Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Limitless (3)
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The students’ expressions turned to bewilderment. The demonstration had already been more than enough to convey the power of Incantation Magic. But this was where it really began?
Sanuel began to recite the same poem again. As his words gradually quickened, the children’s interest grew.
“O land of fervor, I borrow thy strength to grace my hand. The heavens look down, and the history of all ages is captured in a moment.”
But this was only the beginning.
His lips began to move so fast they left afterimages, until the syllables blurred into an incomprehensible stream.
*(The celestial sanctuary exists in the heart, and the caster’s will is held in the world. I shall sing a song of praise and adoration. Only a pale flash can burn the fire, and a hot gust summons the tempest.)*
Sanuel clutched his chest, his face contorting. The handsome, composed man was gone, replaced by a combat-ready Incantation Mage.
The speed of the incantation skyrocketed to its limit.
*(O soul dwelling in the mind, call our names. The mage fears not the power of the dead. Like the sea that holds the sun, like the earth that holds the sea, like the wind that holds the earth, the wind of eons is in my hand, and I shall achieve infinite wisdom.)*
As all the sounds rushed forward, the individual notes shattered and merged, producing a high-frequency shriek. The students all clamped their hands over their ears. It was like dozens of dolphins crying out at once.
The incantation had transcended the realm of language, becoming a pure wave of sound. Sanuel’s lips were held open, unmoving, while only his tongue vibrated inside at an incredible speed.
Shirone was aghast. It was more than twenty times the normal speed of speech. Sanuel, who had just finished an incantation that originally took over two minutes in a mere six seconds, cast the tornado again. With a deafening boom, a whirlwind cloaked in dust and dirt shot up into the air.
By the time the dust settled, Sanuel was smiling, his expression relaxed. The sound of scraping metal had vanished, but a ringing still echoed in the students’ ears.
“This is what’s known as Supersonic Incantation, a fundamental skill for an Incantation Mage. It’s an indispensable technique in a real combat situation. Of course, it’s not just about talking fast. To you, it may have sounded like unbearable noise, but I was contemplating the meaning of every single phrase. I believe the power of the tornado is proof enough of that.”
The students were too stunned to speak. They had never imagined the power of Incantation Magic could be so immense. The final tornado, in particular, had shown an amplification at least ten times greater than the first spell.
‘Is this the level of a graduating student?’
Shirone broke out in a cold sweat. Of course, since Etella had called him as an assistant, he was likely one of the top students in the graduating class.
But he was still just a student. The thought that Amy was competing for rank against people like him only strengthened his desire to enter the graduating class.
The other students, too, seemed to have been significantly motivated, their faces flushed with excitement. This was precisely why Etella had bothered to call a senior student for a demonstration.
“Thank you for your hard work, Sanuel. Thanks to you, the students were able to see and feel a great deal. I appreciate you granting my difficult request.”
Sanuel bowed his head with a serious demeanor, devoid of any hint of the admiration often seen between men and women.
“Not at all. Please call on me anytime.”
Shirone was reminded anew of just who was teaching him. Even upon graduation, Sanuel would be an unaccredited 10th-grade mage. But the youthful-looking female teacher before him was a 6th-grade mage—and a nationally certified one at that.
‘Just how strong is our teacher?’
The other students seemed to have realized this as well, maintaining a reverent posture even after Sanuel had left.
“Now, everyone. Did you enjoy the demonstration of Incantation Magic?”
“Yes!”
Pleased by their thunderous response, which was louder than usual, Etella nodded with a satisfied expression.
“The reason I showed you Incantation Magic beforehand is because it is closely related to strengthening the Spirit Zone, which we will learn about today. You should now be able to answer this question. What is the best way to strengthen your thoughts?”
The students answered in unison.
“Words!”
“That’s right. Words. Because thought is composed of language. Can anyone express this in another way?”
The students from Class Four, who had been taught by Etella for a long time, answered.
“It means you can see your thoughts.”
“Exactly. Everyone, try to think of something right now. You’ll probably be able to see that thought with your eyes.”
The students who tried it nodded as if they understood what she meant.
“Why is seeing your thoughts with your eyes important? Because it allows you to reflect upon them. In other words, an Incantation Mage absorbs the words they utter to strengthen their thoughts.”
Etella raised her index finger and continued her explanation.
“The basic system of incantation is simple. Speak, and reflect. Speak, and reflect. In this way, you continuously amplify the meaning and enhance your magical power.”
“Teacher, does that mean we’ll learn incantations too?”
A question came from Class Seven, and Etella smiled.
“Do you want to learn Incantation Magic?”
“Yes. That senior from before was incredibly cool.”
“That’s good. Finding something that suits your aptitude is very important. But unfortunately, Incantation Magic is a specialized major, so we won’t be covering it in the advanced class.”
“But then how do we strengthen our Spirit Zone? Wasn’t it done through incantations?”
“An excellent point. That’s exactly what I’m about to discuss. Incantations are used to increase the power of specific spells. There are countless spells in the world, and each has its own language to express it. However, the Spirit Zone is a purely mental function, so there’s no need to learn incantations or Supersonic Incantation. So, what is the method for strengthening the Spirit Zone?”
Etella finished her explanation and walked up to the Image Zone.
“It’s a unique concentration method called the Numerical Sequence. For those of you who have ever counted from 1 to 100, either in your head or out loud, please raise your hand.”
More than half the class raised their hands.
“Good. Now, what about those who have counted from 1 to 1,000?”
