Chapter 113
Chapter 113
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 113
Chapter Title: The Identity of the 9th Circle Mage
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"Mm..."
I had a dream.
On a land swept by raging cold, I fought the Ice Queen completely naked, without a single thread of clothing.
But it wasn't a fight of blasting magic or swinging a sword.
It was simply enduring the storm of ice she unleashed with my bare body.
At some point, I reached my limit from her cruel kiss that I couldn't withstand, and I passed out.
My mind gave way to the unbearable chill that froze my entire body solid.
'W-where is this?'
I hadn't died, so my eyes opened.
And the space that came into view.
Memories resurfaced: kissing her to save Rokoroya, who was suffering from mana poisoning, and grasping the relic of Tarakania, the black mage who had first reached the 9th Circle in the history of the continent.
"Gasp..."
A space I'd been drawn to unconsciously.
It was frozen solid everywhere, as if the Queen of Cold had truly descended.
'What happened?'
I'd passed out, so I remembered nothing.
Just like in the dream, the space lay in ruins.
"Ungh..."
As my senses returned and my body came back to life, I felt a smooth texture in my hand and heard a groan.
'R-Rokoroya.'
Rokoroya, the little great shaman who ruled over the Temir tribe.
She was nestled in my arms.
And in nothing but a single piece of underwear.
'Hah, is this okay with a minor?'
I'd heard some of my friends were dating middle school girls, but I never imagined I'd end up in a situation deserving divine punishment like this.
'So this is what a girl's body feels like.'
I knew morally I shouldn't, but the skin texture of Rokoroya, confusing my mind through my hands and body, led me into a world of ecstasy.
'I already went through the coming-of-age ceremony anyway.'
I even had an excuse.
She might be a minor in Korea, but by Temir standards, she was definitely an adult.
She was a woman qualified to marry and bear children.
Whirr~ Whirr~ Whirrr.
"Huh!"
Lost in the mystery of her body, a vibration came from my right hand.
The heavy vibration traveling up my arm into my head startled me.
'Tarakania's relic.'
The one-meter black mana staff called the Staff of Despair.
"Ah..."
The moment I looked at the transparent crystal orb the size of a child's head, I felt a shock as if my soul was being sucked in.
'So this is the relic of a 9th Circle mage.'
A mana staff capable of using 9th Circle magic, something I'd never even imagined.
Even ordinary mages used staffs to concentrate mana and improve casting efficiency.
But those were merely auxiliary tools for activating spells.
A mana staff that could cast 9th Circle magic was a different story.
"Whoa! It, it's connected to my mana hall!'
Emerging from the mental shock, my senses gradually returned one by one.
Incredibly, I could feel the mana staff communicating with my mana hall.
'No way??'
And an idea formed in my head.
With a mix of doubt, I circulated mana from my mana hall.
Whirrrrrrrrr.
Mana activated instantly at my call.
"..."
But it felt different.
"It's, it's mixed!"
The word slipped out of my mouth.
The mana I felt was different from before.
For some reason, after losing all my mana, the new mana I'd absorbed from the negative dimension.
Mixed with my original mana—somehow returned—negative dimension mana flowed through my mana hall.
Like water and oil, the two manas swirled separately, unable to blend, circulating in my mana hall.
"Ugh."
The vivid sensation of the two mana energies made my skin crawl.
It was a mana aura I couldn't explain with my knowledge of magic.
All the mana I'd absorbed until now was the ordinary kind that made up the atmosphere.
Optimized for manifesting white magic, or general spells.
Yet, without being a black mage, negative dimension mana flowed inside me.
Two completely different dimensional manas.
Unlike normal mana, negative dimension mana existed in the unseen astral plane.
It could be accumulated, they said.
It was what black mages or evil necromancers absorbed through special methods.
And now it had taken root in my body like a faithful servant.
Mana common knowledge said once a mana hall was set, it couldn't absorb mana from other dimensions, but my special mana breathing technique must have caused this.
'Jajangmyeon mana? Isn't this dangerous?'
Thanks to the negative dimension mana, my already full mana hall had expanded twofold.
Unlike other mages, my massive mana hall swirling around my waist had grown even larger.
'With this much mana, 7th Circle mages are nothing.'
I wasn't sure if I should laugh or cry about the mixed mana, but it was nearly double my previous ridiculous mana capacity.
