Chapter 206
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 206
Chapter Title: Mage Conference (1)
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Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
The heartbeat echoed like war drums on the battlefield.
It was so intense that even Jun, lost in a trance, could feel it clearly, yet it didn't disturb him in the slightest.
On the contrary, it brought a profound sense of peace, like a fetus soothed by its mother's heartbeat.
'I can feel it.'
Water mana from all over his body gathered toward the circle embedded in his heart.
Not only that, but the energy he'd absorbed from the Time Serpent joined in, creating a massive tidal wave.
It was as if the circle was adrift on a raging sea.
Water mana typically evoked images of stability.
But that was only up to a certain level. One of humanity's greatest natural disasters was flooding, after all.
Water mana, when surging all at once, was heavy and destructive in equal measure.
Yet Jun's circle settled into place with perfect stability.
This was partly due to his long acclimation to water mana, but more importantly, his circle knew exactly how to behave in such a situation.
Whoooong――
The circle asserted its presence before the colossal wave.
Jun knew precisely what this meant.
'This is...'
Mutant transformation.
His heart was hardening like a dragon's.
Not in a physical sense of rigidity.
It meant developing resistance to mana and elastically absorbing it.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
His heart pumped even more fiercely than before.
Jun's inner world was changing at a breakneck pace.
Just as drastic changes were unfolding within, they were manifesting externally as well.
"So that's... the mutant state you mentioned."
"...It's a bit different. From what I saw..."
Jun's body had risen into the air before they knew it.
His hair had turned snow-white.
Dark water droplets floated around him.
And scales were sprouting from his skin.
'How is this even possible?'
Ranes's eyes wavered at the unfolding spectacle.
She had lived a long life.
And most of it had been spent in this Blackout.
For her, anomalies like this weren't all that rare.
Yet here she was, unable to keep up with the transformations of this young mage who'd lived less than half her years.
'I knew his innate mana control was ridiculously advanced.'
The sheer volume of mana would devour any ordinary human in an instant, leaving no chance of survival.
But the mage before her was different.
How?
There was a reason.
Demian, Jun's former master who had targeted his heart, had placed a verbal command on it.
It prevented mana beyond a certain limit from gathering in his heart.
'But not now. At least half of that command has been released.'
An astronomical amount of mana was converging here.
And he was enduring it.
This young mage was only at the 6th circle.
A far cry from her own 8th circle.
Yet he was casually accepting mana on par with her own.
'I've seen this kind of mutation before. It was the ability of ancient alchemists.'
Rapid bodily changes.
A body that accepted mana with unnatural ease.
Of course, they often absorbed even external attacks laden with mana, meeting surprisingly easy deaths.
Strange creatures, those monsters.
And now, that power emanated from Jun.
'According to reports, he descended into Blackout just last year.'
In other words, he'd encountered them in a mere year and somehow gained the chance to learn their techniques.
'Is that possible?'
Blackout hid many ancient technologies, true.
But most weren't beneficial to modern humanity.
No, they were downright dangerous.
Why?
Because all ancient beings had met destruction for one reason or another.
And yet, this mage had achieved unimaginable growth in just over a year.
'Luck?'
No, not just that.
Luck had played a part, sure.
'That level of stability can't be solely from ancient alchemist abilities. There's something more, something else.'
She looked closer.
Then she noticed something she'd overlooked until now.
'Exquisite and remarkably stable. How does it achieve that level of stability...? Ah, because of the mana volume? Then...'
Ancient magic.
The hidden truth unraveled.
'Luck and talent both. What a complete package.'
Eyes that could pinpoint exactly what he lacked.
And the execution to put it into practice.
Did the world hold another like him?
'Not in the empire's centuries-long history, at least.'
Incomprehensible.
At first, she'd thought him merely a shining gem. What arrogance.
And she recalled the two dead Mage Tower Lords.
'Fools.'
