Chapter 120
Chapter 120
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 120
Chapter Title: Into the Void
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The trial and error I went through while attempting spatial magic wasn't just once or twice.
Sometimes the magic circle wouldn't activate at all, other times it would succeed right up to the brink before halting entirely, and there were even cases where collisions within the magic circle itself caused explosions.
But I never gave up, flipping the magic circle over time and again to go through feedback loops.
And the result?
'Demonic energy, huh.'
I finally found the answer.
The reason my spatial magic kept failing was that I didn't have any demonic energy.
Strangely enough, spatial magic required even a tiny amount of demonic energy to use.
No, more precisely, it needed power from the 'dark attribute' family.
In simple terms... demonic energy, darkness, abyss—something like that.
Having even one of those was necessary to make spatial magic work properly.
'...That's a problem.'
No matter how much I possessed [Prodigy of Magic], I couldn't learn demonic energy or the abyss.
Those weren't classified as magic in the first place, and studying them would mean a lifetime of battling myself.
The moment I let my guard down even slightly, it would try to erode me.
Because of that, I had only one choice.
Darkness.
The one that was a 'dark attribute' yet still classified as magic.
Whether I was lucky or not, I fortunately had a lead on learning the darkness attribute.
Through Dershion, right before he lost his mind.
- Isn't it truly astonishing? That light and darkness, perfect opposites, can merge.
The scene where Dershion tried to teach me the darkness attribute was still vivid.
Though I had responded to him with something like, 'You go ahead and do your darkness thing.'
'Now the situation's turned out like this.'
In my current circumstances, there was no other way. I had no choice but to grit my teeth and master the darkness attribute.
'I just hope learning this won't affect my light magic...'
Embracing my worries, I slowly recalled the darkness that Dershion had wielded.
Perhaps because I'd seen it once, forming the image came easier than expected.
'Of course, that doesn't mean I'll master it right away.'
Even though it was a dark attribute, darkness was classified as a high-level attribute, just like light.
As such, properly handling the darkness attribute required tremendous effort.
Naturally, talent to accept darkness was needed too.
On top of that.
'I have to do it alone.'
Unlike when I learned light magic, there was no one to help me.
In other words, I had to handle every process by myself.
However, the difference from when I learned the light attribute was.
'It's doable.'
I didn't need to learn it in intricate detail.
It was just material to use spatial magic.
As long as I could use even a very faint amount.
That being the case.
'I just need to understand the attribute itself.'
I could easily grasp what to do, where to start, and how.
Whoooong!
I floated a sphere of light above my hand.
Then, I deliberately began dimming its brightness.
Srrrr...
The sphere's light gradually faded.
Before long, its brightness had dropped to the point where it could no longer be called a sphere of light.
I didn't stop there but pushed further.
'Even darker... darker still.'
Not content with extinguishing the light entirely, I lowered the luminance until it approached darkness.
In my mind, I constantly associated images and atmospheres evoked by darkness.
How much time passed?
Finally, the sphere, which had nearly become achromatic, began to take on a dark glow.
Ripple!
Even though I'd created it myself, a foreign sensation tingled in my palm.
But whether this was success or not, I couldn't tell.
'...I'll know when I test it.'
Whoooong!
Without further delay, I attempted spatial magic once more.
Having repeated spatial magic countless times by now, I was sufficiently proficient.
Five magic circles formed rapidly, and I channeled condensed mana into them.
Along with the darkness mana I'd just grasped.
And the result.
"...It worked!"
Spatial magic finally showed signs of success.
Mana circulated through the magic circle without obstruction, and something reacted, emitting an eerie sound.
Kiiiiing!
The sound of spatial magics colliding.
It was also the sound signaling my magic's success.
Crunch crunch crunch!
Whoooong!
Suddenly, space tore open before my eyes, creating a hole about my size.
Beyond it, a familiar landscape appeared.
The battlefield where we'd been locked in fierce combat until I came here.
"...It really works."
Thud.
Overwhelmed with emotion, I approached the hole.
Then.
Shoooooo!
A powerful suction force pulled me in once more.
Whether because it was my own spell or because I'd anticipated it... fortunately, I didn't lose consciousness.
"Urgh!"
Taat!
Falling through the air, I quickly regained balance and landed.
The moment I naturally lifted my head.
"...A rhino?"
I witnessed the utterly out-of-place sight of a rhino.
A rhino drenched in blood from head to toe, locked in combat with Dershion.
***
"So, that's Uncle Thompson?"
At my words, the utterly exhausted Kayla panted as she replied.
"Y-Yeah. Suddenly he transformed like that and went berserk like his eyes rolled back..."
Kayla's story went like this.
