Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 030
Chapter Title: I'll Stake My Soul on It
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“Any basis for that?”
Bauman lowered his voice as he looked at Legin.
Bauman was one of the most influential figures in the Association.
Unlike Klina, who worked in the shared space, having his own private office was a sign of his power.
‘For starters, this scroll is one of the Association’s representative creations.’
Legin thought as he fixed his gaze on the scroll.
In other words, from a purely situational standpoint, it could look like Legin was nitpicking something already approved by the Association.
“Do you know what kind of scroll this is and what abilities it has?”
“I learned about it from you. You called it a backlash scroll, right? I’m guessing it reduces the backlash damage to the caster when using a high-class skill... something like that.”
DAT had its share of skills that caused backlash, or overload.
They were commonly referred to as having recoil damage, meaning powerful skills could harm the caster themselves.
‘It’s a system game developers often use for balance. If you could spam high-damage skills without penalty, they’d be broken.’
Bauman nodded and continued.
“Using this eliminates one instance of backlash at level 3 or below.”
“Impressive.”
“Well, it sells well. It’s contributed a lot to the Association’s revenue. I can call it my masterpiece.”
“......”
“I don’t think it deserves to be called unfinished. What makes you say that?”
Legin unrolled the scroll and replied calmly.
He didn’t need to get swept up in that tone.
After all, wasn’t it Bauman himself who had brought him here and asked if he saw anything?
If it wasn’t just for showing off, it meant he wanted to evaluate Legin in some way.
“I haven’t made any high-level scrolls myself, so I don’t know everything.”
“That goes without saying.”
“But I have filled a scroll completely with spell formulas without any gaps. When you pack in this many formulas... you need an element to make the scroll function smoothly.”
“......”
“Without it, it’d blow up like one of my scrolls. So...”
Swoosh—
He pointed to one spot with his finger and continued.
“It looks like you deliberately left the formula incomplete here. If it wasn’t needed, you shouldn’t have written it at all...”
“You’re saying I wrote it and then cut it off on purpose?”
“Yes. It’s like you left it because it’s not feasible yet.”
“......”
At some point, he’d gotten absorbed in explaining.
In the game, making scrolls was just a few mouse clicks.
Now he was looking at one he’d only glanced at on-screen, right in front of his eyes.
‘And ever since Nuada taught me magic...’
All the formulas and spell structures on the scroll were coming into view.
Of course, Bauman’s spells were high-level.
He couldn’t understand everything, but he could parse some of it.
‘Here, he used this ice spell formula as a coolant. Ah...! The reinforcement spell after it is set to activate post-cooling.’
The scroll’s intentions gradually revealed themselves. It wasn’t perfect, but piecing it together was quite fun.
Like the feeling of reading an English original book as a high schooler studying the language.
Never imagining you could read it, but feeling it start to sink into your mind.
“......Haha.”
Clap clap!!
Applause broke out. Only then did Legin look at Bauman, catching his beaming smile in his field of vision.
“Correct. Few people have ever spotted that... Haha! Not for nothing are you Nuada’s disciple!”
“......”
“For reference, Nuada was one of the few who saw it right away. Did he give you a hint beforehand?”
“Nothing like that.”
“I figured. It’s not his style... And even if he did, it’d be hard to point out that exact formula spot precisely.”
Bauman looked at his scroll like an excited child.
Like someone who’d been waiting for the right person to share this with.
“As you said, this is close to a failure.”
“It’s not a total failure, is it?”
“Well, it sold well and performs decently... but it’s not what I set out to make.”
“Huh?”
“I wasn’t interested in backlash or overload in the first place.”
“Then what were you trying to make...”
“Nullification of all damage. In other words, invincibility.”
Bauman’s expression was vivid.
It was the ambition he’d talked about in the game too, but hearing it in person felt a bit different.
—Jinsung. We can make this project succeed.
The memory flashed of the section chief who’d guided him back when he was living as Jinsung, not Legin.
It resembled the eyes of that man who’d spent so long at the company without losing his dream.
“Why, does it sound reckless even to you?”
Damage nullification. Simply put, near-invincibility magic.
Logically, it wasn’t in the realm of possibility.
Nullifying damage was akin to annihilating mana itself.
You could mitigate damage like with a backlash scroll.
But making an already-cast spell as if it never happened was near impossible.
‘Crazy idea. I couldn’t make it in the game either.’
He’d heard that even just backlash-nullifying scrolls had drastically reduced deaths in the Tower.
If damage nullification existed, the number would drop even more.
It was that much of a dream scroll.
“I don’t think it’s impossible.”
But Legin didn’t dismiss Bauman’s words lightly.
‘I was the same way.’
Impossible as a spellcrafter.
