Chapter 128
Chapter 128
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 128
Chapter Title: Let's Get Serious
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"Now, let's get serious from here on out."
Thud!
Professor Zairen abruptly closed her book and spoke.
Her gaze was fixed solely on me.
Now I could see it—that book could be used as a weapon in that way too.
"You were already going all out earlier..."
"Here I come."
Whooooom!
Before I could even get a proper response, mana surged around Professor Zairen.
It instantly formed a magic circle, and her spell activated right after.
Roooar!
A massive fireball shot out from the magic circle.
It wasn't quite on the level of an ultra-large casting spell, but its size was unbelievable for something cast in such a short time.
'...Impressive.'
This must be Professor Zairen's true power.
As expected, not just anyone could hold a professorship at Asion Academy.
Swoosh.
I extended my hand and drew upon my dark-attribute mana.
I planned to counter with spatial magic, just like before.
Whooooom!
A pitch-black space large enough to swallow the fireball materialized.
At the same moment, the void space and the fireball collided.
Crackle! Crackle!
One tried to devour the spell, while the other tried to pierce through it.
And the result was...
Boom!
An explosion.
The fireball and the void space vanished without affecting each other at all.
Professor Zairen twitched her eyebrows at that.
With a look of wounded pride, she immediately cast her next spell.
Fwoooosh!
Mana radiated in all directions.
It spread across the training room floor, igniting into flames.
[Blaze Field].
This was the original spell that Kayla had used earlier.
Flames began to rise from all around.
They emitted scorching heat that tightened around my throat.
'How should I counter this?'
After a moment of thought, I came up with a pretty good idea.
'Hold on, if I've really reached 7th circle...'
Couldn't I cast a similar field spell myself?
An image vaguely formed in my mind.
I decided to try it right away.
First, release mana.
"Hup."
Swooooosh!
With my mana circuits improved, my denser mana enveloped the surroundings.
Then.
'Attribute infusion.'
I imbued that widespread mana with my will, granting it an attribute.
Just one attribute.
Still my main attribute, 'light'.
- Magic learning rate increases by 300%.
Recalling every field spell I'd seen so far, I moved my mana through a similar process as best I could.
Flash!
The result was immediately visible.
Above Professor Zairen's [Blaze Field], pure white lights flickered into existence.
It seemed I'd succeeded in casting my first field spell.
"...!!"
Professor Zairen’s eyes widened in surprise, clearly not expecting me to counter a field spell with another field spell.
"...A field spell? Did you just cast a field spell?"
"Well...? I gave it a try, at least. Did it work?"
"...Hah."
She let out a hollow laugh, apparently dumbfounded by my question right back at her.
"You'd know better than anyone whether a field spell succeeded. You'd feel it yourself."
"I'd feel something..."
At her words, I closed my eyes and focused on my senses.
Before and after casting the field spell.
If it had succeeded, there had to be some difference.
But...
"...I don't feel anything?"
There was nothing in particular.
The only change was the lights still periodically flashing around me.
"Like the spell's power increasing, or mana regeneration improving... Nothing like that?"
"Nope, unfortunately."
"Then it failed."
"...I see."
Professor Zairen herself confirmed that the field spell had failed.
A wave of inner disappointment washed over me.
"I wouldn't get too down about it. Field spells aren't something you master in a day or two. Honestly, getting this far is already impressive."
Zairen tried to console me, but it didn't really lift my spirits.
I'd thought it would work now that my circuits were back to normal...
'No particular snag or anything, either.'
Well, a bit more practice should do it.
"Then let's continue."
"By all means."
I shook off the lingering regret and refocused on the spar.
Since things had turned out this way, I decided to make the most of this half-baked field spell.
Step.
I naturally reached out toward one of the flashing lights around me.
The light circulated mana very normally.
'This could be useful.'
With that thought.
I grabbed the cluster of light and hurled it at Zairen.
Bang!
The light cluster flew threateningly toward Zairen, just as I'd intended.
Boom!
Though it burst in midair against Zairen's flame spell, I was quite satisfied.
That attack had been launched without drawing up any additional mana.
And besides.
'Plenty more.'
Dozens of light clusters still lingered around me.
They flashed brightly, as if begging to be noticed.
Flash! Flash! Flash...!
I grabbed another one, soothing their plea.
This time, even transforming its shape.
Whooooom!
As the light cluster morphed into a spear, I assumed a javelin stance and threw it.
Swoooosh!
- Proficiency correction +300% on all bladed weapons.
Having taken the form of a spear, the light cluster shot forward even more threateningly than before.