Right after I vanished, Thompson flew into a rage and immediately transformed into that form, desperately fighting Dershion.
I could accept up to the part where his eyes rolled back in fury.
He must have thought I died the moment I was swallowed by space.
In fact, Kayla had grilled me on how I survived and returned.
Anyway.
I got that Thompson was angry.
But what I couldn't comprehend at all was that.
Body transformation magic.
'Could body transformation magic be perfected that instantly?'
I'd heard that completing body transformation magic for the first time took an incredibly long time.
Yet Thompson's current form was unmistakably the final stage of body transformation magic.
He perfectly embodied another creature's appearance.
The only differences from Asion Gail were his smaller size and different species; otherwise, no disparities stood out.
Suddenly, something Asion Gail had said came to mind.
When I'd asked him what the fastest way to grow in magic was, his answer...
- Magic growth? Hmm, the fastest method is undoubtedly a major shift in one's state of mind.
Among countless magic growth methods, he said the quickest was a change in one's mental state.
No other method could match it.
Of course, he emphasized that the side effects were equally severe.
Anyway, looking at Thompson now.
'He's grown way too fast.'
A shift in mental state. That must have happened.
And the most likely cause of Thompson's transformation... probably me.
'...Feels grateful but burdensome.'
I knew how much Thompson valued me.
It was something I could feel sufficiently after just a few days with him.
But for it to propel his magic growth instantly like this.
I was grateful, but it would be a lie to say it wasn't burdensome.
As I thought that.
Thud! Thud!
Thompson, still unable to contain his rage, stomped the ground with his hard hooves.
And then.
Snort!
With an enraged snort, he charged.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Though much smaller than Asion Gail's white lion, the thuds from his charge were incredibly heavy.
What emotions was he feeling right now, exactly?
That curiosity was fleeting.
Realizing this wasn't the time for such questions, I assumed a stance.
Crackle crackle!
Shing!
As electricity enveloped my body, I formed a light sword in my right hand.
Thompson was already heavily injured from battling Dershion.
I needed to help him as quickly as possible.
Tadot! Tatatadot!
Dodging the charging Thompson, I reached Dershion first.
Then, I swung my refined light sword toward Dershion's chest.
Slash-!
Perhaps because he'd focused solely on Thompson.
My light sword sliced across his chest without resistance.
Splatter!
Sticky blue blood spurted from Dershion's wound.
Seeing the blood was blue too, he must have fully demonized.
As I thought that, an ice spear flew from somewhere and struck Dershion's wound again.
Thud!
Roan's ice spear, now far sharper than before, pierced straight through Dershion's body.
It was then that someone grabbed my shoulder with a thud.
"...The top student?"
Turning around, Thompson had already reverted to human form.
"Yeah, Uncle. It's me."
"H-How? Just a moment ago..."
"I was trapped in Dershion's spatial magic. Escaping just now... well, a lot happened, but explanations later."
The moment I finished speaking.
Boom!
"Ah... I see."
Thompson sighed and collapsed to the ground.
Having heard me, the tension drained from his legs.
Well, it was understandable.
"Rest now, Uncle."
Thompson had already fulfilled his role.
What remained was my job.
Swoosh.
Without a word, Thompson slipped into unconsciousness.
Barundel immediately rushed over and carried the fainted Thompson to a safe spot.
After confirming that, I turned back to Dershion.
"Urgh, ah-"
Dershion, covered in his own blue blood.
Yet he shook his body as if he could still move.
"Seriously creepy. How's he even holding on?"
Though he seemed weakened compared to before, he wasn't gathering demonic energy or mana right away.
I glanced at the relatively unscathed Roan and Barundel and said.
"Let's finish this."
At the same time.
Shwaaaa!
Barundel, axe in hand, appeared before Dershion in an instant.
And.
Shwaaaaa!
Roan's chill, now so cold it sent shivers down the spine, rapidly filled the air.
As for me.
I cast the magic I'd mastered in that space of pure darkness.
Cling! Cling! Cling! Cling! Cling!
Five magic circles floated behind me, faint darkness swirled around my right hand, and mana condensed at rapid speed.
I activated the now-fluid magic right after Thompson and Roan's attacks ended.
Whoooong!
The pitch-black space that opened before me unleashed powerful suction.
The target was solely Dershion.
I intended to trap him in the space I'd been in earlier.
Until his breath stopped forever.
'But this alone won't be enough.'
Of course, Dershion was a spatial magic user.
He might escape, so as he was sucked into the space, I delivered a final gift.
Thud!
A light sword, sharper than usual, pierced Dershion's heart, and I sent him off with it.
"Ur... ah."
Dershion, light sword embedded in his chest, was pulled into the space.
His figure receded into the distance.