Not great as a mage either—how about switching to warrior or assassin?
He’d heard it countless times while playing the game.
Even when he’d risen to fame on the forums with his feats, that was the consensus: pretty good.
He hadn’t given up. He believed in the future he’d envisioned.
“In fact, I’m looking forward to it.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes. I’m excited to see the impact that magic will have once completed.”
“Haha, you’re easy to talk to.”
Legin smirked and nodded.
When it entered the final phase. If he truly achieved his goal...
‘It could become a force we can’t ignore.’
There’d been no round in DAT where he completed the scroll, but that was fine.
Unlike the game, here he could have more honest, detailed talks with Bauman.
“By the way, Mr. Bauman.”
“Yeah?”
“Is the reason this scroll remains unfinished...”
Legin looked at Bauman and continued.
“Because you couldn’t find the right material? Or because you can’t use that material?”
“What do you mean by can’t use it?”
“Exactly what it sounds like... something about forbidden materials.”
At that question, Bauman froze for a moment.
“You...”
He glanced around the room.
Even though they were alone, Bauman carefully tore a voice-control magic scroll, wary of sound leaking.
Whirr—!
As the scroll tore, a magic circle appeared, spreading a translucent mana barrier around them.
“What comes next might be hard to handle... Still want to hear it?”
* * *
In the office shrouded by the voice barrier magic.
Bauman’s face twisted as he agonized.
“How much do you know? It’s clear Nuada said something... Did he drop any hints?”
“No. It’s something I figured out on my own.”
Legin’s gaze shifted to the various materials and scrolls in the office. Items neatly arranged as if on display.
He knew there were others hidden behind them.
“Some materials are banned by the kingdom, but ironically, when incorporated into scrolls, they create the most alluring items.”
“Ahem.”
He’d hit the nail on the head.
No easy way to deflect it.
This was the guy who’d spotted the flaw in Bauman’s scroll at a glance. He’d see through any sloppy lie.
“......Tell me the truth. This has nothing to do with Nuada, right? Otherwise, I’m in a tough spot.”
“Does that matter much?”
“Yeah. If Nuada sent you to uncover something...”
“......”
“I can’t tell you anything more.”
Legin nodded.
He could easily imagine the future for creators using forbidden items.
Even someone like Bauman, who’d contributed greatly to the Association, would be arrested if it got out.
Better treatment than a black mage like Ferma, but still considerable suffering.
“I’ll stake my soul on it.”
“......!!”
“It’s purely my curiosity.”
“Hah...!”
Bauman let out a hollow laugh.
Soul oath.
A magic where both parties pledge and are bound not to break it.
If one violated it, they paid a corresponding price—a magic with coercive force.
Offering that proved his sincerity.
Watching Bauman hesitate, Legin pressed without missing a beat.
“I want more power.”
“What?”
“Now that I’ve tried spellcrafting properly, I get it. There’s a limit to going it alone.”
“......So you want to lend me your strength?”
“And then receive your help, Mr. Bauman. If a skilled senior guides me...”
How to win over an eccentric.
Shout the same words they do.
Even if you can’t eat it yourself, cry out that it’s a pear.
“I can make the scroll of my dreams.”
Legin laid bare what he wanted.
You’ll help me, so accept me.
Bauman’s face crumpled in an instant. His expression twisted.
The prelude to laughter.
“I like it.”
“Huh?”
“No idea if it’ll work out, but I’ll help you... I like that cheeky attitude of yours, demanding I make your dream come true too.”
A roar-like, hearty laugh erupted.
“Bold one! Different from Nuada, yet similar! To think he’d raise a disciple this maddening!”
“......”
“Yeah. Just following the taught path delays true realization.”
Bauman walked to the lab wall as he spoke.
“I’ll be frank. I like you.”
“......”
“From the moment you spotted that deliberately botched circuit in the bomb scroll. You’ve got a weird streak.”
Thud thud!
Bauman knocked on the lab wall with his fist. Exactly twice.
“So you’re just our type.”
Creak.
A door hid behind the wall.
As the dark path beyond opened, Bauman’s lips curled up.
“That’s how we gathered. To use each other.”
Figures in deep hoods emerged and quietly stood beside Bauman.
‘......Jackpot!’
Legin’s eyes widened.
The eccentrics he needed to find for the black market.
“Let me introduce you. Even in the Spellcraft Association... we formed the Nemede School among like-minded folks.”
“......”
“Grab my hand, and you’ll join the Nemede School. Otherwise... you’ll swear a soul oath not to breathe a word of this.”
Legin hid his smile and took Bauman’s handshake.
“No need to stake your soul.”
Now guide me into the Nemede School and that underworld, Thomas Bauman.
“I’ll join the Nemede School.”