that secret phone line for the first time in a while. Chapter 19 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 19 Just before Monday¡¯s class started, instructor Ko Changsoo announced that there was a small notice. ¡°With this, the mid-term comprehensive evaluation has ended. We plan to organize the future exams and training groups, based on your score.¡± From the second year, the intensity of the training is stepped up a notch. There are more practical training sessions and there are more group activities as well. And so, the results of the mid-term comprehensive evaluation can be said to be the data that optimizes those groupings. ¡°From the second year onwards, the results of all your training sessions are planned to be recorded on your report, so please do your best.¡± Although the results of the training sessions don¡¯t impact your grade as heavily as the exams do, starting from the second year, training sessions are also put on your report. If you mess around during the training sessions just because you think that they¡¯re unimportant, your post-graduation record book will be in shambles. From now on, you have to put your all into each and every training session and I have to work especially hard since my scores in the first year were horrendous. ¡°Then I¡¯ll release the report cards for the mid-term comprehensive evaluation.¡± The instructor pressed the operation pad on the teacher¡¯s platform. A hologram screen appeared behind him. And on the screen, the rankings from the mid-term comprehensive evaluation were written in order, starting from 1st place. ¡°I will start with a round of applause. The one who took the glorious position of first place comes from our class.¡± ¡°Shin Hayul.¡± Everyone¡¯s gaze, including the instructor¡¯s, was focused on me. ¡°Congratulations. Among all the 18 year-olds currently in Korea, you are the most outstanding.¡± Clap clap clap- Along with the instructor¡¯s words, applause rang out. There were some applauding to sincerely congratulate me, but there were also those who were filled with envy and jealousy. There were even some people with unsatisfactory expressions on their faces not even pretending to clap. They just sat quietly, grinding their teeth together. ¡°As an instructor who has been watching Shin Hayul¡¯s unrelenting efforts since the first year, I am truly delighted with his achievement.¡± The instructor smiled warmly and gave me a heartfelt round of applause. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Seeing as you¡¯ve come this far, you should make it your goal to keep your spot as number one for the next 2 months and compete in the Academy Olympiad. It will definitely be a good experience.¡± The World Academy Olympiad. The number of people who can participate is limited. No first-year students are selected. Out of the second years, only 3 are selected and the remaining 7 places are selected from the 3rd years. ¡±Yes. I¡¯ll try my best.¡± That had already been my goal. ¡°It might be difficult because of your grades in the first year, but do try your best.¡± But it¡¯s not going to be easy to earn the right to compete. As I said before, my first-year grades are the worst. Unless I maintain my spot as number 1 in the academy for 2 months by a landslide, it¡¯s going to be impossible to participate. ¡°There¡¯s no way someone who lucked out with his vision magic will compete in the Olympiad.¡± ¡°2 months my balls. He¡¯ll lose his position in just one week.¡± ¡°No matter what he does, he¡¯s still a defect¡­¡± The students who had always been looking down on me murmured and criticized me. Just by how they were looking at me while sneering nastily, it was clear that they were trying to taunt me. I returned their taunts with a sneer. It was quite fun watching the expressions on their faces rotting away. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be starting class right away.¡± And like that, instructor Ko Changsoo¡¯s class, the origins and beginnings of magic, began. ¡®Then shall I start my own self-study?¡¯ Instructor, I¡¯m sorry to say this, but since I already know it all, there¡¯s no point in me learning it again. I quietly began to reanalyze the information I had noted down on the Bytenor style of magic. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Monday¡¯s classes were all over. As if being considerate of the fact that the mid-term comprehensive evaluation had come to an end, today¡¯s classes were filled only with theory lessons. ¡°Ugh. I¡¯m feeling a bit under the weather. How is it even allowed for all 8 classes to be theory lessons?¡± Soonchan loosened up his body here and there and stretched. ¡°Well, I guess we have the practical training tomorrow to look forward to.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to do practical training either.¡± Soonchan frowned as he stretched. Watching his face coil up in disgust was well worth seeing. ¡°That¡¯s why I told you to hurry up and improve your stamina. Your stamina¡¯s frankly shit.¡± ¡±Are you done talking? This magically impotent¡­¡± Soonchan¡¯s words spilled out. And then he suddenly frowned. ¡°Oh, God. I can¡¯t even make fun of you for being magically impotent anymore.¡± ¡°If it bothers you that much then hurry up and increase your stamina and overcome your weakness.¡± ¡°¡­As you wish. I¡¯ll overcome it just for you.¡± Soonchan ground his teeth together. ¡°Really? Then let¡¯s work on it as soon as possible. Shall we go to the gym after dinner?¡± Recently, I¡¯ve been feeling like I¡¯ve been neglecting my physical training. I think that it would be a good idea to spend some time working out with Soonchan for a change. ¡°Uh¡­ I really want to. But I¡¯m not feeling it today.¡± It felt like I could hear the sound of Soonchan¡¯s eyes rolling all the way here. ¡°You said that you were feeling under the weather?¡± ¡°Yea, I meant that my joints are sore. Oww. It hurts.¡± He clutched his knee and insisted that he was in pain, but even a 3-year-old child would have been able to tell that it was all an act. I chuckled. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to exercise just say so, you chump.¡± Then Soonchan put on a serious look. ¡°No, let me be honest. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to exercise. I just don¡¯t want to work out with you. Did you know? With you, you chump.¡± ¡°Hey, what did I do?¡± ¡±How am I supposed to keep up with your crazy intensity? If I do what you¡¯re doing, I¡¯ll die.¡± ¡°Stop making things up.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m making something up right now, then my funeral definitely won¡¯t be.¡± Soonchan snorted. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m going to exercise alone. You don¡¯t have to worry about it. I¡¯ve found my very own routine.¡± Soonchan waved his hand and actively refused to exercise with me. ¡°Fine then. I suppose I have no choice. I have to exercise alone.¡± ¡°Is this your first time going to the gym since becoming a second year?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°¡­The first years are going to be terrified.¡± ¡°Why would they be?¡± ¡±Anyone would be in shock after seeing you exercising for the first time.¡± Soonchan shivered. ¡°Why would anyone make a fuss over a person exercising?¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. No one makes a fuss when it¡¯s a person exercising. Yeah. A person. When it¡¯s a regular human being exercising, of course no one would make any fuss at all.¡± I must¡¯ve misheard. Surely he didn¡¯t put any emphasis on the word ¡®person¡¯ just now did he? I went to the gym for the first time in about 2 weeks and saw some new faces there. ¡±Woah, Shin Hayul¡¯s over there.¡± ¡°Wow, even he uses this place, huh.¡± The number of new faces that I saw increased a lot between those two weeks. I guess they¡¯re all newly enrolled students. ¡®I¡¯ve really been neglecting my physical training for a long time.¡¯ After being promoted, I immediately picked up Eadred¡¯s Grimoire, said hell to physical exercise and immersed myself in learning the Bytenor style of magic. I¡¯m reflecting on myself a little. It was written in Eadred¡¯s grimoire as well. [Since the Infinity Circle is a huge circle that flows throughout the entire body, it is affected by the body¡¯s physical strength.] [A strong body creates a strong circle and increases the efficiency of the circle¡¯s rotations.] [Physical training should not be neglected.] Even if it is not to strengthen the Infinity Circle, physical training is a must. Unlike in the old times, a mage¡¯s main position is now in the front line, so physical strength is the most important ability a mage can grow. ¡®Whew. Then I¡¯ll start by lightly going through my normal routine.¡¯ Seeing as how this was the first time I was exercising in 2 weeks, I decided to do my stretches with more care. ¡±Uhm, senior.¡± Whilst I was meticulously loosening my body up, a male student with a robust physique approached me. Since he called me his senior, I suppose he was a junior. That and the fact that he was a new face as well. ¡°If it¡¯s okay with you, would you be able to give me some exercises to do? I heard that no one can even come close to you when it comes to physical training¡­¡± ¡°Me?¡± And at that moment, a silence spread throughout the gym. ¡°Goddamn.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to have to clean up another corpse today.¡± And groans could be heard from all directions. ¡°There were times when I was like that as well.¡± ¡±Ignorance is a sin.¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m betting 10,000 won that he won¡¯t be at the gym tomorrow.¡± ¡°Only ten thousand won? I¡¯m betting 100,000 won.¡± The student who had come to ask me to teach him some exercises was bewildered. His expression showed that he was wondering what on earth this situation was. ¡°Hey, Junior. Take back what you just said while I¡¯m being nice.¡± A familiar face approaches the junior, pats him on the back as he shakes his head. He was a buddy I had met at the gym frequently for the past year. His name was Kang Jehyuk from class 3 or something along those lines. ¡°Out of all the students in the school, Hayul is probably the best at sports. He probably has the best stamina and physique as well.¡± ¡±Yes. I¡¯ve heard the rumors.¡± I¡¯m very famous at this school. The thing I¡¯m most known for is being the only person incompatible with AI in the whole school. And the second thing I¡¯m known for is being the Magic Shin Clan¡¯s youngest child. And the third thing I¡¯m known for is my body. ¡±Junior. Think about it carefully. This guy¡¯s incompatible with AI. Ah, Hayul. I¡¯m not trying to offend you or anything.¡± Kang Jehyuk stopped in the middle of his sentence and gestured at me to not misunderstand him. ¡°Anyways it took this guy 8 seconds to use 1-circle magic. Though that¡¯s not the case anymore.¡± ¡±Yes. Why does that matter?¡± ¡°Oh, come on. Your comprehension skills are lacking.¡± Kang Jehyuk knocked on his own head and took a deep breath. ¡°Think carefully. Say it takes you 8 seconds to cast water, the most simple of spells.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Is it possible to complete all your subjects for the first year in that state?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Forget passing or whatever, do you think you¡¯ll even be able to take the exam?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re not confident, right? You shouldn¡¯t be. Because if you think that you¡¯d be able to take it, that¡¯s a load of bullshit.¡± Kang Jehyuk fired off statements in rapid succession. ¡°This guy did it. That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. How do you think he managed to do it?¡± ¡°¡­How did he manage?¡± ¡°By using his body.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°He did it with his body. His body. This monstrous bastard covered what he was lacking with his body.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡±You get it now don¡¯t you? His body isn¡¯t normal. His body is a kind of magic in itself. Dis is mejic. Oh-kay?¡± *(T/n: He¡¯s speaking English here.) Though he was exaggerating a bit, he wasn¡¯t wrong. To be honest, I¡¯ve never thought that I would be short of someone when it came to physical ability. Seeing as how I had the mentality that I had to cover for my lack of magic ability with just my body, I¡¯ve been training to death for the past year. And before that as well, I had been constantly training my body back when I was with the Magic Shin Clan. ¡°This non-human crazy fuc¡­ Ahem. If you were to learn some exercises from this monstrous bastard. You. Will. Die. I really mean it.¡± Kang Jehyuk looked at the junior with serious eyes. However, ¡°After hearing that, I want to learn the exercises even more.¡± The Junior¡¯s eyes instead started to shine. ¡°¡­Ah!¡± ¡°Oh my God.¡± More groanings erupted from the surroundings. ¡°Hayul sunbae-nim. Please, teach me the secret to building that strong body.¡± Completely ignoring the groans around him, the junior looked me straight on in the eyes and made his request. ¡°Okay.¡± I like people who are passionate like him. Because the passion of these kinds of people become the driving force of my growth. ¡°Thank you very much!¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s do a quick warm up together first.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± And like that, I started doing physical training with a junior I had never met before. ¡°¡­I did warn him.¡± ¡°Yikes. I guess we should at least pray for him.¡± Sighs could be heard one after another from all over the room. ¡°Pwahaha! I knew this would happen. What did you do to that kid?¡± That night. I was chatting lightly with Soonchan in the common room. ¡±Just by looking at him, I can tell that he won¡¯t even be able to pee in the direction of the gym.¡± Soonchan smiled slyly and poked my side with his elbow. ¡°Some parts were exaggerated though. And he kept up better than I had expected as well¡­¡± My physical condition was so great, even after taking the 2-week break, that I ended up training harder than usual. As a result, my junior fainted. ¡®Is this the effect of the infinity circle?¡¯ My physical condition was so good to the point that it was incomprehensible. Even though I was training according to my usual routine, it wasn¡¯t tiring at all. ¡®The body and the infinity circle were said to be closely related. Maybe that¡¯s what¡¯s causing this.¡¯ The more you train your body, the stronger your Infinity Circle becomes, and the more you train your Infinity Circle, the stronger your physical ability becomes. The effects had great synergy. This would make winning the Olympiad much easier. It¡¯s some unexpected fortune. ¡°What? Why did you just randomly stop talking?¡± ¡°What? Oh, no nothing. I was just reflecting on myself.¡± ¡°Oh come on. You¡¯re so boring.¡± Soonchan finished his canned coffee with a tired expression and threw it into the bin. ¡°Ah.¡± But perhaps it was a little too far away? The can hit the bin and bounced off. I focused my mind on it. ¡°Hm?¡± The can, which floated under the influence of my mana, turned and went into the bin. ¡°You can¡¯t even throw a can into the bin?¡± ¡°¡­Woah, what are you?¡± Soonchan pursed his lips and looked at me as if he was genuinely surprised. ¡°Did you control that can by moving mana at that exact moment? What¡¯s up with your control?¡± It seems that he was so surprised he didn¡¯t even process my sarcastic comment. ¡°Nothing much. I just treat my mana like my limbs.¡± I tilted the half-full coffee can and spilled its contents onto the floor. The black liquid fell through the air. I used my mana and suspended the coffee in the air as it was. The lump of coffee moved around. ¡°Like this. Easy, huh?¡± ¡°¡­Wow.¡± Soonchan looked blankly at the coffee floating in the air. It seemed that he was too surprised. And at that moment I thought I should stop messing around, Soonchan¡¯s expression suddenly turned intimidating. ¡°You bastard, do you think you should be playing with your food like this?¡± Ah, I see. So that was the problem. Chapter 20 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 20 The difference between my daily life now and how it was a week ago is the difference between heaven and earth. ¡°Student Shin Hayul. Training room, monster rush training. Perfect score.¡± ¡°Did Shin Hayul get a perfect score again?¡± ¡°He¡¯s insane. Isn¡¯t that the third time this training session?¡± Training sessions that used to be difficult to clear are now as easy as stealing candy from a baby. Maybe it was because these training sessions were designed for 2~3 circle users in mind, but they were way too easy. ¡°He¡¯s using body acceleration magic right now isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°I think he is? Do you think a normal human being can move with that speed otherwise?¡± ¡°But if that¡¯s the case, why hasn¡¯t there been any change in his other magic spells?¡± ¡°He must¡¯ve cast a weaker body acceleration spell. He was always an exercise nut job.¡± ¡°Ah, was that so?¡± From the murmurings I heard, it seemed that everyone thought that my movement just now was enhanced by magic. ¡®Even though I didn¡¯t use any magic.¡¯ But in reality, forget body acceleration magic, even mana wasn¡¯t properly put around my body. My movements were due to just my pure physical ability. ¡®The infinity circle really is great.¡¯ The infinity circle had an effect where my physical abilities were strengthened. As a result, my physical ability increased by about 1.5 times. ¡®I wonder if I¡¯ll become even stronger if I achieve the 3rd circle.¡¯ I¡¯m guessing I will. Nothing in Eadred¡¯s grimoire stated that my physical abilities would grow with the number of circles I achieved, so I couldn¡¯t be sure for certain. Though, if it was the highly pure mana circulation of the Infinity Circle that was leading to the strengthening of my body, then it would be natural for my body to be strengthened with each additional circle I achieved. ¡°Ah, should I learn Memorize too when I become a 4-circle mage?¡± ¡±What¡¯s this all of a sudden?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just saying. When I see Shin Hayul use it, it looks like it¡¯s a really good magic spell.¡± ¡±Oi, oi. Forget it. I asked my grandfather about it. He said that Memorize isn¡¯t that good of a magic spell. It¡¯s just that Shin Hayul¡¯s senses are insane.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. My father said that too. He said that it wasn¡¯t the memorize spell that was good, it¡¯s just that his vision magic is overpowered.¡± ¡°That vision magic. What was it called again?¡± ¡°Did he say that it was Alteration magic? I think he did?¡± The vision magic I made up to cover up the Bytenor style of Magic. I revealed to the world that my vision magic, which can freely alter the magic formula, was called ¡®Alteration magic¡¯. When word of this alteration magic spread overseas, there was a riot. After watching the videos of my performance in the midterm comprehensive evaluation, I was told that my magic was innovative and that they wanted to buy it no matter how much it was going to cost them. And because of that, it looks like the ringing of the Magic Shin Clan¡¯s telephone will never end. ¡°Hey, if that guy, Shin Hayul, keeps this up, won¡¯t he actually end up competing at the Olympiad?¡± ¡°Assuming he continues at this pace, there will be no problems as long he doesn¡¯t choke in the Battle Survival Test next week, right?¡± ¡°Wow, life sure is unexpected.¡± ¡°He fell all the way to rock bottom and is now climbing back up again.¡± I could hear these exclamations coming from all directions. The story of my tough life seemed to be entertaining to them. Well, it didn¡¯t seem like they were saying any of this with bad intentions, so I let them be. ¡®Speaking of which, those lot are still the same.¡¯ I looked at the group which was gathered in twos and threes, in the other direction. I felt uneasy just looking at them. ¡°¡­Poor bastard.¡± ¡±That disabled bastard is doing all kinds of shit.¡± ¡±He¡¯s going to fall again just you wait.¡± No matter what kind of grades I get, those who talk shit about me will continue to do so. Even if I win the Olympiad, those lot will probably just say I won because of luck. I¡¯m 100% sure. There¡¯s no need to worry about those bastards. I can just let them swear at me behind my back. ¡®And anyways, I don¡¯t have time to deal with those guys anyways.¡¯ Instead of wasting my time on those guys, it¡¯s way more productive to just focus on my own training. ¡®Let¡¯s focus again.¡¯ I closed my eyes and focussed entirely on my two infinity circles. The Circle of Deliberation and the Circle of Resonance. The two seemingly identical yet subtly different mana engines revolve throughout my whole body. ¡®I¡¯m going to lower the number of vibrations and the rate of rotation of the Circle of Resonance by 12.33% and 4.63%, respectively, and increase the mana purity of the Circle of Deliberation by 8.98%.¡¯ To completely synchronize the two engines, I must make it so that they both perform as one. And to achieve that, I must customize each Infinity Circle. Ba-dump, ba-dump The two rings rotate roughly in sync with the beating of my heart. Compared to 4 days ago, I feel a definite improvement. However, ¡®This ratio isn¡¯t correct either.¡¯ There was only improvement. I can¡¯t reach a synchronization rate of 100%. It only ever reaches roughly 99%. ¡°Whew.¡± I relaxed a bit and took a deep breath. ¡®Getting it to 100%¡­ It¡¯s really hard, huh.¡¯ Becoming a 2nd Circle Master. The stage of resonance is so insanely difficult that it¡¯s beyond my imagination. It¡¯s been causing me agony for the past 4 days. The circulation of the circle is due to the complex effects of several factors. If I adjust something in one place, it will cause problems somewhere else. And so, in this kind of situation, there was no way it would be easy to achieve a 100% synchronization rate for both circles. ¡®Ah, I feel like I¡¯ll get a feel for it if I do it for just a bit longer.¡¯ With that mentality, I focused once again. And like that, the process of trial and error to reach the stage of resonance continued until the end of the training session. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] It¡¯s the second Saturday of May. I lightly finished my morning physical training today, as usual, and with the sound of everyone¡¯s astonishment and exclamations in my ears, I headed off to my room. ¡®Oh, I should stop by the convenience store.¡¯ Today, like every other day, I plan to stay holed up in my room and work on synchronizing my infinity circle through trial and error. Before heading back to my room, I decided to buy some snacks and a sports drink. And with that goal, as I was walking toward the convenience store, I encountered someone unexpected. ¡°¡­Shin Hayul.¡± Baek Sahyuk. He¡¯s like Santa Claus, who as the eldest son of the Beak Family, spent money and worked hard to provide the best possible stage for me. He grinds his teeth together and glares at me. ¡±It seems like you haven¡¯t gone home even though it¡¯s the weekend?¡± At my words, the sound of his teeth grinding becomes much clearer. ¡°Ah, could it be that you¡¯re not allowed to leave even if you wanted to because it¡¯s your period of self-reflection?¡± ¡°¡­Shut up.¡± ¡°To be fair, you did use your family¡¯s might for a personal reason and all that resulted in your family being disgraced. I guess even if it¡¯s not a time of reflection for you, going back home might be a little difficult.¡± ¡°Shin Hayul, you¡­!¡± Baek Sahyuk lost all sense of reason and ran straight for me. I could even feel mana begin to flux. ¡®This crazy bastard. He¡¯s really using magic after being provoked a little?¡¯ Though I did taunt him, I didn¡¯t expect him to use magic here, on the side of this street. ¡®It¡¯s red.¡¯ For a moment, I could see the color red surrounding Baek Sahyuk. The red color of the fire attribute. For Baek Sahyuk, who has completely lost his sense of reason, if there was only one fire-type spell that he would use, it would have to be his speciality and his most lethal magic spell. ¡®Conclusion. Burning Impaction.¡¯ It¡¯s the magic spell that has the highest firepower out of all the fire-type 3-circle spells. But powerful spells always have their weaknesses. I raised my fist straight up and struck his right arm upwards. Fwooosh-! The explosion from Baek Sahyuk¡¯s hand went straight up in the direction his hand was pointing. ¡°This bast¡­!¡± The Burning Impaction was instantly nullified. I turned to his back, grabbed his head and slammed it into the wall as he tried to shout something at me. ¡°Let go, let go! You fucking son of a bitch!¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± I pressed down on Baek Sahyuk¡¯s head with even more strength. ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that there was no one around in the vicinity. If there were any casualties, you would have been sent straight to jail.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Maybe it was because of my cold words, but Baek Sahyuk started to regain his senses and his defiance calmed down. ¡°Over there! You two! What¡¯s going on here?¡± Perhaps they had heard the explosion earlier, but two instructors hurriedly rushed toward us. ¡°Student Shin Hayul and student Baek Sahyuk?¡± ¡±What was that magic just now?¡± The Two instructors stare at us with very serious expressions. ¡°¡­Fuck.¡± Baek Sahyuk cursed from below. I took my hand off his head and politely greeted the two professors. ¡°Baek Sahyuk used magic on me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If you want the full story then¡­¡± I pointed at the CCTV by the roadside. ¡°It¡¯s all on CCTV, so all you have to do is check it.¡± ¡°¡­Alright. Got it.¡± The instructors nodded with serious expressions on their faces. ¡°¡­Fuck.¡± I could hear Baek Sahyuk, who was lying down on his stomach, quietly curse. He¡¯s bound to be more worried about the rebuke that he¡¯ll receive from his father than the penalty that he¡¯ll get. ¡°How come? Why did I¡­ Why¡­?¡± I don¡¯t have even a shred of sympathy for Baek Sahyuk, who ruined his own life. ¡®You reap what you sow.¡¯ There was no situation better suited for that idiom. What fills my head right now is not sympathy, but suspicion and a sense of alertness. ¡®Even so, in the past, he wouldn¡¯t have been provoked into using lethal magic over a couple of taunts.¡¯ I narrowed my eyes as I looked at the slumped-over face of Baek Sahyuk, who was being helped up by the instructors. If he¡¯s in that condition, then he might do something dangerous. It seemed that I needed to be especially careful. The penalty for Baek Sahyuk¡¯s unauthorized use of magic was immediately concluded. The evidence was broad as day and the instructor personally witnessed it as well, so the verdict had to be swiftly drawn. ¡®Student Baek Sahyuk has received 10 demerit points.¡¯ It was very surprising. Even though he used lethal 3-circle magic in an area where magic is prohibited, he got off with only demerit points. Although there were no victims, it should have ended with an expulsion. He didn¡¯t even receive a suspension, just 10 demerit points. It was a soft punishment that had to be caused by external intervention. ¨D You retard! ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± Baek Sahyuk is currently on the phone with his father, the current head of the Baek family. All manner of foul swear words were spilt in a loud and resonant voice. ¨D I told you to shut your mouth and keep still until your graduation! You couldn¡¯t even do that? ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± The reason Baek Sahyuk was let off so lightly was because of the Baek family¡¯s intervention. They let him off because the Baek family was a huge donor to the Obelisk Academy. ¡ª To think that you¡¯re my eldest son¡­ ¡±I¡¯m¡­ sorry.¡± Baek Sahyuk bit his lower lip. His head is lowered and his hands are trembling. All manner of emotions passed by him. ¡ª Huff. I¡¯ll say it again. Don¡¯t cause problems and just quietly graduate. Like a dead mouse, okay? Just graduate from Obelisk Academy. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Baek Manshik gave up all of his expectations for Baek Sahyuk. Just like in the youth tournament five years ago, the shameful conduct that was shown in this incident was too much. ¡ª This is your last warning. If you do anything that¡¯ll harm your younger brother¡¯s reputation then¡­ Baek Manshik didn¡¯t say the rest, but there was no need to even think about what was coming next. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± ¡ª ¡­You retarded bastard. The call ended with those words. Baek Sahyuk¡¯s hands turned white. He clenched his fist so hard that blood startled to trickle out. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Do anything that will harm my younger brother¡¯s reputation? Haha.¡± Those words were practically the same as saying that the Baek family was going to be handed to his younger brother. His father was saying to not harm the reputation of the Baek family which his younger brother was going to inherit. Those words were a shock to Baek Sahyuk. ¡°How come¡­¡± The shock soon turned into murderous intent. ¡°This is all because of Shin Hayul¡­¡± It was all Shin Hayul¡¯s fault that this had happened to him. Without him, he would have been leading a glorious academy life while receiving applause from everyone as the official heir of the promising Baek family. ¡°Shin Hayul. If it wasn¡¯t for him¡­!¡± It was then that Baek Sahyuk¡¯s eyes began to turn red with murderous intent. ¡±As expected, you seem to have a lot of resentment for Shin Hayul.¡± Someone nonchalantly opened Baek Sahyuk¡¯s door and came in. ¡°¡­Len Smith?¡± A man with a weasel-like beard and a sickening smile. ¡±Shouldn¡¯t we assign an instructor to you? Student Baek Sahyuk.¡± The instructor from France approached Baek Sahyuk with a meaningful expression. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to get revenge on Shin Hayul?¡± Baek Sahyuk¡¯s shoulders violently trembled. ¡°Re¡­.venge?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Revenge.¡± Len¡¯s eyes met with Baek Sahyuk¡¯s. The two¡¯s eyes are not even 5 cm apart from each other. ¡°Sweet, sweet revenge.¡± Black mana was swirling around the muttering Len Smith. The very black mana that¡¯s unique to a corrupted, contaminated black mage and the symbol of the Black Magic Tower. Chapter 21 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 21 As expected, Baek Sahyuk was let off lightly. It wasn¡¯t even made out to be that big of a deal. The Baek family is a family that makes a huge number of donations to Obelisk Academy each year. There was no way that the eldest son of such a family would be expelled immediately even if he had caused a problem. They probably agreed to quietly settle the incident, after receiving an additional donation from the Baek family. ¡®It seems like the Baek family had a lot of money, huh.¡¯ Everyone would agree that the evidence for this case is as clear as day. Covering this incident up must have taken a considerable sum of money. How much money must they have poured? ¡®To be fair, the Baek family is in the middle of doing everything in their power to attain a clan title.¡¯ A clan title. The ¡®magic¡¯ in the Magic Shin Clan or the ¡®mystic¡¯ in the Mystic Wi Clan. The title in front of the family¡¯s name is known as the Clan Title. Usually, the class of a family is divided depending on whether they have a clan title or not. The Baek family is currently doing everything they can to gain this Clan Title. And what would happen if the eldest son of the Baek family were to be expelled from Obelisk Academy? The chance of receiving a clan title would all but vanish. So from the Baek family¡¯s point of view, this scenario must be prevented and as a result, they poured a boat load of money and suppressed the incident no matter the cost. ¡®Well, although I could protest¡­¡¯ It wouldn¡¯t be difficult to protest against this light punishment. No matter how much money the Baek family poured into it, their influence was nothing compared to the Magic Shin Clan¡¯s. If a formal letter were to be sent from the Magic Shin Clan, Baek Sahyuk would be expelled in an instant. But that¡¯s the worst course of action one could take. There¡¯s no real reason for me to protest and expel Baek Sahyuk. Ding-! The message I had been waiting for finally arrived. [Sender: Father] [The negotiations with the Baek family have come to an end.] [As the condition for burying this incident, we¡¯ve decided on taking 3% of the mana stone mining right shares owned by the Baek family.] The academy wasn¡¯t the only place the Baek family poured their money. The Baek family also poured their money into the Magic Shin Clan. This is to be expected. The victim was none other than me, a direct descendant of the Magic Shin Clan. To completely bury this incident, they had to seal the lips of not only the academy but the Magic Shin Clan as well. That¡¯s why I said there was no real need to protest. There¡¯s no comparison to be made between the measly expulsion of Baek Sahyuk and a 3% stake in the magic stone mining rights. ¡°Anyways 3% huh¡­¡± I must admit that my father¡¯s business skills are amazing. I suppose he¡¯s got some dirt on the Baek family. It felt like we got too much just to keep our mouths shut. ¡®Mm. Maybe he took advantage of the Baek family¡¯s current situation to aggressively push the deal in our favour?¡¯ If so, then even 3% is a reasonable figure. ¡®Indeed.¡¯ As I said before, the Baek family is standing on an important crossroad. Being conservative over 3% of shares could cost them 10 years worth of effort. In many ways, the Baek family¡¯s situation forced them to have no choice but to concede. [Well done. I don¡¯t know if it was intentional or not, but you responded perfectly.] [If there is anything you wish to receive as a reward for the mining rights that have been obtained, then do tell me.] [That is all.] With that text message, contact with my father was cut off. I briefly replied and threw my phone on the table. ¡±Baek Sahyuk really is Santa Claus.¡± I¡¯m already very grateful for the things that he¡¯s done for me. But to think that he would even gift me the mining right shares. At this point, he¡¯s not Santa Claus, but a tree that selflessly keeps on giving. ¡°Anyhow¡­¡± Baek Sahyuk¡¯s eyes from earlier were not normal. How should I explain it? Like his eyes shone as if he was going to murder that very instant? In any case, he was exuding a very dangerous look. ¡°¡­As a result of this incident, he¡¯s more than likely to have been chased out of the Baek family.¡± No matter how you look at it, it looks like he¡¯s going to do something to me. ¡®Although with his level of skill, he has no way of harming me¡­¡¯ There¡¯s nothing wrong with being careful. I made my mind up to focus more on what Baek Sahyuk was up to. ¡®Whew. Then since I¡¯ve done all my work, I won¡¯t have anything to worry about¡­¡± I focused entirely on my infinity circle. I was ever so slightly closer to reaching the stage of resonance. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] At Len Smith¡¯s apartment near the academy. in the centre of the bleak living room. Len Smith was sitting on a luxurious sofa, talking to someone. ¡°Yes. All is going according to plan.¡± ¡°We will commence the operation on Friday as scheduled.¡± He crosses his legs, strokes his glamourous beard and lets out a relaxed laugh. ¡ª Have you made sure that everything is prepared? A quiet voice is heard through the speaker. The voice was so quiet that the only information one could gain was that the speaker was male. ¡°I will say it again, but I¡¯ve prepared everything perfectly.¡± ¡ª Hmph. Fine. I will trust your record of having a 100% success rate. ¡±Yes. You won¡¯t be disappointed.¡± Len Smith got up from his seat and walked to the kitchen. He opened the fridge, took out an ice sphere and placed it in the cup. And from the liqueurs, he had been collecting, picked out the most expensive one. ¡±I should be the one worrying about whether you¡¯ll keep your side of the bargain.¡± The sound of a tongue clicking in annoyance could be heard from the phone he was holding in one hand. Then, with a light movement, he switched the phone to speaker mode and opened the liquor with both hands. Trickle¡ª The sound of the liquid trickling around the ice and into the cup quietly rang out. ¡°In the instant that the contract is not kept¡­¡± Len Smith spoke sharply and threateningly. ¡ª You are worrying over nothing. The voice was much louder now that the phone had been changed to speaker mode. The voice belonged to a man Shin Hayul was very familiar with. ¡ª Have I ever broken a contract up till now? Shin Jihan. Shin Hayul¡¯s older brother and the eldest son of the family. His voice resounded heavily. ¡ª Instead of having those kinds of stupid concerns, focus on the mission. ¡°Haha. I was only making sure. Don¡¯t be too offended.¡± Len Smith drank the liquor. Dink- The sound of ice colliding with the cup resounded clearly. ¡°I will fully take care of Shin Hayul.¡± The weekends went by in a flash. Apart from the time spent eating, sleeping and my morning workouts, all my time had been devoted to trying to synchronise the two circles. ¡®It¡¯s really hard, huh.¡¯ Despite this, the synchronisation rate of the two circles remained below 100%. ¡®I think it¡¯s reached 99.9%.¡¯ There was definitely progress over the weekend. The two circles are closer to becoming one. 99.9% A number that¡¯s infinitesimally close to 100%. A difference so small that an ordinary person wouldn¡¯t be able to distinguish them. Even now, the circle of deliberation and the circle of resonance that are 0.1% apart are constantly revolving around my body. ¡°Agh. It¡¯s so cringe.¡± It looks as if it¡¯s about to work and then just doesn¡¯t. There can be nothing more cringe than this. I¡¯d never imagined that it would be this troublesome. ¡®Sigh. I guess I¡¯ll go to school first.¡¯ I can¡¯t be late. As somebody aiming to participate in the World Academy Olympiad, I mustn¡¯t do anything that could harm my grades. ¡®I only have theory classes this morning, so I¡¯ll practice then.¡¯ I got up from my seat, stretched lightly, changed into my uniform, and left the dormitory. As soon as I left the building like that, I frowned. ¡°Student Shin Hayul.¡± Instructor Len Smith. I met the person that I least wanted to deal with. He¡¯s ruined my day from the get-go. ¡°¡­It¡¯s a great morning today.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Len Smith stroked his beard with a deep expression. I hated the beard so much that I wanted to rip it straight off his face. ¡®When will this elitist Instructor go back to his own country?¡¯ Instructor Len Smith. Until a fortnight ago, he was the absolute worst instructor, who believed in the doctrine of elitism and barraged an onslaught of abusive language at me. But he¡¯s so discriminatory, that as soon as my grades rose, he sang praises about me as if he had never belittled me. I genuinely get goosebumps whenever I hear this aristocrat praise me. ¡°I¡¯d thought this for a while, but it seems that student Shin Hayul hates me quite a bit.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true, Sir.¡± I hate this aristocrat more than I hate Poison Insects. And just so you know, Poison Insects are a monster that took first place by a landslide in the world cup for the most hated monsters. ¡°Hm. I get it. I habitually say some rough things to students.¡± If what Len Smith had said to me were no more than rough words, then there would be no such thing as cursing. I can confidently declare that. ¡°But everything I said was just words of advice because I care for my students. I hope you don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± What he was saying was such bullshit that it felt like it didn¡¯t make sense. ¡®I would like it if you could explain how calling me a ¡®piece of rotten coal amongst diamonds¡¯ is in any way helpful advice.¡¯ ¡°Well, even if I say it like this, it will be difficult for Shin Hayul to just accept it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true, Sir.¡± It seems you know me too well. ¡°Hm. Well, here¡¯s a good opportunity.¡± Len Smith took one step towards me, stroking his beard again. ¡°I¡¯ll express my most sincere apologies for the harsh words I have said thus far.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He was so disgusting, that for a second my poker face nearly slipped. ¡°And, though it¡¯s belated, congratulations.¡± Len Smith suddenly placed a hand on my shoulder. ¡°I think it is a relief that you¡¯ve managed to find your way.¡± And at that moment, a genuine chill crept along my spine. It wasn¡¯t because of Len Smith¡¯s disgusting acting. It wasn¡¯t for such a trivial reason. ¡®This is mana¡­ Magic?¡¯ Mana flowed from Len Smith¡¯s fingertips. The mana was absorbed into my body through my shoulder. I had felt chills after this had happened. ¡®Furthermore. This mana¡­¡¯ It wasn¡¯t even ordinary mana. ¡®Black.¡¯ A hellish black. A magic completely different to the chilling but clean dark type magic. It was a boggy black that emitted the foul smell of sewers. That dirty black mana was filling up my retina. I know what this mana is. ¡®The Black Magic Tower.¡¯ It¡¯s an unofficial magic tower that has a different way of doing things than the other twelve coloured magic towers that exist. A garbage den built by a mage who calls himself the ¡®King of Black Magic¡¯. A band of criminals that¡¯s compiled of only the worst trash that corrodes this world. The mana of black magic was only used by that group of people. ¡®Len Smith is affiliated with the Black Magic Tower?¡¯ It was something I wouldn¡¯t have ever imagined. My eyes trembled in shock. ¡®Are you saying that there was a puppet of the Black Magic Tower hiding within the Obelisk Academy?¡¯ ¡®How?¡¯ ¡®Since when?¡¯ ¡®Is Len Smith the only one?¡¯ All kinds of thoughts ran through my head at once. ¡®No, now¡¯s not the time to be having these thoughts!¡¯ That wasn¡¯t what was important right now. What was important was that Len Smith was trying to do something to me with his black magic. The things that a mage of the Black Magic Tower was trying to do to me were bound to be abnormal. First of all, I have to do something about this magic. ¡®To better understand the situation, I¡¯ll start by checking the magic formula.¡¯ With that in mind, I focused my attention on the black mana. The mana was so close that I was able to tell the structure of the magic formula with just a glance. ¡®This magic formula¡¯s structure. I remember it.¡¯ Although in my current state, I¡¯m only able to check 1/5 of the structure of the mana in one look, it wasn¡¯t too difficult to guess what type of effect this mana had. ¡®Mind control magic. I¡¯m certain of it.¡¯ Len Smith is trying to manipulate my mind. At that moment, my brain spun like a spinning top. ¡®Wait a minute. Mind control¡­?¡¯ It was the magic that represented black magic and had the effect of amplifying or inducing emotions by interfering with the opponent¡¯s brain. It¡¯s a very dangerous magic spell that, when used by a high-ranking mage, can even destroy the victim¡¯s mind. Getting out of this place right now and resisting the magic would be ideal. However, ¡®Mind control magic doesn¡¯t work for me.¡¯ My brain has the characteristic of rejecting all external interference. For me, mind control magic has no effect. ¡®Then what I have to do now is not to resist.¡¯ What I should be doing now is not resisting Len Smith¡¯s magic. ¡®But to pretend that I¡¯ve been affected by the mind control magic and to extract as much information as I can on my current situation.¡¯ In the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity. And I¡¯m not stupid enough to lose the golden opportunity that just rolled in. Chapter 22 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 22 Len Smith scoffed at Shin Hayul, who had a clouded expression on his face after losing focus of his surroundings. ¡±Crawling back my foot. He¡¯s just a disabled bastard.¡± Len Smith spat on the floor. Even if he was just acting, the fact that I had been apologized to by this pile of trash who shouldn¡¯t even be associated with mages annoyed me. And though I contemplated hitting him to relieve my pent-up anger, there was a chance the magic may have become undone, so I held back. ¡°Tsk. I won¡¯t be seeing him again from Friday onwards anyway¡­¡± There was no point in worrying. Len Smith let out a short sigh of frustration. And immediately took action to accomplish his original mission. ¡°Listen carefully, Shin Hayul.¡± Len Smith¡¯s speciality is mind control magic. It has a difficult activation condition of having to touch the opponent¡¯s head or near their head, but once this condition is met, the effect is incredibly strong. As long as the opponent¡¯s unable to unconsciously resist, he can to some extent control the opponent¡¯s mind. ¡°From now on, carry this on you at all times.¡± Len Smith took something out from his breast pocket and handed it to Shin Hayul. It was a strangely shaped chip. Shin Hayul sluggishly received the chip with a blank expression. ¡°Also, you will have no suspicions as to why you are carrying this chip.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± His response was also very sluggish. And that response caused Len Smith to laugh with satisfaction. ¡®With this, everything is ready.¡¯ All that¡¯s left is to execute the plan on Friday. ¡®I¡¯m already looking forward to seeing this piece of shit being despised by everyone and returning to the edge of hell.¡¯ The way Len Smith¡¯s lips contorted was unsightly. And as he was about to release the mind control magic that was on Shin Hayul. ¡®Hold on.¡¯ Something flashed through Len Smith¡¯s mind. He¡¯d just had a very good idea. ¡®You pile of shit. You have a vision magic that shouldn¡¯t belong to someone like you don¡¯t you.¡¯ The magic coveted by the whole world, including the Blue Magic Tower¡¯s master Kim Kangin. Alteration magic. ¡®If I steal it and sell it, I¡¯m bound to make some money.¡¯ Len Smith licked his lips with a greedy expression. ¡°Shin Hayul. Tell me the information on your alteration magic.¡± At the moment he was about to uncover the secret behind Shin Hayul¡¯s vision magic. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Shin Hayul frowned deeply and groaned. ¡°Tsk.¡± Len Smith clicked his tongue. ¡®You seem to have a strong unconscious desire to keep the secrets about your vision magic.¡¯ As said before, Len Smith¡¯s mind control magic is unable to make someone do something that they truly don¡¯t want to do. If he were to use additional magic here, he would have likely been able to gain the information on the alteration magic, however, Shin Hayul¡¯s mind would have been destroyed. And that¡¯s something that mustn¡¯t happen. Because that¡¯ll mean the mission won¡¯t be able to be carried out. ¡°You¡¯re a lucky bastard¡­¡± It was unlucky but he had no other choice. He had no choice but to give up on Shin Ha-yul¡¯s vision magic for now. ¡®I¡¯ll give up for now¡­¡¯ Len Smith¡¯s smile grew even broader. ¡®And I¡¯ll steal it on Friday after the mission¡¯s over.¡¯ By then, it wouldn¡¯t matter whether Shin Hayul¡¯s mind was destroyed or not. It wouldn¡¯t be too late to steal Shin Hayul¡¯s vision magic. ¡°Student Shin Hayul?¡± Len Smith, who had quickly returned to his original blank expression, dispelled the mind control magic and called out to Shin Ha-yul. ¡°¡­Yes, yes? Huh?¡± The focus returned to Shin Hayul¡¯s eyes which had been blurry. ¡°What are you looking at so blankly? Are you not feeling well?¡± ¡°Oh, yes? ¡­Yes.¡± Shin Hayul tilted his head as if he was puzzled about the current situation. Len Smith looked at the strange chip that he had taken out, and nonchalantly put it in Shin Hayul¡¯s pocket. As if it were natural for Shin Hayul to have such a chip. ¡°Then, make sure to work hard today. This instructor will be going now.¡± Len Smith, who had confirmed that the mind control was working, turned away with a satisfied smile on his face. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] After Len Smith had gone, I made my way to school as if nothing had happened. ¡®This is pretty funny.¡¯ I chuckled as I recalled the illegal artificial intelligence chip, the Innovation Leveling chip (IL chip), that was placed in my pocket. I was surprised that Len Smith was a criminal mage belonging to the Black Magic Tower. And the fact that the Black Magic Tower had approached me was also surprising, but what was even more surprising was the reason why he had approached me. ¡®I had assumed that the Black Magic Tower was only after my vision magic.¡¯ At first, I assumed they were aiming for my vision magic. Since alteration magic is a vision magic worthy of catching the attention of the Black Magic Tower. But what was happening here? The Black Magic Tower wasn¡¯t aiming for my vision magic. ¡®Their purpose is to frame me as a user of illegal artificial intelligence.¡¯ More precisely, to make it seem as if my rapid growth was due to the illegal artificial intelligence chip. To completely ruin my image. That¡¯s their purpose. Otherwise, there¡¯s no reason for Len Smith to make me carry an illegal artificial intelligence chip around with me. Then, why would the Black Magic Tower be trying to ruin my image? There is only one answer to this. ¡®Someone asked the Black magic Tower to tarnish my image.¡¯ It¡¯s not like tarnishing my image benefits the Black Magic Tower in any way. Unless someone requested it, there¡¯s no reason for the Black Magic Tower to be involved in something so troublesome. Someone 100% requested this. ¡®Now the question is, ¡®who¡¯ was it that commissioned the Black Magic Tower to do this.¡¯ There¡¯s no need to think much about this. ¡®In all likelihood, it¡¯s either one of my two elder brothers or one of my two elder sisters.¡¯ They are the only people who would do something like this. ¡®So they¡¯re trying to ruin my image and completely exclude me from the succession race, huh.¡¯ So the question is, who out of the four is the culprit? ¡®Well, I can rule out Minji noonim.¡¯ The second sister, Shin Minji does not care enough about the succession race to do something like this. And she doesn¡¯t have that kind of personality either. ¡®And it¡¯s probably not Minhyuk hyungnim either.¡¯ The second brother, Shin Minhyuk, though active in the succession race, is not daring enough to do this type of thing. ¡®As expected, it¡¯s between Jihan hyungnim and Seha noonim.¡¯ The eldest brother, Shin Jihan. Or the eldest sister, Shin Seha. The two most aggressive in the succession race, and the two who are prepared to do anything to become the next clan head. The culprit is very likely to be one of the two. ¡®Which one though?¡¯ Considering the scale of the work, there¡¯s a high probability that it was Shin Jihan. But, considering Shin Seha¡¯s capricious and outgoing personality, the possibility that it was her wasn¡¯t low. ¡®There¡¯s a chance that they may be accomplices as well.¡¯ My thoughts soon became complicated. With the information I had right now, it was impossible to be certain of who it may be. ¡®Should I catch Len Smith and interrogate him?¡¯ I do have a solid piece of evidence in my hands: the illegal artificial intelligence chip. It shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to catch Len Smith. If I were to catch and interrogate him, perhaps I would be able to find out who¡¯s behind the incident. ¡®¡­No.¡¯ The motto of the Black Magic Tower is trustworthy and secretive work. Even if Len Smith was captured, there¡¯s a high probability that I wouldn¡¯t be able to acquire any information on the mastermind. If that happens, I¡¯ll never know who orchestrated this incident. And that¡¯s something that mustn¡¯t happen. ¡®In the first place, I have to be cautious about taking action and capturing him.¡¯ If I take any unnecessary action here, I might catch the attention of the Black Magic Tower. And for now, I must avoid confronting them. It¡¯s better not to take any action with so many uncertainties. ¡®Then what should I do?¡¯ What must I do to find the culprit and tidily sort this out without me having to take any action? I was trapped in deep thought for ages. I thought it through over and over again and headed towards the best possible solution. ¡®This method could work.¡¯ And I eventually came to the conclusion that I thought was the best. ¡®I¡¯ll have to contact the Blue Magic Tower first.¡¯ All my classes had finished, so I headed over to the Blue Magic Tower. After driving along the road for about 30 minutes in a taxi, in the distance, a looming azure structure caught my eye. An old-fashioned, yet strangely stylish gothic building. The outside of the tower was surrounded by magic stones of the sea. The hazy blue emitted by the ocean blue lights caught my eye. ¡°Please come in. We were expecting you.¡± As I got out of the taxi, a woman greeted me. ¡°Long time no see. Secretary Jung Suha.¡± ¡±Yes. It¡¯s been exactly one year and 33 days.¡± Kim Kangin¡¯s secretary and top student. The 6th circle mage Jung Suha. She smiled broadly. ¡°Then please come inside. The Magic Tower¡¯s master is awaiting you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I followed the secretary and entered the inside of the tower. We passed through the lobby and got on the elevator that went straight to the top floor. The elevator rose vertically with tremendous amounts of speed. Ding- We zoomed past 30 floors in 3 seconds and arrived at the top floor: floor 50. The elevator door opens and the interior of the 50th floor is slowly revealed through the gap. All kinds of thick books were scattered all over the place and there were expensive reagents, magic stones, and artifacts around them. ¡®It¡¯s the same as it was a year ago.¡¯ The top floor of the magic tower. Kim Kangin¡¯s room was still being used as his own private laboratory. The secretary got out of the elevator first and walked towards Kim Kangin, who was concentrating on something on the other side of the room. ¡°Magic Tower master. Sir Shin Hayul has arrived.¡± ¡°What, it¡¯s time already?¡± With a look of regret, Kim Kangin removed his hand from the magic stone on the table. ¡°It was just getting better as well. Tsk.¡± Regret soon turned into frustration. Kim Kan-in quietly clicked his tongue and took a deep breath before getting up from his seat and approaching me. ¡°Haha. I¡¯m sorry, I was so focused that I didn¡¯t even feel the time passing by.¡± Although he was feigning warmth, his tone and expression were harsher than usual. ¡°No, I¡¯m more sorry for suddenly coming on such short notice.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kim Kangin¡¯s eyebrows rose in surprise. ¡®So he knows that he¡¯s being discourteous,¡¯ is what he seemed to be thinking. ¡®Is it because I interrupted him during his experiments? He¡¯s a bit hysterical.¡¯ The gentleman-like demeanor he had displayed before felt like a lie. That¡¯s how foul his mood was. I would believe it if you were to tell me he was a different person entirely. ¡®Anyways, that magic stone that Kim Kang-in is analyzing¡­¡¯ A special type of magic stone that had four colors jumbled together. That magic stone being here is several times more shocking than Kim Kangin¡¯s foul mood. Why is that here? ¡°Then I¡¯ll be heading back to the lobby. I hope you enjoy your stay.¡± ¡°Alright. You did a great job guiding him here. Get some rest.¡± Jung Suha nodded and disappeared after taking the elevator. ¡°Then please come this way.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I followed Kim Kangin and headed towards the only somewhat tidy table in the room. Kim Kangin sat down first, and I sat across from him. ¡°Since we¡¯re both busy, let¡¯s get straight to the point.¡± Kim Kangin rested his chin on his clasped hands and his eyes lit up coldly. ¡°Please tell me as fast as possible what was so important that you felt it had to be discussed in person.¡± His smile didn¡¯t reach his eyes and his expression was completely different from his usual caring look. ¡°I¡¯ve always had a soft spot for you so I agreed to it but¡­¡± I won¡¯t forgive you if you¡¯re just wasting my time. It felt like that¡¯s what he was saying. I¡¯ve heard that Kim Kangin gets a bit cranky when he¡¯s concentrating on his research, but I don¡¯t think it would be to this extent. It must be because I bothered him when he was in such a sensitive state. He was in a mood fouler than I could¡¯ve imagined. ¡®¡­This is going to be awkward.¡¯ I don¡¯t even have to say it really, but the reason I visited the Blue Magic Tower today was to prepare for what Len Smith was planning on Friday. In order to tidy this up smoothly, I require the power of the Blue Magic Tower. ¡®There¡¯s no way that Kim Kangin in his current state will listen to me.¡¯ Since it would be impossible to present proper evidence, the outcome of the negotiations is bound to depend on Kim Kangin¡¯s mood. ¡®I¡¯ll have to deal with what¡¯s pissing him off so much.¡¯ To start negotiations, I must first start by easing Kim Kangin¡¯s foul mood. ¡®And I know just the perfect topic to discuss for me to accomplish this.¡¯ It won¡¯t be difficult to erase the displeasure Kim Kangin feels for me right now. ¡°I have something I want to say before we move on to the main topic at hand.¡± ¡±I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve already said this. That since we both don¡¯t have any time, we should get straight to the point.¡± ¡±It makes no difference to me, but will you be okay with it? I think that you¡¯ll regret it.¡± ¡°Regret it? Me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I smiled broadly and pointed at one side of the Magic Tower. The place Kim Kangin had been sitting at until recently. ¡°What I have to say is about that magic stone that you¡¯ve been studying¡­ ¡± A crafting table prepared for the purpose of studying magic stones. I pointed to the magic stone placed at the center of that table and brightly smiled. ¡°It¡¯s about the Elemental Mana Light.¡± ¡°How do you know about that magic stone? Forget its name, even the existence of this magic stone has never been revealed.¡± Kim Kangin¡¯s eyes shone sharply. His eyes are suspecting me of being a spy. ¡±It¡¯s not like there¡¯s a spy within the Blue Magic Tower and it¡¯s not like I stole the information so please don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± Whether it be the Magic Shin Clan or whoever, how would they steal information from the Blue Magic Tower? ¡°Then how do you know about Elemental Mana Light?¡± ¡°For a simple reason.¡± I took a box out of my bag. I had brought the mana stone with me to commission the Blue Magic Tower, a place with a reputation for having the best mana stone workmanship and producing the best artifacts in Korea. The greatest artifact ingredient I had luckily managed to attain at the first trial¡¯s page. ¡±I have one too as well. An Elemental mana light.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The moment I opened the box, Kim Kangin¡¯s eyes widened. His expression shows that he¡¯s more than just being astonished. It¡¯s an expression of not being able to believe one¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s been¡­ Perfectly¡­ Refined? How¡­ No, who¡­¡± I spoke out whilst enjoying Kim Kangin¡¯s reaction. ¡°How is it? Do you still have no interest in my words?¡± Chapter 23 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 23 Kim Kangin couldn¡¯t contain his astonishment after seeing the Elemental Mana Light before him. ¡®It¡¯s refined to a higher level of perfection than I had imagined. How on earth¡­?¡¯ Elemental Mana Light. The Blue Magic Tower¡¯s master came into possession of this mana stone of chaos after the Red Magic Tower¡¯s master, James Piller, declared that he had given up on it. Of course, this impenetrable magic stone caused the owner of the Blue Magic Tower, Kim Kangin, who in terms of his ability to refine and craft magic stones ranks globally within the top 3, some problems but it also forced the greatly talented elite craftsmen of the Blue Magic Tower to surrender completely. That impenetrable mana stone was perfectly refined right before his eyes. Kim Kangin¡¯s surprise was to be expected. ¡®No way¡­¡± As if something had come to mind, Kim Kangin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Could the person who refined this Elemental Mana Light¡­¡± Kim Kangin¡¯s eyes looked at Shin Hayul and trembled, half in anticipation and half in apprehensiveness. ¡°Yes. It was me.¡± ¡°¡­Oh my God.¡± Kim Kangin clutched his forehead and let out a genuine exclamation. He had thought that it might¡¯ve been a possibility. But to think that thought had been the truth. ¡±How the hell did you accomplish what had me and James scratching our heads for 4 years?¡± An 18-year-old academy student had solved what was impossible. When the Red Magic Tower¡¯s master hears of this, he will be so surprised that he¡¯ll fall on his back. Kim Kangin burst out laughing. ¡°No, more importantly, is it just a coincidence that you brought this mana stone along with you?¡± ¡±Yes. It¡¯s just a coincidence.¡± Shin Hayul answered with an embarrassed face. ¡°I thought that the Blue Magic Tower was the only place that could handle a mana stone of this level, so I brought it along with me.¡± This is the truth. Shin Hayul had brought the Elemental Mana Light simply to entrust it to the Blue Magic Tower. He hadn¡¯t expected it to be the thing that the Blue Magic Tower¡¯s master was researching in the least. ¡°Can I ask how you came to own the mana light?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t comment on that. What I will say is that it luckily happened to come into my possession and that I luckily happened to succeed in refining it.¡± Kim Kangin burst out laughing. ¡°You luckily happened to come into possession of this precious mana stone and you luckily happened to refine it, huh¡­ If I tell those words to James I bet he¡¯ll faint and fall to the floor.¡± Kim Kangin, who has devoted more than a decade of his life to the research of mana stones, knows this better than anyone. There¡¯s no element of luck in refining mana stones. Refining a mana stone relies entirely on one¡¯s skill. Although 1% of the process could come from the method of refinement, making the most of it is done entirely with one¡¯s own skills. ¡°Okay, fine. A mage has the right to keep his secrets. I won¡¯t ask anymore.¡± Kim Kangin fixedly looked down at the Elemental Mana Light that was on his table. ¡°Can I hold it in my hands and look over it?¡± ¡±Yes, of course.¡± ¡±Thank you.¡± Kim Kangin took the magic stone in his hand. ¡°Now that I¡¯m closer to it, I can see that it¡¯s even more beautiful.¡± Although it was wonderful even when it was placed on the table, seeing it up close made it the most beautiful it could possibly be. ¡®This is the perfect form of the unique mana stone that contains four different elements at once.¡¯ Just looking at it caused ecstasy. If it were possible, he wanted to analyze this magic stone intensively at this very instant. ¡°It¡¯s at a level of perfection where it causes me more awe the more I look at it. Were you really the one to refine this?¡± ¡±Yes. I can show you the evidence if you want.¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s no need to do that. You don¡¯t have any incentives to lie over this kind of thing. It is what you say it is.¡± ¡°Thank you for trusting me.¡± Kim Kangin¡¯s displeasure had long gone. What filled his head now were ecstasy and joy. And the desire to explore this unknown jewel. ¡°Great, then what artifact would you like?¡± ¡°As long as it increases my magic efficiency, then I don¡¯t mind what shape or type it is.¡± ¡°Hm. And you don¡¯t have any other artifacts that you use, right?¡± ¡±No, I don¡¯t¡± ¡°Then a bracelet or necklace would be good.¡± If this was an ordinary mana stone, it could have been made into a ring using compression technology. Unfortunately, it¡¯s impossible to compress the Elemental Mana Light. Since it can¡¯t be compressed, considering its size, bracelets or necklaces will be the best form it can take. ¡°Well, actually, for a magic stone of this size, making it into a staff is most efficient¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a big fan of staves and they¡¯re not that trendy either.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± As magic became more modernized, mages began to stand at the front lines. And as a result, staves naturally died out. It was a very heavy burden to kick at foes in the front line with a staff in hand. ¡°Then since the intensity of the mana stone isn¡¯t that great, a necklace will be the safest bet.¡± ¡±I agree.¡± Kim Kangin put the Elemental Mana Light back into the box. ¡°Then should we talk about the production fees?¡± Seeing something nice is just seeing something nice. It doesn¡¯t change the fact that if you are formally commissioning someone for an artifact to be made, a production fee must be paid. ¡°Luxurious mana stones require the appropriate materials worthy of them. The cost of creating the artifact will be significant.¡± Kim Kangin smiled brightly. ¡°But, I suppose there¡¯s no need to talk about money to one born of the Magic Shin Clan.¡± There was no need to talk about money to Shin Hayul, the youngest son of the Magic Shin Clan. ¡°Should I just request the production fees from the Magic Shin Clan?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t want to let anyone know of the creation of this artifact, let alone my family.¡± ¡°I see.¡± He was saying that he wanted to keep it hidden as a trump card for the succession race. Kim Kangin understood. ¡°Then what should we do about the fees? The estimated sum is approximately this much¡­¡± Kim Kangin wrote the expected production fee down in his notebook. It was a huge sum of money, in the hundreds of millions. ¡°Can you obtain this amount of money without the help of your family?¡± ¡°No, that would be difficult.¡± Preparing that amount of money from my own pockets was unreasonable. ¡°So instead of money, I was wondering if I could pay differently.¡± ¡°Differently¡­ What way would that be?¡± Something worth this sum of money. What could it be? Kim Kangin¡¯s eyes were full of anticipation. ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± Shin Hayul raised his hand and pointed to the other side of the room. The place he had pointed to before. The crafting table that Kim Kangin was exhausting his strength researching on. Shin Hayul smiled as he pointed to the magic stone lying there. ¡°I¡¯ll refine the Elemental Mana Light for you.¡± ¡±Sorry?¡± The value of a mana stone differs greatly depending on whether they are refined or not. This is obvious. Since no matter the quality of the mana stone, an unrefined one cannot be used and is merely an ornament. This is especially true for impenetrable mana stones such as the Elemental Mana Light. There would be at least a 10 times difference in value between one that¡¯s refined and one that¡¯s not. ¡°If you wish, I can even do it in front of you.¡± ¡°Are you saying that you¡¯ll even pass the secret behind the refining technique to me?¡± ¡°Yes. If that¡¯s what you want.¡± He was even offering to provide the answer that the Blue Magic Tower¡¯s master had been seeking for the past 2 years with his research. ¡°I think that¡¯s worth far more than the money. What do you think?¡± ¡°¡­I wouldn¡¯t say far more, though I do think there should be an additional something.¡± What I¡¯m offering here covers more than just the mere production fees of an artifact. ¡°If you agree, please listen to just one request of mine.¡± ¡±A request?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shin Hayul grinned. ¡±Well, come to think of it, you did say that you had important business other than the refinement of artifacts that you wanted to discuss with me. Is it a request related to that business?¡± ¡±Yes. That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll give it a listen. As long as it¡¯s nothing unreasonable I intend to listen to whatever you ask of me.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. It¡¯s not anything that¡¯ll be difficult for you, and it¡¯s not a harmful request either.¡± Shin Hayul carefully pulled something out of his breast pocket. ¡°In fact, it¡¯ll actually be beneficial to you.¡± Something that was rolled up in a black cloth. Shin Hayul slowly unraveled the cloth and as soon as what the cloth had been concealing was revealed, Kim Kangin¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°An IL Chip!¡± An Innovation Leveling chip. The worst out of the worst, even among the many illegally modified AI. The excrement of the Black Magic Tower. Why is this in Shin Hayul¡¯s hand? ¡°I¡¯m going to get straight to the point and start with the conclusion. In Obelisk Academy, there is a puppet of the Black Magic Tower,¡± said Shin Hayul as he put the chip down on the table. ¡°Please lend me your strength in getting rid of him.¡± [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] I had returned to the dormitory in secretary Jung Suha¡¯s car and was now standing in front of it. ¡°Please take care.¡± ¡±Will do. See you later.¡± I was going to take a taxi, but she said that wasn¡¯t how you treat a guest and brought me back herself. Well, thanks to her, I was able to return comfortably. ¡°Whew.¡± After soon returning to my room, I took a quick shower and sat down at my desk. ¡®That was lucky.¡¯ Who would have known that Kim Kangin was studying the Elemental Mana Light? I wouldn¡¯t have even dreamed of it. ¡®Thanks to that I was able to create an artifact that¡¯s a secret even from my father.¡¯ The original plan was to discreetly contact my father and receive funds for the production costs. Since we had received a 3% stake in the mana stone rights from the Baek family thanks to me, I had judged that I would be able to readily get at least that much support. But something incredibly lucky happened. Thanks to Kim Kangin researching the Elemental Mana Light, I was able to save the rewards I had got for acquiring the mana stone mining rights for later. I¡¯ll use this when I need it in the future ¡®And the stuff about the Black Magic Tower was easily resolved as well.¡¯ If it hadn¡¯t been for the element mana light, getting Kim Kangin¡¯s support would have been difficult. ¡®You¡¯re saying something hard for me to believe so readily. A mage belonging to the Black Magic Tower is hiding in the academy. Do you have any proof?¡¯ It¡¯s even harder to believe with no evidence. ¡®It will be impossible for the Blue Magic Tower to take action with the unreliable information of just one student.¡¯ ¡®But if this is in return for a favor you¡¯ve done for me, then it¡¯s a different story.¡¯ Even in that great atmosphere, he said that kind of thing. What would have happened without the Elemental Mana Light when Kim Kangin was in a foul mood? Negotiations would never have been easy. ¡®Even if I had managed to persuade him, it would have been troublesome for various reasons.¡¯ To convince Kim Kangin, I would have had to reveal either the fact that I¡¯m able to see the color of mana, or am resistant to mind control magic. That¡¯s the only way that¡¯ll give my words credibility. ¡®I really did blow my nose without having to use my hands.¡¯ (T/n: Idiom for doing nothing and things still going well.) Looking back on it, it truly was the perfect deal. I didn¡¯t disclose any of my information. And the possibility of this being leaked to the outside was blocked in advance. Also, the production of my artifact had started without any issues. Furthermore, I had gained allies to deal with the Black Magic Tower, I had got all of this just for the price of refining the Elemental Mana Light and giving information on it. I hadn¡¯t lost anything but had gained a lot. It worked out so well that I almost started to worry. It¡¯s to the point that things are going so well, that it¡¯s scary. ¡®Anyway, with this, all my preparations are over.¡¯ All that¡¯s left now is to give that Black Magic Tower scum and one of my siblings who commissioned them a blow to the face. Chapter 24 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 24 Thursday. The night before Friday, the day Len Smith had mentioned he was going to act. [Then, let¡¯s hope everything goes to plan.] Before the operation began, I contacted Kim Kangin one last time. [Fret not. As long as the information provided is correct, there will never be any mistakes on our part.] [I¡¯ll have faith. Then I¡¯ll get back to you later.] After I had finished contacting Kim Kangin, I headed to a building owned by my family that was nearby. After passing the lobby, I took the elevator and went to the meeting place. I opened the door and walked into the room where those I had promised to meet were waiting. At that moment, 4 pairs of eyes focused on me. The eyes of my two elder brothers and my two elder sisters. My four siblings welcomed me. ¡°Long time no see. Hayul.¡± The youngest out of the four, Shin Minji, approached me first. Compared to a year ago, she hasn¡¯t changed much. Maybe her hair has grown out a bit? ¡°It¡¯s been a while. You¡¯re still the same as always.¡± ¡°Is that a compliment?¡± ¡°Most certainly.¡± ¡°Thanks. Hayul, you¡¯ve grown so much.¡± Her every movement was elegant and her demeanor exuded dignity. It felt as if she wore courtesy as she did her clothes. Everything about her was the same as a year ago. As always, I couldn¡¯t feel any ambition coming from her. ¡®As expected, it¡¯s definitely not Minji noonim.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t Minji noonim who sent Len Smith after me. I could be sure of that once more. ¡°You¡¯ve really grown a lot haven¡¯t you.¡± The third sibling, Shin Minhyuk, who approached from behind me, smiled cheerfully as he held his right hand out. I shook his hand with the appropriate amount of force. ¡±It¡¯s good to see you. Though to be honest, it¡¯s hard for me to be happy. Anyway, welcome.¡± ¡±Yes. Thank you.¡± He still speaks as frankly as he always has. He could have just friendlily welcomed me, but the way he just had to say that it was hard for him to be happy was just like him. ¡®Has his pressure gotten a little more intense?¡¯ I had heard that during the year, he had taken control over an affiliated company and had grown it by a lot. And because of that, though I couldn¡¯t tell what it was, I felt an increased sense of pressure coming from him. ¡®As expected it¡¯s not him either.¡¯ Originally, I had an infinitesimally small doubt that it could have been Minhyuk hyungnim, but in any case he, like Minjii noonim, is clear of any suspicions. ¡°Haha. You¡¯ve lost all your baby fat and now you look so manly.¡± ¡±It¡¯s been a while, youngest.¡± Finally, the first sibling, Shin Jihan and the second sibling, Shin Seha approached me. They, too, were the same as always. ¡®But why don¡¯t their smiles reach their eyes¡­¡¯ I can clearly sense their strong dislike of me from their expressions. They¡¯ve gotten better at acting, but because they¡¯re the same as they were a year ago, I can be sure of it. ¡®As expected, it¡¯s one of these two.¡¯ It was one of them who made a deal with the Black Magic Tower and sent Len Smith after me. There¡¯s no doubt about it. ¡°Let¡¯s get to our seats. We can¡¯t stay standing while we talk, can we?¡± Shin Jihan smiled and suggested that we sit down. After everyone agreed, we returned to our seats. ¡°Well. Should we hear from our youngest why he called us all to meet?¡± Shin Jihan, who was sitting on the seat of honor, asked as the representative. For what reason did I gather all these busy people? That was what his gaze was asking. ¡®Why did I gather everyone? Well, to pry out who sent Len Smith after me of course.¡¯ Though I couldn¡¯t say that. ¡°Nothing big. I just wanted to see everyone¡¯s faces for the first time in a year. That¡¯s why I reserved this place.¡± I told them the excuse I had prepared. ¡°You¡¯re telling me you gathered us, busy people, for such a small reason?¡± Seha noonim frowned. I met her eyes and grinned. ¡°Well even if I wasn¡¯t the one who had arranged everything, I¡¯m sure either you or Jihan hyungnim was thinking of preparing something, isn¡¯t that right? I simply arranged this so that you wouldn¡¯t have to have trouble yourselves.¡± ¡°¡­You still speak as eloquently as ever.¡± Shin Seha clicked her tongue. Her expression showed that she disliked me very much. ¡°Okay then, let¡¯s go ahead and start talking. Youngest. What do you plan on doing?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t know.¡± My sister quickly looked around at our siblings and then said, ¡°Do you plan on intervening in the succession race?¡± It was a very frank question. ¡°If I were to say that I¡¯m not interested¡­ Would you believe me?¡± ¡°No. Absolutely not.¡± ¡°Then is there any point to the question?¡± Seha noonim¡¯s gaze became even sharper. ¡°Agh, fine. Just give me an answer.¡± ¡±Seha. You can¡¯t ask like that.¡± Shin Jihan, who was still smiling next to her, interrupted. ¡±Saying that you¡¯ll take part or won¡¯t take part in the succession race merely with words holds no value. You have to prove it with your actions.¡± Shin Jihan is staring at me. ¡°Hayul. Your vision magic, it seems that you¡¯ve gotten a hold of some pretty good stuff. Was it called alteration magic?¡± His smile becomes darker. ¡°That magic. Do you have any plans to share it with the clan?¡± ¡°Ah~¡± At that, Seha¡¯s noonim exclaimed. It seemed that she was genuinely in awe of Jihan hyungnim¡¯s words. ¡°I see. If Hayul shares his vision magic, then I can believe for sure that he¡¯s given up on the succession race.¡± Shin Jihan smiled brightly and expressed his affirmation of Shin Seha¡¯s words. ¡°¡­¡± It¡¯s a good move. Vision magic is like a joker card, a trump card if you will. Sharing this with the family is like throwing away my trump card. In other words, by sharing my vision magic, I was effectively proving that I was throwing all my regrets away and saying that I wouldn¡¯t participate. However, if I were to say that I wouldn¡¯t share my vision magic, I would be judged to be earnestly willing to participate in the succession race and so they will probably do more to keep me in check. It really is a good move. ¡®However,¡¯ It¡¯s not checkmate just yet. ¡°This is my only hope.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡±Regardless of the succession race, as someone incompatible with AI, I don¡¯t want to give away my only chance of living as a mage to anyone.¡± A refusal to share, not for the succession race, but for my survival as a mage. My last hope and my last bastion as someone incompatible with AI. The reason for my refusal is justified. ¡°Fine. There¡¯s nothing we can do when our youngest brother is saying that it¡¯s his only hope¡­¡± ¡°Thank you for your understanding.¡± With this, my will to participate in the succession race remains unknown. ¡®But since they are calling upon even the Black Magic Tower to try and eliminate me from the succession race, I wonder if there was any point in any of that.¡¯ No matter what I said, anything was better than giving my siblings a direct answer. ¡®Politics within the clan is all about justification.¡¯ There¡¯s a world of a difference between giving a clear reason to keep me in check and giving a vague answer. ¡°Now, now. Hyungnim. Since we¡¯re not going to get a clear answer, let¡¯s put aside that talk about the succession race for now. Let¡¯s get caught up with each other.¡± Shin Minhyuk intervened to try and lift the heavy atmosphere. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d like to hear from Hayul too.¡± Shin Minji chipped in as well. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s do that then.¡± With that, we started talking about trivial things. About how Seha noonim was going to weave a new circle soon. Or that Minji noonim is going to take on a small company soon. These kinds of small things. I too occasionally talked about what happened at the Academy, and before I knew it, 40 minutes had passed. ¡®It should be time now.¡¯ And as soon as I had that thought. The signal came just in time. Weeeeeeeeoouuuuuuuuu-! Weeeeeeeeoouuuuuuuuu-! ¡±What¡¯s this all of a sudden?¡± ¡°An emergency call?¡± All our phones vibrated in unison. A fairly strong vibration. It was an emergency call that was sent only when an urgent event occurred in the family. ¡°What could it be at this hour?