Chapter 79
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: Festival - 8
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Park Sua's magic couldn't perform at its full potential right now.
Just the single condition of casting it secretly among the crowd imposed numerous restrictions.
She didn't have a staff to assist with her magic in her hands.
Drawing a magic circle was impossible, and naturally, chanting that required vocalizing was out of the question.
As a result, even setting aside the power of the magic, the speed of manifestation itself was significantly lacking.
If she had grown sufficiently, maybe not, but at her current level, it was more than enough to react to.
When, and where it would appear.
'Now.'
Without hitting a single obstacle, I smoothly parried Koon's wooden sword.
"Where's that breaking sound coming from...!"
"Did the sword break again?"
There were no issues with my sword or Koon's.
Not even a single scratch.
What had shattered was the magic.
"...!"
Park Sua's shocked expression was clearly visible even from this distance.
It wasn't evasion—the magic itself had broken.
The mana shield meant to block Koon's sword had been shattered before it could even complete.
I had no talent as a mage.
I couldn't invest resources in an inefficient path, so I never forced myself to learn magic skills.
In my climbing process, nine out of ten floors involved using a sword, and even in the remaining cases, it was still a bladed weapon.
But moments where I had to face mages were inevitable.
Thus, I had to learn how to deal with mages and understand what magic was.
Even if I couldn't wield it properly myself.
'Right side, below. Now.'
Park Sua tried to manipulate the ground with telekinesis to bind my feet again, but I shattered it just the same.
Magic broadly operates in two ways.
The first is manifesting the magic around the caster and then projecting it toward the target.
Most fire or water spells that form spheres and hurl them fall into this category.
The second is where the manifestation begins on or around the target itself.
In other words, implementing the magic at a position distanced from the caster.
Telekinesis and mana shields belong to this type.
For convenience, I called the former projection-type magic and the latter designated-type magic.
To manifest any magic, the caster must designate the implementation location and condense mana there.
The clumped mana is then transformed into attributes or forms to complete the spell.
So, what happens if you disrupt it the moment the mana clumps together?
"Ugh, again...?"
The magic itself fails to complete.
The method to shatter it is simple.
Pour my own mana into the spot where the mana is gathering for manifestation and disrupt it.
Projection-type magic usually gathers mana above the caster's hands, making it tricky to interfere with, but designated-type magic can be sufficiently disrupted.
To pinpoint the location, watch Park Sua's gaze.
To condense mana at a distance, the mage must accurately visualize that spot as well.
Naturally, their eyes follow to where the magic will manifest.
From the hundreds-of-floors level onward, there are mages who spam designated-type magic with their eyes closed, but against Park Sua, confirming her line of sight was plenty.
The timing is determined by intuition.
Not some vague "trust in luck"—think about when Park Sua would use her magic, and the answer comes.
Right before my effective strike lands, or at a moment where defense is essential.
When my sword path or body movement is disrupted, she'll aim for the instant of maximum damage.
With detection magic enhancing her sight and hearing, she surely wouldn't miss those obvious golden opportunities.
So, I prepare for those moments in reverse.
I might not handle magic, but I have plenty of mana to block it.
This isn't some skill defined by the Tower.
I just brute-force push mana wherever I want.
When Koon swings at me, naturally I meet it with my sword.
The mage will block the path with a transparent barrier, and
I infuse the sword with mana to a savage degree and smash it to pieces.
Koon attempts the next attack; I can trace a trajectory to pivot and evade without even clashing swords.
The mage will bind my feet, and
I infuse both feet with mana and smash it to pieces.
I could see bewilderment coloring Park Sua's face.
It must be maddening for her, racking her brains as best she could.
A sword lunging at neck height.
My unobstructed body moves lightly.
I duck and dive inward.
Koon's wooden sword passes overhead, and my crouched body rapidly closes the distance.
An already whiffed attack, too close for a proper response.
I hug my arm tight to my waist, straightening the wooden sword.
Aiming straight for Koon's abdomen.
Of course, Park Sua's magic blocks it.
"Finally!"
Park Sua rejoiced.
This time, the magic didn't shatter.
