Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Learning Magic (4)
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Etella walked with an ease that belied someone who had entered the Spirit Zone, continuing her explanation.
“Now, this is the basic form of the Spirit Zone. It uniformly occupies all the space. However, in a real battle, you rarely have the chance to use the entire space, except in special situations. Let me give you an example.”
Etella snapped her fingers, and a target appeared twenty meters away.
“With a sphere ten meters in diameter, you can't apply a magical effect to that target. You'd have to either move closer or expand the size of your Spirit Zone. But if you change its shape, another method becomes possible.”
Etella’s zone elongated in the direction of the target. The volume remained the same, but she had changed its shape to reach the target.
“When you change the shape of your mind, the shape of your Spirit Zone changes with it. Then, like this…”
Etella extended her hand and said.
“Fire.”
A burst of flame shot out, incinerating the target twenty meters away. The students, for whom this was their first class, stared with new eyes. Etella, whom they had dismissed for her gentle appearance, suddenly seemed magnificent.
“However, there is a fatal flaw with this method.”
The freshmen felt awkward at Etella’s next words. They were embarrassed to realize the demonstration they had just witnessed was actually a bad example.
“The shape of a zone can be modified in various ways. But if you have to calculate the shape every time in a battle where seconds count, it would be inefficient. Therefore, mages pattern a few forms. These are the four patterns of the Spirit Zone, also known as the Four Ways of the Zone.”
Shirone’s heart pounded at this new concept.
“The first of the Four Ways is the Defensive Form.”
Etella’s Spirit Zone tightened, transforming into a polyhedron with twenty triangular faces. It was a crude shape, but from a distance, it resembled a sphere.
“The basis of the Defensive Form is the polyhedron. You build a mental framework. The more frames it has, the stronger its durability, and it’s a shape that can protect the maximum number of allies. Next is the Offensive Form.”
Etella changed the shape of her Spirit Zone again. The surface area of the sphere seemed to shrink, and then dozens of long spikes shot out in all directions.
“The Offensive Form is called the Star Form. It reduces the central area in exchange for extending numerous zones outward. Since it covers all directions, you don’t need to consider the target’s location, and it’s useful when facing multiple enemies. Next is the Target Form.”
Etella’s zone transformed once more. Centered on her, the Spirit Zone extended to the north, south, east, and west, forming a cross.
“The basis of the Target Form is the cross. It has the longest range among the basic forms of the Four Ways. Its firepower is weaker than the Offensive Form, but it can easily lock onto targets. You rotate the zone around the mage to acquire the target.”
With a snap of her fingers, targets began to circle around Etella. In response, Etella tracked them with a sharp gaze.
“Flank, 45 degrees. Fire.”
Each time the spinning cross locked onto a target, a burst of fire was released. Spells were cast simultaneously forward, backward, left, and right, with no margin for error, as if she had eyes in the back of her head.
“What you must master in the Target Form is the rotation speed of the Spirit Zone. In extreme cases, there's a linear form with the maximum range, but it’s not used unless you’re a sniper type. This is because the mage is positioned at one end of the linear shape, making it extremely difficult to change direction.”
Having demonstrated the three forms, Etella paused to clean her glasses.
“Finally, the Detached Form is about moving the center of the zone. In other words, you could say it’s like moving your brain.”
Shirone couldn’t understand her. The center of the zone was the mage’s head. How could one possibly move it?
Etella returned to the basic form.
A moment later, the Spirit Zone began to move, maintaining its spherical shape.
After ten seconds, the Spirit Zone had completely separated from Etella’s body.
Shirone was aghast. If the zone was the mage’s mind, then what on earth was at the center of that zone?
“This is the Detached Form. It’s a special form among the Four Ways. If the Spirit Zone is about the unity of self, the Detached Form could be called unity with the world. The farther it detaches, the smaller the zone becomes, and it’s a method so difficult to learn that there are mages who specialize only in it. However, it is the fastest-moving of the Four Ways and activates instantly.”
Finally, Etella demonstrated the Four Ways in succession. Her zone solidified into a polyhedron, then bristled into a star shape, stretched into a cross, and returned to a sphere before detaching from her body and rapidly circling around her.
“Whoaaaa…”
The students of Class Seven finally understood. The continuous transformation of the Four Ways was not something one could achieve with just one or two years of practice. The teacher before them was not a clumsy pushover, but a certified Grade 6 mage.
“From now on, you will be training in these Four Ways. You’ll practice the four forms repeatedly. Now, let’s begin practicing by class.”
The students received instruction differentiated by difficulty level. Shirone, too, attended Etella’s class with the other Class Seven students.
“First, let’s go over the Defensive Form. Mages tend to specialize in areas that suit their dispositions, but it’s always good to consistently polish your Defensive Form. It allows you to maintain focus on a chaotic battlefield, and most importantly, it gives you the strength to resist Anti-Magic.”
Shirone recalled the warning he had heard yesterday. The staff member hadn’t answered him, but the question had remained.
“Professor, I have a question. Ah! Um, may I ask a question?”
“Haha, feel free to ask anything. I hope your question isn’t whether you can ask a question, is it?”
“No. Why is Anti-Magic a forbidden magic? Many mages are actually researching it legally, aren’t they?”
“Hmm, let’s see. There are two types of Anti-Magic: the kind wielded by mages, and artifacts. Are you aware of this?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Anti-Magic is less a form of magic and more a Spirit Zone with special properties. That’s why its effectiveness varies depending on the mage’s mind. That’s what makes it different from artifacts.”