'Negative dimension mana or positive, it's all just mana, right? Like sun and moon, different domains but the same thing.'
Just because black mages used negative dimension mana didn't make it different.
The spells I'd used to take down those black mages threatening the kid and me were negative dimension magic too.
'Heh heh heh, more mana is always better.'
Mana capacity letting me spam 6th Circle spells far more than same-circle mages.
More is always better.
"Yawn..."
The tangled mana in my mana circles felt a bit off, but I took solace in the increased amount. That's when the kid in my arms groaned and shifted.
'What to do with this. Tsk.'
As Rokoroya moved, her breasts buried in my chest came clearly into view.
Beastly guys might pounce, but my soul hadn't fallen that far yet.
At least, my wish was to be the last pure hot-blooded man of this era, saving my first pure love for the woman I love.
Of course, that was just my wish.
"Gulp."
Dry saliva slid thickly down my throat.
Flick.
Rokoroya's eyes snapped open.
"Ah..."
A small exclamation burst out as she confirmed it was me.
"Did you sleep well?"
A gentle, next-door brotherly question flowed out naturally.
Beam.
Instead of answering, the kid Rokoroya flashed a seductive smile at me.
'What the...?'
I'd been gentle in case she panicked, but her sexy smile was beyond my expectations.
"Thank you, Great Guardian Warrior."
'Great Guardian Warrior?'
The sudden term Great Guardian Warrior.
I held back from asking what it meant.
Since I'd saved her life, I figured it was some title from the Temir world.
'But kid, why the casual speech? You're so young, jeez!'
I was fine as the big bro, but she spoke casually to me like it was natural.
I considered a lesson, but after sharing lips, I couldn't swing the rod freely in our intimate bond, so I smacked my lips.
Moreover, knowing the world's biggest fool was a man who hits a woman, I shelved the education.
"Rokoroya, where is this place anyway?"
The unfamiliar space I'd fallen into to save the kid on impulse.
The golden-haired Guardian woman melted without a trace, the black mages' bodies turned to ash by my Fireball, their mana staffs.
The space where I was with Rokoroya was quite vast and antique.
Wall paintings and architecture that didn't match the Temir tribe at all.
Unmelted ice sculptures scattered here and there, but clearly a grand structure at a glance.
"Father's palace... The palace of the father who brought our Temir tribe into the world."
Rokoroya gazed at what she called Father's palace with wistful eyes, following my gaze.
'Huh?'
As I surveyed the so-called Father's palace, doors caught my eye at some point.
In the fairly spacious room, doors lined every wall.
'Treasure room?'
In movies, these places always hid treasures behind each one.
Moreover, the former owner was a 9th Circle mage.
'Heh heh, yeah. I risked my life to protect it, so I deserve some reward.'
"Nice scent. So this is a man's smell."
Rokoroya's moist voice reached my ears as I imagined treasures happily.
She'd woken but was still in my arms, and I'd shed my Air Plate too, wearing only a thin shirt.
Her hot breath on my chest, especially around the sensitive nipples, like a puppy.
'Pouring gasoline on a fire.'
My strong(?) endurance was holding even without that, but the kid Rokoroya was trying to snap my rationality with her hot breath.
"Danger hasn't passed yet, so stay here. I'll check around."
I hurriedly set the kid down from my arms.
Holding her longer, I might turn into a wolf I couldn't control.
'Underground structure with a Guardian. The owner was a 9th Circle mage from thousands of years ago...'
Piecing together what the black mages had said, I reasoned.
A place called Father's palace wouldn't have just one 9th Circle mana staff.
"Rokoroya, what do great shamans do here for the coming-of-age ceremony?"
As I headed to a door, I asked her the question on my mind.
"I don't know. Just that on the set day of the adult rite, the door to Father's palace opens, and you go in."
Despite her position ruling the Temir tribe, Rokoroya offered no helpful info.
She stretched like she'd slept well, gazing at me with languid eyes.
"No Guardian of Father... I don't know what to do now. Great Guardian Warrior, you figure it out."
'Jeez, one kiss and now I'm responsible for her life?'
The kid demanded a solution with her unique violet eyes.
No worry or fear at all.
'A 9th Circle black mage hidden in history.'
Turning from the clueless kid, I walked to a door.
'Dragon?'
The doors of white stone were all carved with gold dragons.
