Ma?gic (1)
Ma?gic (1)
Magic.
The materialization of natural law at the cost of mana—in short, the manifestation of phenomena with mana as the price.
The art of magic was born alongside the Great Cataclysm.
In those days, most magic was simple and intuitive, better described as mana manipulation art, but in the modern era, countless varieties have been created, branching into dozens or even hundreds of schools.
The lowest-grade magic, Mana Strike.
Here, "lowest-grade" refers to the difficulty level of the spell formula as determined by the Magic Council, the most influential association of mages in the world.
Six tiers, notated identically to the hero and hunter grades set by the Association: Highest, High, Mid-High, Mid-Low, Low, and Lowest.
Lowest-grade—that is, magic of the easiest difficulty.
As I mentioned, the magic of the Great Cataclysm era was so simple and intuitive that it amounted to mana manipulation.
Mana Strike was like that too. The mages of the Great Cataclysm era subjugated monsters with magic akin to Mana Strike.
Time passed since then. Nearly two centuries—enough time for several nations to fall.
Two hundred years of every kind of monstrous calamity running rampant is more than enough time for the map to be redrawn.
And as time passed, magic advanced. Precisely because it was a chaotic era, the advancement of magic, which held the potential to quell that chaos, was steep.
- Fwip—
Inside the library, I let out a sigh as I sat reading magic texts stacked beside me.
Siyoram is unbelievably vast. Most of it is an area filled with dungeons, but the other sections are numerous and large as well.
The commercial district for buying and selling daily necessities, and the residential district where those who work there stay.
The area lined with dormitories for the cadets, nearby convenience facilities, learning zones divided by year, and so on.
That's why I've barely seen other years during my time at Siyoram. After the three-month free semester is lifted, there will be more interaction with other classes and years, but for now I haven't particularly run into them.
The grounds are so expansive that there are multiple libraries. This one is the library closest to the first-year zone.
There were only a few people in the library. Many first-year cadets were still in the process of returning from the dungeons.
The library itself was this large, but with so few people inside, the presence of others was almost nonexistent. Despite the warm-looking interior, I felt a sense of emptiness.
'Ugh...'
My thoughts had veered off course. The contents of the book were so complicated that the urge to flee welled up. I barely suppressed the pathetic thought.
I set aside the book I'd been reading and opened another one I'd brought in advance. Another text on magic.
I wondered why they insisted on paper books even though hologram technology was fairly commercialized.
Actually, opening a book was unnecessary for me, since I perceive the world through Spatial Perception rather than eyes.
I can read the contents of a book without opening it. It used to be a bit taxing, but after growing stronger upon entering the dungeon, it had become relatively easy.
But I opened it anyway. I did the same with other actions. I didn't need to open my mouth, and my eyes couldn't see, but I still faced people when I spoke to them.
Even though I couldn't taste, I chewed energy bars for my health, and even though it would put me in a bad mood, I sometimes ate proper food.
Even though I couldn't smell, I deliberately went out to the grassy field and at least went through the motions of taking in the scent.
After that, I'd feel awful. I couldn't enjoy what I used to enjoy. The contrast between the past and present ruined my mood.
At the same time, it sparked defiance and thirst. The thought that even though I'm in this state now, I'll eventually break the curse—and when I do, how sweet will the world I see with my eyes, and the tastes and scents, be?
A kind of self-motivation. I wanted to stoke my will bit by bit, even if it meant doing that.
...Ah, my thoughts have wandered again. Pathetic.
I set my pen down with a grimace. For a change of pace, I stretched both arms upward.
'Nnngh...'
A tingling, pleasant sensation ran from my fingertips down my spine. My mind felt sharply clear for a moment. I chased away the fatigue that had been whispering temptations at the back of my mind.
I opened the next book.
.
.
.
Let's think it over.
The Mana Strike I tested before entering the dungeon.
Its size was smaller than my torso, and its effective range was under ten meters. Its power was ambiguous, unable to properly split the ground.
The Mana Strike I used in the Green Ghost village after entering the dungeon.
Its size was twice my height. Its effective range, enough to cross the village, was roughly over thirty meters. Its power sliced through the earth like tofu and cleanly severed the arms of over a dozen 8th-Rank Green Ghosts and 7th-Rank Green Ghosts.
Lowest-grade magic
「Mana Strike」
- Krrk—!
The strike poured from my fingertips. The slash, which kicked up a rough blast of wind pressure, sheared across the target. Crak— the target weakly split in two and rolled across the floor.
A training facility I'd arrived at after leaving the library. A magic practice room meant to test spells.
A cluster of light flew into the target, split in half, and the gash carved into the floor, neatly filling in the gaps. The repair magic embedded in the facility.
'Hm...'
The strike just now was weaker than when I'd used it in the Green Ghost village. Similar output to when I'd tested it after returning to the base.
But there was a clear difference from before I'd entered the dungeon.
It was an undeniable, unambiguous increase in output.
Lowest-grade magic isn't widely favored. Because it's close to mana manipulation art, its formula is primal and intuitive.
Without any particular elemental change like the spells categorized as low-grade, nor any of the more diverse structures above that.
It's perceived as the very basics of basics, where you learn to construct a formula before moving on to low-grade.
There are broadly two ways the output of magic changes.
One, when the formula itself is altered.
A spell can be used after the caster modifies the formula to suit their own style.
