Chapter 125
Chapter 125
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 125
Chapter Title: Chamber of Time and Spirit
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“Genius Mage Who Catches Demons”
Chapter 125
“That space...”
“The Chamber of Time and Spirit.”
The Chamber of Time and Spirit.
Yes, I had definitely heard about it from Asion Gail before.
It was a space created by someone from a hundred years ago, where time passed ten times slower than in reality.
Of course, I also clearly remembered the risk that came with that chamber.
‘Getting trapped there forever.’
The risk of the chamber was that you had to stay locked inside it for eternity.
And the fact that Asion Gail was mentioning such a dangerous place now meant...
“You’re saying I need to untangle my twisted mana circuits.”
“That’s right.”
It meant I could no longer leave my tangled mana circuits as they were.
Even if it meant taking that risk.
As if wanting me to fully understand, he added an explanation.
“As I said earlier, dark attribute mana has the property of devouring its caster. There’s only one way to resolve that. The caster must possess strong control over it.”
“...Strong control.”
“And to possess strong control, you naturally need to be able to wield mana freely.”
Wooong!
A complexly tangled form floated above Asion Gail’s staff.
A shape so twisted that I wouldn’t even know where to begin fixing it.
I didn’t need to ask what it was.
‘It’s mine.’
It had to be my mana circuits, the ones Asion Gail had called a complete mess.
Reading my expression, Asion Gail continued.
“With such a pathetic circuit, you can’t have strong control. No, I’m just amazed you can cast magic at all! You’re probably the only one in the world who can use magic with something like this.”
He spoke with exaggerated gestures.
“...That bad?”
“If I started listing how awful it is, I could stay up all night doing it.”
“...”
He put it that way, so I had nothing to say.
It wasn’t like I had done anything wrong, but I felt like a criminal.
But Asion Gail didn’t care about that and drove the wedge even deeper.
“The worse part is that you still have to somehow untangle it. Otherwise, it’s only a matter of time before the darkness devours you.”
Unlike earlier when there was a hint of playfulness, his face was now deadly serious.
That reaction alone conveyed how dire the situation was.
“Feeling lost?”
“...Honestly, a bit. Is untangling this even possible?”
“That depends on your ability. I can’t guarantee it.”
“I see.”
As anxiety crept in from the uncertain answer...
“But there’s no need to get too discouraged.”
Srrrrk!
Suddenly, the tightly twisted mana circuits began to slowly unravel.
From the looks of it, Asion Gail was directly manipulating the circuit model.
“Now I’ll tell you the good parts.”
Srrk, srrrrk!
The tangled circuits gradually regained their original form.
Before long, all the tangles were undone, and the revealed circuit looked...
“...Beautiful.”
It was incredibly beautiful.
Nothing like the ugly mess from before—it wasn’t even comparable.
“And it’s not just the appearance that’s different. Your circuits are three or four times larger than others’.”
Snap!
Asion Gail snapped his fingers, and the stationary circuit began to writhe.
As if it were a real, living mana circuit.
Even more astonishing was that the circuit was fully digesting all the mana Asion Gail was channeling into it.
That was when I finally understood what he was getting at.
“...No way?”
“Yes, exactly as you’re thinking. In a way, this could be seen as both the advantage and disadvantage of your circuits.”
“...Huh.”
The unexpected words left me dumbfounded.
Describing this situation wasn’t hard.
All or nothing.
Jackpot if successful.
‘Total bust if I fail.’
The Chamber of Time and Spirit.
This might just be the biggest gamble of my life.
***
Kiiik!
The floor opened, revealing the underground space hidden beneath the academy president’s office.
Descending the stone stairs, I finally saw it—the thing I’d only seen as a model—right before my eyes.
‘The Chamber of Time and Spirit.’
A massive door straight ahead, covered in countless iron chains.
If I hadn’t heard the explanation beforehand, I’d have mistaken it for some kind of seal on something ominous.
I stared blankly at the eerie door and spoke.
“...President, can I ask one thing?”
“Of course.”
Those who entered the Chamber of Time and Spirit could never leave until they achieved their goal.
In other words, it was a dangerous place where you could be imprisoned forever.
But with the enticing effect of time passing ten times slower, plenty of people must have sought out this chamber.
So then.
“How many people have entered this chamber and come back alive?”
I wondered how many among them had actually achieved their goal and returned.
But.
“...”
“...President?”
For some reason, Asion Gail didn’t answer and just clamped his mouth shut.
“Hmm.”
