Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: The Birth of Magic
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Thump.
By the time I grew accustomed to the thick stench of blood, my racing heartbeat settled back to normal, and excruciating pain surged through my entire body.
It was because the ‘Awakening’ granted by [Former Owner of Sword Saint] had come to an end.
“……This damn body.”
When Awakening kicked in, a massive surge of adrenaline made the body move with far greater flexibility.
According to the description, it boosted concentration and judgment.
It also dulled pain perception, allowing even this withered, twisted frame to put up a decent fight.
The problem came after the battle ended, in situations like this.
Pushing beyond the body’s specs resulted in all sorts of debuffs for the next thirty minutes.
Intensified pain, reduced concentration, anemia, stomach cramps, muscle aches, and more.
That’s why an immense agony now crashed over me like an aftershock.
My mind was so exhausted I was on the verge of passing out.
“……Guess I’ll sleep first.”
I shoved aside what needed doing and staggered to the next room over.
The facilities seemed a bit crappier than my originally assigned room, but whatever—no way was I sleeping next to a corpse.
It was the spot where they’d tried to take me down, so who knew what traps might be lurking.
Anyway, I sprawled out spread-eagle on the bed and let the tension drain from my body.
It felt like I’d fused to the mattress. Even twitching a finger took effort.
I could’ve fallen asleep in a second, but I forced my drooping eyelids open.
There was still something I had to do.
The spell the Slicked-Back Man had been casting. Replicating it.
‘……What kind of magic was it?’
I’d dismantled it before it fully activated, so I had no idea what it was. At best, I could guess it was some ‘attack spell.’
It hadn’t even looked that advanced.
But beyond that, it was the first ‘real magic’ I’d seen since arriving in this world.
Just in case, I’d memorized every single detail, etching it into my mind as knowledge.
‘Maybe I can make it my own.’
To do that, it was best to try now, before sleep blurred the memory.
I slowly rewound the Slicked-Back Man’s spellcasting in my head.
‘The rough feel is coming back.’
The sticking point was the invocation’s opening. I’d been too busy fighting the Burly Man to catch it.
By the time the fight ended, the spell was already midway.
I had to figure it out myself.
I gradually gathered my focus. A tingling sensation followed as that moment replayed in my mind like a simulation.
Total mana volume, flow direction, density, overall pattern.
Reversing it step by step, I sketched out the beginning.
At first, I had no clue, but soon I started getting the hang of it.
‘Like this?’
I cracked my eyes open and manipulated the mana gathering around me.
Soon, a handful of mana glowed blue.
‘Thanks to Prodigy of Magic?’ Somehow, I instinctively knew what this was.
The origin of magic.
The starting point of spells.
All magic began from this handful of mana.
“……Now.”
From there, I followed exactly what he’d done.
Forming characters with mana, creating shapes, drawing circles.
A single incantation took form.
I closely observed the incantation floating before my eyes.
Before long, I understood its inherent nature.
It seemed calm on the surface, but the slightest mistake would make it go berserk and devour the caster—an aggressive trait lurking within.
There was only one kind of magic with that property.
‘……Fire.’
The Slicked-Back Man had been casting a fire spell.
Realizing that brought a subtle sense of accomplishment.
“……Ha, haha.”
For the first time since coming to this world, I’d reproduced more than half a spell.
Without even a grimoire.
Mastering a spell on your own was a feat even talented mages rarely attempted.
Even if it was thanks to a trait, it felt like I’d become a real genius.
……Dropped into a game out of nowhere, I deserve to enjoy this much, right?
The moment that thought crossed my mind.
‘…….’
I let everything go and closed my eyes.
This was fatigue no human could endure.
***
When I woke, the room was dark.
Naturally, I checked the clock on the wall first.
“Fell asleep around 6…….”
It was now 9 p.m.
I’d slept straight for fifteen hours.
Guess I really was wiped out.
“……Slept a ton. Well, at least the fatigue’s gone.”
Crack, crackle.
I stretched every inch of my body to work out the kinks, then headed straight to the shower.
I washed off the sweat I’d soaked in during sleep.
Only after showering and changing into fresh clothes did I start pondering what came next.
Not that there was much to deliberate.
“First things first, get out of District 7.”
The beggars’ den called the Trash Heap, Asteron District 7. There wasn’t much I could do here.
To properly utilize the build I’d planned, I needed to reach at least District 6.
And to do that……
“……I’ll need money first. Then…… more money. Then even more money…….”
Damn it.
“What, living’s the same in any world?”
The plan was simple.
Bribe the guards to enter District 6.
Launder my identity through a broker.
Acquire a grimoire, learn magic, and boost my value.
The problem? Every single step required money.
“Where the hell do I get money?”
My original plan had been to quickly master magic, help out some beggars with it, and get paid.
But I’d changed my mind.
“Can’t trust ’em, just can’t.”