So detailed they seemed ready to fly off.
The golden dragon's body and eyes glared at me standing before the door.
'Even the sculptures are gold; how much treasure inside... Heh heh.'
Thrilling just thinking about it.
I cautiously opened the closed door.
Shhh.
The heavy stone door opened smoothly.
'Treasure, treasure... Gasp!'
I'd flung it open imagining eye candy treasures.
'W-what? Nothing. Completely empty.'
It was empty.
The space beyond was about three times the size of the sky corps office, fairly large.
But spotless, not a speck of dust.
'No way the others too?'
Thud thud thud.
I'd nearly died, lost my magic.
But my life and efforts weren't quantifiable in money.
"Damn it."
Frustrating.
At least it was a 9th Circle mage's space.
Not treasure, but magic items or low-grade mana stones should be rolling around.
Yet the only thing was the black mana staff, a 9th Circle magic item.
'No way here too.'
I flung open the last remaining door.
No expectations now.
'Huh?'
The door opened smoothly, revealing...
'Books? Ooh, magic tomes!'
In the fully open room.
The stone bookshelves in the wide room were packed with books.
'9th Circle magic formulas... Heh heh heh.'
9th Circle magic books beyond the 8th Circle even Master hadn't fully grasped.
Jackpot.
They looked ancient at a glance.
Definitely the 9th Circle mage's magic knowledge.
'Let's see what's inside.'
I hadn't reached 7th Circle but knew 8th Circle magic.
Confidently, I pulled a book from the shelf.
"Urk!"
But as I opened it, my throat clogged.
"Magic Age runes..."
Thud thud thud.
I hurriedly grabbed others.
All the same.
'Ancient Magic Age language!'
The previous magic civilization.
Not precisely known, but Magic Age dungeons found occasionally were at least thousands of years old.
And the books I held were definitely in that Magic Age language.
Master had dimension-shifted to Earth because of Magic Age magic circles.
And I knew the Magic Age language Master had deciphered.
'Stone slab?'
Between bookshelves, a golden stone slab the size of an adult torso.
Step step.
Drawn by an unknown force, I approached the golden slab.
My eyes naturally went to the ancient Magic Age runes engraved on it.
The Magic Age where even commoners handled mana.
They had brilliant minds, using complex runes as everyday language.
Those Magic Age words sank into my eyes.
"'Tarakania, human yet not human, leaves this for my descendants...'"
The slab started with riddle-like words.
"Mm..."
A groan escaped at the premonition of an unimaginable truth.
『My beloved children, I, Tarakania, who dared harbor forbidden emotions toward the tribe, seek to keep my final loyalty for you pitiful ones. With the human flesh that can never achieve it, I forsook the tribe's omnipotent power and obtained 9th Circle magic. Now running on a handful of mana, I leave this for you—use it only for your safety, I beseech.』
'Human yet not, harbored forbidden emotions toward the tribe... Omnipotent power. So Tarakania is the dragon who created the Temir tribe in amusement?'
The legend of the Temir tribe from the elf elder.
Dragons in amusement mated with humans, their offspring the Temir tribe, called Dragonia.
'Now I get it.'
Tarakania's message on the slab all made sense.
I recalled books saying dragons must harbor no emotions toward amusement-born offspring.
Dragons polymorphed into humans or others via 9th Circle Polymorph treated those offspring not as dragon descendants but as the polymorphed race's.
But Tarakania the dragon had loved his amusement-created offspring unlike others.
『Finally, I implore... The 9th Circle realm is neither difficult nor arduous. Those faithful to impartial mana, innate human ability, and emotions can all reach it. I leave all my wisdom and knowledge here—use it with hot hearts and cool reason, I beseech.
Your loving Father』
The dragon Tarakania's message ended, short but containing the Temir tribe's past.
Ending with "Your loving Father."
"Hah..."
I'd only heard of dragons, but this was my first direct contact with a dragon-related relic.
Known to exist, but never reached by human bodies—the 9th Circle realm.
A polymorphed dragon into human revealed it.
Impartial mana and fidelity to human ability and emotions could reach 9th Circle.
'These books are magic tomes authored by a 9th Circle mage.'
Outside mages would go mad seeing them, but mere pictures to them.
Master had luckily learned ancient runes duped by mages, but others couldn't.
