Chapter 38
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Enlightenment
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Once my mana had fully recovered, I shaped and fixed Aryu's primordial mana.
Then the vanished text reappeared.
Heir to the roots, you are not a servant but the master. Though the sword belongs to the Black Hero, the hand that illuminates the light of creation and leads fate is yours.
The sword embedded before the grave belonging to the Black Hero. And the phrase "faithful servant" carved on the tombstone, contrasted with the words declaring that the heir to the roots is not a servant but the master.
For now, the grave right in front of me seemed to be the hero's tomb, without a doubt.
And this inscription floating on the stone slab next to the hero's tombstone felt like it was definitely aimed at me.
Or could there be someone else who knew of this power besides me?
Even if there was, the clear fact was that I had reached this place first.
This time, I could carefully examine the lines engraved below it without distraction.
And the moment I lowered my gaze further.
Long strings of sentences poured into my view.
It wasn't so much reading them one by one as them burrowing deep into my mind, imprinting themselves.
The sensation vaguely resembled the heavy enlightenment that had crashed over me like waves not long ago.
A colossal hand rummaging through my brain—that inscrutable coercion was an uncomfortable feeling I still hadn't adapted to, but reason whispered to me.
That if a one-eyed man is trying to gain a second eye, he has to endure at least this much.
Still, since I'd already experienced it once, instead of drifting aimlessly through delusions without understanding, I could consciously grasp the flow this time.
Fortunately, if that previous enlightenment had felt like cramming massive information forcibly into me, this one was closer to organizing it into a coherent framework.
In other words, a basic explanation of the central system.
The problem was that this "basic" explanation shook the very foundations of this world to the core.
It pinpointed the contradictions I'd vaguely sensed since attending the Academy, and revealed the true nature of the enlightenment that had overwhelmed me upon first encountering primordial mana.
I finally understood exactly why I'd sensed magic's hierarchy only as a side branch until now.
The Creation System was originally divided into five stages.
Phenomenon, Quality, Principle, Origin, Creation.
Strictly speaking, the first two stages merge into one, which then passes through the center and extends more robustly upward—like the trunk of a massive tree rising from its roots.
Phenomenon and Quality.
Neither could be said to take precedence over the other.
Only by understanding both could one step into the central system of Principle, and from there advance to Origin and Creation.
And among them, what the current era's magic world dealt with was... solely Phenomenon.
Phenomenon.
The most basic stage, the one ordinary mages spent their entire lives handling.
In truth, it was ambiguous even to limit it to mages.
'Isn't it true that not just humans, but all races are essentially stuck at the Phenomenon stage?'
I hadn't met every Transcendent, but even those who didn't use magic had training methods intimately tied to mana.
In any case, the higher the hierarchy in this Phenomenon stage, the stronger the power to manipulate phenomena, resulting in amplified magical might.
And Quality.
The stage of understanding and applying the hidden properties of mana.
A field thoroughly ignored by the magic world, the domain I'd delved into alone while others focused on elevating their Phenomenon hierarchy.
To them, it was about concentrating on how to use already-given attributes, without digging into the details.
Like a blessing from the gods. They dismissed it as mere talent.
But I'd invested immense time researching by classifying patterns of numerous attributes and properties, even forging them.
In fact, one could say I'd poured nearly all my time into this alone.
The third stage is Principle.
Only upon reaching this could one truly say they'd crossed the threshold into the central system.
Principle was the bridge connecting Phenomenon and Quality.
Strictly speaking, all three stages interconnect, but because the magic world disregarded Quality, Principle hadn't properly emerged either.
Principle isn't merely observing phenomena—it's understanding their operating principles.
Grasping Principle exponentially expands the scope of attributes and properties.
Among mages who'd reached 7th rank in Phenomenon, some had partially grasped this Principle.
Through long use of their given attributes and properties, they naturally comprehended the limited Principle within that scope.
That was why, even among 7th-rank mages, some could use chantless casting while others couldn't.
And fully understanding Principle allows advancement to Origin.
The stage of transcending the limits of single attributes, piercing through all attributes and unifying them.
Distinctions like fire, water, wind vanish, all attributes converging into one primordial mana.
That's right.
One must reach the Origin stage to use primordial mana.
I could only mimic it similarly for now; I wasn't truly wielding primordial mana.
Thanks to handling various attributes and properties, my understanding of Principle was already above a certain level, but that didn't mean I'd fully entered the central system.
'It was because my training in Phenomenon was lacking.'
And the stage beyond Origin was Creation.
"...Huh?"
But the final Creation stage was just named, with nothing else.
No other content.
As if the record had been severed midway.
The inscription reached the end of the tombstone.
I checked other parts, but that really was it.
Of course, just learning the true meaning of the enlightenment I'd vaguely felt was meaningful enough...
'Still disappointing.'
How to advance from Origin to Creation, what Creation enables.
None of it was revealed.
There was surely a deeper secret.
My gaze turned to the intricate patterns carved into the great tree beyond the tombstone.
They definitely resembled magic patterns.
This seemed related to elevating the Origin hierarchy...