To be precise, there was no attempt to shatter it.
The sword was mere feint; the decisive blow was below.
My right foot, moving in the same direction as the wooden sword, targeted Koon's lower body.
"Gahk!"
Koon lost his balance and toppled.
I had already secured a favorable position.
While shattering Park Sua's magic and pressing Koon, I had subtly advanced without them noticing.
Koon was too busy blocking my attacks, and Park Sua was fixated on her failed spells, so neither properly registered it.
With Koon's stance collapsed, he was effectively neutralized. I swiftly targeted Park Sua.
"Wh-what's so fast about that?"
"You're just slow."
The path to the protectee was fraught with obstructions.
But Park Sua still didn't know how to hide her gaze, manifesting magic only in blatantly predictable spots.
Smashing them one by one, I arrived right before her,
"...Earthbound Spirit's victory!"
And just like that, the match had ended.
The satisfied residents applauded in time with the match's conclusion.
"What did I tell you? No matter how weird the rules, Koon winning doesn't make sense, right?"
"Eh, he still put up a good fight! You said you'd last about five minutes earlier, but he held even way longer than that."
"Anyway, I was right?"
'Those two have been chattering nonstop since earlier. Did they bet on the winner?'
Everyone enjoyed the match in their own way, so as long as it wasn't boring, that was fine.
I approached Raymond, who was wrapping up the event.
"Even with only four participants, a win is a win. No prize or anything?"
"Ah, of course there is!"
I thought winner's prizes were usually announced to the audience along with the victor.
A few seconds later, seeing what Raymond brought made the casual handover make sense.
"To Earthbound Spirit, winner of the 1st Floor Swordsmanship Tournament's 1st Edition, I bestow this prize for your diligent refinement."
"It's a sword."
"Yeah. For refining your swordsmanship skills."
"That's the one from Instructor Tiana's training ground. There were tons of them."
"Right. All the swords in the village were made by old man Harman, after all."
Wouldn't they usually pick something else as a prize?
I took what was given, regardless.
"Congratulations."
"Good work."
I received light congratulations from Ellie and Tiana.
I continued chatting with Tiana about the match afterward.
"You started using mana from midway."
"Yes. That..."
"Not trying to pry. Strictly speaking, the opponent started it first anyway."
She had noticed Park Sua using magic from the start.
Even as a fellow swordsman like me, she could read the signs and traces of magic.
Like how you don't need to be a bard to know what music is.
"Not using mana in sword spars is just a rule between us two. Elsewhere..."
Tiana viewed the drive to secure victory in official matches positively.
I don't use mana in spars with her.
Not just for countering mages—even simply coating it boosts power.
Tiana always emphasized fundamentals, and above all, she had not a scrap of mana left in her.
If the opponent wields a sword, I meet it with mine.
If bare-handed, then bare-handed.
In a life-or-death battle where victory is everything, you'd play every card, but spars are for mutual growth.
"Still, I saw several intriguing scenes. I'd never considered that usage before."
"Is that so?"
"I'd only thought of piling it on like a barrier atop the sword, but emitting it like that... Quite creative."
As her words suggested, she wasn't born without mana in her body.
She knew how to utilize mana as a swordsman.
The Tower's restrictions were just cruel.
At the very least, from the 6th floor onward, it seemed intent on teaching us the concept of mana.
"They're starting the banquet dinner soon!"
"Oh, really?"
Ellie grabbed my arm and led me to the dining area.
Tiana, having grabbed so much from the street stalls yet still hungry from the exertion, looked forward to the banquet meal.
Her steps were light.
A body unable to hold mana.
A swordsman whose realm had been downgraded.
Yet she was around level 90 in strength.
An instructor on par with her, whom I felt I could beat, only appeared around the 100th floor.
Not properly passing on jobs or skills—perhaps the Tower's harshest pressure on her.
'Wonder what she was like before the Tower.'
"Hey! How did you do that earlier?"
"What."
"My magic vanished!"
"Is it okay to admit so boldly that you used magic...?"
Park Sua joined in, and the villagers all headed to the dining area together.