Chapter 48

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 48

Chapter Title: 5 Months

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I was watching Oz practice her 6th Circle magic from the sidelines.

I had already confessed to her that I had reached the 6th Circle. I would be relying on her help a lot going forward, so I couldn't hide something like that from her.

That said, I hadn't told her everything.

I had deliberately asked Oz only for magic books on attributes other than ice.

For ice-related magic books, having just the 6th Circle ones was enough.

After all, if I went around collecting 4th and 5th Circle ice magic books after reaching the 6th Circle, anyone who saw it would think it was suspicious.

I'd have to handle that on my own.

6th Circle magic books were impossible to hide since I needed help obtaining them.

Oz probably thought I was still at the 4th Circle.

That had been my level back at the Academy.

A few years had passed since then, but Circles weren't something you climbed easily the higher you went.

So it wasn't surprising that she looked shocked.

But the way she quickly composed herself suggested she considered such an overt reaction rude.

Oz glanced down at the stack of books she had brought before asking cautiously.

"But you've reached the 6th Circle, and you're still trying to learn other attributes?"

"Artifact crafting is important to me too. It's good to have a broad knowledge of various attributes."

"Hmm... I see."

Oz nodded along, apparently at a loss for words.

Or maybe not.

She stood there with her hands behind her back, hesitating to leave, so perhaps she still had something to say.

Why wasn't she speaking up?

The awkward silence prompted me to break it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠first.

I asked if it was okay to show her some 6th Circle magic.

I had just finished casting a few spells and was catching my breath anyway, so I figured she could watch for a bit.

She possessed a rare intangible property in her wind-attribute magic.

It was an uncommon trait, yet it meshed so perfectly with the wind that it unleashed tremendous power.

The spell she demonstrated before me tore through space with intangible wind.

It wasn't completely intangible like her trait. You could still see the air warping and rippling like jelly.

But its power was terrifyingly merciless.

At higher Circles, it might truly become imperceptible to the naked eye.

Its destructive potential was already overwhelmingly dominant.

Especially for covert combat like assassinations or ambushes, few spells would suit it better.

I found myself analyzing Oz's trait just as I had done with Merin's magic. There wasn't much to say about her wind magic itself.

Ways to better utilize the intangible trait.

Unlike amplification types, various possibilities flashed through my mind.

Just then, Oz turned toward me through her wind-whipped hair.

As if asking what I thought.

I clapped first.

She fidgeted with her lips awkwardly for a moment before giving a small smile and saying,

"I was nervous, so it didn't come out right."

"It was hard for me to see... Because of the intangible trait?"

"Yeah."

It had been a renowned talent even back at the Academy.

"I still can't manifest it completely intangible. Maybe that's why I can't reach the 7th Circle."

I spoke up as if the thought had just occurred to me.

"How about this? Instead of just blurring the wind's form, blur the boundary with other substances, or make it invisible to the eye but emphasize its presence so it keeps nagging at your senses."

"...Really? I've never thought of that."

"Try it out—"

"Huh? Wait a sec."

Oz cut me off and sank into her own thoughts.

Had my words helped? It would be great if I could forge and show her the pattern directly, but I decided it was too soon to reveal that much.

Not wanting to interrupt her flow, I left the training grounds.

Of course, I had something to do myself.

In such a vast training facility, there had to be a private practice room.

I returned to the guest room prepared for me and lay down on the bed.

This time of day, no one would disturb me.

As soon as I lay down, my consciousness shifted elsewhere.

I recalled the Hero's Tomb.

My vision flipped dramatically.

It blurred for a moment, and when I blinked, I stood in thick fog.

Only my consciousness had been drawn here.

I generated some derivative primal mana and fixed it in place.

A faint line of light extended through the space. It guided me like a path, and I followed it familiarly.

Soon, the Hero's Tomb emerged from the mist.

I had been concerned about the sword still embedded there, and after hearing about the great being in the chat room, I had planned to come back anyway.

I approached the giant tree first. With the light sustained, I could see the intricate patterns and tangled lines filling every crevice of the grain.

I still couldn't comprehend them.

I traced the grain, ignoring the inscrutable shapes and lines, but found nothing unusual.

I tried scratching it lightly with my fingernail, but it was no use.

'Is it still alive?'

It looked a bit blackened, like it might already be dead.

I couldn't be sure.

Besides, this was a space within my consciousness.

Certainty was even harder here.

I turned my gaze to the sword next.

The blade half-buried in the tomb.

I reached out to pull it, but as expected, it didn't budge.

Examining an artifact didn't require holding it, though. The exposed part was enough.

Assuming it was an artifact, of course.

'No way the Hero's sword...'

I examined the unimpressive sword's mana flow.

