Chapter 145

Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 145

Chapter Title: Who Are You Pairing With?

Who are you pairing with?

In the duel with Professor Multipl, the key was timing the use of the two Gonic spells.

Both magics ranked among the more computationally demanding in the 6th circle.

And both were akin to a kind of 'buff.'

Successfully computing them didn't mean they'd block or attack on their own.

So if Professor Multipl attacked while I was computing the Gonic spells, I had no way to defend.

That was why I first opted to rapidly buy myself a turn by using the spells.

I spam-fired 5th-circle defensive magic as fast as I could.

Then, once I had some breathing room, I kicked off Thought Acceleration.

The computation speed was fast.

Maybe it was the indirect effect of the elixir.

With my mind sinking into cold clarity amid the battle, the computations sped up even more.

Professor Multipl might have let his guard down a bit, too.

Either way, my strategy worked.

I successfully stacked defenses quickly and secured a turn.

As my thoughts accelerated, I could clearly see Professor Multipl's face twisting in shock.

Was he surprised by the unexpected strategy?

Or maybe he hadn't figured out what my magic really was.

But I didn't think his fluster would lead straight to my victory.

No matter how well the first strategy went, he was still a professor.

He wouldn't go down easily.

I kept my reason coldly submerged and started the next computation.

Reaching 6th circle was far more difficult than 5th.

Out of all I'd been gradually picking up, I could barely use three at the moment.

And the computation speed was noticeably slower than for 5th circle.

The safe choice was to compute a defensive spell first.

The first construct consisted of a Cube.

I drew the stable hexahedron structure first.

A hexahedron with a total of eight vertices.

Pick one point and draw a diagonal to the opposite point.

Repeat the process for the adjacent points. Three times in total.

That creates four diagonals inside the hexahedron, intersecting precisely at one point.

Then, mark a large dot at that intersection.

A defensive spell modeled after a metal's high-strength crystal lattice.

Positioned at the center of the hexahedron, protected by the cube.

Points manifested in 3D space, wrapping me in a perfect hexahedron cube.

The cube always kept me at its center, following me and safely protecting me inside until it was destroyed.

When I finished computing and looked up, Professor Multipl was nearly done with his own.

Thanks to Thought Acceleration, mine was faster.

But as expected of a professor, he was keeping up with my speed even under the effect.

I still had another spell to use.

I computed [Body-Centered Cubic Lattice Structure] once more.

In the meantime, Multipl finished his computation, and his spell activated.

A siege ram summoned from his magic circle slammed into the tetrahedral cube with a boom.

The cube shattered, but another one immediately enveloped me.

Multipl's face filled with even greater shock.

Thinking I'd widened the gap enough, I finally began computing FlapFlap's spell.

Professor Multipl started another attack computation.

But my spell completed before his did.

In my accelerated thoughts, my dulled senses began to transform dramatically.

The world, perceived through human senses, rippled in an entirely new form.

Professor Multipl completed another computation, and a siege ram flew at me.

Faster than before.

But it no longer looked like a mere 'siege ram.'

It was like a sequence of complex symbols.

Still a blunt pillar worthy of a siege ram, but it felt different.

I see. This was something more 'essential.'

Not the world drawn by human neural firings.

A sense that perceived the underlying essence.

I couldn't express that law with mathematical precision.

I could only vaguely feel it.

Just as humans can't explain the principle behind how we see objects.

This was merely a sense for feeling it.

By then, even my own magic started feeling different.

What was once just moving mana along fixed lines became sensing the hidden essence and releasing it anew.

In other words, I could grasp the meaning of constructs without parsing the formulas.

What essence this magic formula expressed.

Normally, I'd struggle to visualize the meaning of convoluted constructs.

Now, I could instantly comprehend the essence of the formula.

And that led to faster computation speeds.

To greater destructive power.

To true interpretation of the essence.

I just had to express the contained essence in my own way.

I recalled the 4th-circle spell [Clumsy Dance of the Blade Wind].

The erratic ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠blade winds tracing lines in their dance.

The clumsy dance lines gradually refined.

Adding two more lines to the original clumsy dance, creating a skilled blade wind dance.

Larger, more brilliant blade winds tore through space.

Professor Multipl, who'd been using only attack spells, finally pulled out a defense.

His computation wasn't done yet, but how did I know it was defensive? I sensed it.

Even without projection, I could see the magic formula he was drawing.

A spell I hadn't learned, but I knew it was defensive.

Kwa-cha- chik cha-chak-

The sound of his defensive magic shredding under the blade winds echoed slowly.