"...Hm?"
Boom!
Zairen summoned a pillar of flame with a puzzled expression, bursting the spear of light.
But the attacks she had to block weren't just one.
Right after the first spear of light, I was continuously forming and throwing more.
Swoooosh!
Swoooosh!
One, two, three, four...
The spears of light kept flying endlessly.
Zairen instinctively sensed the danger and began blocking them with all her might.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
However.
"...What is this?!"
No matter how hard she tried to block, the spear barrage showed no sign of stopping.
That was because I intended to throw every last one of these light clusters.
Moreover.
"Hup!"
I mixed in variations here and there to keep it from getting too predictable.
For example, firing light beams instead of spears, or using the existing mana to deploy spatial magic.
Thanks to that, her breathing was growing ragged.
"Hah...! W-Wait... Just a moment...!"
"Ten more to go."
Swoooosh!
Ignoring her plea for a timeout, I kept hurling the light clusters.
And with each one.
'This is pretty useful, huh?'
The utility of this field spell felt better than I'd expected.
It might not boost spell power or directly enhance the caster's stats like others do, but it enabled relentless attacks.
Swoooosh! Swoooosh!
How much time passed?
Just as the heat from Professor Zairen's [Blaze Field] started feeling like it was singeing my skin.
Tap.
I stopped throwing the light clusters and lightly landed on the ground.
And then.
Flash!
I immediately cast another light-attribute field spell using the same method.
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!
Dozens of light clusters appeared around me once more.
That was when Zairen cried out in desperation.
"Not agaaaain!"
Screech.
Her shout made me halt my movements.
"I-I lost. I admit defeat..."
Professor Zairen conceded her loss in a hollow voice.
For a moment, I was utterly bewildered.
'...Did I win?'
Even if it was just a spar.
This was the first time I'd ever beaten a 7th circle mage with pure skill.
***
After the spar ended and Yuhaness left the training room.
Asion Gail and Zairen Renata stared at each other.
"..."
"..."
No words were exchanged, but they understood.
They were feeling the same emotion right now.
"...Did you see that?"
"...Of course I did. Right in front of my eyes. Clear as day with my own two eyes."
"I was the one it happened to..."
"Heh heh heh heh."
How were they supposed to process this situation?
Zairen was the first to speak.
"What on earth happened to that student?"
She couldn't comprehend why Yuhaness's skills had suddenly skyrocketed like this.
Fortunately, Asion Gail knew the reason and could explain.
"Do you remember when I said Yuhaness's mana circuits were a mess?"
"Of course. That's why you made such a fuss about recruiting him."
"Today, Yuhaness fixed those mana circuits back to normal in the Room of Time and Spirit."
"...What?"
Professor Zairen flinched.
'Fixed his mana circuits back to normal...?'
Restoring circuits to normal wasn't something just anyone could do.
Even a slight tangle caused immense pain.
According to the head of the society, Yuhaness's circuits had been completely wrecked.
Untangling them overnight was next to impossible.
Unless you had exceptional focus and perseverance.
And moreover.
'...In the Room of Time and Spirit, no less...?'
The fact that he'd even entered the Room of Time and Spirit was more shocking.
That was the place Asion Gail, the society head, guarded steadfastly—a space that had never been opened to anyone.
Not even to her, a 7th circle mage and professor.
He'd said it was too dangerous...
"Why on earth did you let that student in there...?"
Zairen voiced her sudden doubt but trailed off.
She thought she knew the answer herself.
"You judged him to be worth that much? That student?"
"Exactly."
Asion Gail nodded confidently.
That much value?
He could answer that question definitively.
A student with potential he himself couldn't fully gauge.
And today would be the turning point where Zairen agreed.
She'd felt it firsthand, after all.
His absurd magical growth.
"Didn't look that way to Professor Zairen's eyes?"
At Asion Gail's question, Zairen recalled.
The spar that had just taken place.
The light magic enveloping his body, the spatial magic devouring everything—nothing about it was ordinary.
Even if untangling his messed-up circuits had massively boosted his skills.
And besides.
The most astonishing part was something else.
'...That field spell.'
The half-baked field spell that student had cast.
No, the field spell she'd thought was half-baked.
'It was already like that from the start.'
From experiencing it herself, that field spell was already complete.
It didn't grant special effects, but it was a field spell that allowed pure focus on offense.
"It has... value."
Gulp.
Zairen swallowed dryly.
Even in a spar, a student who had already surpassed her.
She couldn't even imagine what kind of mage would emerge if he grew further here.