Chapter 103: 18th Floor. Magic World (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 103: 18th Floor. Magic World (4)
After Kainan left with a dazed expression, Tia asked cautiously, "Um... so."
"You can call me Kang Jun-hyeok."
"Right. Kang Jun-hyeok. ...Are you really okay with this? It’s a bit embarrassing to say it myself, but we aren't exactly in the best shape, you know?"
"It’s fine," Kang Jun-hyeok replied calmly. "I intend to join the Arcana Gem School."
"Really? For real? You’re not just tricking me or playing a prank, right?"
"I told you, I’m serious."
Tia continued to look at him with a mix of anxiety and suspicion. Kang Jun-hyeok found her reaction peculiar.
The Arcana Gem School.
Knowing the prestige that name would eventually carry, Tia’s current lack of confidence felt entirely foreign to him.
Well, I suppose it can’t be helped in this era.
This was a world of magic, yet gemstones were incredibly rare. Since they were valued at over a hundred times their worth on Earth, it must have been nearly impossible for her magic to show its true worth.
Stuttering slightly, Tia tried to pull herself together. "Um... then, we’ll perform the initiation ceremony."
"Understood."
Tia straightened her clothes and stood before Kang Jun-hyeok. Unfortunately, she was short enough that her head only reached his chest. She looked up at him with a slightly awkward expression.
"Could you lean down a bit?"
Kang Jun-hyeok obediently lowered his posture. Tia’s small hand came to rest on top of his head.
"I am Tia Lirinet, the Head of the Arcana Gem School."
The atmosphere grew heavy. A solemn voice echoed through the room.
"We shall deconstruct the structure of gems, understand their value, analyze their concepts, and utilize their power to reach the origin of great magic. What is your name?"
"Kang Jun-hyeok."
"Kang Jun-hyeok. You shall join the Arcana Gem School and partake in the great magic. Do you accept?"
Kang Jun-hyeok nodded. With a small ripple of mana, Tia pulled her hand away.
[You have acquired the Title: Arcana Gem School Apprentice Mage.]
"There! It’s done! You are now an apprentice mage of the Arcana Gem School!"
Tia stepped back with a bright smile. Kang Jun-hyeok stood back up.
"Thank you."
"No, thank you! It’s been so long since I’ve had a disciple. At least I’ll have something to talk about at the next regular meeting."
Tia muttered to herself, her mind racing.
...Come to think of it, Kainan guided him here personally, didn't he?
Kainan was a brilliant mage recognized by everyone. The fact that he personally escorted someone meant that Kang Jun-hyeok possessed significant value. Having such a person join the Arcana Gem School was a massive green light.
Maybe he’s a magical genius!
She asked with eyes full of hope, "Now then, shall we get straight to the test? You know how to handle mana, right?"
"No. I don't know how to use it."
"Huh?" Tia paused. "You mean you have mana but don't know how to control it? That’s no problem. I can teach you step-by-step—"
"No. I cannot perceive mana at all."
"...Oh." Tia stammered. "That means..."
"It means I have no talent to be a mage."
To become a mage, one needed a natural affinity for magic and the talent to perceive mana. Kang Jun-hyeok lacked both.
"Ah..." Her head slumped. Her long-awaited disciple was just an ordinary person who couldn't even sense mana.
As she was wallowing in disappointment, she suddenly snapped out of it.
Wait, that’s fine!
The strength of her school was precisely that it was accessible even to those without magical talent.
Thinking about it that way, it makes sense why he joined my school.
For someone without talent to become a mage, her school was the only option. Just as she was about to offer some words of comfort, Kang Jun-hyeok spoke first.
"Doesn't the Arcana Gem School have a spell that allows one to perceive and harbor mana?"
Tia’s eyes widened. "Wh-what? How do you know about that?"
"I had a way to gain knowledge about the school. I believe it’s a spell that uses gemstones as materials to bestow the mana contained within them onto a person."
"You’re well-informed. That’s right."
The Arcana Gem School was a school Tia had created herself, and she was a genius. It possessed a vast variety of spells that were impossible for other schools to replicate.
However, the biggest problem was always money.
"But to activate that spell, you need at least ten gemstones. And I’m talking about high-purity gems—the kind where just one could let you live comfortably for the rest of your life. Even if you barely manage to obtain mana that way, it’s all for nothing if you don't have talent for magic."
"It doesn't matter. The Arcana Gem School doesn't require talent for magic."
"That’s... true. But in the end, the problem is money. How are you going to get that many gems? If I ask the budget manager, he’ll just laugh and tell me to get lost."
She groaned, then suddenly snapped her head up. "Ah! By any chance, did you get permission from the higher-ups beforehand?"
"It’s not that."
"Then there’s no way—"
Just as Tia’s face fell, Kang Jun-hyeok opened his Inventory.
"I brought the gems myself."
Rubies. Sapphires. Diamonds. Opals.
Dozens of high-purity, refined gemstones poured out in a heap. The items he had requested from Baekdusan and Kim Tae-yeon finally made their appearance.
"This should be enough, shouldn't it?" Kang Jun-hyeok said nonchalantly.
Tia’s jaw hit the floor.
* * *
Her jaw literally dropped.
It wasn't a figure of speech; her jaw actually became dislocated, and Kang Jun-hyeok had to pop it back into place for her.
Next, she began coughing as if something had gone down the wrong pipe. Droplets of saliva fell, staining her robe. Only after a long while did she finally calm down and stammer out a question.
"Wh-what! What is all this?!"
"They are gemstones."
"I know that!"