But no mana flow indicative of an artifact was visible.

Had all its power drained? Just as disappointment set in,

I spotted a single thread of mana protruding from the pommel.

I couldn't help but be startled.

'Is it possible for only a single mana thread to remain?'

Threads normally enveloped the mana flow.

When the flow unraveled, the threads lost power and vanished.

Yet here was a solitary thread, intact and resilient.

'...How is this possible?'

Artifacts of relic grade or higher had threads too sturdy for just one to remain so neatly.

It felt strongly like it had been left for future generations.

I cautiously reached out and grasped the mana thread.

The sword's purpose flashed clearly in my mind.

Holy Sword.

A blade only the Hero could draw.

The chosen Hero could wield the power imbued in this sword freely.

And that power.

Primal mana.

I released the thread.

'...So the Hero was a being who borrowed primal mana, after all.'

Combining it with the epitaph, the one who imbued the primal mana in this sword was the lord, while the borrower was the vassal.

'Do I need to craft the Hero's sword?'

Or repair this one?

With the mana thread remaining so perfectly... Recreating it myself wasn't impossible.

It was just absurd that even one thread endured.

Of course, at my current level, it would only be derivative primal mana.

'Still... All those great feats the Hero accomplished in the past. Were they all thanks to primal mana?'

Even derivatives held infinite potential. What must true primal mana have been like?

Or perhaps the Hero was so powerful that it created an explosive synergy.

I couldn't gauge it yet.

For now, I withdrew my consciousness.

In the end, only one task remained for me.

Training.

Using true primal mana properly would only be possible after reaching the source.

Five months had passed.

I had aged a year, and in that time, I had bought some land and built a simple training ground.

It cost a pretty penny.

I needed construction that could withstand magical power.

The upside was that I had mastered other-attribute magic up to the 4th Circle and raised them to 5th Circle level.

As expected from someone already at the 6th Circle, progress was swift.

The aid from calculation artifacts had been huge.

Ironically, my ice-attribute magic remained at the 4th Circle.

From now on, I needed to focus there to refine my true 6th Circle power.

The chat room had been quiet during that time.

Because of Anonymous (3).

Anonymous (3) hadn't said a word since joining, and as the atmosphere grew weird enough ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to make people hesitant about sharing important info,

The message from the much-anticipated Anonymous (3) arrived.

I frowned.

I had set it to recognize most major race languages... Was it a minor tribe like the Pale Water Tribe?

...Surely not part of the forces of evil?

Serkanos?

An unfamiliar word.

Before I could even ponder its meaning, Anonymous (1) responded quickly.

Anadin Tribe.

What was that?

First time hearing it.

This was the first person to reveal their identity so easily, but it was also the first time I had no clue who they were.

Still, talking about the great ranks... And claiming such a being as their father suggested an ancient race.

Deep Sea Tribe, huh... When did my manaphone reach that far?

I had hidden one near the ocean, though.

...What to do?

An ancient race whose name I'd never even heard.

No ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠idea what kind of request it would be.

I might not even be able to go looking just because they said so.

There were no read receipts in this chat room.

It wasn't a modern messenger app.

But dodging a response would seem suspicious.

Anonymous (1) didn't reply.

Dodging a tricky question, perhaps.

'Feels like looking at myself.'

The conversation wrapped up like that, and I prepared to head out.

My goal was to acquire 4th and 5th Circle ice magic books.

Moving as Ivan would only invite unnecessary suspicion.

Fortunately, I had another face prepared for situations like this(?).

Cedric.

I disguised myself as Cedric and headed to the capital.

I planned to visit Jenjen.

Jenjen wasn't particularly tight-lipped.

He might have already leaked my info everywhere.

That was something I'd anticipated from the start.

I'd used it to solidify Cedric's image in the underworld, after all.

If anything, it would make activities easier to some extent. I hadn't done much, so no deep entanglements with other factions.

Upon arriving in the capital, I holed up in an inn until nightfall, then stepped into the streets.

As fewer people appeared in the paths, my eyes caught on something oddly out of place.

A person in clothing that didn't suit the dingy alley at all.

And I recognized that outfit.

Academy uniform. A training sword hung at the waist. Sheathed, but the blade would be fully blunted if drawn.

Likely a Knight Faculty student.

Short golden bob cut. Her blue eyes held a straightforward, resolute aura.

An impression of impeccable neatness without a hint of disarray.

Anyone could tell she didn't belong here at a glance, so naturally, eyes—including mine and those around—turned to her.

But that wasn't the only reason I couldn't look away.

Near her heart. The spot where a mage's Circle should be.

Something that shouldn't be visible from her was there.

A tiny but brilliant light.

Primal mana.