Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Chapter 12 Exchange (4)
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‘Mages in academia, huh...’
This world had long studied the field of mana.
It was only natural that mages existed who specialized in handling it.
By the time I learned this new fact, Ahel had extended his middle finger after his index finger.
‘Next up is Rank 2—mana with specific attributes.’
The four basic elements fell into this category: water, fire, wind, and earth.
‘The Four Symbols concept exists here too? I think Xuanwu was water.’
I started trying to apply Earth concepts but quickly changed my mind.
I shouldn’t try to understand this world through my own common sense.
According to Ahel’s continuing explanation, you could only use magic that matched your mana’s attribute.
An earth-attribute mage couldn’t cast Fireball, for example.
‘So that’s what it means to interfere with or defy nature.’
It allowed me to look back on something that hadn’t bothered me until now.
‘Come to think of it...’
Some skills had used attribute mana every time I activated them.
It was only a tiny amount compared to regular mana, but transparency and barriers definitely required attribute mana.
‘Hm...?’
Linking mana attributes to skills brought to mind posts that occasionally popped up on the community forums.
Even after buying skills, people couldn’t use them.
‘Only about a dozen or so cases.’
I’d assumed it was due to their poor mana operation skills.
But what if it was an attribute issue?
‘That doesn’t add up.’
I’d never failed to use a skill due to attributes.
Plus, if that were true, there’d be way more complaints on the community.
I sank into thought with a serious expression.
‘For now, it’s clear that the magic Ahel’s talking about corresponds to the system’s skills.’
If so, no one except promotion exam passers should be able to use skills.
Items needed for attributes were only obtainable through promotion exams or the shop.
Meaning most players couldn’t use skills at the current stage.
So why so few posts about skill issues?
The answer came quickly.
‘Players are still low-level.’
Most had only entered missions after being forced into them.
Over half were still stuck at Level 1.
They’d cleared maybe three or four at most, one at least.
Those who’d cleared missions voluntarily without system pressure were gradually reaching Level 2.
‘They’re just starting to save up enough mana to buy skills.’
Fewer buyers meant fewer complaints about unusable skills.
One mystery solved, but the other remained elusive.
I hurriedly sent chat messages to Kim Yul and other players I knew.
- K: Seems skills have usage conditions. Better hold off buying any for now. Still verifying details.
Especially Ethan. He’d already used a low-grade attribute stone, so he needed to be careful.
‘It was rock, right?’
A defensive attribute, so he’d decided on tank.
But tank skills were pricey, so he’d been saving mana instead of buying others.
Buying a skill without confirmation could mean wasting it if attributes didn’t match.
By the time I saw Ethan’s “Got it” reply, Ahel called out.
“K? What’s wrong?”
“No, nothing. Mind continuing the explanation?”
His odd gaze lingered on me before shifting slightly aside.
My eyes twitched.
The direction Ahel had glanced was where I’d opened the community and chat tabs.
This game let you click system windows with just gaze and thought—no fingers needed.
So my eyes moved a lot when using system features.
Ahel had been watching closely.
Why? His eyes seemed to sparkle.
The unease I’d felt when he approached with his pale face and smile resurfaced.
‘...What are you staring at?’
I asked to pull his floating gaze back to me.
“Oh, no bad intentions. Think of it as an occupational habit.”
My eyes narrowed, but Ahel’s smile deepened.
“Hm... Where was I? Right, ranks.”
Now three fingers extended.
“Rank 3 next?”
“Yes.”
“When two or more elements overlap, or an existing element deepens into a new one, it’s classified as Rank 3 mana.”
Lava or ice attributes counted as Rank 3 mana.
“Lava’s an overlap, so it can use both fire and earth magic. Get it?”
“What about space, then...”
“Even same lineage has varying ranks. Mine’s the basic Rank 3 for space. Space is fundamentally air, so it’s an upper tier of wind.”
It wasn’t clicking fully.
I’d never thought of elements in hierarchies before.
Sensing that, Ahel explained in more detail.
“Lava overlaps two or more elements. Understand?”
Magma hardens into granite.
So it connected to earth— that made sense.
“Yes.”
“Ice or space like mine is a single element deepened into complexity.”
“Hm...”
“Overlap and deepening—basic concepts for attribute mana studies. Gets more complex in depth.”
“What’s so complex?”
I regretted the question instantly.
“Fire existing without air doesn’t make sense from the start, right? So plenty argue the four-element classification is flawed.”
“...”