Earning cash through beggars who might stab me in the back anytime? Too risky.
So I considered alternatives.
What ways were there to make money here?
As that question lingered, my stomach growled.
Grrooowl!
……Come to think of it, I hadn’t eaten anything yet.
I headed straight to the communal kitchen and filled my belly.
The menu was toast: round bread slathered with fruit jam.
“……This is kinda fancy. Tastes good, though.”
The sweetness exploding in my mouth ignited my appetite.
In that instant, as the stimulating flavor jolted my brain awake—
A sudden thought flashed through my mind.
“Wait, money?”
I glanced around. The kitchen was impeccably organized.
Piles of premium ingredients, every utensil imaginable.
Tables, tablecloths, sink—all top-notch.
It hit me.
Why hadn’t I thought of this?
“Yeah, a place like this…….”
No need to scrounge for money elsewhere.
Tap-tap-tap!
I quickly rummaged through the building.
Then stopped before a hefty iron door.
Locked tight, it screamed suspicious.
If my guess was right……
“There’s money in here.”
A building like this meant they had spare wealth stashed somewhere.
My heart pounded at the thought it might solve everything at once.
The issue was getting it open……
Examining the door, I spotted a small hole.
A keyhole.
“Where’d they keep the key?”
Two possibilities came to mind.
The Slicked-Back Man’s room—the one they called the Leader—or on his body.
The latter seemed more likely.
“Didn’t strike me as the cautious type.”
Which meant he probably carried it himself.
I hurried back to the corpse and searched the body.
Sleeves, pants pockets, inner pockets.
Something jingled at his waist.
“Found it.”
A keyring with several keys of different shapes.
One of these had to open that shady door.
No need to guess which.
“I’ll try ’em all.”
Back at the door, I inserted them one by one.
Click. The lock disengaged.
“Nice.”
Creeeak—.
The thick iron door groaned open.
Instead of a room as expected, darkness yawned within, along with stairs leading down.
A basement, maybe?
Clunk.
I grabbed a lantern off the wall and proceeded cautiously.
One step, two.
Past the endless stairs and around a corner, another door appeared.
Small barred window, outer bolt—like a prison cell.
What was in here?
Creeeak—.
I unlatched it with heightened vigilance and stepped inside.
Pitch black, not a speck of light.
Swinging the lantern side to side, I scanned the room. In one corner, a dark shape caught my eye.
Disheveled long hair, tattered clothes, huddled form.
‘……A woman?’
Even if she were dead, it wouldn’t have been surprising, but I shook off the unease and nudged her gently with my foot.
She flinched and looked up at me with hollow eyes.
She was alive.
“……You got locked up here too?”
“No.”
“……Then how’d you get here?”
“Just passing by.”
“…….”
She clamped her mouth shut and said nothing, then her gaze shifted to one spot.
Her pupils trembled violently.
Her face paled with terror.
Her eyes were fixed on the stairs.
“The guys, the ones outside……?”
I could guess the situation.
They must’ve kidnapped her and tossed her in here.
I reassured her.
“They’re all dead.”
“……All, dead?”
Tears welled up.
Then she burst into sobs.
“Hic, hiiic……!”
Her cries grew clearer.
The grief and rage within were beyond my comprehension.
What on earth had happened to her?
Thud.
I sat against the opposite wall and waited for her to calm down.
Her sobs finally stopped after a long while. I asked carefully.
“……What happened?”
“…….”
Hesitating with her eyes on the floor, she finally spoke with effort.
“……I’ve been a beggar since birth. In District 7.”
Even in the Trash Heap, love could bloom.
She said she was the new life born from that.
“I was always hungry, but it was okay. My parents loved me so much…….”
No matter how harsh the environment, she had a family, and that alone got her through each day.
“Then one day, I awakened to mana.”
She’d thought this:
It was a blessing. A divine signal to escape this tragic life.
“I told them right away. That I’d awakened to mana. That we didn’t have to live like this anymore.”
In this world, awakening to mana was certainly grounds for hope.
It could change your life entirely.
But.
“……The look in my parents’ eyes changed when they heard. They weren’t the people I knew.”
“…….”
“I got sold right here.”
The end was tragic.
What she’d thought was hope only plunged her life deeper into the abyss.
“Funny, right? People I trusted so much…….”
What could I say?
“……How long have you been here?”
“Not sure. About a week……?”
“Yeah, I see…….”
I glanced around.
Pitch-black basement with no light, oppressively damp air, tiny bugs crawling on the floor.
She’d spent a whole week here.
Abandoned and thrown into a place like this.
I couldn’t fathom her anguish.
And something even more crucial.
-I saw it…… You handling mana……
If I hadn’t killed them, I might’ve ended up locked in here myself.
‘Fucking bastards.’
That was the moment any lingering guilt I’d suppressed vanished completely.