Magic (3): Who Needs Spell Formulas?

The three components that make up magic are mana, imagery, and formula. First you paint the image of the magic through imagery. Then you calculate and construct the foundation to realize that image using the formula. Finally, you pour mana into the result obtained by interpreting the completed formula, and imagination takes form as magic materializes in reality. That was the basic principle of magic.

“...Hmm.”

I frowned as I looked down at my phone.

“Who says I’m dying?”

No way in hell. Thinking that, I stared even harder at the formula. The complex diagram made of countless blood-red lines. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Solving it was obviously impossible. It was like asking a kid who just started elementary school to solve calculus.

So I changed my way of thinking a little.

“...Do I really have to calculate it?”

“...”

I grabbed the flow of mana and wrapped it around my finger. The density was a bit thinner outside the Tower, but there was no problem moving it.

...So this was allowed?

“...”

I carefully raised my hand and pointed it at the empty plastic cup on the table. I closed my eyes and focused every ounce of my mind inward. The chatter of people filling the café gradually faded until nothing could be heard or seen.

I poured all my senses into my imagery. The scene of a slash flying from my hand and slicing the cup completely filled my pitch-black field of vision.

For a moment I felt as if I had been cut off from the world. It was the same sensation I felt when swinging a sword. The boundary between sword and arm disappeared, and the sword felt like it had always been part of my body. This time that sensation spread throughout my entire being… giving me a strange feeling that the boundary between me and the world was blurring.

Standing on the boundary between imagery and reality, I casually spat out a single word.

“Space Slash.”

That one phrase became the passageway connecting my imagery to reality.

Schlick—!

In the silent world, a short cutting sound rang inside my head. When I carefully lifted my eyelids, I saw a plastic cup sliced diagonally, its clean cross-section gleaming.

“...Oh.”

The first thought that hit me the moment I saw that clean cut was—

…Am I actually a genius?

I looked at the formula again. Now that I knew the answer, I could see things I hadn’t noticed at first.

Only then did I truly understand the ‘exact’ blueprint of this magic.

Space Slash wasn’t simply shooting sword energy. It was a technique that could cut anything within the reach of your mana, regardless of distance. Of course it consumed more mana the farther the target, but… it was still an incredibly versatile spell. I was already curious what kind of terrifying power it would show when combined with Heavenly Shattering Star Sword.

The things I hadn’t understood at all suddenly made perfect sense, and pure joy boiled up inside me. Suppressing my excited heart, I sent a message to Cheon Hwaryen.

I immediately stood up and headed toward the giant Tower standing tall in the middle of Gwanghwamun Square.

I slipped my phone into my pocket and casually lifted my head to look at the sky. My transparent blue eyes caught the starlight pouring down from above.

“...”

I quickly swiped away the ugly indirect message window. Support my ass. It was a combination of letters that should not exist, one that harmed a beautiful girl’s mental health.

“It was clearly daytime outside the Tower…”

My pure-white cloak fluttered in the night wind. I stood in the center of a colosseum-like arena enclosed on all sides, waiting for my enemies.

And then—

Looking up at the status window, a single phrase popped out of my mouth.

“I wonder what’ll come out this time…”

The tutorial had been a general skeleton. The first floor had been orcs.

“It’d be nice if something fun appears.”

The harder the better. If it’s too easy it’s boring, and it feels lame to brag about it on the gallery afterward.

And the Tower did ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠not betray my expectations.

Thud—thud—

The ground shook. The enormous presences I felt from far away reached me through the trembling air.

“...”

I gripped the wooden sword in my hand tightly. It was the practice sword I had gotten from the swordsmanship training hall in the first-floor neutral zone.

The next instant.

Clang—!

The massive gates set up around the arena swung open, and from beyond them poured giant beast-type monsters. Five winged lions. Ten monster bears whose bodies looked five times larger than normal bears. The beasts charging through ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the darkness with blood-red eyes had only one target.

The woman standing in the center of the arena.

“...”

I raised the wooden sword in my hand. At the same time, the smile that had been on my face the whole time froze coldly.

Perfect middle stance with not even the slightest imbalance. The beasts that met my cold gaze instinctively froze on the spot.

The wooden sword was enveloped in violet sword flames. And before the beasts could charge again—

Dozens of afterimages were drawn in the empty air. They were the formulas for Space Slash.

The next instant.

Slaaaaaash—!

Dozens of violet sword strikes born from the tip of the sword leaped across space and simultaneously severed the necks of every monster scattered throughout the arena.

“...Hoo.”

Feeling the power surging violently inside me, I tossed the now-useless broken wooden sword onto the floor. The moment it touched the ground it crumbled into black ash and scattered away.

“My head hurts…”

Still, I won, so it’s all good. Now I just have to go to that old man, show him Space Slash, and today’s work is done.

“I can head there now…”

Thinking that, I looked up at the space that was cracking and collapsing with a loud noise. Once that space completely broke down, I would return to the 2nd-floor neutral zone.

However… at some point the collapse of space suddenly stopped.

One of the stars began radiating a red light.

…Wait, why?