Chapter 298
Chapter 298
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 298
Chapter Title: Bedrock Basics (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Gulp.
Do Ha-rang swallowed hard.
Emily, who had been watching, widened her eyes.
Just using basic magic?
He wasn't even a ranker, or an S-rank hunter.
To rely only on the level of magic from a D-rank hunter— wasn't that taking things way too lightly?
But her opponent was Arin.
"If you pour a ton of mana into basic magic, doesn't that make it unstoppable?"
"Don't worry. I'll use exactly as much as you— no, even less."
"Uh...."
That changed everything.
Even as a White Horse Sorceress, she was world rank 103.
A former Magic Tower professor who had taught countless students.
She had mastered top-tier advanced magic skills.
This was worth trying.
No, it was a guaranteed win.
"Hmm, it feels like you're underestimating us a bit. Shall we start right away then?"
Swoosh.
Do Ha-rang, her confidence restored, raised her staff.
Arin's red hair swayed gently.
"You think you'll win?"
"Based on everything I know."
Arin smiled brightly at Do Ha-rang's response.
'Right, common sense.'
The difference in magic civilizations stemmed from that common sense.
Even in the magitech world, the first generation couldn't properly interpret basic magic texts.
Do Ha-rang's level was exactly that.
Like the knowledge gap between a 21st-century human and an Australopithecus?
No, that might be going too far.
'Anyway.'
It was time to show her the gap between their civilizations.
"Here I go then! Be careful!"
Woooong!
Do Ha-rang's sharp gaze pulled up her mana.
Unlike when she was intimidated, her eyes now burned with greed.
'If I can beat Arin... I'll learn all her advanced magic!'
An incredible opportunity.
A chance and a fateful encounter.
What else could this be but destiny?
Shoooo!
Crack, craaaack!
The air around her froze from the burst of mana.
Five ice spears formed simultaneously.
'Ice Spear' (B-rank).
Preparing advanced magic would take too much time.
A mid-tier spell like Ice Spear was perfect.
As expected of a ranker.
The ice spears she created gleamed menacingly.
'Not bad.'
Arin nodded.
It was a straightforward, proper Ice Spear.
'But.'
That was it.
The feeling Arin had was exactly this:
If she were a burly adult wielding a kitchen knife, Do Ha-rang was like a newborn baby holding a fairly long trident.
A baby couldn't wield a trident well, and it posed no threat at all.
'Use this chance to feel it.'
Feel it.
And grow.
For our professor.
* * *
Kaboom!
Rumble rumble!
The magic duel between Do Ha-rang and Arin was underway.
On the surface, it looked like Do Ha-rang was overwhelming Arin.
She kept generating ice spears, bombarding her relentlessly.
But.
"Hmm."
Emily, watching, let out a groan.
Arin wasn't doing much.
Just the occasional Energy Bolt?
'And yet.'
Not a single one hit.
The ice spears lacked precision from the start, and whenever one got near Arin.
Ping!
A light Energy Bolt would deflect it.
The powerful ice spears, infused with mana, only pelted the ground harmlessly.
'How is that even possible?'
She had never experienced this in battles against water dragons or other monsters.
Most of them were bulky, so rough shots usually hit.
'But.'
This was shocking.
No, it defied all common sense.
How could basic magic deflect mid-tier spells or higher?
To Emily, it was.
More shocking than an egg cracking a rock.
'Maybe.'
Emily clenched her fist.
'Arin really could... beat the Magic Tower Lord.'
Crack!
Her common sense began to fracture.
It was slowly breaking apart.
* * *
"Haaah!"
Do Ha-rang gritted her teeth.
So hard her jaw muscles tingled.
"Why, why! Why won't it hit!"
It felt like casting skills into empty air.
Whether Ice Spear or even the advanced Ice Blast, it was the same.
She unleashed every miscellaneous spell she'd learned at the Magic Tower.
Entangling Roots!
Tree roots burst from the ground to bind Arin, but.
Electric Bolt!
To paralyze her with electric shocks, but.
Swish!
Arin simply swayed her red hair and dodged.
And then.
When Do Ha-rang's mana was nearly depleted.
"Is that it?"
Step.
Arin leisurely stepped forward and raised her staff.
Woooong!
The Fire Dragon Staff blazed red.
'Ah.'
Do Ha-rang stared blankly at the staff.
A single air bullet shot from it.
「Energy Bolt」
Unlike Arin, who had dodged them so easily.
Do Ha-rang could only gape as it flew straight at her face.
'I have to dodge.'
Or.
'At least shield myself.'
Countless countermeasures flashed through her mind, but none were feasible.
Because.
'Fast.'
No, she needed time to react.
She didn't even have time to think, [Is that really the speed of basic magic?!]
Just.
Bam!
"Kyaaak!"
A powerful pain exploded on her face, snapping her head back.
Stars filled the sky.
'Uh.'
She felt her body lift into the air.
And soon.
Thud!
Do Ha-rang collapsed backward.
The moment the world rank 103 ranker fell to a mere D-rank basic spell.