Ancient runes, each word carrying unique meaning.
The magic books made me full just looking.
To me now, more precious than treasure piles—magic knowledge.
"What are you doing in Father's knowledge vault?"
"Father's knowledge vault?"
Rokoroya behind me at some point, violet eyes sparkling.
"Yeah, Father's knowledge. This book says 'A 4th-Dimensional Treatise on Mana.'"
"Y-you can read this?"
"Of course. I, Rokoroya, Great Shaman and guardian of the Temir tribe."
Don't underestimate people.
I'd thought no continental surpassed me in magic knowledge, yet Rokoroya knew ancient runes.
She looked different now.
'But can't you put on some clothes?'
Standing with a haughty expression.
Still in rite attire, her egg-sized breasts and thin underwear quite distracting.
"Aren't you cold?"
"Not cold. And mana overflows my whole body. Hehe."
'Mana?'
Her mana, barely there at first.
Now radiating so strongly I sensed it clearly.
"Don't move a sec."
I quickly placed a hand on her back.
"Gasp!"
Infusing mana into her body, I discovered a shocking fact.
'Why is it the same as mine? Why is the mana flowing in Rokoroya the same as mine!'
Incredibly, the mana in Rokoroya was my mixed mana.
Not at the waist but heart mana hall, familiar mana detected.
Mixed with negative dimension mana.
And nearing 6th Circle capacity.
'Mana transference happened.'
Existed in magic knowledge but impossible—mana transference.
Ancient Magic Age secret where a dying mage passes mana to disciple.
My eyes naturally went to the black mana staff the kid held.
'When I mouth-to-mouth with the kid, it activated.'
My mana and its mana mixed, flowing into our mana halls—strong suspicion.
Not 100% sure, but a 9th Circle item.
'And the manas here flow centered on it.'
The Staff of Despair in her right hand.
Space's mana flowed around it.
As if it birthed all mana, entering it and emanating wave patterns.
"Shall I teach you? As Great Guardian Warrior, you're qualified to learn Father's knowledge."
'Great Guardian Warrior, what the hell is that?'
"Kid, no, Rokoroya. What does Great Guardian Warrior mean?"
"W-well..."
Face flushing, head down at my question.
Even fearless kid had a story she couldn't speak.
Chill down my spine, ominous feeling strong.
"Let's head out first. I'm hungry too..."
As I spoke, my eyes glanced once more at her fresh breasts.
Another me inside acted against my will.
"Okay, wait a sec."
Still casual, but much more obedient to me.
She slowly walked, staff in hand, back to the start.
'W-whoa!'
The world's only 9th Circle magic item.
Clunk.
Ruthlessly, she slotted the Staff of Despair into an altar-like spot.
Fwooooosh!
Instantly, negative dimension cold manas swirled in the room.
"Not taking it?"
"It's Father's relic guarding our tribe. It must stay here for my descendants."
Noble expression unfit for her age.
'Kuh, sellable for big money.'
The crystal orb, likely top-grade mana stone.
Unprecedented size on the continent.
Towers or empires would beg to buy.
Plus magic formulas engraved on the staff body.
Endless study could surpass 8th to 9th Circle.
But I couldn't ask.
Vital for Temir tribe in harsh life.
Next great shaman would come, receive transference too.
'Come back later. Kid's not going anywhere.'
9th Circle wall Master couldn't break.
Plenty clues here.
"Let's go back now."
Squelch.
'Ugh!'
Saying that, she approached, linking my arm.
The springy kid breast texture drove me mad.
'Suddenly dragged here; what a mess.'
Expensive Air Plate shattered, body harboring unstable negative mana—this trip.
No matter how I thought, losses huge.
"Father, Mother. We're going now. We'll visit again."
'"Father, Mother? Gasp!'
As kid called to Staff of Despair Father and Mother, I turned—and saw.
'D-dragon?'
Shadow around where Staff of Despair was slotted.
Huge gold dragon face never seen, and melted golden-haired Guardian woman.
Smiling at us.
Crackle crackle crackle.
Recovering.
Frozen shattered building regenerated like Recovery magic, slowly to original.
'Hah...'
Sigh from heart.
9th Circle magic—awesome just to see.
'Someday me too...'
Vow filled my heart.
Unsurpassable 9th Circle wall for humans.
Someday, break with my hands—flame of resolve blazed.