It was only after a long while that he finally spoke.
“Not a single one.”
“What? Not a single one—what do you mean...”
“Don’t be too shocked. No one has ever entered this place yet.”
“Oh.”
He could’ve said that first instead of scaring me.
As that thought crossed my mind, another question slipped out.
“You said it’s been around for a hundred years, right? Really no one?”
It was strange.
No way would people leave such an enticing chamber alone.
But his next words made it somewhat understandable.
“This place has always been guarded by our family. At least as far as I know.”
“Guarded?”
“Because it’s that dangerous. Regardless of success or failure.”
“Oh...”
I think I got it.
Forget the eternal imprisonment—even leaving it unguarded could invite abuse.
Like a black mage willing to sacrifice their life to gain power.
Or a deranged mage who’d gladly get trapped inside just to live forever.
‘Yeah, it would be dangerous.’
Either way, it was a space that couldn’t be left unattended.
That’s why Asion Gail’s family had guarded it for generations.
That led to another question.
Then why was the president trying to put me in here?
To that, Asion Gail answered.
“The family head... no, my father said something like this before he passed. It’s locked up tight now, but someday the time will come when this chamber must be used. When someone with a kind heart and exceptional skill appears, guide them to it yourself.”
Creeeak—!
As he unlocked the bolts and spoke softly, Asion Gail suddenly turned his head.
His eyes, staring straight at me, clearly reflected my image.
“That’s the reason I run the academy, and the reason I’m recommending this chamber to you, Yoo Han.”
“...”
Honestly, I was a bit surprised.
He’d brought it up so casually at first that I thought it wasn’t a big deal.
But now it seemed he had high expectations for me.
In that case.
“Can you do it?”
“Of course.”
I intended to do my utmost to meet those expectations.
***
Step, step... step.
Finally entering the Chamber of Time and Spirit, I took a short deep breath.
“Whew.”
I’d steeled myself before coming in, but the tension was unavoidable.
Shaking it off, I looked around.
‘Not as impressive as I thought.’
Unlike its grandiose name, the interior was surprisingly ordinary.
Just a bare single room about five pyeong in size.
The path down to the basement felt more ominous.
‘Well, the reality is a different story.’
If I failed to achieve my goal here—
Untangling my twisted mana circuits—
I’d be trapped here forever.
It only looked ordinary on the surface; I couldn’t afford to let my guard down.
Moreover, the situation wasn’t leisurely.
‘Time limit is 10 hours.’
According to Asion Gail, escaping within 10 hours meant success.
I needed to succeed as quickly as possible.
With that judgment.
Shhh!
I sat cross-legged and slowly drew up my mana.
‘Different from casting magic.’
When casting spells, I just pulled up mana and added attributes and formulas.
But this time, the goal was to fix the twisted circuits.
So I focused solely on the mana—its flow, paths, and channels.
Naturally, at first, I felt nothing.
I hadn’t really noticed the circuit problem while using magic all this time.
But after about an hour?
As I meditated, feeling the mana flow, I finally sensed something catching.
Something indescribable blocking the way with a jerk!, hindering the mana’s movement.
This was probably the tangled part of my circuits.
‘Faster than I thought?’
Borrowing Asion Gail’s words, all senses in this Chamber of Time and Spirit were at least three times sharper.
Some special magic on the chamber or whatever...
Anyway, that was the reason for using this chamber instead of fixing the circuits outside.
With heightened senses, it was easier to pinpoint the problems.
Without this help, I might never have found them.
Well, anyway.
‘Now the real work begins.’
Having achieved one breakthrough, I circulated the mana in my body with even greater focus.
Soon, I hit another blockage, and the method I chose was one.
Shhhhh!
I poured a massive amount of mana directly into that spot.
Then.
“Ugh!”
As excessive mana flooded the blocked circuit, a stabbing pain shot through my entire body.
A new kind of agony I’d never felt before.
My body trembled violently, and cold sweat poured out like mad.
How much time passed like that?
Kwaaaa!
At some point, it felt like my breath cleared, and the mana broke through the section.
At the same time, the circuit stabilized, and mana began flowing normally again.
“...Finally.”
I’d passed the first hurdle.
Of course, I wasn’t purely joyful.
I knew how many more lay ahead.
From what I could sense.
‘Over thirty sections.’
More than thirty parts to break through.
Meaning I’d have to endure this kind of pain over thirty times.
Of course, that didn’t mean I should despair.
I’d succeed in this seemingly impossible task somehow.
Just as I always had.