Even though it's hard to find people who use the lowest-grade Mana Strike, there are many spells that either incorporate the formula of Mana Strike as a reference or utilize it separately.
I didn't modify the formula. I used it exactly as the original appeared in the text. So the first assumption is ruled out.
Two, the peculiarity of the mana used in the formula.
This is when the mana that comprises the formula influences the result.
As an example, I can cite Hong Yeon-hwa.
Hong Yeon-hwa doesn't use magic, but... if we assume she did, would Hong Yeon-hwa be able to use ice magic?
With mana that bears a fire element due to the Calamity Flame?
The answer is practically no. The formula would distort and fail mid-cast. When mana carries an element, magic that manifests a phenomenon contrary to it usually fails.
Thus, most mages either delve deep into one type of magic that matches their mana's properties or deliberately alter their mana's properties before use.
My mana also has a property.
- Your mana is incredibly clean.
Back when Professor Liana helped me with the basics of mana.
She had said that while examining the mana inside my core.
The purer the mana, the better. With no foreign matter, it flows smoothly, directly, and the manifested output increases.
Clean mana. A compliment that should make me feel good, but it feels odd to call that a 'property.'
- Mm... How should I explain it? Cadet Lee Ha-yul's mana is exceptionally clean, I'd say? It's somewhat different from the mana of other superhumans.
Superhumans train their mana incessantly after awakening.
They increase the size of their core, broaden and fortify their circuits. They increase their total mana and steadily cultivate their mana manipulation ability.
In that process, impurities creep in.
During the process of drawing in external mana not originating from oneself, impurities mix in and purity declines.
Therefore, preserving the purity of mana is an immensely difficult task.
The possibility that such mana purity could influence output. It's not nonexistent. But it's hard to explain the difference between using it outside the dungeon and inside it.
"Tch..."
Modifying the formula and the property of mana. It was difficult to find an answer with just these two reasons.
'I'd like to know the reason, if possible...'
My magic output had risen. It only felt abrupt because it happened so suddenly at the time, but on calm reflection, it was absolutely not a bad thing.
Rather, it's a matter to welcome with open arms. The only issue was the nagging feeling of not knowing the reason.
'...Spatial Perception?'
A final possibility. The only thing that changed upon entering the dungeon was Spatial Perception.
Its range had expanded, and its precision had doubled compared to before.
I still don't properly understand it, but it also felt like Spatial Perception had been strange somehow in the dungeon.
But setting that aside, is there any plausible connection for Spatial Perception to influence magic?
Not Mana Affinity or All-Rounder, but Spatial Perception?
'Complicated...'
I sighed and drew up mana. The mana, still faint compared to other cadets, shifted into a formula behind my back.
Low-grade magic
「Fireball」
- Fwoosh—!
A fireball bloomed behind my back. It was smaller than my own head.
Drawing a red line, the fireball shot forward and slammed into the target.
- Boom!
With a small explosion, the target hit by the fireball was destroyed to the point its original form was hard to discern. The debris scattering in all directions was the proof.
Today I'd even worked up to low-grade magic.
My mana manipulation level had risen, and perhaps because I'd used magic in the dungeon and my proficiency improved accordingly, I could handle basic low-grade magic.
Of course, the variety of magic is so vast that I'd only barely touched on the parts related to combat.
A faint sense of elation came over me. I was growing more smoothly than I'd worried.
I'd checked, and my martial skill level had already reached the heels of the cadets, and my unique abilities were gradually revealing their performance.
I'd also been initiated into mana, and Strong Body and Aura would be usable for long durations once my mana reserves improved.
And I was even working on magic. Right now, a few uses would drain my mana dry, but if I had enough mana, it would be a solid card to have.
If everything just got onto a decent track, there'd be fewer chances of me dropping dead suddenly in some random place.
In the Tower of Growth. As long as I just meet the target values there, I won't have to suffer while retrieving the Confession Necklace.
'Haa...'
The moment I thought about my mana reserves, a sigh escaped me automatically.
If only my mana were ample, I could use Strong Body, Aura, and magic all with ease.
The biggest problem is just increasing that mana reserve...
Was it the 5th Iteration? That was the round where my mana reserves were critically lacking, because I'd structured my route around magic.
So in the early stages, I resorted to all sorts of tricks and plundered hidden pieces to secure an elixir...
Now I can't obtain hidden pieces or anything else, so here I am.
'If only I could just eat one elixir...'
I even have Mana Affinity, so I could absorb it more efficiently.
I shook my head regretfully. An absurd fantasy. If it were so easily obtainable, it wouldn't be called an elixir...
I sighed and exited the magic practice room. I expanded my Spatial Perception, which I'd kept narrowed for concentration.
The range of my Spatial Perception spread wide open...
Inside the building, standing in a straight corridor.
A woman walking toward me from several paces away.
Her aqua hair, grown long enough to reach her waist, swayed gently.
Her eyes, reminiscent of a clear sea, blinked once before curving into a graceful smile.
It was a natural, soft smile that would instantly ease the tension of anyone who saw it.
"Hello? It's been a while since I've seen you."
Baek A-rin spoke with a smile. It was a smile and voice I'd often seen and heard in the 1st Iteration.
In the 8th Iteration, I had seen and heard different expressions and words.
- I'm sorry. Please die in my place.
A stiff, frozen expressionless face. A cold voice without inflection...
...A chill settled in a corner of my chest.