¡± Everyone, bewildered, checked their messages. I also checked my messages whilst paying close attention to everyone¡¯s facial expressions. [It has been confirmed that a criminal mage belonging to the Black Magic Tower was hiding among the staff of the Obelisk Academy.] [The arrester, Jung Suha from the Blue Magic Tower, had stopped by the Obelisk Academy because she had a small matter to attend there.] [The spy¡¯s name is Len Smith. As the second son of the prestigious French Smith family¡­] There was no need to read on. As planned, Kim Kangin discovered evidence that Len Smith was a spy from the Black Magic Tower and even managed to arrest him. The plan succeeded. I took my attention off the message and carefully observed the expressions of my siblings. Shock, fear, exclamation, disgust etc. Among the plethora of emotions, a foreign emotion that should not have been felt was felt. ¡°¡­¡± Embarrassment and confusion were plainly displayed on their faces. ¡®Got you.¡¯ Shin Jihan. He was the mastermind who commissioned the Black Magic Tower and sent Len Smith after me. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] On the way back to the dormitory, I checked the news portal with my phone. [A great shock! It has been discovered that there was a spy from the Black Magic Tower hiding among the instructors of the Obelisk Academy!] Articles on Len Smith flooded the portal. [Today at 10:31 PM, Jung Suha, a 6th circle wizard belonging to the Blue Magic Tower and secretary of Kim Kangin, caught Len Smith suspiciously in the training equipment room of the Obelisk Academy.] [Jung Suha stated that Len Smith was doing all sorts of funny business with the equipment for the Survival Test. I don¡¯t even want to imagine what kind of disaster would have happened on Friday had it not been for Jung Suha, fortunately stopping by the training equipment room.] [The Korean government, the Korean Magic Association, and the International Magic Association have reported that they have no intention of ignoring the actions of the Black Magic Tower¡­] I scrolled a bit and skimmed through the articles. ¡ª Everything happened just as you said it would. I could hear Kim Kangin¡¯s voice through the wireless earphones I had in my ears. ¡ª It was part of the deal, so I moved as you requested, but to think that it was all true. He spoke as if he was truly in awe. ¡ª You¡¯re incredible. Putting all other things aside, just how did you know that Len Smith would be up to no good in the training equipment warehouse? ¡°It was a deduction I made off the information I had.¡± Len Smith had said that he would no longer see me from Friday onwards. That meant he planned to take action on Friday. Based on the fact that they purposely used Len Smith, an instructor, there was a high probability that he would do something on the school site. And Friday just so happened to be the day of the large-scale battle survival test, therefore, there was an extremely high probability that Len Smith would try to do something to this test. And to mess with the survival test, he needed to get his hands on the training equipment. The supporting artifacts for survival tests have a surveillance function for the safety of the individual, so if he wanted to do anything to me, he had to turn that function off. ¡®And usually, the training equipment undergoes checks the night before.¡¯ In other words, Thursday night was the perfect time to modify the training equipment and avoid getting caught by anyone. So I assumed that Thursday night was the time he was going to act and formulated a plan. ¡®I asked Kim Kangin to stay hidden in the training equipment warehouse whilst I called and gathered my siblings.¡¯ And after waiting for Len Smith to be captured, I observed my sibling¡¯s reactions. Since they would never have even thought of the possibility of Len Smith being captured, their expression was bound to change. And as long as I didn¡¯t miss that change in expression, I would be able to identify the culprit. ¡®Everything went according to plan.¡¯ As a result, everything worked out. Len Smith was captured with no issues. And now I also knew that it was Shin Jihan who had been continuously in touch with the Black Magic Tower. I thoroughly concealed the information I had gathered. The danger had been eliminated, and the information had been obtained. The plan was a perfect success. ¡®Though it is a slight shame that I was unable to find any evidence of the connection between Jihan hyungnim and Len Smith.¡¯ Though it was a shame, it didn¡¯t really matter. I hadn¡¯t set my hopes up for it either. There was no way that the person who had disobeyed my father¡¯s orders and sent the Black Magic Tower after me would have left any evidence. I¡¯m content just with knowing who it is. Now that I know who it is that has connections with the Black Magic Tower, I can slowly look for evidence and eventually I¡¯ll find it. There is no such thing as a perfectly hidden secret in this world. If a deal was made, the evidence for that deal is bound to exist somewhere. ¡ª I get your deductions, but how did you find the information on Len Smith? That¡¯s what is bothering me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. As I said before, I have an obligation to keep that a secret.¡± ¡ª Yes. I know, I just said it because it¡¯s such a shame. Kim Kangin laughed bitterly. ¡ª In any case, I somehow managed to benefit again. Rather than repaying my debt, it feels like the debt is piling up. With this incident, the Blue Magic Tower¡¯s image improved. The image of the Blue Magic Tower improving meant that soon their brand value would increase as well. ¡ª I¡¯ll pay you back for this at a later date. ¡°If you offer to, then I won¡¯t refuse.¡± ¡ª Haha. It¡¯s nice that you¡¯re honest. Kim Kangin chuckled. ¡ª Then I¡¯ll be leaving now to take care of the rest of the work. ¡±Yes, please take good care of the aftermath as well.¡± ¡ª Will do. I¡¯ll contact you later. Then I¡¯m off. With that, the call ended. I took my earphones out of my ears and loosened my body up while stretching. ¡°Ahhh~~¡± Now that everything¡¯s been resolved, today I¡¯ll be able to do my magic training in peace. It really is only a matter of time before I become a 2-circle master. At most, I¡¯ll be one by dawn. ¡®If I finish the 38 trials and errors I have left then¡­ ¡® It was at that moment when I was comfortably walking down the street, with thoughts of things to do with resonance in mind. Phwwooosh!! ¡®Magic!?¡¯ Suddenly, I felt the flow of mana beside me. A flame thoroughly mashed together with strong murderous intent. A huge fireball, which I could tell just by a glance was far beyond a 4th circle magic spell, was flying at me. ¡°Die! Shin Haayuuuul!!¡± Beyond the fireball, I could hear Baek Sahyuk¡¯s voice. Chapter 25 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 25 As I looked at the fireball that was just before my nose, I made my circle spin with all the strength I had. ¡®Circle of resonance, strengthen!¡¯ I amplified the power of my magic using the circle of resonance and then converted my mana to water to form a water shield. Pwshhh-! And soon after the fireball collided with the barrier made of water. An immense amount of steam spread out. ¡®It¡¯s too powerful!¡¯ Not only was my magic strengthened by the circle of resonance, but it also had the attribute advantage. The circle difference between the two spells had been narrowed and under ordinary circumstances, it should have easily blocked it. Pwooshhhh-! Despite this, the 3-circle fire type magic, ¡®Flare Ball¡¯, was rapidly overpowering my ¡®Water Shield¡¯. ¡°Oomph!¡± The boiling hot water and steam scalded my skin. At this rate, I was going to be burned to ashes along with the water shield. ¡®It¡¯s impossible to block this. I have to avoid it.¡¯ After completing my calculations, I immediately shifted my center of gravity to the right. ¡®Stay!¡¯ And at the same time, I reused the mana left in the Water Shield and made it so that it would retain its shape even after leaving my hand. After doing so, I immediately flung myself away from where I was. Pwooshhhh-! Though I succeeded in fixing the magic in place, the Water Shield had grown weak due to it being away from my body and was gobbled up by the Flare Ball, disappearing in an instant. Kwawawang-! The flare ball, which still had strength left even after swallowing the Water Shield, crashed into where I was standing a few moments ago. The asphalt melted like it was ice cream. ¡®As expected I couldn¡¯t fully dodge it.¡¯ Since I was forced to dodge from an awkward position, I couldn¡¯t fully avoid it. A part of my left arm was set ablaze by the Flare Ball. Just from a glance, I could tell they were worse than 3rd-degree burns. ¡®It¡¯s fortunate that I can still move it.¡¯ It was a relief that I didn¡¯t have to carry out the rest of the fight with only one arm. ¡°Ke¡­ kekeke. Kehahaha!!¡± I could hear laughter. A twisted jeer. Laughter that was full of joy and ecstasy. ¡°Yeah, this is it. This is the original difference in skill between you and me! Kehahaha!!¡± ¡°¡­Baek Sahyuk.¡± Baek Sahyuk. The eldest son of the Baek family, who had fired a Flare Ball at me, was glaring with red, bloodshot eyes. ¡°This is all because you¡¯re a defective bastard that doesn¡¯t know his place. Get it? Hm? Do you get it!¡± Just from a glance, I could tell he was not in his right mind. I had initially thought that his eyes had become red simply due to them being bloodshot, but on closer inspection, it was actually because all the blood vessels in his eyes had burst. And traces of where his skin had burst in red stood out. ¡®Evidence of illegal drug doping.¡¯ This is a typical side effect of a drug. But not just any ordinary drug. It¡¯s a drug with a rank 1 danger rating that has no regard for the person¡¯s life, a type of drug that¡¯s used by defeated soldiers of war. Berserker. ¡°¡­You, have you actually gone crazy?¡± Those who took it have no choice but to fight until death. In order to forcefully accelerate the mana circle, the user¡¯s blood vessels must burst all over, and their form, dyed with red, is said to look like some sort of berserker so that¡¯s why the name was given. Baek Sahyuk had taken that crazy drug. ¡°Am I crazy? No. There¡¯s no way. I¡¯m perfectly normal. In fact, I feel like only now I¡¯ve got my mind back!¡± Baek Sahyuk spurred off from the ground. His mana and body strengthened by the effect of the berserker allowed Baek Sahyuk to move at incredible speeds. ¡°¡­!¡± Baek Sahyuk, who came right up to my nose in an instant, reached out to me. ¡°Because I can kill you as I wish! If this isn¡¯t normal then what is! Eehaha!!¡± Magic power concentrated on the palm of his hand. ¡®Burning Impaction!¡¯ The 3 circle magic that he had tried to use on me last time. It was about to activate right before my eyes. ¡°Heup!¡± I immediately struck Baek Sahyuk¡¯s hand upwards. I had planned on canceling the magic the same way I did as last time. However, ¡°You¡¯re too late. You retard!¡± Baek Sahyuk was not the same as he had been before. Before I could even redirect Baek Sahyuk¡¯s hand, his Burning Impaction fired. Fwing! The heat focused on a single point. It was a small burning star, with mana so formidable, that it couldn¡¯t even be considered as a 3-circle magic spell. It was shot aiming for my forehead. Ziiing-! I could clearly hear the sound of skin burning. As if my left cheek and ear had fully burned, I felt excruciating pain which dulled my thinking. ¡°You managed to stop that?¡± Baek Sahyuk frowned as if he was displeased. ¡®¡­That was dangerous.¡¯ Fortunately, my hand had hit Baek Sahyuk¡¯s the moment Burning Impaction had triggered and very slightly crooked the angle of his magic. I used that angle to move my head to the side. Resulting in the Burning Impaction only brushing past my cheeks. ¡°My magic¡­ You blocked it twice? A defective bastard like you did that? How dare you? How dare you!!?¡± Baek Sahyuk roared like some sort of animal. ¡±Hmm, I guess it could happen.¡± Then he suddenly calmed down as if had never been angry. And then with a smile on his face, he made about 10 meters of space between us. ¡®¡­He¡¯s even showing symptoms of fluctuating emotions. I¡¯m certain, it¡¯s Berserker.¡¯ The more I looked at him, the more certain I got. Baek Sahyuk had taken berserker. ¡®The strange thing is the power of his magic¡­¡¯ Even if you take Berserker, the power of magic doesn¡¯t rise by that amount. What the hell could that incomprehensible magic casting speed at magic power be? ¡°What are you looking at? You fucking bastard.¡± Baek Sahyuk, who had gone back to being angry, giggled and shook his finger at me. ¡°You scared? Are you going to piss yourself? Are you thinking about getting on your knees before it¡¯s too late?¡± Mana swirled around Baek Sahyuk. Even from a glance, I could tell that the mana, as if in alignment with Baek Sahyuk¡¯s murderous intent, trembled even more violently. ¡®Could it be that he¡¯s taken more than just Berserker?¡¯ His mana acted insanely, in a way totally different from how a usual 3-circle mage¡¯s mana was supposed to behave. ¡®Shall we give it a check?¡¯ I lowered my body and fired a magic spell. ¡®Wind Spear.¡¯ A magic spell that was like my identity, and a spell that was traumatic for Baek Sahyuk. A spear of wind flew towards Baek Sahyuk. ¡°This son of a bitch¡­¡± Perhaps he had remembered being made a fool out of by the Wind Spear. Baek Sahyuk¡¯s face became even more ferocious. ¡°With this kind of shitty magic!¡± With the intent to annihilate the four flying wind spheres, he unleashed his fire magic. Just by looking at it, I could tell that he had used way more mana than necessary. To think that he would use 4-circle magic to get rid of 1-circle magic. ¡°I mean though it¡¯s a good idea to be wary of the reactivating Wind Spear.¡± But still, that¡¯s overkill. ¡±You shouldn¡¯t focus solely on that alone.¡± ¡°¡­You, you son of a bitch!¡± That¡¯s why he was falling victim to my surprise attacks. If he had just used the appropriate amount of magic to deal with it, then his defense wouldn¡¯t be riddled with gaps like this. Using the fact that I had dug out one of Baek Sahyuk¡¯s eyes, I ran straight at his torso and immediately used my magic. The wind-type magic, Aero Boom, burst out from Baek Sahyuk¡¯s center of gravity. ¡®Did it hit?¡¯ The Aero Boom tore his body to shreds. I thought he would avoid it, but he couldn¡¯t even dodge that? Is it because the Berserker you took slowed down your brain? And as I was having these kinds of thoughts. ¡±Kehehe! Eat shit! Shin Hayul!¡± Shouted Baek Saahyuk, as if he was unscaathed after being hit by Aero Boom. And mana circled him at the same time. ¡®Red!¡¯ Red mana scattered over a vast area above Baek Sahyuk¡¯s head. It was Baek Sahyuk¡¯s speciality, ¡®Flame Shotgun.¡¯ I immediately spurred off the ground and created distance between us. ¡®Flame shotgun has the characteristic of having short range.¡¯ Its range was 7 meters. Only 7. As long as you are 8 meters away, you won¡¯t be hit. Phwuaaa-! As it started to drop at about 6 meters, Baek Sahyuk¡¯s flame shotgun took full shape and flew towards me. ¡®If it¡¯s that slow then I¡¯ll be able to get out of its range before it hits me.¡¯ I was confident of that and planned what to do next. ¡®That laugh¡­¡¯ But for some reason, Baek Sahyuk laughing caught my eye. I had a feeling that he was genuinely laughing and not because of his fluctuating emotions ¡®¡­No way.¡¯ And at that moment, a thought passed by my head. Magic casting speed and magic power that should be impossible to attain with just berserker. A smile convinced of victory. ¡®And the timing of Baek Sahyuk¡¯s attack.¡¯ There¡¯s no doubt about it. ¡°Len Smith. And the IL chip.¡± The one behind this incident was the Black Magic Tower. ¡®If Baek Sahyuk¡¯s implanted an IL chip in himself, then the range of the Flame Shotgun isn¡¯t 8 meters!¡¯ I immediately switched plans and continued to run despite being out of the Flame Shotgun¡¯s range. ¡®If my calculations are correct¡­¡¯ The Flame Shotgun approached closer and closer. I used my mana on the lower half of my body and further reinforced my body, succeeding in reaching where I had intended to. ¡®The distance of this Flame Shotgun is 9.12 meters!¡¯ I was exactly 10 meters away from Baek Sahyuk. I stood there and looked upon the approaching Flame Shotgun. ¡®Bingo!¡¯ Pwshshsh-! The flame shotgun that had filled my entire field of vision, ceased to exist 1 meter from where I was standing. It couldn¡¯t go over the range set by the magic circle and disappeared naturally. ¡°You¡­ how¡­¡± Baek Sahyuk frowned. It was an expression that showed he didn¡¯t understand what was going on. As I looked at Baek Sahyuk, I gently pat the scalds on my left arm and my face. ¡®Innovation Leveling chip. Berserker. And Len Smith.¡¯ Len Smith is the one behind this incident. ¡®Len Smith chose Baek Sahyuk as the person who was supposed to attack me on Friday.¡¯ I think he intended to use Baek Sahyuk to attack me tomorrow and under the pretense of intervening to break up the fight, he planned to frame me as an illegal AI user. And because Len Smith uses mind control magic, it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult for him to manipulate Baek Sahyuk, who already had the intent to kill me. And even if Baek Sahyuk luckily killed me, then all the better. That¡¯s probably what he had thought. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] ¡®¡­I hadn¡¯t expected this.¡¯ It was my mistake. From the moment I found out that Len Smith was using mind control magic, I should have assumed that there would be the intervention of a third party. To think that I had relaxed after Len Smith had been caught. ¡®I guess I should reflect on this.¡¯ My mouth felt bitter. ¡°Did you hate me enough to even use an IL chip?¡± ¡°An IL Chip? What are you on about?¡± Baek Sahyuk snorted. His expression tells me that he doesn¡¯t understand what I¡¯m saying. ¡°Yeah. As expected you don¡¯t remember.¡± That fact that he had taken berserker, the fact that he had an IL chip implanted and the fact that it was Len Smith who did it. Baek Sahyuk had forgotten all of it. ¡°If you¡¯re going to talk nonsense, then go to hell first and then you can yammer away!¡± Baek Sahyuk fired his magic again. Three Flare Balls flew towards me. ¡°The IL chip is an illegally modified artificial intelligence that enhances the magic formula by boosting the user¡¯s body.¡± I gently ducked and put my hands on the floor. The Flare Balls passed over my head. ¡°And because of that, the power and range of the magic spells change.¡± The Flare Ball soared past its set range of 15 meters and exploded after reaching 20 meters. ¡°But the only things that change are the numbers. Its characteristic of being unable to switch direction remains the same.¡± I felt the hot wind coming from behind me and got up from where I was. ¡°It¡¯s the same with Berserker, it only raises the power of magic by forcefully accelerating the mana circle. The characteristics of the spells cannot be changed.¡± ¡°What are you talking about! You insect bastard!!¡± Baek Sahyuk shouted and activated his magic again. ¡®Green.¡¯ The color of magic with the wind attribute. Perhaps he had thought that fire-type magic wouldn¡¯t work and that was why he was using wind magic. ¡®3-circle magic. Wind Knife.¡¯ A blade of wind was created from his hand. I took a step back before it was even fired. ¡°And this is so ironic. What I¡¯m researching right now is how the change in the structure of the circle and mana is affected by the alteration of the magic circle.¡± 19.77 meters. I stood still at that exact distance and stared down the flying knife made of wind. Phwooosh-! The knife made of wind came within 0.1cm of my nose and then completely lost its shape and disappeared. ¡°Thanks to you, I now fully understand how the amplification of mana and the rate at which the circle accelerates affects magic.¡± As long as I knew the rate at which the IL chip was modifying the mana and by what rate Berserker was accelerating the magic circle, these kinds of calculations can be easily deduced. ¡°And I don¡¯t know if I should say that this is lucky or awkward.¡± Or even ironic. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that your illegal AI and doping would give me a hand with my research.¡± Whilst observing Baek Sahyuk¡¯s magic, I got a hold of the final part of the ¡®resonance¡¯ puzzle. ¡°What bullshit are you still spewing!! You fucking son of a bitch!¡± Baek Sahyuk ran at me with a roar. I looked at Baek Sahyuk, and let out a small sigh. ¡°I won¡¯t thank you. Since there¡¯s not much difference between perfecting it now and perfecting tomorrow at dawn.¡° I could hear something revolving inside my body. The clear sound of the infinity circle revolving. The two circles that let out different cries gradually became one. And afterwards. It became one loud sound. ¡®Resonance.¡¯ The Circle of Deliberation and the Circle of Resonance had perfectly become one and started to revolve. Chapter 26 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 26 Resonance. The indicator that one has become a 2-circle master in the Bytenor style of magic. [Magic is the tree and the infinity circle is the forest.] [The circle of resonance strengthens trees, but the stage of resonance strengthens the forest.] Achieving the stage of resonance casts the circle of resonance on my entire circle, therefore strengthening not only my magic but my circle itself. [The Bytenor style of magic also calls this the transcendence of resonance.] [Transcendence of the stage of resonance. Users who have entered this stage of resonance will transcend beyond their current circle.] Transcendence of the stage of resonance. 3rd circle mages will be able to use 4-circle magic. And 4th circle mages will be able to use 5-circle magic. [It is a powerful effect, but it is not without its drawbacks.] [The disadvantage of resonance is its short duration.] [Since it accelerates circles that were weaved together with different properties, it puts a fair amount of strain on your mind and body.] [Right now, as a 2-circle master, you¡¯ll be able to maintain resonance for about 3 minutes.] [Once it ends, your circle will not move for around 12 hours, so please be careful.] Taking into account that breaking down the boundaries of a circle is a powerful and unmatched effect, this penalty really isn¡¯t that bad. Baek Sahyuk right now is a perfect example of this. Berserker and the IL Chip. Baek Sahyuk gave his life as collateral to transcend past his current circles. So by comparison, a short duration and a 12-hour downtime on the use of mana can¡¯t even be considered a penalty. [Of course, these shortcomings are something that will eventually be resolved as you ascend to the next stages.] [Until then, always be careful when using resonance.] And since he¡¯s even said that the penalty disappears, later on, there¡¯s no problem. ¡®Three minutes is plenty.¡¯ I grinned and spun the mana around my body in the two separate, but one circle. ¡®Earth Needle.¡¯ The mana infused with my will settled around Baek Sahyuk. The 3-circle magic that Adella had used against me: Earth Needle. It erupted from the ground at Baek Sahyuk¡¯s feet and rose. ¡°Th-third circle magic!?¡± The symbol of 3-circle magic spells. Designated space magic. The Earth Needle is an indicator of the ability to use 3-circle magic. ¡°Hmph!¡± Baek Sahyuk, who had felt Earth Needle¡¯s activation, hurriedly spurred off the ground. However, he was unable to completely avoid the unexpected designated space magic. A single needle penetrated Baaek Sahyuk¡¯s thigh. Blood dripped from the deeply inflicted wound. ¡°How can garbage like you use 3-circle magic¡­!!¡± Even though it was a serious wound, Baek Sahyuk didn¡¯t seem to feel any pain. Numbness of feeling. It meant that the berserker was slowly eating away and swallowing the body¡¯s functions. ¡°I wonder. How am I able to use it?¡± ¡°¡­You defective bastard.¡± There was the sound of something breaking from Baek Sahyuk¡¯s molars. From the looks of it, he might¡¯ve broken a tooth. ¡°Die! You trash!¡± Baek Sahyuk fired a Flame Shotgun again at his surroundings. Baek Sahyuk¡¯s magic had been so powerful that I had no choice but to dodge it. ¡±This is something that I¡¯ve thought about for a while.¡± I smiled as I watched the magic approach. ¡°But I think you have even less talent for cursing than you do magic. Your cursing is so clich¨¦.¡± ¡®Water Shield.¡¯ A stream of water gushed up from the ground. The upside-down waterfall collided with Baek Sahyuk¡¯s Flame Shotgun. Pwshshsh-! As before, an immense volume of steam spewed out. ¡°Hehe. Do defects also have the inability to learn? Someone who couldn¡¯t even block my Flame Ball dares to try and block my Flame Shotgun?¡± Baek Sahyuk who had watched this same scene unfold before laughed out. I couldn¡¯t see his expression because of the steam, but I bet he was certain of his victory. ¡°Well. Before discussing my learning abilities, I think we should take a look at your mana sensing abilities again.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No, maybe it¡¯s not a problem with your mana-sensing ability but a problem with your brain? I¡¯m curious about the structure of your brain. Even after seeing my Earth Needle, how could you think that this Water Shield is the same one as before?¡± My water shield, which had transcended due to my resonance, easily blocked Baek Sahyuk¡¯s Flare Shotgun. ¡°As I am now, your magic can¡¯t even touch me.¡± As I watched the Flame Shotgun start to extinguish, I formed a new spell with my other hand. ¡®Wind Cutter¡¯. Two wind cutters bent drastically like boomerangs and flew toward Baek Sahyuk¡¯s back. Whoosh! His Flame Shotgun was fully extinguished and at the same time, the steam started to slowly fade away. Whoosh! A light wind blew, restoring our field of view. ¡°Shin Hayul¡­!¡± Baek Sahyuk¡¯s angry expression entered my vision once again. And at that moment. Two wind cutters slash through Baek Sahyuk¡¯s back. Phwoooooosh! The two wind cutters made a horrifying whistling sound as they flew past. Despite taking the full brunt of my magic spell, Baek Sahyuk did not bat an eyelid. Though never taking one¡¯s eyes off the opponent is something admirable, he didn¡¯t do it with that intent. ¡°I see. You, you illegally doped. That¡¯s why your skills suddenly improved like that!¡± He just didn¡¯t notice. The wind cutter that had slashed through his back. He didn¡¯t notice the blood flowing from the two huge cuts. ¡®His sense of touch has completely gone.¡¯ One of Berserker¡¯s side effects is that it slows the senses, eventually completely destroying the sense of touch. ¡®It¡¯s over.¡¯ Baek Sahyuk will no longer be able to call himself a mage after today. Forget not being able to feel mana, he won¡¯t be able to move his body properly. And since he used the IL chip as well, even his brain won¡¯t function normally anymore. Best-case scenario, he¡¯ll only be put into a vegetative state, as a disabled person. In the next 10 minutes, that¡¯ll be his fate. ¡°I won¡¯t feel any sympathy. He did this to himself.¡± ¡°What bullshit are you talking about again!¡± Mind control magic isn¡¯t powerful to that extent. It can only plant suggestions, prompt someone to do something or amplify emotions. That¡¯s the limit of the mind control magic that Len Smith can do. ¡°If you had any reluctance or had any hesitation of killing me, it would never have ended like this.¡± Baek Sahyuk¡¯s intention to kill me is genuine. He wasn¡¯t reluctant to kill me at all¡ªBaek Sahyuk had become that pathetic of a person. He had brought all this upon himself. ¡°This is the price you¡¯ll pay for not being able to graciously take your defeat five years ago while living your life with only resentment and regret.¡± 5 years ago. An ordinary youth competition. If only Baek Sahyuk had taken his loss to me as an opportunity and taken a step forward. If only, like Adella, he had used his defeat to further motivate himself, this would have never happened. ¡°The last mercy I can show you is to let you rest as quickly as possible.¡± ¡°Again, again, agaaain!! Those eyes! Those eyes are as if you¡¯re the only one who knows everything about this world! Don¡¯t look at me with those eyes! You trash!¡± Baek Sahyuk drew up all the mana he had. As if he was trying to commit suicide, as if he had no concern over the consequences it would have on his body, he ran at me, gushing out an unreasonable amount of mana. A stream of blood continued to leak from his pierced thigh. ¡°Only you¡­ If only you weren¡¯t here! If only you hadn¡¯t been here my life would beeee!¡± ¡°I wonder. If I weren¡¯t here, you¡¯d probably have been resenting Adella instead.¡± I raised my right hand toward Baek Sahyuk, who was approaching me at high speed. My entire body shook. Mana swirled around me like a maelstrom. The Circle of Deliberation and the Circle of Resonance. The mana laughs as if in sync with my two infinity circles. ¡®Giggle.¡¯ ¡®It feels good here.¡¯ ¡®What are we going to do?¡¯ ¡®Will you play with us?¡¯ The mana whined at me like an innocent child. While feeling their will, I activated my magic. ¡®Darkness Blind.¡¯ ¡®Earth Bind.¡¯ ¡®Air Bind.¡¯ The three magic spells manifested at the same time. The Darkness Blind first ate away at Baek Sahyuk¡¯s sight, and at the same time, the rope of the earth sprang from the ground. In the air, a rope of mana tied itself around Baek Sahyuk¡¯s body. ¡®The speed of the magic processing is much better than I had imagined.¡¯ I, a 2nd circle master who was feeling the power of the resonance, immediately spurred off the ground. ¡°This as well¡­ Keuagh!¡± Baek Sahyuk used all the magic around him to strengthen his body. He struggled relentlessly against my blinding and binding magic as if he could break free with pure strength. Well, with his strength right now, I¡¯m sure he would have been able to break free from anything. However, ¡°It¡¯s too late.¡± It was already too late. Hup- Having quickly gotten behind Baek Sahyuk¡¯s back, I immediately placed my hand at his nape, where the IL chip was planted. ¡°Besides the consequences to the body, do you know why else we shouldn¡¯t use illegally modified AI?¡± ¡°Y-you!¡± I ignored the bewildered Baek Sahyuk and concentrated my mana on the IL chip on his nape. ¡°It¡¯s because your stability drops significantly.¡± ¡°Keuak! You, you bastard! What are you doing!¡± My mana seeped into Baek Sahyuk¡¯s IL chip. ¡°Chips and bodies that have been overclocked to beyond their limits will easily break down. Even if they get gently touched by anything from the outside.¡± ¡°Aghhhhhhh!¡± Baek Sahyuk let out a ripping scream. A pain that he felt through his numbed senses. He must have felt as if someone was directly stabbing at his brain. ¡°If, like how you are right now, your chip itself were to overfuse, then even if I were to just spill some of my mana with the same frequency as yours¡­¡± ¡°Keuagh! St-Stoooop it!¡± ¡°Then this will happen.¡± My palm, which was touching Baek Sahyuk¡¯s neck, felt an intense heat. The already hot IL chip was getting even hotter. There¡¯s not much left now. ¡°Oh right. This will be my final thanks to you.¡± In order to stop the functions of the IL chip, I had to instil my mana into him one last time. ¡±Thanks to your madness, I think I¡¯ll be able to receive something from the Baek family again.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°This is a scandal that¡¯s incomparably bigger than the last one, so I¡¯m thinking maybe 30%¡­ no 40% of the mana stone mining rights will be mine.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± ¡°Thank you. You were a tree that generously gave me gifts until the very end.¡± ¡°Shin Hayuuul!!¡± After Baek Sahyeok shrieked my name, his mind and body were torn apart. The battle¡¯s over. ¡®Well, now I just need to deal with the aftermath.¡¯ As I looked at Baek Sahyuk, who was limp and bound by my Earth Bind, I took out my phone from my pocket. ¡°Father. It¡¯s me, Hayul.¡± And I immediately called my father. ¡°Mm, what¡¯s happened for you to call at this hour?¡± I gazed at the early morning night sky and said softly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to feign ignorance. I know you saw everything.¡± [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] ¡ª You don¡¯t have to feign ignorance. I know you saw everything. ¡±Pfft.¡± As Shin Inhyuk heard what Shin Hayul had said through the other end of the receiver, he snorted as if it was amusing. ¡°What made you think that I was watching?¡± ¡ª Though I¡¯m at an empty park at dawn, despite there being such a massive incident, the police have not arrived yet. Unless someone had been purposely blocking the mobilisation of the police, this cannot happen. ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that someone blocked the mobilisation of the police. But that alone shouldn¡¯t be enough to conclude that I was the one who intervened.¡± ¡ª No. It has to be you. Shin Hayul declared. ¡ª There are many people who can suppress the police. But among them, the only one who would stand by and watch until the end of the battle is you, father. Had it been anyone else, they would have either helped or fought against me a while ago. If it had been the Black Magic Tower or Shin Jihan who was the one who had controlled this situation, then they would have taken action the moment they saw Baek Sahyuk attack me. ¡ª And in the first place, you¡¯re the only one who can keep an eye on me on my way home. Since my siblings won¡¯t be able to attach someone to trail me because of the 2 month¡¯s protection that you¡¯ve given me. Shin Inhyuk laughed. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I put Seokhyun by your side today.¡± Kim Seokhyun. Shin Inhyuk¡¯s most cherished subordinate. The children were planning to get together today, so he was attached to Shin Hayul just in case anything unexpected happened. ¡±I thought you didn¡¯t ask for help because you didn¡¯t notice, but it seems that it was the other way around.¡± Shin Inhyuk laughed as if the world was a fun place. ¡°You knew it all, but you didn¡¯t ask for help. Because you wanted to show me your 3-circle magic.¡± ¡ª Yes. You¡¯re right. ¡°I¡¯m sure you haven¡¯t achieved anything extra within this short time. Were you hiding the fact that you could use 3-circle magic?¡± It¡¯s hard to believe that my level of magic had risen by that much in this short period of time. So in other words, the logical conclusion is that I, Shin Hayul, had been able to use 3-circle magic from the very start. ¡ª Yes. Shin Hayul confirmed it. ¡°Why did you hide it?¡± ¡ª It¡¯s because I don¡¯t have enough strength yet. ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡ª Yes. Shin Inhyuk¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡ª 3-circle magic and 2-circle magic are very different. If I had revealed that I could use 3-circle magic spells, my brothers would have not let me be. ¡°So you hid it?¡± ¡ª Yes. ¡°So why did you show me your 3-circle magic that you kept so securely hidden?¡± ¡ª I thought that this was a good opportunity to only show you my true achievements. ¡°You only wanted to show me?¡± ¡ª Yes. I thought that this was a golden opportunity to show my worth to you, without being noticed by my competitors. Shin Hayul grinned. ¡ª What do you think? Are you starting to see my true worth? ¡°What? Kehaha!!¡± Shin Inhyuk let out a hearty laugh. ¡°You have more confidence than anyone else on this planet! I¡¯m dying to know how you¡¯ve spent the past year!¡± ¡ª So you didn¡¯t like it? ¡°No.¡± Shin Inhyuk chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡± Confidence with no foundation is just arrogance. However, confidence with a strong foundation is pride. And pride is a virtue that¡¯s essential for the head of the Magic Shin Clan. He couldn¡¯t help but like Shin Hayul¡¯s behaviour. ¡ª I knew you¡¯d say that. Shin Hayul brightly grinned. Chapter 27 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 27 You won¡¯t be able to go back to the dormitory with that wound. You can leave the aftermath to Seokhyun, so for now return to the house. I¡¯ve sent a limousine. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll see you after I return.¡± With that, the call ended. ¡±Young master.¡± As soon as the phone call ended, someone appeared from behind me. He was as silent as a ghost or a shadow. Despite being right behind me, I couldn¡¯t sense him. ¡®¡®Seokhyun Ahjussi.¡± ¡°Long time no see.¡± Kim Seokhyun. He bowed his head towards me. ¡±That wound is quite serious. Before your wound starts flaring up, I¡¯ll give it some light treatment.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care.¡± He placed a hand on my burn and moved his mana. White like a warm ray of sun. The healing magic, which has a light type attribute, healed my burns. ¡°For first-aid treatment, this much should be enough. The rest will be handled by the family¡¯s specialists.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Then if you could follow me, the car¡¯s arrived.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± I followed Seokhyun ahjussi to the limousine that was parked nearby. After I got into the limousine, I decided to say a few words to him before we departed. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll leave the aftermath in your hands.¡± ¡°Yes. The squad¡¯s already on the move, so don¡¯t worry. News of what happened here will not spread to the outside.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be trusting you.¡± ¡°Then take care.¡± With those words, Seokhyun ahjussi vanished again. Starting from now till dawn, he¡¯ll be taking action to remove all traces of the fight between me and Baek Sahyuk. ¡°The car will start moving.¡± ¡±I¡¯ll be in your care.¡± And like so, the limousine departed. As I looked at the nightscape of Seoul, only then was I able to let out a breath of relief. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] At Shin Jihan¡¯s mansion. Shin Jihan was having a conversation with an unknown person. ¡°Woah, I didn¡¯t think that the Blue Magic Tower would intervene there. Our luck is so unbelievably bad.¡± A man of moderate size, who wore a black hood all the way down to his nose, made idle chatter. ¡°To think he would be arrested even before he began the mission. This is my first time experiencing this, I don¡¯t know what to say!¡± The man laughed and spoke in a cheerful tone. ¡°¡­Is this something to be laughed at?¡± As if Shin Jihan were getting increasingly annoyed with the man¡¯s tone, he spoke while grinding his teeth. ¡°He promised that there was no way that he would fail¡­ So how do you expect to compensate me?¡± ¡°Haha. I¡¯m deeply ashamed of myself.¡± The man smiled slyly. ¡°Since the mission has failed, I¡¯ll return the commission fee as promised. And of course, I¡¯ll nicely tidy up the mess we¡¯ve caused as well.¡± The man grinned. ¡°As our VVIP customer, your information will never be leaked, so rest assured.¡± Even though only his mouth was uncovered by his hood, his cruelty could be felt nonetheless. Shin Jihan¡¯s spine shuddered. ¡°Len Smith will die before dawn today.¡± The dead do not speak. To remove all traces of evidence, Len Smith will die. ¡°Len Smith. The idiot planted an IL chip in Baek Sahyuk and gave the brat some Berserker. What do you plan to do about that, and the fact that Hayul still has the IL chip?¡± ¡°For starters, there¡¯s no need to worry about Baek Sahyuk. Since due to him being under mind control magic, all his memories will be wiped out.¡± ¡°You seem to be taking me as a fool. Mind control magic isn¡¯t something that¡¯s almighty.¡± If Baek Sahyuk were to be released from the mind control magic, then the information could leak. Regardless of the fact that Baek Sahyuk doesn¡¯t possess any information that¡¯s important, any leak at all should be prevented. There should be not a single thread connecting Shin Jihan to Len Smith. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about that either. I don¡¯t know if this is something that¡¯s lucky or unfortunate but¡­¡± The man shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Baek Sahyuk is already brain dead.¡± ¡°Brain dead?¡± ¡°Yes. As soon as he heard the news of Len Smith¡¯s arrest, it seems that he attacked Shin Hayul on his own. He is now in a completely vegetative state due to the side effects.¡± ¡°He attacked on his own? What happened to Hayul?¡± ¡±Mm. Well, I was told that he received a wound that wasn¡¯t all that light, but it¡¯s not that severe either.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Shin Jihan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are you saying that¡­ Hayul beat Baek Sahyuk? Even though Baek Sahyuk was on berserker and had the IL chip?¡± If this was the case, then it meant that Shin Hayul had the ability of a 4th circle mage. In other words, Shin Hayul had been keeping his accomplishments hidden. ¡°Oh, no that¡¯s not true.¡± The man¡¯s words snapped Shin Jihan out of his thoughts. ¡°When Baek Sahyuk attacked him, Shin Hayul was under the protection of Kim Seokhyun. It is more than likely it was he who defeated Baek Sahyuk.¡± ¡°Kim Seokhyun?¡± ¡±Yes. I couldn¡¯t look around the battle scene because of his watching gaze, but I¡¯m sure of it.¡± Shin Jihan¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Do you know when Kim Seokhyun started to trail Hayul?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not too sure. I last saw Kim Seokhyun when Shin Hayul said goodbye to you. I don¡¯t know if he was trailing from before though.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Shin Jihan¡¯s expression became serious. ¡®So that means my father put Kim Seokhyun on Shin Hayul. Not just anyone, by Kim Seokhyun¡­¡¯ Kim Seokhyun. The leader of the ¡®Shadows¡¯, a unit under Shin Inhyuk¡¯s immediate control. A specialist mage specializing in investigating as well as infiltrating. And out of all the mages specializing in escorting, the person that Shin Inhyuk cherishes the most. ¡®I should take caution before messing with Hayul for at least the next 2 months.¡¯ As long as it was he who was watching over Shin Hayul, trying to meddle anymore could cause him backlash. It¡¯ll be best to restrain myself for a while. ¡°In any case, to think that Baek Sahuyk¡¯s brain-dead. It¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then all that¡¯s left is to retrieve the IL chip that Hayul¡¯s carrying around.¡± Shin Jihan¡¯s expression shone sharply again. ¡°How do you plan to do that? It¡¯ll be difficult to approach Hayul as long as Kim Seokhyun¡¯s keeping watch over him.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about that. There¡¯s a separate self-destruct code engraved on the IL chip given to Shin Hayul. The IL chip has already been completely destroyed and is probably floating around in space as we speak.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re quite thorough with this.¡± Shin Jihan looked a little surprised. ¡±What did I say? Our Black Magic Tower prioritizes keeping the customers¡¯ information safe. These kinds of preparations are to be expected.¡± The man grinned again. ¡°You don¡¯t have anything else concerning you, right?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then, in that case, I¡¯ll be taking my leave now. I have to deal with Len Smith before it gets any later.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave that in your hands.¡± ¡°Yes. Of course.¡± The man¡¯s body began to slowly disappear. Like how fog disappears when the sun¡¯s bright, his body gradually disappears. ¡°We¡¯ll be eagerly waiting for your next commission.¡± And just like that, the man disappeared as if he were a mirage. ¡°¡­Tsk.¡± Shin Jihan, who was left alone, clicked his tongue as if the world was an unpleasant place. The Black Magic Tower¡¯s executives¡¯ joyful attitude was annoying, but Shin Hayul caused him the most frustration. ¡°You lucky bastard.¡± He frowned, as he recalled Shin Hayul, who had luckily avoided misfortune. Friday. There had been a riot in Korea since the morning. [Newsflash! Len Smith¡¯s death!] [This time they couldn¡¯t be prevented! The Black Magic Tower¡¯s perfect destruction of evidence!] [Just how did the Black Magic Tower bypass the strict security and eliminate Len Smith?] Len Smith¡¯s heart was said to be suddenly crushed without any warning whilst he was being transferred. Although the mages in charge of security were watching, no one knew how Len Smith died. It was an assassination that secretive. ¡±I was expecting this to happen, but I expected it to be executed with no one being able to do anything.¡± The Black Magic Tower are people who detest having their information leaked. People who can leak their information are swiftly dealt with. In the past, every villain belonging to the Black Magic Tower, who had been arrested, had died in the interrogation room. So it was obvious to expect that Len Smith was to soon die. ¡®Just how was only the heart crushed so neatly?¡¯ Especially since it was obviously the result of black magic. Judging from how no one else other than those of the Black Magic Tower has died in such a sudden fashion, it¡¯s safe to assume that there¡¯s some sort of prerequisite before it can be used. For example, putting some sort of explosion magic on the heart in advance that detonates when a certain signal is sent. ¡®It¡¯ll also be good for purging traitors.¡¯ Considering the things that transgress all codes of morality and ethics that the Black Magic Tower have done, it¡¯s plausible that they could plant a bomb on each of their member¡¯s hearts. ¡®And as expected¡­ There¡¯s not even a single line to do with Baek Sahyuk.¡¯ The incident of Baek Sahyuk¡¯s attack, which under normal circumstances would be put on the headlines next to Len Smith¡¯s article, was not recorded anywhere on the portal. ¡®It seems that the talks with the Baek family went well.¡¯ I¡¯ll bury the story about Baek Sahyuk¡¯s attack, so give me something worth that in return. My father must have proposed something like this. And the head of the Baek family, Baek Manshik would have had no choice but to approve. That¡¯s why the news on Baek Sahyuk launching an attack on me was not reported. Vrrr! Just in time, I got a text message from my father. [Negotiations with the Baek family have come to an end.] [It¡¯s been decided that we¡¯ll be taking over 43% of the mana stone mining rights stake in return for burying this incident.] ¡°Wow.¡± The Baek family¡¯s main source of funds comes from the mana stone mines.Taking over 43% of the mining rights, is in truth, like taking about 50% of the Baek family¡¯s source of funds. ¡°I¡¯d thought that it would be 30% at most.¡± As expected, my father is my father. To think that he would take 43%. [Well done. Thanks to you, it seems that there won¡¯t be any shortage of funds to progress my business overseas.] [I¡¯ll reward you for this immediately on my arrival.] [Think about what you want.] My father uncharacteristically sent me three texts in a row. It means that he was feeling that happy. [Yes. I¡¯ll think about it] I replied with that message. ¡®Everything went well.¡¯ Everything really worked out. I escaped from the trickery of the Black Magic Tower. And from doing so, the Blue Magic Tower now owes me a debt. In addition, my Elemental Mana Light is now going to be crafted into an artifact free of charge. Furthermore, from what had happened with Baek Sahyuk¡¯s case, I¡¯ve even reached the stage of resonance. ¡®The benefits I¡¯ve gained from this are indescribable.¡¯ And because of this incident, Jihan will not be able to touch me for the next two months.¡¯ This is the biggest benefit. To act again after having failed would be uncomfortable for him. And thanks to what happened with Baek Sahyuk, he¡¯s even found out that Seokhyun ahjussi has been attached to me by my father, so he wouldn¡¯t mess with me for no reason anymore. Shin Jihan is not stupid enough to risk meddling in a situation like this. He¡¯ll be lying low trying to avoid any unwanted attention. In other words, there¡¯s no one left to disturb me until the Academy Olympiad. I have no reason to be disturbed. This too is a huge benefit. ¡®Now all that¡¯s left is to raise my skills as much as possible for the Olympiad and win the gold medal.¡¯ The gold medal is proof that you¡¯re the most outstanding out of all of the academy students in the world. The gold medal that Kim Kangin couldn¡¯t win. If I can win it, my position within the family will rise dramatically. And when that happens, those that support me will gradually emerge. Starting from then, I can make my real debut in the competition to become the next clan head. ¡®Perfect.¡¯ And at that moment when I was praising myself. Vrr,vrr,vrr! Just in time, my mana trembled around my body. ¡°The timing¡¯s great.¡± My circle had begun to move again after the 12-hour penalty from the resonance. I immediately got out of my seat and left my room. ¡®My wounds have all healed overnight. And since my circle has been restored¡­¡¯ I have to hurry up and go back to the dormitory. I had to go back and activate the magic circle on page 210 of Eadred¡¯s grimoire, the page of the second test. ¡®3rd Circle!¡¯ My 3rd circle is just a hair¡¯s breadth away. Chapter 28 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 28 Upon returning to my room, I immediately opened Eadred¡¯s grimoire. I turned to page 210, put my hand on the magic circle and spun my circle according to the principle of resonance. My circle spun fiercely, shaking the mana in the surroundings. Vrr,vrr,vrr! The circle of resonance aligned itself with the surrounding mana and the circle of deliberation as it resonated. ¡®It¡¯s done.¡¯ Mana spewed out from the two circles that were now perfectly one. Flash-! The magic circle on the 210th page emitted an incredibly bright light. And after a while. ¡®To my official successor. I wish you great success.¡¯ I could hear my master¡¯s voice which I had heard on the first test¡¯s page.I had entered the page of the second test. ¡°Welcome, heir.¡± Just like on the first test¡¯s page, a woman greeted me. ¡±My name is Beta, and I¡¯m the guide in charge of the page of the second test.¡± The guide for the first test¡¯s page had been Alpha (¦Á). And the guide for the second test¡¯s page is Beta (¦Â). Judging from the way things are going, I suppose the guide for the third test¡¯s page will be called Gamma (¦Ã). ¡°The second test¡¯s page tests how freely you can handle circles.¡± Beta continued with a smile. ¡°You will know the contents of the exam as soon as you start the exam, and if you pass the exam, you will be judged to have completely mastered the 2nd circle. In addition, the information on 3-circle magic on pages 32-81 will be updated.¡± She repeated exactly what I had heard from Alpha, word for word. ¡±Wait a minute, page 81?¡± When I passed the first test, pages 18-31 had been updated. Just 14 pages.So I had guessed that at most, 20 pages would be updated. ¡°All of a sudden 50 pages are going to be updated?¡± Out of nowhere, she¡¯s saying that 3 times the number of pages as before will be updated. Of course, it¡¯s a good thing, but I am a little taken aback. ¡°It just means that the 3rd circle of the Bytenor style of magic is on a level that¡¯s that much higher.¡± ¡°I see. So it¡¯s that much more difficult to learn than the circle of deliberation or the circle of resonance.¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m looking forward to it, but also a little apprehensive¡­¡± Anticipation at being able to enjoy new knowledge, but also apprehension at the learning difficulty. I¡¯m feeling those two emotions. Although, of course, I felt anticipation way more than I felt apprehension. Saying that the 3rd circle is difficult to learn just means that it performs tremendously as well. ¡°That¡¯s it for the explanation. Do you want to start the test right away?¡± ¡°Hm oh, yes please.¡± But before that, I must pass the second test¡¯s page first. ¡°Then I¡¯ll start the second exam.¡± Just like how it was before on the page of the first exam. Beta¡¯s body turned into mana and scattered with the winds. ¡®Even though I¡¯m seeing it for the second time, it really is impressive.¡¯ To think that a person made of magic exists. To think that I¡¯m able to have a normal conversation with a person made of mana. The more I think about it, the more I realise how incredible it is. ¡®I will announce the contents of the second test.¡¯ As I was in admiration, I heard my master¡¯s voice again. My cluttered mind cleared up in an instant. ¡®The test is simple. Starting from now, 100 magic circles will appear in front of you one at a time.¡¯ A magic circle floated around mid-air. It was a magic circle similar to the one drawn on page 210 of Eadred¡¯s grimoire. ¡®Activate all 100 of the magic circles.¡¯ I slowly brought my hand to the magic circle. ¡®If you synchronise with the magic circle and make it resonate, the magic circle will activate naturally.¡¯ I slowly felt the circle and synchronised with it. Whirr-! After synchronising with it for about 10 seconds, the magic circle finally activated. And at the same time, the next magic circle appeared. As I was changing the mana¡¯s value to fit the newly formed magic circle. ¡°Oh.¡± The magic circle suddenly changed its appearance, to the magic circle I had activated a moment ago. ¡®For your information, it takes 3 seconds for each magic circle to renew. If you are unable to activate the magic circle during that time then it will reset back to the very first magic circle, so do take care.¡¯ ¡°¡­I see.¡± So it prevents me from taking my time with activating the 100 magic circles. ¡°Are you telling me to do it by learning it by heart?¡± I used resonance again and activated the magic circle. And as the second circle formed, I moved my circle, remembering the way I had tried to activate it before. However, ¡°It¡¯s not the same circle as earlier?¡± Why could this be? The magic circle was different from the one from before. ¡®Also, except for the first magic circle, every circle starting from the second is completely random.¡¯ ¡®So there¡¯s no point in remembering the pattern.¡¯ ¡°¡­Wow.¡± It¡¯s random, huh. I hadn¡¯t expected this. ¡®It¡¯s not an easy test, but I believe you will successfully pass it.¡¯ ¡®Then I wish you the best of luck.¡¯ With that, my master¡¯s voice could no longer be heard. I, who was left alone, burst into laughter as I blankly looked at the magic circle. You want me to do something that takes me 10 seconds even if I have everything prepared in 3? And not only that but 100 in a row? Hey¡­ ¡°So the difficulty really has been ramped up, huh?¡± I had a feeling I was going to be in for a long ride. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] As my 8th hour in the test approached. I left the page of the second test. ¡°Ah, my head hurts.¡± I haven¡¯t passed the test yet. Quite literally, I¡¯ve just left for a bit. I¡¯ve reached mental exhaustion, and need a break. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that even after doing all this, 10 is my limit¡­¡± In the past 8 hours, forget activating 100 magic circles, I had only managed to activate 10. And I had barely achieved that. ¡°100 isn¡¯t even in sight.¡± It¡¯s a hard enough job just to make 2 different circles perfectly become one. But saying that I have to align it with the magic circle as well in under 3 seconds? It¡¯s easy to say it with words, but it really is unbelievably difficult. Think about it for a second. Just aligning the circle of deliberation with the circle of resonance takes up an enormous amount of time. I¡¯m having such a hard time with aligning something so simple, but in addition to this, I have to align it according to the ¡®number¡¯ presented at random by the magic circle. And a 100 in a row at that. There¡¯s no way this could be easy. ¡±Whew. There¡¯s no choice but to keep trying.¡± At first, it was hard just to activate 2 circles but after continuous effort, I¡¯ve activated 10. I¡¯m guessing as long as I keep trying, eventually I¡¯ll make a breakthrough. ¡°Fortunately, I¡¯m slowly getting the hang of it.¡± I¡¯m guessing as long as I keep trying, eventually I¡¯ll succeed. ¡°¡­Or maybe not? I wonder if doing 100 with just the gist of it will be too difficult?¡± To be honest, I can¡¯t say for sure. The difficulty of the second test was just that frustrating. Even if you are able to pass by blindly rushing in head first, it¡¯s bound to cost an immense amount of time. ¡®As expected, do I have to look for the other books my master¡¯s left?¡¯ I scratched the back of my head and took another look at the sentence in the middle of Eadred¡¯s grimoire¡¯s 31st page. [For your information, this book, Eadred¡¯s grimoire, isn¡¯t the only book I¡¯ve written.] [If you ever come across a roadblock, then look for the other books I¡¯ve left behind.] [It will definitely be of great help to you.] If you ever come across a roadblock. That sentence alone stood out to me. It must be because at this present time, I felt like I was in front of a roadblock. ¡®For now, I¡¯ll get a breath of fresh air.¡¯ Constantly groaning won¡¯t get me anywhere. I decided to go for a little walk to improve my mood and get some fresh air. And on my way back, I can get some snacks as well. I need sugar. I lightly circled the dorm¡¯s vicinity. The night air of May felt cool and good. ¡°It¡¯s nice.¡± Maybe it¡¯s because my brain got some fresh air. It feels very refreshing. As I had thought, it seems that people have to get some fresh air from time to time. ¡°Good afternoon.¡± ¡°Adella?¡± While enjoying my leisurely walk, I ran into Adella. ¡°Hey, are you going for a walk too?¡± ¡°Yes. I was in my room all day today so my brain felt numb¡­¡± ¡°I see. Seems like you were holed up in your room again just because class was cancelled.¡± It¡¯s clear as day. She probably studied in her room all day. ¡°Yes. I had a thesis that was quite interesting so I was just reading that.¡± ¡°A thesis? Which one? If it¡¯s interesting then show me it some time.¡± ¡±Well. I don¡¯t think you should particularly read it. The start made a lot of sense, but the end was a bit bad¡­¡± ¡°I see. So in the end, it seems you¡¯ve concluded that it was only the start that was good.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± That¡¯s how magic theses are. The start is usually very interesting, and then midway it starts to stray from the main point, and eventually gives a conclusion that is half-baked.This is something that¡¯s common. ¡°So that¡¯s why you were so disappointed?¡± ¡°Does it show?¡± ¡°Yeah. I could tell right away.¡± Her expression was like that of a child who didn¡¯t get the present that they wanted on their birthday. The words ¡®I¡¯m disappointed¡¯ were written in bold on her face. ¡°My disappointment is as great as my expectations had been.¡± Adella laughed bitterly. ¡°Just what kind of thesis was it for you to be like this?¡± At this point, I was wondering what kind of thesis it was that she had read. Just what kind of thesis could disappoint Adella to this extent? ¡°It was a paper on space-transportation magic.¡± ¡°Ah, the seven cruxes?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The seven cruxes of magic. As its name suggests, they¡¯re 7 problems that cannot be solved. And one of those problems is space transportation magic. In the rich history of magic, there has not been a single person who has managed to materialise space transportation magic. That is to say, except for the first Archmage, Ray Vell Bytenor. ¡°Did the beginning really make that much sense?¡± ¡°Yes. The approach itself was sensational.¡± ¡°For you to sing such praises about it. It does grab my attention. Can you show me it?¡± ¡°It really isn¡¯t all that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯m curious about that sensational approach.¡± ¡±If you say so¡­¡± Adella takes out her phone and switches it to e-book mode. She opens the thesis she was reading and hands it to me. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I immediately read through the thesis. The beginning of the thesis was definitely something worthy of Adella¡¯s admiration. ¡°Oh, this really is sensational. How can this approach be possible?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± However, in the middle, the theory suddenly began to break apart, and by the second half, the theory completely collapsed. This isn¡¯t an anti-climax, there¡¯s no climax at all. No conclusion whatsoever. ¡°It¡¯s definitely disappointing.¡± ¡°¡­Right?¡± The gap between the first half and second half was too big. If you were to tell me they were written by two different people, I would believe it. ¡±Why did the theory become so inconsistent along the way?¡± ¡±I was curious about that too, so I did my own research. But I couldn¡¯t get an answer.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± I finished the thesis I had begun reading. Perhaps bullshit of this level can be considered an art. Yeah. The more I read the more bullshit it becomes. ¡®But in any case, the theories of this thesis. For some reason, I¡¯m getting a feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu.¡¯ As if the bullshit could be somewhat plausible. As if it was strangely familiar. And this last page. ¡°Huh?¡± The moment I read the last sentence, my eyes widened. ¡°¡­I¡¯m disclosing that this thesis is my own analysis based on the books left by Ray Vell Bytenor?¡± ¡°Yes. The author of this thesis is said to have done a great deal of research on Ray Vell Bytenor¡¯s books. Since out of all the mages in history, there was only one who was able to use space transportation magic. And that person is the legendary archmage, Ray Vell Bytenor. This was probably a study that took its approach from there.¡± Adella let out a small sigh. ¡°Though because that final conclusion is so half-baked, it¡¯s a meaningless study¡­¡± That was what the look on her face said. ¡°It¡¯s frustrating, isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s why I said there was no point in reading it¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, give me a second.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh right.¡± I immediately checked the first page of the thesis again. A parade of great approaches and theories that would make you exclaim. When I first saw it, the only impression I had was that it was amazing. When I found out that the author of this thesis was someone who researched the books left behind by my master, Ray Vell Bytenor, I looked at the thesis a little differently. ¡®This¡­ The shape and structure are a little different, but¡­¡¯ As I got to the middle of the thesis, my eyes trembled more and more. ¡®If you look closely, there are many similarities to the Bytenor style of magic¡¯s basic theory.¡¯ This thesis is something that can only be written by someone who has researched the Bytenor style of magic. ¡®They¡¯ve barely skimmed the surface and the most important theories are all missing, but I¡¯m certain.¡¯ The more I look at it the more certain I become. This is definitely a thesis inspired by the Bytenor style of magic theory. It definitely seems like this thesis was written with the books left by Ray Vell Bytenor as the base. ¡°Adella. Who did you say this thesis was written by?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± I guess I¡¯ll have to meet the author who wrote this thesis. [For your information, this book, Eadred¡¯s grimoire, is not the only book I¡¯ve left behind.] I need the books left by my master that are in his possession. Chapter 29 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 29 ¡®Ko Sangjun. The author of this thesis is Ko Sangjun.¡¯ ¡®Thank you. I¡¯ll repay you for this later.¡¯ Immediately after hearing the author¡¯s name from Adella, I headed to my room and gathered information on the person named Ko Sangjun. [Ko Sangjun] [Independent Magic Researcher] [No photo] [Age unknown] [Their gender seems to be male] [They¡¯ve published only 1 thesis so far, that being ¡®The feasibility of space transportation magic¡¯] [Perhaps their mind was shattered by the harsh criticisms directed at their thesis, but 1 year after the publication of their thesis, they disappeared without a trace.] As a student, this was all the information I could gather. Because they hadn¡¯t accomplished anything nor gotten any awards, I couldn¡¯t even find a picture of them. ¡°As I thought, it¡¯s going to be hard to find him on my own.¡± Since he has no affiliations, it¡¯ll be hard to find anyone who has any connections to him, so trying to find him will probably be impossible. ¡±I need to borrow the power of the Blue Magic Tower.¡± Although if I asked father, he could probably deploy Seokhyun ahjussi to find him, this time it¡¯s better to ask a favor of the Blue Magic Tower. The Magic Shin Clan has very few personal connections with magic researchers. However, the Blue Magic Tower has several magic researchers, so they¡¯re the perfect people to ask if I need to find one. I immediately sent a text to Kim Kang-in. [Could you find someone for me?] The weekend flew by. I decided to leave the search for Ko Sangjun to the Blue Magic Tower. Thanks to this, I was able to concentrate on the second test all weekend. All weekend, whenever I had the chance, I went to the second test¡¯s page and took it. After about 40 hours of hardships, I succeeded in activating up to the 25th magic circle. ¡®I¡¯m a quarter of the way there.¡¯ It took 8 hours to be able to activate 10. And 40 hours to activate 25. With the rate at which I¡¯m progressing, it could take over 100 hours to progress to the 40th circle. No, even 100 hours might not be enough. ¡®Especially since the more I progress, the more complex the magic circle gets¡­¡¯ The start was a pain, but the end is even more of a pain. To think it¡¯ll be like this when I¡¯m only on the 25th. I can¡¯t even imagine how much more difficult it¡¯ll become when I get past 50 or 75. ¡°Sigh.¡± ¡°Then next. Shin Hayul.¡± Whilst I was in the middle of sighing, the instructor called my name. ¡°Yes.¡± I slowly got up from my seat and headed to the training room. ¡°How many points do you reckon he¡¯ll get?¡± ¡°Well, Shin Hayul¡¯s been in great form lately, so maybe over 50?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t 50 too much?¡± ¡°I think it might be possible. Shin Hayul¡¯s magic sensitivity and control these days are top tier.¡± Monday¡¯s morning class was a sort of test to check the individual¡¯s mana sensitivity and control. ¡°Student Shin Hayul. Please enter immediately.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As I entered the training room, 10 mana stone panels greeted me, placed all around like buttons. I took my position amidst the panels. ¡®They sure did put in a lot of work.¡¯ These mana stones are a kind of luminous stone. When you have mana, it emits light, and when you lose your mana, the light disappears. ¡ª There will probably be one final confirmation before the test. Student Shin Hayul. Try to block the mana of the illuminated panel. The panel at the center emits light by absorbing mana flowing in from the outside. I put my hand on the panel and blocked off the mana. Beep! The light of the luminous stone faded away in an instant. ¡®This is easy.¡¯ This is what this test is all about. The 10 mana stone panels glow randomly, and the examinee puts their hand on the illuminated panel to block the mana flowing into the mana stones, therefore turning off the light. The test is that simple. ¡ª As I¡¯ve heard, your control is excellent. To think that you would completely block off the mana of the mana stone at that moment¡­ Of course, just because the test is simple doesn¡¯t mean that it¡¯s easy. In fact, it¡¯s on the more difficult side. Up, down, left, right, front and back. Instantly detecting which of the mana stone panels placed in all 360 degrees lit up and putting my hand on the corresponding panel. Accurately analyzing the value of mana flowing into the corresponding mana stone and moving my mana to block the mana. This sequence of actions is repeated nonstop for 1 minute. ¡®The average score for this test is 27.¡¯ It takes elite students with an average magic casting speed of a little more than 1 second about 2-3 seconds to clear a panel. In fact, everyone says that this training is the most difficult and most complicated. ¡ª Then we¡¯ll start in 5 seconds. Get ready. ¡°Alright.¡± Of course, that doesn¡¯t apply to me. [5] [4] ¡­Difficult and complicated? Something like this where you only need to have a clear understanding of the value of mana? Even though I¡¯m trying to take a test where I have to control not one but 37? And I¡¯m controlling not one but two circles at once! [Start!] Beep, beep, beep! ¡­.I snorted and blocked off the mana coming from the mana stone panel. ¡®Those who say this is difficult should really go into the second test¡¯s page and try it.¡¯ This kind of training is nothing compared to the second Bytenor-style exam that I¡¯m currently struggling with. If the Bytenor style¡¯s second test is Starbucks, then this test is instant coffee. No, scrap that, it¡¯s just plain water. ¡®¡­Ah, I got mad for no reason.¡¯ Perhaps I¡¯ve accumulated a lot of stress over these past 3 days. I was preoccupied with training more than necessary. Ding ding ding ding ding ding! The mana panel¡¯s light faded away at tremendous speed. And like so exactly one minute passed. [Finish!] ¡ª The training session has ended! Student Shin Hayul! Number of panels touched! 74! I easily broke the all-time record. ¡®¡­If only the second page¡¯s test had only this level of difficulty.¡¯ I sighed deeply. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Wednesday afternoon. Today was the day of the one-on-one training. ¡±Hey, hey! This isn¡¯t right!¡± My training partner this time was Soonchan who was shouting with a frightened expression. ¡°Why? what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°That crazy magic! Come on now, this just isn¡¯t right!¡± Five wind spears continue to revolve around Soonchan. ¡°It¡¯s just your everyday one-circle magic, what¡¯s wrong?¡± I grinned and five wind spears simultaneously flew towards him. ¡°Bullshit! In what universe is that your everyday 1-circle magic! You conscienceless bastard¡± Soonchan used his speciality fire-attribute magic to set up walls of fire in all directions. He¡¯s using the 3rd circle magic ¡®Fire Wall¡¯. If it collides with my wind spear, which is only a 1 circle magic spell, it will disappear in an instant. ¡±What¡¯s the point in protecting just your upper body?¡± As long as they don¡¯t collide, there¡¯s no problem. Phwoosh-! My wind spear bent like a snake, out of the range of the Fire Wall, and flew towards Soonchan¡¯s lower body. ¡°Woah!¡± Soonchan, who had noticed that the Wind Spear was targeting his lower body, used double casting to cast a barrier on his exposed lower body. He blocked my wind spear. ¡°Oh. You¡¯re blocking well though?¡± ¡°Wow, that really is absurd. What kind of magic does that?¡± Soonchan looks at me with a disgusted expression on his face. ¡°Ordinarily I really wouldn¡¯t say something like this. But it¡¯s really disgusting.¡± ¡±Thanks for the compliment.¡± In battle, to call one¡¯s magic disgusting is the highest form of praise. ¡°I wanted to experience how dirty it was, so I jumped straight into a magic battle. But this can¡¯t do. There¡¯s no answer.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be such a crybaby.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m being serious. If I fight any more long-distance magic battles with you I¡¯m going to lose my hair.¡± It was a serious expression he had on his face. ¡°Then what are you going to do?¡± ¡°What do you mean what am I going to do?¡± Soonchan lowered his center of gravity and took a stance as if he was about to rush right at this moment. ¡°I¡¯ll have to fight you in hand-to-hand combat so that your bullshit magic can¡¯t intervene!¡± His mana shone in silver, a color reminiscent of steel. That mana permeated all over Soonchan¡¯s body. Soonchan, who had closed the gap between us in an instant, swung his fist toward my face. It was a fist infused with a ton of mana. He used all of this 3rd circle class mana to strengthen his body. ¡°In hand-to-hand combat, whether it be your alteration magic or whatever, it¡¯s useless~ That¡¯s what I mean!¡± A heavy fist brushed past my skin. ¡°You thought this out well.¡± He took great advantage of the fact that I¡¯m unable to use magic more powerful than 2-circle magic. ¡±You¡¯re right. In a hand-to-hand battle, alteration magic loses its strengths and the only thing that determines the outcome of the fight is the difference between 2-circle and 3-circle magic. Mm. It¡¯s a good strategy.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± Soonchan swung his fist at me again with a content expression on his face. A powerful punch filled with pure 3-circle class mana. ¡°But, Soonchan¡­¡± I dodged the punch very easily. ¡°Are you confident? Fighting me in hand-to-hand combat I mean.¡± ¡°¡­Uh, fuck?¡± Soonchan swore with an expression on his face that said, ¡®I¡¯m screwed.¡¯ ¡°Your very existence is busted, you bastard.¡± Soonchan, who had lost, glared at me while gnawing at his lips. ¡±Your long range abilities are filthy. And short distance is a no since you¡¯re good at that too. Sigh. You¡¯re disgusting! Disgusting!¡± ¡°If it¡¯s pissing you off, then just train with the same routine as me, no?¡± ¡°¡­Oi. I want to stay as a human being? I¡¯ve heard what you¡¯ve been up to at the gym recently, but by the sounds of it, you¡¯ve completely left the human realm.¡± ¡±Mhm. My athletic performance has definitely improved by a lot lately.¡± By becoming a 2nd Circle Master, my Infinity Circle improved my body again. As a result, my morning workouts are getting more and more intense. ¡°You¡¯re a real monstrous bastard¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s a compliment right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an insult, you bastard!¡± Soonchan giggled as he said that. ¡°In any case, what do you plan on doing now?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t your goal to win the Olympiad in two months?¡± My eyes widened slightly. ¡°¡­What gave it away?¡± ¡°What do you mean what gave it away? It¡¯s not like I only see you for a day or two. If you try to hide something I can tell.¡± Soonchan smiled slyly. ¡°In your position, right now, if you want to properly compete with your older brothers and sisters, that¡¯s the best thing to do. So I thought that maybe you were trying to win~¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And I was 100% sure when I saw that lately, whether it be exams, tests or training sessions, you always take first place by a landslide.¡± Soonchan smiled broadly. ¡°I¡¯m right, huh?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I can tell I¡¯m right just by looking at your face. Keke.¡± Soonchan giggled. ¡°Anyhow, you know that it¡¯s going to be hard for you to win as you are now right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The World Academy Olympiad, a contest between the world¡¯s greatest rising stars, where only the world¡¯s cream of the crop gathers. To win this competition, completely overwhelming 3rd-year 4th circle users is a must. ¡°In fact, the winner of this year¡¯s competition is a 5th circle user.¡± It¡¯s not just 4th circle users, you even have to beat a 5th circle user. In my current state, there¡¯s no chance that I can win. ¡°No matter how much I think about it, as someone who can only use 2-circle magic, winning is going to be tough.¡± ¡°Winning with just 2-circle magic is unreasonable.¡± Soonchan doesn¡¯t know this, but if I use resonance, I can use 3rd circle magic as well. But it doesn¡¯t change much. ¡®Even if I use resonance, there¡¯s not a chance.¡¯ I might be able to somehow manage against 4th circle users using resonance, but against 5th circle users, there¡¯s not a snowball¡¯s chance in hell. ¡®And in the first place, using resonance at the Olympiad is going to be hard.¡¯ I have a limited amount of opportunities to use it because of the 12-hour penalty. In other words, I have to be able to win against 4th circle users without resonance in order for the gold medal to come into view. ¡®At least 4 circles.¡¯ I have to reach 4 circles by the time the Olympiad comes around. This is a prerequisite for the gold medal. ¡®And in order to do that¡­¡¯ Ko Sangjun I have to find him and get my hands on the other ¡®book¡¯ that my master left. ¡®And this ¡®book¡¯ isn¡¯t something that¡¯s needed just for the second page¡¯s test. I also must have it to tackle the 3rd page¡¯s test.¡¯ Friday. Finally, the long-awaited call arrived. ¡ª We¡¯ve found where researcher Ko Sangjun is located now. Kim Kangin despondently smiled as if he himself had never imagined that it would take an entire week just to find one researcher. ¡ª The saying that the beacon does not shine on its own base fits perfectly in this case. To think that he would be right under our noses. Ah, so there was another reason as to why he was laughing so despondently. ¡°Could it be that they were in Seoul?¡± ¡ª Yes. Not just that, he was at the shopping district near the Academy this entire time. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± It¡¯s fair to say that situation represents the saying that the beacon does not shine on its own base. ¡ª I¡¯ll send you the address of their precise location. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll check.¡± I checked the text that Kim Kangin had just sent. They really were close. They¡¯re about 20 minutes away on foot. ¡ª Maybe they received a huge shock a year ago from the criticisms they received from the thesis they spent their life on? Because currently, they¡¯ve given up on all research and hid away in a small bookstore. ¡°A bookstore?¡± ¡ª Yes. A little worn-out bookstore store. The store doesn¡¯t even have a name. A nameless, worn-out bookstore¡­ At this location? ¡®Could it be?¡¯ I slowly searched for the address on the Internet portal. Then I went into the street view and checked out the surroundings of the store. ¡°¡­.!¡± And I was simultaneously shocked. ¡ª What¡¯s wrong? ¡°This bookstore¡­¡± ¨DHayul? I¡¯m a regular at this bookstore and it¡¯s a place I often visit to buy ancient books. Furthermore. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing¡­ I was a little surprised because it¡¯s a bookstore I frequently visit.¡± And it¡¯s the bookstore that I speculated was the place where I got Eadred¡¯s grimoire. Chapter 30 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 30 The next day, when all my classes were over. I went straight to the worn-out bookstore where Ko Sangjun was supposed to be. Right from the entrance, the pleasant, unique smell of old bookstores tickled the tip of my nose. Maybe it¡¯s because it smells similar to that of my own room, but my mind is at peace. ¡°Good afternoon.¡± Nothing has changed inside the bookstore. It¡¯s far from being organized, with all the books piled up in a stack. I wonder if he even wants to sell his books. It was a right mess that had me thinking that. ¡°Are you Hayul?¡± In the midst of the pile of books, an old gentleman called out my name. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± He had silver hair that was half-heartedly grown out and tied at the back, with a shaggy beard, giving off the impression that he cared not for looking after his appearance. And though he looks as if he should be dirty, I don¡¯t feel that from him at all. It¡¯s probably because of his clean clothes, sharp features and strong physique that no one would believe belonged to an elderly person over 80 years old that created a mysterious atmosphere around him. ¡°Have you been healthy?¡± ¡°Hmph. I¡¯ve been holed up in this bookstore for 16 hours a day, do you think anything could have happened to me?¡± I don¡¯t know his name. Since even as the owner of a bookstore that I¡¯ve been regularly going to for over a year, I never got the chance to get his full name. ¡°I heard the rumors. That you¡¯re able to use magic properly now.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The heavens are said to help those who fend for themselves. I was certain one day, you would receive their blessings.¡± ¡±Thank you. It¡¯s all thanks to your help, Sir.¡± ¡°What could I have possibly helped with? All I¡¯ve done is sell books.