“So you’re saying it can be dangerous if approached carelessly.”
“Exactly. An accident can occur if it’s cast ineptly. Mages who specialize in Anti-Magic train in it their entire lives. Most of them have ruthless personalities. The academy doesn’t wish to encourage such a path for students like you.”
Shirone nodded. It was a form of magic that destroyed another’s mind, not something to be researched within the confines of a school.
“Alright! Now, let’s get back to practicing the Four Ways.”
The students of Class Seven each began to practice. Shirone also practiced the Defensive Form. The trick was to first establish a mental framework and then connect it.
After practicing for a while, Shirone felt his Spirit Zone solidifying and his eyes snapped open. He couldn’t confirm it since he wasn’t in an Image Zone, but he clearly felt he had accomplished something.
While Shirone’s convergent disposition certainly helped, it was an astonishing achievement even considering that. It was the fruit of his six years spent training solely in the Spirit Zone.
“Whoa! Look at that!”
Just then, his classmates shouted, pointing at the Image Zone. The students of Class Four had been taking turns practicing, and now Amy was putting on a spectacular show.
Amy was using the Target Form. Her cross rotated 90 degrees to the right, then 270 degrees back to the left, firing off flames as it twisted through unpredictable angles.
The zone’s length was about twenty meters, a modest range for the Target Form, but the speed of its axial rotation was beyond imagination.
Even as targets popped up from all sides, the number of flames shot from the four directions was at the level of rapid-fire.
After annihilating 120 targets in an instant, Amy retracted her zone. Beautiful looks and exceptional skill. The underclassmen looked up at her with sparkling eyes.
“That senior is Carmis Amy, right?”
“First Rank, drop-dead gorgeous, and skilled on top of that. If I could just date a senior like her, my school life would be perfect.”
“Give it up. I heard over a hundred guys have asked her out. And she hasn’t given a single one the time of day.”
“What do you expect? The Carmis family is a renowned family in the kingdom.”
Listening to the conversation among the Class Seven kids, Shirone had a sudden realization. Why would a girl from such a good family have been hanging out with thugs six years ago?
As he was thinking this, Shirone flinched. Amy, stepping down from the Image Zone, was staring straight at him. Naturally, the other students’ gazes followed.
“What? Do they know each other?”
“No way. He just enrolled yesterday, right?”
“Don’t tell me she’s fallen for him? She’s someone who hates even making eye contact with guys.”
Hearing the whispers, Amy quickly looked away. How could she make such a mistake? But honestly, she was going crazy with worry.
To Amy, Shirone was the only person who knew about her immature past. Of course, it wasn’t as if she was fully mature now, but she had cut all ties with her past since she started learning magic.
‘This is bad. I’m about to be a senior. If a rumor spreads now, everything could go up in smoke. What do I do?’
Amy returned to her seat, but no other student tried to use the Image Zone. She was indisputably the top-ranked student in the advanced class; anyone who went up next would only be embarrassed in front of the underclassmen.
Shirone saw this as his chance and approached Etella.
“Professor, if it’s alright, may I give it a try?”
“Hm? In the Image Zone?”
Etella tilted her head. Was there any reason for a student who had just begun learning the principles of the Four Ways to use the Image Zone?
“Just a moment… The rule is that the upperclassmen use it first.”
Etella waited for a moment. But still, no one moved to use the Image Zone. Deciding it was better to let him get some experience than to let the expensive device sit idle, she gave her consent.
“Alright. It might be good for you to try it out. However, don’t raise any targets. You could get hurt.”
“Yes, Professor. I thought it would be good to see the image of the Defensive Form with my own eyes.”
“Hm?”
Etella asked what he meant, but Shirone didn’t hear her and left.
As he stepped onto the Image Zone, the upperclassmen whistled and clapped. It was clearly more of a jeer to see a little show than encouragement, but Shirone paid them no mind and walked to the center.
Amy, who was drinking water, turned her head at the commotion. The moment she saw Shirone, she spat out the water in her mouth.
“Pfft!”
“Amy, are you okay? What’s wrong?”
“What on earth is he doing? What does a Class Seven kid think he can do up there?”
The unexpected happening turned the class into something like a break time. But Shirone was concentrating seriously.
As he entered the Spirit Zone, a sphere rapidly inflated. The moment he saw it with his own eyes, he felt breathless. Overwhelmed by the image, Shirone subconsciously stopped the expansion.
The boisterous students fell silent. The zone was twenty meters in diameter. Considering the average for Class Seven was thirteen meters, it was safe to say a major new talent had arrived.
“Wow! It’s huge.”
“Hmph. Just making it big doesn’t make it magic. It’s no different from an air bubble.”
Shirone was flustered. The frame he had successfully created before entering the Image Zone was now bending like taffy.
‘Why isn’t it working?’
Did seeing the Spirit Zone with my own eyes break my concentration? Of course, that was a definite possibility.
But Shirone didn’t think he was that weak. The problem had to be something more fundamental.
‘Ah! That’s it!’
If he tried to execute the Four Ways in his current state, his Spirit Zone would inevitably collapse. As a beginner, Shirone needed far more mental energy to change forms than an expert would.
It was like trying to build a structure without enough materials. A twenty-meter diameter wasn’t enough to construct a frame as hard as steel.
‘I have to make it as big as possible.’