The students craned their necks, looking around. All of Class Four raised their hands, but there were almost none among the students from the lower classes.
“The Numerical Sequence is, as the name suggests, a technique for listing numbers. Unlike language, numbers are symbols with fixed, immutable properties. Therefore, they are highly compatible with the Spirit Zone.”
“Are you saying counting numbers increases concentration?”
“That’s right. But you can’t just simply count. Fundamentally, it’s the same as an incantation. Speak, and reflect. In the case of the Numerical Sequence, however, it would be think, and reflect. The Numerical Sequence cannot succeed unless you concentrate on each and every number.”
This was why Etella had introduced Incantation Magic first. While they became completely different at advanced levels, the basic concept of enhancement was nearly identical for both the Numerical Sequence and incantations.
“The faster you can deploy the numbers, the more the Zone is strengthened. Performing the Numerical Sequence can produce effects that increase activation probability, power, precision, and all other aspects. But remember, the Numerical Sequence is not a cure-all. The Spirit Zone can only be elevated through strict mental discipline. So don’t become too focused on technical enhancement. Now, I will demonstrate the Numerical Sequence for you.”
Having finished her explanation, Etella deployed a Spirit Zone with a diameter of about 10 meters, necessary for instruction.
“I will now perform the Numerical Sequence. I will strengthen the Spirit Zone you see now using only this method. Since this is not an incantation, I will only announce the powers of 10 to account for the syllables. Let’s begin. One.”
The moment Etella uttered “one,” the start of the sequence, the Spirit Zone began to swell as if being filled with air.
“One hundred.”
“One hundred? Did she just say one hundred?”
For the Numerical Sequence to be effective, one had to savor each number precisely. Yet, to have counted to 100 in just two seconds was a formidable speed.
“Four hundred.”
The children’s eyes widened. As if she was gaining momentum, her ‘Zero to Hundred,’ which indicated the speed of a particular section, became incredibly short.
“One thousand one hundred. One thousand seven hundred. Two thousand four hundred.”
Shirone’s jaw dropped. Was it humanly possible to count numbers that fast? In less than 20 seconds, she had added 1 a total of 2,400 times.
The Spirit Zone had grown into a sphere with a 40-meter diameter. A size created solely through the Numerical Sequence.
When the number hit ten thousand, Etella stopped the sequence. The Spirit Zone rapidly shrank, returning to its original size.
The concentration required to count to 10,000 in one go was proof of why she was the youngest bishop of the Order of Karsis.
‘She’s truly amazing. How much mental training does it take to reach such a state?’
The students who were witnessing Etella’s Numerical Sequence demonstration for the first time were in shock. Even her beautiful appearance seemed to pale in comparison to her talent.
“Did you see that? The faster you can perform the Numerical Sequence, the greater the enhancement. Since it is merely a technique, you won't achieve great efficiency if your own Spirit Zone training is lacking, but I believe you all will be able to use it quite effectively.”
Shirone’s spirits lifted at her words. Using the Numerical Sequence, he could execute active magic through mental condensation stronger than his Spirit Zone’s durability could normally handle.
“The Numerical Sequence is based on counting from 1 to 100. The speed at which you reach this is called the ‘Zero to Hundred.’ Until you get used to it, don’t drag out the numbers for too long; focus on shortening your Zero to Hundred.”
When the class ended, Shirone found a secluded spot. The Numerical Sequence, when he actually tried it, was both simple and difficult.
He timed himself from 1 to 100 and found it took him 7 seconds. For a first attempt, it was a decent result.
What pleased him most was that despite the incredible speed of calculation, he had reached the end without breaking his concentration once.
It was proof that while the level of Class Five was quite high, Shirone’s mental endurance was still superior.
In fact, most students performing the Numerical Sequence for the first time would lose focus as they accelerated.
‘The counting itself isn’t a problem. Should I try increasing the numbers? No, she said to focus on shortening the Zero to Hundred for now.’
Given Etella’s character, the level of the Numerical Sequence she had demonstrated was likely tailored precisely to the students’ standards.
‘That means there are much higher levels. What could they be? There must be a special method.’
Lost in thought, Shirone snapped his fingers.
‘I don’t need to calculate them one by one. Instead, I should process the numbers by contemplating them as a whole.’
Though Shirone didn’t know it, this was the basic concept of modularization in Information Magic—a method of grouping individual numbers into units to be processed all at once.
Shirone immediately began to experiment. Integrating the numbers required insight, not calculation. As the quantity of numbers processed within the same timeframe increased, he could clearly feel the performance of his Spirit Zone improving.
After breaking through the Zero to Hundred at an incredible speed, Shirone switched his omnidirectional system to its offensive mode. Then, the moment his Numerical Sequence reached one thousand, he took a magical action and cast a spell.
A flash of light erupted, causing the students to turn and look at Shirone. A mass of photons shot out from his palm.
Strictly speaking, it was a sphere of light, but because it shot forward at near-light speed, to the human eye it looked like a single streak of brilliance racing through the air.
“Whoa! What is that?”
“Photon Cannon. Looks like he’s planning to use that for the targeting test.”
“But why did he learn that? Isn’t Photon Cannon useless in a real fight?”
“It doesn’t matter. The targets in the Image Zone activate for any magic. Even if you use Healing, the target gets eliminated. It might actually be advantageous for the test. I mean, honestly, that thing is super fast, isn’t it?”
Even if it lacked physical force, among the basic active spells, none was faster than Photon Cannon, making it perfect for hitting targets that flew around like gnats.