¡± ¡°Without those books, I might have lost my motivation and given up long ago.¡± The old books in this bookstore were a kind of lighthouse for me. A newly found lighthouse that I discovered while drifting in the open sea after losing the waypoint, that is, modern magic. If it hadn¡¯t been for this bookstore, I would have completely lost my goal and just rotted away day by day. ¡°¡­Even if I know they¡¯re just empty words, it¡¯s nice to hear.¡± The old man put a book to one side and approached me. Then he grabbed my hand very lightly. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one that should be more grateful.¡± I gripped the old man¡¯s hand with gratitude. ¡°Alright. So why have you come today?¡± There was no way I would have come here without a purpose. That was what the elder had assumed. ¡°Well, Sir.¡± ¡°Go on. Speak.¡± ¡°Could I perhaps¡­ meet your son, Ko Sangjun?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ko Sangjun. The moment I said that name out loud, the old man¡¯s pupils dilated. ¡±What business do you have with Sangjun¡­ No, before that. How did you come to know about him?¡± He stared at me with a complex set of emotions. ¡°I¡¯ve read the thesis written by researcher Ko Sangjun. There was something I wanted to ask him about regarding his thesis, so I asked around. And I got information that he was here.¡± ¡°A thesis¡­¡± A dark cloud hung over his complicated expression. ¡°I apologize for investigating his background. But this shows just how much I needed to consult him. So can you please let me meet Ko Sangjun?¡± ¡±You want to meet Sangjun¡­¡± The old man stroked his beard with a bitter smile. ¡±I don¡¯t mind letting you meet him, but you won¡¯t get anything from Sangjun.¡± ¡°I understand. The thesis was said to be heavily criticized when it was published¡­ So it makes sense that he doesn¡¯t want to talk about it¡­¡± ¡°No that¡¯s not why.¡± The elder interrupted me and shook his head. ¡°I mean what I said literally. You won¡¯t be able to hear anything from him. Forget talking about the thesis, he won¡¯t even be able to greet you.¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­¡± Ko Sangjun senior let out a deep sigh. ¡°Sangjun was involved in an accident half a year ago¡­¡± And then he said the following, with a forlorn and miserable expression on his face. ¡°He is currently in a coma.¡± ¡°A coma¡­?¡± His words were a complete shock. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] I followed the elder to the deepest part of the bookstore. I took notice of how the interior was constructed. ¡°Come in.¡± We followed the passageway that was obscured by books to the end, opened the door that was also obscured by books and entered the room. In the room, a man was sleeping as if he was dead. On a piece of medical apparatus, that I could tell was expensive at just a glance, he lay, breathing intermittently. ¡°So this is¡­ ¡± ¡°Yes. This is my son. Sangjun.¡± As if to prove that he hadn¡¯t woken up for half a year, his skin was a very sickly color and not even a speck of vitality could be felt on his face. Just as he had said, Ko Sangjun was in a coma. ¡°May I ask how he ended up like this?¡± What kind of accident could it have been? The old man sighed deeply. ¡±Sangjun¡­ He broke the taboo of mages.¡± ¡°The taboo?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The old man laughed bitterly as he stroked Ko Sangjun¡¯s head, as he remained lying on the medical bed. ¡±The greatest taboo for mages, the taboo of circulating mana into the brain.¡± ¡°Mana¡­ in the brain¡­¡± When mana comes into contact with the brain, it becomes poisonous. This is basic common knowledge. I was only unharmed thanks to my brain having a special characteristic. If an ordinary person were to circulate mana to their brain, their life would be forfeit and they would become braindead. ¡°Why did he do such a thing?¡± ¡°Because of his thesis.¡± ¡°His thesis?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The old man¡¯s eyes twinkled with regret. ¡°In order to validate the theory of his thesis, which, starting from the middle, had completely collapsed, he had no choice but to circulate his mana to his brain. That¡¯s what he had said.¡± Circulating mana to the brain. In other words, the basics of the Bytenor style of magic. ¡®As expected, Ko Sangjun had, to some extent, come across the study of the Bytenor style of magic.¡¯ As expected, he seems to be in possession of my master¡¯s book. Otherwise, there would be no way he would do something so crazy like circulating his mana to his brain. ¡°I should have stopped him no matter what it took¡­¡± The elder let out a deep sigh. ¡°Anyways. I¡¯m sorry, but it seems it¡¯ll be difficult to satisfy your curiosity. Sangjun was bound to have liked to talk to you as well¡­ It¡¯s such a shame.¡± ¡°No sir. It seems I¡¯ve complicated your feelings by bringing up something needless. I apologize.¡± ¡°No. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± An uncomfortable silence fell on us. ¡°Uh, Sir. Would I be able to take a look at the books your son used to study for his thesis?¡± ¡°Are you talking about Sangjun¡¯s books?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve learned most of the ancient languages anyway, so I thought I¡¯d investigate it myself.¡± The old man seemed a little reluctant. ¡°Hm¡­ alright. It¡¯ll probably be better to give it to someone who needs it instead of letting it rot in the study. Alright. Do as you please.¡± ¡°Ah, thank you so much.¡± The old man gently stroked Ko Sangjun¡¯s hair again and got up from his seat. ¡°In return, can I ask you for one favor?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± ¡±If after reading Sangjun¡¯s books you happen to rewrite Sangjun¡¯s thesis¡­ a thesis on space transportation magic, would you please mention his name at the end.¡± ¡°Ah, sure. Of course, I will.¡± He¡¯s asking something I was going to do anyway as if it were a really bothersome favor. I¡¯m not an asshole who completely ignores the results of other people¡¯s research as if I¡¯m the only talented one. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. It¡¯s only natural that I do that anyway.¡± ¡°Huhu. There are many in this world who don¡¯t accept something so obvious as obvious.¡± ¡°¡­I guess so.¡± It¡¯s a sad reality. ¡°Then let¡¯s go. Let me guide you to Sangjun¡¯s study.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I followed the elder to Ko Sangjun¡¯s study. ¡°This is Sangjun¡¯s study. All the books that Sangjun¡¯s collected over the past 24 years have been kept here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a lot.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± The old man gently took a book out and handed it to me. ¡°This is¡­?¡± ¡°This is the book that Sangjun always carried around with him. His treasure if you will. Have a read. Whatever you were curious about is likely to be written there.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡± I immediately looked through the book. Like Eadred¡¯s grimoire, it was a book with a very luxurious hardcover. And there was something very similar about the feeling the book had. ¡®This book has no title.¡¯ Is the only difference between this and Eadred¡¯s grimoire the fact that this book doesn¡¯t have a specific title written on it? I slowly opened the book up. And gave a shout of joy. ¡®This penmanship!¡¯ This familiar poor handwriting. There¡¯s no doubt. ¡®This is a book written by my master.¡¯ The author of this book is Ray Vell Bytenor. My master. The only person who could be the owner of this dirty handwriting is my master. I, who was sure of that much, immediately closed the book. ¡°Can I take this with me and read it?¡± ¡°Sure. Take it with you.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Aside from that, you are free to take home any of the other books you want.¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll take a look around and let you know.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± I looked through the books on the shelf in ones and twos. I scanned through the books in hopes that I would be able to find my master¡¯s handwriting again. ¡°Sir. Are there any other books written in handwriting similar to this one?¡± ¡°Handwriting similar to that book, hm¡­¡± The old man seemed to think for a while. ¡°Well for starters, not that I know of, no. But that being said, I myself haven¡¯t searched through all the books here, so I can¡¯t be sure.¡± ¡°That answer¡¯s more than enough. Thank you.¡± As expected, there¡¯s no way there would be more than a single volume here. But still, you never know, so I¡¯ll have a thorough look. ¡°Oh, and Sir. Do you remember seeing this luxurious red hard cover anywhere else?¡± No matter which way you look at it, there¡¯s a high probability that I obtained Eadred¡¯s grimoire from this second-hand bookstore. And because of that fact, I tried asking one more time. ¡±I don¡¯t remember seeing anything like that here.¡± ¡°Then maybe not here but in the bookstore?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing there. We don¡¯t handle hardcovers in our bookstore. Those things are usually premium so aren¡¯t sent our way.¡± ¡°¡­Ah. I see.¡± But it seems that my prediction was wrong. ¡®Then how on earth did Eadred¡¯s grimoire get into my room?¡¯ I searched through the study with that thought in mind. I finally returned to the dormitory at dawn. ¡®I guess I had been hoping for too much?¡¯ I thoroughly searched Ko Sangjun¡¯s library, but couldn¡¯t find anything else with my master¡¯s handwriting in it. It¡¯s a little bit of a shame. ¡°Well, I should be thankful I even got a hold of just one.¡± Looking on the bright side, there was nothing to be sad about. I quickly brushed my regrets to one side and sat down at my desk. ¡®Now, what could be written in this book?¡¯ I opened the book with a pounding heart. And that moment. Flash-! ¡°Ugh!¡± A light shone from my newly acquired book. But it wasn¡¯t just that book that shone. Eadred¡¯s grimoire shone with it. As if the two books were resonating together, they both shone with the same intensity. ¡°What¡¯s this all of a sudden¡­?¡± This didn¡¯t happen when I opened it in Ko Sangjun¡¯s study a while ago. Why was it doing this all of a sudden? And at that moment when I was in a state of confusion. ¡®I¡¯m leaving this appendix to the one in possession of Eadred¡¯s grimoire and the rightful heir.¡¯ I heard a voice that I had gotten used to. It was my master¡¯s book. ¡®This name of this appendix is Mimir¡¯s grimoire. It¡¯s a book about my life.¡¯ And with those words, Eadred¡¯s grimoire rumbled and its pages started to turn. ¡®You may enjoy the blessing of knowledge to your heart¡¯s content.¡¯ And in the next moment. ¡°¡­Where am I?¡± I was standing in a place I had never seen before. Chapter 31 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 31 The bookshelves that filled the entire room to the brim, and the countless books that filled those bookshelves. A room that was too small to be called a library, but too big to be called a study. ¡°What in the¡­¡± The space transportation that had begun with the books emanating a light. It was quite a disconcerting experience. ¡®Well, it seems like I¡¯ve been transported into the book.¡¯ Given these circumstances, this conclusion was highly likely. Just like when I entered the pages of the tests, I heard my master¡¯s voice before being transported. So I¡¯m thinking perhaps I¡¯m inside of the book I had newly acquired. ¡°He definitely said that it was an appendix¡­ Did he call it Mimir¡¯s tome?¡± That¡¯s definitely what he said. An appendix, Mimir¡¯s grimoire. A book about my master¡¯s life. And it was at that moment. Pat pat- Someone tapped my shoulder. Startled by the sudden touch, I immediately turned around. Poke. At the moment I turned, an index finger poked into my cheek. It¡¯d been a while since someone had pranked me by poking my cheek. ¡°Hello?¡± The person who had pranked me was a girl I had never seen before in my life. Perhaps she¡¯s pleased that I fell for it? She smiled as if in a great mood and greeted me. ¡°And you are?¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯m Mimir.¡± The girl took her hands off my shoulder and cheek, went back to her original position and with a bright smile looked at me. ¡°I¡¯m Mimir, the manager who manages this place, M¨ªmisbrunnr. Nice to meet you. Successor.¡± ¡°Mimir¡¯s well?¡± ¡°Yup, the name of this library.¡± Inside of Mimir¡¯s grimoire, there¡¯s Mimir¡¯s well. I see. ¡°It¡¯s the name of the library dedicated exclusively to the successor of the Bytenor style of magic, prepared by Ray Vell Bytenor for his future successors.¡± ¡°Mm¡­.¡± I took a look around again. ¡°I think it¡¯s too small to be called a library.¡± As I said, at most, it¡¯s a large study. Even the local bookstore is bigger than this. It¡¯s by no means large enough to be called a library. ¡°That¡¯s because your achievements are still low.¡± ¡°¡­My achievements?¡± ¡°Yes. This place, M¨ªmisbrunnr, is a library that varies in size depending on which stage the successor is on.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Expansion depending on achievement. It seems to be a place with a similar mechanism to Eadred¡¯s grimoire. ¡°By the looks of it, it seems like you haven¡¯t even passed the page of the second test yet. Am I right?¡± ¡±Yes. That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I see. Mm, in any case¡­¡± Mimir frowned as if something was uncomfortable. Was there something wrong? ¡°Hey, can¡¯t you speak a bit more comfortably with me?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be seeing you a lot from now on so you speaking to me so formally is a bit¡­ Let¡¯s be comfortable with each other, is what I¡¯m trying to say.¡± Mimir seemed to be the type of person who disliked things such as formality. ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s do that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice that you¡¯re cool. Good good.¡± Mimir gave a thumbs up. ¡°By the way, successor. Are you very lucky?¡± ¡°Am I lucky? What do you mean.¡± ¡°You found me while still as a second circle mage. You have good luck. They usually never find me this early.¡± ¡°In that sense, I was definitely lucky.¡± Finding Mimir¡¯s Tome can definitely only be described as luck. ¡°Well, good things are good. Anyway, congratulations. Thanks to me, we¡¯ll be able to go all the way to at least the 5th circle without any problems.¡± ¡°Up to the 5th circle?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Literally what I said?¡± Mimir stepped slowly and headed towards a shelf. Then, soon after, pulled out a book and threw it at me. ¡°Seeing is believing. Give it a read. Then you¡¯ll know what I mean.¡± I was wondering what she was doing out of the blue, but since she wanted me to read it I decided to do so. ¡°Huh?¡± And the moment I turned the first page, my eyes widened. ¡°¡­The detailed theory of resonance?¡± The book contained detailed information about resonance that wasn¡¯t written in Eadred¡¯s grimoire. The explanations of the things that I thought I knew were also very thorough. And as well as this, the formula for changing the value of one¡¯s circle was also extremely detailed. ¡°This place is full of information that doesn¡¯t exist in Eadred¡¯s grimoire. Like the book, you¡¯re reading right now.¡± ¡°What do you mean by things that aren¡¯t in Eadred¡¯s grimoire?¡± ¡°Again, I mean what I said. The book was filled with test pages. And also filled with pages verifying the successor¡¯s identity. Therefore because of those and other reasons, the remaining pages could be filled only with strictly necessary information.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Because there was too much excessive information, it had to be reduced. Understood. ¡°If Eadred¡¯s grimoire¡¯s a summary, this place can be seen as a kind of textbook and reference book. I guess it can be explained as an expert-grade book that thoroughly explains and solves things that can¡¯t be understood with a summary alone.¡± A reference book. I think that¡¯s a good analogy. This is definitely like a reference book. A book meant for experts that contains too much information. The theory of resonance, which in Eadred¡¯s grimoire was about 5 pages long, is explained in over 700 pages in this book. ¡°I don¡¯t need to needlessly explain just how great these books are, do I? Since you¡¯re seeing it with your own eyes.¡± I turned the page. ¡°The books here. Do they all contain this high information density?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± From a glance, it looks like there are over a hundred books. You¡¯re telling me all of those books are of this level? ¡°And the greater my achievements, the more books I get?¡± ¡±The amount you get increases exponentially depending on the difficulty of the magic?¡± ¡°¡­Woah.¡± I¡¯m so dumbfounded I can¡¯t even speak. That¡¯s genuinely phenomenal. ¡°What do you think? Now you know why I said we could speed run our way all the way up till at least the 5th circle?¡± ¡°Yep. I can tell exactly what you meant.¡± It seems that Mimir¡¯s tome is a book that goes above and beyond what I had hoped. Perhaps a book as great as Eadred¡¯s grimoire. ¡®Seems like passing the second test will be easy as pie?¡¯ If you can¡¯t pass even with this much high-quality information, then you¡¯re just stupid. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Friday morning. I made my way to school, feeling good for a change. I didn¡¯t get even a wink of sleep, but I don¡¯t feel tired at all. ¡®To think I got through 79 of them.¡¯ 79. That¡¯s the number of magic circles I activated yesterday at dawn when I took the second test. Last time I was only able to activate 25. In just one day I had improved two-fold. I had made so much progress that I almost feIt like I had gone through all those hardships for no reason. ¡®If I¡¯m fast I¡¯ll pass by tonight, if not I¡¯ll without fail, pass by tomorrow.¡¯ Since this was the case how could I not be in a good mood? ¡®If I hadn¡¯t obtained Mimir¡¯s tome, it would have taken me a minimum of 3 weeks to get to this point.¡¯ The difference in difficulty between activating the 30th magic circle and activating the 70th is the difference between heaven and earth. Just what kind of formula is that complicated? I¡¯m not exaggerating, they were at least 3 times more difficult. ¡®And from the 90th magic circle onwards, it¡¯s bound to get even more complex.¡¯ I wonder how many trials and errors I would have had to go through if I hadn¡¯t received the detailed information on resonance from Mimir¡¯s tome. I don¡¯t even want to think about it. ¡®The second test is also a test, but the third test¡­¡¯ Shiver. I only imagined it for a bit, but I got the chills. The one thing I was sure about was that it would be impossible to achieve 4 circles before the Olympiad. ¡®The Book of Mimir. This is the real deal.¡¯ I¡¯ve only read two books so far, but I can say this for sure. Mimir¡¯s tome is a cheat. And it¡¯s not just a cheat, it¡¯s a stupidly overpowered one at that. ¡®Master¡­ You¡¯re a mighty archmage that deserves to be described as the treasure trove of knowledge.¡¯ How are the explanations so detailed and friendly? It felt like I was being taught by a teacher who knew the ins and outs of this subject. It was so useful and entertaining that I genuinely didn¡¯t feel the time passing by. ¡®Agh. I want to read the other books soon.¡¯ Could there be a blessing more illustrious than being able to indulge in this high-quality knowledge to my heart¡¯s content? I wanted to embrace that feeling again. ¡®There were a lot of titles that looked interesting.¡¯ Oh, I¡¯m already excited. I headed to my classroom thinking about those books I hadn¡¯t got to read yet After all my classes ended on Friday. After receiving a summon from my father, I headed to the main house. I was so close to passing the second test and I wanted to spend the whole day in Mimir¡¯s tome and Eadred¡¯s grimoire so it was a shame. ¡®It had to be today of all days didn¡¯t it.¡¯ It would have been great if the meeting was tomorrow. And thinking about it like that made me even more regretful. ¡®This is an important thing in its own right, but¡­¡¯ The reason I¡¯m visiting my parents¡¯ house today is to receive the reward for obtaining the mana stone mining rights. I should be able to receive a reward benefiting the enormous sum of mana stone mining rights I had obtained. ¡®Ah, forget the reward or whatever, I just want to go inside Mimir¡¯s tome.¡¯ I genuinely want to ignore everything whether it be my father¡¯s summons or the reward and just go take the second test inside Eadred¡¯s grimoire. ¡®The 3rd circle is right before my eyes.¡¯ My desire to be a 3rd circle mage was overwhelming all my other wants. Well, that¡¯s just what I want to do; I can¡¯t actually ignore everything like that. ¡®Since there are some things I must take with me from the family¡¯s warehouse.¡¯ In any case, I had to go at least once. Let¡¯s be optimistic about it. ¡±We¡¯ve reached our destination.¡± After about 20 minutes, I arrived at the main house. ¡°Thank you for driving safely.¡± ¡°No worries. Have a good rest of your day.¡± As I got out of the car, one of the maids came up to me and bowed their heads. ¡°Welcome, please come in. The clan head is waiting for you in the study.¡± I followed the maid and as we walked along the familiar hallway, from the distance, I saw my father¡¯s study. ¡°Patriarch. Young master Hayul is here.¡± ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± The maid opened the door to the study, bowed her head and stepped back. ¡°Sit down.¡± My father, who was engrossed in his paperwork, spoke without looking at me once. ¡°Yes.¡± At my father¡¯s words, I sat down at the table where refreshments had been prepared. My father continued to not look at me and focused on dealing with his paperwork. A magic stamp that responds to my father¡¯s unique mana is stamped on the document that was magically enchanted. He must have repeated that about 10 times before leaving the documents and stamps at the desk, getting up and approaching me. Then he sat down in front of me and cut straight to the chase. ¡°Unlike in the previous case, we didn¡¯t come to own these shares entirely because of you. However, it is an obvious fact that at least half of the credit should go to you. With the previous case included, 26% of the mana stone mining rights are yours.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± He¡¯s actually being generous when he says that I deserve 50% of the credit. If my father hadn¡¯t reacted so fast and hadn¡¯t covered up the incident so tidily, then this would have ended with just the downfall of the Baek Family. Even though this opportunity appeared as a result of my actions, 20% of the shares were pretty much made by my father. ¡±I¡¯ve gained a lot thanks to you, so I should give you a reward worthy of it.¡± My father looks at me with serious eyes. ¡°Is there anything you want?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± My father¡¯s eyes twinkled. I wonder what kind of thing you¡¯ll say to make me jump out of my skin? That¡¯s what his eyes seemed to be saying. ¡°I want the ancient heirloom that¡¯s being stored in the deepest part of the family¡¯s warehouse.¡± But this time, I don¡¯t plan on saying anything particularly out of the ordinary. ¡°¡­The ancient heirloom?¡± My father said with a slightly disappointed look. ¡°Are you saying this despite knowing that its only worth is in its historical value?¡± ¡±Yes, I know.¡± The ancient heirloom. It¡¯s literally just a relic of the past. Although it is a type of artifact that¡¯s been magically processed, its performance isn¡¯t that great. As my father said, it¡¯s a relic of historical value. A family treasure that¡¯s been passed down from generation to generation. An expensive antique. That¡¯s the public opinion of the ancient heirloom. ¡°You¡¯re not thinking that the nonsense about the ancient heirloom holding a secret is real are you?¡± There are many rumors about the ancient heirloom. The most famous one is that inside the ancient heirloom resides a genuine power that¡¯s laying dormant. ¡°That¡¯s absolute nonsense. The ancient heirloom holds no real value. Ancient magic is just outdated magic and myths are just stories decorated with fiction.¡± Of course, it¡¯s just a rumor. Because their appearances were so magnificent and because they appeared in myths, those kinds of rumors spread. So far, nothing had come out of the ancient heirlooms. And that¡¯s why my father had said that. ¡°I disagree.¡± However, my thoughts are different. There¡¯s definitely something to the ancient heirlooms. ¡±I believe that both the myths and the legends of the ancient heirlooms are true.¡± My master¡¯s magic, which is also my magic. The Bytenor style of magic is proof of this. The Bytenor style of magic is so great that it doesn¡¯t make sense for the artifacts created in the same era to not amount to much. ¡®And also, in one of the books I had read from M¨ªmisbrunnr, I¡¯d read some sentences that seemed to mention the ancient heirlooms.¡¯ There is certainly something to the ancient heirlooms. ¡°¡­I suppose you still are young. To think that you would believe such nonsense.¡± My father spoke with a look of genuine disappointment. ¡°Alright. Fine. If that¡¯s your choice, I should respect it. As your reward for this incident, I shall gift you the ancient heirloom.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°But, you may only take one. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of this?¡± ¡±Yes. I¡¯m aware.¡± The ancient heirlooms are worth just as much as the relics of historical value are. Even with the hefty sum of 26% of the mana stone mining rights, I¡¯m only allowed to buy one. ¡°I will ask you this one last time. You won¡¯t regret it, will you?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± My resolve is steeled. Out of the ancient heirlooms that are being stored in the deepest part of our family¡¯s warehouse, there¡¯s only one that I want. ¡°I want the ancient heirloom that lies dormant in the family treasury, Ray Vell Bytenor¡¯s robes.¡± Ray Vell Bytenor¡¯s robes. I want my master¡¯s robes. Chapter 32 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 32 My father immediately took out Ray Vell Bytenor¡¯s robe from the warehouse and handed it over to me. ¡®I hope that you do not regret your choice. You may leave.¡¯ After those words, my father told me to exit. Through the gap between the door, I could see my father¡¯s gaze which harbored clear disappointment. ¡®Well, nothing I can do about that.¡¯ Whether it be my father¡¯s disappointment or whatever. In order to obtain this, I have to endure it. ¡®I¡¯d never thought I would have been able to get this before winning the Olympiad.¡¯ In the back seat of the moving limousine, I opened the box that contained the robes. Among the ancient heirlooms that all at least have majestic appearances, this is a mop-like robe that doesn¡¯t even have that. A robe bearing the name of the origin of magic and the first archmage, Rey Vell Bytenor. ¡®This costs more than 30% of the stakes to the mana stone mining rights.¡¯ This robe¡¯s historical value cannot be put into numbers. Had this robe not been stored in the Magic Shin Clan¡¯s warehouse, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to obtain it no matter how much money I had. ¡®But this is my master¡¯s robe, right?¡¯ I heard that my master¡¯s robes were being stored in our family¡¯s warehouse, so I came here to get them. But I¡¯m starting to doubt whether this is genuinely the robes of Ray Vell Bytenor, the great archmage. Maybe it¡¯s because its appearance is more modest than I had imagined, but I¡¯m actually worried that this might be a fake. ¡®Should I take a look?¡¯ After briefly glancing at the chauffeur, I took out the old robe. It practically looked the same as a mop. ¡®It¡¯s made entirely out of mana fibers?¡¯ Mana fiber. Creating mana fiber is a high-level mana stone crafting skill that requires one to pluck thin strands of mana from a mana stone and make it into the shape of thread. There are less than 30 craftsmen in the world who can handle mana fiber. It¡¯s that difficult of a skill. This robe is made out of that mana fiber. It¡¯s not even partially made out of mana fiber¡ªthe entire robe is. ¡®Even the mana fiber of the highest quality isn¡¯t this good.¡¯ This is by far the best mana fiber I¡¯ve ever seen. This is my first time seeing mana fibers that are so pure and dense. ¡®At the very least it doesn¡¯t look like a fake.¡¯ A robe made with mana fiber of this level cannot be a fake. Convinced that the robe was genuine, I took a look at its structure. ¡®¡­Hm?¡¯ And was shocked. ¡®What on earth is this structure?¡¯ The robe¡¯s design was strange. No, it was beyond strange¡ªit was grotesque. ¡®¡­Why has the outside layer and the inside layer been flipped?¡¯ The most difficult thing about making a robe out of mana fibers is that one must weave the structures of the outside layers and the inside layers separately. One needs to design the robe so that the inside layer of mana fibers, which touch the wearer¡¯s skin, have increased mana efficiency and conductivity, whilst the outside layer, which has a high possibility of being hit by magic, must be designed so that it does not conduct mana. But this robe¡¯s been made in the complete opposite way. The outside of the robe amplifies mana whilst the inside blocks its conductivity. ¡®This design makes it so that the wearer¡¯s mana output is weakened while the magic that hits the robe is strengthened. ¡®What on earth? Am I dreaming? Could this robe have been made for aspiring suiciders?¡¯ ¡®Maybe I¡¯m looking at it inside out?¡¯ From the looks of it, that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. But just in case, I decided to turn it inside out. ¡°Heuk!¡± And was surprised again. This time I was so shocked I even exclaimed out loud. ¡±Young master? Is everything alright?¡± How loud must I have reacted for even the chauffeur to react. ¡°Oh, no it¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just that I forgot to do something. No need to worry.¡± ¡±Okay understood.¡± I started by averting the chauffeur¡¯s attention. ¡®Sigh. I was really surprised.¡¯ After controlling my startled heart and taking a deep breath, I checked the robe again. How must it have been designed for it to be the same even when I turned it inside out? ¡®Does this make sense?¡¯ This is why I was surprised. Despite the fact that I had turned it inside out, the magic assigned to both the inside and the outside remained the same. The outer layer still amplifies mana, and the inner layer still blocks mana. I turned the robe inside out one more time. ¡®It¡¯s still the same.¡¯ Regardless of what I did, the structure of the robe remained the same. The inside blocks mana. And the outside absorbs it. ¡®What¡¯s going on here?¡¯ This is something that¡¯s not only both magically and physically impossible, but also something that¡¯s impossible when creating artifacts. ¡®So that¡¯s why this was stuck in the corner of the warehouse.¡¯ I now understand why a robe made with the finest mana fibers was just left in the warehouse. ¡®And I also know why this came to be called an ancient heirloom.¡¯ A remnant of the past that cannot be reproduced with modern technology. That is an ancient heirloom. These robes are an ancient heirloom in every sense of the definition. ¡®And now I also know why these were called Ray Vell Bytenor¡¯s robes.¡¯ I turned the robe inside out once more. Crudely written ancient characters were inscribed on one side of the inside layer. [Ray Vell Bytenor] Bad handwriting that was now as familiar as my own. ¡®It¡¯s my master¡¯s handwriting. I¡¯m certain of it.¡¯ True to its name, these are my master¡¯s robes. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] I, who had returned to the dormitory at 1 AM, headed straight to M¨ªmisbrunnr. ¡°Mimir!¡± ¡°Successor. Welcome ba¡­ huh?¡± Mimir, who was about to welcome me back, saw the robe that was in my hands and widened her eyes. She approached me with a shocked expression. ¡°Hold on. This is Ray¡¯s robe isn¡¯t it?¡± She stared fixedly at the robe in admiration. ¡°Wow, you found this already? Successor. You really are lucky, huh?¡± As expected, Mimir clearly knew what this robe was. Though that should have been obvious. A treasure trove of knowledge, M¨ªmisbrunnr. There was no way the manager of this place wouldn¡¯t have known of it. ¡°Mimir. How do I use this robe?¡± ¡°What do you mean how do I use it. You just put it on.¡± Mimir answered with an expression that asked me why I was really asking something so obvious. ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t asking how to wear it, I was asking what the robe was used for.¡± ¡°Hm? What the robe¡¯s used for? There¡¯s no point in¡­ Ah.¡± Mimir suddenly had an expression of realization. ¡°I forgot. You only have 2 circles don¡¯t you?¡± Then she nodded her head as if she alone had understood something. ¡°Then it makes sense that you don¡¯t know.¡± She¡¯s leaving me completely out of the loop. It would be nice if she could explain it in a way so that I can understand. ¡°Successor. I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t tell you about this robe.¡± Mimir said this with a serious expression. ¡°Why?¡± Judging from her facial expression and the atmosphere, there seemed to be a reason as to why she couldn¡¯t answer. ¡°Hmm. How should I explain? Well, in the Bytenor style of magic there exists a very special¡­¡± Mimir abruptly stopped talking with a smirk on her face. ¡°¡­Oh my. Come to think of it. I¡¯m not even allowed to say the name of the magic.¡± Mimir clicked her tongue and mumbled ¡®how should I call it?¡¯ to herself. ¡°Hmph. I don¡¯t know. The name¡¯s not important right now.¡± Then she started talking again with a serious gaze. ¡°I¡¯ll start again. In the Bytenor style of magic, there exists a very special type of magic called ¡®real magic¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­Real magic?¡± It was definitely a name that Mimir came up with on the spot. ¡°Uh. Real magic that¡¯s completely different to whatever copy magic you¡¯re using now.¡± ¡® ¡®Copy magic¡­ Even if it¡¯s true, you saying it like that hurts my self-esteem a little.¡± It feels like all of my magic¡¯s been denied, so it does hurt a little. ¡°Oh really? Sorry. Okay I¡¯ll call your magic fake magic from now on.¡± ¡°That literally makes no difference¡­¡± Where¡¯s the difference? It strangely feels slightly worse. ¡°Don¡¯t pay attention to those little things. Anyway, in the Bytenor style, there¡¯s a stage of magic called real magic. You¡¯re following so far, right?¡± Mimir asked this while making the OK sign with her thumb and index finger. I nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t divulge anything about this real magic until you reach a certain level. You can probably tell by how I¡¯m explaining it, but that information is thoroughly locked up, to the point that I can¡¯t even mention its name.¡± ¡±Why¡¯s it locked up?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a restriction placed on Mimir¡¯s tome. Don¡¯t think about it too much.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± I didn¡¯t know there was such a restriction. ¡°Anyway, I can¡¯t divulge any information about this real magic. And¡­¡± Mimir pointed at the robe. At Ray Vell Bytenor¡¯s robe. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that the robe is an artifact that exists to help with this so-called real magic?¡± ¡°So you can¡¯t tell me anything about the robe either.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Mimir laughed, giving me a thumbs up. ¡°For me to tell you about this robe, you must become a 5th Circle Master and enter the 5th test¡¯s page.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re saying that the information on the real magic will be unlocked when I become a 5th circle master?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it, that¡¯s it.¡± Mimir nodded twice. ¡°Then does that mean I can use that real magic starting from when I become a 5th circle master?¡± ¡°Yup, that¡¯s right too.¡± This time she nodded four times. ¡°You reach the starting point of the Bytenor style of magic when you become a 5th circle master. It¡¯s good to look forward to it. Because no matter what you¡¯re expecting it¡¯ll be above and beyond. In fact, you¡¯ll probably see why I called your magic a copy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s really to that extent?¡± ¡°It really is!¡± Mimir said this with a confident grin. ¡°How about it? Aren¡¯t you excited just by listening?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± Real magic. Just how great could it be? ¡°So, hurry up and become a 5th Circle Master. Because I also want to tell you everything as soon as possible.¡± Mimir scratched her mouth as if it was itching. ¡±I¡¯ll try.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Mimir faintly smiled at my response. ¡°Anyway, to summarize what you¡¯ve said, I have no choice but to put this robe to one side until I become a 5th circle master, right?¡± It seems like I¡¯ll have to part with this robe until I encounter real magic. ¡®It¡¯s a bit of a shame.¡¯ And at that moment as I let out a sigh of regret. ¡°Hm? What are you saying?¡± Mimir looks at me with an expression of confusion. ¡°Why are you going to leave such a good item alone? You have to bite it, chew it, taste it and use it until you like it.¡± ¡°But didn¡¯t you say that I had to be a 5th circle master first?¡± ¡°I just said that you need to be a 5th circle master to use its main functions.¡± Mimir shook her index finger at me and put on airs. ¡°That robe has an additional effect that even you can use.¡± ¡±An additional effect?¡± ¡°Yup. A feature that¡¯ll be massively helpful to you right now.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Mimir started to count with her fingers one by one and said, ¡°For starters, one of them¡¯s fatigue recovery.¡± ¡°Fatigue recovery?¡± ¡° Yup.¡± Mimir took the robe from me. ¡°The structure of the inside and outside of this robe are the complete opposite, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like that to prevent the mana inside the robe from escaping outside, and to saturate it inside.¡± ¡°Saturate it¡­¡± ¡±As your mana becomes more abundant, your infinity circle will also rotate faster than before, and of course, the mana passing through your brain will increase drastically as well.¡± Mimir patted her head. ¡°And so, when the brain is affected by such a large amount of mana, it recovers from fatigue faster than usual. The same goes for the fatigue that builds up inside your body.¡± Mana is a poison to the brain. This is basic, common sense in modern magic. However, if you use it well, even poison can become medicine. ¡®Mana acts as a medicine for my brain.¡¯ The only thing poisonous about mana is its will. Mana itself has the property of being able to heal the brain and reduce fatigue. This is why, after learning the Bytenor style of magic, I¡¯m less fatigued even though I sleep much less. ¡°I understand. So, you¡¯re saying that by using this robe I can reduce my sleep time even more?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to sleep.¡± ¡°¡­At all?¡± ¡°Mhm. If you wear the robe for about 5 hours a day, you won¡¯t have to sleep at all. Forget being tired, you¡¯ll probably be able to maintain your best condition?¡± ¡°¡­This is overpowered?¡± ¡°Right?¡± Humans spend about 30% of their lifetime sleeping. Not having to sleep means I can be active for 30% more time than others. This is a great effect beyond my imagination. ¡®And being able to be in my best condition at all times as well.¡¯ The same goes for managing my condition. Anyone who¡¯s struggled with not performing at their best will immediately know how overpowered of an ability this is. These effects are quite literally the things I needed. ¡±It also has a function of increasing the efficiency of your mana circulation.¡± Since the amount of mana flowing through my body increases, naturally, the efficiency of my mana circulation also increases. ¡°I would recommend wearing this robe when circulating mana and stuff in the future.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do that.¡± At least in the dormitory, it seems like I¡¯ll be wearing this robe at all times. ¡°Oh, and just in case you didn¡¯t know, Ray¡¯s robe works only for you. Since it¡¯s just a defective product that only makes its wearer take more damage from magic. So don¡¯t even think about putting it on someone else.¡± ¡°I know.¡± The composition, function and effect of this robe all only work because I have the Bytenor style of magic and infinity circles. For modern mages who only collect mana at their heart, mana saturation is not a benefit, but a poison. It¡¯s good that since I have excessive mana I won¡¯t ever run out. ¡°I don¡¯t need to explain any of the other benefits right? Since they all come from the mana saturation¡¯s fatigue recovery effect that I just talked about.¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve got it all roughly figured out.¡± This robe is the greatest treasure for magic training. ¡°It¡¯s amazing. So you¡¯re telling me this is just a minor, additional feature¡­¡± That¡¯s what¡¯s even more shocking. Mimir waved her hand. ¡±Ahem.¡± Mimir put her hands on her waist and held her head high with a haughty expression. As if to brag about how great real magic was. ¡°Just how great is real magic then¡­¡± ¡°Curious?¡± Mimir brought her face closer to mine and raised her eyebrows. ¡°Yeah. At this point, I¡¯m so curious I¡¯m going to go crazy.¡± Mimir grinned. ¡°Then all you have to do is quickly become a 5th circle master.¡± ¡°¡­Thanks for your practical advice.¡± I was hoping she would give me some sort of hint but that was to be expected. ¡°Mm? Are you going now?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I headed to the door, at the centre of M¨ªmisbrunnr, that lead to the outside of the book. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Where else could I go? I thought you told me to become a 5th circle master as soon as possible?¡± After opening the door to go outside, I turned around halfway, looked at Mimir and grinned. ¡±I¡¯ll quickly become a 3 circle master and be back in a flash.¡± ¡°Ah ha.¡± I promise you, today will be the last time I go to the second test¡¯s page. Chapter 33 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 33 Saturday 3:30 PM. I cheered. ¡±Success.¡± After 12 long hours of hardship, I passed the second test. [Congratulations on passing the second test.] At the start of the 32nd page, which had been blank, my master¡¯s congratulatory message was written. That message made my spine tingle with joy again. [Passing the second test must have been quite difficult.] [I expect it would have taken at least 2 months.] ¡°As expected it was a test that should have taken 2 months to pass.¡± I thought that had I not found Mimir¡¯s tome, it would have taken me roughly 2 months. My prediction was just right. [You¡¯ve gone through a lot. All that¡¯s left now is to cherish the fruits of your hardship.] Hardships are bitter but their fruit is sweet. I think that¡¯s a wise saying. [Then I will explain how to weave the third circle.] The third circle. I felt those sweet words with my entire body and read on. [The third stage of the Bytenor style and the third infinity circle.] [In the Bytenor style of magic, the third circle is called the circle of interference.] The circle of interference. I wonder what kind of power this circle holds. My heart was pounding with anticipation. Two days after passing the second test, I spent most of my time weaving my third circle. [As its name suggests, the circle of interference allows one to interfere with the mana of others.] [In order to interfere with other people¡¯s mana, you must first assimilate your mana perfectly with theirs.] [It¡¯s something that¡¯s very difficult, but as someone who has passed the second test, it should pose no problems.] I thought the test was stupidly hard for no reason, but it seems my master had planned everything out. To think the second test was preparing me for my 3rd circle. I honestly didn¡¯t expect this. [If this problem has been dealt with, then weaving the circle of interference will be easy.] [Resonate the circle of deliberation and the circle of resonance, and assimilate the mana around you.] [You¡¯re not trying to fight it, don¡¯t overdo it. Make sure to avoid straining your body and your circles. All you have to do is literally make the two circles the same.] [If you continue to resonate with them like that, the third circle will naturally settle down in your body.] By synchronizing the mana overflowing in the air, the mana settles not in the circle saturated with mana, but into the body. And soon, this creates a house for them to live in. That¡¯s how the third infinity circle is formed. The circle of interference. I could only understand this theory thanks to the books on the circle of interference I had read at M¨ªmisbrunnr. ¡°This time I¡¯ll succeed.¡± Ultimately, it all boils down to how long I can maintain resonance. I should use as little energy as possible, and maintain it for as long as I can. I can maintain resonance for as long as possible by adjusting the resonance¡¯s mana amplification to gather less than 1%. ¡°Whew.¡± I took a deep breath and spun my circle. ¡®Naturally. I must allow the mana to settle down into my body as naturally as it floats around.¡¯ I spun the two circles very carefully and delicately, but not awkwardly. I wonder how much time had passed by as I did that. Finally, the first signal came. ¡®Giggle!¡¯ ¡®I like it here.¡¯ ¡®Let¡¯s play together.¡¯ I could hear the whispering of mana. As if they were in the middle of running around my body, I could feel my body being swiftly revitalized. This was the first sign that I was forming the circle of interference. Maybe it was because I was wearing my master¡¯s robe, but much more mana than usual was being absorbed into my body. ¡®It¡¯s cramped.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s cramped but I don¡¯t want to leave.¡¯ ¡®I like it here.¡¯ The mana my circle couldn¡¯t absorb, blindly wandered around as they started to complain. ¡®Then let¡¯s make a new playground.¡¯ ¡®Yeah, okay.¡¯ ¡®Let¡¯s do that.¡¯ The mana that had fully settled in, created a new place for themselves.That was the second signal. Since I had managed to make it this far, I¡¯ve done pretty much half. ¡®Whew. The real test starts now. Let¡¯s focus.¡¯ However, in other words, I was only halfway there. I couldn¡¯t check what time it was because I was too busy concentrating, but judging from my previous failure before this, at least 3 hours must have gone by. ¡®I have to maintain my resonance while the mana builds a new ground in my body.¡¯ In other words, I have to maintain my resonance for another 3 hours. In my previous attempt, I failed as I couldn¡¯t hold out for 6 hours. 4 hours and 11 minutes. That¡¯s how long I could maintain my resonance last time. Even with the very small mana amplification rate of 1%, 4 hours was my limit. However, if I lower the amplification rate to below 1%, the mana will not settle in my body. It¡¯s a complete disaster. ¡®If I didn¡¯t have Mimir¡¯s tome, I might¡¯ve suffered a bit.¡¯ Mimir¡¯s book contained a clue which helped me to avert this crisis. ¡®By making the implication rate 1%, I can allow the mana to settle in my body and once the mana has completely settled down, I can gradually lower the amplification rate to downwards of 0.01%.¡¯ To make sure the mana that¡¯s forming the circle doesn¡¯t become aware that I¡¯m doing this, I must do it gradually but not slowly. This greatly increases the amount of time I can maintain resonance for. ¡®Whew. Let¡¯s not choke now.¡¯ Vrr, vrr! As I felt the trembling of mana, I lowered my resonance¡¯s amplification rate. Bit by bit. One minuscule bit at a time. Gradually for 1 hour. I divided it into 100 steps and reduced the amplification rate little by little. Unbelievably precise control going beyond what was thought to be possible. In order to achieve that control, I poured all my focus into it. I fell into a trance and around the time when I had forgotten I was even thinking. ¡®It¡¯s a success.¡¯ ¡®I like it here.¡¯ I woke up to the feeling that something foreign was swirling in my body. A circle with a unique trait different to the other two. If I were to compare it to something, it was a circle with the playfulness of a child. ¡°¡­This is the circle of interference.¡± The third ring of my infinity circle had taken its place in my body. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] About 1 week had passed. Despite weaving the circle of interference, nothing much changed. After waking up in the morning, I work out at the gym, take my classes until the evening, and after eating dinner, I enter Mimisbrunnr with my master¡¯s robe on and train my magic. The only thing that¡¯s changed is that since I don¡¯t have to sleep, I can now focus on my magic training through the night. Thanks to this, out of the 24 hours I had in a day, I spent 9 hours at school, 1 hour physically training, and the rest of the 13 hours excluding meals and breaks into mastering the circle of interference. No. Truthfully, even during my theory classes, I devoted myself to studying to master the circle of interference, so I spent an average of 17 hours a day on the circle of interference. ¡°Mimir. Is there another book?¡± ¡°What¡¯s this? You¡¯ve read everything already?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± 1 hour before class started, as per usual, I began my day at M¨ªmisbrunnr. ¡°You¡¯re fast. At that point, the theory books are meaningless, aren¡¯t they?¡± Mimir handed me a book in admiration. After I gently received the book, I opened it up right away. ¡°You¡¯ve understood all the theories regarding interference, right?¡± ¡°So why would you read anymore?¡± I turned the page. ¡°Nothing bad ever came out of having more knowledge, right?¡± From the very start, it was said that knowledge is power. ¡°I guess that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°It¡¯s also fun.¡± The Bytenor style of magic can be compared to the finest tea leaves: the more you read it the more its flavor deepens, and a new flavor is felt every time you give it a taste. I don¡¯t know how it can be packed only full of such instructive and fun knowledge, but thanks to it I couldn¡¯t even feel the time passing by. Since I no longer need to sleep, I¡¯m definitely awake for 24 hours a day, yet it feels like the day is going by faster than before. ¡°Sigh. Like master, like disciple¡­¡± Mimir looks at me as if I was a pervert. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your greed for knowledge is the same as Ray¡¯s.¡± ¡°I see. Thanks for the compliment.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not a compliment.¡± Mimir shook her head as if there was no helping me. ¡°Fine, whatever. Since as you said, knowledge is power.¡± Mimir chuckled. ¡°More importantly, is the stuff other than the theory going well? Have you got used to using interference?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that I¡¯m at the stage where I can say I¡¯ve got used to it. But I suppose everything¡¯s gotten a lot better than before?¡± ¡°How much better?¡± ¡°Enough to slightly bend the trajectory of 2nd circle magic?¡± ¡°Oh? What¡¯s this, successor? You can already interfere with 2nd circle magic?¡± Suddenly, Mimir petted my head. ¡°That¡¯s great. I¡¯ll give you some praise.¡± ¡°Thanks for the praise, but why do you have to pet my head?¡± ¡°Because I like petting your head?¡± Mimir continued to pet my head as she faintly smiled. ¡°¡­It¡¯s distracting me from reading.¡± Mimir snorted. ¡°Distracting? Once you¡¯ve started to concentrate, you wouldn¡¯t even notice if you got kidnapped.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t deny it. In fact, since I¡¯ve started wearing my master¡¯s robe, my concentration¡¯s risen to another level, so much so that I¡¯ve reached a stage where I don¡¯t even pay any attention to outside distractions. Last time, you have no idea how surprised I was when I came to notice Mimir glued to me. Mimir said that she wanted to see how long it would take for me to take notice, but apparently, I didn¡¯t notice for 5 entire hours. ¡°Why? Don¡¯t like it?¡± Mimir suddenly made a sullen expression. ¡°I see. You don¡¯t like it. Then I should stop it. I only wanted to because it was so nice to meet a successor for the first time in 10,000 years and since I was all alone for those long years, I had missed the warmth of the human body. But if you don¡¯t like it then it can¡¯t be helped. I get it. I won¡¯t do it again.¡± ¡°Wow. You¡¯re just making me out to be the bad guy.¡± When she put it like that, how could I refuse her. ¡°Do as you like.¡± ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll do as I like!¡± Mimir, who had her head lowered, smiled broadly as if she had never been gloomy and pet my head again. She looks genuinely happy. ¡®It may be true that she missed the warmth of humans.¡¯ Because she did say I was the first successor. It must be true that I¡¯m the first person she¡¯s met in 10,000 years. I felt sorry for her. I¡¯ll be better to her. How could letting her pet my head be a big deal when she¡¯s helping me so much? ¡°By the way, successor. Isn¡¯t it time for you to get going?¡± ¡°Yeah. I was just about to get going.¡± It¡¯s just that I couldn¡¯t get up because Mimir was petting my head as if she was having the time of her life. I knew that it was time to leave. I closed the book I was reading and got up. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°Take care. You have to master interfering with 2nd circle magic before coming back.¡± ¡±¡­.I¡¯ll try.¡± ¡°Just trying won¡¯t get you anywhere. You said the test was 2 days and 1 night long. You¡¯ll be able to use interference multiple times, so you must master it.¡± Mimir said firmly. ¡°And while you¡¯re at it you might as well take first place. I don¡¯t want to see the official successor of the Bytenor style lose to anyone.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯ll never lose.¡± There¡¯s a 0% chance that I won¡¯t take 1st place. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°Hm. You¡¯re taking Ray¡¯s robes as well?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m going to use it in the test.¡± Today¡¯s training is the ¡®2 days 1 night survival training¡¯. Since it¡¯s a test that requires one to stay up the whole night, my master¡¯s robes are bound to be of great help. And since it looks so awful, it won¡¯t get noticed. ¡°Wow. Sneaky. To think that you would try to give yourself an unfair advantage while others are staying up the night without a wink of sleep.¡± ¡°Then should I not take it?¡± Mimir looked at me with a serious expression. ¡°No. You must take it.¡± Didn¡¯t you say that it was sneaky?¡± ¡°Successor. Don¡¯t you know that being sneaky is a compliment?¡± Mimir wickedly laughed. ¡±Vulgarly and nastily run them over and take first place by a landslide. Got it?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± That¡¯s my speciality. Chapter 34 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 34 The Battle Survival Test. This is a large-scale test conducted on the vast training grounds located in the mountainous regions of Gangwon-do. The test is held for a total of 32 hours: 2 days and 1 night. It¡¯s a simple test where you have to survive as long as possible within a zone that gets smaller and smaller over time. Of course, the rules are the only things that are simple. It¡¯s by no means easy. You must survive the attacks of randomly placed monsters, be prepared for attacks from other students and because of the ever-shrinking zone of the test site, you can neither avoid fighting nor can you get any rest due to the fear of being attacked. It¡¯s a heinous test that bleeds you dry in several different ways. ¡®I didn¡¯t think they would make us take this test.¡¯ The Battle Survival Test. This was the exam that had been postponed because of Len Smith. Since evidence of him having meddled with the test supporting artifacts were found. I thought we wouldn¡¯t take this exam until next year. I guess it was impossible to avoid doing it completely since it was a test made according to the rules of an internationally recognised competition that regularly occurs. ¡®Well, it¡¯s good that I can get some practice for the Olympiad.¡¯ And this was also the test I was personally looking forward to. So I¡¯m very content. ¡®Then how should I take first place?¡¯ As I was walking around through the forest. ¡°Die! Shin Hayul!¡± Suddenly, I heard a shout, along with the flux of mana. The student, who had concealed himself among the bushes, screamed as he rushed at me. After throwing both the fireballs he had in his hands one after the other, he dove at my lower body. ¡°What¡¯s this, are you announcing that you¡¯re ambushing me?¡± After lightly avoiding the fireballs, I dodged his tackle and aimed for the attacking assailant¡¯s ribs. ¡°Ha! What do you think you can do with your fists!¡± The assailant who was wary of my fists cast Barrier. A translucent barrier formed between me and the attacker. I had 2 options. ¡®I can either get out of the barrier¡¯s range and use magic from there, or I can break down his barrier and then him.¡¯ My thoughts came quick, and my actions were even faster. ¡®I¡¯ve made my decision. I¡¯ll break the barrier in its entirety.¡¯ Tak- I put my hand on the assailant¡¯s barrier. ¡®This is also a good opportunity to practice using my interference.¡¯ At the same time, by circulating my circle, I matched my mana to the mana of my opponent. ¡®Okay, I¡¯ve confirmed the magic formula.¡¯ Barrier was such simple basic magic that there was no real need to even check its formula. ¡®And his mana isn¡¯t particularly unique either. Mana synchronization complete.¡¯ I¡¯d succeeded in synchronizing my mana with his. ¡®Location confirmed. The distance is zero.¡¯ I had met all the conditions for interfering with his magic. ¡®Interference conditions all clear.¡¯ My Infinity Circle violently revolved. ¡®Interference.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m going to lower the strength of the center of the barrier, in about a circle with a radius of 30 cm.¡¯ Mana permeated the attacker¡¯s barrier in an instant, and in accordance with my interference formula, a circular gap of 30cm radius was formed at the center of the barrier. ¡®Success.¡¯ Since I¡¯ve succeeded so far, the next step was easy. All I have to do is insert magic into the 30cm gap. ¡®Earth Spear.¡¯ At the same time my interference took down his barrier, and a spear with a diameter of 30 cm made of earth flew toward it. ¡°Do you think you can break my barrier with just an Earth Spear or something?¡± The assailant snorted as if it was ridiculous. ¡°Yeah.¡± The relaxed expression on his face was so ridiculous, that I snorted at him as well. Clank! My Earth Spear shattered the attacker¡¯s barrier to bits. Because my Earth Spear had been aimed at the gap between the barrier, it flew towards my assailant with no reduction in power. ¡°You struggled a lot. Get some rest.¡± ¡°Keugh¡± The Earth Spear hit the attacker right in the chest and caused him to faint. Slump- In an instant, the assailant kissed the ground. Beep! [Student Kang Gihak fail.] A red light shone from the test assistance artifact that was worn on the assailant¡¯s wrist, signaling his failure. [Kill Point + 10 Points] The phrase ¡°10 Kill Points¡± was floating on the bracelet on my wrist. ¡°I got lucky straight from the get-go.¡± To think I would get kill points for free like this. It¡¯s a good start. With this, I got one step closer to claiming first place. ¡®Using interference has become easier as well.¡¯ Though the magic was in close contact with my hand, and it was a very simple magic spell, so that might¡¯ve made it easier. In any case, it was definitely easier than it was yesterday. ¡®I¡¯m slowly getting the hang of it.¡¯ I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because my knowledge of the theory and my experience were beginning to unify, but it felt like I had been enlightened. ¡®Seems like I¡¯ll master using interference on 2-circle magic before this survival test ends no matter what.¡¯ At the pace I¡¯m going at right now, the minimum would be mastering interfering with 2-circle magic. If I¡¯m lucky, it might even be possible to interfere with 3-circle magic. Pshhh! ¡®The sound of grass getting stepped on?¡¯ As I was immersed in my thoughts, I heard the rustling of the bushes. Crung! I rapidly turned my gaze to where the sound was coming from. ¡®Blood razer wolves.¡¯ Through the bushes, three blood razer wolves appeared. ¡®You lot must¡¯ve found me after hearing the sounds of the battle.¡¯ A characteristic trait of the blood razer wolf is its excellent hearing. They definitely must have heard the sounds of my fight and approached me after being alerted of my presence. ¡®This is good timing. I was going to try to find them anyway.¡¯ To an ordinary student, this may be an unfavorable situation where one would shout, ¡®One battle after the other? What is this!¡¯ But for me, who¡¯s trying to win first place by a landslide and needs kill points, this situation is lucky. ¡®Fireball.¡¯ Phwaa! I immediately threw a fireball and simultaneously launched myself at the blood razer wolves. When I obtained my third circle, my physical abilities were strengthened to the next level and so I was able to safely reach where I had planned to without using any physical reinforcement magic. Snarl! They immediately took on a defensive stance. ¡°Too late.¡± But it was too late. ¡®Wood bind.¡¯ I immediately tied the foot of the one on the left, and the fireball that I had thrown earlier hit the mark. [Kill Points + 1 Point.] ¡®That¡¯s one.¡¯ At that moment, the two razer blood wolves rushed at me. ¡®Barrier.¡¯ ¡®Wind Cutter.¡¯ I used Barrier and Wind Cutter on the two wolves that were coming from both the left and the right. [Kill Points + 1 Point.] The wolf that had its forehead penetrated by the wind cutter dropped dead. Yip! And the wolf that had hit its head against the barrier made a whining noise as it made a great fuss. ¡°Be quiet.¡± I grabbed the back of the only surviving blood razer wolf and grabbed its nape. Kreung, Kyaung! It fought hard to escape me but to no avail. I wasn¡¯t one to struggle against a mere blood razer wolf that was only ranked as an E-rank, 4th-tier monster. I played the waiting game as I waited for it to exhaust itself. ¡°Don¡¯t just squirm, call your friends too.¡± As I said before, blood razer wolves have great hearing. But they also have a strong sense of camaraderie, and so are particularly sensitive to the howls of their comrades. They can hear the cry of a wounded wolf from upwards of 5km away. ¡°Hurry up and cry.¡± Therefore, as long as I am able to capture one, it¡¯s possible to lure them to me. Awooooo-! The wolf finally let out its howl. ¡°That¡¯s it. Good job.¡± The help call of a blood razer wolf. Now, all the blood razer wolves in a 5km radius will come running this way. ¡°Well then, goodbye.¡± Stab! [Kill point + 1 point] I comfortably sent the wolf that had fulfilled its duties to the afterlife. Rustle, rustle! In the distance, I can hear the sound of sand and thickets being stepped on in enormous numbers. The blood razer wolves are approaching. Krung! ¡°Welcome.¡± I gifted the blood razer wolf, that had rushed here first, a Wind Spear. [Kill point + 1 point.] Behind the wolf that had fallen after having its forehead penetrated, six additional wolves could be seen. ¡®Here they come.¡¯ As I thought, drive hunting is the best method of hunting. I smiled brightly as I looked upon the approaching blood razer wolves. ¡®Is that about 60 points I¡¯m about to obtain?¡¯ I could see the rushing blood razer wolves as nothing more than points. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] ¡°The second years this year are strong.¡± The instructors, who were observing the test through cameras placed all over the training ground and the surveillance magic of the test supporting artifacts worn by the students, each expressed their admiration. ¡°Adella, Ji Soonchan, Kim Kangsoo, and Ma Jaehak¡­¡± They called on the names of several students including Adella and Ji Soonchan. They were students who were putting on good performances in the survival test. ¡°These students are unparalleled. As long as they can safely survive to the end just like this, they will be in the top 10 no matter what.¡± The final score of the Battle Survival Test is determined by the sum of both Survival Points and Kill Points. But out of the two points, Survival Points are the most important. If you don¡¯t survive to the end, it¡¯s hard to get a high score. ¡°Isn¡¯t surviving till the end the hard part?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. But, well, unlike the international competition, it¡¯s not like they have to survive for 72 hours. Surely they would be able to safely survive for just 32? Since they¡¯re all talented students.¡± The instructors laughed as if they were proud. ¡°Anyhow, I¡¯m guessing no one here doubts Shin Hayul¡¯s skill.¡± Shin Hayul¡¯s homeroom teacher was quietly observing the training ground. Instructor Ko Changsoo allusively brought the topic up. ¡°¡­Well. I suppose.¡± ¡±Since his performance isn¡¯t something that can just be ignored because he¡¯s someone incompatible with AI.¡± ¡°And he did take 1st place by a landslide in all the previous training sessions¡­¡± The rumor that Shin Hayul¡¯s skill was just a fluke that had been spread immediately after the midterm comprehensive evaluation had completely disappeared. ¡°He is still in first place with an overwhelming score.¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely not a fluke. Haha.¡± After the mid-term comprehensive evaluation, Shin Hayul had taken first place in every single training test. And the same goes for the current test. Although Adella¡¯s, who¡¯s in second place, is by no means low, compared to Shin Hayul¡¯s score, it seems low. His score is double hers. ¡°Alteration magic, huh? It¡¯s truly a magic that suits student Shin Hayul.¡± ¡°How can he use magic so cleverly? When I look at it, I find my jaw unknowingly dropping! Haha!¡± The instructors were overly talkative with each other and spread praise of Shin Hayul. ¡°With this momentum, I really think we can expect some good results at next year¡¯s Olympiad.¡± ¡°I agree. The joker card, that is Shin Hayul¡¯s alteration magic, combined with Adella, who has attained her 4th circle¡­¡± ¡°This could be the second silver medal after Kim Kangin¡¯s!¡± The most rewarding moment for an instructor is when the student they were in charge of does well, especially upon graduating. And when that pupil seeks them to say thank you on Teacher¡¯s day, they really do feel like they can soar the skies. Anyone who has experienced this will never be able to quit being an instructor. Though of course, they¡¯re not all happy just because of this emotional reason. ¡°Instructor Ko Changsoo, you¡¯re so lucky. Thanks to student Shin Hayul, your extra pay will be good.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The Obelisk Academy implements a strict meritocracy. If a student that an instructor was in charge of does outstandingly well, a special allowance is paid to that said homeroom teacher. Of course, instructors don¡¯t raise their students just for the sake of money, Earn money and nurture great talents. How great is it? ¡°Ah, the thought of the extra pay is making me angry all of a sudden. If it wasn¡¯t for the bastard Len¡­¡± And since it¡¯s a meritocracy, if anything happens within the school, the extra pay is cut. Because no one noticed the presence of the Black Magic Tower within the school, the extra pay was cut as a result of that scandal. ¡°Now, now, that¡¯s all in the past now. Let¡¯s not concern ourselves over it.¡± ¡°Right. It could have been a lot worse. We can always just reclaim the cut pay by nurturing more talented students.¡± ¡°Even if the Olympiad is a bit much, with the form that the current second years are in, we¡¯ll be able to win some international competitions. Let¡¯s all cheer up.¡± ¡°I guess we should give the talented pupils special lessons.¡± ¡±I¡¯ll help too.¡± Passion doesn¡¯t move people. But money does. The chairman of the Obelisk Academy knows this better than anyone, so he introduced a merit system that provides extra pay. ¡°But before that, all the students have to finish the test safely. Everyone, let¡¯s stop chatting and focus now.¡± Although they¡¯re weak, real monsters are being used in this training. And because of the frequent battles between students, there¡¯s a high risk of injury. As it¡¯s a dangerous test, the instructors must not take their eyes off it even for a second. ¡±It¡¯s also time for the zone to be reduced.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s all brace ourselves.¡± As the zone reduces, the population becomes that much denser. As a result, the frequency of battles increases, and the number of those injured increase as well. Starting from now, the instructors can¡¯t relax even one bit. ¡°Th-that¡­.!¡± At that moment when one of the instructors shouted. ¡°Shi-Shin Hayul has started attacking named monsters!¡± The battle survival test is an international standard competition. In other words, as the test is normally used in the entertainment industry, there are several variables. One of them being the ¡®Named Monster System¡¯. Those who defeat the named monsters are given a huge number of kill points on par with survival points. ¡­However, Most don¡¯t even look at them. They¡¯re just that difficult to defeat. ¡°I didn¡¯t think there would be any students who planned to attack the Emerald Turtle¡­¡± The named monster prepared this time around is the Emerald Turtle. The Emerald Turtle is a reptilian turtle monster, that¡¯s a C-rank 4th-tier monster. It boasts incredible magic resistance and is a mage¡¯s natural enemy. Even for 5th circle users, subjugating this monster alone is too much. ¡°Where does he get this confidence from?¡± ¡°Is he overestimating his abilities?¡± Shin Hayul was trying to take down such a monster on his own. Chapter 35 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 35 I looked at the enormous turtle that was at least twice the size of an elephant up and down and admired it. ¡°Is this a turtle or a snake?¡± A jewel-like shell that shines in a unique emerald hue. Four legs with skin as rough as bark. It resembled a tortoise. The problem was its head, tail, and tongue. What kind of bastard has a neck and tail that long? I would believe it if someone told me it was just a snake with a shell. With its neck stretched out and its flickering tongue, it pretty much is a snake. ¡°We haven¡¯t met before, have we? Nice to meet you.¡± I greeted the turtle that was glaring at me with its tongue flickering. Thump! Thump! Perhaps it didn¡¯t like my relaxed demeanor, but it powerfully pounds the ground with its front legs as it glares at me. Its pressure was incredibly intense like it was trying to tell me that it was an enormous monster. Whoosh! Whoosh! The emerald turtle struck the ground with its front feet as if it were a bull that had caught sight of red cloth. It looked like it had a strong desire to storm at me. Those who don¡¯t know much about emerald turtles may ask, ¡®well, it¡¯s just a turtle, even if it runs at me what can it do?¡¯ I understand why one may ask that. Because most believe that it is natural for turtles to be slow. But this guy isn¡¯t just any old turtle. As a C-ranked monster, it has mana stored in its body. Those who judged it to be slow just from looking at its appearances were to be in for a whole world of pain. ¡®It¡¯s coming.¡¯ It stopped sweeping the floor and after a moment. Thuuuump-! The ground on which it was standing shattered, and I saw its giant body spin round and round. ¡®Fast!¡¯ Its speed increased rapidly. It was flying at me at an incredible pace. ¡®Leg strengthening.¡¯ I immediately swirled my mana around my lower body, and upon strengthening it as much as possible, launched myself away. By launching myself vertically, I avoided the charge of the emerald turtle. Thump! An explosion sounded out with the cloud of dust that had formed from where I had just been standing. It had tremendous destructive power. ¡®The book never said it was this fast.¡¯ It seemed like its speed and power were superior to what the information I had told me. Even among emerald turtles, it looked to be a particularly strong one. ¡®I guess I¡¯ll have more trouble than I anticipated.¡¯ And as I had that thought, the explosion rang again. Clouds of dust spread out like ripples from the emerald turtle. Its body flew at me again. And again I was perpendicular to where it had charged at. I dodged its body slams by moving vertically. Thump! The emerald turtle that crashed into the ground bounced up like a ball and flew towards me. It¡¯s here. The double charge. Its movements were like a tennis ball that had spin on it. ¡®This is faster than I had anticipated as well!¡¯ It was so fast that even after strengthening my legs to the maximum, I couldn¡¯t avoid it. Guess I have no choice. ¡®Barrier.¡¯ The emerald turtle¡¯s body flew at me like a ball. I formed a barrier in the direction the emerald turtle was spinning in and changed its trajectory. Keeek-! It truly is a C-rank monster. It had an outrageous amount of force. ¡®How is it so strong¡­.!¡¯ Though it was a barrier I had made with all my might, It was difficult to slow it down let alone block it. I had miscalculated. This was my mistake. Guess I have no choice. ¡®Resonance strengthen.¡¯ I immediately strengthened the barrier using the circle of resonance. The barrier, that was about to crumble into pieces of mana, instantly solidified. Thump! The emerald turtle crashed into the ground, and another explosion rang out. As before, the emerald turtle was concealed in a cloud of dust. If you were an ordinary person, you would probably be preparing to fend off the relentless charge. But that¡¯s the worst course of action one could take. ¡®Upon using Double Charge, the emerald turtle loses all its strength for a moment.¡¯ It can¡¯t keep using that wondrous move that allows it to fling itself like a tennis ball over and over again. The double charge is an attack that takes that much of a toll on it. The emerald turtle cannot use Charge again for the next 6 seconds. I immediately used Wind to clear the dirt cloud, and ran at it. ¡®Though just because it can¡¯t use Charge, doesn¡¯t mean there¡¯s a gap in its armor.¡¯ After using Double Charge, emerald turtles will generally curl up and focus entirely on defense. Until it can use Charge again, it will only focus on defending. Of course, it¡¯s a monster that is troublesome in various ways. Tap- I put my hand on its shell, closed my eyes and felt the mana flowing through the emerald turtle. ¡®The emerald turtle is a C-rank monster with mana. It uses 70% of its mana to reinforce its shell.¡¯ To pierce through it, you¡¯ll need at least 5th circle magic. In other words, mages with less than 5 circles can never penetrate it. If you aim for its head, you can do damage to it even with 3rd circle magic, but finding an opportunity to attack it during its crazy charge is impossible. It¡¯s a really annoying monster. ¡®It¡¯s still funny even now. Who came up with the idea of having this thing be the named monster?¡¯ It seems like they put it in here just to have some variety. But even if that¡¯s the case, putting this thing that¡¯s immune to attacks is taking it too far. ¡®Though, to be fair. As someone who attacked it in the first place, I shouldn¡¯t be the one saying this.¡¯ Guess we¡¯re as equally bad as each other. Both the instructor who put this thing in and me who attacked it. ¡®It¡¯s mana¡¯s very unique.¡¯ From the mana I felt from the emerald turtle¡¯s shell, I gradually matched my mana with it. ¡®With this, I¡¯ve met the first condition for activating interference.¡¯ At that moment, its body began to move again. It took about 6 seconds to recover. ¡®For now, let¡¯s take a step back and wait for the next opportunity.¡¯ I immediately created distance between us. It stretched out its neck and tail and rubbed its front foot against the ground while glaring at me. Bang-! And it charges again. From here, our previous confrontation was repeated. ¡®This time I¡¯ll avoid it perfectly without having to use Barrier.¡¯ I dodged its charge and induced it into performing a double charge. And after it failed its double charge, I approached it while it was all curled up and touched its shell. ¡®I¡¯ve finished completely understanding the magic formula¡¯s structure.¡¯ And after around four more repetitions of this, I finally met the second condition of using interference which was to understand the magic formula. ¡®And the target has been located.¡¯ And while it was laying still, I met the third condition as well. ¡®This range is no problem either.¡¯ I was within Interference¡¯s 30cm range. ¡®Preparations complete.¡¯ All conditions for using interference had been met. ¡°Whew¡­¡± There were three seconds left until the emerald turtle would move. That¡¯s more than enough time. Vrrrrrr-! I took a deep breath and spun the circle of interference. The mana, flowing through the circle of interference, followed my hand and permeated into the shell of the emerald turtle. ¡®Interference.¡¯ I left the magic formula that I had identified as the base and additionally added how far it was from me. Using the knowledge I acquired from M¨ªmisbrunnr, I materialized the interference. ¡®Using where my hand is touching as the base, weaken the shell in a circle of radius 30cm.¡¯ My mana, which perfectly matched the emerald turtle¡¯s mana, seeped into its shell. ¡®Interference success.¡¯ A green light with a radius of 30cm rapidly covered its shell. ¡®Circle of resonance. Strengthen.¡¯ Feeling its shell weakening, I spun the resonance circle along with the interference circle. And after that. ¡®3rd Circle, Icicle Lance.¡¯ The spear of ice, reinforced by the circle of resonance, penetrated the emerald turtle¡¯s shell. And that was it. The emerald turtle couldn¡¯t even say its dying words as it took its last breath. [Successfully subjugated the Emerald Turtle] [Kill Point + 200] ¡°Yes.¡± The message that came up made the tips of my mouth dance. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Meanwhile, elsewhere. The mansion of the Magic Shin Clan. Shin Inhyuk was in his study, smiling as he watched the video of the battle survival test. Shin Hayul was sitting on the emerald turtle¡¯s corps, operating the test assistance artifacts. When I saw that, even I couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°To think that he really took on the emerald turtle alone¡­¡± Kim Seokhyun, who was standing next to Shin Inhyuk, burst out laughing. ¡°Emerald turtles are said to be weak against the Ice attribute, but how did he do that with just 3 circle magic¡­¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know either.¡± Shin Inhyuk¡¯s smile deepened. And Kim Seokhyun¡¯s surprise grew. He was surprised at hearing the response, ¡®I don¡¯t know¡¯, from the 8th circle mage, Shin Inhyuk. ¡°Even I¡¯m unable to know something I¡¯ve never learned. This is especially true for Hayul¡¯s magic which differs greatly from the standard, modern magic.¡± Shin Inhyuk, who read Kim Seokhyun¡¯s expression, smiled as he said this. ¡°Oh, pardon me!¡± Kim Seokhyun, realizing his mistake, bowed his head in embarrassment. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It doesn¡¯t bother me.¡± Shin Inhyuk continued to stare at the monitor with a pleasant smile. He was quite skilled at butchering the emerald turtle¡¯s carcass to prepare food. ¡±He¡¯s showing good form in everything he does. At his age, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for him to be disgusted.¡± ¡°He wasn¡¯t raised so weakly.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, that¡¯s right.¡± Recalling Shin Hayul¡¯s special education, which began at the age of six, Kim Seokhyun nodded. ¡°Patriarch. Can I ask you one thing?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Shin Inhyuk answered with his gaze fixed on Shin Hayul. ¡°Why do you think Hayul would do something so eye-catching?