Chapter 140
Chapter 140
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 140
Chapter Title: Miro's Spacetime (4)
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Tess also felt her strength being drained, but she retracted her blade with flawless composure.
Her control of distance, her peak acceleration—everything was perfect. All eyes were fixed on the sphere.
The number 442 appeared. It was the first score to break 400.
What would the result be? Tess stared intently, her face devoid of emotion.
A moment later, the number vanished, and the orb glowed red.
“Hah, so it’s a no-go. What a shame.”
Tess turned away without hesitation. She understood why the other two had yelled about trying again, but following their example felt beneath her.
“Damn it! Is that thing broken or what? How can a stab from a saber score higher than a blunt weapon?”
The warrior screamed at the top of his lungs. For men who lived by their brute strength, losing to a woman might have been a blow to their pride, but from Tess’s perspective, it was simply pathetic.
“We both failed, so what’s the point of arguing? Besides, building strength and wielding it are two completely different things! Maybe you should practice your technique instead of just lifting rocks!”
“What! Are you looking down on my strength? Can’t you see these muscles? You got anything like this?”
Tess turned her head away as if she had just witnessed something repulsive. She figured it would be easier to have a conversation with a cow than to discuss finesse with a meathead.
“Are the swordsmen done? Then I suppose it’s my turn.”
An archer stepped forward, drawing the longbow from his back.
Judging by the results so far, it seemed physical force alone wouldn't be enough for a high score.
An arrow was still a physical attack, but the archer was confident. It was an expensive method, which stung a bit, but he would be a laughingstock if he didn't show off at least one of his tricks.
“Looks like he plans on using *that*.”
Just as the magician had predicted, the archer took an arrow from his quiver and removed its head. Then, from a sturdy leather pouch attached to his pants, he pulled out a uniquely shaped arrowhead.
The tip was not sharp but rounded like an almond, and it was a violet color, not the usual iron gray.
“Hmm, excellent. Let’s see what this can do.”
Amy’s eyes lit up at the sight of the uniquely colored arrowhead. That would surely deliver a much more powerful impact than a normal arrow.
“Shirone, look at that. It’s a mana bullet.”
“Oh? That’s one of them?”
Shirone had heard about mana bullets in class. They were objects created by infusing magic into mana crystals, which were extracted from nature in minuscule amounts.
The origin of mana crystals was a mystery, but the prevailing theory was that they were the result of a chemical reaction to unique natural phenomena.
For instance, lightning mana crystals could be harvested from arid plateaus or tropical rainforests where thunderstorms were frequent.
These harvested minerals showed an affinity for certain phenomena, and magitech engineers had succeeded in using this property to store magic within them.
Of course, this success was little more than laboratory science, hardly an achievement worth mentioning.
To utilize mana crystals in daily life, one needed the support of materials engineering to convert them into energy, and mechanical engineering to consume that energy in various forms.
The entire process, from mining mana crystals to their consumption by society, involved so much manpower and capital that it could be described as an industry in itself.
And one of the leading sectors in that industry was the production of lethal weapons: mana bullets.
“So that's the expensive mana bullet. How does it compare to the magic we use?”
“It’s not that they’re exceptionally powerful. The real advantage is that they allow non-mages to use magic. That one probably costs about a gold piece, even though the actual mana crystal inside the arrowhead weighs only ten grams.”
Shirone stuck out his tongue in surprise. One gold for a single shot of a bow? He could only imagine how much money was spent on the mana bullet barrages from three thousand archers he’d read about in history books.
“That’s incredible. I don’t think I could bring myself to use one; it'd feel like such a waste.”
“Well, we're mages, so of course we'd think about the cost. But in a real fight, having a mana bullet can be a matter of life and death. A single shot could save you from a hopeless situation.”
“I see. You know a lot about them, though. They never taught us that in class.”
“I only learned about it recently myself. My eldest brother came home because of an issue with a mana bullet shipment for the archer corps. Apparently, a supplier has been engaged in some shady dealings for the past year, but they can't figure out where the money is disappearing. I was curious and asked Nade about it, and he knew everything in detail, from the production process to the manufacturing techniques.”
“Huh? Nade? When did you ask him that?”
“Remember when school was closed after you woke up? I heard a rumor he made an invisibility cloak, which requires incredible skill. Nade could probably make mana bullets, too.”
“What? He can make those expensive things himself?”
“What, you didn't know? And you two call yourselves the best of friends?”
“Haha, well… It's just that Nade always shows me his stranger creations. Like a carriage that never stops, or a doll that can do twelve different silly dances.”
“I guess technology alone isn't enough. It’s a state monopoly, so you’d be arrested for illegal arms manufacturing without a license. Still, you should ask him to make you one sometime. I bet he would if you asked. Mana crystals can be bought cheap from the Alchemy Foundation.”
While Shirone and Amy were talking, the archer deactivated the safety on the mana bullet.
Impact-reactive mana bullets always had to have their safeties engaged unless one was passing through a dangerous area. If it went off after, say, getting hit by a carriage, you could lose a leg.
“Hey, I'm about to use a mana bullet. This one's a Lightning Arrow. You might get caught in the blast if you're too close, so back up.”
Shirone's group moved as far away as they could while still being able to watch. They expected Miro's Spacetime to absorb the magical power, but it couldn't hurt to be cautious.