She hurriedly picked up a ruby. It was a high-purity stone, transparent enough to see through. Its size was substantial. It was a gem of a value she had never seen in her entire life. She gasped.
"...Where did these come from?"
"It’s nothing much. I scouted an Artifact site, and there were numerous gems buried there."
"R-really? Then by any chance..."
"I already took everything, so there’s nothing left."
Her body slumped. Kang Jun-hyeok said with a smile, "I am a mage of this school now. I intend to use some of these gems for the school’s sake."
"...I see!"
"Then, may I ask you to prepare the spell for mana perception?"
"Of course! Just wait a moment! I’ll get it ready right away!"
Tia moved in a frantic hurry. As Kang Jun-hyeok sat leisurely in a chair, the Master of All Weapons let out a short chuckle.
[So you were collecting gems for this?]
"I expected a floor related to magic to appear. The easiest catalyst to obtain on Earth is gemstones. I didn't think I’d be using them this soon, though."
[Did you truly not know?]
Kang Jun-hyeok smiled without answering.
A few hours later, Tia returned with an excited face.
"Preparations are complete. Come this way!"
Kang Jun-hyeok followed her to the laboratory. Ten gemstones were placed at intervals atop a magic circle drawn on the floor.
"Sit in the center, open up your whole body, and accept the energy flowing in."
Kang Jun-hyeok sat in the middle of the magic circle. Tia began to slowly activate the spell.
Vroom!
The gemstones began to levitate. They boasted vibrant colors as they poured their inherent concepts into the magic circle. Then, those concepts began to settle into Kang Jun-hyeok’s body.
He already possessed Internal Energy.
Normally, the mana would have clashed with the Internal Energy and destroyed his body. But he was a Player. Both mana and Internal Energy began to settle into their respective places. And finally:
[You have acquired the Stat: Mana.]
He had achieved his goal. Kang Jun-hyeok grinned, baring his teeth.
* * *
[Kang Jun-hyeok]
[Level: 26]
[Health: 920]
[Strength: 66]
[Speed: 56]
[Internal Energy: 20]
[Mana: 10]
[Feat: 86]
[Attack Power + ? + 4]
[Defense +58]
The Mana stat had been created. He could feel a blue energy quietly surging within him. Kang Jun-hyeok let out a dry laugh.
That was ridiculously easy.
Internal Energy was difficult to acquire, but mana was far harder. Moreover, he had no talent for magic.
In his past life, to obtain mana, he’d had to enter a sanctuary accessible only to Fairies and drink from their Spring of Mystery. It was something only possible after gaining the trust of the entire species. Mana was something that could only be obtained after achieving such a monumental feat.
And yet, he had acquired it now with just a few gemstones. It was a marvelous achievement. Even Tia looked amazed.
"I created this spell but never actually used it before... it really works!"
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it! I should be the one thanking you! Man, I’ll be counting on you from now on!"
Tia giggled and laughed.
After that, Kang Jun-hyeok began studying the magic of Tia’s school.
While other schools required the talent to manipulate mana itself, Tia’s school focused on gemstones. One simply had to memorize the concepts, structures, and usage methods of the gems. Thanks to the many conversations he’d had with Tia in his past life, his understanding was quick. It didn't take long for him to acquire the magic.
[You have acquired the Passive Skill: Arcana Gem Magic.]
[Passive Skill: Arcana Gem Magic]
[Rank: Mid-Rank]
[Proficiency: F]
[A magic created by Tia Lirinet that utilizes gemstones as catalysts. It is characterized by very low mana consumption and does not require talent for magic.]
I got it.
Kang Jun-hyeok’s eyes gleamed.
The Arcana Gem School, which specialized in gemstones, was a school from a world that had been destroyed during the Great War. Normally, it should have remained buried and vanished into obscurity, but someone had discovered the magic among the ruins.
And they couldn't help but pay their respects.
This was because Arcana Gem Magic had no drawbacks other than the consumption of gemstones. It required no talent, no casting time, and almost no mana. As long as a gemstone existed, the magic could be activated with almost no conditions.
Its value spread instantly across the entire universe. The name of the magic’s creator, Tia Lirinet, also became widely known.
But there was a problem.
Most of the grimoires were lost, so only a portion of it could be used.
During the Great War, most of the Arcana Gem Magic was lost. What players could obtain was only a tiny fraction. By the time players discovered that Arcana Gem Magic could be found on the 18th Floor, the Tower had already been closed. No one was able to obtain the original Arcana Gem Magic.
However, Kang Jun-hyeok had returned to the past with the memories of his previous life. Using those memories, he had succeeded in obtaining the magic directly from the creator herself.
Kang Jun-hyeok smiled as he looked at the skill.
It’s Mid-rank right away.
The Arcana Gem Magic that players had obtained in his past life was Low-rank. Even then, it possessed power in a league of its own, but the magic he had obtained now was Mid-rank. There was already a clear difference.
Now then.
He had to raise the proficiency of this magic.
This was actually the difficult part. Since the Arcana Gem School used gemstones as catalysts, even practicing required gems. It was for this very reason that such a brilliant magic had remained buried and worthless until players unearthed it.
But that problem meant nothing to Kang Jun-hyeok. He had brought over a hundred gemstones from Earth.
Arcana Gem Magic was like a "bomb" in a video game. It was powerful enough to overturn the entire situation, but one had to pay the price.
And right now, he had more than enough ability to pay that price.
It’s going to be a party.
A very pleasant party to raise his proficiency. Kang Jun-hyeok happily pulled out his gemstones.