¡± Ever since Kim Seokhyun had heard the news that Shin Hayul had started attacking the emerald turtle, he constantly questioned Hayul¡¯s actions. Why would Shin Hayul do such a thing? ¡°Considering what young master Jihan and Seha can do to keep him in check, doing something like this would be catastrophic for him.¡± Shin Hayul is currently in a state where he has no power. Doing something so eye-catching when both Shin Jihan and Shin Seha were doing their utmost efforts to win the succession race was bound to make them target him. No, in all probability, they¡¯ll do all they can to keep him in check. Seeing how he was hiding the fact that he could use 3rd circle magic until the Baek Sahyuk attack, it doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s unaware of what position he¡¯s in. If Kim Seokhyun had been in Shin Hayul¡¯s position, he would never have done anything so eye-catching. Until he built up his strength and power, he would have hidden his strength as much as possible. Showing off could wait. ¡°I¡¯m worried that young master Hayul¡¯s drunk off his power, and is making the wrong decision,¡± Kim Seokhyun said with worried eyes. Shin Inhyuk laughed at Kim Seokhyun who had these kinds of concerns. ¡°Hayul making the wrong decision?¡± There¡¯s no way. Shin Inhyuk¡¯s smile gradually got wider as he looked at Shin Hayul from across the monitor. ¡°Hayul¡¯s always perfectly cool-headed. He cool headedly thought about the situation he¡¯d found himself in and deliberately drew attention to himself.¡± ¡°Are you saying that was on purpose?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Because he trusted me when I said that I would protect him for 2 months.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± The situation¡¯s different now than it was during the mid-term comprehensive evaluation. ¡°So during those months, he¡¯s planning on doing anything that¡¯ll raise his wretched position within the family.¡± As long as Shin Hayul had Shin Inhyuk¡¯s protection, neither Shin Jihan nor Shin Seha could lay a finger on him. ¡°But you¡¯re only going to be protecting him for 2 months. If you think about the consequences he¡¯ll face afterwards, catching people¡¯s attention like that will be truly detrimental.¡± Now that he¡¯s acted in such an eye-catching way, Shin Hayul is bound to be targeted by both Shin Jihan and Shin Seha after the 2 months are up. ¡°As long as Hayul returns to the family, it doesn¡¯t matter whether he tries to lay low or catches everyone¡¯s attention. Since both Jihan and Seha will be wary of him regardless.¡± As they had been awed by Shin Hayul¡¯s shining talent, there was no chance that they would leave him be. ¡°And because Hayul knows this, he¡¯s using this opportunity to do anything he can to draw attention to himself. So that he can build up the influence he requires to prepare for an attack even just a day faster.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Since he was going to be targeted anyways, Shin Hayul acted in this way to slowly build up his influence. ¡°And¡­¡± Beyond the monitor. Shin Hayul was fighting with someone. ¡°He must be confident that in 2 months neither Jihan¡¯s nor Seha¡¯s meddling will pose any threat to him.¡± Though his opponent was someone who was remembered even by Shin Inhyuk, and a 3rd circle user from a respectable family in its own right, he was no match for Shin Hayul. The way he overwhelmed his opponent was benefitting from one of the Magic Shin Clan¡¯s direct lineage. It¡¯s not bad. ¡°Why do you think that¡­¡± ¡°Since if he wins the gold medal at the World Academy Olympiad in two months, everything will be flipped on its head.¡± That¡¯s what Shin Hayul was confident of. Confident in his ability to take the gold medal at the Olympiad in 2 months. Confident that once he does so, he would not lose to either Shin Jihan or Shin Seha. Confident that he can become the next leader of the Magic Shin Clan. And¡­ ¡°¡­How bold.¡± Confident that he can become the world¡¯s greatest archmage. Chapter 36 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 36 12 hours had passed since the survival test started. The current time is 11 PM. The sun disappeared a long time ago, and only the half moon remained, subtly illuminating the pitch black forest. The mountainous regions in May were quite chilly. It¡¯s the type of weather where without mana circulation, you¡¯ll freeze to death. Crackle- crackle- The firewood crackled in a warm, friendly way. The sound of the emerald turtle skewers being cooked on the fire was beautiful. I used that sound as ASMR, closed my eyes and concentrated my mind. I already have my master¡¯s robe on. But since there were many eyes watching, I wrapped a suitable cloth over it. Vrr, vrr, vrr In an instant, the insides of the robe were filled with highly dense mana. I felt the mana that had reached saturation throughout my entire body as I relieved the fatigue that had built up for the past 12 hours. ¡®2 hours? That¡¯s more than enough time.¡¯ By the way, I¡¯m not circulating my mana like this so defenselessly because I¡¯m stupid. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m an idiot or anything so there would be no way I would wear my master¡¯s robe which amplifies the enemy¡¯s magic attacks two-fold, without any countermeasures would I? ¡®This 2-hour grace period¡¯s made this test so much easier.¡¯ There¡¯s a grace period between 11 PM and 1 AM on the first day where battles are prohibited. Though of course, this rule doesn¡¯t exist in the international standard survival competitions or the Olympiad survival competitions. This is a special rule made only for students. ¡®As expected, Korea is quite strict with the safety measures.¡¯ The rules should be kept the same as the International or Olympiad¡¯s competition rules. The time is cut in half, and the rules are friendly. This is why no one from Korea has won a gold medal at the Olympiad yet. Overseas, starting at 17 years old, they are made to be taught a curriculum that prepares them for the Olympiad and all kinds of international competitions, so of course, there¡¯s no way it would be a fair fight. ¡®To take a step forward on an international scale, the Obelisk Academy will have to change.¡¯ What good is the Obelisk Academy being an internationally prestigious institution in its own right? When it¡¯s nothing compared to a real prestigious institution like Harvard¡¯s affiliated academy. ¡®No one here is even dreaming of becoming the best¡­¡¯ It¡¯s really sad. Even though we have two 8th circle mages. And even though we have a Magic tower. If we just put our minds to it, we¡¯re bound to be able to reach the next step. ¡®I wonder if the preconception will change if I win the gold medal.¡¯ I do hope so. Since if Korea¡¯s influence grows, the influence of the Magic Shin Clan, Korea¡¯s best family, will grow as well. ¡®Should I aim for other competitions besides the Olympiad as well?¡¯ Something like the Oxford scholarship competition would be nice. Since mage¡¯s like symbols like those. If I win all of them, it¡¯ll help when I take off into the world in the future. It would be good to win everything I can while I¡¯m still enrolled at the academy. ¡®How many competitions were there for me to participate in again?¡¯ While I had been immersed in my thoughts, the meat had already cooked. The meat of the emerald turtle on the skewer was a glossy yellow. It looked very tasty with all that fat on it. ¡°This color¡¯s heavenly.¡± The meat of most monsters with mana is delicious. Among them, however, the meat of the emerald turtle is famous for its deliciousness. I circulated my mana, which was now as easy to maintain as breathing was, as I took a bite out of the emerald turtle skewer. ¡°Oh¡­¡± The meat is very tender, probably due to there being mana constantly circulating in the shell. It¡¯s definitely delicious. ¡®It feels like I¡¯ve come camping alone.¡¯ Since there¡¯s no need to worry about an attack. If I just had a tent, then it would literally be camping. With those thoughts, I continued to eat the emerald turtle skewers. Rustle- ¡®Grass?¡¯ I heard the sound of someone coming through the bushes. I silently turned my head towards the bush, though I wasn¡¯t on guard. It¡¯s still the grace period, so a fight won¡¯t break out. ¡®It¡¯s probably just a student who got drawn in by the smell of the emerald turtle¡¯s meat.¡¯ Perhaps a student who was resting nearby could not resist their hunger and approached me. Though what appeared out from the bushes was a combination that was unexpected. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] ¡°Huh? Look what the cat dragged in.¡± ¡°¡­Hello?¡± Soonchan and Adella. It was strange how two people who had no relation with each other, other than the fact that they knew me, were there together. ¡°Why are you two together?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh. We were fighting right until the grace period.¡± ¡°I see.¡± During their battle, the grace period occurred, and so a truce was forcibly created. So that¡¯s why they were together. ¡°I thought that maybe you two were cooperating.¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± ¡°As if we would cooperate.¡± Soonchan snorted as if telling me to stop saying such nonsense. ¡°If we were to get caught, we¡¯d immediately be subject to disciplinary action, so we¡¯d have to be crazy to¡­¡± In the Battle Survival Test, cooperation between competitors is prohibited. Of course, this rule only exists in the Academy¡¯s Battle Survival Test and does not exist in international competitions. ¡°To be fair, Adella wouldn¡¯t do something as crazy as that. Though I can¡¯t say the same about you.¡± ¡°Oi. Even I wouldn¡¯t do something so stupid.¡± For your information, exchanging information with each other during maintenance is not a violation of the rules. ¡°Sigh. I¡¯m tired.¡± Soonchan made idle remarks as he slumped down next to me. He then grabbed an emerald turtle skewer that was cooking over the fire. ¡°But how can you steal so nonchalantly? People would think that I left that piece of meat for you.¡± ¡°Come on, now. We¡¯re too close to not share everything with each other!¡± In this test, sharing food isn¡¯t that big of a deal. It¡¯s not a test that particularly lacks any food so in that regard it¡¯s quite lenient. And in the first place, they give out rations before the test starts. ¡°¡­If you think about it this way, the rules really have been changed a lot.¡± How can you spare time for maintenance, even food, which is the beauty of survival? How can you have a grace period as well as not having to hunt for food, the charm of these survival tests? ¡°Then, thanks for the meal!¡± Soonchan heartily laughed as he took a bite. No. As he tried to take a bite. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± If I hadn¡¯t stopped him, he¡¯d have taken a bite full of meat. ¡°Do I look like a pushover to you?¡± How dare he try to take me for a fool. ¡°Tsk.¡± Soonchan clicked his tongue. I really got caught? That¡¯s what his expression said. ¡°Hey man. Why are you like this.¡± His expression soon became sly. ¡°Since when did you become so stingy over just a piece of meat?¡± He rubs his hands with an expression that¡¯s telling me to ¡®Go away¡¯. ¡°Sigh. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m being miserly over the meat. There¡¯s a lot of meat left in the emerald turtle. So much so that even if three people were to eat it there would be leftovers. Since I¡¯m going to have to bin it anyways, I have no qualms about sharing it. ¡°How dare you try to pig on the meat I cooked with all my heart.¡± It¡¯s just a waste of the meat that I grilled perfectly to the best of my ability. ¡°So while I¡¯m being nice, put down that skewer and cook it yourself. Unless you want to eat your rations.¡± I laughed softly. Judging by the slight trembling in Soonchan¡¯s eyes, it must have been a very scary smile. ¡°¡­Tsk. You penny pincher.¡± Soonchan, who had given up on robbing my meat, grumbled while pouting. Then, soon, as if blinded by the splendor of the meat next to him, his eyes lit up. ¡°Yeah. You can eat that.¡± As I said, there was a lot of meat. It¡¯d be better to share it around instead of just throwing it away. ¡°Okay. Thanks. The emergency rations taste like crap.¡± Soonchan threw the emergency food he had been supplied with and picked up a tree branch that was nearby. He used wind magic to sharpen it, and after making a new skewer he put it on the fire. ¡°Adella come sit down as well.¡± I said this to Adella, who was standing blankly. ¡°Sorry? Oh¡­¡± Was the conversation between me and Soonchan unusual? It was as if she was mesmerized. ¡°Sit down and eat. If we have leftovers I¡¯m going to have to throw them out anyways.¡± ¡°Hey! How come you made me cook it myself!¡± Soonchan butted in. ¡°Are you and Adella the same?¡± I snorted and handed Adella a skewer. ¡°Wow, I see how it is. Hoes over bros is what you¡¯re saying, huh? I see how it is! Fine!¡± Soonchan seemed genuinely hurt. At the same time, his stomach rumbled. He must be genuinely hungry. I laughed. ¡°Hey. Why are you actually getting pissed off?¡± I only wanted to mess with him because he slyly sat down next to me and tried to take some meat. It¡¯s not like I genuinely didn¡¯t want to share with him. ¡°Just eat as well. In return, grill the rest of the meat. Cool?¡± ¡°Cool.¡± Soonchan smiled broadly as he took the skewer. And bit in straight away. ¡°It¡¯s good, huh? ¡± ¡°¡­The hell is this? Why is it so good?¡± His eyes widened into circles. His expression said that it was much tastier than he had expected it to be. ¡°Adella, eat before it gets cold.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Adella, who was still dazed, took a bite out of the skewer that was handed to her. She covered her mouth with one hand as she chewed on it like a bunny. ¡®Looks like she thought it was good.¡¯ The speed at which her jaw moved was unusual. It was only after she had completely swallowed the food that Adella opened her mouth to speak. ¡°¡­This isn¡¯t the meat of a honey bear?¡± Among the monsters in this test area, excluding the Emerald Turtle, the only monster that can be eaten is the honey bear. So that¡¯s why she must¡¯ve thought that. ¡°Huh? It¡¯s not? I thought that it definitely would be honey bear meat.¡± Soonchan seems to have never eaten honey bear meat. ¡°Do you think that honey bear would taste this good?¡± ¡°Then what kind of meat is this?¡± ¡°What do you think it could be?¡± I looked at both Soonchan and Adella with a playful smile. ¡°¡­No way. Could it be the Emerald Turtle?¡± Since Adella had probably eaten these kinds of monster meat frequently ever since she was young, she figured out what kind of meat this was at once. And so she must have concluded the only monster of that rank in this test arena was the Emerald Turtle. ¡°Come on, now. How would it be an emerald turtle¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s right. It¡¯s emerald turtle meat.¡± Soonchan stopped talking for a moment. Then he turns his head and looks at me. ¡±She¡¯s right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± His eyes enlarged like the eyes of a rabbit, and with his mouth wide open, he looked quite ugly. ¡°So. You killed the Emerald Turtle, is what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Holy shit¡­¡± He exclaims, ¡®Jesus Christ,¡¯ as he expresses his genuine surprise. A guy who has never stepped out of Korea is exclaiming in a foreign language. ¡°How¡­¡± Adella still had an astonished expression on her face. ¡°How did you defeat the Emerald Turtle? I¡¯ve never heard of any mage under the 5th circle defeating one¡­¡± ¡±It was a good matchup for me.¡± This was the truth. If it had been another C-ranked monster, it would have been difficult. Because the emerald turtle hides in its shell for 6 seconds, I had enough time to observe its magic formula and its mana. Had the monster not been an emerald turtle, I wouldn¡¯t have even thought about attacking it. ¡°There¡¯s no way that the matchup was good for you¡­¡± Adella was speechless with a look of disbelief on her face. ¡°With only 2 circle magic, you can¡¯t even pierce its head. Since your strength is your control, there¡¯s no way it would be a good matchup. Just how¡­¡± Come to think of it, today was the first time I had used 3rd circle magic at an official event. Then it would be natural for her to be this surprised. ¡°Well. It¡¯s not like I can only use 2nd circle magic.¡± I gently moved mana. My mana instantly became a flame. And soared into the air. ¡®3rd circle magic, Burning Impaction.¡¯ This was the short-range 3rd circle magic that Baek Sahyuk used at me in the past. ¡°I can use 3rd circle magic now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Their souls left their bodies. Their expressions tell me that they¡¯re questioning what they just witnessed. ¡°¡­You really didn¡¯t take any strange drugs, did you?¡± Soonchan examines my face. ¡°No.¡± ¡°And you didn¡¯t implant illegal artificial intelligence?¡± This time, he looks behind my neck. ¡°No, really. You checked last time, right?¡± ¡°He¡¯s doing this again.¡± ¡°¡­I did. Mhm.¡± Then he smiles again with a mesmerized expression on his face. ¡°Then what? Did you improve Memorize twofold with that alteration magic or whatever?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°¡­How bullshit is that.¡± I could feel the sincerity from Soonchan¡¯s murmuring. ¡°Then, did you subdue the Emerald Turtle by attacking its head with 3rd circle magic?¡± ¡°Nope. I just pierced its shell.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry?¡± ¡°What?¡± The two were shocked again. ¡±Mm. Did I hear wrong?¡± Soonchan rubbed his ears. He can¡¯t seem to believe what he just heard ¡°You should¡¯ve heard well though?¡± ¡°Come on, now. I must¡¯ve heard wrong. So can you tell me again? What did you say you did?¡± ¡°I pierced the Emerald Turtle¡¯s shell itself and destroyed its heart.¡± I took a bite out of the meat that had been cooked. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± They both looked at me in disbelief. As if asking me if what I said made sense. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, then watch the VOD after the test¡¯s over. There must have been at least four drones filming me, so you¡¯ll be able to see it from different angles.¡± I took another bite of the meat. Mm. Delicious. ¡°Ah, I guess you¡¯ll see for yourself before then.¡± I grinned as I gently wiped the fat from my lips. ¡°After all, we¡¯re going to be fighting tomorrow.¡± Tomorrow. When the zone of the training ground is reduced to a 1km radius, we will definitely fight. ¡°I¡¯ll show you then.¡± Just how broken interference magic is. There was a momentary silence, and then Adella said with a small smile. ¡°¡­It¡¯s funny.¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°No nothing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that I was going to say that exact thing.¡± ¡°What you were going to say?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Adella spoke with a slightly more flushed expression than usual. ¡°I had something I wanted to show you as well.¡± Chapter 37 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 37 Time flew right by and the survival test is approaching its final stage. [5 survivors remaining] With 2 hours left, there are only 5 survivors remaining. Only 1% of the 500 people survived. ¡®That¡¯s still a lot of people who¡¯ve survived, considering how much the zone of the test has been reduced by.¡¯ The range that continued to decrease over time has now been reduced to a radius of 1.5 km. 5 people in this confined space isn¡¯t a small number. [4 survivors remaining] Unsurprisingly, the number of survivors has decreased. And at that moment. Phwooosh-! There was a sound of wind. A sharp wind imbued with mana. A wind cutter flew at me. I deftly dodged and fired a wind spear from where the wind cutter came from. Twang-! Beyond the bushes, I heard the wind spear being blocked by something and exploding. It was probably blocked using Barrier. ¡°Show yourself.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± A man appeared from behind the bushes. It was a large man with dark circles around his eyes. And as if the fatigue had accumulated, both his eyes were red and bloodshot. ¡°Heup!¡± Without even greeting me, the man hurled himself at me. As I looked onwards at the shadow that was getting bigger, I recalled information about the attacker. ¡®Ji Sanuk. A 3rd circle user. A battle mage specialising in body strengthening magic.¡¯ He¡¯s someone who ranks within the top 2 when it comes to martial arts. ¡®He¡¯s not someone I can practice my interference magic against.¡¯ He¡¯s not an opponent I can underestimate. And in the first place, interference magic shouldn¡¯t be used against those who are physically strong. ¡®This guy wins by beating the crap out of the opponent as well.¡¯ It¡¯s the perfect matchup for me who¡¯s trying to save energy for the final battle. I looked at the fist that was approaching me straight on and evaded it by lowering my body. Phwoosh-! The wind whistled as his fists flew over my head. ¡®Knee.¡¯ The mana, which was concentrated in his fists, moved to his knees. And he changed his center of gravity as well. It looks like he¡¯s trying to take advantage of my lowered posture by kneeing me. ¡®Barrier.¡¯ I spread a barrier in front of Ji Sanuk¡¯s knee. ¡°¡­!¡± Tak- Before his knee could gain any momentum, it was blocked. Ji Sanuk¡¯s attempt at a knee strike was unsuccessful. ¡®From here I¡¯m going to move the barrier forward.¡¯ The magic of freedom that the Bytenor style boasts. Using that, the barrier flew forward, even though once cast it shouldn¡¯t be able to move. ¡°Ugh!¡± As the barrier attached to Ji Sanuk¡¯s knee moved forward, it completely destroyed the balance of his lower body. With his leg awkwardly raised, he became a sitting duck. I slammed my fist at his defenseless chin. But my opponent was Ji Sanuk, a battle mage with considerable combat sense. ¡®You reacted to that?¡¯ He instantly grasped the trajectory of my fist and raised his guard. Bam! My fists clashed with his guard, and a brutal impact rang out. Ji Sanuk¡¯s body spun around and flew backwards. And then landed perfectly on the ground. He absorbed the impact perfectly. ¡®He¡¯s better than I heard. To think that he managed to regain his balance in such an awkward position.¡¯ He certainly seems to be the second best in the year when it comes to combat sense. ¡®But he¡¯s still a bit rough around the edges.¡¯ By the way, the best in the year is me. ¡®He should¡¯ve lowered his body and prepared to dodge as soon as he landed.¡¯ Because he leaves most of the battle mainly to his combat sense, he has a few gaps. You have to use your brain while fighting. ¡®I¡¯ll start by punching his head since his fingers are slightly more raised than usual.¡¯ I sent a fist at Ji Sanuk, who had not gotten into a proper stance. Sanuk dodged in surprise. ¡®If you avoid it like that, your ribs are going to be left wide open.¡¯ I swung my other fist at his defenseless sides. Crack! ¡°Ugh!¡± The sound of breaking bones resounded terribly. A few of his ribs must have broken. ¡°This is nothing¡­¡± I wonder if it was because as a fighter, he was used to pain. Taking no notice of his broken ribs, he swung his foot out at me. He must¡¯ve thought that this was his chance to counterattack. ¡®It¡¯s a typical style that relies solely on his own talent.¡¯ A style that makes no sense. A chance to counterattack? The moment you were hit with that critical strike, that chance was pretty much as good as gone. ¡®If you kick out with one of your legs, then the other leg¡¯s going to be left wide open.¡¯ I hooked my leg around him as he was. And very slightly tapped him. Just by doing that, his body soon began to fall. Slam! He got hit by my other fist and flew. Ji Sanuk rolled over three times on the ground. ¡±Ugh, cough!¡± I made proper contact with his jaw but he was still conscious. He probably concentrated all his mana onto his jaw at the last moment. His battle sense really is pretty good. ¡°If you get hit, focus only on your defense and dodging until you recover. If you go on a counterattack for no reason like that, it won¡¯t end with just a fatal blow¡ªyou¡¯ll lose your life.¡± I looked down at Ji Sanuk, who had collapsed and was struggling to breathe, and gave him one last piece of advice. [Kill Points + 10 Points] As the kill points got updated, Ji Sanuk lost consciousness. Ji Sanuk¡¯s body was carried by the wind and flew out of the test zone. An instructor who was watching nearby must have carried him off using the wind. [3 survivors remaining] With this, only 3 people remain [2 survivors remaining] ¡­No, now two. ¡°Hello.¡± It looks like she had just finished her battle as well. ¡°It¡¯s a splendid evening.¡± Adella Stuart. Adella¡¯s blonde hair and black and white mana flew in harmony under the night sky. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] At that time, elsewhere. Near Gangnam, on the top floor of the affiliated building, Shin Jihan had taken charge of. ¡°Oppa, Are you going to continue doing nothing even after looking at this?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shin Seha and Shin Jihan were looking at the screen with grave expressions. ¡±In what universe can you liken him to a basketball player without an arm?¡± Shin Seha complained with a venomous expression. She had trusted Shin Jihan¡¯s words and had felt relieved, but now she felt betrayed. ¡°He killed the emerald turtle on his own! An emerald turtle! And look at that! That battle!¡± On the screen, the battle between Shin Hayul and Adella was truly deserving of admiration. It was hard to believe that this was a fight between 18-year-olds. ¡°Are you going to keep telling me not to worry after seeing this? They¡¯re talking about him not only on the internet but within the family¡­¡± ¡±Seha.¡± Shin Jihan, who had been quietly staring at the screen, softly called out to her. ¡°I have a favor. Can you please be quiet?¡± ¡°Is this a situation where I can be quiet¡­!¡± ¡°Seha.¡± Shin Jihan took his eyes off the screen and stared straight into Shin Seha¡¯s eyes. ¡°You know I don¡¯t say things twice.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± At that moment, Shin Seha¡¯s eyes trembled. As if an earthquake had occurred. ¡°S-sorry oppa. I¡¯ll be quiet.¡± Shin Seha soon looked down and answered. She had only made eye contact, but had broken out in a cold sweat. Both her hands were trembling. Shin Seha was genuinely frightened of Shin Jihan. ¡°S-so anything but the punishment¡­¡± Shin Jihan indifferently looked at Shin Seha, who was begging earnestly. His eyes were empty and indifferent as if he were looking at an insect crawling on the ground. ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m counting you, so why would I punish you.¡± Shin Jihan reverted back to smiling as if he had never been angry. He patted Shin Seha on the shoulder and softly spoke. ¡°We¡¯re siblings.¡± Shin Jihan took out a handkerchief, wiped the pool of sweat off Shin Seha¡¯s forehead and smiled again. ¡°Seha, as long as you listen to me, nothing will ever happen.¡± ¡°¡­Ye-yes, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± ¡°Good. You¡¯ll be quiet for me right?¡± Shin Seha kept her mouth shut. She won¡¯t open her mouth till Shin Jihan speaks to her. Her deep-rooted fear of Shin Jihan wouldn¡¯t allow her to. ¡°¡­¡± The room became extremely quiet. Shin Jihan expressionlessly returned to looking at the screen. ¡®¡­Stop it, Hayul.¡¯ Shin Jihan smiled as he watched Hayul shooting, avoiding, and blocking magic. ¡®I tried to keep you alive for the sake of the family.¡¯ For the second time, Shin Jihan¡¯s eyes emitted emptiness. ¡®But if you keep at it, I¡¯ll have no choice but to kill you.¡¯ His cruel eyes showed that he thought everything apart from himself as nothing more than an insect. Moonlight poured down. The dark and light attribute vision magic that the Mystic Wi Clan boasts. A fusion of both light and dark properties. Moon-type magic filled every direction. ¡°This time I won¡¯t be careless.¡± The natural moonlight which illuminates the dark night sky and the moonlight of mana which illuminates Adella¡¯s presence. The two moonlights blended together, creating a fantastical landscape. ¡°I have observed your battles hundreds of times just for this moment. I will not give you a chance to counterattack.¡± I, who had lost my balance from taking a wrong stance, was met with a moonlight bullet. It cut through the darkness and swiftly flew. ¡®Can I dodge?¡¯ An attack that perfectly targeted the gaps in my defense. I twisted my body to try and somehow avoid it. ¡°Heup!¡± It was impossible to completely dodge in the position I was in. A moonlight bullet swept past my forearm, leaving a burn. ¡°As a technique-oriented mage who values magic control, you¡¯re susceptible to barrages of bullets. Especially barrages with high firepower.¡± Just because I had dodged one didn¡¯t mean that it was over. Adella¡¯s moonlight bullets continued to fly towards me. ¡°That is your weakness.¡± There¡¯s no end to this. If I dodge one, two more fly towards me and if I dodge two, four more are fired. If I could block it, I could reduce the distance between us and avoid it perfectly. Unfortunately, Adella¡¯s current magic is not at a level where it can be blocked. That output has no rival. ¡°Weaknesses my ass! You¡¯re just abusing the fact that you¡¯ve attained your 4th circle!¡± ¡°You too have the same four circles.¡± ¡°That differe¡­ Ugh!¡± It¡¯s really surprising. Adella succeeded in weaving her 4th circle. Currently, Adella is a 4th circle user. ¡®I had thought that this might be the case since she said that she had something she wanted to show me.¡¯ But to think that it was true. Who would have known that she would have become a genuine 4th circle user? ¡°When did you get your 4th?¡± Using the gap that had been created for an instant, I swerved the icicle lance out of Adella¡¯s field of vision. The Icicle lance flew perfectly, aiming for Adella¡¯s blind spot, her back. ¡°It¡¯s been about four days. And¡­¡± Slam! Adella blocked my attack without even moving her head an inch. ¡°I won¡¯t fall for such obvious ploys.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you think using your mind¡¯s eye is overkill¡± ¡°I¡¯m not foolish enough to save my strength when it¡¯s you that¡¯s my opponent.¡± Mind¡¯s eye. The vision magic of her mother¡¯s family, the prestigious Stuart clan. It is a detection type magic that¡¯s similar to Kim Kangin¡¯s ruby eye. It was magic that could only be used from the 4th circle, so it was magic that Adella could not use before. Though of course, since she¡¯s reached 4 circles, there¡¯s no point in saying that. ¡°I know I¡¯m not one to talk¡­ But you fight so dirtily!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that being called dirty is the greatest compliment?¡± ¡°So you remember! I¡¯m complimenting you!¡± It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever encountered such a troublesome opponent. ¡®The power, range, and versatility of the Mystic Wi Clan combined with the detection magic of the Stuart family. It¡¯s more annoying than I imagined!¡¯ There¡¯s probably no opponent tougher to deal with than Adella right now. ¡°When are you going to show off that great magic you used to defeat the emerald turtle?¡± Adella continued to shoot moonlight bullets as she spoke. ¡°I was thinking of showing you anyway.¡± Four moonlight bullets approached. ¡®Until now, they were impossible to block, so I had no choice but to avoid it, but¡­ That¡¯s not the case anymore.¡¯ 27.74% dark attribute mana lined up 12 times with 71.33% of light attribute mana and 0.93% of water attribute mana according to Arakelov¡¯s theory. And a magic formula condensed into a form of a reverse double helix found in Fermat¡¯s conjecture. I¡¯ve seen the structure of the moonlight bullet so many times to the point that I¡¯ve grown tired of it. My magical analysis is perfect. The flying moonlight bullets. Among them, I reached out towards the first moonlight bullet. And the moment it reached within 30 cm of my palm. ¡®Interference.¡¯ My mana shined exactly like Adella¡¯s mana: the color of moonlight. ¡®The moonlight¡¯s trajectory will be changed by 12 degrees.¡¯ My interference magic permeated into the moonlight bullet in an instant. And the moonlight bullet¡¯s bullet¡¯s trajectory changed by exactly 12 degrees, causing it to miss my body. Ping, ping, ping! The three moonlight bullets that Adella had thrown with the assumption that I would dodge the first one flew right by me. ¡°There. I¡¯ve shown it.¡± ¡°What¡­ Did you just do?¡± As I looked at Adella¡¯s eyes, which had widened like that of a surprised rabbit, it made me smile. ¡°What do you think you did?¡± Chapter 38 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 38 At the mansion of the Mystic Wi Clan. The current head of the Mystic Wi Clan, Adella¡¯s father, Wi Sangchul was looking at the large hologram screen with a serious expression. ¡°I honestly thought that he was just lucky.¡± A friend of 40 years sat opposite him. He glanced furtively at Shin Inhyuk and opened a new topic of conversation. ¡°Are you talking about Hayul?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Shin Inhyuk answered without even taking his attention off the screen. He was completely enraptured by the fight between Shin Hayul and Adella that was occurring on the hologram screen. ¡°I know it sounds as if I¡¯m slandering your child right in front of you. But honestly, I thought he would shine for a moment and then disappear again.¡± ¡°Mm. Since Hayul is incompatible with AI.¡± It wasn¡¯t that controversial of a statement. In fact, Shin Inhyuk had that exact same thought. ¡°Especially since he beat Jisoo not with skill, but with technique and strategy. So I thought that eventually, people would analyze the information on him and when his limits were exposed he would crash.¡± Modern magic is a high-level battle of numbers with concrete information and thorough strategy as its foundation. And right after information gathering, analysis is most important. Depending on how much information you have, your win rate can vary by up to 50%. This is the case in the sporting world as well. There are cases where a shining rookie isn¡¯t able to use any of their strength and falls horribly after they are analyzed. This should have been the case with Shin Hayul. Shin Hayul was a completely blank sheet of paper in terms of such information. No one had any information about him. So in other words, he had an absolute advantage over everyone else in the battlefield that is modern magic, where information is king. ¡°Actually, I thought my prediction was correct until the beginning of the battle.¡± You can tell just by looking at the state this battle is in. Adella collected and analyzed Shin Hayul¡¯s information, not stopping ever since the midterms had ended. And as a result, the beginning of the battle played out as so. Even if Adella had become a 4th circle mage, Shin Hayul had already beaten her once, yet he was put completely on the defensive. As a rookie who had been fully analyzed, he was completely overwhelmed by Adella¡¯s abilities, unable to even properly counterattack. ¡°But I guess my thoughts were short-sighted.¡± Wi Sangchul chuckled as he stroked his beard. ¡°It seems that Hayul isn¡¯t a rookie that only shines once.¡± At Wi Sangchul¡¯s words, the corners of Shin Inhyuk¡¯s lips rose slightly. He felt a little better from his son¡¯s praise. ¡°I never expected him to be able to fight Jisoo right now on an even playing field¡­¡± Wi Sangchul was genuinely impressed by Shin Hayul¡¯s battle. ¡°Inhyuk. What the hell is that magic?¡± On the holographic screen, the moonlight bomb that was flying toward Shin Hayul swerved in the wrong direction just before it hit him. Almost as if the moonlight bomb were dodging him. ¡°Just what kind of magic can do something as absurd as changing the trajectory of another¡¯s magic?¡± Even at a second glance, that kind of magic just made no sense. Just what magic was it? ¡°I wonder. I don¡¯t know either.¡± Shin Inhyuk smiled softly. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it either.¡± ¡°¡­Hayul didn¡¯t even tell you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The edges of Shin Inhyuk¡¯s lips lifted a bit more. An expression that said that he found the current situation very entertaining. ¡°That¡¯s a surprise. To think Hayul would hide it even from you.¡± Wi Sangchul, who had been reminded of what Hayul had been like before he entered the Obelisk Academy, stroked his beard as if to say that it was curious. ¡°He got quite a bit more daring over the course of the year. Now he hides more things than he tells me.¡± ¡°Seems like he¡¯s changed a lot in the year he spent away from home.¡± ¡°He has.¡± ¡°Hmm. After all, I suppose a man can only grow upon leaving their homes?¡± Wi Sangchul looked at Shin Inhyuk¡¯s smiling face and grinned. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m glad. Because Hayul¡¯s like that again.¡± Wi Sangchun breathed a sigh of relief. It was a sigh of relief meant for the fact that Hayul had completely overcome his disability of being incompatible. ¡°Thanks to that, Jisoo¡¯s gained motivation again.¡± His daughter, who had lost her rival and was wandering aimlessly, had regained her motivation, so it was a fortunate thing all around. ¡°I think, with this momentum, we can expect some good results at the Olympiad next year. Huhuhu.¡± Wi Sangchul had a good laugh as if he was genuinely looking forward to next year. ¡°I wonder if there¡¯s really a need to wait for next year.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t have to wait till next year? What do you mean?¡± In response to Shin Inhyuk¡¯s profound remarks, Wi Sangchul asked back. ¡°It looks like Hayul has set his sights on the gold medal this year.¡± ¡°A gold medal this year? Hayul said that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Shin Inhyuk grinned as he looked at Shin Hayul on the screen. ¡°He boasted to me very confidently that he would present the gold medal to me as a present.¡± As I recall Shin Hayul who daringly demanded 2 months of protection, even I can¡¯t help myself from smiling. ¡°Huh. That¡¯s highly ambitious.¡± Wi Sangchul clicked his tongue. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know if he will or not. But at the very least, setting your sights on the gold medal is a good thing.¡± Wi Sangchul nodded his head a couple of times. Beeeeep! At that moment, a loud buzzer sounded from the speaker announcing the end of the test. The test was over. ¡°Hmm. So that¡¯s how it ended up.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not what I expected.¡± ¡°Well, it happens.¡± Wi Sangchul chuckled. ¡°The battle ended due to the lack of time. Both are probably feeling a bit regretful.¡± Beyond the screen, both Shin Hayul and Adella were looking at each other with dissatisfied expressions on their faces. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] An hour had passed since the end of the test. In the end, Adella and I were unable to decide the victor of our match. This isn¡¯t a test that only ends when the battle is won. It¡¯s a Battle Survival Test. A test with the goal of surviving for 32 hours. It¡¯s natural for the battle to end as soon as the time limit is up, regardless of whether there¡¯s a victor or not. ¡°If we had kept fighting, I would have won.¡± ¡°Nope. As per usual, in the end, I would have won.¡± As a result, the battle ended awkwardly. The current situation is very unsatisfactory. ¡°I was starting to see how to defeat that magic of yours that changes the trajectory of my spells. If we had just 5 more minutes, I would have won.¡± ¡±It¡¯s the opposite. You would have been mentally exhausted by the times 5 minutes were up.¡± ¡±¡­¡± ¡°¡­If you¡¯re going to keep arguing I¡¯m going to leave.¡± Soonchan, who had been watching our childish squabble, shook his head with an expression that said he was really tired of us. ¡°The 26th dropout can stay out of this.¡± ¡°This is a fight for my pride. Please don¡¯t disturb me.¡± ¡°¡­No, excuse me you two? Putting your harsh words aside. Weren¡¯t we gathered here to give feedback on the battle?¡± asked Soonchan, with a sour look on his face. ¡®What the hell am I doing here?¡¯ That¡¯s what his face says. ¡°If you want to decide the victor that badly, then you should duke it out right now.¡± ¡°Nope. That¡¯s not allowed.¡± ¡°Yes. I agree.¡± Adella and I both soundly rejected the notion. ¡°¡­Why not?¡± ¡°Everything¡¯s different now.¡± ¡°The terrain, our conditions, the situation at that time. If everything is not the same as then, it¡¯s not a fair match.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, yes. I see. I was unaware.¡± Soonchan laughed loudly with an expression that asked, ¡®Who am I and where am I?¡¯ ¡°¡­You really are childhood friends. You¡¯re the exact same~¡± Then he looked at me and Adella with the same expression and clicked his tongue. It seemed like his awkwardness with Adella has completely gone now. ¡°Now, now. Let¡¯s do it like this then.¡± Soonchan said with a determined expression on his face that said ¡®even if these two don¡¯t, at least I have to see things through logically.¡¯ ¡°If you keep arguing with only your mouths, we¡¯re never gonna get anywhere. So let¡¯s start with the combat feedback. If we look through the battle step by step from the beginning, wouldn¡¯t the answer to who would have won naturally be revealed?¡± It was a sensible suggestion that was very unlike him. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± ¡°Yes. I agree.¡± Adella and I nodded at the same time. ¡°Phew.¡± Soonchan breathed a sigh of relief as if he could finally rest easy. ¡°Then where should we start from? Should we start from when you began your fight?¡± Soonchan skipped through the test VOD using the remote. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°¡­Why? Should we start 10 minutes earlier then?¡± Adella looked at Soonchan as if she were looking at something strange. ¡°No. We have to start from the beginning.¡± ¡°¡­From the beginning?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You mean watching the entire VOD?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­Why?¡± Soonchan asked with a genuinely scared expression. ¡°That way the analysis will be more reliable. There might be something that we need feedback on that¡¯s not our fight.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Soonchan has his mouth half opened as he looks at me while laughing dejectedly. He looked like he was asking for my help. As if pleading with me to say something. That expression of his was pretty funny. Unfortunately, he chose the wrong person to ask for help. ¡°Of course, we should watch from the beginning.¡± Because I agree with Adella. The three of us decided to gather together to give each other feedback using our collective intelligence. If we watch only that short fight, then it¡¯s useless. We have to thoroughly analyze it from the start. ¡°¡­I¡¯m beat¡± Soonchan despaired. ¡®Why did I agree to come?¡¯ That was what he seemed to be thinking. ¡°Turn it on already.¡± ¡°Time is gold.¡± Upon being grilled by both Me and Adella, Soonchan looked up to the sky and lamented. ¡°Ah. I should¡¯ve just washed my feet and hit the sack. What did I even come here for¡­¡± I could feel that his words were genuine. Exactly 14 hours passed like that. ¡°¡­Ah, I wish they would both just¡­ drop dead.¡± Soonchan has been asleep for a while. He rested his head on the desk as he drooled away. He cursed me and Adella in his sleep. ¡°Ugh¡­ analysis¡­ Don¡¯t like.¡± It looked like he was having a nightmare. Looking at Soonchan like that, Adella covered her mouth and giggled. ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just too funny.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Well, Soonchan is pretty funny.¡± ¡® ¡®Yes. He¡¯s funny. And good-natured.¡± Adella casts a spell on Soonchan, who was suffering from a nightmare. One of the basic 1-circle magic spells: Sleep. At that moment, Soonchan¡¯s muttering stopped. He was freed from his nightmare by falling into a deep sleep. ¡±Honestly, I thought he would run off halfway through.¡± Since Soonchan kept complaining about why we had to do this. So it was natural to think that he would run off. ¡°Well, he¡¯s the type to constantly grumble but give it his all.¡± ¡°Yes. I was actually a little surprised. He had that good idea as well¡­¡± ¡°He thinks in the 4th dimension, so he¡¯s good at that kind of thing.¡± I¡¯ve also received a lot of help from Soonchan¡¯s sudden ideas and opinions. ¡°And¡­ He¡¯s a really good friend.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a friend that¡¯s almost too good for me.¡± I did hear that a friend who sticks by your side even when you have nothing is a true friend. Soonchan is that kind of friend. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± Adella suddenly apologized. ¡±What¡¯s this all of a sudden?¡± ¡°For not¡­ saying anything to you for a year.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± I was wondering what she was going to say. ¡°Why are you sorry for that? When I¡¯m the one responsible for that.¡± A year ago, when I was diagnosed. That day when my world felt like it had collapsed. Adella definitely tried to console me, but I was the one who rejected her. The reason was a bit complicated. And my self-esteem was hurt too. My mental state was a little¡­ No, a lot. ¡®She didn¡¯t go to France and stayed in Korea, just to try and defeat me. How could I face her when I¡¯m like this?¡¯ There were many reasons why I couldn¡¯t show my face to her. That¡¯s why I refused Adella¡¯s approach. In other words, I was the one who caused that awkward relationship between us. Adella has nothing to apologize for. ¡°And, all you did was not talk to me. I know you supported me a lot from behind the scenes.¡± The reason why the bastards like Baek Sahyuk didn¡¯t do all that much to me for the past year was that Adella was helping me in secret from behind the scenes. If it hadn¡¯t been for Adella, the year would probably have been a lot tougher. ¡°I¡¯m the one who has to apologize. And I also have to say thank you. So why are you the one apologizing?¡± ¡°¡­Just.¡± Adella laughed bitterly. ¡°As I watched the relationship between the two of you, I had a thought. I was wondering if it hadn¡¯t been the right idea to keep approaching¡­¡± It seemed like she had a lot to think about. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll say it again, but this isn¡¯t something you should apologize for. And of course, it¡¯s not something for you to regret.¡± A year of awkwardness was inevitable. It¡¯s not something to talk about now, a year later. ¡°And¡­¡± I swiftly raised my fist and struck Soonchan, who was sleeping on his stomach, on the back of the head. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to say something so embarrassing, do it when it¡¯s only the two of you. Don¡¯t say it in a place where some guy who¡¯ll remember it for a long time will hear it.¡± Soonchan raised his head stiffly ¡°¡­.What gave it away? I was even holding my breath properly.¡± Soonchan had been awake for a minute. ¡°What do you mean what gave it away? I knew because you were holding your breath.¡± His breathing didn¡¯t sound the same as a regular sleeping person¡¯s would. ¡°Wow. Are you some kind of murim master?¡± Soonchan clicked his tongue. Beside us, Adella seemed to be a little surprised. Her cheeks were a little red. She felt ashamed that she had brought up such an embarrassing story in front of Soonchan. ¡°Enough of that. Since you woke up, let¡¯s have a talk.¡± ¡°Huh? What talk?¡± Soonchan stretched as his neck made cracking noises ¡°A talk regarding my magic.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°¡­So suddenly? That¡¯s out of the blue.¡± Both their eyes had widened into circles. ¡°I think I¡¯ll have to team up with you guys for the Olympiad. So wouldn¡¯t it be beneficial to know about my magic if we¡¯re going to be a team?¡± Of course, I¡¯m not saying that I¡¯ll talk about the Bytenor style of magic. I¡¯m only going to tell them of magic, including interference, that I plan to use at the Olympiad. In order to win the gold medal with greater ease at the Olympiad. ¡°Can you explain in detail? I think I¡¯ve missed out on too much.¡± ¡°Look at this first. It¡¯ll be easier to explain.¡± I lightly revolved my mana. At that moment. Vrr-! A fusion of black and white swirled around my palm. ¡°¡­!¡± Adella jumped out of her seat in shock. ¡°¡­M-moonlight?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The magic that the Mystic Wi Clan boasted. ¡°This is my magic.¡± The magic with the moon attribute shone in my palm. Chapter 39 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 39 ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that your alteration magic can not only interfere with your own, but with other people¡¯s magic?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Holy moly¡­¡± Soonchan was truly astonished. ¡°And you also have magical eyes that can see your opponent¡¯s magic formula?¡± ¡°Yeah. Though there is a condition where I have to check it up close several times. But if all the conditions are met, I can read the magic formula perfectly.¡± ¡°Wow, shit.¡± Soonchan chuckled in disbelief. ¡°You can¡¯t believe it?¡± ¡°Nope. I¡¯ll believe you. Of course, I¡¯ll believe you. You even showed me you using the moonlight bullet, so obviously I have to. But this is really wow¡­ This magic efficiency is absurd.¡± Soonchan lost his words again and exclaimed, ¡®Wow, shit.¡¯ ¡°Even if I think about it again, it doesn¡¯t make sense. How can such magic exist?¡± ¡°Well, apparently it does.¡± It¡¯s only natural for Soonchan to be surprised. My magic is that overpowered. ¡°¡­I¡¯m genuinely speechless.¡± Soonchan clicked his tongue. Adella, who had been quietly lost in thought, opened her mouth. ¡°So the way you pierced the emerald turtle¡¯s shell was¡­¡± ¡°I lowered the strength of the barrier surrounding its shell by interfering with it. I don¡¯t need to explain how I changed the trajectory of your moonlight bullet, do I?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, you don¡¯t.¡± Her entire face, including her cheeks, were redder than usual. It was the expression that said she was seized with interest in my magic. ¡°Is the condition for using your interference magic perhaps understanding 100% of your opponent¡¯s magic formula?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°¡­So that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t use interference magic from the beginning. Only now the mystery is solved.¡± ¡°Yeah. At that time, I hadn¡¯t fully understood the magic formula of the moonlight bullet.¡± ¡°So attacking you only with my moonlight bullet actually turned out to be the cause of my downfall.¡± ¡°Yeah. If you had put pressure on me by using other magic as well, it¡¯d probably have been a lot tougher.¡± Adella put her index finger and thumb on her chin and nodded. She must be replaying the previous battle in her head. ¡°Does it have any other weaknesses?¡± ¡°Well, the calculations are tricky, so I can only interfere with magic that¡¯s come up to my palm? And in practice, I don¡¯t have enough time to calculate everything, so I can only change a spell¡¯s trajectory.¡± If like with the emerald turtle, I had more time to work with, I could cast my interference with more depth. But at my current level, I¡¯m only able to change the trajectory. ¡°What about changing the trajectory of the magic 180 degrees and sending it back at the opponent?¡± ¡°No can do. As I said, I don¡¯t have enough calculation time.¡± There¡¯s a huge difference between changing the trajectory of a magic spell by 12 degrees and by 180. ¡°It¡¯ll need at least 1.5 seconds to do that.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s a bit unfortunate. If you were able to reflect their magic, it¡¯s versatility would be indescribable¡­ Though of course, even as it is now, it¡¯s more than overpowered.¡± Adella¡¯s eyes are getting brighter. Her expression said that she was enjoying herself. ¡°Then we should only use interference magic as a trump card in the tiebreakers and¡­¡± ¡°In siege warfare.¡± ¡±Yes. In those two matches, I¡¯m sure It will show a cheat level of efficiency.¡± Adella said this with an excited expression on her face. ¡°Are we the only ones who know that you can use the vision magic of an opponent that you¡¯ve observed?¡± ¡°Yeah. This is the first time I¡¯ve said anything about it.¡± ¡°Then we can use that as a trump card as well. Do you have any other hidden cards on top of that?¡± ¡°I do.¡± It was at that moment when Adella and I were excitedly talking about the Olympiad. ¡°Excuse me? You two?¡± Soonchan, with a puzzled expression on his face, cut our conversation by putting his hand between me and Adella. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for interrupting your fun conversation. But can you explain it in a way that I can understand?¡± His face seemed so confused, that it wouldn¡¯t be out of place for 10 question marks to be floating above his head. ¡°You¡¯re right. I only talked about the magic and didn¡¯t go into much detail about the situation.¡± I was so preoccupied with strategizing with Adella that I forgot. ¡°Firstly, Soonchan, we talked the other day, so you know what I¡¯m aiming for, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yeah. I know. You said your goal is to win a gold medal at the Olympiad.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you know that in order to win at the Olympiad, all the competitors have to combine their strengths, not just me.¡± ¡°Right? Since it¡¯s a competition with academies from each country participating.¡± The Olympiad is a team competition. There¡¯s a limit to what I can do alone. ¡°That¡¯s why I told you two about my magic. I have to figure out my team in advance so that I can prepare for the Olympiad.¡± My alteration magic has already been revealed. And though people are still uncertain about my interference magic, once I use it at the Olympiad, it¡¯ll be revealed for certain. Also, the fact that I can analyze other people¡¯s vision magic and use it as well. These are magic spells that¡¯ll be revealed anyways once I use them at the Olympiad. All I did was let these two know of the magic that was going to be revealed in the future anyways. ¡°No, I get that. I¡¯m not that much of an airhead. That¡¯s not what I¡¯m wondering about.¡± Soonchan continued speaking with an ashamed expression. ¡°Why are you telling this to someone who won¡¯t even participate in the Olympiad? That¡¯s what I¡¯m wondering.¡± ¡°Huh? You weren¡¯t going to participate?¡± Adella tilted her head. ¡°How could I participate? I don¡¯t have the grades for it.¡± There are seven 3rd years and three 2nd years participating in the Olympiad. In other words, only the top 3 second year students can participate. However, Soonchan is not in 3rd place. That¡¯s why he¡¯s saying this. ¡°¡­Is that true? Aren¡¯t your grades good enough?¡± ¡±Are you really asking me that?¡± ¡°Yes. Aren¡¯t they?¡± Adella looks at me to get me to agree. ¡±They¡¯re good enough.¡± ¡°To be within the top 3? When I¡¯m in the top 10 at best?¡± Soonchan tilted his head with an expression that said he genuinely couldn¡¯t understand it. ¡°Usually, you¡¯re right. But, things in this world are never set in stone are they?¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± I smiled broadly. ¡°I¡¯m going to use the power of my clan to appoint you to participate in the Olympiad.¡± Soonchan was stunned. ¡°You want me to be a parachute*?¡± *(T/n: Korean idiom for getting in through contacts.) ¡°You won¡¯t be a parachute. Your skills are good enough to compete. And you¡¯ll have the most synergy with me.¡± ¡±Yes. Your grades in the first year were good. Nobody will say anything about it. The most they¡¯ll say is that you¡¯re a general admission student.¡± ¡°¡­Still. I don¡¯t think this is the play.¡± Soonchan looks at me with a serious expression. ¡°The person who was supposed to be competing did nothing wrong. I can¡¯t do something like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Adella¡¯s eyes widened slightly, as if surprised by Soonchan¡¯s words. ¡°¡­You¡¯re a really nice person.¡± Adella¡¯s smile was softer than usual. ¡°I told you he¡¯s a good kid. It¡¯s just a bit suffocating.¡± I laughed. ¡°I know it¡¯s stupid to turn down an offer like this. But I¡­¡± ¡°Oi.¡± I lightly punched Soonchan¡¯s chest. ¡°When did I say I would do anything illegal?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you would use your clan¡¯s power to slot me in the Olympiad?¡± He looks at me with an expression that says, ¡®Isn¡¯t that illegal?¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re making me out to be a bad person. Oi. Look Carefully.¡± I took out my phone and opened the current second year report card. ¡°This is the latest report card that I received in advance. Do you want to compare your results with the person that¡¯s in 5th place?¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this? There¡¯s only a 3 point difference?¡± The range in score from 5th place till 14th place isn¡¯t that large. ¡°And here. 3rd and 4th place aren¡¯t eligible for the Olympiad. You know why right?¡± ¡°Since they¡¯re both international students.¡± The Olympiad is a fair competition between academies as well as competition between countries. International students cannot participate in the Olympiad. ¡°Then how do you think the remaining place will be picked? Will 5th place compete?¡± ¡°Probably?¡± ¡°Nope. When the scores are this close, this will be settled with an internal examination.¡± ¡°So there¡¯s a high chance that a student with a powerful family will participate.¡± A student with a powerful family will participate. ¡°All I meant was that I was going to support you in this competition. I¡¯m not saying that I¡¯ll commit some atrocious, illegal act to get you in.¡± Since in the end, if a person with an influential family will be picked, I might as well even out the playing field. ¡°What? That¡¯s what you meant?¡± ¡°Yeah you dumbass.¡± I quickly grabbed Soonchan¡¯s head and put him in a headlock. ¡±Hey, it hurts! It hurts! Mr Hayul? Teacher? I¡¯m dying! Dying!¡± ¡°Did you really think I would have given you a proposal like that even though I know your personality?¡± ¡°I¡¯m dying! Dying!¡± Soonchan urgently hit my forearm. Ah, I must¡¯ve used too much strength. I immediately released the headlock. ¡°What kind of mage has this much strength¡­¡± Soonchan pressed down on both sides of his head, and glared at me with a look of resentment. ¡°Anyway, you get it now right?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. My bad. I misunderstood.¡± Soonchan smiled sheepishly. ¡°Then we can go back to what we were talking about, yeah?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. Sorry. Carry on.¡± Soonchan fell back and resumed his seat. I turned to Adella again. ¡°Where did we get to?¡± ¡°We stopped when I asked if we had any other hidden cards. And you said we did.¡± ¡°Oh, we got that far, huh.¡± I regained my memory. ¡°That¡¯s right. I have more cards that I¡¯ve got hidden.¡± ¡°What are they?¡± Adella¡¯s eyes twinkled. They twinkled in a radiant light full of both anticipation and excitement. ¡°4th circle magic.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry?¡± Adella¡¯s eyes, which were still wider than usual, grew even wider. ¡°I can only use it for 3 minutes, but in those 3 minutes I can use 4th circle magic as much as I want.¡± Resonance. My true lethal move, that I was unable to use in my fight with Adella yesterday as there were too many eyes watching. ¡°And by the time the Olympiad comes around, I¡¯ll probably be able to somewhat use 5th circle magic. ¡°5-5 circles¡­?¡± I could see Soonchan and Adella¡¯s startled rabbit-like expressions. ¡°Yeah.¡± In one and a half months, with the rate I¡¯m going at right now, I genuinely believe I¡¯ll be able to weave my fourth circle. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] After finishing the feedback on the battle survival test and talking about our plans for the future, I went back to my room. Though we still have a lot to talk about, everyone else seemed really tired, so we decided to get some rest and finish at a later date. They¡¯re probably sleeping like logs on their beds right now. Though of course, I have my master¡¯s robe. ¡°Mimir. I¡¯m back.¡± As soon as I returned to my room, I put on my master¡¯s robe again and headed straight to M¨ªmisbrunnr. ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± Mimir, who was lying on the sofa, yawned as she got up. ¡±You¡¯re later than expected. Did anything happen?¡± She got from her seat and approached me with a disheveled face. ¡°Did you by any chance not get first place?¡± Mimir, who was standing right in front of me, looked at me with eyes of suspicion. ¡®You didn¡¯t lose by any chance did you? The successor to the Bytenor style didn¡¯t show such shameful conduct did he?¡¯ That¡¯s what she seemed to be saying. ¡°Of course I was in first place.¡± ¡°So you won? That¡¯s fine then.¡± Mimir smiled contentedly. ¡°Then why are you so late?¡± ¡°Nothing much happened. I was talking with two of my friends.¡± ¡±What did you talk about?¡± ¡°What we talked about last time. That we have to win the gold medal. That¡¯s what we talked about.¡± ¡°Ah~ that thing you told me you had to talk to Adella and Ji Soonchan about?¡± ¡°Yup. That.¡± ¡°Ah ha.¡± Mimir nodded with an expression that said ¡®I see¡¯. ¡°But didn¡¯t you say that you wouldn¡¯t tell them about it till you mastered interference? Did you decide to let them know early?¡± ¡°No?¡± I took out the books I had been reading before the test and opened them again. ¡°You didn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Yeah. I told them at the time I had planned to.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Mimir tilted her head. It¡¯s an expression that says she couldn¡¯t understand what I was saying. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Then, soon, as if she had realized something. She exclaimed. ¡°Well, I had thought that might have been the case. But successor, have you by any chance mastered interference?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± I closed the book I was reading and put it back in its original place. I¡¯ll read this later. That¡¯s not important right now. ¡°¡­No way!¡± Then I approached Mimir, who had a completely shocked expression on her face and said this: ¡°Mimir. Could you get me some books on destruction?¡± ¡°¡­For real?¡± ¡°For real.¡± Destruction. It was time to take a step forward to achieving that and becoming a 3rd circle master. Chapter 40 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 40 Sunday night. I got a call from Kim Kangin. ¡ª I watched your test VOD. I was surprised. I never would have imagined that you would be able to defeat the emerald turtle alone. ¡°I was lucky.¡± ¡ª That alone was interesting enough. To think you would stand toe to toe with Adella who has reached her 4th circle! It was so interesting that I couldn¡¯t focus at all on my research that night. Haha! ¡°I¡¯m glad you liked it.¡± ¡ª Just how did you pierce the shell of the emerald turtle? No, that¡¯s important as well, but how did you bend Adella¡¯s magic like that? At first, I thought that it was a mana distortion field, but on closer inspection of the VOD, that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case¡­ Kim Kangin continued to constantly talk as usual. No, he seems to be talking more than before. I guess it means that my magic¡¯s gotten that much more interesting. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, but I can¡¯t tell you anything about my magic.¡± ¡ª Of course. If it was a tough question, you don¡¯t have to answer it. A mage has the right to keep their secrets. Kim Kangin laughed kindly. ¡ª I¡¯ll find information on your magic myself. Just as mages have the right to keep their secrets. Mages also have the freedom to observe and analyze the magic of others. Kim Kangin is confident that he can uncover the secrets behind my magic. ¡ª I can¡¯t wait to see your magic in person. ¡°Haha.¡± He has the world¡¯s best detection type magic eye, the ¡®Eye of Ruby¡¯. If he had the chance to observe my magic himself, he would at the very least learn about my Interference magic right away. Since his eyes would detect my mana sweeping into the opponent¡¯s magic formula. ¡ª Oh dear. I¡¯ve rambled on for far too long. I¡¯m sorry. Kim Kangin brought the pleasantries to an end and brought up the main topic. ¡ª I¡¯m calling you today because I have something to say to you regarding the production of the artifact. The artifact production. He¡¯s talking about the Elemental Magic Light I asked him to take care of. ¡°Is it good news? Or bad news?¡± ¡ª It¡¯s good news. Fortunately, it was good news. ¡ª All preparations are complete as of now. Production is scheduled to commence soon starting from tomorrow. ¡±Have you even finished choosing the accessory?¡± ¡ª Yes. We¡¯ve even fully completed the compatibility checks. Manufacturing artifacts is no easy task. For starters, it¡¯s difficult to individually select the materials that are compatible with the mana stone for the accessory. Especially when the mana stone is of high purity, it¡¯s even harder to pick out a suitable accessory material. You have to compare each of the selected materials one by one to see if there are any side effects that cause mana rejection. And then you must finetune the magic stone as well as craft it so that it is compatible with the selected materials. ¡°That was really fast wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡ª Yes, this took less time than usual. Considering the uniqueness of the Elemental Mana Light I had imagined that it would at least take 2 months. It took less than a month. There are only 2 possibilities as to how this happened. Either Kim Kangin was working his craftsmen to death or he had half-assed my artifact. ¡°Aren¡¯t you pushing yourself too hard? You can take it easy.¡± And knowing Kim Kangin¡¯s personality, there¡¯s no way he would go easy on the production of an artifact, so he was probably working his subordinates to death. ¡ª Haha. All of our master craftsmen are the types of people to lose their minds over a new mana stone. They wouldn¡¯t rest even when I asked them to take a break. ¡°Ah¡­¡± If they slaved away because they enjoyed it, then there¡¯s nothing much to say. ¡ª Anyways, regarding the artifact, there¡¯s nothing for you to worry about. As I said before, everyone¡¯s unbelievably passionate about it. Of course, as am I. I could tell 120% that Kim Kangin was enjoying himself. ¡ª I think you should look forward to it. ¡±Yes. I will.¡± Since Kim Kangin was that proud of that artifact, my already high expectations had risen slightly higher. ¡ª Then I¡¯ll end the call now. Talk to you later¡­ ¡°Oh, one second.¡± I halted Kim Kangin from ending the call. ¡ª Do we still have remaining business? ¡±Yes. I have something to ask you.¡± ¡ª Are you asking for a favor? Is this a favor for the cost of last time? The cost of last time. He¡¯s talking about the cost of the Blue Magic Tower benefiting from the arrest of Len Smith of the Black Magic tower, thanks to the information I provided. ¡°Well, that¡¯ll depend on your response to the favor.¡± ¡ª ¡­Indeed. What kind of extraordinary proposal have you come up with this time? I¡¯m already looking forward to hearing it. Kim Kangin¡¯s voice was filled with anticipation. ¡ª Let¡¯s hear it. ¡°I was wondering if the artifact craftsmen of the Blue Magic Tower could be dispatched as engineers for the Korean Olympiad team. ¡ª The Olympiad. Are you talking about the World Academy Olympiad? ¡°Yes.¡± ¡ª Please send my artifact craftsmen as engineers to the competition. Is that what you are asking? ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡ª That¡¯s a very sudden suggestion. Kim Kangin¡¯s voice grew an octave lower. ¡ª There¡¯s no way that you don¡¯t know the value of our craftsmen. May I ask how the Blue Magic Tower will benefit from that proposal? The Blue Magic Tower¡¯s artifact craftsmen are very expensive. Since I¡¯m asking for such expensive human resources for free, he was bound to react like that. ¡°The Blue Magic Tower would benefit through honor.¡± ¡ª Honor? ¡±Yes. The honor of creating the winning team of the Olympiad. The Blue Magic Tower will be able to obtain that honor.¡± ¡ª ¡­The winning team? ¡°Yes.¡± I then put all my strength into my voice. ¡°Because Korea will win the gold medal this Olympiad.¡± ¡ª ¡­That¡¯s amusing. Over the phone, I could feel traces of a smile in Kim Kangin¡¯s voice. ¡ª We¡¯ll continue this later. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] ¡±Yes. I¡¯ll be waiting. See you later.¡± After ending the call with Shin Hayul, Kim Kangin took a sip of the tea that had been left on the table. The tea had cooled down by the time the long phone call had ended. ¡°Should I brew you a new one?¡± Jung Suha, who was sitting in front of him, got up from her seat. Since the tea had gone cold, she offered to brew a new cup. ¡°No, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s fine.¡± Kim Kangin smiled and sat Jung Suha back down. Then, after taking a sip of the tea that had been cooled, he placed it back on the table. ¡°Then let¡¯s get back to the meeting. Sorry to keep you waiting for so long.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t worry. It doesn¡¯t bother me one bit.¡± ¡±Mm. Where did we get to?¡± He had been on the phone with Shin Hayul for so long that he had forgotten what they had last talked about. Kim Kangin quickly went through the documents and continued the conversation they last had. ¡°Uhm, Master of the Blue Magic Tower? Before we get back to the talk on manufacturing, can I ask you one thing?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious as to what kind of proposal Shin Hayul made to you.¡± Just what did Shin Hayul say to the Blue Magic Tower¡¯s master for him to genuinely consider Shin Hayul¡¯s request, even though being his main support in the Olympiad would be incredibly disadvantageous to the Blue Magic Tower? That was what Jung Suha was curious about. ¡°Nothing much. He just asked if we could send our master craftsmen as engineers.¡± ¡±Our master craftsmen?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s an unexpected request. What did he offer in return? Considering the preparation stage of the Olympiad is about one month and considering how expensive the human resources will be, it¡¯s bound to cost an astronomical sum.¡± Kim Kangin¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡°I don¡¯t know about money, but I was told that we would be paid in honor.¡± ¡°In honor?¡± ¡°Yeah. The honor of having created the winning team of the Olympiad.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry?¡± Jung Suha was confused. Following Jung Suha¡¯s unusual change in expression, Kim Kangin laughed. ¡°It¡¯s amusing, isn¡¯t it? Despite only being in his second year, he¡¯s discussing the Olympiad gold medal and is even confident that he¡¯ll win it.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Jung Suha quickly regained composure. Jung Suha, who was indeed the master of poker faces, instantly killed the expression on her face. ¡±Though if he does win the gold medal, the benefits will be immeasurable¡­¡± ¡°Right. Since we¡¯re a newly established magic tower, we do need a visible result like that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± However, Jung Suha¡¯s poker face immediately collapsed again upon hearing Kim Kangin¡¯s next sentence. ¡°So I said I would give it some thought before I accepted.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry?¡± Kim Kangin burst out laughing at Jung Suha¡¯s bewildered face. It was the first time in a while since she had gotten so flustered. ¡°Why¡­ Why did you give a proposal as absurd as that one such an answer?¡± ¡°It seemed fun.¡± The corners of Kim Kangin¡¯s lips slowly rose. Jung Suha put her hand to her forehead and sighed. ¡°¡­Your bad habits emerged again.¡± Kim Kangin¡¯s bad habit. His bad habit is that when a talented mage catches his eye, he¡¯ll help them out regardless of the outcome. ¡°Magic Tower Master. I sincerely advise that you reject the proposal. Taking the projects that the Blue Magic Tower are currently pursuing, we can¡¯t afford to dispatch our craftsmen.¡± ¡°Come on, now. No matter what I¡¯m like, did you think I would genuinely accept something so momentous without thinking it through?¡± Kim Kangin¡¯s smile broadened. ¡°There¡¯s a catch.¡± ¡°¡­A catch?¡± ¡°Yup. I asked him if he¡¯s that confident, that he should show me proof that he can attain the gold medal.¡± Even Kim Kangin cannot afford to accept such a momentous proposal just from his mood. So, he said he would agree to the proposal under a condition. ¡°What was the condition?¡± How would Shin Hayul show proof that he could win the gold medal? Jung Suha couldn¡¯t think of any way that he could. ¡°He said he¡¯ll beat a 5th circle mage 1 on 1.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Those words caused Jung Suha¡¯s poker face to completely shatter. ¡°He¡¯s going to defeat a f-fifth circle mage?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Kim Kangin shrugged and answered indifferently. ¡°You know how there are two 5th circle participants in this year¡¯s Olympiad? If he¡¯s going to bring up the gold medal then this much should be light work.¡± ¡°So you decided to fight with the 5th circle?¡± ¡°Yeah. It somehow ended up this way.¡± Mimir pursed her lips and plunged deep into thought. She seems to be asking herself if I¡¯m able to defeat a 5th circle mage. ¡°No matter how much I think about it, I don¡¯t think beating a 5th circle mage user is possible. What do you plan on doing?¡± ¡°Of course, I can¡¯t win now. I¡¯ve got 10 days before the fight.¡± ¡°I see. So in the meantime, you¡¯ll master Destruction and achieve victory is what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°Precisely.¡± ¡±Well. If you¡¯ve mastered Destruction, then it just might work¡­¡± Mimir nodded her head slightly with her mouth shut. ¡°But I reckon mastering Destruction in 10 days isn¡¯t going to be an easy feat.¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s going to be hard, but what other choice do I have? I have 11 days to submit my team for the Olympiad.¡± I must receive a definite answer within 10 days. ¡°But why are you going through so much work just to hire engineers from the Blue Magic Tower? Can¡¯t you just ask yours or Adella¡¯s clan for help?¡± ¡°No. Otherwise, there¡¯s no point.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°The Blue Magic Tower has the only craftsmen in Korea who can adjust and customize artifacts for the tournament according to the tournament rules.¡± ¡±The Blue Magic Tower, seems like they¡¯re pretty impressive?¡± ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re on a completely different level.¡± ¡±How much of a difference is there?¡± ¡±At least 10%.¡± Compared to the artifacts made by ordinary craftsmen, the artifacts made by the Blue Magic Tower perform at least 10% better. That¡¯s how different the Blue Magic Tower is. ¡°In that case, we definitely should get their support.¡± ¡°Right. Especially since it¡¯s a team fight, the performance of our artifacts will make all the more difference.¡± ¡°I understand. So, whatever happens, you¡¯ll have to become a 3rd circle master in 10 days then?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s why I¡¯m reading books on Destruction.¡± I pointed out the title of the book I was holding in my hand. ¡°When are you going to take the test on the 3rd page?¡± ¡°Well. I plan to enter after reading all the books you¡¯ve prepared for me. That¡¯s what you told me to do anyway.¡± The third test page has different conditions for entering. [When you think you¡¯ve perfected your Interference, activate the magic circle on page 214 and enter the third test¡¯s page.] That was written on the 81st page of Eadred¡¯s grimoire. ¡°But why has everything changed so much on the 3rd page¡¯s test?¡± The condition for entering the 2nd page¡¯s test was being a 2-circle master. But the requirement for entering the 3rd page¡¯s test is just to be a 3rd circle user. So I can enter despite not being a master. Why did the entry requirements change all of a sudden? ¡°It¡¯s a secret. It¡¯s no fun if you know in advance.¡± Mimir laughed. It was a wicked laugh that made me uneasy. ¡°When you enter, you¡¯ll have a hard time. That¡¯s all you need to know,¡± stated Mimir as she smiled. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. When you get to the third test¡¯s page, say hello for me.¡± ¡°¡­To who?¡± I doubt she¡¯s asking me to say hello to magic dolls like Alpha and Beta. ¡°Is someone you know waiting for me there?¡± I wonder if there¡¯s someone waiting there. ¡°Yup. There is.¡± ¡°¡­Mimir?¡± ¡°Just tell them that Mimir¡¯s doing well. You don¡¯t have to say much more. They¡¯ll know from that.¡± Mimir¡¯s expression seemed dreadfully sad. Chapter 41 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 41 Wednesday afternoon. All my classes have ended. ¡°There¡¯s nothing left to read right?¡± ¡°Yup. You¡¯ve read it all. With that, you¡¯ve read through all the books on Destruction.¡± During that time, I finished all the books on Destruction that existed in M¨ªmisbrunnr. ¡°How is it, successor? Did you get a bit of an understanding of Destruction?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± But quite literally all I did was read through it. I can¡¯t even understand half of what Destruction is about. ¡±I honestly don¡¯t understand it. I only vaguely understand its structure.¡± ¡°It¡¯s beyond your comprehension, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± What Mimir said hit the nail right on the head. The stage of Destruction was something that was escaping my understanding. It feels completely new. It felt like I was looking at calculus before having learnt how to add or subtract. ¡°It¡¯s only natural that you don¡¯t understand. Telling a human without wings to soar the skies by moving them is futile right? It¡¯s the same kind of thing. Since you haven¡¯t met the requirements, as you are now, you¡¯ll never understand Destruction.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good analogy.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Her analogy was accurate. Even if I¡¯m taught it in great detail or able to understand its structure, since I¡¯m effectively wingless, I¡¯m unable to understand it. That was what the stage of Destruction felt like. ¡°So you¡¯re saying the only way to meet that condition is to enter the 3rd test¡¯s page?¡± ¡±That¡¯s right. All the answers are on the page of the third test.¡± ¡°Could it be that the person you asked me to greet for you is the one who¡¯ll teach me Destruction?¡± Mimir had asked me for a favor. When I enter the 3rd page¡¯s test, I¡¯ll greet someone for her. In other words, Mimir¡¯s acquaintance is present on the third test page. So I wondered if it was Mimir¡¯s unknown friend who would teach Destruction to me. ¡®Unlike the other two tests, you can still enter the 3rd test without being a 3rd circle master. This only makes sense if it involves me receiving some sort of education rather than it just being a simple test.¡¯ And what¡¯s especially important is that the stage of Destruction is astronomically difficult. Without a proper teacher, I¡¯ll never be able to learn it. ¡°If you¡¯re curious, go inside. Since you¡¯ve read all the books, aren¡¯t you going to go inside?¡± ¡°¡­Is there perhaps some sort of restriction that prevents you from telling me about the 3rd page¡¯s test?¡± Mimir seemed to answer everything with reluctance, so I asked just in case. ¡°Nope. It¡¯s not a restriction.¡± ¡°Then what is it?¡± It¡¯s not a ¡®restriction¡¯. In other words, it¡¯s something other than a restriction. ¡°A promise.¡± ¡°¡­A promise?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Just what kind of promise did she make to the person waiting at the 3rd page¡¯s test? ¡°What did you promise?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say that. Since it¡¯s a promise between just the two of us.