In the meantime, I was already computing the next 6th-circle spell.

My mana, around 270,000, was nearly depleted.

Using two great Gonic spells simultaneously consumed a ton.

This would probably be the last one.

One entity exists at a random position.

Thinking the usual way, you'd place a dot anywhere.

A thick, long barrel stretches its maw toward that dot.

A sniper who's survived countless battlefields holds the long rifle.

He's wounded, with only one bullet left.

It's hard to even pull the trigger properly.

But the final bullet infused with the marksman's will to complete his last masterpiece.

With a whoosh, a small bullet fired.

The wobbling projectile soon found its path and pierced the target sharply.

Urk-

This was before Professor Multipl finished his defensive computation.

With a gasp from the professor, all my spells released me.

My senses returned to normal, and the world resumed its original speed.

Beep-

The duel ended.

The professor's protective magic activated, and the result was my victory.

Pierced by the final bullet, Professor Multipl slumped down in disbelief.

"How could such a... thing..."

Contrary to expectations of a tough fight, using the Gonic spells made victory straightforward afterward.

Those two Gonic magics were that far beyond ordinary spells.

Especially [Dragon Sense]—it was unbelievable for a 6th circle.

In short, it let me use draconic senses.

But the effects were beyond imagination.

Simply put, it felt like most factors skyrocketed.

Magic visualized effortlessly, computation focus surged dramatically.

Reading the essence of mana boosted affinity and order factors too.

The boost was so huge that I even beat a professor.

Of course, if he'd used 7th or 8th circle, I'd have lost.

But with these two spells, I doubted I'd lose to peers often.

Still, I should refrain from using [Dragon Sense] casually.

Forget the mana drain—without it, I couldn't access draconic senses at all.

The euphoria from using it was completely gone now.

I couldn't even recall how I'd seen the essences.

While using [Dragon Sense], it felt like I could cast any magic.

But back to human senses, it was useless.

I still had to learn magic with human senses normally.

So what kind of world did FlapFlap, who always had that sense, live in?

Considering this was just 6th circle, her senses might be far more transcendent.

Anyway, it reconfirmed the awesomeness of Gonic magic.

I approached Professor Multipl, who'd been a great practice dummy.

He was still slumped in disbelief.

"That was a good duel, Professor Multipl."

It was supposed to be a 'guidance duel.'

But with this outcome, it sounded like I'd been the one going easy on him.

"Impossible. No first-year can compute that fast. And that last one..."

"Sorry, but it's real."

"No way... So that's why Archmage Duke..."

Multipl muttered like he'd lost his country.

While messing around on the gallery and cleaning up the training grounds, Professor Multipl stood up.

His expression was bizarre.

Like he'd given up on something, or resolved himself.

He walked over to me with heavy steps.

"Ian Isaac."

"Yes?"

He raised his hand.

Since magic hadn't worked, was he going for a punch?

Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a thick envelope.

"Archmage Duke told me to give this to you. I planned to hand it over after proper training, but here."

"Aren't you just giving it because you lost the duel?"

"...Take it."

I took the envelope from Professor Multipl.

He glared at me once after handing it over.

Then turned and trudged toward the training room door.

He stopped right before opening it.

And muttered in a small voice.

"Please... take good care of Archmage Duke..."

What? Too quiet to hear.

Whether I heard or not, he grumbled and left the training room.

"Retainers are all nuts..."

I opened the envelope Professor Multipl had given me.

It was quite thick with something inside.

And what it contained was completely unexpected.

My underwear.

"Thought I'd lost this."

The panties I'd thought gone while staying at Ilimost Archmage Residence.

They even smelled nice—had she washed them?

Was this what Isua wanted to give me?

I could've just tossed a single pair.

But panties are always welcome, so I pocketed them.

After recovering some mana, I headed to the cafeteria.

Hisenna, Elrim, and Chayuri Floridel were eating.

Hisenna and Elrim must've returned from their families.

"When'd you get back?"

I grabbed food and joined them.

"Ian! How was the founding festival?"

"When'd you sneak back, loser!"

"Yeah, it was good... But you guys returned quicker than expected?"

"Tower tour's soon."

Tower tour. Oh yeah, that was coming.

Checking the break schedule, less than a week left.

The three chatted endlessly about the tower tour.

I knew nothing about it, so I just listened.

This tower tour was a first-year-only program.

Many topics came up, but they ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠spent the most time on partners.

Activities during the tour were done in pairs, two per group.

As they talked, all three looked at me.

"S-so, partners... how?"

"What're you planning, loser?"

"This time, it should be me with Ian."

Déjà vu hit me.