Of course, it was something I didn't need to know right now.
I hadn't reached Origin yet, after all.
'So, in the end, I need to raise the remaining hierarchies too.'
I'd delved only into Quality's hierarchy to reach Principle.
And even grasped Principle to a certain extent.
If I fulfilled my understanding of Phenomenon, I could reach Origin.
Comparing my Quality hierarchy to other mages, I'd already reached 7th rank.
And not just for one attribute, but across multiple attributes and properties.
I could even push Quality further to 8th rank and become a Transcendent.
No one would notice or acknowledge it, but from the central system's perspective, it was fact.
7th rank at twenty-six years old.
Transcendence right before me.
In fact, faster than Oz.
If I'd heard it somewhere as news, I wouldn't have believed it, but as the person involved, the emptiness was profound.
I didn't even aspire to immortality or godhood, but to think it felt this anticlimactic.
Maybe it'd change once I actually became a Transcendent.
But becoming a Transcendent by delving into one field alone held no meaning. I still wouldn't reach Origin.
The other Transcendents surely hadn't touched the central system either.
'But what about higher Transcendents who surpass nobility? Did they really not reach the central system?'
Then, a sudden thought flashed through.
The Transcendents of the forces of evil calling that being "Him."
That "Him" had apparently created a new magic system.
If "magic" was a generous interpretation for others' understanding.
It could mean a new system.
'Is he a Transcendent who reached the central system?'
But no matter how I thought about it, I couldn't imagine the one producing that black slime had touched the Creation System.
Then, was there another central system?
If the Creation System was one tree... it wouldn't be strange if other trees existed nearby.
Sharing magic as their common branch...
......to claim.
Each other...
......fighting.
Suddenly, my consciousness was forcibly shaken.
"Kuh..."
As my vision blurred and my head throbbed as if splitting apart.
I squeezed my eyes shut against the unbearable pain, and when I opened them, I was back in the modest inn room. The box in my hand was the same.
"Haa... haa..."
At the same time, I clearly sensed it.
The space with that grave still lingered within my consciousness.
If I wished, I could send my consciousness there anytime.
'Can only I go there?'
I instinctively felt it. That place was accessible only to me.
I could even bring items containing primordial mana along.
'If I can enter and exit freely whenever, I'd like to check beyond that fog too.'
The sword stuck in front of the grave was still on my mind.
But instead of heading back immediately, I sat down and organized my thoughts.
For one, my head hurt too much to even consider going. Just now, my consciousness had suddenly blurred and I'd been ejected.
I'd learned the true structure of the central system, which I'd only vaguely guessed at before.
What I lacked to reach Origin was understanding of Phenomenon.
'Tch... Guess I have to invest time in training like everyone else.'
It wasn't entirely daunting.
I'd neglected Phenomenon simply because I deemed it unnecessary.
I hadn't been confident that raising Phenomenon hierarchy would let me create a phone.
But upon reflection, reaching Creation might change everything.
Forget Creation—even just Origin...
'A manaphone is feasible.'
I had no special talent for Phenomenon, but I wasn't inferior to others either.
If it would help, there was no reason not to start training right away.
'No other stones visible with primordial mana?'
Just grasping the basic system had revealed how to reach Origin, but beyond that remained blank.
The inscription cut off there.
I wanted to know what followed.
'Well, since Joart knew the oracle...'
Had he seen the oracle directly?
The tombstone I'd seen?
I'd have to ask Joart when he came later.
'Anyway, how much time has passed?'
Subjectively, it felt like two full days immersed in enlightenment.
My head had hurt too much to notice, but the stone slab at my waist had been vibrating nonstop for a while.
The chat room folks were conversing among themselves.
Creating the clone was off the table for now.
Lina's group had probably left the corpse I'd requested at the designated spot, but this was a force-of-nature variable—no helping it.
I'd just participate as Philip in the regular meeting in a few days and pass the info to Anonymous (2).
That alone would help.
After sorting my thoughts, I pulled out the manaphone that had been buzzing for ages.
Seeing their conversation, quite some time had indeed passed.
The first message was from Anonymous (2).
She'd reported convincing her race and finally rallying them.
And declared they'd fight the forces of evil with that power.
Anonymous (1) said it was a good choice. As expected.
Anonymous (2) thanked me, but I'd missed replying somehow.
She seemed to have taken it in stride.
Now Anonymous (1) was talking.
Unable to find it no matter what, he'd confided in Anonymous (2) about his search target.
'A hero again...?'
I knew he was looking for someone, but I hadn't expected it to be a hero.
Precisely, an ancient hero.
Anonymous (2) said the hero was dead, but Anonymous (1) replied he already knew that.
What he sought was the land where the hero was buried.
Anonymous (2) said she didn't know that far.
That was where the conversation had left off just now.
It was only natural.
It wasn't just because Anonymous (2) was an elf with a reclusive nature.
No elf—or anyone—would know.
Because right now, the land where the hero was buried existed within my consciousness.
Just then, Anonymous (1) sent a message aimed at me.
I'd like to ask '0' for a favor.
I'll pay the price. Preferably something involving your body, if possible.