¡± Mimir faintly laughed. But she looked somewhat sad. ¡°Mimir¡­?¡± She was clearly smiling brightly, but it felt strangely heart-wrenching. She was also like this when she asked me to send them her regards. ¡®Who on earth is waiting at the 3rd test¡¯s page for her to act like this?¡¯ At this point, I was genuinely curious. Who on earth was waiting on the third test¡¯s page? Even if it¡¯s just because I¡¯m curious, I think I¡¯ll have to quickly head to the 3rd page¡¯s test. ¡±Are you going right away?¡± As if she had read the impatience on my face, she asked me if I was going to go right away. ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s my plan.¡± I put the book that I was reading back in place. ¡°The books you read. Even if you don¡¯t understand them, you remember everything right?¡± ¡°Of course. I remember everything to a T.¡± I tapped my temple with my index finger and laughed confidently. ¡°To be fair. Since you have the same constitution as Ray, there¡¯s no way you would¡¯ve forgotten it.¡± Mimir smiled. ¡°Then take care. And you remember my favor, right?¡± ¡°I remember. I¡¯ll be sure to give her your regards.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll leave it in your hands.¡± Mimir got up from her seat, which she didn¡¯t usually do, and walked up to the exit. ¡°Take care.¡± She put a fist on my chest and smiled faintly. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] On the top floor of the head office affiliated with the Magic Shin Clan that Shin Jihan had taken charge of. Shin Jihan was enjoying a banquet with the company executives. ¡°Haha! As expected, there¡¯s no one like you, director Shin Jihan. You got the contracts so easily!¡± ¡±There really is no one like you.¡± The executives smiled broadly as they flattered Shin Jihan. ¡°You praise me too much. I was just lucky.¡± ¡°Huhu. If you¡¯re able to get contracts just with the help of luck, then imagine how comfortable the world would be. It¡¯s not luck, it¡¯s your abilities.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! The representative¡¯s resourcefulness was amazing!¡± Shin Jihan succeeded in forming a partnership with a fairly large company in the United States. There were 30 others who were competing for this alliance, but Shin Jihan overcame all odds and secured it. The benefits that the company has gained from this are indescribable. ¡°At this point, it¡¯s not an exaggeration to call the director the next head of the Magic Shin Clan!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Considering what the director has accomplished so far, of course, that¡¯s the case!¡± And the benefits of the affiliate companies are soon to become the benefits of the Magic Shin Clan. Shin Jihan¡¯s position within the Magic Shin Clan was getting stronger. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to everyone¡¯s help. Thank you.¡± Shin Jihan bowed his head with a friendly smile. ¡°Oh! Director. There¡¯s no need for that. If you bow your head, we¡¯ll feel embarrassed.¡± ¡±We did nothing. There¡¯s no need for that.¡± The executives made a fuss. ¡°I just wanted to say that I¡¯m in your care for the future as well, so don¡¯t feel too burdened.¡± Shin Jihan said this with a bitter smile. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be in your care for the future as well.¡± ¡°Ah, but of course.¡± ¡±We¡¯ll follow you forever.¡± The executives laughed loudly. They¡¯ll follow Shin Jihan forever. That¡¯s what they were determined to do. ¡°The future of the Magic Shin Clan is very bright!¡± ¡±Of course. The youngest master is distinguishing himself as well.¡± ¡°Huhu. It¡¯s good news all around.¡± At that moment, Shin Jihan¡¯s friendly smile cracked slightly. ¡°Oh, I heard about that. He defeated the emerald turtle alone didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all. He even fought toe to toe with Adella Stuart, who¡¯s a 4th circle mage.¡± ¡°I luckily saw the VODs of the fight. Huhu. It was surprising. Had their faces been covered, I would have thought that it was a full-on magic fight between adults! Haha!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Every time the executives praised Shin Hayul, Shin Jihan¡¯s expression turned slightly colder. ¡±I can¡¯t even believe that he¡¯s incompatible with AI.¡± ¡°Could it be that once you¡¯re a genius, you¡¯re a genius for life? To think he could overcome such a hopeless situation. I¡¯m so proud.¡± From how they continued to talk about Shin Hayul, it seemed like the executives hadn¡¯t noticed the subtle changes in Shin Jihan¡¯s expression. It must¡¯ve been because as the banquet drew out, everyone got drunk. ¡°Seeing how all of Shin Jihan¡¯s siblings are so outstanding, the future of the Magic Shin Clan is in safe hands for the next 100 years! Haha!¡± ¡±That¡¯s to be expected. Obviously, it is!¡± Of course, their drunkenness isn¡¯t the only factor. The executives were 100% sure that Shin Jihan would be the next clan head. And so, they were genuinely happy that the only blemish of the Magic Shin Clan, Shin Hayul, had stopped being an eyesore and was benefiting Shin Jihan. ¡°¡­¡± Shin Jihan is well aware of this fact. He understood that they were only saying these things because they didn¡¯t consider Shin Hayul to be a rival. However, ¡®I don¡¯t like it.¡¯ Despite knowing all that, he did not like their conversations. ¡®The fact that Hayul¡¯s reputation is increasing within the family. It¡¯s very¡­ very unpleasant.¡¯ They probably don¡¯t see Shin Hayul as much of a threat. They probably think that even if Shin Hayul grows up, he still won¡¯t be able to reach Shin Jihan. But Shin Jihan doesn¡¯t have these same thoughts. As someone who remembered being horribly overwhelmed by a brother more than 10 years younger than him, Shin Jihan sees Shin Hayul as the most dangerous threat to his position.So hearing that Shin Hayul be praised was very unpleasant indeed. ¡°Director? Are you feeling unwell?¡± As if Shin Jihan¡¯s mood had been finally noticed, an executive cautiously spoke to him. ¡°Haha. No, I¡¯m fine. It might be because I had a bit too much to drink but I¡¯m feeling a bit dizzy. I¡¯ll take a step out and get some fresh air.¡± Shin Jihan desperately suppressed his displeasure and put on a friendly fa?ade. If he remained in this place for any longer, his fa?ade could break. And that would be awkward. ¡°Ah! If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll see you out.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about it. There are some things on my mind. Please enjoy the rest of the banquet. I¡¯ll go alone.¡± ¡°Ah yes. All right.¡± With those words, Shin Jihan left the banquet hall. Shin Jihan soon arrived at the terrace. He mumbled after taking a deep breath. ¡°¡­Hayul. This isn¡¯t going to work out.¡± He said this as he thought of Shin Hayul. ¡±As expected, with you here, I don¡¯t think I can be.¡± Shin Jihan¡¯s expression twisted bizarrely. [Eadred¡¯s grimoire, page 214] I placed my hand on the geometric magic circle that was similar to but more developed than the magic circles in the other two tests and circulated my mana. I had to detect and analyze the mana of the corresponding magic circle according to the principles of Interference. I perfectly matched my mana with the mana of the magic formula. ¡®Interference.¡¯ My mana started to interfere with the magic circle. And¡­ Flash! After Eadred¡¯s grimoire had lit up, for an instant, my vision turned black. ¡°¡­A forest?¡± I was standing in a forest I had never seen before in my life. ¡®What kind of tree is this big.¡¯ For starters. The trees are big. Abnormally big even. I can¡¯t determine their exact height because of the overgrown leaves, but they look to be at least as tall as a 50-floor building. ¡°Woah¡­¡± The view of the densely packed, 50-story tall trees that the forest provided was truly magnificent. Chirp chirp! I could hear the chirping of the mountain birds. My mind felt relaxed. I took a deep breath. The distinct scent of grass in the forest tickled the tip of my nose. It felt as if I was being rejuvenated. ¡®In any case, where am I?¡¯ The beautiful scenery was nice, being in nature was nice, and the rejuvenating feeling was nice as well. But what the hell had happened? ¡®I thought I would be put into a space of pure white like I was in the two other tests.¡¯ Why had I suddenly been transported to a forest? ¡®There¡¯s no guide either. And unlike before, I can¡¯t even hear my master¡¯s voice.¡¯ Did I make a mistake? No. There¡¯s no way that¡¯s the case. If I had made a mistake, I would have stayed in my room. It doesn¡¯t make sense for me to suddenly be transported into a forest. ¡®Then could it be that this whole forest is the page of the third test?¡¯ No, I doubt that. Making such a massive space in a book is impossible. Even for the Bytenor style of magic that transcends all common laws of reason, that¡¯s too much. ¡®I really don¡¯t know the reason.¡¯ The person whom Mimir has asked me to send her regards to was nowhere to be seen. What the hell did they expect me to do here? ¡®Aren¡¯t you supposed to at least tell me how to get out of here?¡¯ And at that moment, as I was stroking my chin with a serious expression. Thud! The ground trembled with a sudden explosion. ¡®An earthquake? No, it doesn¡¯t feel like it.¡¯ The tremors were fragmented. Thud! The explosions and tremoring repeated regularly. I imagined that a giant violently trampling on the ground would cause these kinds of sounds and tremors. Boom, boom boom! The sound was getting louder. Along with the sound, the vibrations were larger as well. ¡®Is something coming this way?¡¯ And at the very moment I had organized my thoughts and had slowly turned my head in the direction of the roar. All sounds suddenly disappeared. An unpleasant silence. And what emerged from that silence was: Crack! Bang! Giant trees the size of high-rise buildings snapped like twigs. Baaaaaaaaaaang-!!! A huge mouth. Reptilian, slit eyes on skin as lustrous as a crocodile¡¯s. Teeth that were as sharp as saws. That appearance. I¡¯ve seen it before in a book. ¡°A dr¡­ake?¡± A species of disaster that doesn¡¯t exist in the ranking index. The drake. ¡®Why is that thing¡­?¡¯ The monster which in the myths, razed a country to the ground, was staring me down. Chapter 42 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 42 The blood thirst emitting from the drake suffocated my entire body. I was being crushed by its indescribable pressure. Even if I tried to run away, my legs wouldn¡¯t move. Even breathing was difficult. It felt like this wasn¡¯t my body. Snarl¡­ The drake lightly snorted the breath from its nose. And with that light breath, the mana in the air swirled like it was caught in a vortex. The drake¡¯s breath passed through my body. ¡°Ugh!¡± Only its breath passed through me, but my entire body twisted. Unbearable pain as if my mana was flowing backwards. At that moment, I was once again convinced. ¡®This guy is a drake.¡¯ A monster that can create a mana storm just from exhaling from its nose. No monster is capable of this other than the drake. ¡°Huff, huff.¡± I desperately tried to fix my circle that had become a mess from the pressure of the drake¡¯s mana, as I gasped heavily for air. ¡®¡­Can I escape?¡¯ The option to fight didn¡¯t even exist. A species of disaster that isn¡¯t recorded in the ranking index: the drake. He¡¯s not a monster I can face right now. My only choice is to escape. ¡®No, it¡¯s impossible to escape as well.¡¯ But I soon realized that there was no point in fleeing. Since even if I tried to run away, my legs wouldn¡¯t move. The drake¡¯s bloodthirst prevented me from moving even a single finger. Even if I could move my legs, escaping from it would be impossible. ¡®With my speed, I won¡¯t be able to get away from it.¡¯ The moment that guy runs at me, it¡¯s over. ¡®¡­Hold on a second.¡¯ At that moment, I felt a strange feeling that something was out of place. ¡®That drake. Why doesn¡¯t it move any further?¡¯ The drake doesn¡¯t even think of coming any closer to me. Despite smacking its lips and drooling as if I were the finest meal, it doesn¡¯t come any closer. ¡®As if there¡¯s an invisible barrier right in front of him¡­¡¯ Although it wanted to come closer, it couldn¡¯t. That¡¯s what it seemed like. ¡°¡­Is there any reason why you can¡¯t come closer?¡± As I mumbled that. ¡°Excellent work.¡± ¡°!¡± A voice came from behind me. ¡±Your iron will not despairing until the end, even when such a monster was standing before you. Despite being in a situation where you could fall into panic, you didn¡¯t and kept your head cool.¡± A clear, pearl-like voice. Although I wanted to know who it was, I had no way of knowing. My body continued to not listen to me. ¡°You passed.¡± A hand touched my shoulder. And at that moment. ¡°You should be able to move now.¡± My body has regained its freedom. It was still a little shaky, but it was working fine. I turned my head to the unidentified woman who was speaking to me. And at that moment, my eyes widened. ¡°Hello.¡± Pure green hair that seemed to symbolize nature. A firm gaze that seemed to see through everything. An elegant smile that evoked all of the above. Ears that were about one and a half times longer than an average person¡¯s and a dreamy atmosphere. ¡°¡­A fairy?¡± She looked like the very definition of a fairy. The unidentified woman, who wore freedom like she wore clothes, smiled brightly. ¡°We¡¯ll talk in more detail after we get rid of that.¡± As she said that, she walked until she was in front of me and looked straight at the drake, which was baring its teeth at me. ¡°I commend you for not being blinded by your desires and not stepping into my territory.¡± She said this monotonously. But at that one phrase, all the hairs on my body stood up. ¡°I appreciate your patience, and so just this once I shall forgive you for making a mess of my garden. So¡­¡± The forest roared. The forest shook in anger as if sympathizing with her every word. ¡°Quietly go back to where you came from. You vestige of the fallen aristocracy. Otherwise¡­¡± A gale blew. A gust of mana with a green hue swirled around the drake. ¡°Your prayer today will return to nothing.¡± And in the next moment. The drake¡¯s entire body was being torn to shreds. ¡®¡­What did she do?¡¯ There wasn¡¯t even a sound. Only an afterimage remained as if something had passed through the drake. I then noticed that the drake¡¯s entire body was in tatters like a torn-up rag. ¡±There won¡¯t be a second warning. Leave.¡± Blood dripped from the drake¡¯s skin. Despite this, the drake didn¡¯t make a sound. It had no will to fight either. I could sense that it was just glad that it had been let off lightly. Thump, Thump. The drake turned away and rapidly faded off into the distance. The drake¡¯s skin, which was getting further away, regenerated in an instant. ¡®It really is a monster out of the ordinary.¡¯ Even though the wound would have been fatal had it been inflicted on a normal monster, the drake recovered from the wound as if it had been nothing. It truly did behave like a monster that wasn¡¯t recorded in the ranking index. ¡®But more importantly, who is that woman who effortlessly toyed with such a monster?¡¯ I slowly turned my gaze and looked at the woman. As if feeling my gaze, the woman smiled softly. Then she slowly looked me up and down. ¡°You genuinely do look like Ray¡¯s successor.¡± Then, after staring into my eyes for about 10 seconds, she smiled again. She smiled as if she was satisfied with something. ¡°¡­And you are?¡± ¡°Oh, come to think of it, I haven¡¯t even introduced myself properly yet.¡± The woman curtsied and greeted me elegantly. ¡°My name is Elena Roe Greenwood.¡± She continued to talk as she smiled. ¡°I¡¯m an archmage who was called the guardian of the forest and a long-time grateful friend of Ray¡¯s.¡± Her smile felt like the refreshing breeze of the forest. ¡°Nice to meet you. Successor.¡± [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] After that, I was guided by Elena to the small log cabin where she lived. ¡±Please help yourself. It¡¯s the herbal tea that Ray liked.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I took a sip of the tea that Elena had passed to me. ¡°¡­!¡± At that moment, my eyes suddenly became clear. My thoughts that were shaking my mind instantly calmed down. I drank the tea again. With each sip of tea, my thoughts became increasingly clear. Just like how a turbulent sea that was made violent by a typhoon calms down over the passage of time, my mind soon became relaxed. ¡°Thank you for the tea.¡± By the time I had drank all of the herbal tea, my mind was in an impossibly calm state. ¡°Did it suit your tastes?¡± ¡°Yes. It was the most delicious tea I¡¯ve ever had.¡± Drinking it made me realize that herb tea could taste like this. It¡¯s like I had just opened the door to a whole new horizon. ¡±I¡¯m glad you liked it. Would you like another cup?¡± ¡±Am I allowed another one?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Elena put down the teacup she was holding and picked up the teapot. The teacup was full, and the fresh scent of herbal tea tickled my nose. ¡±Thank you.¡± I sipped my tea again. Even though it was my second time drinking it, the emotion I felt was the same as the first time I had drunk it. ¡±Whew.¡± My head had become even clearer. I put the half-empty mug on the table. ¡°Have you calmed down now?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m embarrassed because I seem to have shown an unattractive side of myself.¡± ¡±Don¡¯t be. It was impressive enough to not fall in despair at seeing the drake. Weak people can even die when engulfed in fear.¡± Elena followed suit and placed her teacup on the table. ¡°That truly was a drake.¡± ¡°Yes. The king that rules this forest. The tyrant drake.¡± It was a drake, just as I had thought it was. ¡°Although it¡¯s the king of the forest, it doesn¡¯t even usually approach my territory. It seems like it couldn¡¯t help itself this time.¡± ¡°It couldn¡¯t help itself?¡± ¡°The highly dense, highly pure mana that you have is the finest food for a drake. Its appetite must have made it forget its fears for a moment.¡± ¡°¡­Its appetite. I see.¡± It was drooling. I think Elena is right. I sipped the tea again. My mind, which had got slightly anxious at the thought of the drake, instantly calmed down. ¡°Is there anything else you¡¯re curious about?¡± Elena grinned. It felt like her expression was asking, ¡®surely the drake¡¯s not all your curious about, right?¡¯ ¡°Can I ask more questions?¡± ¡°Of course. ¡°Where on earth am I?¡± Could this be a virtual space that existed in Eadred¡¯s grimoire? That¡¯s what I was most curious about. ¡°We¡¯re in a virtual world created with a large-scale magic circle that occupies pages 214 to 232 of Eadred¡¯s grimoire. The page of the third test.¡± ¡°Then this place is genuinely in the insides of a book?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡±But, it feels like we¡¯ve walked for 15 minutes after you got rid of the drake?¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Could a space this vast really exist inside of a book? Can that make sense? ¡°Then are you saying that the drake¡¯s also a fake that¡¯s made out of magic?¡± You¡¯re telling me that it was a mana doll? It can¡¯t be. The bloodlust emitted by that thing couldn¡¯t have come from a mere doll. ¡±Well. Strictly speaking, it¡¯s not a fake. But that doesn¡¯t mean it was real either.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± Neither fake nor real. It was an explanation that was hard to understand. ¡°This space is another world, made based on the records of the past. It¡¯s not real, but it¡¯s not fake either.¡± ¡°Records of the past? Another world?¡± Her explanation was difficult to understand. ¡°Mm¡­ Another world created by copying the entirety of the Greenwood forest that existed in the past. It might be easier for you to understand if you think of it as a cloned world.¡± ¡±A cloned world¡­¡± I processed her explanation for a moment. I think I might¡¯ve somewhat understood it. ¡°So basically, a world was created entirely based on the records of the past and then put into Eadred¡¯s grimoire. Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡±Yes. That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s absurd.¡± Creating a world is amazing in itself, but to even copy the records of the past as well. It¡¯s not like the world is a bunch of data in a game. So saying that the world was copy pasted is ridiculous. ¡°How is that possible?¡± Just what kind of magic was used and how was such magic used to allow something so absurd to be possible? ¡°Even I don¡¯t know the details. Because I did not inherit the Bytenor style.¡± Elena laughed bitterly. ¡°The only person who can understand this magic is Ray himself. And also you, the only successor to this magic.¡± ¡°¡­But, I can¡¯t even make sense of it, let alone understand it.¡± Elena covered her mouth and softly laughed. ¡°Obviously you wouldn¡¯t understand it now. I was just saying that later when you get to the level that Ray was at, you¡¯ll understand.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll understand it even if I reach the 9th circle¡­¡± I wonder if the day when I¡¯m able to comprehend this absurd magic will come. I honestly can¡¯t imagine it happening. ¡°You¡¯ll definitely be able to understand it.¡± Elena smiled tenderly. ¡°You¡¯re Ray¡¯s successor. The second legitimate heir to the Bytenor style of magic.¡± ¡°¡­Hm.¡± I don¡¯t know about that, especially since I can¡¯t make any sense of it whatsoever. Seeing my lukewarm reaction, Elena smiled broadly again. ¡°Then why did my master create this world?¡± I understand that this world¡¯s a copy world made by perfectly reproducing the records of the past. So, why would he make such a world? ¡°It¡¯s for me to teach you some magic.¡± ¡°What kind of magic?¡± At that moment, Elena¡¯s aura changed completely. Her friendly atmosphere disappeared without a trace, and an aura of intimidation took its place. ¡±It¡¯s a magic that¡¯s necessary in order to become a 3rd circle master and to master the stage of destruction.¡± Elena¡¯s eyes lit up. Elena¡¯s eyes, which were a green that was reminiscent of the forest, were now shining gold. Those eyes seemed to see through everything in me. ¡±The Bytenor style¡¯s very own eye that penetrates the essence of mana. God¡¯s eye.¡± Eyes that see snippets of the structure of magic as well as the color of mana. The Bytenor style seems to call this the God¡¯s eye. Elena¡¯s eyes shone in a brighter golden light. ¡°I was asked by Ray to awaken these eyes in you and that¡¯s how I came to exist like this.¡± Chapter 43 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 43 Inside the limousine that was driving along the Olympic main road, Kim Seokhyun was giving Shin Inhyuk a briefing. ¡°Neither young master Minhyuk nor young lady Minji seems to be that interested in young master Hayul.¡± Kim Seokhyun was ordered by Shin Inhyuk to protect Shin Hayul until the Olympiad. Today¡¯s briefing was related to that protection. ¡°And surprisingly, young lady Seha doesn¡¯t seem to be very interested either.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± It was very surprising. Shin Minhyuk and Shin Minji made sense, but to think that even Shin Seha had no interest in him. ¡°It seems that your order has had a large impact.¡± ¡°It looks like she was able to suppress that fiery temper of hers.¡± Considering Shin Seha¡¯s audacious personality, he had thought that there was a considerable possibility that she would cause harm to Shin Hayul, even if she had been ordered not to. His prediction was wrong. She seems to have at least grown mentally during this past year. ¡°Though it is true that young lady Seha¡¯s temper may have gotten slightly better, I believe rather than that, the reason she¡¯s not made any moves is that she knows that the shadows and myself are protecting young master Hayul.¡± ¡°That may be true.¡± Even Shin Seha knows about Baek Sahyuk¡¯s attack. The shadows were dispatched to cover up the incident. Shin Seha understood what the dispatching of the shadows meant. And from this, she would have confirmed that Kim Seokhyun and the shadows were protecting Shin Hayul. ¡°And finally, young master Jihan is maintaining the appearance that he¡¯s not concerned about Hayul at all.¡± ¡°¡­He¡¯s not interested?¡± ¡°Yes. It felt like he was somewhat on guard, but that was it. On the contrary, he seemed less concerned than young lady Seha was.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t monitor Hayul or anything like that either?¡± ¡±Yes. He did nothing of the sort.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so.¡± Since Kim Seokhyun was asserting this, it meant that Shin Jihan truly had no intention of doing anything to Shin Hayul. ¡°I¡¯ll continue to pay attention, but seeing how there was no action taken, at least till the end of the protection period, I suspect that none of them will make their move.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s how it seems.¡± Shin Inhyuk was in agreement with Kim Seokhyun. ¡®Not bad.¡¯ Shin Jihan and Shin Seha. Both seemed to be able to mask their private feelings with their public behaviour. They both seemed to have grown this past year. ¡°Is that the end of the report?¡± Shin Inhyuk asked with sharp eyes. Shin Inhyuk had asked Kim Seokhyun to investigate more than just that. The most important thing was yet to come. ¡°¡­¡± Kim Seokhyun rechecked the soundproofing panels between the driver and the back seats of the limousine. ¡°Finally, I¡¯ll report on whether there is anyone in the family who had communicated with the Black Magic Tower.¡± Shin Inhyuk had become suspicious after the Len Smith and Baek Sahyuk incident. Why would Len Smith move at that time? ¡®Of all occasions, why would he try to do something on the test that Shin Hayul started to stand out?¡¯ ¡®Perhaps Len Smith¡¯s target was Shin Hayul.¡¯ ¡®Was it just a coincidence that Baek Sahyuk attacked Shin Hayul?¡¯ ¡®Could the fact that Baek Sahyuk was armed with an IL chip and berserker, which were essentially evidence of the Black Magic Tower¡¯s involvement, also be a coincidence?¡¯ ¡®If it¡¯s not a coincidence, If these two events were not separate, but one.¡¯ ¡®It could be the case that the Black Magic Tower received a commission from someone to harm Hayul.¡¯ ¡®And if someone did commission the Black Magic Tower to harm Hayul, then there was a 10 to 1 probability that person was from the Magic Shin Clan.¡¯ It¡¯s not all that likely, but it did involve the Black Magic Tower. And if the fact that someone from the Magic Shin Clan had been involved in such misconduct were to be revealed, then the reputation of the Magic Shin Clan would be utterly destroyed. And that¡¯s why Shin Inhyuk had Kim Seokhyun investigate the members of the Magic Shin Clan. Assuming that the 1 in 10,000 probability was the case, it was an extreme measure taken to avoid the worst-case scenario. ¡°For starters, we¡¯ve completed the investigation of the 32 people, including the elders and the high-ranking executives from each of the affiliates, who were unhappy with young master Hayul.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡±They¡¯re at least clean from the Black Magic Tower.¡± Among the 32 people investigated this time, there were none who had been involved in such communications. ¡°It sounds like they¡¯re not clean from things other than communicating with the Black Magic Tower.¡± ¡±Yes. You hit the nail on the head.¡± Kim Seokhyun took out a pile of documents from his briefcase. ¡°Out of the 32, 5 of them are fishy. If this gets any worse, the hyenas may take notice.¡± Shin Inhyuk swiftly read through the document. Indeed, Kim Seokhyun was right to call them fishy. ¡°It seems that it¡¯ll be best to dispose of them.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡± That¡¯s what Shin Inhyuk was thinking of doing regardless. These executives have crossed the line quite a bit. If they were free to do as they pleased any longer, then they were sure to stain the name of the Magic Shin Clan. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of these 5 myself. You continue with your investigation.¡± ¡°Yes. Understood.¡± ¡°And also¡­¡± Shin Inhyuk¡¯s eyes shone sharply. ¡°Continue keeping an eye on Jihan and Seha.¡± ¡±Yes. I¡¯ll do just that.¡± [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] After that, I was led by Elena to a nearby vacant lot. I was here so that Elena could fulfil her duty and teach me about the ¡®God¡¯s eye¡¯. ¡°Oh my. You¡¯ve met Mimir already?¡± While I was gently stretching, I realized all of a sudden that I had forgotten to relay Mimir¡¯s message. Ever since the drake appeared, I was so out of it that I had completely forgotten. ¡°Yes. Mimir asked me to tell you that she¡¯s doing well.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so? It¡¯s a relief that she¡¯s doing well.¡± Elena smiled bitterly. She reacted similarly to when Mimir asked me to send Elena her regards. It was clear that the two of them had a bit of a story. ¡°Thank you. I got to hear some good news thanks to you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. All I did was relay her message to you.¡± I didn¡¯t do anything worthy of her gratitude. ¡°Speaking of which, if you met Mimir already, then you should have known about the Greenwood forest and about myself in advance¡­¡± Elena put a palm on one of her cheeks and tilted her head as if it were strange. Her expression said that she was wondering why I had been so surprised. ¡°¡­I wasn¡¯t told.¡± ¡°Huh? Did Mimir not tell you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Had I known, I wouldn¡¯t have been so surprised. ¡°She said that you two had a promise together and wouldn¡¯t tell me anything about it.¡± Promise. The moment that two-syllable word came out, Elena¡¯s complexion darkened. ¡°Seems that she remembered that promise. However, I can¡¯t keep that promise anymore¡­¡± She looked as if she were regretting something. ¡°Miss Elena?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve ruined the mood haven¡¯t I.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s a relief.¡± Elena smiled broadly again as if she had never been gloomy. Like a flower that had fully bloomed. ¡°By the way, seeing how Mimir told you about the promise, it seems like she¡¯s quite fond of you.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± She said this out of the blue. Mimir¡¯s fond of me? ¡°Is that not true?¡± ¡±Well. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re on bad terms¡­¡± In fact, we¡¯re actually on pretty good terms. ¡°Right?¡± Elena smiled as if saying ¡®I told you so¡¯. Now that she¡¯s being like this, it¡¯s concerning me even more. ¡°Just what did you promise each other?¡± Since it was a private matter and they both reacted negatively, I tried my best not to ask, but I can¡¯t hold it in anymore. I¡¯m too curious. Though I think that there¡¯s probably a high chance that she won¡¯t answer me, I just had to ask. ¡°It¡¯s just a little matter.¡± ¡°¡­As expected, it¡¯s a secret.¡± As expected, I didn¡¯t get an answer. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a promise just between the two of us. We can¡¯t even tell Ray, let alone you.¡± As if reminiscing about the past, Elena smiled faintly. ¡°Then, what¡¯s your relationship with Mimir?¡± ¡°She¡¯s my friend.¡± ¡°Your friend¡­¡± Mimir and Elena are friends. Elena introduced herself as Ray¡¯s appreciative friend and a real person of the past. ¡°So that means that Mimir is someone who actually existed in the past like yourself?¡± Elena seemed a little surprised at my words. ¡°¡­She hasn¡¯t even told you that. Wow¡­ That¡¯s very like her.¡± Then she laughed bitterly again. Her laugh felt slightly different to before. Perhaps it could be described as the bitter laugh of a mother who saw her child behave immaturely. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, successor, but I don¡¯t think I can answer that question. I can¡¯t expose a secret that my friend is keeping from you.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re telling me to hear from Mimir directly.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I had no intention of forcing an answer out of her. ¡°Anyways, thank you. Thanks to you discovering Mimir¡¯s tome so early, I was able to hear a word of that child for the last time.¡± Elena thanked me again. ¡°As I said before, I didn¡¯t do anything worthy of your gratitude. I luckily happened to find Mimir¡¯s tome.¡± ¡°Oh my. Then I should thank the successor for his fortune.¡± Elena covered her mouth and laughed playfully. It seemed like her mood had gotten a lot better than before. Her smile even cheered me up. ¡°I¡¯ll repay you for this by training you on how to use God¡¯s eye.¡± ¡°Ah, in that case, thank you. Please give me the toughest training possible.¡± Training has to be tough for it to be good. Yep. ¡°You¡¯re just like Ray. Even in that regard, you¡¯re the same.¡± Elena giggled. ¡°Then, as requested, I¡¯ll make the training tough. Brace yourself.¡± Elena laughed. Her smile made me a bit anxious. ¡°Then could you come over here and sit with your back facing me?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I sat down on the tree stump that Elena was pointing to. Elena put her hand on my back and breathed her mana into me. Elena¡¯s mana instantly became one with my Infinity Circle and circulated inside my body. ¡°First, I¡¯ll explain some things about God¡¯s eye. You know nothing about God¡¯s eye do you?¡± ¡±Yes. It was my first time hearing that my eyes were called God¡¯s eyes.¡± The term God¡¯s eyes hadn¡¯t appeared anywhere in either Mimir¡¯s tome or Eadred¡¯s grimoire. ¡°You¡¯ll be able to find information on God¡¯s eye when you reach the 4th circle in Mimir¡¯s tome.¡± ¡°When I reach the 4th circle?¡± My God¡¯s eyes were awakened at the 3rd circle but information on it is only revealed when I¡¯ve reached my 4th? ¡±Yes. Ray figured that since I was at the page of the 3rd test anyways, he might as well not include any information on God¡¯s eyes.¡± ¡°¡­Was it necessary to remove all the information?¡± Elena seemed slightly angry. ¡±He said that if the successor somehow learns how to use God¡¯s eyes on his own, then I would have nothing to do. Funny isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her expression said that she didn¡¯t find it funny at all. Her pride seemed a little hurt as well. ¡°Aside from that, there was also the problem that there was simply too much information to store.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± That¡¯s what Mimir had said. Eadred¡¯s grimoire contained only a summary due to the sheer volume of information that it contained. Elena¡¯s words matched what Mimir had said. ¡°Oh. We¡¯ve gone off topic.¡± Elena focused on the infinity circles in my body again. ¡°Anyway, God¡¯s eyes and the infinity circles are the foundations of the Bytenor style and allow for greatness. It has the trait of progressing as your infinity circle does.¡± Elena¡¯s mana, which was circulating around my body, began to gather at my head, or more specifically my eyes. ¡°God¡¯s eyes have the power to see through the essence of mana. At the first circle, you can see the color of the mana. At the second circle, you can see snippets of the structure of the magic formula.¡± Elena simultaneously moved her hand away from my shoulder and placed it on my eyes. My eyes were closed and darkness carpeted my vision in an instant. ¡°And at the 3rd circle, you can see right through the essence of magic.¡± ¡±The essence of magic¡­¡± ¡°And for that, you¡¯ll have to be able to see mana at will.¡± Mana seeped into my retina. Even the slightest of light that was visible through Elena¡¯s fingers disappeared completely. ¡°The mana that you¡¯ll be able to see with God¡¯s eyes is a 6th sense that has nothing to do with sight. And in order to awaken that 6th sense, it¡¯s necessary to completely seal your other senses.¡± Elena removed her hand from my eyes. But despite this, all I could see was complete darkness. Even when I blinked, nothing happened. ¡°How is it? You can¡¯t see anything right?¡± ¡°¡­What kind of magic is this?¡± Vision-blocking magic such as Darkness Blind work by literally casting darkness in front of the opponent¡¯s eyes. So basically, instead of doing anything to the eye directly, it¡¯s kind of like placing an eyepatch over their eyes. However, Elena¡¯s magic didn¡¯t feel like something was covering my eyes. It felt like I had genuinely gone blind. ¡°I blocked the nerves in your eyes using my mana. Since vision blocking magic cannot truly block your sight.¡± ¡°The nerves in my eyes¡­ You blocked them?¡± I had never even heard of such magic. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be so surprised at that. We haven¡¯t even got started yet.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°I told you before, didn¡¯t I? God¡¯s eyes are a 6th sense different from the other 5. When training your 6th sense, your other senses are just a hindrance.¡± At that moment, my entire body felt uncomfortable. As if this body wasn¡¯t my own. Even when I touched my skin with my fingers, I couldn¡¯t feel anything. ¡°I¡¯ve removed your sense of touch.¡± I then couldn¡¯t smell anything. The fresh smell that filled the forest soon became odorless. ¡®¡±After removing your sense of smell, I¡¯ll remove your sense of taste.¡± Nothing much changed when she removed my sense of taste. But I¡¯m sure it has gone. ¡°Finally.¡± My sense of hearing. I couldn¡¯t hear her say it. Before I could, all sounds disappeared. ¡®Am I¡­ Even alive right now?¡¯ A world where all my senses were gone. It was truly like death. Chapter 44 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 44 A world where my five senses were gone. Because I have no sight, there¡¯s nothing to see and because I can¡¯t hear, there¡¯s nothing to hear. My sense of touch has gone, so I can¡¯t tell whether I¡¯m sitting or standing. And because I¡¯m lacking my sense of smell and the sense of taste, I can¡¯t feel any external stimuli whatsoever. ¡®Is my body even functioning normally?¡¯ ¡®Am I alive?¡¯ It¡¯s scary. An indescribable sense of fear filled my head. A completely suffocating prison, where I can neither see, hear, nor touch. ¡®Am I standing right now? Or am I slumped on the floor?¡¯ ¡®Am I holding my head up?¡¯ I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m doing right now. I¡¯m even doubting whether my heart is beating properly. If it was beating properly, then it would definitely be racing like a freight train. ¡®It¡¯s scary.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m afraid.¡¯ Is this what one feels if they were left alone in the deep sea? Is this what one feels if they were to be isolated in space? No, I can assure you of this. This is way worse. ¡®I¡¯m in hell.¡¯ I¡¯ve lost my senses. I¡¯d imagined what it would feel like, but I had never thought that it would be this bad. I have no idea how I¡¯ll train in this state. I¡¯m getting pointlessly angry at Elena, who left me in this state without giving me a proper explanation. ¡®¡­Whew.¡¯ But that anger soon dissipated. ¡®This is the training.¡¯ Giving it some thought, I realised that this wasn¡¯t something to get angry over. A groundbreaking method of training that erases the five senses and forces me to focus only on my 6th. This kind of training wouldn¡¯t be possible without Elena. Rather, I should be grateful to her. ¡®Let¡¯s do this.¡¯ Elena told me this already. That the God¡¯s eyes¡¯ ability to see mana is a 6th sense that had nothing to do with the other five. That means that even in this darkness, I¡¯ll be able to see mana. Eyes that see mana. A sixth sense. I remembered the time I had looked at the color of mana. I remembered the time I saw the snippets of the magic structure. Back then, how did I see mana? Back then, how did I read the magic formula? ¡®It¡¯s scary.¡¯ Fear gnawed at my concentration. But I tried my best to relive that moment. I suppressed my fear and strengthened my will. ¡®I¡¯m in a forest.¡¯ ¡®Only my senses have disappeared, I¡¯m still alive.¡¯ ¡®If I¡¯m alive, there¡¯s nothing to fear.¡¯ I took a deep breath as I reassured myself. Though I couldn¡¯t tell whether I had taken a deep breath or not, judging by how I felt a bit better, I probably had. ¡®See the mana.¡¯ Feeling slightly calmer, I tried to recall the past. The day I first saw mana. I would never forget that vivid red. ¡®That beautiful red.¡¯ ¡®That gentle yellow.¡¯ ¡®That warm green.¡¯ ¡®That cozy blue.¡¯ What colors had the mana been? I suppressed the steadily creeping fear and recalled the feeling of mana. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] ¡°¡­¡± Elena was in shock at this very moment. ¡®I was going to uncast the magic after just giving him a little taste¡­¡¯ Shin Hayul¡¯s five senses were supposed to have been unsealed immediately. Elena, who had felt this magic before, knew better than anyone how suffocating a world without the five senses was. By the first minute, a person goes crazy, by the second they think of death and by the third, they¡¯ll have killed themselves. That was how those who have their five senses sealed meet their end. ¡¯10 Seconds. I planned to give him a 10-second taster of how it felt and afterwards I was going to start the training after suppressing his trauma with the forest¡¯s magic¡­¡¯ The forest¡¯s magic that Elena uses has the effect of purifying the mind and body of the user. Once you get to Elena¡¯s level, it¡¯s possible to eliminate the patient¡¯s trauma. That¡¯s why Elena chose to seal Shin Hayul¡¯s five senses without saying so much as a word. Because that was the only way he would experience the trauma and that was the only way he would be able to overcome it. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Elena burst out laughing again. ¡®At this rate, he won¡¯t even need the forest¡¯s magic.¡¯ Although as if possessed by fear, his body was trembling and cold sweat was pouring like rain. Shin Hayul was still fine. ¡®Three minutes have passed¡­¡¯ Even after enough time has passed for an ordinary person to choose suicide, Shin Hayul had not lost his mind yet. ¡®In fact, he¡¯s getting used to it.¡¯ As time increases, the fear should increase twofold, but Shin Hayul was actually getting used to it. Although he would have had no idea as to whether he was taking deep breaths or not, every time he did, his breathing was getting under control. ¡®Impressive.¡¯ And as his breathing steadied, his circle was beginning to spin as normal. ¡®But it¡¯s not over yet. The fear of your five senses being sealed cannot be expressed in words.¡¯ Elena suppressed her admiration and focused on Shin Hayul¡¯s condition. The fear of having your five senses sealed is strong enough to turn people into madmen. However, Elena¡¯s alertness began to fade as time went by. ¡®At this point, he really won¡¯t need the forest¡¯s magic.¡¯ 10 minutes. 20 minutes. Even though such a large amount of time had passed by, Shin Hayul showed no sign of losing his mind. He wasn¡¯t even trembling anymore. Shin Hayul had entered a state of complete calm. ¡®Even though he¡¯s Ray¡¯s successor¡­¡¯ To think he would overcome the training in such a composed fashion. ¡®Did Ray know that this would be the case?¡¯ The only reason that Elena cast the ¡®5-sense sealing magic¡¯ was that Ray had asked her to. Had Ray not asked for it, Elena would never have used such dangerous magic for the purpose of training. ¡®Very impressive.¡¯ At that moment. ¡°¡­You¡¯re listening right?¡± Suddenly, Shin Hayul opened his mouth. ¡°If you¡¯re listening, could you please unseal my senses?¡± His voice was calm as if all his fear had now been forgotten. Elena quickly released the seal. His senses returned to their original state in an instant. ¡°¡­Whew. I feel like I can breathe now.¡± Shin Hayul got up from his seat, moved his body here and there, and breathed a sigh of relief. He felt infinitely grateful that his body was normal. ¡°¡­¡± Elena gaped slightly as she watched Shin Hayul stretching so casually. How could he be so carefree? ¡°A-are you okay?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m not okay at all.¡± Shin Hayul continued to stretch as he answered sensibly. ¡°A world where the five senses are sealed¡­ Just thinking about it again makes my body tremble.¡± ¡°But you overcame it didn¡¯t you? How did you overcome it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s not much to it is there? I frantically brainwashed myself by reminding myself that this was safe training.¡± Self brainwashing. That played a major role in defeating the initial fear. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have overcome that fear with just that alone¡­¡± ¡±Yes. So I almost gave up. But then I suddenly thought of this.¡± After finishing stretching, Shin Hayul stood up and looked right at Elena. ¡°That at the very least, it¡¯s better now than it was a year ago.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry?¡± Shin Hayul smiled bitterly and looked up at the sky. ¡°One year ago. The day I lost everything. I feel much better now than I did in that darkness full of despair I felt that day.¡± ¡°You felt better¡­ with your five senses sealed?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± That day when Shin Hayul was determined to be incompatible with AI, the day he lost everything. Compared to the despair of that day, perhaps it was better now. Shin Hayul had thought that all of a sudden. ¡°Since my five senses being sealed is just an ordeal that allows me to take a step forward. Compared to a year ago, when I had lost everything and was rotting away day by day, wandering the abyss in despair, it¡¯s a lot better.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Elena was speechless. Just what must have happened a year ago for him to say this? Just how much despair must he have felt a year ago for him to say that having his five senses sealed was better? ¡°You don¡¯t have to look at me like that. It¡¯s all in the past anyway.¡± Shin Hayul laughed and moved on, saying that it was all in the past anyways. ¡°More importantly, Elena. I¡¯ve succeeded.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Wait what?¡± Elena, who had been preoccupied with Shin Hayul¡¯s past and had answered half-heartedly, was startled. ¡±Succeeded?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Could it be¡­ that you saw mana?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shin Hayul smiled as if nothing in the world could make him happier. ¡°The mana around here is very kind. I wonder if they¡¯re being influenced by you.¡± ¡°They¡¯re¡­ kind¡­¡± These words were very emotional for Elena. ¡°I never thought I would hear that again.¡± ¡®Elena. The mana around you is always kind. I wonder if it¡¯s because they resemble you?¡¯ Ray Vell Bytenor. As she recalled her meeting with him, Elena smiled happily. ¡°I¡¯m back!¡± ¡°What¡¯s this? You came back very quickly.¡± As I entered M¨ªmisbrunnr, Mimir, who was lying on the sofa, as usual, greeted me. ¡°Yeah. I have to go to school tomorrow so I came out a little early.¡± Mimir got up from the sofa and sat down. I sat down next to her. Mimir looked here and there at my face. Then she asked, ¡°Have you really come back from training?¡± With a doubting expression on her face. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way that¡¯s true. There¡¯s no way you would be fine after receiving that training.¡± The doubt on her face grew even more. As if she was questioning whether I even stepped into the 3rd test¡¯s page at all. ¡°I genuinely did. Why would I lie about that? I went into the Greenwood forest, met Elena and then received training where I had my five senses sealed. Okay?¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Mimir soon accepted it. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that you¡¯re fine even after going through the training where your five senses were sealed?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°¡­Did Elena go easy on you because she felt bad? Or maybe the forest¡¯s magic worked really well?¡± Mimir put her finger on her chin and muttered. ¡°I haven¡¯t even received the forest¡¯s magic though?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Mimir¡¯s eyes widened. ¡±You didn¡¯t get your trauma treated?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I didn¡¯t get any trauma?¡± ¡°¡­You weren¡¯t traumatized after having that crazy magic cast on you?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°How?¡± Mimir asked as if she genuinely couldn¡¯t understand. ¡±Well. Basically¡­¡± I repeated to her exactly what I had said to Elena. I would have thought that Mimir would have responded by saying, ¡®Ah, so that¡¯s what happened.¡¯ ¡°¡­That happened a year ago?¡± But she responded very unexpectedly. ¡°Oh, now that I think about it. I haven¡¯t told you anything about what happened a year ago. Yeah, that kind of thing happened.¡± I¡¯d thought that I definitely had told her, but it turns out that I hadn¡¯t. Well, I guess it¡¯s enough that I¡¯m telling her now. ¡°You must have gone through a bit.¡± ¡°A bit?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Mimir¡¯s responses were strange. Considering Mimir¡¯s personality, I would have thought that she would have swiftly moved on, saying that it was all in the past. But her expression was somewhat serious. What was even weirder was how she was pretending that nothing was wrong when she spoke. ¡°Anyways, let¡¯s just say that you somehow overcame it. How did your training go? God¡¯s eye. Do you think you¡¯ll be able to achieve it in the time that you have left?¡± Mimir, who soon returned to her usual cheerful self, asked about my training results. ¡°I think I¡¯ll be able to.¡± I think I¡¯ll definitely be able to master God¡¯s eye and destruction before the day that I promised Kim Kangin. ¡°Oh. Really? Seems like you¡¯ve gotten a feel for it?¡± ¡°Yup. I got a real good feel for it.¡± During those 20 minutes that felt like 20 hours. It was worthwhile trying to see mana while enduring those hardships. ¡°How good?¡± ¡°Well, I can see mana.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Mimir asked as if she had heard something wrong. ¡°I can see mana now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not something that you could¡¯ve achieved in such a short time. That¡¯s a joke right?¡± Mimir mumbled her words in disbelief. ¡°It¡¯s true though.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s real, can you see the mana around me?¡± ¡°Of course. I can see it very clearly.¡± ¡°Then take a look. How does the mana around me feel?¡± Mana idling among the many books caught my eye. ¡±The mana around you is very lazy. It seems like they¡¯ve been influenced by you.¡± ¡°¡­You what, mate?¡± Mimir¡¯s expression clouded over in an instant. ¡°It¡¯s a joke. A joke. Surprisingly, your mana is calm and cold.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s interesting.¡± Calm and Mimir. That word did not suit her. ¡±Maybe they were influenced by the medium that is the books and not you?¡± ¡°I wonder.¡± Mimir chuckled. ¡°Actually, it could be because I¡¯m a very cold person, right?¡± Her words somehow seemed full of meaning. Chapter 45 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 45 There are 5 days left until the day I promised Kim Kangin. [Sender: Kim Kangin] [The 5th circle wizard that you will face has been decided.] [I will attach their profile.] [Then I¡¯ll be looking forward to a good match.] I got a message just a moment ago, saying that my 5th circle opponent had been selected. In the profile, the strengths and weaknesses as well as the opponent¡¯s speciality magic were written. The profile that Kim Kangin sent was perfect. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this? The profile he sent is as detailed as a strategy book?¡± Soonchan, who had glanced at the text from behind me, said this in surprise. ¡°How did he send it?¡± Adella, who was next to us, wiping her sweat, approached me curiously. ¡°Want to see?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I turned on the hologram mode and turned the screen to Adella. Adella quickly scanned through the profile. ¡°¡­It¡¯s literally a strategy book.¡± And then said the same thing that Soonchan said. ¡±Does it look that way for you as well?¡± ¡±Yes. I have never seen such complete analysis of data before.¡± Adella¡¯s hobby is analyzing. If even Adella can admire it like this, then it really is great. ¡°But what does this mean? Why would he send you such a perfect profile?¡± Soonchan tilted his head as if it were strange. His expression told me that he didn¡¯t know why I had been sent such detailed data about my opponent. ¡±I¡¯m guessing that the Blue Magic Tower¡¯s master¡¯s just being considerate and telling you to focus on improving your skills rather than worrying about data analysis?¡± ¡°That may be true, but I think he¡¯s given me an advantage to even out the playing field slightly.¡± ¡°I see. So that was it.¡± Soonchan seemed to understand. ¡°So it¡¯s good news then? Since you can now save time by not having to analyze your opponent.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯m a bit suspicious about, but for now, this is good news.¡± I responded and got up from my seat. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s start training again.¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± I got up from my seat, and Adella soon followed. ¡±Hey. I haven¡¯t caught my breath yet. Let¡¯s give it 5 more minutes.¡± ¡±You have to train then for your stamina to increase.¡± ¡°¡­You devilish bastard.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who willingly accepted that devil¡¯s proposal of a joint training session? So, if you don¡¯t want to trail behind then get up.¡± As I looked at Soonchan, I smiled. A smile that strongly threatened to kill him if he didn¡¯t get up. ¡°Ah. Life¡­¡± Soonchan got up from his seat with a liberated expression on his face. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this. What¡¯s the next training? A fight against you? A fight against Adella? Or a free-for-all?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that evil.¡± If we were to duel when we¡¯re this exhausted, then who knows what kind of accident could happen. ¡°Then what are we going to do?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± I pointed to the training ground. ¡°We¡¯re going to run till our time¡¯s up.¡± ¡°¡­But we still have over an hour left?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s the perfect amount of time for a final workout.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Oh, by the way, every time you get caught using mana, that time will extend by 30 minutes.¡± Soonchan¡¯s face contorted. ¡°¡­You¡¯re a Satan-like bastard worse than the devil.¡± ¡°Hey. In what universe would Satan look out for his friend like this?¡± ¡°Yeah. Your care for your friends is so commendable that I¡¯m in tears. I¡¯m so moved that I want to give you a screw punch to the forehead as a present.¡± Soonchan clenched his fist and trembled with only his middle finger raised. ¡°I¡¯ll receive that gift from you after you¡¯ve run for an hour. So hurry up and go run.¡± At that moment, Soonchan¡¯s expression was filled with venom. ¡°¡­You better keep your promise. Adella, you heard that too right?¡± ¡°Huh? Yes¡­¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ve acquired my witness. You¡¯re dead meat. Just you wait. I¡¯ll see you in an hour.¡± Having said that, he immediately started running to the training ground. Even though Soonchan lacks stamina, his willpower is better than others, so he¡¯ll somehow manage. ¡°¡­Are you really going to take a hit from him?¡± Adella, who was listening quietly, approached me. ¡°Nope. Why would I?¡± ¡°Huh? You promised to take a hit.¡± ¡±I didn¡¯t say I would take a hit though? All I said was that I would receive it.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± All I have to do is lightly receive Soonchan¡¯s screw punch. ¡°¡­Seems like he¡¯s going to go crazy in an hour.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. He¡¯ll have forgotten by tomorrow anyways.¡± Soonchan¡¯s best trait is that he doesn¡¯t hold grudges. ¡°And even if he grumbles like that, on the inside, he¡¯s probably thanking me for it?¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Adella looked at Soonchan, who was running around the training ground like a ghost. His expression was so savage that his bloodthirst could be felt even from back here. ¡°No matter how I look at it, I can¡¯t imagine that¡­¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m certain that on the inside he¡¯s feeling incredibly grateful.¡± ¡°Mm¡­.¡± Adella paused and then looked at Soonchan. Occasionally my name accompanied by swearing could be heard. Adella once again went to say something but stopped herself with a strange expression on her face. As if she wanted to say something but didn¡¯t know how to express herself. ¡°Then we should start training as well.¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, right.¡± Adella quickly turned her attention away from Soonchan and focused on me. ¡±For our final training, we¡¯re going to do a 1v1 between you and me, as we discussed before.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Adella stared at me with a serious expression. ¡±And like I said, this time, I¡¯m going to use everything, including my 4th circle magic.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± I plan to use resonance in my fight against Adella this time. And I¡¯m not going to hold back on using Interference or even Adella¡¯s own moonlight bullets. In other words, I plan to give it my all. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± Adella¡¯s smile widened. Her eyes blazed with excitement and anticipation. ¡°Then let¡¯s get started.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± And so the battle between me and Adella began. And in less than 3 minutes, I came out victorious. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] That night. Adella returned to her room and immediately jumped onto her bed. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± She¡¯s tired. She was so tired, that she was confident that if she were to close her eyes like this for 3 seconds, she would immediately fall asleep. ¡®I should change clothes before sleeping¡­¡¯ If she were to fall asleep in her uniform like this, it would be all crumpled up and it would be embarrassing when she went to school. She should at the very least change into her pajamas. But she didn¡¯t want to. She didn¡¯t even want to move right now. The training with Shin Hayul and Ji Soonchan today was so much harder than she had imagined that she didn¡¯t have the energy to lift a finger. She just wanted to close her eyes and relax. ¡®Good night¡­¡¯ With her face buried in the pillow, Adella¡¯s consciousness grew more and more blurred. In the midst of her blurring conscience. Adella remembered the battle with Shin Hayul an hour ago. The way Shin Hayul had overwhelmed her using 4th circle magic¡ªhe truly was the god of battle. I couldn¡¯t even fight back. ¡®That moonlight bullet¡­¡¯ The highlight was the moonlight bullet that Shin Hayul had used. ¡®His were faster and stronger than mine.¡¯ And unlike Adella¡¯s moonlight bullet, it could even be guided. You wouldn¡¯t understand how hard it was to shake off those bullets that were constantly chasing her with power and speed. ¡®Just what did he do to the formula of the moonlight bullet to allow it to move like that?¡¯ At that moment, the drowsiness that had plagued Adella¡¯s mind vanished in an instant. Something as insignificant as sleeping was not what was important right now. What was important was reviewing the fight today and improving. Adella¡¯s eyes had been rid of all fatigue in an instant. She then got up from her bed and sat down at her desk. Turning on her computer, she plugged in the USB that contained the VOD of today¡¯s training and she started analyzing the training videos. ¡°If I play it back at 0.1x speed and turn on the training ground¡¯s mana scanning function¡­ There we go.¡¯ Adella most likely won¡¯t fall asleep until she goes to school tomorrow. At the third page¡¯s test. The vacant lot in front of Elena¡¯s log cabin, Greenwood forest. I was receiving training for my God¡¯s eye from Elena. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to not need your five senses sealed in just two days.¡± ¡±Mm. It¡¯s a bit regretful actually. It was a new experience.¡± ¡°¡­You may be the only person who feels regretful that their five senses are no longer sealed.¡± Elena smiled exasperatedly. ¡°Anyways, it looks like you can see mana perfectly.¡± ¡°Yes. If I look at it for too long, it feels like my brain will shatter, but I can see mana at will.¡± I¡¯m experiencing a headache right now as we speak. ¡°You accomplished it really fast.¡± ¡°It must be because I had such a good teacher.¡± ¡±Thank you. Even though I know you don¡¯t actually mean that.¡± Elena laughed bitterly. It looked like she didn¡¯t think that she did anything. ¡±I do mean that. It¡¯s the truth. If it wasn¡¯t for you sealing my five senses, I don¡¯t even want to think about how long it would have taken me to awaken God¡¯s eyes¡­¡± Had my five senses not been sealed, it would have taken several months at the very least to awaken my God¡¯s eyes. It was that hard for me to awaken my 6th sense. ¡°Once again, thank you. Thanks to you I was able to awaken my God¡¯s eyes. I sincerely expressed my gratitude. ¡± ¡°¡­I had this thought the last time we met as well, but you have a real talent for making people feel embarrassed.¡± Elena replied shyly with a slighter redder face. Perhaps she wasn¡¯t used to receiving such direct gratitude. ¡°But more importantly, how is it? It should be time for your headache to slowly dissipate.¡± Elena returned to a serious expression. ¡±Yes. I¡¯ve felt better since a short while ago.¡± My headache, which was a side effect of my God¡¯s eyes, had completely subsided a little while ago. ¡°Then we should be good to move onto the next training immediately.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be in your care.¡± I brushed aside all my distracting thoughts. Once you start training, you have to focus entirely on it. ¡±You already know what you¡¯re going to do in the next training right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Elena had told me that we were going to move on to training that would help me fully see the essence of magic. ¡°Starting from now, I¡¯ll draw a magic circle with a very simple shape. You are to use your God¡¯s eye to observe my magic circle.¡± A small magic circle appeared in front of Elena¡¯s palm. ¡°If you do that, at some point, you¡¯ll see a gap in the essence of magic that¡¯ll allow you to break the magic. ¡° ¡°A gap?¡± ¡±Yes. Using that gap to cancel the magic. That is what Destruction is.¡± ¡°Using a gap to cancel the magic¡­¡± It was something that didn¡¯t make sense. ¡°Give it a go first. You¡¯ll get the hang of it right away.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I placed my hand on Elena¡¯s magic circle and activated God¡¯s eye. I could see the mana. It was gentle and warm. This magic circle perfectly revealed Elena¡¯s nature to me. ¡°Once you activate God¡¯s eye, figure out the structure of the magic circle.¡± ¡°Yes. I have.¡± As Elena said, it was a very simple magic formula, so it wasn¡¯t difficult to figure out its structure. ¡°Then starting from now, focus. I¡¯m going to tell you Ray¡¯s words.¡± ¡±Yes.¡± The mana connected between the magic circles was clearly visible. ¡°A perfect formula does not exist in the study of magic.¡± The word for perfection does not exist in the study of magic. All that exists is the very best, which is close to perfection. This is a phrase that was written in a book about destruction that was in Mimir¡¯s tome. ¡®So that¡¯s what it was talking about.¡¯ At that moment, the information on destruction that I had read in Mimir¡¯s tome flashed through my mind like a panorama. Everything I couldn¡¯t understand back when I didn¡¯t have God¡¯s eye started to make sense in an instant. ¡°Because they¡¯re not perfect, there are inevitably gaps in all magic formulas.¡± Finding the gaps in a magic formula. That¡¯s the first condition of using destruction. ¡°See through the essence of magic with your God¡¯s eyes. Listen to the sound the mana makes. Seize the gap in the mana. If you do that¡­¡± I could see something. Within the green magic circle, the slightest of gaps could be seen. ¡°Starting from then, magic will no longer be just magic.¡± I poured my mana into the gap. Chapter 46 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 46 At the main building of the Obelisk Academy. Two people who didn¡¯t suit each other walked out, shoulder to shoulder. ¡°I never would¡¯ve thought that the clan leader, Shin Inhyuk would personally attend.¡± On one side was Kim Kangin and on the other was Shin Inhyuk. The two had participated in the World Academy Olympiad member selection meeting that had occurred today. The meeting has just ended and that¡¯s why they were walking out together like this. ¡°That¡¯s what I should be saying. You, the master of the Blue Magic Tower, should have no reason to participate in this meeting.¡± The reason Shin Inhyuk attended today¡¯s meeting was to confirm that Shin Hayul would be selected. Despite his grades currently being the best in the school, because his grades in the first year were so terrible, there was a good chance that he would be rejected as a starter for the Olympiad if Shin Inhyuk didn¡¯t properly use his influence. In order to rule out that possibility, Shin Inhyuk made time to take part in the meeting. And besides that, Shin Hayul had asked him to select Ji Soonchan as a member for the Olympiad. ¡°I¡¯m only participating as a sponsor.¡± ¡°¡­A sponsor?¡± ¡°Yes. Technically, I should say that I¡¯m a prospective sponsor.¡± ¡±You¡¯re saying that you¡¯re going to send the Blue Magic Tower¡¯s artifact craftsmen as engineers?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still deciding. As I said, I¡¯m but a prospective sponsor.¡± Kim Kangin smiled brightly. Shin Inhyuk¡¯s eyes became sharper. ¡±It¡¯s surprising that you¡¯re even thinking of dispatching them. Right now, I¡¯m sure that the Blue Magic Tower isn¡¯t in such a leisurely situation where they can dispatch their craftsmen.¡± Shin Inhyuk roughly knew what kind of project the Blue Magic Tower was currently preparing. The Blue Magic Tower isn¡¯t in a situation where they can lend their craftsmen for 2 months. ¡°Luckily, things worked out. It seemed like as long as I buckled up, everything would work out. Haha.¡± Thanks to Shin Hayul refining the Element Mana Light, the progress of the Blue Magic Tower¡¯s project accelerated at once. He would somehow be able to make time in the schedule for the engineers to be dispatched for two months. ¡°Even with your belt being buckled, is there any reason for you to dispatch them?¡± Even if you took the project out of the picture, there¡¯s still no reason for the Blue Magic Tower to send their artifact craftsmen to the Olympiad. ¡°No, not right now.¡± Not right now. The phrase was full of meaning. ¡°But who knows? A miracle could happen at this year¡¯s Olympiad where Korea wins the gold medal.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Gold medal. And that smirk. Kim Kangin¡¯s eyes shone as if he was aware of everything. ¡°¡­I see. So it was Hayul.¡± ¡°Haha. As expected, you noticed right away.¡± Korea is a small nation in the Olympiad that has never competed in the final since Kim Kangin¡¯s silver medal. Unless someone told Kim Kangin that they were confident in winning the gold medal, there was no way that he would talk about it. And, as far as Shin Inhyuk was concerned, the only person who could tell Kim Kangin so fearlessly that they would win the gold medal was Shin Hayul. ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve also received a similar offer from Shin Hayul.¡± Kim Kangin¡¯s smile broadened. Seeing how Shin Hayul immediately came to mind from the short keyword, gold medal, it was certain that Shin Inhyuk had heard something similar from Shin Hayul. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was a strange war of nerves between the two of them. ¡°What did Hayul say?¡± ¡°Korea will win the gold medal this year, so please feel free to send your engineers. That¡¯s what he said.¡± Thinking about it again, it really was an amusing suggestion. ¡°What did he say to you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to win the gold medal at this year¡¯s Olympiad, so until then, please make things convenient for me. That¡¯s what he said.¡± It was practically the same thing. ¡°Did you accept such an absurd proposal without setting any conditions?¡± ¡°Yes. Since making things convenient for him isn¡¯t all that difficult.¡± And recently, thanks to Shin Hayul, he benefited a lot. He could at the very least take care of this kind of favor. ¡°But were you really thinking of sending your artifact craftsmen just from Hayul¡¯s immature words?¡± ¡°Yes. If Hayul meets the conditions I set, I¡¯m willing to invest.¡± ¡°¡­So you put a condition on it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What were the conditions?¡± Kim Kangin smiled brightly. ¡°You will beat a 5th circle mage in a one-on-one. That¡¯s the condition I suggested.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a bad condition.¡± It was a suitable condition. There will be 5th circle users on both the UK and USA teams. So to even have a shot at the gold medal, he should be able to leisurely take care of one. ¡°Did Hayul accept the condition?¡± ¡±Yes. He was quite happy to accept it.¡± Shin Inhyuk¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡®Is he confident that he can beat a 5th circle mage?¡¯ He was curious about Shin Hayul¡¯s intentions. ¡°If you¡¯re curious, would you like to come to watch as well?¡± ¡±You don¡¯t mind?¡± ¡±Nope. Not at all.¡± If it¡¯s Shin Inhyuk, then it wouldn¡¯t matter. ¡°Since it seemed like Hayul also thought that it would be good if you could come and watch him.¡± And Shin Hayul also told him that it didn¡¯t matter if he told Shin Inhyuk about the proposal. ¡°¡­Is that so.¡± Shin Inhyuk laughed as if it was funny. He roughly knew what Shin Hayul was planning. ¡°When¡¯s the match?¡± ¡°It¡¯s 4:30 PM tomorrow.¡± There was already only one day left before Shin Hayul faced off against the 5th circle mage. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] ¡°With that, all our training has come to an end. You worked hard.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± With Elena¡¯s declaration that the training was over, I lay flat on my back. ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± I¡¯m so tired. I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯s been since I was last this exhausted during training. ¡±Here. Have some water.¡± ¡°Ah, thank you so much.¡± I suppressed my fatigue, rose up and drank the water at once. The water from the Greenwood well tastes delicious no matter when I drink it. This refreshing feeling can¡¯t be compared to any other mineral water. Whew. I feel like I can live again. ¡°It seems like we over-exerted ourselves just because this was the last training session.¡± Seeing me half unconscious, Elena smiled bitterly. ¡°No. This training was rather good.¡± It felt so good to be squeezed to my limit. ¡±I don¡¯t know if there were any side effects, but thanks to my master¡¯s robe, I haven¡¯t fallen victim to mana exhaustion or anything like that.¡± I pointed out the robe I was wearing. Thanks to this robe, I was able to safely take on Elena¡¯s hardcore training. If not for this, I would have suffered from mana exhaustion an uncountable number of times. ¡°¡­You¡¯re different to Ray in that regard. Ray despised anything that was physically demanding.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. Maybe it¡¯s because he wasn¡¯t used to it. Since there wasn¡¯t anything for him to do that would get him physically exhausted.¡± ¡°¡­I guess so.¡± I can¡¯t even imagine that the creator of such great magic would struggle at anything. ¡°Anyway, thank you for following along. Thanks to you, I had a lot of fun teaching as well.¡± Elena smiled broadly as if she was genuinely happy. ¡°I¡¯m more grateful. If it wasn¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to master Destruction before the fight.¡± There was already only one day left before the fight with the 5th circle mage I had promised Kim Kangin. I was already cutting it close even with Elena¡¯s training, so imagine how long it would have taken for me to learn it on my own. Forget mastering Destruction, I wouldn¡¯t even have been able to get a feel for it. ¡±You¡¯ve mastered Destruction. It¡¯s definitely something to be happy about, but¡­ xx There¡¯s something bittersweet about it.¡± Elena smiled bitterly with a strange expression that was filled half with joy and half with sadness. ¡°It¡¯s like watching the graduation ceremony of a student you cherished.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I¡¯ve mastered Destruction. I¡¯ve basically passed the third page¡¯s test. ¡°Now we¡¯re parting ways.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± In other words, today was the day I would say goodbye to Elena. ¡°You don¡¯t know how happy I am to have crossed the wall of time and met such a good disciple.¡± Elena stroked my hair with a tender smile. ¡±I¡¯m glad that it¡¯s you who¡¯s Ray¡¯s successor.¡± An eternal farewell. This is something that I¡¯ve never experienced. ¡±The only thing I regret is that I¡¯ll never be able to see you when you¡¯re more grown up.¡± Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯ve never experienced this before. But my heart ached. As it was the first time I¡¯d felt this, the pain was indescribable. ¡°Thank you for everything up till now.¡± I clutched my numb heart and bowed my head. Seeing me like this, Elena smiled broadly. ¡°A strong heart that doesn¡¯t hesitate. I think that is your greatest strength.¡± If I willed it, I could have postponed this day. Since all I had to do was delay passing the third test for another day. ¡°¡­Because it won¡¯t do otherwise.¡± But I can¡¯t do that. Parting with Elena means that I¡¯ll grow. And delaying that parting will only result in me stagnating. Even if I¡¯m caught in the sorrow of farewell, I mustn¡¯t stop. Stopping here would be an insult to Elena, who taught me. ¡°Then this is our final farewell then.¡± I heard the sound of something collapsing. Just like how paint washes away from paper when dipped in water, gradually the color of the Greenwood forest began to fade. ¡°Win the match tomorrow.¡± ¡±I will.¡± At the center of the crumbling world, Elena laughed. ¡°Take care of Mimir. Because she¡¯s only a child that¡¯s lonely. It may be a little annoying, but please pay her attention.¡± It was a somewhat sad laugh. ¡°Yes. I will engrave this into my heart.¡± Elena¡¯s log cabin, which had taken care of me for the past week, slowly faded, along with the world which was gradually melting into white. ¡°No matter what hardships and adversities await you in the future, never give up.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± The white color soon engulfed the edges of Elena¡¯s feet. The end is near. I could tell. ¡°Finally¡­¡± As if knowing this, Elena smiled. ¡°Congratulations on becoming a 3rd circle master.¡± It was the most beautiful smile I¡¯ve ever seen. At the training ground meant for fights in the basement of the Blue Magic Tower. Ji Soonchan was fidgeting in the audience with an uncomfortable expression as if he were sitting on a cushion of thorns. ¡°¡­Why am I sitting between these two?¡± Ji Soonchan turned his gaze slightly and looked to the left. Kim Kangin was there. His eyes were shining with anticipation at the fight that would commence in 5 minutes. Then Ji Soonchan looked to the right. Shin Inhyuk was there. Even though there was a slight difference between the two, he too looked as if he were looking forward to the upcoming fight. ¡®Why am I here, sitting between Kim Kangin and Shin Inhyuk¡­¡¯ It was uncomfortable. Uncomfortable enough for him to go insane. Sitting next to even one of them was bad enough. But being stuck between the two of them was impossibly uncomfortable. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t be so bad if Adella was here. But Adella had gone down to the stadium to assist Shin Hayul. Because of this, it was so uncomfortable and awkward that he felt like he was going to go crazy. ¡°What do you think his chances of winning are?¡± Shin Inhyuk broke through the silence. He had spoken to Kim Kangin. ¡°I¡¯m guessing there¡¯s maybe a 10 percent chance.¡± ¡°You have a different opinion from me.¡± ¡°Is that so? What do you think then?¡± Shin Inhyuk chuckled. ¡°Two percent at best.¡± Even that two percent was assuming that the opponent was careless. If the opponent was on high alert, then Shin Hayul would never be able to win. If 3 circles were a rifle then 5 circles would be a tank. No matter how well you fight with a rifle, you can¡¯t beat a tank. As long as the opponent is vigilant and doesn¡¯t leave the tank, he will never lose. The difference between 3rd and 5th circles is that big. ¡°That¡¯s a pretty harsh assessment¡­ Then what do you think, Soonchan?¡± ¡°Y-yes?¡± Ji Soonchan answered hurriedly after being asked a question so suddenly. ¡°If you forget that he¡¯s your friend and think it through with a cool head, what do you think the probability is that Hayul will win?¡± ¡°The probability that Hayul will win¡­¡± Ji Soonchan soon regained his composure. The tension he had felt being between the two archmages was instantly forgotten and he analyzed the fighting power of the 5th circle mage and Shin Hayul. ¡°¡­50%. I think there¡¯s a 50% chance that Hayul will win.¡± ¡±A 50/50 chance, huh. That¡¯s a more generous evaluation than I expected. May I ask why you think so?¡± ¡°There¡¯s not much reasoning behind it. I just reckoned that if Hayul gave it his all, he would at least have a 50% chance.¡± ¡°His all?¡± Kim Kangin¡¯s smile broadened. ¡°Does that mean that Hayul¡¯s fighting power is different now than it was before?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you the details, but¡­ Yes. That¡¯s right. Hayul has never revealed his power in public until now.¡± ¡°Ooh.¡± Shin Inhyuk¡¯s smile broadened as well. ¡°Hayul¡¯s power you say¡­¡± Kim Kangin stroked his chin with an amused expression on his face. ¡°This is very entertaining.¡± At that moment, Shin Hayul entered the fighting grounds. Chapter 47 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 47 ¡°There will be one final check before the start of the match. Adella. Could you please check Hayul¡¯s protective gear again?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± At Jung Suha¡¯s request, Adella started checking my protective gear again. In the meantime, Jung Suha checked the opponent¡¯s protective gear as well. ¡°There are no problems. All the protection settings are working safely.¡± Adella finished all her checks first. ¡°Thanks for checking. There are no problems here either. ¡± Jung Suha soon followed suit. ¡°Then as of right now, everything is ready so the match will commence in one minute.¡± By the way, Jung Suha will be the referee for this match. Originally, Kim Kangin was going to take the role, but it seems that Jung Suha stepped forward saying that if someone like the Blue Magic Tower¡¯s master were to be the referee, it wouldn¡¯t look good on them. ¡°Then, Adella, will you please return to the stands?¡± ¡±Yes. Will do.¡± Adella bowed her head to Jung Suha and turned around, moving towards the audience. ¡°Thanks, Adella.¡± At my thanks, Adella paused for a moment and turned around again. ¡°Do your best.¡± Then, after looking at me and leaving me with a word of encouragement, she slowly walked back to the audience. ¡°I¡¯m going to go to the referee¡¯s position. So the two of you please go to your designated areas.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Suha positioned herself where the referee was supposed to be and soon, at the center of the arena, my opponent and I faced each other with a gap of about 10 meters. ¡°I never would have known I would be facing up against the prodigy of the Magic Shin Clan like this.