“Mages have never stopped debating alternative divisions. Reasons vary, so no consensus or new system. Eight classifications exist just to refute the four elements. Want me to explain them all...”
“Better skip it.”
My firm voice halted Ahel’s nonstop talking.
“Good call.”
He finally flashed a grin and stopped.
“Tell me more about upper tiers.”
Ahel nodded as if in agreement, then made fists with both hands and extended his left first.
“Water’s lower.”
Then his right.
“Ice is upper.”
He stacked right over left.
“Ice naturally includes water, but water doesn’t include ice. Needs extra low temperature. But it’s not a fourth element, so we distinguish deepening over overlap.”
“...”
“Higher-rank mana means more usable spells.”
In other words, more ways to interfere with or defy nature.
“Naturally, higher concentration and quality too. So inevitably stronger than lower ranks.”
He added calmly that it allowed greater power from less mana.
“Ranks 4 and 5 are even more overlaps or deepenings than 3.”
Theoretically Rank 6 existed, but no discovered cases.
“So mana belonging to nature caps at Rank 5.”
“Belonging to nature... so there are ranks that don’t?”
“Debate on including divine realms in rankings.”
“...Like Rashar and those types.”
Apostles’ powers were treated as off-spec.
‘Makes sense. Hard to call that power natural.’
I still knew little about apostles, but mana made more sense now.
‘Broad categories: four elements.’
Additional factors stacked like stairs, raising ranks.
Based on Ahel’s explanation, I analyzed my attribute.
‘Not a basic four, so Rank 3 or higher for sure.’
Seemed like overlap over deepening. Which elements?
‘Lightning’s ultimately light energy, so fire?’
Or include wind?
‘No, just a deepened fire?’
Unfamiliar concepts left me unsure.
‘Why give a liberal arts guy this crap.’
I frowned slightly in thought.
Suddenly, Ahel picked up a pebble from the ground.
“Done with ranks. Now, magic?”
I shelved my thoughts and watched.
Mana stirred briefly— then flash— surroundings lit up instantly.
The pebble that should’ve been in his palm appeared in midair, 10cm away.
No one moved it; Ahel didn’t toss it.
Its position just changed, no motion involved.
‘This is it— spatial transfer.’
I confirmed the pebble on the ground, then looked up.
“You said mana interferes with and defies nature, right?”
“...So magic is ultimately phenomena that interfere with and defy nature.”
“Exactly. Attribute mana pays the cost to defy nature’s flow.”
Ahel’s explanation remained hazy.
Seemed to grasp it, yet not.
‘A rock moving without interference isn’t natural, sure.’
I listened to Ahel with an ambiguous expression.
“Not all magic needs a cost, though.”
Even Rank 1 mana without attributes could cast some.
Mostly basic mana properties or life force related— academia classified them as low-grade.
“Curiosity satisfied?”
“To some extent.”
Ahel glanced at my hand.
“So, what do you think?”
“Pardon?”
“Wanna trade mana? Mine works for teleport, refraction, cutting magic, etc.”
Trading mana would let me use space magic I couldn’t otherwise.
‘Like different fuels for different vehicles.’
EVs and diesels— magic used specific mana types.
So mana holders traded to access various spells?
‘Explains skill stones too?’
Plausible guess.
“How does mana trading work?”
Intrigued, I asked. Ahel pointed to my left hand.
Precisely, the sapphire ring on my pinky.
“Accumulation magic tool... Guess you don’t know this either.”
I nodded readily. Ahel showed his necklace pendant.
“This accumulates.”
Misty fog sucked into the necklace.
My eyes widened slightly. I knew that phenomenon.
“Almost depleted now, though.”
He grinned, saying he’d refill on returning to base.
That’s when I grasped accumulation tools’ purpose.
“Trade?”
I fiddled with the ring his gaze touched, delaying my answer.
Not because his offer creeped me out.
Just buying time— felt like more to learn from him.
‘No accumulated mana on his end anyway, so no trade yet.’
He’d be the disappointed one. Fine to ask more now.
“How do you extract accumulated mana?”
Tapping the ring, I asked. Ahel licked his lips like savoring.
I ignored it, awaiting his reply.
“Hm... Mind if I take a look?”
Hesitation was brief.
‘At least 2,000 mana in here.’
Pennies make a mountain— in downtime, I’d funneled mana whenever possible.
Just materializing it could blanket the area in lightning.
‘Hoarded it all— gotta know how to use it.’
I handed Ahel the ring.
Goddamn System