As the archer drew the bowstring taut, the tension in the air seemed to rise. A moment later, with a *twang*, he released his hand, and the arrow shot out with a whistling sound, slamming into Miro's Spacetime.
The mana bullet reacted, unleashing a powerful lightning bolt.
However, the blue electricity crackled only within the orb. As expected, it seemed to be absorbing the magical energy as well.
The orb flashed for about three seconds before going still. *That was worth the price*, people thought as they waited for the score to appear.
1,020.
A four-digit score appeared, and a corner of the archer's mouth curled into a smile.
But the result was, unequivocally, a failure. Having achieved nothing despite a score over a thousand, the archer stepped down from the dais, ruing the money he had spent.
“Tch! What the—I just threw my money away.”
“I wouldn't say that. You look fine, physically. Are you alright?”
At Amy's words, the archer checked his own condition. He had seen the swordsmen's legs give out, but he felt perfectly fine.
“Huh? You're right. It seems it doesn't sap an archer's strength. Miro's Spacetime must only measure impact damage.”
“That's a useful piece of information in itself. So, what will you do? Try again?”
The archer stared intently at the orb. He’d scored the highest so far, so he didn't feel too bad. Still, he had no intention of wasting any more money.
“Nah. I doubt using a different element would change much, and I don't think I can pass this way. It'd just be a waste of another mana bullet.”
Amy readily agreed.
“In that case, I guess it's the magicians' turn? Shirone, who should go first? You or me?”
The magician on the mercenary's side sneered and pointed at Amy.
“Why don't you go ahead? I'll be right after you, so we'll get a clear comparison of who's stronger.”
Amy accepted the challenge without hesitation. Come to think of it, she still had a score to settle with that woman.
“Alright. Shirone, I'm going first, okay?”
“Yeah. Show her what you've got. You can do it!”
Shirone believed Amy had a real chance. Her specialty was fire magic, which excelled in offense. What's more, she focused on target-type spells that emphasized the power of a single strike.
There were countless types of magic, and trends shifted with new developments, but the fire element had always been a powerhouse, consistently ranking at the top for sheer destructive force.
But Amy was being careful. Standing on the dais, she calculated which spell to cast.
‘This is surprisingly tricky. The distance is too short to use Sniper Mode. Should I just attack with a target-type spell? But then the power will drop.’
Unlike ice magic, which was limited by absolute zero, fire magic had no theoretical upper limit for temperature.
Drawn by that infinite potential, countless magicians chose fire, but even for the most skilled among them, breaking the one-thousand-degree-Celsius barrier was a difficult feat.
Nevertheless, fire was powerful. Most things on the planet were subject to the dominion of a thousand degrees.
Living creatures, wood, and most metals—with the exception of iron—would inevitably be consumed by that heat.
But just as no element was perfect, fire magic had its drawbacks.
Namely, its lack of weight.
The total energy was immense, but it lacked concussive force. To compensate, it was often combined with air magic to enhance its impact, a prime example being the spell Flame Strike.
‘However, the nature of Flame Strike is that its power increases with distance. In a situation like this, would it be better to focus purely on fire?’
Since Miro's Spacetime measured magical power, not just physical impact, competing with a pure-type spell that focused solely on raising temperature was a viable strategy.
Thinking of a spell that fit the criteria, Amy made her decision.
‘Fireball.’
Two flames ignited above Amy's palms. They were meant to be spheres, but the nature of fire caused them to form teardrop shapes that licked upward.
The difference between magical fire and natural fire was density. Fire magicians controlled this density to raise the temperature. Furthermore, as the temperature rose, they could also increase the radius of the flames.
From her stance, holding the flames, Amy simply flicked her wrists. A crimson ball of fire, glowing like molten lava, shot forward, leaving a trail behind it.
The instant the flames hit, Miro's Spacetime drank them in. A tremendous vortex of fire churned endlessly inside the orb.
When the score finally appeared, the crowd let out a collective gasp.
3,270.
It was the highest score yet. And judging by the previous results, it seemed unlikely anyone would surpass it.
The archer realized Shirone and his friends were no ordinary students. His Electric Arrow, amplified by a mana bullet, had scored 1,020. For a basic spell like Fireball to be more than three times as powerful meant their magical proficiency was on a completely different level.
Amy, however, scowled. As if to mock her effort, Miro's Spacetime was emitting a fierce red glow.
“What the hell! What more does it want?”
She hadn't expected to care, but failing made her furious.
“Hehehe! Just as I'd expect from a brat. I believe it's my turn now?”
“Hold on! I'm going to try Sniper Mode. I'm going to see this through today and find out just what this thing is demanding.”
Shirone walked toward the dais with a troubled smile. Amy's competitive streak was second to none; she would never step down unless he went to stop her personally.
“Calm down first. If you get angry and lose your focus, your score will only get worse.”
“Argh, seriously! Shirone, I am absolutely trying again. Got it?”
The magician who had stepped onto the dais looked back at Amy and said.
“What a coincidence, we're the same type of magician. I use fire magic, too. As a favor, I'll stoop to your level and use a Fireball.”
‘Hmph, that's rich. As if you weren't thinking the exact same thing.’
Amy responded with a snort. Losers didn't get to talk back, and even the thought of replying was irritating.