¡± My opponent, Joo Hanwuk, spoke to me as if he were experiencing something new. ¡°I hope for a good fight.¡± I bowed my head slightly toward Joo Hanwuk. As a junior, I should show at least this level of courtesy to my senior. ¡°I wish for one too. Let¡¯s fight each other with no regrets.¡± Joo Hanwuk grinned. As expected of a mage of the Blue Magic Tower. He¡¯s really polite. ¡®Even though as a 5th circle user, this situation would hurt his pride.¡¯ I¡¯d heard that when selecting people to join the Blue Magic Tower, that one¡¯s character is equally important to their skill. It seems that was true. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] ¡ª Then we¡¯ll start the count. ¡ª 10, 9¡­ Jung Suha, who was in the referee¡¯s area, began the countdown through the speakers. ¡°I¡¯ll let my junior make the first move.¡± Joo Hanwuk took a fighting stance and spoke sharply. ¡°The favor is appreciated.¡± I lowered my stance so that I would be able to fly at him right away. ¡ª 4, 3, 2¡­ Mana overflowed around Joo Hanwuk. No matter what magic I use, he was prepared to take it on. ¡®He¡¯s on full alert.¡¯ Though he was relaxed, he wasn¡¯t distracted. Had he been distracted, I¡¯d planned to try to take advantage of that gap and use a short-term battle plan. As expected of someone selected by the Blue Magic Tower¡¯s master, there was no gap in sight. ¡®Looks like I¡¯ll have no choice but to use standard tactics.¡¯ If my opponent was fully alert, then miscellaneous strategies would only work against me. I got rid of all my sub plans from my brain and focused on my one main plan. ¡°Whew.¡± I let out one last deep breath. ¡ª 1. Start! And at that moment, the signal to start the match sounded out. As soon as the fight started, I spurred right off the ground. ¡°I remember vividly that you said I could have the first move.¡± My opponent said that he would give me the first move. That basically means that until I attack him first, he won¡¯t attack me. ¡®So in other words, it doesn¡¯t matter how long I spend preparing my first attack.¡¯ I cast magic while running circles around Joo Hanwuk. ¡®Wind cutter, stay!¡¯ ¡®Flareball, stay!¡¯ I continued to run around him, while not firing the magic that I had cast. ¡°So this is the rumored alteration magic. It¡¯s interesting. How can you fix them in place so easily?¡± Joo Hanwuk observed the magic floating in the air with a look of admiration. Even though my magic is surrounding him, he just stands there and nonchalantly watches the situation. He seems very relaxed. ¡°Aren¡¯t you too relaxed?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in a situation where I can afford to be.¡± With only 3rd circle magic, I can never break through his magic. That¡¯s what he¡¯s confident about. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be seeing how long you can afford to be so relaxed.¡± Joo Hanwuk responded with a relaxed smile. ¡°Then, here I come.¡± After about 10 seconds of running, I managed to install a total of 15 Wind Cutters and 13 Flareballs around Joo Hanwuk. With this, I¡¯d completed my preparations for my first move. ¡®Fire!¡¯ As I willed, a total of 28 magic spells, that were suspended midair, flew towards Joo Hanwuk. And just how I prepared it, some were fast. And some were slow. And some bent like snakes, each aiming at a different part of Joo Hanwuk, each with their own trajectories. ¡°Wha¡­¡± Despite the fact that he was a 5th circle mage, as if he had never seen anything like this before, he let out a sound of bewilderment. ¡°If it was 5th circle magic that had flown like this¡­ Agh that¡¯s haunting.¡± Yet he still had a relaxed smile. Just before the first Wind Cutter hit him. A spherical translucent shield formed around him. ¡®5th circle, no attribute magic.¡¯ ¡®Absolute Shield.¡¯ A perfect shield wrapped around his whole body. Baaang! Naturally, the Wind Cutter collided with Joo Hanwuk¡¯s Absolute Shield and harmlessly bounced off. Skid! Slam! Starting with the faster magic spells, they each collided with the Absolute Shield one after another and bounced off. Of the 28 magic spells, 9 had already bounced off and disintegrated into remnants of mana. My magic didn¡¯t even scratch the Absolute Shield. ¡®It really is an absolute shield.¡¯ This was the hardness of the Absolute Shield that could even easily block 5 circle magic. That¡¯s why Joo Hanwuk could be so relaxed. With normal 3rd circle magic, no matter what I do, I wouldn¡¯t be able to break through the absolute shield. Though of course, the Bytenor style of magic doesn¡¯t fit into that ¡®normal magic¡¯ category. There¡¯s a way I can break through that magic using the Bytenor style. I immediately spurred off the ground and rushed at Joo Hanwuk. The weakness of the Absolute shield is that the caster himself becomes isolated. Since the Absolute Shield is a structure that covers the whole body, it has a fatal flaw where the caster can¡¯t move till it is released. ¡®Now Joo Hanwuk can¡¯t stop me from approaching.¡¯ With nothing to stop me, I approached his Absolute Shield. ¡°Seeing how you left space, did you plan on rushing me down from the beginning?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But even if you do get close, what difference will that make?¡± Joo Hanwuk laughed like it was funny. I wonder how long he¡¯ll be able to laugh like that. ¡°It¡¯ll make a great difference.¡± I soon put my hand on the Absolute Shield. ¡®Interference.¡¯ ¡®Minimize the strength of this area in a 30cm radius.¡¯ At that moment, the specified area of the Absolute Shield¡¯s color faded. It looked like broken glass. ¡°This is¡­¡± As if noticing the Absolute Shield weakening, Joo Hanwuk widened his eyes. For the first time, his expression was no longer relaxed. ¡°You¡¯re too late.¡± I immediately flung myself back. And at the same time, the magic that was flying slowly accelerated. ¡®Simultaneously accelerate and change trajectory.¡¯ The remaining 13 magics changed trajectory and flew toward the weakened section of the absolute shield. The trajectories of 6 Wind Cutters and 6 Flareballs perfectly overlapped each other and became one. ¡®Fire Storm!¡¯ And it became new magic. Crack! The Absolute Shield, which was weakened by my Interference, shattered. Kwaaaaaang-! An explosion occurred between the broken Absolute Shield fragments. Unbelievable firepower that can¡¯t even be thought of as 3rd circle magic. ¡°¡­Huh, you really weren¡¯t an opponent I could afford to relax against.¡± In the midst of the swirling flames, I could hear Joo Hanwuk¡¯s voice. ¡°One misstep and I would¡¯ve lost, just like that.¡± Perhaps he had known this would happen the moment the absolute shield was weakened. Joo Hanwuk had formed a new shield to block my Fire Storm. ¡°¡­It would have been great if you were a little less alert.¡± ¡±I¡¯m always on alert. You may be relaxed, but never be unalert. That¡¯s what the Magic Tower¡¯s master teaches.¡± Joo Hanwook turned his head towards the audience. He probably turned his head specifically to look at Kim Kangin, who was watching from among the audience. Woooosh! As Joo Hanwuk waved his hand, a wind blew, blowing out the Fire Storm in an instant. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m scared of what the future holds. To think that you could do this with only 3 circle magic¡­¡± A streak of cold sweat flowed down his forehead. Seems like he had been quite flustered at my attack. ¡°I can see why the Magic Tower¡¯s master¡¯s interested in you. It¡¯s very interesting.¡± Joo Hanwuk¡¯s eyes glistened with curiosity. As expected of someone from the Blue Magic Tower, the way his eyes glistened when in front of interesting magic was just like Kim Kangin. Almost like a mini Kim Kangin. ¡°Then this time, here I come.¡± Joo Hanwuk¡¯s aura changed. His relaxed look had been replaced by a stony expression. This is when it gets important. ¡®Joo Hanwuk¡¯s specialities are fire attribute magic and body strengthening magic.¡¯ I rapidly recalled the information about him. ¡®An adventurous spirit.¡¯ ¡®Curiosity that can¡¯t suppress his interest for new magic.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s currently in the state where he¡¯s unable to control his interest for my magic.¡¯ ¡®So, in order to satisfy his curiosity, he won¡¯t be aiming for a fatal blow.¡¯ I inferred this based on the profile that Kim Kangin had prepared for me, the information I had gathered myself and the behavior I had just seen. ¡®There¡¯s a high chance he¡¯ll engage me in close combat using his speciality Flame Sword and Instant Acceleration.¡¯ I came to a conclusion right away. And the moment I had made my conclusion, his body vanished. ¡®If he wants to observe me anymore, he won¡¯t be aiming for my vitals.¡¯ ¡®But that doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯ll want to take it easy on me, so that means¡­¡¯ As his body vanished, I twisted my body. ¡®That there¡¯s a ten-to-one chance that he¡¯ll be aiming for my right arm.¡¯ And instantaneously, his Flame Sword flew past my right arm. ¡®And from here, I¡¯ll lightly strike his ribs that are left wide open due to him striking with his sword!¡¯ I rotated my body and using my fist, hit his ribs using the force of that rotation. I felt like I had hit some kind of hard metal. ¡°Hmph!¡± Joo Hanwuk grunted slightly and made some distance between us. ¡°You could react to that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m quite good at fighting you see.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± Joo Hanwuk nodded as if he understood. It seemed that he had heard rumors of my physical ability. ¡±As expected, it seems like it would be better for me to avoid close combat.¡± Joo Hanwuk released the flame sword. The Flame Sword that fluttered in his grasp vanished in an instant. ¡®Now that he won¡¯t fight me in close quarters, he can only fight me using long-range magic.¡¯ Swooosh! As I anticipated, Joo Hanwuk started preparing for a magic battle. Soon, concentrated, 5th circle gunfire would rain down upon me. I¡¯m sure I might even get hit. He¡¯ll forget about being vigilant and he¡¯ll try to pin me down using his overwhelming firepower. ¡®Just as Adella did in the battle survival test.¡¯ With his overwhelming magical output, he¡¯ll fire his magic with the intention of not even letting me approach. ¡°From now on, I¡¯m going all out.¡± Flames engulfed the sky as he spoke. A cloud of flames. ¡®Fire Rain.¡¯ A privilege of being a 5th circle wizard. Wide-area annihilation magic. I witnessed this unfold right before my eyes. ¡°How do you plan to stop this?¡± Joo Hanwuk slammed down the arm he had raised. Fireworks fell like rain. I can¡¯t stop this with 3rd circle magic. And even if I tried to avoid it, because it affects the whole arena, that was impossible as well. ¡®My father probably is probably thinking that the fight is over now.¡¯ For some reason, I could see the scenario play out from the perspective of the audience. ¡®Well actually, the fight is over.¡¯ As I watched the rain of fireworks slowly get bigger, the ends of my mouth twisted. ¡®In my victory.¡¯ With the activation of this Fire Rain, my equation to victory had been completed. ¡®Resonance.¡¯ 1 minute. That¡¯s how much time¡¯s left before my victory. Chapter 48 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 48 A rain of flames was right before me. I lowered my posture and at the same time erected a water barrier. ¡®Water Shield!¡¯ A water shield that had a 4th circle class output thanks to the power of resonance. Even taking the type advantage into account, 5th circle magic cannot normally be blocked by 4th circle. But when it comes to Fire Rain, it¡¯s a different story. ¡®Since it¡¯s a wide-range annihilation magic spell that covers the entire arena, for a 5th circle spell, its power is weak.¡¯ The more area it covers, the weaker it gets. If it¡¯s only protecting my body, then 4th circle magic gets the job done. The flames rained on my water shield before evaporating helplessly. ¡°¡­4th circle magic?¡± The bewildered voice of Joo Hanwuk could be heard over the gushing steam. Seeing output that easily blocked the fire rain, it seems like he took notice that my magic was of the 4th circle. ¡®But it¡¯s too late.¡¯ He had taken too long to notice. My victory has already been decided. Pwshhh-! The fire rain rapidly lost its power. And the water vapor gradually expands. Before the vapor soon enveloped the entire arena. As if a smoke bomb had exploded, nothing was visible. ¡®Here I come.¡¯ I plunged my body through it. He couldn¡¯t see where I was. Due to the aftermath of the wide-area annihilation magic, mana couldn¡¯t be detected properly, so the opponent¡¯s location couldn¡¯t even be grasped by ordinary people. But that doesn¡¯t apply to me. This is nothing compared to having my five senses sealed. ¡®Open God¡¯s eyes.¡¯ My eyes of the 6th sense opened. I saw things I couldn¡¯t previously. The mana was vibrating. The fire rain and water shield tremble as if stricken by horror at the collision. And in between them, I could see uniquely vivid mana. A bundle of mana. It was evident that the vivid mana was the mana of the mana circle which encircled Joo Hanwuk¡¯s heart. I swiftly and discretely flung myself there. I lowered my center of gravity as much as possible so that the steam would not scatter as I moved. I, who had reached him in an instant, fired magic from behind Joo Hanwuk before he had even caught on. ¡®4th circle lightning type magic.¡¯ ¡®Lightning Lance.¡¯ Pzzz-! Lightning struck the arena that was filled with water vapor. ¡°When did you¡­!¡± The already loud lightning-type magic was influenced by the water vapor and cried even louder. Joo Hanwuk turned around in astonishment. And immediately prepared magic to stop the Lightning Lance. ¡®Normally he might¡¯ve used Absolute Shield to block it.¡¯ However, currently, Joo Hanwuk cannot use Absolute Shield. Joo Hanwuk likes to investigate, but he also tends to analyze as well. Since I destroyed his Absolute Shield just now, he¡¯ll probably avoid using it for the time being. ¡®The most appropriate magic to use now is Earth Shield. Or Water Shield.¡¯ He¡¯ll either use the Earth Shield to send the electric current to the ground. Or use the Water Shield to try and send the current in a different direction. My next move depends on which of the two magic spells he uses. ¡®Yellow.¡¯ I saw the color that symbolized earth magic. It seemed that Joo Hanwuk opted for the Earth Shield. The Earth Shield was quickly created. And at that moment, I knew exactly what I would do next. ¡®Earth shield has a fatal flaw where it blocks the caster¡¯s field of vision.¡¯ I hid myself using the blind spot that was formed after the Earth Shield was created. Then I immediately turned my body and grabbed Joo Hanwuk¡¯s back. ¡®4 circle fire attribute magic.¡¯ ¡®Blast Impaction.¡¯ A concentrated flame fluttered in my fist. It was the 4th circle version of the Burning Impaction that Baek Sahyuk had used in the past. That along with my fist flew at Joo Hanwuk¡¯s back which was left wide open. Bzzzzz-! At the same time, the Lightning Lance collided with the Earth Shield, causing an explosion to sound out. ¡°Heup!¡± Even though he had lost sight of me for a moment, he hadn¡¯t seemed to have lost sight of the Blast Impaction mana aimed at his back. He cast another spell. ¡®5 circle water type magic.¡¯ ¡®Water Laser.¡¯ A Water Laser that used hydraulic pressure. And though it flew toward me. ¡®Once the trajectory of the water laser is set, it can¡¯t be changed.¡¯ With my God¡¯s eyes opened, I had no blind spots. I immediately stopped swinging my fist and got out of the Water Laser¡¯s range. Swoosh! The Water Laser skimmed past my cheek. As I felt that cold sensation, I swung my fist. ¡°This¡­!¡± As if frightened, Joo Hanwuk cast a new spell. This time it was the Water Shield. As if he had given up on counterattacking, he blocked my Blast Impaction with a second shield. I swung my fist without hesitation. Pwooosh! The Water Shield rapidly evaporated. Naturally, my Blast Impaction couldn¡¯t penetrate the Water Shield of a 5th circle mage. However, ¡±Agh!¡± It didn¡¯t really matter. My purpose was not to penetrate it but to create more water vapor. Phwoosh-! The Lightning Lance, which was guided to the floor by the Earth Shield that was acting as a lightning conductor, shone again as water vapor exploded out. ¡®The concentrated steam makes the trajectory of the Lightning Lance unexpected.¡¯ And in the pandemonium, the Lightning Lance exploded. Delayed activation that can only be done thanks to the Bytenor style. ¡®Explode.¡¯ At my command, the Lightning Lance exploded. Pzzzzzzzzz-! 4th circle rank lightning spread out in all directions. ¡®When lightning interacts with water vapor it gets even stronger.¡¯ The lightning exploded onto Joo Hanwuk¡¯s Earth Shield. ¡±Agh!¡± I could hear Joo Hanwuk groan a little clearer. He definitely wasn¡¯t a fan of the current situation. ¡®And from here, I¡¯ll wrap around to his back and fire off more 4 circle magic¡¯. Pzzz-! The 4th circle lightning attribute magic rang out again. Lightning Lance. There was no way that Joo Hanwuk hadn¡¯t heard the loud sound. ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± Joo Hanwuk¡¯s patience had finally run thin. ¡°Enough!!¡± The mana in his heart shook violently. It seemed he could no longer stay on the defensive. He was preparing to launch a counterattack. ¡®Here he comes.¡¯ At that moment, my brain worked at an unbelievable speed. ¡®Joo Hanwuk isn¡¯t a fan of this tussle.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯ll be trying to reset the situation.¡¯ ¡®The only way he can accomplish that is by forcing me to create a ton of distance and then removing the steam that¡¯s filled the arena.¡¯ ¡®Then he has at most two options.¡¯ There are at most two magic spells that Joo Hanwuk specializes in and can use in this situation. ¡®Inferno. Or Expanding Flames.¡¯ And in a tussle like this, one usually uses the magic they are most confident in. ¡®Red mana that¡¯s reminiscent of hell.¡¯ The light of Inferno. It lit up Joo Hanwuk¡¯s surroundings. Rumble rumble-! Inferno. The flames of hell that punish the sinners burned like explosions. The steam vanished in an instant. And the lightning disappeared with the collision. The inferno spread out as if it were going to crush everything with overwhelming power and strength. Vision had been cleared. Through the flames of hell, Joo Hanwuk¡¯s face was visible. He¡¯s smiling as if sure of victory. He must be convinced that I would be eaten up and defeated by the inferno. ¡°The moment when you must be most careful is when you¡¯re sure of victory.¡± I looked at Joo Hanwuk as I muttered this to myself. ¡°I¡¯m the one who¡¯s won. Sunbaenim.¡± The words of my master, which reached me through Elena passed through my mind like a panorama. ¡®See through the essence of the magic with your God¡¯s eyes. Hear the magic. Seize the gaps of the mana.¡¯ My God¡¯s eyes were definitely seizing the gaps in the Inferno. ¡®Once you have done so, the magic will no longer be magic.¡¯ I reached out to the gap. ¡®Destruction.¡¯ Clank! I could hear something breaking. The sound of delicate machinery shattering. ¡®The sound of magic breaking.¡¯ The magic formula was close to perfect, but not quite there. The sound of it breaking was truly beautiful. As the magic formula broke, the Inferno lost its form. It loses its properties, its essence, and its structure. The Inferno scattered in the wind as particles of mana. The particles of mana scattered away like hail. In the midst of this, I could see Joo Hanwuk¡¯s flustered face. An expression that said he could not understand how the inferno vanished. I fired my final magic spell at him. ¡®4 circle wind type magic.¡¯ ¡®Tempest Circus.¡¯ A circus of storms. It swirled around Joo Hanwuk. Joo Hanwuk immediately prepares for a counterattack. However, he¡¯s already exhausted himself. He has no way of counterattacking now. Phwoooooosh-! A gale blew. A bitter and cold wind. It swirled around Joo Hanwuk. As if affected by a tornado, what was left of the inferno soared high into the sky. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve lost.¡± At the center of it all, Joo Hanwuk finally admitted defeat. ¡ª The match is over! Winner! Shin Hayul! As Jung Suha announced my victory, the match ended. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] After that, Joo Hanwuk had been transferred to the infirmary, and with that, the fight was completely over. ¡°Nice work out there!¡± When I returned to the waiting room, it was Kim Kangin who greeted me first. As if excited by watching my game, he approached with a flushed expression on his face. ¡°It was a great match! You can¡¯t tell how shocked I was the whole time as I watched it! Haha!¡± He grabbed both my hands as he shook them with a delighted expression on his face. ¡°I was wondering why you were doing all these things, but to think that they were all in preparation for your magic negation at the end¡­ It was like looking at a planned out chess match. Even thinking about it gives me goosebumps. Can you see it? My goosebumps.¡± Kim Kangin showed me his right arm. He really had goosebumps. ¡°What on earth was that last magic? How did you destroy the Inferno¡¯s magic formula?¡± Normally, he wouldn¡¯t have known that I had interfered with the magic formula. As expected, it seemed like I couldn¡¯t fool Kim Kangin¡¯s Eyes of ruby. ¡°And what was that 4th circle magic? Did you succeed in completely erasing the weakness of Memorize using your alteration magic?¡± Memorize. A magic that is now extinct that has the ability of casting magic immediately by memorizing spells that are 3 circles lower than your level in advance. I kept my Bytenor style of magic a secret by using this as a cover. So far, I had no problems using this as a cover. Since whether it be Memorize, or alteration magic, it all made sense. ¡°If I were to say that I improved Memorize using my alteration magic¡­ would you believe me?¡± ¡°No. I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to.¡± But that¡¯s not true anymore. ¡°Even when you used 3rd circle magic, I thought that it was reasonable. Although it was odd, I could believe that you had simply improved the shortcomings of Memorize.¡± Hiding the seeds of the Bytenor style using Memorize and alteration magic as a cover were beginning to get difficult. ¡°But 4th circle magic is a different story. Since you¡¯re not just improving the shortcomings of Memorize but removing it entirely. And you yourself know how hard it is to remove the shortcomings of a magic spell from its formula.¡± It was impossible to hide the newly grown shoots of the Bytenor style of magic. My talent will show itself. The uniqueness of the Bytenor style of magic completely tore apart the cover I had made using memorize and alteration magic. ¡°What on earth is that magic of yours? Being able to cast magic almost instantly. Free magic that completely breaks the existing mold. And even being able to negate the opponent¡¯s magic. Just what kind of magic can you use to do such absurd things?¡± The emotions of excitement and anticipation completely disappeared from Kim Kangin¡¯s expression. All that was left was the cold-hearted inquiry of a researcher and a magician. ¡°Up till now¡­¡± I looked him straight in the eyes and spoke. Chapter 49 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 49 After Shin Hayul had left. Kim Kangin was drinking tea with Jung Suha in his study, talking about how the project was to be executed. ¡°Then we will send these 10 engineers to the World Academy Olympiad.¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do that. I can leave you to write the proposal and submit it right?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯ll be fully taken care of by tomorrow.¡± ¡°Then all that¡¯s left is to talk with other companies so that our other project isn¡¯t affected.¡± ¡°Shall we set up a meeting?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll try to fit it into your schedule.¡± Jung Suha took out her phone and looked at Kim Kangin¡¯s schedule. And checked if there was anything that could be postponed. If there was nothing that could be postponed, she would check if there was anything that wouldn¡¯t cause any damage even if it was cancelled. She calculated those things as she coordinated the schedule. ¡°Suha, what do you think?¡± ¡°About what?¡± Jung Suha answered with her mind focused on the schedule. ¡°This Olympiad. Do you really think he can win a gold medal?¡± Jung Suha slowed down in flicking through the schedule. She¡¯s thinking about Kim Kangin¡¯s question. ¡°¡­It doesn¡¯t seem impossible.¡± Kim Kangin raised his eyebrows and smiled slyly. He was clearly making fun of her. ¡°Is that so? Up till yesterday, you would¡¯ve said that even the bronze medal was impossible, let alone the other medals.¡± ¡°¡­The situation now is different from yesterday.¡± Jung Suha took her eyes off the schedule and stared at Kim Kangin. ¡°After seeing him perform. How could I say that it¡¯s impossible?¡± Shin Hayul¡¯s battle today was impressive. If one were to say that he couldn¡¯t win the gold medal even after seeing that, then they were just being stubborn. ¡±It was impressive even for you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know if I need to say it¡­ Yes. It was.¡± ¡°By the looks of it, it seemed like you forgot to be a referee and were immersed in the fight?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Jung Suha¡¯s cheeks flushed slightly. It was a reaction that said he had hit the mark. ¡°Aw. So cute. Is this why my kids are madly in love with you?¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t make fun of me. I¡¯m going to get angry.¡± Jung Suha looked at Kim Kangin. ¡°Good grief. We wouldn¡¯t want to make our Suha angry would we. Mhm.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At Kim Kangin¡¯s exaggerated gestures, Jung Suha¡¯s stare got even more intense. ¡®If you open your mouth one more time, I¡¯ll leave you to do everything by yourself.¡¯ That was what her look said. Kim Kangin smiled with a casual expression and happily received her gaze. ¡°Sigh.¡± Jung Suha let out a deep sigh. As a secretary, I must be patient. That¡¯s what her expression seemed to say. ¡°More importantly, just what on earth was Hayul¡¯s magic?¡± Jung Suha changed the topic. ¡°I wonder. I don¡¯t know either.¡± Kim Kangin shrugged slightly. ¡°¡­Weren¡¯t you observing him with your eyes of ruby the whole way through?¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re still saying you don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Yeah. Even after having looked at it I still don¡¯t know.¡± Kim Kangin¡¯s smile broadened. ¡°I understand that the last magic he used destroyed Inferno¡¯s magic formula. But I don¡¯t know how he did that.¡± ¡°A magic that even the eyes of ruby cannot comprehend¡­¡± Eyes of ruby. Among the existing detection magic eyes, it¡¯s within the top three. The fact that even he couldn¡¯t understand Shin Hayul¡¯s magic having looked at it with his own eyes meant that no one could. ¡°I was so curious that I even asked myself¡­¡± ¡®You said this last time. That a mage has the right to keep the secrets of their magic.¡¯ ¡®I can¡¯t tell you about my magic.¡¯ ¡°But he refused, saying it was a secret. I want to find out for myself.¡± Shin Hayul did not reveal the information about his magic. ¡°¡­He couldn¡¯t have done anything illegal, right?¡± ¡°No he couldn¡¯t have. The purity and the structure of the mana were too clean for it to have been anything illegal. It¡¯s nothing shady, I¡¯m certain of that.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The bud of suspicion that had bloomed in Jung Suha wasimmediately nipped. If Kim Kangin had said no, then it meant no. ¡°All I¡¯ve found out is that Hayul¡¯s vision magic isn¡¯t ¡®alteration magic¡¯?¡± ¡±Mm. What could it be?¡± ¡°Well, I reckon I¡¯ll be able to find out after more analysis.¡± Kim Kangin, leaned back and lay down on the sofa. ¡°Either way, this year¡¯s Olympiad will be worth seeing.¡± Kim Kangin¡¯s face glistened with joy as he looked up at the ceiling. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Soonchan and Adella came into my room. ¡±Hey, I¡¯m a little tired today. Can¡¯t I get some rest?¡± I was tired after using resonance and I had planned to take a good rest today as well. ¡°What¡¯s this? Are you being a hypocrite? Last time, no matter how tired I was, you said I should receive feedback for the training on the day that I did it?¡± Soonchan smiled slyly with a look on his face as if he had been waiting for this moment. ¡°Though, If teacher Hayul is a petty person who¡¯s only kind to himself and strict to others, then I suppose I¡¯ll have no choice but to back down.¡± ¡°¡­You bastard.¡± Those were the words that Soonchan usually said to me after training. They came back to me like a boomerang. ¡°Well, anyway, you must be very tired today. It would be better to get a good rest today and do it tomorrow, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Adella spoke with an anxious expression on her face. My face must look tired or something because she looked worried. ¡°Hey. Adella. Don¡¯t you remember?¡± Soonchan cleared his throat. ¡°The real training is the training you do when you¡¯re tired. If you don¡¯t do that, then it¡¯s like throwing away 30% of it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The way he mimicked my voice and tone was annoying. ¡°Our teacher Hayul has to set an example. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Annoying. Should I just kill him? My impulse to do so surged in an instant. ¡°¡­Fine. Let¡¯s do it. Feedback. Let¡¯s give feedback.¡± I clenched my teeth and smiled as I replied. ¡°Oh yes!¡± Soonchan smiled broadly as if saying ¡®I finally gave Satan a taste of his own medicine!¡¯ I looked at him and grinned. ¡°¡­Why are you grinning like that? You¡¯re making me nervous.¡± Soonchan trembled for a moment. ¡°Nope. It¡¯s nothing much. Since the participating members have been confirmed. I thought that it would be good to start some hardcore training tomorrow.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Soonchan¡¯s face stiffened. He didn¡¯t seem all that happy about it. ¡°Excuse me. Teacher? Aren¡¯t you being a bit childish? You¡¯re not going to make us train more than usual tomorrow just because I said this right?¡± Soonchan rubbed his hands together. ¡°Come on, now. Do you think I¡¯m that petty?¡± ¡°Oh of course not. I, Adella, and the whole world knows for a fact that our teacher, Hayul, is a great person.¡± ¡°Obviously. Fear not. I¡¯ll act like one.¡± I smiled broadly. I wonder how he felt about my smile. Soonchan¡¯s expression contorted as if he had chewed something. ¡°¡­Fuck. I was just kidding.¡± And right after, he despaired. Finally, you have a nice expression on your face. ¡°Look forward to it. In no more and no less than 1 month, people will start calling you the stamina thug.¡± ¡°Fuuuuuuuuuck.¡± As if deeply regretting it, he dragged out his swearing. Whew. I¡¯m feeling a bit better now. ¡°Then let¡¯s swiftly talk about the fight today.¡± I took my gaze off Soonchan and turned to Adella. ¡°¡­Are you really okay? You don¡¯t look all that well.¡± ¡±To be honest I¡¯m very tired.¡± I¡¯m suffering from the aftereffects of resonance right now. Maybe it¡¯s because my circles have completely stiffened, but I¡¯m unbelievably tired. And I can¡¯t even use my master¡¯s robe when suffering from resonance. ¡°If it¡¯s too much then sleeping will be¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s right. Do you think I seriously meant it? If you¡¯re tired then go to sleep. Friend.¡± Soonchan smiled softly and patted my shoulder. ¡°Yeah, even if I rest here, your training tomorrow will be hell.¡± ¡°Ah. Give it~ a rest¡­¡± Soonchan fell into despair again. Adella laughed loudly as she looked at Soonchan. It seemed that she really enjoyed his various reactions. ¡°Ahem.¡± Then, as if noticing my gaze, she covered her mouth and cleared her throat. Returning to a blank expression as if nothing had happened. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m tired, but it¡¯s not to the point where I can¡¯t stand it. And all I need to do is briefly go through the fight today¡­¡± I grinned and turned my attention to Soonchan who was hitting the ground in regret. ¡°As Soonchan said, I must keep to my word.¡± When Adella and Soonchan were dying from exhaustion, I pushed them on, telling them to give feedback. So it¡¯s not like I can rest just because I¡¯m tired. ¡°In return, let¡¯s progress through it a little faster.¡± After setting my phone to hologram transmission mode, I turned on the VOD of today¡¯s fight. ¡°Firstly here. The first move. Can you tell why I did this attack here?¡± Like so, feedback on my fight continued for about 30 minutes. 30 minutes later. After all the feedback had come to an end. ¡°Then have a good rest.¡± ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Both of you take care.¡± Upon leaving Shin Hayul¡¯s room, Adella and Ji Soonchan headed to the convenience store. Today, both of them had skipped dinner, so they thought that they might as well grab something light to eat before going back to their rooms. ¡°¡­I know he¡¯s my friend, but he really is gifted, huh.¡± On the way to the convenience store. Ji Soonchan implicitly brought up the topic. ¡°Yes. He¡¯s a great person.¡± Adella replied, agreeing with his opinion. ¡±Honestly, who else could have done that? Just because his opponent said he could take the first move, he cancelled all his previous plans and made a new one on the spot.¡± ¡°¡­I know right.¡± Today, almost all of Shin Hayul¡¯s plans were ad-lib. Compared to the initial plan he had told Adella, and Ji Soonchan, the only part that was the same was the ending. ¡°Removing the Absolute Shield with his first move. Preventing the opponent from using close combat with the second move. Then, after easily making it into a tussle, he went on the offensive. And after driving his opponent into a corner so that he had no choice but to use Inferno, finishing it off with Destruction. He made it sound easy, doesn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Coming up with those plans was impressive enough, but making those plans work in reality was even more impressive. ¡°Was he like that when he was little as well?¡± ¡±Well. He was a bit younger back then.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not talking about physically. Are you saying that he was mentally younger?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°In what way?¡± ¡°Perhaps he was a bit more optimistic before? And there were times where he was a bit too overconfident in his abilities.¡± Adella quietly added that she was like that as well. ¡°He¡¯s like the final boss of cautiousness. You¡¯re telling me there was a time when he was overconfident?¡± ¡±Yes. He was like that up till he entered the Obelisk Academy.¡± Until he was found to be incompatible with AI, he was full of self-confidence, both good and bad. His self-confidence wasn¡¯t quite arrogance or conceit, but it was very close. He felt as if he could accomplish anything. ¡°It might be awkward for me to say this¡­ But then that means Hayul being incompatible with AI was actually a blessing rather than a curse.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Adella replied in surprise. Ji Soonchan waved his hand as if telling her not to misunderstand. ¡°Ah. Don¡¯t get me wrong. Because I don¡¯t mean it badly. It¡¯s just, how should I explain? You know. The pride of geniuses. I just see that as the biggest thing that slows their growth.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Adella agreed. They were words that Adella, as a genius who had been arrogant, could deeply empathize with. ¡°But Hayul doesn¡¯t have any of that arrogance.¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°And from what you¡¯ve said, it seems like the reason he¡¯s lost all that arrogance is because of him becoming incompatible with AI.¡± The case of being revealed as someone incompatible with AI was more than enough to humble him. ¡°So in other words, he¡¯s as perfect as he is now because he¡¯s already gone through all that before. Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°Right. Though Hayul might get angry if he hears this¡­¡± Soonchan smiled bitterly. ¡°Well, Hayul found his way. Though I can only say this because he¡¯s been able to spread his wings further as a result of that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Had Shin Hayul been unable to recover, these words could never have been said. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was a brief moment of silence. The silence was inevitable, having discussed the heavy subject of incompatibility. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s work hard.¡± Ji Soonchan broke the silence. ¡°Sorry?¡± Adella tilted her head at the sudden encouragement. ¡°Preparing for the Olympiad. Let¡¯s work hard.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Adella nodded as if she understood. ¡°Yes. We have to work harder.¡± The Olympiad gold medal. What had felt so distant didn¡¯t feel so far away anymore. Chapter 50 [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 50 The next morning. I woke up with a very tired body. ¡°Uh¡­¡± The aftereffects of Resonance were so great that despite having slept for 8 hours, I still felt fatigued. In fact, I feel more tired now than I did yesterday. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s because I used Destruction as well as Resonance, but the aftereffects feel longer than usual.¡¯ The aftereffects were normally supposed to only last 12 hours. Since I had Destroyed 5th circle magic as well as using Resonance, even after 12 hours, my body showed no sign of returning to normal. ¡®I have to go to school.¡¯ Today is a Monday. And the current time is 7:20. It¡¯s time for me to go to school. ¡®It¡¯ll be hard for me to go to school in this state.¡¯ Since I don¡¯t know how much longer the aftereffects of Resonance will last, it¡¯ll be best to not go to school today. ¡®Fortunately, we¡¯re only going to do some indoor and light stamina training so I don¡¯t feel too bad about missing today. I¡¯ll have to tell my father that I¡¯ll take the day off.¡¯ If I tell him that I overworked myself in yesterday¡¯s battle, then he¡¯ll let me take the sick leave without saying anything. I got up from my seat with my tired body and took out my smartphone. ¡°Hm?¡± What¡¯s this? My father had already left me a message. [Sender: Father] [You¡¯ll have probably overworked yourself in yesterday¡¯s fight.] [I¡¯ve told the school that you¡¯re off sick. Take a good rest today and manage your condition.] ¡°¡­¡± I was momentarily confused. ¡®Did my father really take this much care of me?¡¯ I even wondered if my father had genuinely sent this text message. ¡®Does this mean he was satisfied with my fight yesterday?¡¯ My father¡¯s consideration for a person depends on his expectations of them. In other words, this just means that my father has high expectations of me. ¡°He went back without so much as a word after the fight yesterday, so I was worried that he might¡¯ve had some complaints or something¡­¡± It seems like I was concerned for no reason. From this text, I can gather that my father is definitely obsessed with my Bytenor style of magic. ¡®This is nice.¡¯ I found myself laughing automatically. I presented my father with the possibility of winning an Olympiad gold medal through this Dalian. Through this fight, I presented the possibility of me winning the Olympiad gold medal to my father. And my father must also think that the gold medal isn¡¯t so far away after all. ¡®Since the expectations of my father are this high, he¡¯ll probably invest more resources on me.¡¯ At least until the end of the Olympiad, he¡¯ll protect me completely from all kinds of danger that originate from Shin Jihan. In other words, all I have to do now is to prepare for the Olympiad. ¡®Then what I have to do for the rest of the month is¡­¡¯ I closed my eyes again as I slowly sorted through all the things I had to do for the future. [Translator ¨C Nya] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] When I opened my eyes again, 6 hours had passed. About 18 hours had passed since I had used Resonance. Vrrr, vrrr, vrrr! My three Infinity Circles that had frozen over and showed no movement started to spin again. Because it had been so stiff, it creaked more than usual, but at this rate, it should be back to normal in three hours. ¡®If I use Resonance as well as Destruction, then the aftereffects will remain for 18 hours. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡¯ Freezing my mana for 18 hours isn¡¯t a bad penalty considering its effects. I¡¯ll have to check the timings for each of the games in the Olympiad to see if there¡¯s a time for me to use it. I had this in mind as I put on my master¡¯s robe which had been hanging next to me. ¡®This is it.¡¯ The tiredness of my body and brain melted away in an instant. My master¡¯s robe was truly enormously effective. I may not be able to live without this robe from now on. I could never leave behind this comfortable and pleasant feeling. Wrapped in the warmth of my master¡¯s robes, I started to circulate my mana. The Infinity Circle spins quickly and energizes my body. And after about 2 hours flowed by. ¡°Perfect.¡± I was in my best condition as I normally was. I¡¯m not exaggerating when I say that my body felt as light as a feather. Is it because I¡¯ve been tormented for 18 hours? My body must have returned to normal. ¡®Since my body¡¯s returned to normal, I¡¯ll have to report it to Mimir, so I¡¯ll go and visit Mimir¡¯s tome.¡¯ I opened Mimir¡¯s tome. As usual, a short light was emitted. And I was soon standing in M¨ªmisbrunnr. ¡°Mimir. I¡¯m back.¡± Then, as usual, I approached Mimir, who was lying on the sofa, reading a book and greeted her. Mimir didn¡¯t respond to my words. It seemed that she was completely absorbed in the book she was reading. I approached Mimir even more cautiously. ¡°¡­Mimir?¡± Then I whispered it into her ear. ¡°Ah! You surprised me! Hey!¡± Mimir, who was startled, got up from her seat. ¡°You surprised me! Why did you come in without announcing yourself and then whisper in my ear?¡± Mimir rubbed her forearms. She had goosebumps. She must¡¯ve genuinely been startled. ¡±Tell me you¡¯re here when you come in! I really thought my heart was going to stop beating.¡± Mimir took a deep breath, rubbing at her chest as if trying to calm her startled heart. ¡°I did say hello though? When I came in.¡± ¡°Huh? You did?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡®Mimir. I¡¯m back.¡¯ I definitely said those words. ¡°¡­Did I not hear you because I was so concentrated?¡± Mimir tilted her head slightly and pondered. ¡°¡­To be fair. The book I was reading was interesting.¡± And she seemed to realize just how much attention she had been paying to the book. ¡°Successor. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t hear. But next time, even if I can¡¯t hear you, don¡¯t come close and whisper in my ear. I just hate stuff like that.¡± Mimir rubbed her ears and trembled her body. ¡°I¡¯ll remember.¡± Apparently, Mimir has sensitive ears. ¡°Okay. More importantly, how did your match go? Did you win?¡± Mimir patted the side of the sofa and gestured for me to sit there. I sat myself down. ¡°You didn¡¯t lose right?¡± Mimir strongly glared at me, as if she would not forgive me if I lost. ¡°Of course, I won. It was an easy victory.¡± Mimir opened her eyes blearily and looked at me with a furtive expression. ¡°Are you sure you won easily?¡± The look on her face told me that she wasn¡¯t convinced that I could have won easily. ¡°To be honest, it wasn¡¯t easy. It could have easily gone the other way.¡± Facing a 5th circle mage was no small feat. It¡¯s a good thing that my strategy worked out and that I didn¡¯t make any mistakes. If anything had not gone as I had hoped, then in all probability it would have been me who had lost. ¡°Had my opponent even known a little about my magic, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to win.¡± I only won because of the monopoly I had on the information. Had Joo Hawuk known that I could use 4th circle magic, he wouldn¡¯t have used fire rain. And had he known that I could use Destruction, then he wouldn¡¯t have used Inferno at the end. He probably would have slowly drawn out the battle without over-exerting himself, taking advantage of the gaps in my defense. If he had done that, I would have never won. ¡°Even though I won, I don¡¯t feel happy at all. It just feels like I¡¯ve learnt more about my shortcomings.¡± I won¡¯t always have superior information to my opponent. As I progress through the Olympiad, my magic will inevitably be analyzed and information on it will be gathered. If I hadn¡¯t had better information, would I have been able to defeat the 5th circle mage? As I am now, there¡¯s not a chance. Not only are the two strong contenders for this year¡¯s Olympiad 5th circle mages, they¡¯re also users of vision magic. How on earth can I expect to defeat a 5th circle mage who also uses vision magic, when I can¡¯t even defeat an ordinary one? ¡°¡­I have to work harder.¡± If I want to beat them and win the gold medal, I¡¯ll have to work harder than I am now. ¡°I really like the fact that you¡¯re not arrogant. It makes me want to help you.¡± Mimir smiled broadly. There seems to be a sense of pride in her eyes as she looks at me. ¡±If you feel like helping me then go and get me some books on the 4th circle.¡± I didn¡¯t come to M¨ªmisbrunnr immediately today just to report whether or not I had won to her. My main purpose is to prepare to weave my fourth circle. ¡°Fine. What can I get you?¡± Mimir got up from the sofa and headed to one of the bookshelves. ¡°Up to you.¡± If it¡¯s Mimir, she¡¯ll bring me all the information I need step by step, even if I don¡¯t specify anything. ¡°Okay. Then¡­¡± Mimir¡¯s fountain had grown as I reached the 3rd circle. Mimir, who had been slowly walking around the library that had doubled in size, stopped at a bookshelf and took out a book. ¡°Read this first. It¡¯ll be a great help in learning the basics.¡± Mimir threw the book at me. The book flew at me steadily and I caught it with ease. [About the fourth Infinity Circle, the Circle of Expansion] That was the name of the book. The next morning. As usual, after I finished training in the gym, I headed off to school. ¡®The Circle of Expansion.¡¯ I sat down at my seat and recalled the information about the Ring of Expansion. [The Circle of Expansion is fundamentally different to the previous three circles.] [The structures of the Circle of Deliberation, the Circle of Resonance and the Circle of Interference are all parallel.] Although the properties of the three Infinity Circles differ, their structures are essentially the same. They can be likened to mini car rails. Some rails may be rotated 360 degrees, and some may have an overhead section, but their overall structures are very similar. The three circles are like that. [But the Circle of Expansion is different.] [It has a structure where it surrounds the three circles, rather than standing parallel with them.] However, the Circle of Expansion has its own mana circuit, that¡¯s different to the other three circles. That¡¯s why my master said that it¡¯s fundamentally different to the three other rings. [When the Circle of Expansion wraps around the three other circles, it results in the three circles being able to circulate more stably.] [As a result, the overall Infinity Circle is stabilized, and the magic¡¯s efficiency increases.] Unlike the previous three circles, the Circle of Expansion doesn¡¯t have a variety of effects. It just stabilizes the preceding three circles and raises the efficiency of the circle as a whole. If you simply look at it like this, you may think that this is not a big deal. But, that¡¯s false. The Circle of Expansion is overpowered. In the first place, trivial things don¡¯t exist in the Bytenor style of magic. [Of course, as the circle stabilizes, the consumption of your mental power, an inevitable disadvantage of the Circle of Deliberation, decreases.] The first circle, the Circle of Deliberation. The foundation of the Bytenor style of magic and what allows me to use my magic feely. The Circle of Expansion reduces its only drawback, the consumption of my mental power. [In addition, the number of resonances increases which results in its duration increasing as well as its penalty being reduced.] The second circle, the Circle of Resonance. A kind of joker card that allows me to use magic that¡¯s one circle higher than what I should be capable of. The Circle of Expansion refines the shortcomings of this joker card as well. [Furthermore, the load on the Circle of Interference is also reduced, which reduces the side effects of using Destruction.] [Of course, it also reduces the side effects of using God¡¯s eyes as well.] The circle of expansion covers all the weaknesses of the Bytenor style. In other words, the Circle of Expansion holds the role of the showpiece, improving the overall quality of the already great infinity circles. If this isn¡¯t impressive, then I don¡¯t know what is. [As it¡¯s a completely new type of circle that completely wraps around the previous three, forming a gigantic circle, weaving the circle of expansion will not be easy.] [Its difficulty can¡¯t even be compared to weaving the other three.] This is the only problem. It¡¯s difficult to weave the Circle of Expansion. [You will need at least a year to weave the Circle of Expansion.] [It¡¯s only natural that it¡¯ll take a long time, so don¡¯t be too impatient and pace yourself.] Unbelievably difficult at that. ¡®Although it¡¯s obvious that the more circles I weave the more difficult it¡¯ll get¡­¡¯ The difficulty of acquiring the Circle of Expansion had transcended being simply hard. Chapter 51 [Translator ¨C Bomunnie] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 51 After all the classes were over, I was using the private training ground with Adella and Soonchan as usual. ¡°Aah, I am tired to death.¡± Soonchan, who was exhausted after an hour and a half of sprinting, mumbled with a face of death on the floor. ¡°Great job.¡± I handed Soonchan a sports drink that helped him recover from fatigue. ¡°Gave the disease and offered the remedy.¡± ¡°Say it correctly. When did I give you a disease? I gave you a prescription and medicine.¡± ¡°¡­Okay, thank you. I¡¯m very happy that my competent doctor is looking after me.¡± Soonchan gritted his teeth and was handed over as if he was stealing a sports drink from me. Then he gulped it down. ¡°Whoa, you petty bastard. You did this because I teased you yesterday.¡± After drinking the whole 500ml drink, he seemed to have gained some energy. His eyes that resented me became even more intense. ¡°Hey, do you really think I raised the intensity of your training for that reason?¡± ¡°Yes, you would do that.¡± Soonchan looked at me confidently. I don¡¯t see any doubt in his eyes. ¡°No, I would not. Since participation in the Olympiad has been confirmed, I decided that it would be better to raise the intensity of your training a bit more.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be ridiculous. I know you raised the intensity of my training because I teased you the day before yesterday.¡± ¡°¡­Not at all.¡± ¡°Look me in the eyes and tell me, you bastard.¡± Soonchan¡¯s forehead wriggled with annoyance. I got up from my seat ignoring Soonchan. ¡°Adella, I¡¯m sorry to interrupt, but could you come over here for a moment?¡± Then I called Adella, who was sitting far away and resting. ¡°¡­You petty bastard. Even if I feel unfair, I will quickly overcome my lack of stamina.¡± Soonchan mumbled behind me, biting his teeth. No matter what he says, Soonchan works harder than anyone else. Whatever I command, if he doesn¡¯t want to do it, he can do it roughly. But, he is really going all out for running. Knowing that, I am raising the intensity of the training even more. ¡®With this momentum, he can completely overcome his lack of stamina within a month.¡¯ If Soonchan¡¯s will is not extinguished, it won¡¯t be impossible to completely overcome his lack of stamina within a month. ¡°Do you have something to say?¡± While I was in my thoughts, Adella approached me. Since Adella also had a hard time in training a while ago, she didn¡¯t look so good. ¡°The selected members for the Olympiad have been confirmed, so I¡¯m planning to reorganize the training plan.¡± ¡°Reorganize the training plan?¡± ¡°Yes. Starting from tomorrow we can legally skip classes. Since we are going to have more time, I was wondering if we could change the schedule a bit.¡± Participants in the Olympiad are exempted from all classes until the Olympiad. It is the school¡¯s consideration to prepare for the Olympiad instead of taking classes. Besides that, there is another reason to control their conditions. ¡°Even if we don¡¯t have to take classes, special training for the Olympiad will begin the day after tomorrow. Is it necessary to reorganize the training?¡± ¡°That training is only 8 hours a day. I want to set up the training schedule before and after that.¡± ¡°Aha.¡± The joint special training for sophomores and juniors in preparation for the Olympiad is only 8 hours in total from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. That is, we have time in the morning. ¡°You are not going to do this hellish training in the morning, aren¡¯t you?¡± Soonchan looks at me with a desperate face. He is begging me not to do morning training. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have no intention of doing this high-intensity training in the morning.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± Soonchan looks at me as if he is surprised. He looks like he is thinking, ¡®what¡¯s wrong with this devil bastard?¡¯ ¡°People might think I make you run to tease you, dude.¡± Exercising too much is not necessarily a good thing. Taking a rest is more important than exercising. Exercising in the morning won¡¯t help much. If he does this high-intensity training in the morning, he will be completely exhausted in the special training at 10 a.m. In many ways, morning training is nothing but poison. ¡°What are you going to do for morning training?¡± ¡°Tactical strategy meeting.¡± ¡°Tactical strategy?¡± ¡°Yeah. There is more than one Olympiad, right? Let¡¯s look into the changed rules this year and study how we can win.¡± ¡°Aha. You mean we are going to start preparing for the Olympiad in earnest.¡± Soonchan understood. ¡°Then, why don¡¯t we analyze the power of other countries together?¡± Adella, who was listening quietly, raised her hand and presented her opinion. ¡°I¡¯m going to do it when the members of other countries are completely confirmed.¡± There are also countries where the list of participants has not yet been confirmed. It is not too late to analyze the power of other countries after their participants have been confirmed. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we collect information on the main participants we are paying attention to from now on?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. I¡¯m already collecting information when I have time.¡± ¡°Already?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You should have told me. Then I would have helped you¡­¡± Adella said with her face half upset and half sorry. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be sorry. Actually, there is not much I do. Jung Suha is in charge of collecting information.¡± ¡°Ah~¡± The main participant analysis is currently left to the blue tower. Since the Blue Tower has decided to support the Korean team in earnest this time, it feels like it will do everything it can. ¡°That explains it all.¡± Adella nodded convincingly. ¡°Anything else you want to know? Then we will have a tactical strategy planning meeting tomorrow morning?¡± ¡°Wait. I have a question.¡± Soonchan raised his hand quietly. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Well, it is good for us to plan a strategy. But, do you think the juniors will follow our strategy?¡± That¡¯s a good question. ¡°Of course, they won¡¯t just follow it.¡± Since they also have pride, they won¡¯t easily follow us. ¡°Then what?¡± ¡°I have something in mind.¡± ¡°You do?¡± ¡°Yeah. You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± There is already a way to convince juniors. ¡°¡­You are very creepy. There is nothing you haven¡¯t prepared.¡± Soonchan stuck out his tongue. It was a strange word that seemed like a curse and a compliment. ¡°Anyway. We are good, right? Then, we will have a 2 hour tactical strategy meeting every morning from 7:30 a.m. tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yes, no objection.¡± The two nodded. ¡°Oh, and I¡¯m sorry, let¡¯s shorten our evening training time a bit.¡± ¡°Shorten our evening training time? Why?¡± ¡°I want to do something by myself.¡± ¡°By yourself?¡± Adella asked unexpectedly. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The only training you can do by yourself is mana circulation training, isn¡¯t it?¡± As Adella said, the only thing that I can quietly train by myself in modern study of magic is mana circulation. ¡°Yes. I am going to do mana circulation training.¡± ¡°Every day?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Adella tilted her head further with a face of ¡®do you have to?¡¯ She asks if there is a reason to do mana circulation training by splitting the evening training time. ¡°It is because I can see the wall of enlightenment.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Can you see what?¡± The two reacted violently to my nonchalant words. ¡°Th-the wall of enlightenment? You mean you can see the wall of the 5th circle? Do you?¡± I¡¯m known as a 4th circle magician to others, including Adella. That¡¯s why Adella is bringing up the word ¡®5th circle¡¯. ¡°Yes, I can.¡± In fact, I am preparing to break down the wall of the 4th circle. But, I roughly confirmed it because I had no reason or need to explain it. ¡°5 circles at 18 years old¡­? Are you really crazy?¡± Soonchan reacted even more intensely. Adella¡¯s surprise grew even more. ¡°If you succeed, you will be the world¡¯s first and youngest magician to achieve 5 circles¡­¡± I shrugged my shoulders, catching the gaze of the two focused on me. ¡°Anyway. I think I should take some time alone for that reason. I¡¯m sorry, but please understand.¡± ¡°Hey, there is nothing to be sorry about. You said you saw the wall of enlightenment.¡± ¡°He is right. If that¡¯s the reason, you can skip the evening training.¡± ¡°No. If I stay stuck in my room because I can see the wall of enlightenment, it will create adverse effects.¡± There is something called efficiency in concentration. Concentrating on one thing does not necessarily lead to good results. ¡°Anyway, I will ask for your understanding for a while.¡± The remaining period is one month. Before that, we must somehow weave the 4th circle. [Translator ¨C Bomunnie] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] That night. After all the training, I headed to the mansion of Magic Shin Clan. As soon as I arrived at the mansion, I went to see my father. My father was doing paperwork in his study today as usual. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to come here late at night without contacting you.¡± I bowed my head to my father, who sat at his desk and checked the papers as usual. ¡°No problem. I was going to call you once.¡± My father took his eyes off the papers and got up from his seat. ¡°Sit down.¡± He said, sitting in front of the guest table in the study. I sat across from him. ¡°Do you have something to say to me?¡± Since he said he was going to call me, he must be saying that he has something to say to me. ¡°Hmm. You can defer my words. Tell me your business first.¡± My father looked at me with shining eyes. What interesting business did you bring today? He seems to have such expectations. ¡°I have a favor to ask of you.¡± ¡°You have a favor. What is it?¡± I handed him a note that I had written down in advance. ¡°I need the ingredients written here.¡± My father skimmed the note he had been handed. ¡°The horn of the octagonal tree, the heart of Catastrophe, the eyes of Leviathan?¡± His eyes became a bit sharper. All three are ridiculously expensive ingredients. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°What are you going to use this for?¡± All three ingredients are expensive and cost over one hundred thousand dollars. No matter how good my father thinks of me, these are not things he can get me without question. At least I need a reason to convince him. ¡°I need them for my magical achievement.¡± And I know the best way to convince my father. ¡°Magical achievement?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­Explain exactly what you mean.¡± I said, staring into my father¡¯s eyes. ¡°Now I am facing the wall of enlightenment.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± His eyes trembled. ¡°Are you saying that you are facing the wall of enlightenment?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you ready to go over the wall of the 4th circle?¡± ¡°Yes, those ingredients are essential for me to go over the wall of the 4th circle.¡± The ingredients on the note I gave him are the ones that help me weave the ring of expansion. To be precise, these are some of the ingredients for making a potion written in the book I read at Mimisbrunnr. ¡®A potion to help weave the Circle of Expansion.¡¯ I can get other things on my own, but there is no way to get these three ingredients on my own. That¡¯s why I came to visit my father. The only way I can get these expensive ingredients is to rely on my father. ¡°You are not lying, are you?¡± ¡°No, I am not.¡± I said clearly, staring straight into my father¡¯s eyes, which seemed to test me. ¡°You know better than anyone that I don¡¯t have any reason to lie, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± My father stared into my eyes as if to grasp my true intentions. His heavy eyes seemed to pierce my abyss. ¡°I don¡¯t think you are lying.¡± ¡°Yes, it is the truth.¡± He seemed to feel the sincerity in my eyes, and was immediately convinced. ¡°So are these ingredients for making a potion?¡± ¡°Yes, they are.¡± I told the truth. There is no reason to lie, and I shouldn¡¯t. Lying doesn¡¯t work on my father. ¡°It is the first combination I have ever heard of. Where did you get the information about the potion?¡± ¡°Information from an ancient book.¡± ¡°¡­Ancient book?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ancient potion. It is a special combination of potion written in the ancient book, and is characterized by having a far superior effect than existing potions. ¡°I see. An ancient book.¡± He was convinced. ¡°If that¡¯s true, I can get you as many ingredients as you want.¡± ¡°So¡­¡± ¡°Okay, I will get you.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± In the past, he wouldn¡¯t have been convinced by these words, and he wouldn¡¯t even have listened to me. But now, I have built up pretty solid trust. I thought he would get me these much right away because there were things I had shown him so far. ¡°By the way.¡± My father laughed with interest. ¡°¡­An ancient book again?¡± Then he looked at me with very meaningful eyes. ¡°Hayul, it seems that you are quite lucky.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was a word that contained so many meanings. Chapter 52 [Translator ¨C Bomunnie] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 52 After that, I was asked by my father about my magic. The questions that Kim Kangin asked me, including the identity of my magic used in the battle with Joo Hanwuk, were repeated. I said I couldn¡¯t tell them, so I answered Kim Kangin¡¯s questions the same. In response to my answer, he laughed with interest and said okay. ¡°¡­It was as expected so far.¡± I knew my father wouldn¡¯t bother prying into my magic. As an 8th circle archmage who has devoted his life to magic, I thought he would respect keeping the magic secret. The problem is the meaningful words that he had said before. ¡®The ancient book again? Hayul, it seems that you are quite lucky.¡¯ In the backseat of the limousine heading to the dormitory, I recalled his words and face again. ¡®Is he suspicious?¡¯ From interference magic to this ancient potion. There is a lot I have learned from the ancient books. It is natural for my father to be suspicious of my words because I told him I had learned these great things in a row from ancient books that it is difficult to obtain even one proper piece of information. ¡®Maybe I will talk to my father about my magic sooner or later.¡¯ I don¡¯t mind telling my father about my magic. Rather, it is better to tell him. If my father finds out what a great system my magic is, his support for me will be incomparably greater than now. ¡®I should think about it seriously.¡¯ I don¡¯t know if he might have dismissed my words as nonsense when my trust was still converging to 0 at the beginning of the sophomore year, but now, he will not dismiss my words. I should think about telling him about the Bytenor style seriously. ¡®Even if I don¡¯t reveal all the stories about the Bytenor style, I can explain some in a lump.¡¯ As I was looking out the window with that in mind, I saw a teacher at the Obelisk Academy. ¡°We arrived.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I thanked the driver who took me there and got out of the car. ¡°Take care.¡± ¡°Please call me if you have business again.¡± The driver left such a comment and quietly left. ¡®Whatever it was, the three expensive ingredients that were the most problematic have been solved.¡¯ I thought of tomorrow¡¯s schedule as I looked at the limousine moving away. ¡®I will have to go to Monster Byproduct Street tomorrow to get the remaining ingredients.¡¯ [Translator ¨C Bomunnie] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] The next morning. I was having a conversation with Mimir before heading to the gym. ¡°So today¡¯s schedule is training in the gym, having the strategy meeting, going to the Byproduct Street, and then doing the evening training?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then the return will be the same as usual.¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± We don¡¯t have to attend school classes from today, and special training for the Olympiad will begin tomorrow. In other words, I have no schedule today. Thanks to this, I can freely go to Monster Byproduct Street. ¡°I¡¯m asking you to be careful when you buy ingredients. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s still like that, but most of the byproduct vendors in the past were scammers.¡± ¡°¡­Was it like that then, too?¡± ¡°Yes. Monster byproducts are so good for cheating.¡± ¡°It is hard to tell if it is real or fake unless you are a veteran.¡± I should be careful when buying monster byproducts. Especially when I buy the skin or heart of something, I must doubt whether it is really the skin or heart of the monster. Monster Byproduct Street is the place where the heart of blood razer wolf is turned into penril¡¯s. ¡°So be careful. The ingredients you have to get are all unique. No matter how successful you are, you might be a pushover.¡± Mimir asked repeatedly. ¡°I will be careful.¡± I received education on monster byproducts at Magic Shin Clan. I don¡¯t think I will be swindled, but there¡¯s no harm in being more careful. Frankly, I took Mimir¡¯s advice. ¡°Oh, and successor. Can you get some more books when you come back?¡± Mimir said, pointing to books on the table, books on modern magic. ¡°I prepared 20 books for you, but you already read them all?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± These days, Mimirs is studying modern magic. ¡°Was it interesting?¡± ¡°It was interesting, and I was surprised that general purpose magic could change like this. It was interesting in many ways.¡± How general purpose magic has changed with modern technology. She seemed to be absorbed in the fun of studying it. ¡°Anyway, please.¡± Mimir¡¯s eyes shone. It was the eyes of a magician shining with an inquisitive mind for knowledge. ¡°You said I was into books. And you are the same, Mimir.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Mimir avoided eye contact. It seemed obvious that she would avoid unfavorable topics. Such shamelessness was rather cute. ¡°Anyway, okay. I will get more this time.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like professional books, not basic ones.¡± Mimir confirmed that I had no will to further argue, and her eyes shone again. ¡°If possible, please get me some special documents. Oh, and if you have time, I¡¯d like to read some recent theses¡­¡± I am not sure because I don¡¯t have a way to see myself, but I thought that my appearance when I am into something might be similar to Mimir¡¯s. After that. After finishing the physical training as usual. And finishing a tactical strategy meeting with Adella and Soonchan to prepare for the Olympiad. I was moving to the shopping street with the two. ¡°Adella said she¡¯s going to the bookstore. Soonchan, where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to buy some presents.¡± ¡°Presents?¡± ¡°Presents for my parents. Since I have time today, I¡¯m going to go back home.¡± ¡°Aha. Did you decide what to buy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking of buying a bottle of liquor at the department store.¡± ¡°Why a bottle of liquor all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Both of them drink a lot. They usually refrain from drinking because they are busy. But, there is good news, and if I buy a bottle of liquor, they will be able to enjoy drinking and rest well.¡± ¡°Wow, you are a good son.¡± ¡°A good son¡­¡± Soonchan scratched the back of his head as if he was embarrassed when I said he was a good son. Soonchan always feels awkward when he hears compliments about him. ¡°Adella, aren¡¯t you going home?¡± ¡°¡­Honestly, I didn¡¯t think much about it. But after hearing that, I think I should go, too.¡± Adella was lost in thought with a serious face. ¡°Your father loves liquor, too. Why don¡¯t you buy it as a present like Soonchan? I think he really likes it.¡± The head of the Mystic Wi clan, Wi Sangchul¡¯s fatherly love is very famous. If Adella gives him a present, he will be happy to receive it even if it was the gravel she picked up on the side of the road. ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± Adella groaned with a concerned face. ¡®Giving a present is nice, but there is a book I really want to read today¡­¡¯ She would definitely think this way. If you see Wi Sangchul, he looks like he is going to shed tears, muttering ¡®Ji, Jisoo¡­¡¯ ¡°You haven¡¯t been home since you started your second year, have you?¡± ¡°¡­No, I haven¡¯t.¡± I was just wondering, but you didn¡¯t go as expected. ¡°If you want to be a fire-attribute, you should go.¡± ¡°A fire-attribute?¡± Adella tilted her head as if she didn¡¯t understand the meaning. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be a bad daughter, you should go. Your parents must have missed you so much.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± It was the moment Adella decided to return home. ¡°Anyway, Hayul. How is it going?¡± Moving quietly, Soonchan asked me slightly. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Soonchan looked around to make sure there was no one around him, and whispered. ¡°Can you see beyond the wall of 5 circles?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s what you were talking about?¡± Adella¡¯s ears pricked up. She was also curious, so she seemed happy that Soonchan asked me first. ¡°It is no different from yesterday. What can I see in a day?¡± The ring of Expansion was really not easy. I read all the books in Mimisbrunnr, and tried to find the most efficient way to weave the ring, but there was no response. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°¡­Is it?¡± The two were disappointed. ¡°I think you guys are more disappointed than I am?¡± ¡°Of course. The sooner you become a 5th circle mage, the easier we can win a gold medal.¡± ¡°¡­This punk. He really enjoys taking a slice of someone else¡¯s pie.¡± ¡°Me. I like it. Taking other¡¯s share of the pie.¡± ¡°You have to be careful about taking other people¡¯s food. You might get food sick.¡± ¡°¡­Wow. You guys actually took that so literally.¡± Our useless jokes continued until we parted ways. Monster Byproduct Street. Seoul¡¯s largest monster byproduct street, known for selling monster byproducts throughout the city. I was walking down the street lightly with my hood on. ¡°Ask me if you need anything.¡± ¡°How much do you have in mind?¡± ¡°I will give you a cheap one. There is a cheap carapace of Fahaneilamos.¡± As soon as I enter the street, the vendors are touting me. It seems like I¡¯m pretty good prey to them. ¡®I think they regard me as a pushover because I look young, and I¡¯m walking alone on this street.¡¯ The eyes of the vendors touting me sparkle with the emotion of desire. I can clearly see their intentions to rip me off somehow and to make a big profit. ¡°You don¡¯t need this, man? There is a new web of Seiratin spiders.¡± Among them, a vendor came out with the ingredient. It was a thread that claimed to be a Seiratin spider web. I squinted at it. ¡®It¡¯s worse than I heard.¡¯ I can only laugh. This is a Seiratin spider¡¯s web? ¡°When did the Unicorn spider¡¯s web become the Seirantin spider¡¯s web?¡± He seems to have regarded me as a pushover. ¡°What are you talking about? A Unicorn spider¡¯s web? Don¡¯t nitpick.¡± ¡°¡­Phew.¡± The vendor was confident as if he had ripped people off several times. People might think I am a bad customer. ¡°Seirantin spider¡¯s web is characterized by a special glow in response to mana in the air.¡± ¡°You know it well. Can¡¯t you see the glow here?¡± ¡°Yes, it does shine. From the luminous liquid sprayed all over the spider¡¯s web.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You made it pretty well. You must have had a hard time making this luminous liquid.¡± The vendor¡¯s face hardened in real time. ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything else to say, may I pass?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The vendor opened the way by himself. ¡°You have a better eye for byproducts than I thought. Haha.¡± This time, an old man with a good face blocked my way. Then he whispered in my ear. ¡°I wanted to help you, but I couldn¡¯t because of the gang looking after his store. I¡¯m sorry.¡± The old man frowned with grief. ¡°I¡¯m okay. The person who suffers from this is an idiot.¡± The price of the monster byproduct is not exactly set internationally. That¡¯s why scams like the one before are rampant. Even if I report it, they just pay a small fine. The line of the gang that affects this street extends to the upper line of the police. ¡°Haha. What a cool young man. I like you more and more. Hey, why don¡¯t you take a look? I¡¯ll give you a discount.¡± The old man laughed. ¡°Will you? Then, can you show me the horn of the Black bull?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good. There is something I got recently. Wait a minute.¡± The old man entered the store and immediately brought a box. ¡°Here is the horn of the Black bull. It¡¯s a S grade with almost no wounds and 99% purity. Check this out.¡± The old man put the mana purity meter that he brought with him on the horn. The figure was 99.4%. ¡°It¡¯s meant to be, so I will give you a discount. How about $2,000?¡± The horn of the Black bull is a high-end ingredient that costs $2,300. With this state and purity, $3,200 would have been enough. Selling it for $2,000 is almost a gift. ¡°Since when did the horn of the African Buying bull become the horn of the Black bull?¡± If this is a real horn of the Black bull. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I thought it was weird because the first vendor was so fake, but I understand if he was a bait.¡± The previous Seirantin spider¡¯s web vendor and this impressive old man are likely to be a team. It seems that he enjoys scamming in the form of approaching a person who was about to be scammed with his good face, pretending to show goodwill. ¡°Scamming does not work for me. So don¡¯t waste your time and show me the real one. If you have the real one.¡± At that moment, the old man¡¯s face completely changed. His good face disappeared in an instant and became dry and poker-faced. ¡°¡­This young man is quite experienced.¡± The old man returned to his shop. ¡°Follow me.¡± Chapter 53 [Translator ¨C Bomunnie] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 53 In the backseat of a luxury sedan running on the beltway around Seoul. Shin Inhyuk was talking to Kim Seokhyun. ¡°Was it really okay to let Master Hayul go alone?¡± Kim Seokhyun said with a worried face. ¡®Was it okay to let Shin Hayul go to Monster Byproduct Street alone?¡¯ ¡°Monster Byproduct Street is literally a demonic scene. The card usage is also unusual. I¡¯m worried that he might be being scammed.¡± Shin Inhyuk handed a card to Shin Hayul, telling him to use it when purchasing ingredients. Currently, Shin Hayul is collecting ingredients, using the card. Shin Inhyuk casually said, resting his chin on his hands. ¡°I didn¡¯t raise him so stupid that he couldn¡¯t distinguish between authentic and fake.¡± Why did Shin Inhyuk let Shin Hayul go to such a demonic scene alone? He did so because there was no problem going alone. ¡°I know how clever Master Hayul is, but monster byproducts cannot be distinguished by his knowledge¡­¡± ¡°You underestimate Hayul¡¯s brain.¡± Shin Inhyuk interrupted Kim Seokhyun. ¡°It is Hayul who remembers all 40,000 magic formulas listed in the open source library. All the information about byproducts will be in his head.¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± The probability that Shin Hayul is being scammed converges to 0%. That¡¯s why Shin Inhyuk let Shin Hayul go alone to Monster Byproduct Street. It will also be a good experience. ¡°How¡¯s the horn of the Octagonal Tree going?¡± The horn of the Octagonal Tree, one of the three high-quality ingredients that Shin Hayul asked for separately. Unlike the other two ingredients, negotiation has not yet been completed. ¡°The provisional contract has been completed. We are adjusting the price now.¡± ¡°How long do you think it will take to adjust?¡± ¡°It seems it will take two days at most. It would be too much pressure for them to continue to be stubborn.¡± Currently, the opposing side is deliberately dragging the time. Their plan is to drag time and raise the price. ¡°Hmm, then considering the time taken to bring it into Korea¡­¡± ¡°It seems that a week will be enough.¡± ¡°A week. Not bad.¡± There is about a week left until all the ingredients requested by Shin Hayul are collected. Considering that there is a month left until the Olympiad is held, it is a reasonable time. ¡°What about the internal inspection?¡± The air of Shin Inhyuk has changed. The light air became a heavy and serious one. The same was true of Kim Seokhyun. Shin Inhyuk¡¯s face became as serious as he was impressed. ¡°I¡¯m sure there is someone who is in communication with the Black Magic Tower. I have checked that some reports related to the Black Magic Tower were manipulated.¡± Shin Inhyuk¡¯s face became more fierce. ¡°Don¡¯t you know who it was?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I haven¡¯t figured out who it was yet.¡± Kim Seokhyun checked that the reports related to the Black Magic Tower were modified and manipulated, but he hasn¡¯t figured out who it was yet. He found no evidence. ¡°I am conducting research by narrowing down the scope of the search to those who are in a position to manipulate the report of the deepest part of the family¡­¡± ¡°No suspicious points?¡± ¡°Yes. They are all clean.¡± ¡°¡­There are no suspicious points and they are all clean. That in itself is evidence.¡± Shin Inhyuk had a murderous face. When he thought of the scum, his face became murderous. ¡°I will conduct more research¡­¡± ¡°If you assert that they are all clean, even if you research further, It would be difficult to find evidence.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± The fact that no trace has been found so far means that the betrayer has already erased all the evidence. ¡°There seems to be no way to find any evidence right away except to wait for the betrayer to come into contact with the Black Magic Tower once again.