* * *
"Hahk, hahk!"
"Hooo, hoo!"
Emily and Do Ha-rang.
The two women were drenched in sweat like a downpour.
It started as a 1:1 duel.
But once they realized single attacks weren't working, they teamed up.
Mana?
They chugged expensive potions.
They consumed Grandpa Jido-ik's elixirs and got buffs from Grandma Yang Jeong-ae's cooking before charging in.
No hope?
'You never know.'
Arin had said [even if it just grazes me a little].
That meant even a brush would earn advanced magic lessons.
How could they give up so easily?
No ranker would abandon a fateful encounter dangling right in front of them.
'This... is impossible.'
'Huff, huff! Sweat's blurring my vision.'
'Sis... what are you doing! Just land one hit!'
'Ha-rang, you're higher ranked than me...?'
But now, it was hopeless.
They knew there was no way.
Because.
Swoosh!
Just Arin slightly raising her staff.
Flinch!
Made their bodies tremble involuntarily.
You can't understand without experiencing it.
After fighting all night, only that staff moving felt like it would shatter their nasal bones.
Do Ha-rang's healing fixed it, but the terror of that pain didn't fade easily.
Finally.
"Haa! I can't do it!"
Do Ha-rang sprawled on the ground in a big X.
"I'm done too."
Emily shook her head and dropped to her knees with a thud.
She stared blankly at the sky.
Drip!
Sweat from her brow fell like tears.
'The world.'
She had to admit it.
And Arin...
Hadn't used any other basic spells.
From start to finish, only Energy Bolt.
It was utter domination.
In that moment, they realized.
Not just them.
Everyone in the Magic Tower was a frog.
Frogs trapped in a tiny well, croaking away.
Arin looked at them and spoke.
"Feel it now?"
"...."
They lacked the energy to reply.
No, their hearts were surging with emotion.
All their efforts so far.
People on Earth knew.
Becoming a ranker took more than ordinary effort.
Only 1,000 out of 8 billion wore the ranker title.
Even excluding minors under 20, the competition was insane.
And now their efforts crumbled in an instant.
To basic magic.
"This is...."
Do Ha-rang muttered.
"This is cheating!"
"Cheating?"
Arin tilted her head.
"Your Energy Bolt is fast! Way faster, more accurate, and stronger than ours!"
"True."
"So it's cheating!"
Do Ha-rang vented her frustration.
Otherwise, the injustice would bring tears.
She must have pulled some trick.
Poured in more mana despite the promise...
'No.'
'No way.'
Do Ha-rang and Emily shook their heads together.
They were ranker mages.
Even S-rank hunters sensed energy flows.
As mages, they couldn't miss it.
Arin definitely...
Hadn't poured out mana.
She used even less than Do Ha-rang or Emily.
"How...?"
Do Ha-rang asked.
Arin replied as if waiting.
"I told you."
Woooong!
She slowly floated an Energy Bolt above her palm.
Bobbing.
The Energy Bolt circled her body like a giggling fairy.
"....!"
"....!"
Do Ha-rang and Emily's eyes bulged.
Wasn't Energy Bolt about compressing energy and shooting it forward?
No mage she'd seen manipulated it like that.
Well, maybe the water dragon if it used magic.
"Get friendly with your mana. To do that, constantly try to feel it, do anything to get closer to it."
Screeech!
Suddenly, two Energy Bolts shot out like arrows.
And stopped right before their eyes.
Gulp!
They swallowed unconsciously.
"Then, magic will respond. No need for incantations, like this. Naturally. Like when you extend your arm without thinking, it manifests naturally. Fast if you thrust quickly, slow if slowly. Your arm muscles work that way too, right?"
"Huh...."
"Hoo!"
The two mages exhaled in awe.
Among them, the older sister Emily slowly stood.
"Our thinking was too narrow."
She finally understood what Arin meant.
Simple advice.
Build a solid foundation.
'But that's the hard part.'
Especially for rankers at their level.
Telling a world-class weightlifter like 'Miran Zhang' to practice form with an empty bar— who would accept that easily?
That's why she demonstrated.
Not just showed— crushed them overwhelmingly, shattering their mindset and common sense.
Look.
Mastering even one Energy Bolt properly.
Could take down rankers, as Arin proved.
"But, Arin."
"Yes."
"I get the 'get friendly with mana' part. Embarrassed I called myself a mage without handling it properly. But...."
Emily hesitated slightly before continuing.
"We don't have time, do we? Only about five months left until the Magic Tower duel...."
"Emily."
"Yes."
"Still haven't felt it?"
"....Pardon?"
"Your level, the Magic Tower's level— no real difference in my eyes."
Their magic civilizations were entirely different.
Did it take more time to grasp that?
Fine, spell it out clearly.
"I guarantee it."
Thud!
Arin slammed her staff into the ground.
"Roll around with your mana for the remaining time, and you'll win for sure. Against that Asher and Brandon."
Her voice brimmed with certainty.
'Really?'
'We can really take down those old geezers?'
Excitement sparked in the two mages' eyes.