¡± ¡°¡­I think that¡¯s the best way.¡± Shin Inhyuk nodded. ¡°Then, I will be ready to catch the evidence in case of the betrayer¡¯s next move.¡± 6 p.m. After 7 hours of hard work, I succeeded in purchasing all the ingredients I was aiming for. ¡°¡­I¡¯m exhausted.¡± Monster Byproduct Street was more than I imagined. There was a reason why people called it a demonic scene. How can everyone lie through their teeth? ¡°But you bought them all well.¡± After checking the ingredients I bought, Mimir looked at me with a proud face. ¡°Good job. Now we can make a potion with just three more.¡± The potion. The blessing of mana. When taken, mana¡¯s assimilation rate increases, allowing the body to accept much more mana than usual. If I take this, I will be able to cover enormous amounts of mana needed to weave the circle of Expansion. ¡°How long do you think it will take to get the remaining ingredients?¡± ¡°I contacted my father on the way here and he said it would take about a week.¡± ¡°A week is just enough.¡± Even if I make the potion, I cannot take it right away. There is a lot to prepare to maximize the effectiveness of the potion. It takes about a week to finish preparing. It will be roughly similar to the completion of the potion. That¡¯s why Mimir said it was just enough. ¡°Then we don¡¯t have to worry about the potion anymore. All that is left is a place to take the potion. Any ideas?¡± The potion made this time, the blessing of mana, is the one that has the effect of greatly increasing the amount of mana absorption. The thicker the concentration of mana in the air, the greater the effect. In order to maximize the effectiveness of the portion, it is necessary to take the potion in a place with a high concentration of mana and then perform mana circulation. ¡°There is a place that comes to my mind¡­ But, I¡¯m looking for more.¡± ¡°Are you wondering if there is a better place?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± There is still some time left. I will do my research slowly until the potion is complete. ¡°It would have been nice if there was something like the witch¡¯s pond left.¡± ¡°The witch¡¯s pond?¡± ¡°Yes. It was a famous pond in my time. The concentration of mana was so great that if you put your body in the pond and circulate your mana, you can just raise one circle.¡± ¡°There was something like that in your time.¡± If there is such a thing, I would like to go in. ¡°Well, what can you do by looking for something that doesn¡¯t exist? Anyway, look for a good place. The blessing of mana depends on the concentration of mana in the air. You have to make a good choice.¡± ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡± I took off my master¡¯s robe and got up from my seat. ¡°Are you going to afternoon training?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It¡¯s now 6:30 p.m. It¡¯s about time I have to move to the training ground. ¡°See you.¡± ¡°See you.¡± After saying goodbye to Mimir, I left Mimisbrunnr. [Translator ¨C Bomunnie] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] The next morning. Today is the first day of special training in preparation for the Olympiad, and for the first time, all members of the Olympiad will gather. ¡°I¡¯m nervous for no reason.¡± On the way to the designated place, Soonchan said with a nervous face and voice. ¡°Are you?¡± Adella replied in a dubious manner. She doesn¡¯t know why Soonchan is nervous. ¡°Aren¡¯t you nervous?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared to meet juniors?¡± ¡°Is there any reason to be scared?¡± ¡°You know. Um¡­ Um¡­ How should I explain this?¡± Soonchan groaned and blurted out his words. He looks like he doesn¡¯t know how to explain how he feels now. ¡°There is a strange discomfort for those who started studying before us.¡± I felt sorry for him, so I tried to represent Soonchan¡¯s inner feelings. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s it! Isn¡¯t it difficult, scary, and uncomfortable?¡± Soonchan shouted with his fingers as if that was it. ¡°No¡­¡± Adella, of course, did not agree. ¡°¡­Why?¡± Adella answered calmly as if he was asking something obvious. ¡°Because I win.¡± ¡°You win?¡± Soonchan tilted his head as if it was something out of the blue. ¡°If I fight, I win everything. Is there any reason to be afraid?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Soonchan was stunned. He looks like he didn¡¯t expect such an answer. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that¡­¡± ¡°?¡± Adella¡¯s head tilted further. She didn¡¯t seem to agree with Soonchan¡¯s feelings at all. I cut in between the two. ¡°¡­Fine.¡± ¡°?¡± Seeing that, I laughed behind them. I felt there would never be a consensus between the two. You are much more arrogant than I heard. Then, there was a woman¡¯s voice behind us. At the same time, we turned and looked in the direction where we heard the voice. ¡°Hey, hold on.¡± ¡°Let go of me. She is ignoring us.¡± There is a scuffle between a man and a woman. ¡°Wait a minute. We will be together for at least 2 months. What if we fight from the beginning?¡± Huge height of 2 meters and wide shoulders like mountains. Giant muscles that make the giant body look bigger. A huge man who intimidated others was stopping a woman. ¡°Let go of me. I am not fighting. Since we will be together for two months, I want to say what I want to say.¡± A 5 feet 7 inch tall and short-haired woman approached us, shaking off the man¡¯s hand. She looked like a beast hurt by her pride. ¡°Hey, would you like to say that again?¡± The woman stood right in front of Adella, looked down at Adella, and smiled fiercely. ¡°What I said earlier?¡± ¡°As you said, if you fight with us, you always win. Say it again in front of me.¡± It was a scary smile. Adella replied calmly, as if nothing had happened to the smile. ¡°If you really want to hear that again¡­ Yes, none of the current seniors can beat me.¡± ¡°¡­Hey, hey!¡± Soonchan shouted in alarm. Whether Soonchan was in a hurry or not, Adella was still calm. She didn¡¯t look like she was in trouble. ¡°¡­¡± The woman¡¯s face became even more brutal. The face of the man, who was quietly watching the situation from behind, was also slightly distorted. The atmosphere became heavy. Soonchan looked at the three faces with a nervous face. ¡°Hey, you are so arrogant.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth based on objective facts.¡± Adella is right. I¡¯m the only one who can beat Adella among the current Obelisk Academy students. Although the two juniors in front of us are 4 circle users, they are no match for Adella who has two vision magics. ¡°If you are that confident, should we have a battle?¡± ¡°Battle is always welcome.¡± The atmosphere became heavier. It seems like there will be a lot of trouble right away. ¡®Hey, are you going to just watch like this?¡¯ Soonchan whispered urgently in my ear. He thought I would mediate, but he seemed to be anxious because I kept watching them forever. ¡®Don¡¯t worry, I was going to mediate.¡¯ Soonchan¡¯s face brightened up in an instant when I answered. He seems to believe that I could solve this situation somehow. But, I¡¯m sorry. I have no intention of solving this situation. Rather, this atmosphere was what I was hoping for. ¡°If you are going to have a battle, why don¡¯t we divide the team into sophomores and juniors and have a group match?¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Soonchan¡¯s face turned gray again. With a face of getting stabbed in the back. ¡®Et tu, Brute?¡¯ I¡¯m sure that he is muttering like this. ¡°A group match?¡± The two juniors looked at me without saying a word. ¡°Yes, having a battle is the best way to check each other¡¯s power.¡± I was going to suggest a team match from the beginning. The reason is simple. ¡®In order for me to take power over the entire Olympiad team, I need to beat juniors with overwhelming skills.¡¯ In order for me to command this team, I have to break down the pride of juniors first. Only when I break down their pride and form a team centered on myself, I can win the gold medal. ¡°So, you mean 3:3?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m literally saying let¡¯s split into sophomores versus juniors.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Do you want me to tell you more details?¡± And there is no better way to destroy their pride than this. ¡°Sophomores versus juniors, 3:7.¡± The atmosphere went beyond being heavy and quickly became fierce. Chapter 54 [Translator ¨C Bomunnie] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 54 My provocation grew exponentially. All 7 participating members of the juniors heard about my proposal, and their reactions were largely divided into two categories. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s have a battle.¡± 3 out of the 7 gritted their teeth. ¡°Calm down, everyone. I don¡¯t know how those words came out, but let¡¯s talk about it first.¡± 3 out of the 7 suggested a peace plan. ¡°¡­¡­Disaster rolls over and becomes a blessing. Why did this happen?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Soonchan was even more desperate and Adella was still calm. The completely contradictory faces of bright and dark were quite worth seeing. ¡°Shin Hayul. What¡¯s your intention?¡± A man who listened to the conversation with silence from beginning to end. Kang Shinwoo, the first place junior, looked me in the eyes and asked. ¡°Considering your personality, you don¡¯t need to provoke. You must have an intention.¡± Kang Shinwoo, the second son of the Shinmukang clan. I have met him several times because he is also a famous family member in a direct line and he is similar in age. ¡°I have no intention. As I said, I just thought there was nothing like a battle to objectively check each other¡¯s powers.¡± ¡°Son of a bit¡­¡­¡± The tall woman, who was in a scuffle with Adella, tried to swear for a moment but desperately endured it. I think she managed to suppress her anger that soared again in my words. ¡°Whew¡­¡­. Hey, is your goal to test our patience?¡± The woman. Jin Heeyoon laughed fiercely. Speaking while half-biting her teeth was making the brutal atmosphere even more harsh. ¡°You better tell the truth when I still have something good to say.¡± Emotional and moody. It was exactly the information I researched. ¡°Are you going to beat us with your skills and take power over us?¡± A huge man who intervened from behind when Adella and Jin Heeyoon had a scuffle. Ma Jinseok hinted with sharp eyes. ¡®¡­¡­You are as sharp as I heard.¡¯ A large muscly man. The man, who may seem to be all brawn, was surprisingly intelligent. ¡°Take power over us?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Kang Shinwoo, Jin Heeyoon, and Ma Jinseok. The three geniuses who never missed first, second, and third place in the juniors. These are the influential people of the current juniors. ¡°Literally. This sophomore wants to command us in this Olympiad.¡± ¡°Command us?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jin Heeyoon glared at me with sharper eyes. She looked ridiculous at the fact that a sophomore would command them. ¡°Is she right?¡± I was silent. It was a silence that said yes. ¡°You are so arrogant. You are puffed up by your intelligence.¡± Jin Heeyoon, who understood my intention accurately, snorted as if she was dumbfounded. ¡°Hey, hey.¡± As if she really couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, Jin Heeyoon was no longer polite. ¡°I know you and Adella Stuart have great talent. I have seen you two fight. Probably¡­¡­..¡± Jin Heeyoon blurted her words with a very uncomfortable face. It seems that she doesn¡¯t want to say this but she acknowledged us. ¡°If you fight with us 1:1, you will have a high chance of winning.¡± Expressing that you will have a high chance of winning would have been the last of her pride. ¡°But 3:7 is a different story. No matter how strong you are, you cannot beat more than twice the number.¡± Jin Heeyoon desperately suppressed her emotions and took a deep breath. ¡°If it was about three years from now, you could have won. No, you would have won. I acknowledge it. I have never felt inferior to my talent, but I¡¯m nothing compared to the two of you.¡± The starting point of the modern study of magic as a magician is from the age of 17. It is only after receiving artificial intelligence at the age of 17 that training as a magician begins in earnest. In other words, the starting point for all magicians is from the age of 17. Therefore, academy students who are 17~19 years old are bound to have a large difference in skills for each grade. This is natural. The juniors have been learning magic for over two years. But, the sophomores have been learning for just a year. There is a huge difference in training time. It is hard to overcome the time difference that nearly doubles unless they are quite talented. That¡¯s why Jin Heeyoon is saying that. After three years, it may be possible if they have reached a certain level of years and their talents have fully matured, but not yet. ¡°If it was 2:4, it might have been worth it. But¡­¡­.¡± Jin Heeyoon glanced at me, Adella, and Soonchan. ¡°It is not 3:7. Compared to the two of you, the power of the remaining one is below standard.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Soonchan¡¯s face hardened. He was convinced by the words ¡°below standard,¡± but he also looked angry and mysterious. ¡°I will say it nicely for the last time.¡± Jin Heeyoon took a deep breath once again. As she spoke, she returned with a cool face. ¡°Apologize now. Then, I will let you go.¡± Jin Heeyoon was demanding an apology for the words that seemed to have ignored them. That¡¯s understandable. Rather, I was surprised that it was so reasonable. Jin Heeyoon, who I know, should have already exploded in anger and said, ¡®Okay, let¡¯s have a battle.¡¯ Why is she so calm? ¡°Yes. Do as Heeyoon says. I know you guys are strong. But, 3:7 dismisses us too much.¡± Ma Jinseok supported Jin Heeyoon. ¡°And even if you didn¡¯t have to do that, we were thinking of accepting your opinion actively.¡± ¡°My opinion?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ma Jinseok pointed at Kang Shinwoo, who was watching the situation from behind. ¡°He said that. I don¡¯t know about anything else, but his intelligence is beyond common sense, so it will not be bad to listen to him¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Aha. That¡¯s what it was. I can understand why Jin Heeyoon was able to stay so calm. In other words, the juniors have already finished discussing about me. As they have already discussed about me once, they can control their feelings to some extent. It is probably something like this. ¡°I¡¯m just saying this because you seem to have misunderstood, but I didn¡¯t suggest this 3:7 battle because I was ignorant of you.¡± The 10 participants here are the best students in Korea. There is no reason to ignore them. ¡°You are amazing, but we are much better than you. I¡¯m trying to prove it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ha.¡± Jin Heeyoon¡¯s anger finally exploded. ¡°The public will say that you ignore us. Didn¡¯t you learn Korean? Can¡¯t you empathize with feelings because all you have in your brain is magic?¡± She seems to be insisting, ¡®I have tried to be patient, but this is going too far.¡¯ She had a ferocious face that seemed to embody anger. ¡°And you said you would actively accept my opinion, but that is literally, ¡®acceptance.¡¯¡± ¡°You are right. We will accept your opinion and share it¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Nope.¡± I interrupted Ma Jin-seok. ¡°I hope my opinion is not an option, but a basis for everything.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± This time, the faces of Ma Jinseok and Kang Shinwoo also became harsh. ¡°So, is it like this?¡± Kang Shin-woo opened his mouth again. ¡°We should shut up and obey you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit radical, but yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ha.¡± Kang Shinwoo snorted. He looks genuinely ridiculous. ¡°¡­¡­Wow. I didn¡¯t want to ruin the atmosphere from the beginning, so I tried to mediate somehow, but it really made me angry.¡± Ma Jinseok¡¯s forehead twitched. His whole body tensed up and his muscles swelled up even more. The blood vessels on his forearm seemed to insist that he want to hit me right now. ¡°I was going to quietly move on. But, I don¡¯t think that is going to work. Shinwoo, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kang Shinwoo nodded with a face that was full of weight. Ma Jinseok, who received Kang Shinwoo¡¯s permission, turned to me again. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do it. Sophomores versus juniors, 3:7 team battle. But¡­¡­.¡± Ma Jin-eok¡¯s sharp eyes pierced my eyes like a dragger. ¡°It is not fun if we just do it, right? Let¡¯s make a bet. If you win, we will do as you say. We will follow your strategy and do what you tell us to do. But, if we win¡­¡­.¡± ¡°All right, let¡¯s do that.¡± Let¡¯s make a bet. The answer was just what I was looking for. There¡¯s nothing more to hear. ¡°We haven¡¯t told you what we will do if we win yet.¡± Ma Jinseok¡¯s spirit became more fierce. ¡°You can bet anything. It won¡¯t happen anyway.¡± There is a moment of silence. ¡°¡­¡­Wow. You little bastard. You are making me mad.¡± Jin Heeyoon sharply laughed and spat out a dirty curse. ¡°Great. Then we will do whatever we want. Don¡¯t regret it later.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t happen, so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± I made eye contact with the juniors who were glaring at me and smiled leisurely. ¡°Oh, right. One more thing. Can I add a condition?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± And I started at Jin Heeyoon again. ¡°Please apologize.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Apologize?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I pointed to Soonchan, who is making a complicated face next to me. ¡°If we win, you should apologize properly for telling Soonchan that he was below standard.¡± I am the only one who can knock him. [Translator ¨C Bomunnie] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] After that, all preparations proceeded quickly, starting with the selection of the stadium. ¡°I don¡¯t have to explain the rules, do I?¡± ¡°We know.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to.¡± The rule of this 3:7 team battle is a simple siege match based on international rules, in which each team that takes away the flag placed in the random position first wins. ¡°You are familiar with the strategy.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yes, I memorized it all.¡± As it is a simple rule, it is a perfect way to evaluate each other¡¯s powers. ¡°But, did you have to do this?¡± Soonchan asked very carefully. ¡°Do what?¡± ¡°Was it really necessary to fight so emotionally in a team battle? From what I heard earlier, I think they are going to listen to what you say from the beginning.¡± ¡°As I said before, it is not enough for them to listen to me. You¡¯d know if you had a strategy planning meeting with me. No matter how good they think of me, would they accept that kind of strategy?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Well, your strategy is not normal.¡± Soonchan nodded as if he had understood. ¡°But if we win, will they really follow you? What if they have more repulsion?¡± Soonchan offered a sharp opinion for some reason. He seems worried that the repulsion caused by emotional friction will collapse the team. ¡°It¡¯s alright. We just need to eliminate any repulsion.¡± ¡°Is there such a way?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°We can beat them with overwhelming power so that there is no room for repulsion.¡± Beat them with overwhelming power. It makes the juniors acknowledge me deeply in their hearts. ¡°Can we do that? The more we press them, the more they bounce back.¡± ¡°Normally, it would be. But, it would not be like that this time.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because our goal is the World Academy Olympiad gold medal.¡± Olympiad gold medal. The desire for it will melt down the repulsion of the juniors. ¡°Once we win, I will force them to acknowledge me, and I will slowly give them a carrot by suggesting the possibility that they can win the gold medal¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Then, the repulsion disappears and the team naturally gathers around you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Everyone wants to win the gold medal.¡± Once I can stand on top even by force, it is not that hard to get everyone to believe in me and follow me. Preparations for that have already been made perfectly. All that is left is to win this battle. ¡°I know. Your role is the most important, you know?¡± ¡°If you keep giving me pressure, I will run away.¡± Soonchan laughed. He had a fighting spirit. ¡°Hey, are you running away from being ignored? Soonchan¡¯s swag is dead.¡± ¡°Ah, I can¡¯t stand it if you say it like that.¡± Unlike his words, he seems to have no intention of running away. ¡°Show Jin Heeyoon, who was ignorant of you, and teach her a bitter lesson.¡± ¡°Of course. I won¡¯t let her say that again.¡± Why did I put Soonchan in the Olympiad participants? Everyone will know why today. Chapter 55 [Translator ¨C Bomunnie] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 55 ¡°Ah, the more I think about it, the more I get angry.¡± Five minutes before the team battle. Jin Heeyoon gritted her teeth, thinking of Shin Hayul¡¯s words. Thinking back on his words, they made her angry. ¡°What? Do whatever we want because they won¡¯t lose? Ha, they must be joking.¡± ¡°Relax, Heeyoon. Calm down.¡± Unlike Jin Heeyoon, Ma Jinseok, who succeeded in relaxing his anger, calmed her. ¡°I know it is natural to be angry. But, we have less than 5 minutes before we start. Calm down and focus on this battle.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I know.¡± As Ma Jinseok said, she understands with her head that now is not the time to surrender anger to the body. However, understanding with the head and practicing with the body are different. She thinks she needs to calm down, but she just thinks about it. Her anger shows no sign of cooling down. She wants to smack in Shin Hayul¡¯s face now. ¡°¡­¡­Ah, I¡¯m really upset. What if they win? Ask me to apologize for saying that he was below standard? What a double standard?¡± After making such a huge provocation, is that what they are saying? ¡°I told you to calm down.¡± ¡°I know! I¡¯m gonna calm down!¡± Ma Jinseok sighed loudly as Jin Heeyoon seemed to have no intention of calming down at all. ¡°¡­¡­We are in trouble.¡± Ma Jinseok also looked at the other juniors. Except for Kang Shinwoo, everyone was in a state of rage like Jin Heeyoon. It is a natural reaction. Even Ma Jinseok, who is famous for being cool and calm, exploded in anger. It was impossible for the other juniors to remain calm. ¡®Even though I want to calm them down, I don¡¯t have enough time.¡¯ There are about 2 minutes left before the battle begins. There is nothing he can do with just 2 minutes. ¡®We are completely wrapped up.¡¯ Ma Jinseok clicked his tongue. It was very uncomfortable that everything seemed to be going according to Shin Hayul¡¯s intention. ¡®Then what should I do? It will cause an opposite effect if I try to calm them down any longer.¡¯ If you tell a crying child to stop crying, it will cry more. Telling them to calm down in this situation would cause an opposite effect. ¡®Since it has come to this, it is better to take advantage of Heeyoon¡¯s anger.¡¯ It is true that anger is poison in battle. However, if you use the poison well, it can be a medicine. ¡®Anger is the best doping drug to bring one¡¯s power to the limit.¡¯ A strategy that erases the shortcomings of anger and fully uses the advantages of it. Ma Jinseok designed a new strategy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but let¡¯s change our strategy with only 2 minutes left before the battle begins.¡± Anger makes people lose their peace of mind, and blur their judgment. This is the shortcoming of the energy source of anger. What should be done to erase this shortcoming? The answer is simple. Just rule out situations that will blur their judgment. ¡°Heeyoon, don¡¯t think about anything else, but just take away the opponent¡¯s flag.¡± Unconditional offensive. A charge that requires no judgment. When it comes to playing that role, anger becomes a force, not a poison. ¡°So, you are telling me to think only about beating them?¡± ¡°Yes, you don¡¯t want it?¡± ¡°No.¡± Jin Heeyoon laughed like a wild animal. ¡°I like it.¡± [Translator ¨C Bomunnie] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] 3 minutes later, the battle began. ¡°I found the opponent¡¯s flag.¡± Jin Heeyoon, who went on the offensive, found the flag of Shin Hayul¡¯s team. It was a splendid achievement in 5 minutes of the battle. ¡ª Good job. Who¡¯s guarding the flag? Ma Jinseok¡¯s voice was heard over the radio. As Ma Jinseok had to think about the balance of offense and defense, it was more important for him to know who was guarding the flag than where the flag was. ¡°There¡¯s only one person I can see. Ji Soonchan is guarding the flag alone.¡± In front of the opponent¡¯s flag, Ji Soonchan was wary of all sides with a serious look on his face. It doesn¡¯t seem like there are other people around. ¡ª Ji Soonchan alone? Ma Jinseok was surprised. Not anyone else, but only Ji Soonchan was entrusted with the defense? It was an incomprehensible judgment. ¡ª Is there someone hiding around him? ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t think there is¡­¡­.¡± She checked again, but there was no sign of somebody else¡¯s presence around her. ¡ª Be careful. Both of them might be hiding, leaving Ji Soonchan as bait. However, since the opponent is Shin Hayul and Adella, there is a possibility that they are using a hiding magic that completely hides their presences. Don¡¯t be careless. ¡°I will try to attack with as much caution as possible.¡± ¡ª Okay, please. After saying that, the radio cut off. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The two people in charge of the offense like Jin Heeyoon nodded. ¡°Hey, are you guarding this house alone?¡± Jin Heeyoon appeared in front of Ji Soonchan. ¡°Yes, it happened somehow.¡± Ji Soonchan replied calmly. As if he had expected Jin Heeyoon to appear, there was no shaking. ¡°You knew I was coming?¡± ¡°Yes, well.¡± In fact, Ji Soonchan knew in advance that Jin Heeyoon would appear like this. ¡°How?¡± ¡°Hayul said. You have a lot of anger, so you won¡¯t be able to control your anger until the start of the battle. It would be awkward for you to defend in that state, so you will definitely attack.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Jin Heeyoon¡¯s eyebrows flinched with annoyance. ¡°He was expecting me to come, and left you alone to defend?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Ji Soonchan shrugged his shoulders calmly. ¡°Because I can stop you by myself.¡± Jin Heeyoon¡¯s middle of the forehead frowned. ¡°¡­¡­Birds of feather flock together. You two are the same. You are just as arrogant.¡± It was a provocation that would normally have been snorted over, but now it was the best provocation for Jin Heeyoon. ¡°Similar to Hayul. That is the best compliment.¡± Ji Soonchan laughed with a pretty uncomfortable face. ¡°Ha.¡± Jin Heeyoon¡¯s head became hotter. ¡°Hey, you seem to think that you¡¯ve become a great person since you are with them.¡± Flames burned around her. ¡°Don¡¯t be mistaken. You are an ordinary person.¡± Jin Heeyoon. 4 circle user. Her special magic is fire-attribute magic. The flames around her seemed to show her fiery temper. ¡°Hey, why would I be mistaken? I know that well. I¡¯m nothing compared to those two.¡± Mana was also boiled around Ji Soonchan. It fluctuates violently as if responding to Jin Heeyoon¡¯s flames. ¡°¡­¡­You know yourself.¡± Jin Heeyoon lifted her right hand and unfolded it. At the moment, the flames were met with a single point. ¡®4th circle fire-attribute magic.¡¯ Flame Sniper. A magic bullet of flame made by condensing the flames as much as possible. It flew toward the flag behind Ji Soonchan. Among the 4 circle magics, it is a fire-attribute magic highly evaluated for its power. One-point breakthrough compression magic, which is the most powerful among the fire-attribute magic. Flame Sniper. This magic is not a level of magic that a 3rd circle magician can block. ¡®It is a futile end.¡¯ Flame sniper will pierce the flag with Ji Soonchan. Then, it¡¯s over. The victory of the juniors team is confirmed. But. Baaaaaaaaaang-! Contrary to Jin Heeyoon¡¯s expectation, the Flame Sniper could not pierce the flag or Ji Soonchan. ¡°¡­¡­Did you block it?¡± The unusual octagonal shield in front of Ji Soonchan perfectly blocked the flame sniper¡¯s rush. Clinnnnnnnnnng-! The Flame Sniper was blocked by barriers and spun fiercely. The two magics clashed, and a loud roar rang out. ¡°Hayul said this.¡± Ji Soonchan¡¯s voice rang through the roar. ¡°You think you are a damage dealer, but you are a tank by nature.¡± There was a smile around Ji Soonchan¡¯s mouth. ¡°My main attribute is non-attribute. I, especially, have exceptional talent for defense magic.¡± Magicians have their own main attributes. Kim Kang-n, the owner of the Blue Magic Tower, has water-attribute magic. James Piller, the owner of the Red Magic Tower, has fire-attribute magic. Likewise, Jin Heeyoon also has fire-attribute magic. These main attributes are characterized by low mental power consumption, high power and output. And Ji Soonchan¡¯s main attribute is non-attribute. He is specialized in defense. ¡°Your main attribute is defense magic?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Fwoo, Fwoosh¡­¡­. Soon, the Flame Sniper, which lost all power, scattered and disappeared. ¡°You told me before? You said I am nothing compared to Hayul and Adella. Yes. I am really nothing compared to Hayul and Adella. But¡­¡­.¡± Ji Soonchan smiled and laughed, full of the meaning of the provocation. ¡°I think I have enough to compare to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You.¡± The middle of Jin Heeyoon¡¯s forehead frowned again. Even more blood rushed to her head. ¡°Don¡¯t mess with me!¡± Jin Heeyoon left her spot. In line with her, the two also left their spots. Ji Soonchan was surrounded in an instant. ¡°Well, can you also block this¡­¡­.?¡± Jin Heeyoon demonstrated her magic in front of Ji Soonchan. ¡°Let see!!¡± Fiery Fist. 4th circle short distance fire-attribute magic that Shin Hayul has used before. It was the Blast Impaction. Baaaaaaang-! Ji Soonchan¡¯s barrier crashed and a terrible explosion happened. ¡°Ugh¡­¡­.!¡± However, this time, Jin Heeyoon failed to pierce Ji Soonchan¡¯s barrier. ¡®Why is it so tough?¡¯ An octagonal barrier that she has never seen before. It definitely seems to be a 3 circle level output, but she doesn¡¯t know why it is so tough. ¡®But, they won¡¯t block all three attacks at the same time. We won!¡¯ She could see her colleagues over both shoulders of Ji Soonchan. They are going to attack the flag soon. Ji Soonchan alone would not be able to prevent all the attacks. She was sure that Jin Heeyoon won this time. But then. ¡°¡­¡­16-66. 13-26.¡± Ji Soonchan muttered something. And the next moment. Slaaaaaaash-! She heard something cutting through the wind. The sound of the mana wind cutting through the air. Jin Heeyoon¡¯s eyes became bigger. In the distance, two Wind Cutters were flying towards her colleagues. ¡°Watch out!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± At Jin Heeyoon¡¯s cry, the two left their spots at the same time. A wind-cutter cut through the spots where the two had left. ¡°16-77.¡± Ji Soonchan muttered again. At that moment, one of the Wind Cutters ran off its track. The Wind Cutters, which had run off its track, pursued the man who had left the spot. ¡°Ugh!¡± The man hurriedly used the barrier to block the Wind Cutters. The Wind Cutters that hit the barrier scattered into the wind. There was a moment of silence. ¡°¡­¡­Shin Hayul.¡± Wind Cutters running off its track. This is the magic of Shin Hayul. ¡°Be careful, everyone! Shin Hayul is hiding around here.¡± Jin Heeyoon stepped back and was on alert for now. ¡®Where is he?¡¯ Then, she quickly looked around. An area full of trees and bushes. Shin Hayul is hiding in between there. ¡®Where the hell are you¡­¡­.¡¯ Jin Heeyoon and the two are on alert. Again, Ji Soonchan muttered quietly. ¡°21-83.¡± Crunch! At that moment, there was a sound of a leaf falling behind Jin Heeyoon. Jin Heeyoon, who sensed the danger, threw herself to the side. Whoosh-! A gray sphere swept through the spot where Jin Hee-yoon originally stood and flew high into the sky. ¡°¡­¡­Moonlight bomb?¡± Moonlight Bomb. It was the vision magic that Mystic Wi clan boasted. ¡°Damn it!¡± The use of a Moonlight Bomb meant that Adellla was also hiding around here. Jin Heeyoon stepped back with a face of great embarrassment and shouted at the radio. ¡°Ma Jinseok! All three of them are here! We need help!¡± Looking at Jin Heeyoon, Ji Soonchan muttered unknown numbers again. ¡°19-32. 6-22.¡± A Moonlight Bomb and a Wind Spear rushed toward Jin Heeyoon, who had distanced herself from the two. ¡°Don¡¯t hide and come out! You cowards!¡± Looking at Jin Heeyoon shouting, Ji Soonchan twisted the corners of his mouth. The junior¡¯s camp. Ma Jinseok was guarding the flag alone. ¡®The idea is to reduce our powers by defending together, and then divide the offense and defense. This is their strategy.¡¯ Until a minute ago, there were 4 defenders. At Jin Heeyoon¡¯s request for help, Kang Shinwoo and three other players were sent to the offensive team. Since there were all three over there, there was no reason for 4 people to keep the flag. Ma Jinseok also wanted to go to help, but he stayed just in case. ¡®It wasn¡¯t a bad strategy. But, they were unlucky. The distance between the two camps is less than 3 minutes¡­¡­.¡¯ It would have been dangerous if each other¡¯s camps were more than 10 minutes apart. Jin Heeyoon¡¯s team must have been wiped out before their support arrived. ¡®Whatever it is, it¡¯s over.¡¯ The three, including Kang Shinwoo, will join Jin Heeyoon¡¯s team soon. If that happens, the power difference is doubled by 3:6. It¡¯s actually the same as winning. It was then. Whoosh-! He heard something flying over him. The alarm went off on the head of Ma Jin-seok. ¡®Attack?¡¯ Immediately, he used a shield to protect the flag. Baang-! A Wind Cutter blocked and disappeared by the shield. ¡®¡­¡­Silent assassin?¡¯ The blade of the wind that flies silently. ¡°You have a good sense.¡± There was a voice from the direction the silence assassin had flown. ¡°Shin Hayul?¡± Shin Hayul walked out. ¡°¡­¡­How are you here?¡± Ma Jinseok¡¯s eyes trembled. ¡ª Damn Wind Cutter! Shin Hayul! Where are you hiding? Considering the sound heard over the radio, Shin Hayul shouldn¡¯t be here. How the hell is Shin Hayul here? ¡°Well.¡± The voice came through the in-ear Shin Hayul was wearing. ¡ª 11-22. Shin Hayul moved mana according to Soonchan¡¯s voice. ¡°How am I supposed to be here?¡± Shin Hayul¡¯s smile widened. Chapter 56 [Translator ¨C Bomunnie] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 56 A cold sweat ran down on Ma Jinseok¡¯s back. ¡°What the hell did you do?¡± Even now, beyond the radio, there is a sound that Jin Heeyoon seemed to be suffering from Shin Hayul¡¯s magic. A Wind Cutter running off its track. Fusing Flare Ball. Beyond the radio, magics were going on to prove that Shin Hayul was there. How the hell was Shin Hayul here? ¡°Don¡¯t waste your time.¡± Shin Hayul asserted and took a step forward. ¡°I know you are trying to earn time for Kang Shinwoo to come back while talking.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Ma Jinseok¡¯s eyebrows twitched. It was the reaction of a person who had a nerve struck. ¡°¡­¡­You are so astute, as I¡¯ve heard.¡± Ma Jinseok sent an emergency signal the moment Shin Hayul appeared. Kang Shinwoo, who received the signal, must be running here by now. It¡¯s been about 2 minutes since he left the main camp, so it takes about 1 minute and a half to return to the top speed. They just have to endure that. That¡¯s why he tried to earn some time by talking to Shin Hayul. It seems that such an obvious strategy does not work for Shin Hayul. ¡®I earned 10 seconds. Now, we have 1 minute and 20 seconds left. If we keep the flag for that time¡­¡­.¡¯ Ma Jinseok calmed down and observed Shin Hayul¡¯s behavior. Shin Hayul was ready to respond immediately to whatever he did. ¡°Give up. We won this battle.¡± The middle of Ma Jinseok¡¯s forehead frowned slightly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you underestimating me too much?¡± Shin Hayul¡¯s declaration of victory was quite a hurtful remark. In other words, it was like, ¡°You can¡¯t endure a minute even if you fight with me, so just give up.¡± ¡°Even if you are my opponent, I can endure for a minute.¡± ¡°I know. If you had a 1:1 fight with me, you would have been able to endure 5 minutes. But, you won¡¯t endure 10 seconds now.¡± Shin Hayul smiled. ¡°This is a team battle, not 1:1.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that¡­¡­.¡± Crunch! At that moment, there was the sound of someone stepping on the sand behind Ma Jinseok. A sign of presence. Ma Jinseok looked back in embarrassment. ¡°Adella¡­¡­Stuart?¡± ¡°Hello.¡± Adella Stuart bowed her head. ¡°How the hell¡­¡­.¡± Following Shin Hayul, Adella Stuart was there. What the hell is going on here? He couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°I will say it again for the last time.¡± Mana swirled around Shin Hayul. Adella¡¯s blonde hair on the other side fluttered, and the gray mana shimmered. ¡°We won this battle. Give up.¡± The moment they succeed in creating this situation, the game was already decided. ¡°¡­¡­Okay, I will give up.¡± Ma Jinseok raised his hands and admitted defeat. No matter how strong Ma Jinseok was, he was not confident in enduring the collaboration between the two for a minute. [Translator ¨C Bomunnie] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] The battle ended with a victory for the sophomores. Everyone gathered in the conference room and after Jin Heeyoon returned to the room, 10 people gathered again. ¡°Ah, shit¡­¡­.¡± Jin Heeyoon chewed her lips with a face of dissatisfaction. She failed to play a proper battle, and lost the game. It is natural to have that reaction. ¡°Jinseok, why did you surrender so easily? Are you still a man?¡± Jin Heeyoon gritted her teeth by staring at Ma Jinseok, who was sitting calmly with his arms crossed next to her. She looked as if she wanted to kill him right now. ¡°Whether I surrendered or not, it was a 10 second difference. Whatever it may be, I¡¯m sure we lost.¡± Ma Jinseok shrugged his shoulders, receiving her eyes calmly. It seemed to be a small shrug, but it also seemed somewhat intense, perhaps because of his overdeveloped muscles. ¡°How can I protect the flag while playing 2:1 against those two?¡± Ma Jinseok looked at me and Adella in order, sitting across from him. ¡°You should have endured a second or 10 seconds. How did you surrender so easily?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference if I endure 10 seconds¡­¡­. Are you in a position to blame me?¡± ¡°Am I what?¡± ¡°If you hadn¡¯t mistakenly thought that Shin Hayul and Adella were there, it wouldn¡¯t have been like this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­.!¡± Jin Heeyoon closed her mouth while trying to refute something. As if she had nothing to say about it, she only chewed her lips with an angry face. ¡°But I really thought Shin Hayuland Adella were hiding¡­¡­.¡± Now, she looked resentful beyond anger. ¡°It would have been the same if you were in my shoes. Wind Cutters and Moonlight Bombs were flying in from all directions, so I thought there were Shin Hayul and Adella¡­¡­.¡± It was natural that Jin Heeyoon was mistaken. I also created a situation where they couldn¡¯t help but be mistaken in the first place. ¡°Stop. Both of you calm down.¡± Kang Shinwoo, who was listening quietly, calmed the two down. ¡°There is no need to have an emotional fight. You two didn¡¯t do anything wrong this time¡­¡­.¡± Kang Shinwoo stared straight at me. ¡°The opponent did a good job.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The two closed their mouths at the same time and turned to me. Immediately, all the juniors¡¯ eyes were on me. All kinds of emotions came from their looks. Among them, the most felt emotion was ¡®curiosity.¡¯ ¡°Shin Hayul, what did you do?¡± Kang Shinwoo started the conversation first. Everyone¡¯s eyes became more intense. How the hell could I and Adella exist in both camps at the same time? They looked so curious about that. ¡°I will explain what you are most curious about. First of all, to explain the distribution of offense and defense of our team, Soonchan was the only one who guarded our camp.¡± I began to explain slowly. ¡°Ji Soonchan was the only one? Then what? Ji Soonchan used all those magics?¡± Jin Heeyoon showed a sharp reaction as if it was nonsense. ¡°No, of course not. All the magic that tricked you was mine.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What nonsense, you weren¡¯t in the camp? But how can you use magic? Are you saying that you shot magic from our camp to yours?¡± ¡°Similar.¡± I cast a spell in the air. It was a Wind Cutter, a wind-attribute magic that bothered Jin Heeyoon. ¡°I used magic over long distances by unpacking the magic that was ¡®fixed¡¯ everywhere.¡± ¡°Fixed?¡± ¡°Yes. Since Ma Jinseok has analyzed my battle video, you know that I can ¡®fix¡¯ the magic in the air, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I know.¡± ¡°I used that strategy to ¡®fix¡¯ the magic around the camp in advance.¡± It was the same strategy that I used when I had a battle with Joo Hanwuk at the Blue magic tower. As there is a limit to using magics at the same time, it is to perform the magic in advance, ¡®fix¡¯ it in the air, and release it at once. ¡°The magic that I have prepared in that way doesn¡¯t disappear even if I am far away. It is also activated normally while releasing the ¡®fix.¡¯¡± ¡°Then what about the aim? Your magic obviously flew in on us. How do you explain this?¡± ¡°Soonchan aimed it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ji Soonchan did it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I canceled the Wind Cutter. The remnants of the wind are scattered in the air. ¡°You may have heard Soonchan muttering unknown numbers during the battle, don¡¯t you remember?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Was it 22-13?¡± Jin Heeyoon said with a face showing vague memory. ¡°Yes, that is the signal. 22 is a fixed magic number. 13 is the fixed magic orbit correction angle.¡± ¡°You just followed the instructions and moved the magic from a long distance?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ha.¡± Jin Heeyoon laughed as if I was joking. ¡°You want me to believe that nonsense?¡± Jin Heeyoon¡¯s eyes looking at me filled with distrust. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense that you used the magic at such a long distance, but you even controlled it so precisely? Does that make sense?¡± It was an understandable response. It was a magic trick that Jin Heeyoon couldn¡¯t understand with common sense. ¡°Jinseok, you say something. Do you think that makes sense?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Honestly, I can¡¯t believe it. But, I don¡¯t think he is lying. Shin Hayul, the person I have identified, is not such a fool who tells a lie that will soon be found out.¡± Ma Jinseok supported me reasonably. ¡°Yes, I can show you if you want.¡± ¡°See. He is so confident. He is not lying.¡± ¡°Then, what about Adella Stuart? There was a Moonlight Bomb. How do you explain that? If you are saying that Adella also fixed the magic like you¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That Moonlight Bomb was not the one Adella used.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± Jin Heeyoon frowned. ¡°That Moonlight Bomb was also the one I used.¡± I lightly floated the moonlight bomb on my palm. A sphere like a cluster of moonlight. It clearly buzzed. ¡°!¡± ¡°!¡± All the juniors were surprised. Even Kang Shinwoo, who rarely changed his face, opened his eyes with a face that he couldn¡¯t be more surprised this time. ¡°Y-y-you, that¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying that Adella leaked the vision magic.¡± No matter how close we are, leaking the formula of vision magic is prohibited. It is not legally prohibited, but it is strictly prohibited in each family. If you violate this and leak the magic formula, you will be forced to discard the circle, then you will be kicked out in a state that is no different from a dead person. ¡°Leaked or what? Did you analyze it and find out by yourself?¡± Jin Heeyoon taunted. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Is that right?¡± ¡°Yes, I have eyes where I can see the magic formula by myself.¡± Jin Hee-oon¡¯s eyes got bigger. ¡°You¡­¡­ You are the owner of the magic eyes?¡± After that, I had a long, half-hour war of words with the junior. I explained the strategy used in this battle and all about my power which I explained to Soonchan and Adella. The reason why I shared my information is the same reason I shared with Adella and Soonchan. They are colleagues on the same boat. If it¡¯s the skills I will be using at the Olympiad, it¡¯s better to share them in advance now. ¡°What do you think? Do you think it¡¯s still impossible to win a gold medal?¡± Other than that, there is nothing more effective than announcing my power to make them believe in my ambition to win the gold medal at the Olympiad. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The juniors were silent. They seem to be wondering what they have heard so far. They are half lost. ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. My goal is to win a gold medal. For that, we need your cooperation.¡± Everyone turned to me in that state. ¡°I think I proved to some extent how useful the strategy I planned is through this battle.¡± The hostility felt until 30 minutes ago was gone. ¡°Similarly, through this battle, I also showed enough evidence that we can fight against strong opponents at the Olympiad.¡± I proved my worth through this team battle. ¡°So, please follow me. I will give you a gold medal in return.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The eyes of the junior trembled. They seem to have a lot on their mind. ¡°Whoo~¡± Jin Heeyoon exhaled deeply. It was a deep breath with a lot of meaning. ¡°Okay, I don¡¯t really like this, but¡­¡­. I will follow you for now.¡± ¡°Heeyoon?¡± Ma Jinseok seemed surprised. He seemed surprised to hear that Jin Heeyoon, who seemed to oppose until the end, was the first to follow me. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? We lost the bet anyway. Whatever it is, we have to follow him. I can¡¯t give up on the Olympiad. I have an honor as a Korean representative.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but¡­¡­.¡± To be honest, I was a little surprised, too. I had a lot of thoughts about how to convince this fiery junior, but she was convinced so easily. ¡°And¡­¡­. Even if it¡¯s not a bet, I think he is qualified enough to serve as the commander-in-chief.¡± Jin Heeyoon looked at me with a mysterious face. Her pride was hurt, and she had a strange face as if she didn¡¯t want to but admitted me. ¡°Qualifications? Do you mean skills?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about skills, but your qualifications as a human being and leader.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What do you mean?¡± Jin Heeyoon clicked her tongue and glanced at Ma Jinseok. ¡®You are good at analyzing and calculating, but you don¡¯t know things like this.¡¯ She seemed to say this with her eyes. ¡°What do I mean is that both you, me, and Shinwoo, were giving up on winning a medal because it was impossible for us to win a medal, unlike him.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡± Ma Jinseok and Kang Shinwoo closed their mouths. It meant that there was no room to refute what Jin Heeyoon said. ¡°Unlike us, he is discussing the gold medal as if it is a given. He even suggested the possibility of winning a gold medal. See. The qualifications are different.¡± Jin Heeyoon chewed her lips in anger. The anger was not directed at me, Soonchan, or Adella, but toward herself. She must be angry at this patheticness, which she had given up on winning a medal from the beginning. ¡°I think a leader should be someone who is aiming at the highest point. And he is the one who is aiming at the highest point.¡± Jin Heeyoon sighed loudly again. It was a deep breath to shake off the remnants of anger. ¡°So, let¡¯s just follow him first. I think he has enough qualifications as a leader in many ways.¡± Chapter 57 [Translator ¨C Bomunnie] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 57 3 days have passed since the 3:7 team battle. It was somewhat both short and long time. In the meantime, the relationship between sophomores and juniors had considerably improved. ¡°Jin Heeyoon, good luck with your training.¡± ¡°Again. I told you to call me Heeyoon unnie.¡± Jin Heeyoon said, staring at Adella. Adella whispered, sneaking away at the intense gaze. ¡°¡­¡­Heeyoon unnie.¡± ¡°Yeah. How nice it is to call me that.¡± Jin Heeyoon smiled happily and hugged Adella. She seemed to adore Adella. ¡°U-unnie¡­¡­It¡¯s too¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Why? Is it too weak? Do you want a stronger hug?¡± Adella struggled in the arms of Jin Heeyoon. She was not familiar with such physical contact, so she didn¡¯t know how to react. ¡°Were you two really in a big fight 3 days ago?¡± Looking at the two, Ma Jinseok smiled. Obviously, 3 days ago, they were staring at each other as if they were going to kill each other. But at some point, they became such a good relationship. ¡°Originally, it is a way to get closer while reconciling to fight like this, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± The relationship between the two improved so quickly after Jin Heeyoon fully grasped Adella¡¯s character. ¡°Where is Jin Heeyoon, who said she would show the arrogant sophomore a lesson?¡± ¡°Who is arrogant? Adella? Who said that to this cute girl? Bring them in front of me. I need to scold them.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Where is the mirror?¡± Adella is pure in both good and bad ways. As Jin Heeyoon understood Adella¡¯s personality, her declaration, ¡®I won the battle,¡¯ was not a provocation. It was literally just a judgment based on objective facts. There was no intention of sarcasm. After learning that, Jin Heeyoon started to think Adella was rather cute. Even so, how cute is she? The innocence of not thinking of sarcasm as sarcasm. A lack of perfection other than magic. A vague gap between the smart and the stupid. The relationship between the two has changed dramatically after feeling the attraction. They became close rapidly as if they had never had a bad relationship. ¡°Hey, Hayul said that there is a change in our afternoon schedule.¡± Ji Soonchan came into the lounge to give a notice about the changed schedule. ¡°Okay, I will check it right away.¡± Jin Heeyoon took out her phone and checked the new schedule on the group chat while hugging Adella. Adella¡¯s eyes trembled even more. She looked as if she didn¡¯t know Heeyoon would stick to this posture even though she checked the schedule. ¡®Help me.¡¯ Adella asked Ji Soonchan for help with eyes. It is not that Adella hates Jin Heeyoon, but she is not familiar with this touch. She wants to get out of this stuffy state as soon as possible. ¡®¡­¡­Okay.¡¯ Ji Soonchan responded with his eyes. He couldn¡¯t leave his friend in trouble. ¡°Oh, and Adella. Hayul is calling you. I think he has something to say.¡± Ji Soonchan sent a rescue ship to Adella. ¡°Leader Shin¡¯s call? I¡¯m sorry but I cannot help it.¡± Jin Heeyoon released Adella with a face of inconvenience. ¡°Then, I will see you later in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Okay, see you.¡± Adella bowed her head to Jin Heeyoon, turned and walked toward the exit. On the way to the exit, she didn¡¯t forget to thank Ji Soonchan with a wink. Ji Soonchan replied with a smile. ¡°Soonchan, wait.¡± Jin Heeyoon gestured to Ji Soonchan to come closer. ¡°Is there something strange?¡± Ji Soonchan tilted his head and approached. ¡°What will happen to the schedule after this if we move it up?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s still up in the air.¡± The relationship between Jin Heeyoon and Ji Soonchan also improved rapidly over the past 3 days. As promised, Jin Heeyoon apologized properly, withdrawing her saying that undermined Ji Soonchan as below the standard. Ji Soonchan gladly accepted the apology. That ended the bad relationship between the two. ¡°Up in the air?¡± ¡°Yes, I heard there is a problem with the new training facility.¡± ¡°Why did our leader Shin make a mistake?¡± ¡°It is not Hayul¡¯s mistake. It¡¯s 100% the fault of the other side.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. That¡¯s right. Our leader Shin doesn¡¯t make a mistake.¡± Over the past 3 days, Shin Hayul has shown a perfect leader. Even those who were worried about Shin Hayul¡¯s inauguration as a leader were forced to think that that was acceptable. ¡°Anyway, the gist is that we are going to do a unique mana test this afternoon, right?¡± ¡°Yes, the blue magic tower craftsmen also said they had time today, so we arranged the schedule like that.¡± Unique mana test. As the first step in customizing artifacts, each individual analyzes different mana properties and adjusts the artifacts accordingly. ¡°The Blue Magic Tower is really going to be our team¡¯s engineers¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Why is this real?¡± The junior whispered. They couldn¡¯t believe that the Blue Magic Tower would customize their artifacts. ¡°Oh, right. I have been curious about this. Is it true that Shin Hayul did it himself to negotiate with the Blue Magic Tower and win the sponsorship?¡± All the junior¡¯s eyes were focused on Jin Heeyoon¡¯s question. Everyone seems to be interested in the truth behind the blue magic tower sponsorship, which was full of rumors. ¡°Yes, Hayul negotiated with Kim Kangin in person and received sponsorship.¡± The junior exclaimed. ¡°Wow¡­¡­the rumor was real.¡± ¡°That¡¯s awesome.¡± ¡°So Shin Hayul was thinking about winning a gold medal from the beginning?¡± ¡°At first, I thought he was really cheeky, but the more I see him, the more I realize that he is a sincere person.¡± ¡°I saw him yesterday and he had good eyesight. His advice is better than any other instructor¡¯s.¡± As such, trust in Shin Hayul in the team was increasing. [Translator ¨C Bomunnie] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] That afternoon. Time for all team members except me to have their own mana test. I was having a private meeting with Kim Kangin. ¡°Is the training going well?¡± ¡°Yes, it is going perfectly well.¡± The training is also going very smoothly. With this momentum, it seems possible to carry out additional training in addition to completing all training schedules. ¡°Are there any disagreements within the team?¡± ¡°There is no such thing. It¡¯s not been long since they joined, so there is a bit of awkwardness, but everyone is getting closer quickly.¡± The most worrisome feeling of rejection and dissatisfaction with me being the leader is rapidly disappearing. Everyone was uncomfortable with me 3 days ago, but now everyone acknowledges me. In many ways, the situation couldn¡¯t be better. ¡°No trouble. Perfect teamwork. Perfect training schedule. Great. Keep going like this.¡± ¡°Okay. I will do my best.¡± Kim Kangin smiled contentedly. I smiled, too. ¡°May I ask what happened to my request?¡± ¡°It worked out well. You can go to Baengnyeong Island in 3 days, as scheduled.¡± Baengnyeong Island is like a giant magic training ground. I asked Kim Kangin to rent the island, and he gladly accepted my request. We are going to have a training camp there for 5 nights and 6 days in 3 days. ¡°I booked the ship in advance. It¡¯s 10:10 a.m. 3 days from now.¡± ¡°Thank you for your careful preparation.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Kim Kangin laughed as if this was nothing. ¡°Oh, can you spare me some time before you leave for the camp?¡± ¡°Yes. Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, after 8 p.m. is fine with me.¡± ¡°Then, please come to the Blue Magic Tower at 9 p.m. tomorrow. You can guess why?¡± There is only one reason to ask me to come to the blue magic tower at this time. ¡°Isn¡¯t it to imprint the unique mana on the artifacts?¡± ¡°Yes, exactly.¡± Artifact production using the Element Mana Light commissioned by theBlue Magic Tower. The intermediate stage of the production is a unique mana imprint. I think it is time to do it. ¡°Then, the expected date of completion must have come out.¡± Artifact production has entered the intermediate stage, which means that production is on track. In other words, there is a high probability that the scheduled completion date has come out. ¡°Yes, it has come out.¡± Expectedly. ¡°When is it?¡± ¡°It will be 15 days. 3 weeks at the latest. I think it will be completed before the Olympiad starts.¡± After the third day of training. As usual, I was studying at Mimisbrunnr to weave the ring of expansion. ¡°Mimir, I finished this book. Can you pass me the next book I have to read?¡± ¡°Here.¡± Mimir grabbed the book she had prepared and gave it to me. I was handed the book and opened it. ¡°How is the preparation going?¡± ¡°Preparation for what? Preparation for weaving the Circle of Expansion? Preparation for the Olympiad?¡± ¡°Both.¡± ¡°There is no problem with the Olympiad preparation and the ring of the expansion is the same as usual. There is not much progres.¡± Preparation is being made steadily to weave the Circle of Expansion, but there is no particular variety of changes. If weaving the Circle of Expansion is a marathon, it feels like it has barely passed the 1km section out of 42.195km. I have advanced about 100m more than yesterday, but it was so subtle that I don¡¯t feel like I have advanced. ¡°Seeing how you circulated mana earlier, I think you¡¯ve got some sense?¡± ¡°Yes, I have got some. Unlike for Destruction, there was no part that I cannot understand.¡± The information on the Circle of Expansion and the theory for weaving the ring are virtually mastered. ¡°As long as I have enough mana, I can weave the ring of expansion right away.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡­.Seeing how confident you are, you must have gotten the sense.¡± ¡°Yes. I can be proud that theory is perfect.¡± What is lacking is mana in my body. It is the absolute amount of mana needed to form the Circle of Expansion. If this is satisfied, I can weave the Circle of Expansion right now. ¡°Then, the key is when the potion will be completed. Any news on the potion ingredients?¡± ¡°I got a call that it will arrive in 2 days.¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s faster than I thought. You said it would take a week.¡± ¡°The revision of the law eased the import process. Thanks to that, the import license was processed faster than I thought, so the schedule was moved up.¡± ¡°I always think you are really lucky.¡± ¡°Well, I won¡¯t deny it.¡± I can¡¯t believe the law was revised at this time and the schedule was moved up. I also think I am lucky. ¡°Have you decided where to take the potion?¡± A place of high concentration of mana where I can take the blessings of mana. I searched for the place over and over. ¡°I decided.¡± And 2 days ago, I found the perfect place in many ways. ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Baengnyeong Island.¡± ¡°The training island where you are going to leave to do a 5 nights and 6 days training camp this time? Is there a lot of concentration of mana?¡± ¡°Yes, I looked into many things, and the concentration of mana in Baengnyeong Island was the strongest in Korea.¡± Baengnyeong Island where I will go in 3 days. The entire island is a training island consisting of training facilities, and at the same time, it is famous for its high concentration of mana. ¡°It is said that the concentration of mana has been increasing recently, and it is perfect in many ways.¡± Since it is said that the high concentration of mana is soaring even more these days, there is no better place for me than Baengnyeong Island. ¡°Did you say you are leaving in 3 days?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The ingredients will arrive in two days, so the time is perfect.¡± Make a potion as soon as the ingredients arrive two days later. Go to Baengnyeong Island with the potion, and take it. Weave the Circle of Expansion, absorbing the high concentration of mana in Baengnyeong Island. The plan is perfect. ¡®4th circle.¡¯ The blurry stage of mastery was gradually becoming clearer. Chapter 58 [Translator ¨C Bomunnie] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 58 The next day at 9:00 p.m. After completing my schedule, I arrived at the Blue Magic Tower in time. As soon as I arrived, I immediately moved to the laboratory and conducted a complete checkup for the unique mana imprint. The checkup took about an hour. ¡°That was the last checkup. Now all you have to do is wait for the results to come out.¡± Kim Kangin came up to me and informed me that all the checkups were over. ¡°You¡¯ve never had a mana test like this, have you? How was it?¡± ¡°The test itself was fine. But, since the checkup time is getting longer, I feel a bit tired. In a good way, it was a complete checkup, but it was actually no different from manual labor. It was a simple test to get inside the inspection device and move the mana as instructed. It was not easy to repeat this for three hours. I said I felt a bit tired, but honestly, it was very annoying and boring. ¡°You finished it quickly. Normally, there is an error in moving the mana, so it usually takes eight hours to do it again and again.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Eight hours?¡± The mana complete checkup machine, owned by the Blue Magic Tower, is the latest inspection device that is still few in the world. I also heard information about this device for the first time. ¡°It may take more than 14 hours for a person who has poor control of mana.¡± ¡°¡­¡­14 hours to do this manual labor?¡± That¡¯s terrible. Isn¡¯t it torture? ¡°It¡¯s great to describe this work as manual labor. It¡¯s a repetition of the action that moves the mana, but it¡¯s never an easy task.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Is that so?¡± It is a comfortable task that I just have to move mana as instructed. Is there anything difficult? ¡°Because you have to move mana precisely. The error rate should be less than 0.3%. It is not easy at all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I almost snorted for a second. Is it not as easy as moving mana precisely? That¡¯s nothing compared to the second page¡¯s test. ¡°You look like you don¡¯t understand.¡± Kim Kangin grinned and said. It seems that my inner thoughts were revealed on my face. I quickly cleared my face. Kim Kangin¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Anyway, I think the test results will be perfect. Of course, it will improve the completeness of the artifact.¡± Unique mana imprint, a step to adjust the artifact exclusively to the user. This final completeness of the artifact is divided according to the completeness of this step. As it is a high-rank artifact that is organically connected like a cogwheel, an error of 1% often results in a performance down of 10%. In order to prevent this performance down, the craftsman¡¯s skills are required but first, a complete checkup must be perfect. ¡°This may be the masterpiece in the history of the Blue Magic Tower.¡± ¡°But, wouldn¡¯t the masterpiece be difficult? Among the order-made artifacts of the Blue Magic Tower is the ¡®Imperial Ring¡­¡­.¡¯¡± The artifact that was called the masterpiece since the establishment of the Blue Magic Tower. Imperial Ring. It seems impossible to exceed the ring. ¡°Your artifact will be at that level.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Really?¡± Kim Kangin laughed in a good mood as if he liked my surprised face. ¡°Of course, one cannot exceed this Imperial Ring with a single attribute reinforcement. But, Your artifact is not a single attribute reinforcement artifact, but a four attribute complex reinforcement artifact. Considering its versatility, it is comparable to the Imperial Ring.¡± ¡°That means¡­¡­.are you saying that my artifact¡¯s expected rank is at least S rank 4 tier?¡± Kim Kangin laughed silently. It was a smile that meant strong positivity. ¡°Oh my¡­¡­.¡± S rank 4 tier artifact. An artifact that is comparable to the Imperial Ring. I can¡¯t wait for it to be complete. How can I wait 3 weeks? ¡°Haha! I have never seen your eyes shine so brightly.¡± ¡°How can I be calm when I heard that it is comparable to the Imperial Ring?¡± How will it appear in front of me? I am already excited. ¡°Well, have you decided on the name of the artifact¡­¡­.?¡± It was when I was so excited that I was going to ask more about the artifact. Buzz¡ª! The phone in my pocket vibrated. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡­.¡± [Sender: Father] I got a text message from my father. It was great timing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s an important text, can you excuse me for a moment?¡± ¡°Yes, take your time. There¡¯s a lot of time until the test results come out.¡± I immediately opened the text. If my prediction is correct, this will be a text that will contain the news I have been waiting for. [The ship is scheduled to arrive at the port at 2:30 a.m. today.] [Expected delivery time is 6:30 p.m. tomorrow.] [I will send the ingredients through Seokhyun when you finish training.] Finally, the long-awaited ingredients for the potion have arrived. [Translator ¨C Bomunnie] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] The next day at 8:00 p.m. Finally, all the ingredients for making the potion have been gathered. ¡°Yes, they are in good condition. The quality is good. The size is good, too.¡± The horn of the Octagonal tree. The heart of a Catastrophe. The eyes of a Leviathan. Mimir, who confirmed all three ingredients, raised her thumb. It meant passing. ¡°At this rate, we can start making the potion right away.¡± Mimir pointed to the prep tools lying on the edge. ¡°First, prepare the ingredients. Let¡¯s get a sense while preparing the extra ingredients in case we make a mistake.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I started to prepare the ingredients right away. Using the prep tool suitable for each ingredient, I carefully prepared the ingredients by infusing my mana to the fullest. Although the method of preparing was slightly different for each ingredient, the overall framework was somewhat consistent. ¡°¡­¡­Oh, I made a mistake.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. That much is still recoverable. Just take that part off and try again.¡± ¡°Okay, I will try.¡± Under Mimir¡¯s exact instructions, I did my best to prepare the ingredients. How long had it been? My body was covered with sweat before I knew it. ¡°Augh. It is not easy.¡± ¡°If you are too tired, take a break. If you overdo it and the quality of your mana changes for no reason, it will be annoying when you mix the ingredients later.¡± The Blessing of mana is a very sensitive potion. A very small mistake is unacceptable. Thanks to that, my tension is always at max. So how can I not be tired? ¡°This one was a bit close. Be careful when finishing.¡± ¡°I will take care of it.¡± After receiving Mimir¡¯s instructions, I prepared the ingredients, took a break, and then prepared them again. ¡°Now, only the three most important ingredients remain. Before that, let¡¯s take a break.¡± What is left is the most expensive set of 3 ingredients. The horn of the Octagonal tree. The heart of a Catastrophe. The eyes of a Leviathan. Ultra high priced rare ingredients that have no way to turn back if I make a mistake. I took a break before preparing these ingredients. ¡°Did you recover?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After about 20 minutes of rest, the somewhat distracted mind immediately calmed down. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s start with the horn of Octagonal tree. Pour mana into the prep knife as much as possible and cut the surface first.¡± Three hours. ¡°Slowly, very slowly. Like cutting the surface of a mechanical pencil lead. When it¡¯s over, the next step is the imprint.¡± Six hours. ¡°More softly. Like coating each cell with mana. Okay, that¡¯s it.¡± 10 hours. I was immersed in preparing the ingredients until dawn and the sun rose in the morning. ¡°Now put it slowly in the bottle you brought. Don¡¯t make a measurement mistake and put 87.34ml in exactly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s done.¡± ¡°Great job.¡± A total of five bottles. As I looked at the five bottles of the blessing of mana showing off their brilliant light, I laughed without realizing it. This is all set. The next day at 10:30 a.m. I was looking at the sea from the speedboat heading to Baengnyeong Island. The weather is good, the scenery is good, and the wind is fresh, so I feel good. ¡®I hope it arrives soon.¡¯ I touched the Blessings of mana that I put in my side bag. A total of five bottles of the blessing of mana. I want to drink these. I want to drink these quickly and weave the Circle of Expansion. My head was full of such thoughts. ¡°Hey, someone might think the model is posing.¡± Soonchan jumped out of the back, put his arms around my shoulders and giggled. His energy is higher than usual. It seems to be intoxicated by the excitement of the trip. ¡°Are you hitting on me? Do you want me to take your picture? Do you want me to make your photo book?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± I smiled and turned to the cabin. ¡°Uh-huh. Don¡¯t you know that the only things left on the trip are food and pictures, do you?¡± Soonchan naturally loosened his arms and turned in the same direction as me. ¡°The background is nice, too. Come here. Take a picture with me.¡± Soonchan pushed his face toward me and moved his phone around. I moderately moved my eyes along the camera lens. ¡°If you are going to take a picture, take it quickly.¡± I hope it ends soon. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you impatient? Hold on a second.¡± What the hell doesn¡¯t he like, he keeps changing the angle of the camera. ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t like it¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What? Your face?¡± ¡°You punk¡­¡­.¡± Soonchan laughed. ¡°I¡¯m kidding. What don¡¯t you like?¡± ¡°The mood.¡± ¡°The mood?¡± What¡¯s wrong with the mood? ¡°Uh. Ah. It¡¯s not like this¡­¡­.¡± Soonchan put down his phone and fell into contemplation. ¡°Oh, this is it.¡± Then, with a face of realization, he let out a small exclamation. He shouted at Adella, who was standing in the distance. ¡°Adella! Let¡¯s take a picture!¡± Adella came up with her head tilted. ¡°Picture?¡± ¡°Yeah, the background is amazing. It is a sin not to take a picture in front of such a great photo zone. Come on, come on in!¡± ¡°Oh, what? Uh¡­.¡± Soonchan pulled Adella and placed her next to me. Adella came straight into the camera angle. With me at the center, the composition of Adella on the left and Soonchan on the right was made. ¡°Yes! This is it. With Adella, the picture becomes bright right away. As expected, taking selfies with guys is not good.¡± Soonchan laughed as if he liked the picture now. ¡°Here we go. Cheese!¡± ¡°Ch-cheese¡­¡­..¡± Adella made a V with her finger with an awkward smile. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I just looked at the lens with the same face as usual. ¡°Done.¡± Soonchan smiled after taking a picture. ¡°Wow, this is awesome. This is it. This is the true fun of traveling. Haha!¡± Soonchan repeatedly exclaimed, looking at the picture taken by him. ¡°It¡¯s a picture. I can use it as a pictorial if I edit it a little bit.¡± His energy has gone up a lot. People would think of him as a bouncy seasonal mackerel. I smiled at Soonchan. ¡°I will organize all the pictures I took and post them on the group chat later.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I will take a picture with the juniors. See you later.¡± Soonchan put his phone in his pocket and moved away from us. The steps going away are very lively. ¡°He has always been energetic, but he is even more today.¡± ¡°He is just excited about the long trip.¡± ¡°It is not a trip, it is a training. Is it okay to leave him so excited?¡± ¡°Leave him. If he starts training properly, he will be back to his usual energy soon.¡± If I let him go around Baengnyeong Island, he will return to his original state. ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s unexpected.¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°If it was usual, you would have scolded him, saying ¡®How are you excited like that even if it is a training!¡¯¡± ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s true, however, did you imitate me?¡± ¡°Yes, wasn¡¯t it the same?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± It was not the same at all. It was just Adella who was a little hyper. ¡°¡­¡­It was the same.¡± ¡°Right? The point is the slightly raised ends of the eyes.¡± Looking at those glittering eyes, it was hard to say that it wasn¡¯t the same at all. Let¡¯s just leave it the same. ¡°Anyway, as you said, I think I would have scolded Soonchan a lot if it was usual.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Usually, I would have intentionally lowered his energy by mentioning hellish training. ¡°Hmm. Is it because I¡¯m in a good mood today? I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to scold Soonchan.¡± ¡°Are you in a good mood?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m a little excited to think about training in the high mana concentration of Baengnyeong Island.¡± To be exact, the thought of taking a potion and weaving the Circle of Expansion makes me really excited. ¡°Oh! I know that feeling. I¡¯ve only been here once five years ago. It was really good then. So I¡¯m really excited.¡± After seeing her saying cheese awkwardly earlier, I thought Adella was more excited than usual today. She was more excited than expected. I think she was more excited than Soonchan. ¡°I heard that the concentration of mana has become higher recently. How much would it be? I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± Adella stared at Baengnyeong Island in the distance with a fluttering face. The long blond hair flying in the sea breeze was like a painting. ¡°Me too.¡± I smiled brightly as I enjoyed the concentration of mana, which is getting higher as the distance from Baengnyeong Island gets closer. ¡°I¡¯m also looking forward to it.¡± It will be a full five nights and six days in many ways. Chapter 59 [Translator ¨C Bomunnie] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 59 After that, we arrived safely at Baengnyeong Island and moved straight to our accommodation. ¡°Then, I will assign your rooms first. Jin Heeyoon and Adella are Room 201. And¡­¡­¡± After assigning the rooms, we unpacked our luggage and ate at the restaurant. After eating, we immediately began adaptation training to adapt to the mana concentration of Baengnyeong Island. ¡°As the mana concentration is high, there will be a great sense of discomfort in the process of absorbing the mana through the circle. You have to solve this before you start training in earnest.¡± I looked at the juniors, Soonchan, and Adella, who were sitting in various positions and performing mana circulation. Using God¡¯s eyes, I directly penetrated the essence of mana. ¡°Kang Shinwoo and Adella don¡¯t need to be advised. Just do it as it is.¡± ¡°I got it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Kang Shinwoo and Adella. Both seem to be accustomed to having a mana circulation in these high concentrated mana zones. There was no need to give advice. At that rate, they will be able to adapt in less than 30 minutes. ¡°I think Ma Jinseok needs to lower the output of the circle by about 20%.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Okay, I will try.¡± Ma Jinseok groaned and began to reduce the output of his mana circle. ¡°Jin Heeyoon is completely opposite. Your output of the circle has been lowered too much. Adjust the output of the circle to be about 15% higher than the current state, and about 30% lower than the usual.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I always feel this, but our leader Shin talks like it is very easy.¡± If we inject more fuel into the engine than we need, it will only break down. As the concentration of mana increases, the output of the mana circle must be adjusted to match the absorption amount of mana. Otherwise, not only does the magic output decrease, but also the consumption of mental power increases. In particular, if magic is used as usual in these high concentration mana zones, in the worst case, there may be a boom. ¡°Kang Hyungman needs to increase the number of cycles. I see a lot of your immature aspects in many ways.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Min Taesik is really good at this. Please continue in that state.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Just as each person has different habits, each mana circle is different. I gave only the necessary advice for each situation. ¡°That¡¯s good. Try lowering your output by about 5%. It will be much more comfortable.¡± ¡°You are in a posture that doesn¡¯t fit your body type. At that rate, the efficiency is low. Like this¡­¡­.Yes. It¡¯s more comfortable, right? Try that from now on.¡± There was a lot of advice that could be somewhat rude, but the juniors didn¡¯t seem to mind. This may be because trust in me has been built up quite a bit. ¡°I will try.¡± ¡°This posture is definitely more comfortable.¡± The juniors actively accepted my words and continued their mana circulations. ¡°Great. Then, this is the end of the first adaptation training.¡± About an hour has passed. The first mana adaptation training was over. ¡°¡­¡­Ugh. I¡¯m dying.¡± Jin Heeyoon immediately laid back. ¡°Leader Shin, the training was too¡­¡­. Wasn¡¯t it too hard? How did we¡­¡­circulate mana for an hour¡­¡­?¡± She exhales roughly and looks at me with resentment. Also, how sweaty she was, the sweat poured down her forehead like rain, and the training suit became wet, so she looks like a drowned rat. It was like a person who exhausted all her physical strength from a long sprint. The same was true of the other juniors. Everyone is struggling like an exhausted person. ¡°Adella, get some water for the juniors.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Adella was fine. As if she was a genius, she finished adapting in 20 minutes. There was no reason to have a hard time because she had quit the mana circulation and taken a rest. ¡°Hey, this is water.¡± ¡°Feed me¡­¡­.¡± Jin Heeyoon gasped and whined. ¡°Okay, what?¡± Adella was taken aback. Looking at Adella, Jin Heeyoon laughed as if she was happy. ¡°I¡¯m kidding. You¡¯re surprised. Cute.¡± Jin Heeyoon lifted her body, sat down, and was handed a water bottle from Adella. And she gulped it down. It was a cheerful bottoms up. ¡°Phew. Now I¡¯m getting better.¡± She made a series of exclamations with a face that she felt refreshed. ¡°Have some water.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Adella politely handed the water bottles to the juniors one by one. On the other side, I also handed the water bottles to them one by one. When they all get some breathing with hydration. I drew everyone¡¯s attention by clapping. ¡°Did everyone get something?¡± ¡°Well, roughly.¡± Jin Heeyoon answered as a representative. The other juniors nodded their heads and affirmed. ¡°Do you have any more questions?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have one.¡± ¡°Me neither.¡± There seems to be nothing else they want to ask. ¡°Then from now on, each of us should proceed with adaptation training according to your own tempo.¡± ¡°Train autonomously?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I have already given all my advice. Now there¡¯s nothing I can do to help with this training. There is no difference between self-training and my coaching. ¡°What are you going to do while we are training autonomously?¡± ¡°What am I going to do?¡± I sat down smiling. ¡°I also need to do adaptation training.¡± I need to be fully adapted to this concentration before taking a potion. That way, the intake efficiency of the portion can be maximized. ¡°¡­¡­Aha.¡± Jin Heeyoon nodded with a face saying, ¡®I didn¡¯t know that.¡¯ ¡°I forgot. But, Leader Shin said it is also his first time in Baengnyeong Island¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, it is my first time.¡± The juniors were buzzing. ¡°The advice was so perfect that I thought he was a local instructor who had already adapted.¡± ¡°I agree with that. He was like a ghost. I didn¡¯t even know I had this bad habit.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯ve never heard such perfect advice before.¡± The juniors complimented me one by one. It was a bit of a shame. But those words also mean that their trust in me have been built. It made me feel good. ¡®The concentration of mana is much higher than I thought.¡¯ The concentration of mana in Baengnyeong Island was higher than I expected. I heard that the concentration of mana had recently begun to increase, but I didn¡¯t know it would become this high. It is so great. It feels like something is filling inside of me. I feel so good. ¡®How would it feel to wear my master¡¯s robe and drink the blessing of mana?¡¯ Will it be hard? Or do I feel satisfied? ¡®I¡¯m looking forward to it and also I¡¯m nervous¡­¡­.¡¯ I slowly closed my eyes thinking about it. ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°Do you see the atmosphere around him?¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡­.¡± The voices of the juniors are gradually disappearing. A complete silence. In a world where nothing is felt, I felt only mana. ¡®Nice to meet you.¡¯ ¡®Let¡¯s play!¡¯ Feeling the will of the mana to talk to me, I circulated the Infinity Circle. A circle of Deliberation. A circle of Resonance. A circle of Interference. The mana circulated to the position surrounding the three circles. As if to carve out a new untidy wild path. Relaxed and passionate. The mana in my body followed a new path. ¡®With this much mana concentration, I can weave the circle of Expansion unconditionally within 5 nights and 6 days.¡¯ The mana concentration on Baengnyeong Island was very satisfactory. [Translator ¨C Bomunnie] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] That night. After finishing all training schedules. I was searching near the accommodation. Maybe there is one around here. The goal is to find the vein. In natural mana concentrated areas, such as Baengnyeong Island, there are places where mana is concentrated, and these places are called a ¡®vein.¡¯ This vein is characterized by a mana concentration of about 5% higher than other places. In order to maximize the effect of the potion, it is necessary to find this vein, sit on it, and perform mana circulation. ¡°I found it.¡± After a total of about an hour of searching, I succeeded in finding the vein. A land in which a gentle mana is fluctuating. Less than half space. ¡®Let¡¯s see.¡¯ I touched the vein and felt mana properly. Certainly, it is 5.3% higher than other places. ¡®It¡¯s not far from the accommodation, the concentration is good, and everything is good.¡¯ Perfect. I immediately took out my master¡¯s robe, put it on, and sat down on the vein. And I took out a bottle of the Blessing of mana from the side bag and drank it. ¡°¡­¡­Yuck.¡± I couldn¡¯t say it tasted good. It was fishy, bitter and disgusting. It was the worst I have ever had. It was the worst. ¡°Ugh¡­¡­¡± I closed my eyes, desperately forgetting the remnants of the disgusting taste that still lingered in my mouth. Remove thoughts and concentrate the mind. Pounding! My heart was thumping. The blessing of mana began to work. Buzzzzzz¡ª! Three Infinity Circles reacted at the same time. Is it because I took the blessing of mana? It circulated at a tremendous speed. ¡®¡­¡­Oh.¡¯ As expected, a good medicine tastes bitter. The effect is enormous as it tastes the worst. The amount of mana absorbed in my body is incomparable to before. If it was the level of sucking mana with a straw before, now it feels like sucking mana with a vacuum cleaner. The difference is so wide. Buzzzzzz¡ª! It sounded like a motor running violently. It was the sound of my circle circulating at an indescribable speed and causing friction between manas. ¡°¡­¡­Ugh!¡± For a moment, there was a pain that seemed to break the whole body. A startling pain. I almost lost my mind for a moment. ¡®¡­¡­Let¡¯s focus.¡¯ Absorbing a lot of mana is not good. Too much is as bad as too little. If I absorb too much mana, it becomes poison. If I absorb this much mana, there is an extremely high possibility that side effects will occur along with overload. If I don¡¯t keep my head on straight and don¡¯t control mana, there is a possibility of a mana boom. Don¡¯t let my guard down for a second. A moment¡¯s carelessness can result in death. I have to concentrate if I don¡¯t want to be. ¡®An hour ahead.¡¯ The blessing of mana¡¯s effect lasts 1 hour. In the meantime, I have to absorb and control as much mana as I can to make a way for the circle of Expansion to circulate. ¡®At least 20% must be completed.¡¯ The Blessing of mana, a potion made with the help of Mimir, is a total of 5 bottles. 20% of each bottle must be completed to make sure that the circle of Expansion is woven. ¡°Phew¡­¡­¡± I took a deep breath and circulated mana. Dozens of times more mana than I usually absorb hit my body like angry waves. ¡®Good. I¡¯m getting used to it.¡¯ Just as I can surf when I get used to the angry waves. My body is getting used to the huge absorption of mana. ¡®Now, if I just keep this state¡­¡­¡¯ Just when my mana circulation was within full stability. An extraordinary event happened. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The amount of mana absorbed into my body suddenly increased significantly. I was stunned by the unexpected torrent of mana. ¡®Wh-why is there a flood all of a sudden¡­¡­?¡¯ An indescribable amount of mana is flooding in the vein. If it seemed to absorb mana with a vacuum cleaner a little while ago, now each pore is a small black hole and it feels like sucking mana. ¡°Ugh!¡± This is not the level of an angry wave. Tsunami, it is a mega tsunami. A level of disaster that humans cannot conquer weighed on my body. The indescribable pain weighed on my whole body. ¡®There is no way it can give off this much mana even if it is a vein¡­¡­!¡¯ It was not an understandable amount of mana. I even thought that all the mana in the world were focused on me. ¡°Ugh!¡± It was as if mana was holding my brain and shaking it. For a moment, my mind went blank. ¡°Ugh!¡± I almost lost my mind, but the terrible pain awakened my mind. That¡¯s a relief. If I had lost my mind, I would have been killed by a mana zoom. I didn¡¯t expect to appreciate this terrible pain. ¡®Calm down. Be focused. If I make a mistake, I will go straight to death.¡¯ I wanted to take off my master¡¯s robe or get out of this area, but now I cannot move even one finger. All I can do is endure. Buzzzzzz-! I desperately circulated mana. I endured and struggled to control mana. ¡®Hold on. Hold on somehow¡­¡­!¡¯ I couldn¡¯t think of anything other than the thought that I should get over this situation safely. I couldn¡¯t afford it. Buz buz buzzzz¡ª! I could hear the Infinity Circle resonating between the mana¡¯s frictional sounds that filled the surroundings. BUZZZ¡ª! It is a little different from the resonating sound of the three circles that I have heard so many times. The harmonized resonance sound, as if it were wrapped in something and became one, rang clear. Chapter 60 [Translator ¨C Bomunnie] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 60 I opened my eyes again at dawn when the sun began to rise. ¡°¡­¡­Ugh.¡± I have a brain freeze. I had a severe headache due to the aftereffects of the mana circulation for about 9 hours. Is it because my body temperature has risen due to intense friction of mana in the body? I feel like all the moisture in my body has gone away. My lips were dry. ¡°Water¡­¡­.¡± My voice also cracked. I moved my hand to the side bag to drink water. But, I couldn¡¯t open my bag. ¡®I have no power in my hand¡­¡­¡¯ I had no power to hold the zipper. I have no power in my hand at all. My body was so messed up. ¡°Ugh¡­¡­.¡± Mana doesn¡¯t move either. The circle completely hardened. It may be the aftereffects of absorbing more than necessary mana. ¡®It is a good thing that it ended like this.¡¯ It is a miracle that it ended up with a half-dead body. It almost became a real dead body. ¡®If I hadn¡¯t prepared in advance, I would have died.¡¯ The main thing was to do image training to control mana flooding in order to weave the circle of Expansion. Had it not been for reading all kinds of books as Mimir advised, I would have been wandering in the afterlife with mana flooding. ¡®Why did mana flooding happen?¡¯ I can understand if it was normal mana flooding. Yesterday, there was mana flooding beyond the level of common sense. Why did such a ridiculous thing happen? ¡®It is strange that not only mana is flooding, but also the vein is losing power.¡¯ A vein means a ground vein that continuously emits mana. It is not a structure that emits everything at once and disappears like yesterday. Nevertheless, the vein is now completely powerless. ¡®¡­¡­Why?¡¯ Was it like a surge? Does the vein have a lifespan, so when it ends, does it emit everything and disappears? ¡®No, I¡¯ve never heard that before.¡¯ I thoroughly investigated the vein in preparation for this trip to Baengnyeong Island. The vein is a semi-permanent organ. It is not a structure that disappears with mana flooding. ¡®What the hell is it?¡¯ My head was a mess. My head, which had already been throbbing, hurt even more. ¡®I think I will feel better if I drink water¡­¡­.¡¯ Even if I want to drink water, I can¡¯t because my body doesn¡¯t move. Far from drinking water, I can¡¯t even open my side bag with water in it. I don¡¯t have power to hold the zipper right now. Buzz-! At that time. The Infinity Circle made a clear resonance. ¡°Uh¡­¡­?¡± Mana moved with a resonant sound. ¡®Hum, my circle has already recovered.¡¯ The recovery is faster than expected. I thought I¡¯d need at least an hour. I can¡¯t believe I recovered in less than 10 minutes. ¡®Whatever happened, it just went well.¡¯ If the circle has recovered, there is no need to use a hand. I put my will into the mana. Mana moved like my hand and clung to the zipper on the side bag. Zeeep-! I opened the zipper and took out the water bottle in the bag. I opened the lid and brought it to my mouth, and tilted it at an appropriate angle. Gulp, gulp As if it were raining on dry land. The water passed through my dry mouth. ¡°Poo-ha.¡± It was a heavenly taste. My mind instantly became clear. I think I¡¯m getting better now. ¡®By the way, why did the circle recover so quickly?¡¯ Since the circle is a very sensitive organ, it usually does not recover quickly. It wouldn¡¯t be much different even if it was an Infinity Circle, why did it? I checked my condition with a slightly clearer mind. ¡°¡­¡­Uh?¡± And I was embarrassed. I have something in my body that didn¡¯t exist until yesterday. ¡®A huge circle that encloses 3 circles. This is¡­¡­.¡¯ A huge circle around my body. A giant circle that encloses three Infinity Circles. The fourth circle that didn¡¯t exist until yesterday. ¡°¡­¡­The circle of Expansion?¡± The fourth Infinity Circle in my body, the circle of Expansion, was spinning with clear light. I couldn¡¯t help laughing. ¡®¡­¡­Is this how it works?¡¯ It seems that last night¡¯s mana flooding filled up all the mana that was insufficient to weave the circle of Expansion. [Translator ¨C Bomunnie] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Meanwhile, at that time. The top floor of a hotel near Seoul. Shin Jihan was talking to someone on the phone. ¡ª You want me to handle Shin Hayul? At this time? An executive of the black magic tower who was in charge of handling mission failures in the case of Len Smith and Beak Sahyuk, and exterminating Len Smith. It was the voice of an unidentified man covering his entire body with a robe. ¡°Yes, is that possible?¡± ¡ª I can handle him anytime. Unless there is a condition of avoiding the eyes of Kim Seokhyun and the shadow. ¡°Of course, you have to avoid their eyes.¡± ¡ª Then it would be hard. The eyes of the shadow, led by Kim Seokhyun, are sharp and fierce. Even Shin Hayul is currently under intensive protection of the shadow. In this situation, it is impossible to deceive the eyes of the shadow. ¡ª As I said before, moving now is the worst plan. We, the black magic tower, don¡¯t want our VVIP to disappear. The executive of the black magic tower advised coldly. ¡ª For now, I think it is best to crouch down and move after the shadow has fallen from the target. We can¡¯t afford to lose Korea¡¯s best pushover who will bring astronomical amounts of money and information in the future. ¡°No. If you move later, it will be late. You need to move right now.¡± ¡ª Hmm. Is there a reason why I have to move right now? From what I heard from Shin Jihan, the protection of the shadow will end within the next month. Why is he so impatient when he just has to wait until then? ¡°Kim Seokhyun, the head of the shadow, is moving to support Shin Hayul.¡± ¡ª You mean Kim Seokhyun? As if genuinely surprised, the executive¡¯s voice trembled. He was truly surprised that Kim Seokhyun was considering supporting someone. ¡°Yeah. I can still see his will to do so, but as long as there is even a slight chance that Kim Seokhun will be attached to Hayul, it is a bad plan to procrastinate. You have to move right away.¡± ¡ª If Kim Seokhyun is attached to Shin Hayul, it will be annoying in many ways. Starting with Kim Seokhyun, other people may also be under the power of Shin Hayul in earnest. ¡°You know it well.¡± The current situation is not so good. Currently, the perception of Shin Hayul in the family is rapidly improving. In this situation, if Shin Hayul wins the Olympiad gold medal, the situation could really be overturned. Of course, the probability of winning the gold medal will converge at 0%, but it is better to remove any anxiety factor in advance. ¡°You don¡¯t want Hayul to be the next leader of the Magic Shin Clan.¡± ¡ª Of course. We are eager for you to become the new owner of the Magic Shin Clan. There is nothing better than a pushover who is in a high position. From the standpoint of the Black Magic Tower, it is better for Shin Jihan to succeed the Magic Shin Clan. ¡°Then¡­¡­.¡± ¨C However, as I said, it is almost impossible to handle Sin Hayul, avoiding the eyes of Shin Inhyuk and Kim Seokhyun. Situation and hard work are different. ¡°I know it is hard work.¡± Shin Jihan knows better than anyone that it is difficult to quietly handle Shin Hayul, who is protected by the Shadow and Shin Inhyuk, in Korea. If it was an easy task, Shin Jihan himself would have handled it long ago. ¡°But, it is just hard, and it is not like there is no way at all.¡± ¡ª What makes you think so? Shin Jihan snorted. ¡°If there wasn¡¯t a way, you wouldn¡¯t have used an ambiguous expression that it is ¡®almost¡¯ impossible, am I wrong?¡± ¡ª Hmm. The executive laughed meaningfully. ¡ª As expected, you know me well. Shin Jihan¡¯s eyes were filled with brilliance. There is a way. ¡ª Yes, there is a way. And the target is not in Seoul, but in Baengnyeong Island¡­¡­. ¡°What is the way?¡± The executive laughed meaningfully. ¡ª It is the way of disguising the accidental death of Shin Hayul by causing a mana disaster on Baengnyeong Island. ¡°Accidental death? Hey, can a mana disaster be caused artificially? Is that possible?¡± A mana disaster is a kind of natural disaster. Just as humans cannot control disasters, humans cannot control mana disasters. This is common sense. ¡ª Yeah, it is possible with the current state of Baengnyeong Island. ¡°The current state of Baengnyeong Island¡­¡­Are you talking about the high concentration of mana these days? The high concentration of mana alone won¡¯t cause a mana disaster. How are you going to artificially cause it?¡± ¡ª Hmm. It is the information to be protected. But, okay. As you are a VVIP, I will let you know specially. The executive smiled deeply as he recalled the current state of Baengnyeong Island. ¡ª Do you know what is in the basement of Baengnyeong Central Research Center? It¡¯s been two days since I weaved the circle of Expansion. It is the third day of training at Baengnyeong Island. Today¡¯s first training was a relay 1:1 match. It is training that repeatedly changes opponents and conducts the 1:1 match indefinitely. ¡°Ah, my head already hurts.¡± And my first opponent was Soonchan. ¡°It is my first battle since I made a new circle. Please take care of me.¡± ¡°Please be gentle.¡± ¡°Okay, I will try.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You bastard. You don¡¯t want to be gentle.¡± I circulated the Infinity Circle while looking at Soonchan, who took a posture with an uncomfortable face. The circle of Expansion. A circle huge enough to cover all three previous circles. It trembled gently, wrapped around the other circles. ¡®Since there is the circle of Expansion, the stability is different.¡¯ The circle of Expansion is instead a masterpiece that stabilizes the forces of other circles while increasing its efficiency. My magic has all evolved to the next level since I weaved the circle of Expansion. ¡°Here we go.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you not come?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m going to go really softly¡­¡­at first.¡± ¡°Hey, What did you say at the end?¡­¡­Ugh.¡± There was a monotonous battle with my light magic. A series of light jabs without a straight one. There was a tedious aspect of attrition warfare. ¡®It is much more stable from Deliberation.¡¯ The circle of Deliberation. The overall output of the magic increased and the consumption of mental strength decreased as it became a more stable form covered by the circle of Expansion. ¡°You monster¡­¡­. Your mentality has evolved since you¡¯ve become a 5 circle? Did you use a cheat code for the infinite mentality?¡± ¡°Yeah, it is very relaxing.¡± The output increased and the consumption decreased. This naturally resulted in an increase in the number of magic uses. The number of magic uses has increased so much that it was incomparable to before weaving the four circles. Thanks to this, I can carry out this attrition warfare, which could not be done before, without problems. It is very satisfying. ¡°Then, the jab ends here. I will go for real from now on.¡± Deliberation has been fully tested. Now, it¡¯s time to move on. ¡°¡­¡­Hey, you are not going to use 5 circle magic, are you?¡± The next power to be tested. The circle of Resonance. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It won¡¯t hurt if you get hit lightly.¡± I reinforced the magic using the circle of Resonance. The reinforced magic flies toward Soonchan. ¡°Hey! You crazy guy! This is killing me.¡± Soonchan freaked out. He was not hit because I threw it at a moderately avoidable angle. ¡®As expected, it is much easier to use Resonance.¡¯ The disadvantages of the circle of Resonance were refined and the number of resonance uses increased. As the efficiency increased,the power of the resonance also increased by about half a circle. I can¡¯t say for sure because I haven¡¯t used Vibration yet, but the duration and the power would have increased. ¡®I should try the Vibration when I go back to Seoul.¡¯ I should check the duration of the vibration and its penalty. ¡®Next, let¡¯s use the circle of Interference.¡¯ I pressed Soonchan using all the magic except Destruction and Vibration. ¡°You went too much!¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± I went easy on him and Soonchan¡¯s magic was specialized in defense, so he endured it well, but. ¡°Stop! I lost! I lost!¡± In the end, the limit came. After about 2 minutes of confrontation, Soonchan declared surrender. ¡°Great job. You endured well.¡± The battle is over. ¡°¡­¡­Did I endure well? You just take it easy on me. Oh, I¡¯m so annoyed.¡± Soonchan approached me, scratching his nape. He had an enraged face. He seemed to be annoyed when I teased him using Interference in between the attacks. ¡°You. Can¡¯t you stop using Interference? How did you become a more selfish person?¡± ¡°Was it because it¡¯s easier to use it as the circle goes up? It worked really well.¡± The circle of Interference has also stabilized considerably. Overall penalties are reduced and efficiency is increased. Naturally, the burden of using Interference to the opponent¡¯s magic has been reduced and its scope has increased. ¡°You cheater.¡± ¡°Why are you exaggerating? I didn¡¯t even use Destruction.¡± Soonchan snorted. ¡°Hey, do you want to use Destruction while battling with me?¡± ¡°Yes, I want to use it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What a jerk.¡± So do I want to use Destruction? Although it was not used in this battle, I can use it much more stably and smoothly. The previous Destruction was a high-risk double-edged sword, however, it had become a special move. ¡°Huh. I¡¯m annoyed, but on the other hand, I¡¯m glad.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you are on our team. If I think you were an enemy¡­¡­oh, it¡¯s terrible.¡± In this way, my magic evolved as a whole. My power increase is indescribable as I have been able to use 4 circle magic on top of this. ¡°Oh, and haven¡¯t your eyes gotten better? Your movements are not usual.¡± ¡°Did you catch that?¡± ¡°Of course. I can tell right away.¡± Finally, my spiritual eyes evolved with the growth of the circle. It is the magic eyes that evolve together in accordance to the circle. The overall output of spiritual eyes has increased like a circle of expansion. Mana¡¯s color, the magic formula, and even the essence of magic are much clearer. On top of them, the short duration, which was tantamount to a chronic disease of God¡¯s eyes, has been resolved to some extent. ¡®Hooray for the circle of Expansion.¡¯ The achievements of the 4 circle were sweet. It was too sweet. Just thinking about the circle of Expansion makes me smile. ¡°Oh, by the way. The concentration of mana has gotten higher today. Well, it is hard to adapt to it because the concentration changes day by day.¡± Soonchan grumbled. Since the concentration of mana changes when he gets used to it, he seems to be starting to get annoyed. ¡®Will it change tomorrow, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Maybe.¡± There was a brief joy. An abnormal phenomenon of falling on Baengnyeong Island. Thinking about the concentration of mana that is getting higher every moment made my head complicated again. ¡®No matter how much I think about it, it¡¯s too fast for the concentration to get high.¡¯ The cause of the vein disappearance and the mana flooding that occurred when the circle of Expansion was woven the day before yesterday was still unknown. I feel uncomfortable. I think something big is going to happen. I¡¯m nervous for no reason. ¡®Even if I give up training a bit, I should look into it in detail.¡¯ There is a Central Research Center in Baengnyeong Island. I will go there tomorrow and get some detailed data. Chapter 61 [Translator ¨C Bomunnie] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 61 It was not until 9 p.m. that all training was completed. ¡°That¡¯s all for today¡¯s training. Thank you for your efforts.¡± With Shin Hayul¡¯s announcement of the end of the training, 7 people were laying on the floor at the same time. Everyone except Kang Shinwoo and Adella laid on the floor with the face that they could no longer endure. ¡°Huff, huff.¡± Only heavy breathing could be heard from all sides. ¡°Then I have a place to go, so I will leave first.¡± Shin Hayul left first, and only a total of 9 men and women were left on the training ground. ¡°¡­¡­What a devilish bastard. Did his viciousness evolve as the circle went up?¡± Ji Soonchan was the first one who said a word. He mediated today¡¯s training and gnashed his teeth. He had never experienced such terrible training before. ¡°I know. I¡¯m dying. I feel like I have been experiencing hell for 10 hours. I thought I had a lot of physical strength and patience, but I was wrong.¡± Ma Jinseok laughed. The huge muscles that rose like mountains were pumped up in the aftermath of the training and moved even more vigorously. ¡°Unnie, are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°She has no answer. She already looks like a dead body.¡± Jin Heeyoon was completely lost and not answering. Looking at Ji Soonchan, she spat out a word. ¡°I am not¡­de¡­¡­..¡± She is not dead. She was so tired that she couldn¡¯t complete the sentence. All the light disappeared again from Jin Heeyoon¡¯s eyes, which had slightly returned. It was as if a mackerel was looking up at the sky just before it died. ¡°I¡¯m in a terrible condition.¡± Kang Shinwoo shook his head looking down at Jin Heeyoon. He doesn¡¯t know if she was alive or dead. He had never seen Jin Heeyoon lying down like this in his life. ¡°That¡¯s understandable. You followed Hayul because you didn¡¯t want to lose to him.¡± Jin Heeyoon was one who worked harder than anyone else in today¡¯s training. Even in a situation where she had to run for a long time, she only sprinted. She did her best for 10 hours as if she didn¡¯t think about her physical strength. As a result, she is now in this semi-dead state. She burned everything and became white ash. ¡°I can¡¯t say anything because she was working the hardest.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I am saying.¡± The juniors, who were also exhausted but not as much as Jin Heeyoon, were astonished. ¡°I thought I would give up, but I couldn¡¯t, because of the gold medal.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Now, as if the breathing had returned, there was some energy back among the juniors. ¡°To be honest, I thought we would win a bronze medal if we did well until the day before yesterday.¡± The US and Britain, which have 5 circle players, are ranked first and second, thus, Korea can win the bronze medal if we were really lucky. They only had this much expectation. It was a natural expectation. A 4 circle mage cannot beat circle 5 mage no matter how hard they try. ¡°Oh, man. You still lack faith.¡± ¡°Almighty Hayul said Korea also has a 5 circle.¡± ¡°Oh, I believe you. Hamen.¡± However, from the moment Shin Hayul announced his circle-up yesterday, their thoughts have completely changed. We also have a 5 circle, so why can¡¯t we win a gold medal? ¡°Hayul is really amazing.¡± ¡°I keep forgetting that he is a misfit.¡± ¡°To be honest, how is he a misfit?¡± As the juniors recovered their physical and mental strength with the passage of time, their tension increased. ¡°Shinwoo, Jinseok, and Heeyoon. How was it for you guys? What do you think about fighting with Hayul now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What do we think?¡± Ma Jinseok snorted. ¡°Do you call that a question? Lose. We will lose. It is hard to win even if the three of us came at him at once.¡± It was an answer that could hurt his pride, but Kang Shinwoo and Jin Heeyoon did not look offended at all. Rather, they were only nodding as if they agreed with Ma Jinseok¡¯s opinion. ¡°He is now a monster.¡± Shin Hayul¡¯s performance was that great. Output. Versatility. Usability. Strategy. There is not a single thing lacking in his magic. On top of that, his physical ability is unrivaled. There are no weaknesses. Not a weakness, everything is a strength. He is just a monster. There is no vision of winning against Shin Hayul. ¡°I really didn¡¯t know I would say this, but I feel sorry for the other teams.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Ma Jinseok shook his head with his tongue sticking out. ¡°How pitiful they are to have to fight this crazy¡­I mean¡­monster.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­..¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to feel sorry for them all of a sudden.¡± The juniors nodded as if they agreed with him deeply. The training ground became noisy. Looking at the noisy juniors, Ji Soonchan laughed inwardly. ¡®Hayul has leadership.¡¯ Who would think they didn¡¯t get along with each other at first after seeing this scene? He is proud of it as a friend. ¡°Soonchan.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Ma Jinseok approached Ji Soonchan. ¡°Why did Hayul leave so quickly because he had something to do at this time?¡± ¡°Hayul? I heard that he was going to go to the Baengnyeong Island Central Research Center.¡± ¡°Research Center?¡± ¡°Yes. He said he had something to consult about the concentration of mana.¡± [Translator ¨C Bomunnie] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Baengnyeong Island Central Research Center. It is an observation organization that observes the current situation of Baengnyeong Island and a research institute that studies the overflowing mana of the Island. Currently, there is no better place than here to seek advice on the abnormal climate of Baengnyeong Island. ¡°Welcome.¡± When I entered the center, the researcher welcomed me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the late time.¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re the ones who told you to come at this time.¡± I came to the center at this time not because I didn¡¯t want to waste my training time. I wanted to come as soon as possible, but the center called me to come at 9:30 p.m. because it didn¡¯t have time before then. That¡¯s why I came at this time after finishing all the training. ¡°But, isn¡¯t it because of me that you couldn¡¯t go home?¡± ¡°Haha. No way. I have a long way to go home.¡± ¡°It is so late.¡± ¡°Working all day long without going home. It is a common thing for researchers, isn¡¯t it?¡± The researcher laughed mischievously. It was a self-inflicted joke that was hard to respond to. ¡°I¡¯m kidding. I usually get off work on time. I¡¯m just a bit busy because of the current situation. I couldn¡¯t afford to leave work.¡± ¡°Current situation¡­¡­.. You are talking about the situation where the concentration of mana in Baengnyeong Island is getting higher, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. We are continuing to investigate the incident. I don¡¯t have time to rest.¡± The center was also conducting the analysis of this incident. ¡°Has the cause been found?¡± ¡°No. Unfortunately, nothing has been found.¡± The researcher smiled bitterly. ¡°Then, what are the strong hypotheses?¡± ¡°Well, there are some hypotheses. First of all, the most credible one is the theory of the vein explosion¡­¡­..¡± As I asked the researcher a few questions, I arrived at my destination. ¡°Oh, we¡¯ve arrived. This way.¡± I entered the room where the researcher guided me. The nameplate of the director of the research center was placed on a desk that looked luxurious at first glance. I guess it is the room of the director of the research center. ¡°You can sit here. The director will be right back.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± With the words, the researcher left the room. And soon after, the director came into the room. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m late. Haha.¡± It was a young man in neat lab clothes. He greeted me with a smile. He was very young for a research director. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there something on my face?¡± I stared at the director¡¯s face. I am not looking at him because he is young. In the first place, I knew from a preliminary investigation that the director of this center was young. There is no reason to be surprised. ¡°No. I was a little surprised because you were so young. I¡¯m sorry if I offended you.¡± ¡°Haha. There is no reason to feel bad when you say I¡¯m young. Have a seat. I will bring you something to drink.¡± I was surprised not because the man was young, but because of the ¡®mana¡¯ that the man had inside. ¡°All I have is coffee, is it okay?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine.¡± As I reached the 4 circle, my grown-up God¡¯s eyes have become able to roughly grasp the amount of mana possessed by the others not only when activated but also during normal times. Through these, I can guess the approximate level of the others. The man in front of me. The amount of mana of a man who introduced himself as the research director is extraordinary. ¡°This much. It is at least 7 circle.¡± 7 circle. He can be classified as an archmage. There are fewer than 10 high-quality magicians in Korea. The magician of that level is working as a research director on this island? It is impossible. ¡®Is he a secret master who is hiding his skills? Or is he fake?¡¯ I opened my eyes sharply looking at the man operating the coffee machine. Let¡¯s take a closer look. ¡®God¡¯s eyes.¡¯ At the same time as my spiritual eyes were opened, the mana of the man was clearly seen. My spiritual eyes, which have been strengthened after I became 4 circle, can see through the ¡®essence of the target¡¯s mana¡¯ even if the target is not using magic. My God¡¯s eyess penetrated the abyss of a man. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± And at that moment. My eyes grew as big as a lamp. A mirage covering the entire body of a man. This is¡­¡­.. ¡®6 circle non-attribute vision magic. Fake illusion.¡¯ Sure enough, the man was changing his appearance through vision magic. Since he has the mana of a 7 circle, I couldn¡¯t see the man¡¯s real face, but the fog surrounding the man¡¯s skin was clearly visible. As expected, the man is a fake. ¡®And this mana¡­¡­..¡¯ The problem isn¡¯t just that this man is fake. The real problem is who the man is. Mana spewing out of this man¡¯s body. ¡®Black mana.¡¯ Black that I have already seen before. A muddy and dirty pitch black reminiscent of sewage. ¡®This man is a dark wizard from the Black Magic Tower.¡¯ My brain got all jumbled at once. But there was no time to organize my thoughts. He finished brewing coffee, and turned around. Before the man checked my face, I quickly calmed down. ¡°Here¡¯s your coffee.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± The man smiled and put down my coffee cup in front of me and sat across from me. ¡°Well, let¡¯s hear from you now. You want to consult on the mana concentration in Baengnyeong Island?¡± Do not panic here. I have to answer calmly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m having a hard time adapting because the mana concentration changes frequently these days. I think the training efficiency is also decreasing a bit. I¡¯d like to ask for some advice on this.¡± I pretended to be calm and continued speaking to avoid suspicion. ¡®If he finds out that I¡¯ve noticed it, it will be over.¡¯ I cleared my doubts and emptied my head. So that he cannot find out through my face and words. As calmly as possible, I kept asking questions that the student might ask to the research director. ¡°I have to leave now. I¡¯m sorry to bother you at this late time.¡± ¡°Haha. No problem. It¡¯s been a while since I had fun, too. If you have any other questions, feel free to come.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± After saying this, Shin Hayul left the center. As soon as Shin Hayul left the center, the man¡¯s face changed. ¡°Hmm.¡± He is still smiling, but the weight of the smile is different. ¡°Tuckisch. You did great.¡± The researcher who guided Shin Hayul earlier handed a black robe to the man. The man took the robe and put it on. ¡°Did the target go back?¡± ¡°Yes. He went back right away. Shall we keep watch on him?¡± ¡°No. That is not allowed. A shadow is attached to the target now. Keeping watch on for no reason can be a scratch. Leave him alone.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± An executive of the Black Magic Tower. Tuckisch pulled the robe down all the way to his head. At that moment, his face changed. The fake illusion was resolved and his real face was revealed. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go back down to the underground lab.¡± Tuckisch walked into the basement. The researcher followed him. ¡°Tuckisch, I think it is a useless concern, but Shin Hayul didn¡¯t notice our plan, did he?¡± He kept asking about the mana concentration of Baengnyeong Island, and he even visited the research center at this time. Maybe he noticed the plan. ¡°No, he didn¡¯t.¡± He was worried that Shin Hayul might have noticed the plan because he suddenly came to the center, but as a result of talking with him, he did not. Shin Hayul just visited the research center to seek advice on solving the problem of efficiency due to frequent changes in mana concentration. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The researcher cleared all doubts. If Tuckisch says no, it is not. ¡°How is the spiritual nucleus?¡± ¡°Ah, there is nothing wrong with it. It¡¯s all according to plan. If we twist the spiritual nucleus now, it will explode by tomorrow afternoon.¡± The researcher smiled. ¡°Tomorrow afternoon. Great.¡± Tuckisch smiled contentedly. Chapter 62 [Translator ¨C Bomunnie] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 62 I returned to my accommodation, leaving the research center matter behind, I was immediately lost in thought. ¡®What the hell was going on?¡¯ My brain got all jumbled. I went to the research center to resolve the question, but the confusion only increased. ¡®Why is there a Black Magic Tower executive in the research center?¡¯ The level of the man who identified himself as the research director was definitely 7 circle. And all 7 circle users are executives in the Black Magic Tower. In other words, the man is one of the ten executives of the Black Magic Tower. Why is such a great man on this remote island? ¡®Is he here to handle me on Shin Jihan¡¯s request?¡¯ These days, my image within the family is rapidly improving. Shin Jihan may have been blinded by impatience and sent me an assassin. ¡®From the standpoint of the Black Magic Tower, they have to cover the failure of Len Smith¡¯s case. It does make sense if the executive of the Black Magic Tower came directly to restore their honor and to ensure a clear finish.¡¯ That was the most plausible hypothesis in the context. But I have a load on my mind. ¡®But, no matter how impatient Shin Jihan becomes, would he send me an assassin in this situation?¡¯ Shin Jihan is well aware of the current situation. He probably knows that the shadow is attached to me, and that there is an investigation into spies within the family. In this situation, would Shin Jihan take risks and send me an assassin? ¡®That¡¯s probably the case for Seha, but I don¡¯t think Shin Jihan will take such a risk and rush things.¡¯ No matter how much I think about it, there is no way Shin Jihan would make a stupid decision to send an assassin to me at this time. ¡®If his purpose was to handle me in the first place, he would have infiltrated the training ground, not the research center.¡¯ No matter how much I think about it, it is hard to say he is here to handle me. ¡®So this is not related to me, but to the abnormal climate of Baengnyeong Island?¡¯ An unidentified abnormal phenomenon currently occurring on Baengnyeong Island. The continuous amplification of mana. The demise of the vein and the flood of mana. Aren¡¯t all these an aftermath of the Black Magic Tower¡¯s scheme? The research center is a perfect place to make a trick on. The connection is certain. ¡®That means¡­¡­.¡¯ My brain spun fast. Objectifying the current situation and adding appropriate hypotheses after analysis to draw the most reasonable conclusion. I didn¡¯t take much time to draw a conclusion. ¡®The Black Magic Tower is researching something on the island, or scheming on it. And the abnormal climate of Baengnyeong Island is the result of the study or the aftermath. Is it something like this?¡¯ It is quite a leap in reasoning, but it is probably certain. The executive of the Black Magic Tower was also disguised as the research director. Unless there is a compelling reason, there was no reason for an executive to step forward. There must be something in the research center. ¡®So the question became what he was doing in the center.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t think of anything in particular. A study that results in the concentration of mana getting higher every moment. I couldn¡¯t even imagine it. ¡®Whatever it may be, it was better to leave the island as soon as possible.¡¯ If I could, I would like to dig into their scheme and destroy it completely. But, this time, the opponent was a 7 circle magician. Courage and arrogance should not be mistaken. It was right to step down. ¡®I can find out about the abnormal phenomenon of Baengnyeong Island and the ulterior motive of the Black Magic Tower after returning to Seoul.¡¯ After securing my safety, I will conduct the investigation step by step. When something is certain, I can send high-quality human resources here to handle the executive of the Black Magic Tower. ¡®Kim Kangin will believe me. I don¡¯t have to worry about who and how to send them.¡¯ Since I have the trust I built during the Len Smith case, he will listen to me even if I don¡¯t have the information about the Black Magic Tower. ¡®The remaining question was, how can I return to the mainland tomorrow?¡¯ An early return cannot be made without a good cause. Since I cannot talk about the Black Magic Tower, I have to make another cause. ¡®What excuse should I make?¡¯ I slowly began to devise an escape plan from Baengnyeong Island. ¡®Well, I think this is enough.¡¯ After a total of 2 hours of consideration, I completed the escape plan from Baengnyeong Island. [Translator ¨C Bomunnie] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] But, the plan was just a plan. Despite the 2 hour preparation, the escape plan from Baengnyeong Island failed. ¡°¡­¡­How things go like this.¡± It is not that the plan was sloppy. The plan itself was perfect. It took 2 hours to prepare all kinds of excuses and I even thought of ways to convince everyone. In fact, I even got the consent of the instructors and the juniors. All that was left was to go back to Seoul by ship. There was no reason to fail in this plan. There was another reason why the escape plan from Baengnyeong Island failed. ¡°¡­¡­The ship cannot leave?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The ship cannot leave. Even with a perfect plan, there was no way to go back if the ship cannot leave. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You will know from the weather. The weather is so bad.¡± It¡¯s very windy and rainy today. The average ship cannot leave in this weather. ¡°The only ship affected by the weather is the general one. The mana ship can leave.¡± The mana ship. Since the ship is operated by mana, it is unaffected by this bad weather. It is also solid as it was built in preparation for the attack of marine monsters. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the mana ship cannot be operated at the moment.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡­.¡± A ship official scratched his back neck with a bitter face. He paused with a face of difficulty and slowly opened his mouth. ¡°Isn¡¯t the concentration of mana in Baengnyeong Island getting higher recently?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°As the concentration increased, the magic engine of the mana ship was overloaded.¡± The magic engine is structured to absorb the surrounding mana and operate it. Naturally, it is inevitable to be affected by the surrounding concentration of mana. ¡°Mana excess?¡± ¡°Right.¡± Over-absorption of mana. Hardware trouble that occurs when the magic engine absorbs too much mana. The engine became inoperable due to more than necessary fuel injection. ¡°In short, it is because of the negligence of the person in charge.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± Usually, it is a problem that can be solved through maintenance. The failure to grasp it in advance can only be explained as the manager¡¯s mistake. How things go like this. I sighed quietly. ¡°What about repairs? Mana excess can be resolved quickly, right?¡± ¡°Well, I suddenly can¡¯t see the mechanic of the mana ship today.¡± ¡°The mechanic?¡± You can¡¯t see the mechanic? ¡°Yes. I heard he drank too much last night, so he might be sleeping somewhere, oh my.¡± The man sighed loudly. Too much drinking¡­¡­. ¡°Anyway, all the remaining mechanics are sticking to the mana ship repair, but since it is not their specialization, I think it should be done tonight even if it is done quickly.¡± ¡°You mean around 8 o¡¯clock at night, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Now it is 10 a.m. There are about 10 hours left until the repair. It takes too long. ¡°Can you ask Incheon Port to send a ship?¡± Why don¡¯t you ask Incheon Port to send a ship? Then it would have arrived at Baengnyeong Island Port in 3 hours after the preparation. ¡°Well, due to this bad weather, it would be impossible for them to send a mana ship¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± As the general ship could not move, the mana ship would be replacing everything. There was no mana ship that didn¡¯t do anything. ¡°All right. Then I have no choice but to wait. Please fix it as soon as possible.¡± There is no other choice but to wait. ¡°Okay. I will do my best.¡± After saying a word to the port official, I returned to where everyone was waiting for me. ¡°What did he say? Can the ship leave?¡± Soonchan, who found me, immediately approached me and asked. ¡°No, it can¡¯t.¡± Along with my word, sighs broke out from the party. They packed all my luggage and came to the port, but they got a headache when they heard that the ship couldn¡¯t leave. ¡°When can it leave?¡± ¡°At the earliest, 8 p.m. tonight.¡± ¡°At least 10 hours are left, what are you going to do in the meantime?¡± Soonchan was worried with a serious face. ¡°The training I was going to do today¡­would be impossible, right?¡± ¡°Yes. It would be difficult because of the weather.¡± ¡°¡­¡­wouldn¡¯t it?¡± It might have been possible if today¡¯s training was indoor training. But the training originally scheduled for today is the entire outdoor training. If there were weather variables in the Olympiad training itself, it would be a good idea to experience bad weather in advance, but the Olympiad has no variables like bad weather because all fields are managed by magic. Training in this weather is looking for trouble. Considering our condition, it is better not to overdo it. ¡°Then what should I do¡­¡­.Is there anyone who wants to do something?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The juniors were silent. Everyone seems to have no idea. ¡°Can¡¯t you just give us free time?¡± Jin Heeyoon made a word with a tired face. ¡°Everyone hasn¡¯t rested properly since the members were called up. I think it would be good to take this opportunity to take a good rest in the mood of traveling.¡± Jin Heeyoon yawned. Is it the aftermath of yesterday¡¯s excessive training? She looked really tired. ¡°I agree. If you don¡¯t have to do anything, free time is better.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going back to the accommodation and take a nap for the first time in a while. I¡¯ve been lacking sleep lately.¡± ¡°I should go to the indoor training ground that we used the day before yesterday.¡± ¡°Do you want me to go with you?¡± Each of the juniors brought up a word. The place quickly became noisy. ¡°Well, let¡¯s do that. Those who want to rest can go back and rest. Those who want to look around can look around and those who want to use the training ground can use it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°You can leave the luggage here in the maintenance office.¡± ¡°What time should we come back later?¡± ¡°Please come before 6.¡± ¡°Okay, I will be back by 6 o¡¯clock later.¡± ¡°See you later.¡± The juniors left one by one. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go get some sleep. Leader Shin, get some rest, too.¡± Lastly, Jin Heeyoon yawned and left. The luggage left by the juniors, Adella, Soonchan, and I are the only ones left here. ¡°What are you going to do? I¡¯m just going to rest.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to do some training.¡± Adella answered Soonchan¡¯s question as expected. ¡°Adella, you are too stubborn.¡± Soonchan shook his head with a face of boredom. He looks familiar with Adella¡¯s training addiction. ¡°Hayul, you are¡­¡­. Never mind. I¡¯m sure you are the same.¡± Soonchan, who turned to me, shook his head again with a face saying it was useless to ask. He seems confident that I would go to training, too. ¡°I won¡¯t go to training.¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Really?¡± The two opened their eyes wide like surprised rabbits. Is it such a surprise that I don¡¯t train? ¡°I need to rest sometimes, too.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? Wonders never cease!¡± But, I don¡¯t have any plans to train today. How can I concentrate on training on the island where Black Magic Tower is scheming? ¡°Then, what are you going to do?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­.¡± I can¡¯t think of anything to do right now. The moment I thought so, my phone vibrated. It was a text message. ¡°Sorry. Excuse me.¡± It was a message from one of the shadows. I checked the message right away. [The research director moved.] I asked the shadow who was attached to me to take a look at the research director right after I finished planning the escape plan from Baengnyeong Island yesterday. I didn¡¯t ask them to infiltrate or investigate. Conversely, information about this side could be passed on to the opponent if the research was ambiguous. That was problematic. What I asked for was just looking at him. It was a light request to just look at the research director as safely as possible from a long distance as he would not notice. ¡®Well, literally, the director moved somewhere. This must be that much of a report.¡¯ As it was a light observation, the information obtained might be shallow. I replied without much expectation. [Where did he move?] The reply came at once. And as soon as I checked the message, I was surprised. [We confirmed that the object, the research director, left the island late last night.] [Shall we follow him?] ¡®What?¡¯ It was not a trivial report. It was a very important report. ¡°¡­¡­The executive of the Black Magic Tower left the island last night? Why?¡± Why at this timing? I had a headache again. ¡®What¡¯s going on here?¡¯ The ever-increasing concentration of mana made my mind even more complicated. Chapter 63 [Translator ¨C Bomunnie] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 63 After that. I decided to join the shadow for now to understand the situation in more detail. ¡®It¡¯s here.¡¯ I arrived at the vacant lot, the meeting place, but I couldn¡¯t see anyone around me. Pitter patter¡ª! The sound of the rain hitting the umbrella rang out clearly. The rain was picking up. Out of the umbrella, I will look like a drowned rat in a second. That¡¯s how heavy the rain was. ¡°How¡¯s the situation?¡± When I asked so, something shook like a mirage through the heavy rain. And that mirage soon became a human figure. ¡°Excuse me for a moment before I report.¡± One of the six shadows in charge of protecting me during the Baengnyeong Island camp. Among them, Min Janghyun, the squad leader who was in charge of Baengnyeong Island. He cast a barrier magic spell over the two of us. It was a barrier in preparation for possible information leakage. ¡°I will report to you. There is currently no response inside the research center. Currently, the center is considered empty.¡± Min Janghyun, who completed the barrier magic, began reporting. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve called him over and over again, but there was no answer. There was no sign of movement inside. I also checked the bio-signal, but it didn¡¯t respond either.¡± ¡°That means it¡¯s really empty.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Doubts have increased. I can¡¯t believe the research center is empty. Conceptually, it was something impossible. ¡°Are you sure the director of the research center left the island?¡± ¡°Yes. There was someone who saw the director on a boat with his researcher. Here, the CCTV footage.¡± Min Janghyun projected a holographic image. It was a video of the director and the man getting on the boat. ¡°Who is the researcher who left with the director?¡± ¡°This is the man.¡± A picture taken from another angle. The photo clearly showed the researcher¡¯s face. ¡°As expected, this is the man.¡± The man in the picture was the researcher who guided me to the director¡¯s office yesterday. ¡°And this is the CCTV footage of two people getting off at Incheon Port.¡± These two left the island last night. ¡®What the hell is it?¡¯ Everything was a mystery. Why did the Black Magic Tower leave the research center at this time? ¡®Why?¡¯ All kinds of hypotheses passed through my head like a panorama. But, I couldn¡¯t come to a conclusion. ¡®I don¡¯t have enough information to answer.¡¯ A hypothesis is just a hypothesis. In such a lack of information, I cannot conclude anything. ¡®I need some new information.¡¯ There were 10 hours left, and the greatest threat, an executive of the Black Magic Tower, would have disappeared. It is a good situation to gather information in many ways. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to do some research? ¡°Young master.¡± Min Janghyun¡¯s words awakened me from my thoughts. ¡°I¡¯ll go back to my original mission¡­¡­..¡± It was when Min Janghyun tried to report me back to his mission. Pinnnnng-!! ¡°¡­¡­Ugh.¡± A creepy sound rang and erased the man¡¯s words. ¡°Is this¡­¡­.Mana¡¯s resonance sound?¡± A violent and harsh resonance sound that is completely different from the clear resonance sound from my Infinity Circle. It was the mana¡¯s scream caused by the clash and friction between the manas. How intense the sound was, it was a shock as if someone grabbed my semicircular tube and shook it. ¡°¡­¡­? ¡­¡­.!¡± I could see the shadow shouting something with an embarrassed face between the trembling views. Of course, I cannot hear anything at all due to mana¡¯s resonance sound. ¡®Why is he so fine? He can¡¯t hear this sound?¡¯ The shadow was very calm. He didn¡¯t seem to hear a creepy sound. The man picked up the phone with an urgent face. I think he is trying to report to Kim Seokhyun or my father after judging that there was something wrong with me. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± At the same time as I said that, I sent a gesture to the man to stand by. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± My gesture stopped the man for now. Pinnnng¡­¡­.. About 5 seconds. Mana¡¯s scream stopped completely. ¡°¡­¡­Phew.¡± I¡¯m getting better now. The semicircular tube is still tingling, but it is not unbearable. ¡°Are you all right, young master?¡± I hear the man¡¯s voice again. Fortunately, the eardrums didn¡¯t hurt. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m all right. It was temporary¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh, thank God.¡± The man breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°More than that, the sound just now. Didn¡¯t hear that?¡± ¡°The sound?¡± ¡°Yes. The noise from the research center.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t hear anything but the sound of rain.¡± The man tilted his head with a face that he heard for the first time. ¡°Did you really not hear it at all? In the direction of the research center¡­¡­..¡± It was when I pointed at the research center and turned my eyes there while saying that. My eyes widened. ¡°¡­¡­What is that?¡± ¡°Young master?¡± The amount of mana emitted from the research center is unusual. How full mana is in the center, the mana is spewing out of the center¡¯s barrier. It was a balloon just before it exploded. What is it this time? ¡®God¡¯s eyes.¡¯ For now, my God¡¯s eyes were quickly opened to understand the situation. And the moment my God¡¯s eyes checked the mana around the research center. My pupils dilated further. ¡®It was so dense¡­¡­..¡¯ The mana spewing out through the center was unusual. It was not shocking but a phenomenal amount of mana. It was not just the weird amount of mana. The quality of mana was also strange. ¡®The mana was very unstable and confusing.¡¯ Mana is very sensitive. Is that how a person feels when their anger rises to the top of his head? It looks like it will explode with a bang if I just tap it. It is a miracle if it doesn¡¯t explode. ¡®¡­¡­Wait a minute.¡¯ Explosion? Sensitive? My brain spun like a top again. ¡®Yes. Certainly¡­¡­..¡¯ A new hypothesis is established by filling in additional information in the previous hypothesis. ¡®Mana in the dense atmosphere.¡¯ ¡®The vast amount of mana that spewed out of the research center¡¯s protective barrier.¡¯ ¡®Like a balloon that was about to explode.¡¯ ¡®Mana¡¯s resonance sound reminiscent of a scream.¡¯ ¡®Mana¡¯s stable state confirmed by my spiritual eyes.¡¯ The conclusion came quickly. ¡®Mana disaster.¡¯ These are all harbingers of a mana disaster. Among them, it is a sign of a mana explosion. My thoughts accelerated again. If what the Black Magic Tower wants is artificially causing the mana explosion, this situation is¡­¡­.. ¡®¡­¡­That¡¯s why it happened.¡¯ What the plot of the Black Magic Tower is. What is going on in that research center. Who is behind this. I know everything for sure. So what I have to do now is. ¡°I need to get into the research center. Can you break the barrier?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± [Translator ¨C Bomunnie] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Min Janghyun, a member of the Shadow of the Magic Shin Clan. Currently, the most powerful squad leader among the shadows in charge of Shin Hayul¡¯s protection was in chaos. ¡®Is this really right?¡¯ It rained so much like there was a hole in the sky. Shin Hayul is touching the wall of the center in the rain. As if he doesn¡¯t care at all whether the rain hits hard or not, he just closed his eyes and focuses on all the senses of his fingertips. Perhaps he was doing a mana circulation. The remnants of mana scattered around Shin Hayul are proof. If Min Jan-hyun had seen this scene elsewhere, he would have admired young master Hayul, thinking, ¡®the level of mana circulation is different.¡¯ Yes. If only he had seen this from somewhere else. He was going to trespass the center without permission by breaking the barrier. If that mana circulation wasn¡¯t meant to destroy the defense magic formula of the center, he would have been truly impressed. ¡°Phew¡­¡­..¡± Shin Hayul¡¯s deep breath was heard. A very deep breath. Mana, which is so dense that it can be clearly seen by 5 circle user Min Janghyun, permeates into Shin Hayul¡¯s mind. Even this simple scene is beautifully neat. ¡®Why did the young master suddenly say he wanted to get into the research center?¡¯ Min Janghyun¡¯s eyes trembled again as he watched the scene. ¡®He asked me to observe the director of the center. Is there something in this center?¡¯ First of all, it seemed certain that there was something in this center from that point of view. What mattered was what was in this center and what made him trespass. ¡®Well, can we break this defense magic formula before that?¡¯ Min Janghyun raised his head a bit and looked at the research center where Shin Hayul was touching. The barriers that look severe at a glance guard all directions. It was a state-of-the-art barrier that Min Janghyun was familiar with. ¡®State-of-the-art security system with 720 parallel structures of magic formula. It takes 10 hours for even Kim Seokhyun to get this pierced.¡¯ The research center is a treasure trove of expensive experimental materials and research results. There is no way that the barriers protecting such a center are lax. There is no way to get a scratch on this barrier. ¡®He recently became a 5 circle, but it is not a barrier that can be pierced with that level.¡¯ No matter how he thinks it was impossible for Shin Hayul to break through this barrier. That¡¯s what Min Janghyun thought. However, Shin Hayul said with a confident face as if he was laughing at Min Janghyun¡¯s conviction. ¡°I will get through it.¡± That short statement was a word of confidence and conviction. Crack. Craaaaaaaaack! Mana erupted from Shin Hayul¡¯s body. ¡®720 parallel structures of magic formula. No matter how powerful Bytenor magic was, it was impossible to destroy all of this with my current state.¡¯ But. ¡®It was easy to break down one of the 720 structural formulas.¡¯ The structure of this defensive magic formula is already known. It is a pretty famous general purpose barrier, so I definitely memorized it. And any outstanding magic becomes no longer magic as long as I know the structure. ¡®Destruction.¡¯ Shin Hayul¡¯s mana pierced the captured magic gap. Only one magic formula out of 720 parallel structures of the formulas. It collapsed under the influence of Shin Hayul¡¯s mana. Destruction succeeded. One of the 720 magic formulas was completely smashed. Of course, even if one of the 720 was smashed, the entire barrier did not break down. This barrier was not such a loose structure. ¡®It would have been meaningless to break down one magic formula¡­¡­..¡¯ The parallel structure of the magic barrier is characterized by automatic repair. Even if one magic formula is destroyed, the remaining 719 magic formulas quickly recover the destroyed formula. ¡®But now, it is not a situation that can be automatically restored.¡¯ The mana inside the barrier has already reached its limit beyond the level of oversaturation. To the point where mana leaks out through the barrier. What happens if I make a small hole in such a packed barrier? The answer is simple. ¡®It begins to collapse around the destroyed magic circle.¡¯ It is also like sticking a needle into a balloon that was swollen to the max. A little breaking down soon leads to the destruction of the whole. Crack! Craaaack! There was a loud noise inside the barrier. It sounded like something was breaking or something was distorted. ¡°Let¡¯s step back a little.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shin Hayul immediately stepped back. ¡®Did he give up?¡¯ Min Janghyun followed Shin Hayul with a puzzled face. And the moment they made the distance to a certain extent. Crack! Craaaack! There was a sound like an electric current was splashing. Clink. Then there was a wave of sound like a glass was breaking. Would this sound be made if stained glass windows that filled a huge church broke all at once? ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The barrier that covered the research center was shattered and turned into mana¡¯s debris and scattered. It was like the blue cherry blossoms were filling all around. ¡°¡­¡­Nonsense.¡± Min Janghyun opened his mouth wide as he watched the scene. ¡®He really destroyed that paralleled barrier? How?¡¯ Min Janghyun looked at Shin Hayul with trembling eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Whether or not Shin Hayul was aware of Min Janghyun¡¯s surprise, he just walked forward calmly. Min Janghyun followed Shin Hayul and entered the research center. The inside of the research center was very quiet. I don¡¯t feel anything. Literally, the center was empty. ¡°Young master, it is funny to say this now, but is it really okay to come in like this?¡± Didn¡¯t he think I wasn¡¯t really going to break down the barrier? Min Janghyun said anxiously. ¡°If this is a problem, I will take responsibility. So don¡¯t worry.¡± I answered moderately, looking around the center. ¡°I may receive a compliment, but I won¡¯t be responsible for it.¡± ¡°What is in this center?¡± ¡°A bomb.¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡­.A bomb?¡± ¡°Yes. It is a bomb that has the power to instantly destroy Baengnyeong Island.¡± I looked around, leaving the man stiff with astonishment. Since this place has the most mana, it must be around here. ¡°What kind of bomb is that?¡± ¡°One picture is worth a thousand words. You will know when you see it.¡± Found it. This is the entrance to the basement. ¡°Here. There is a secret passage. I need to find a way to open it. You are an expert at this, right?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. I will find it.¡± Min Janghyun touched around the place I ordered. He even took out professional equipment as if he was familiar with such infiltration. About 10 minutes passed. ¡°I found it. This is it.¡± Min Janghyun found a hidden button behind the drawer. When I pressed it, the door to the basement opened with a roar. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± We went down slowly to the basement. How much did we come down? Based on the number of floors, I think we have come down about 10 floors. ¡°I can¡¯t believe there is such a basement in Baengnyeong Island Central Research Center¡­¡­..¡± Min Janghyun¡¯s face became more serious. He seems convinced that there was something unusual in this research center. We went down for a long time like that. ¡°We are here.¡± We arrived at the bottom floor. ¡°Young master, this is¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The heart of this island lies deep under Baengnyeong Island. The starting point of every spiritual vein. ¡°Spiritual nucleus of Baengnyeong Island.¡± The root of mana, spiritual nucleus. ¡°¡­¡­It is more serious than I thought.¡± It was booming. As if it was going to explode any moment. Chapter 64 [Translator ¨C Bomunnie] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] Chapter 64 Spiritual nucleus. A high-concentration mana energy source that exists in Baengnyeong Island and other areas with high mana concentration. It usually settles deep underground and shoots mana into the atmosphere through leylines. The mana outlet of the spiritual nucleus created in this way is the spiritual vein, and the mana concentration in the area where these spiritual veins are mass-produced rises incomparably with other areas. ¡°I can¡¯t believe they were excavating and researching a spiritual nucleus¡­¡­. Baengnyeong Island researchers are really crazy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± The study of the spiritual nucleus is taboo. There are many reasons, but the biggest reason is that it is dangerous. Think about it. The spiritual nucleus is a tremendous energy source that increases the mana concentration of the area up to twice as much. Could it be safe to study something like that? In fact, a country neglected the danger and studied a spiritual nucleus, but then experimented wrongly and half of the country was annihilated. Experimenting with a spiritual nucleus is that much dangerous. ¡°Anyway, how did they find this?¡± ¡°I know, right.¡± ?Obviously, it¡¯s not just that it¡¯s dangerous. How could researchers give up on researching such a heavenly mana tank just because it was dangerous? The main reason why researchers have no choice but to give up their research on spiritual nuclei is that it is nearly impossible to find one. There are many spirit cores that are located beyond the mantle and close to the outer core. Even if it is buried nearby, it is almost impossible to pinpoint its location because it extensively emits mana. ¡°This is the second time that a spiritual nucleus has not stopped functioning even after protruding, right?¡± ¡°Yes. The first one no longer exists in this world, so this is all that remains.¡± And the last reason.? A spiritual nucleus usually loses power when excavated. Research results show that as the ground structure surrounding the spiritual nucleus changes, the spiritual nucleus cannot function properly. In other words, even if you find it by any means, you can¡¯t research a spiritual nucleus. For this reason, it has become an established theory in the academic world that researching a spiritual nucleus is impossible. It¡¯s dangerous and hard to find, and even if you find it, it loses its function. Is there any way to conduct research? ¡®I really couldn¡¯t believe it.¡¯ That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t think that the incident that occurred on Baengnyeong Island was due to the study of the spiritual nucleus. ¡°Then, the recent increase in mana concentration¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yes. It must have been since we started researching the spiritual nucleus in the laboratory.¡± Even now, the spiritual nucleus is running out of control. Just looking at it, the amount of mana it was spewing out was unusual. ¡°Then the head of the research institute and the researcher left the island because¡­¡­.¡± ¡°They couldn¡¯t control it anymore, so they backed out before it explodes. They ran away.¡± ¡°Leaving the spiritual nucleus like this?¡± ¡°Yes. If they get caught studying the spiritual nucleus, they will all fall off a cliff. Let¡¯s just leave it alone and let it explode. Let¡¯s make it so that the disappearance of Baengnyeong Island is due to an unknown mana explosion. That is the only way for them to survive. They probably thought something like this.¡± I told just enough so that Min Janghyun could understand. I couldn¡¯t say that the main culprit of this situation was the Black Magic Tower, so it was best to cover it up like this. ¡°Those scumbags¡­¡­.¡± Min Janghyun sharpened his teeth. ¡°Ugh¡­¡­.¡± Min Janghyun took a deep breath and let out his anger. ¡°Then what shall we do?¡± ¡°It¡¯s one of two things. Let¡¯s publicize this spiritual nucleus first, and then evacuate together.¡± The weather is bad, there is no room for mana lines, and everything is unnecessary. In an emergency like this, they will send everything like a boat, a helicopter, or a high-ranking mage who can use flying magic. ¡°Silence this spiritual nucleus outrage, and prevent it from exploding.¡± Or, there is a way to calm down this spiritual nucleus. ¡°Realistically, the only way is to evacuate.¡± ¡°Yes. That is correct.¡± It is challenging to stabilize the spiritual nucleus that has already begun to run wild. The only option really is to evacuate. ¡°The problem is time¡­¡± I opened God¡¯s eyes again. ¡°¡­¡­Ugh!¡± At the same time, my head was spinning. I grabbed my eyes and sat down on the floor. I was overwhelmed by the mana emitted by the spiritual nucleus. God¡¯s eyes could not handle the brutally vast amount of mana information. ¡°Young master!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s okay. Maybe it¡¯s because I took too much mana, I just got dizzy for a while.¡± I desperately opened my eyes again. I can see the mana emitted by the spiritual nucleus. My head still hurts, but it wasn¡¯t unbearable. ¡°¡­¡­As expected. Less than an hour left.¡± ¡°Less than an hour left?¡± ¡°Until this spiritual nucleus explodes.¡± ¡°You, you mean this will explode within an hour? That means¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I deactivated God¡¯s eyes and stood up. ¡°It seems that evacuating is impossible. Time is running out.¡± There is not enough time to evacuate. ¡°If evacuation is impossible, the remaining method is¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yes. We have no choice but to stabilize the spiritual nucleus.¡± ¡°Stabilization of spiritual veins¡­¡­. Is such a thing possible?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.We have to do something.¡± I pressed my throbbing temples and kept thinking. Fortunately, we are not in a situation where nothing can be done. Stabilizing would be possible with my knowledge, the information I gained, and God¡¯s eyes. ¡®A way to stabilize this spiritual nucleus is¡­¡­.¡¯ The spiritual nucleus¡¯ status based on the information about the nucleus in my head and the state of the nucleus as determined by my current God¡¯s eyes. And I find a way by conglomerating all the information I have recently acquired. It wouldn¡¯t be impossible for me as of right now. ¡°Mr. Min Janghyun. Can you call the shadows and search the research center thoroughly? Anything is fine. I just need information about this spiritual nucleus.¡± The more, the merrier. We need as much information as possible. In order to find a way to calm down the spiritual nucleus more securely. ¡°Yes, will do!¡± Min Janghyun murmured as he quickly ran to the first floor. ¡°This is A1. Emergency. Gather everyone. I repeat. Emergency. Gather everyone¡­¡­.¡± Min Janghyun¡¯s voice quickly faded away. [Translator ¨C Bomunnie] [Proofreader ¨C Karane] ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± Meanwhile, at the president¡¯s office of a building affiliated with the Magic Shin Clan in Seoul. Shin Inhyuk was shocked to hear Kim Seokhyun¡¯s report. ¡°The spiritual nucleus of Baengnyeong Island¡­¡­ is about to explode?¡± ¡°Yes. This is a message from Janghyun. Here is a picture Janghyun sent as well.¡± Shin Inhyuk quickly glanced through the handed photo. It was definitely a spiritual nucleus. ¡°The photo was taken in the basement of the central laboratory on Baengnyeong Island.¡± ¡°How¡­¡­did they find this?¡± It was a question with a double meaning. How did the researchers discover this spiritual nucleus? And how did Shin Hayul find the spiritual nucleus that the researchers had abandoned and ran away? ¡°That¡­¡­.¡± Kim Seokhyun noticed the CEO of the affiliate who was quietly listening. ¡°Ahem. I¡¯ll be out for a while.¡± The CEO of the affiliate left the room with a clear cough. After the CEO left, Kim Seokhyun even put a sound-blocking barrier around him. ¡°I don¡¯t know how the researchers found the spiritual nucleus, but I assume that Young Master Hayul found the spiritual nucleus in a neglected state.¡± ¡°Hayul? How?¡± ¡°As the situation is, I couldn¡¯t ask that far.¡± ¡°Is the situation serious?¡± ¡°Yes. This is also what Master Hayul said¡­¡­. He said there is less than an hour left before the spiritual nucleus of Baengnyeong Island explodes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­An hour?¡± Shin Inhyuk¡¯s expression became even more serious. ¡°How about evacuation?¡± ¡°It is reported to be impossible on its own. Due to the bad weather, the boat can¡¯t float, and the only mana line is broken.¡± ¡°How about sending evacuation ships?¡± ¡°Impossible. Time is running out. Likewise, sending helicopters is not possible.¡± ¡°How about a mage that can use flight magic?¡± ¡°Currently, there are no wizards with more than 6 circles on Baengnyeong Island.¡± Shin Inhyuk frowned. ¡°Then, the only way left is to dispatch a mage who can use flight magic¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, that¡¯s also impossible. Likewise, we don¡¯t have much time. Due to the long distance, most mages can¡¯t even get to Baengnyeong Island within an hour.¡± ¡°It would be possible if mages from 7 circles or higher were available.¡± ¡°It would have been possible normally, but now it is impossible.¡± Kim Seokhyun looked pale. ¡°We have confirmed that the storm currently surrounding Baengnyeong Island is making mana in the vicinity of the island unstable.¡± ¡°Is it because of the mana emitted by the spiritual nucleus?¡± ¡°Yes. It seems that way.¡± ¡°That means¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes. Even if Mr. Inhyuk heads towards Baengnyeong Island, it is impossible to arrive in time.¡± There is no way to evacuate Master Hayul and his party, who are currently on Baengnyeong Island. ¡°Yes. I see. I¡¯ll try to do something.¡± Min Janghyun came to me after a short phone call. ¡°What did Mr. Seokhyun say?¡± ¡°¡­¡­He said there is no way to send a rescue within the remaining time.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I expected Mr. Seokhyun and father to have some sort of solution. But, I guess it is too difficult for them either. ¡°Did he say that the mana around Baengnyeong Island is causing a gap?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes. It seems to have spread quite extensively by storm. The range is so wide that even Mr. Shin Inhyuk says it is impossible to reach Baengnyeong Island in time.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± My eyes widened. ¡°¡­¡­Even if father comes?¡± ¡°Yes. Even the 8-circle magician Mr. Shin Inhyuk couldn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°No. That, the 8-circle mage isn¡¯t the problem. You said father wanted to come himself?¡± ¡°Yes? Yes. He thought about it if it was possible.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°No. Just¡­¡± I was genuinely surprised. That father thought of flying all the way here from Seoul to save me. It must be proof that he has high expectations from me. Something felt weird ¡°Young master?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± I shook my head to clear my thoughts. ¡°Anyway, what happened to Adella?¡± ¡°Oh, they said she is almost here¡± ¡°Please tell her to come this way as soon as I arrive.¡± ¡°Yes, I will.¡± I informed the seniors and instructors, including Adella, regarding the current situation. I didn¡¯t tell them to be particularly anxious. I just let everyone know since we need their help. ¡°Since then, have you found anything else?¡± ¡°Yes. I looked all over the inside of the laboratory, but there was nothing else. The research journal I gave you just now is the last one.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Is there anything lacking?¡± ¡°No. Nothing is lacking. We already completed the plan for ??the operation to stop the spiritual nucleus outrage.¡± The plan for the operation has already been completed. No matter how much I think about it, there is no better strategy than this. The only thing left is just taking action and wishing for the best. ¡°Then why did you talk about other journals¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Just because. I¡¯m curious about something other than the research results.¡± ¡°Curious?¡± ¡°Yes. Not the information about the spiritual nucleus but about the laboratory itself.¡± We need evidence that links this research institute with the Black Magic Tower. If only such evidence remained, Shin Jihan could be ensnared. ¡°Oh! It¡¯s to punish the researchers who ran away. You¡¯re brilliant.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes. Well, that¡¯s correct.¡± Min Janghyun seemed to be misunderstanding something, but I couldn¡¯t deny it, so I decided to leave him alone. ¡°Okay. Then, for the rest of the time, I will see if there¡¯s any information left in the laboratory.¡± ¡°Yes. Please.¡± After those words, Min Janghyun went upstairs. Once again, I was alone in the spiritual nucleus. A spiritual nucleus that looked like it would explode any moment. I looked at the spiritual nucleus and took a deep breath. ¡®Shin Jihan. You¡¯ve really crossed the line.¡¯ A hot breath containing a lot of anger. It was a breath full of anger toward my older brother, Shin Ji-han, who requested the black magic Tower to explode the spiritual nucleus. ¡®Are you trying to destroy an island just to kill me?¡¯ Shin Jihan is behind this incident. There is no evidence, but I am certain. Would the Black Magic Tower be crazy and try to twist the shaft of the spiritual nucleus and explode it without receiving a request? It is clear that Shin Jihan requested and planned this to disguise my death as an accidental death. It¡¯s also something an ¡®executive¡¯ of the Black Magic Tower has done. I¡¯m 100% sure. ¡®¡­¡­I have to bring down Shin Jihan as soon as possible.¡¯ If you keep Shin Jihan in that place, you don¡¯t know what will happen to the Magic Shin Clan. Shin Jihan must be brought down as soon as possible. And in order to do that, I need to get over this crisis first. ¡°Hoo.¡± For now, I calmed my mind. ¡®¡­¡­I hope it goes well.¡¯ Contained in the side bag is the key to solving this case. I touched four bottles of the elixir, ¡®Blessing of Mana¡¯.