To see such a being and think only of sating their greed.
That thought extended to her recent self as well.
'To think I wanted to boast about him.'
She couldn't nurture this mage.
Initially, she'd desperately wanted him as a disciple.
Now, her thinking had changed.
This being wasn't for others to meddle with.
Just water him occasionally as nourishment.
'He'll form a forest, not just a tree. No, perhaps something beyond even that...'
Was such an assessment too much after just over a month? Maybe.
But Ranes, at the 8th circle, was filled with anticipation.
If this being fully blossomed and forged his own world.
How would humanity react?
She could hardly wait to see it.
Several hours later.
The initial dramatic changes no longer occurred.
Jun's floating body had long since settled back onto the hot ground.
When Jun finally opened his eyes.
He felt refreshed, as if waking from a deep sleep.
"Ah."
"You've finally opened your eyes."
"I was worried something had gone wrong..."
"As if that could happen."
"It seems my concern was excessive."
"You both stayed to watch over me?"
"We did."
"Mm-hmm."
"Thank you for staying. Honestly... I didn't expect it to take this long."
To Jun, it had felt like only a few hours.
But in reality, a full day had passed.
"First, congratulations. You've achieved something monumental."
A mage's growth wasn't solely about expanding circles.
Jun was pioneering a new path no mage had tread before.
"I'm curious if there are any issues. Like compatibility with your existing fire attribute, for instance."
"Ah, yes. I checked that carefully, and there's no problem."
Normally, two opposing attributes in one body defied logic.
But that was because people tried cramming incompatible elements into the same house.
So Jun had sent both attributes out from the circle's "house" to live independently.
Thus, they acknowledged each other but had no territory to fight over, peacefully holding their ground.
"Impressive... The reason for the separation is crystal clear now."
"Exactly."
Then Belles, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.
"But... I have one question. Hearts typically can't accommodate anything beyond the circle. How did you manage it?"
"That's due to a misconception mages have created."
From a more modern perspective here.
Circles weren't physical constructs to begin with.
Obviously.
Who would believe shoving metal rings into a fragile heart and spinning them made sense?
A circle was a coalesced mass of mana energy.
A tiny image, a microcosm, a universe.
Like the endlessly expanding cosmos, it could accommodate any new energy.
"That's absurd... No, wait. You're right here before my eyes, so it must be possible... Why haven't past mages attempted this?"
"Magic as a discipline already had its foundations laid. With stable circles established, why abandon them for an unproven path?"
"Ah."
"But not everyone is born equal. Some have better options than the beaten path."
Ranes nodded beside him, adding her thoughts.
"Jun can do this thanks to his innate mana adaptability, but also because the mana he handles is extraordinarily stable. There are other reasons too."
One of those was the mutant transformation.
Without that stroke of fortune, it would have taken Jun far longer.
"It's hard for others to replicate, but honing the theory could make it feasible for them too."
"Can I... can I do it too?"
Belles's face lit up with enthusiasm.
He had devoted everything to ice mana.
But ice wasn't omnipotent in every situation.
He'd faced countless dilemmas from spells he couldn't cast.
"It's not impossible. But not by Jun's method. You'd need far more theory."
"Ah..."
Of course, that would take an immense amount of time. For Belles to pursue it, he'd stagnate at his current level for years.
Belles sighed in disappointment.
"But don't forget. A mage's knowledge isn't just for personal strength. It's a treasure to pass to posterity."
It was odd hearing such words from a notoriously conservative mage.
But Ranes wasn't wrong.
Countless mages had learned, refined, and passed down knowledge.
"Anyway... no need to stay here any longer."
"Right."
"Perfect timing. The conference is about to begin soon."
"How much time do we have left?"
"About a fortnight."
"Hm."
Honestly, Jun hadn't expected much from this "mage conference."
He figured he'd sit beside Ranes during her presentation, assist, and incidentally boast about his growth.
She'd helped him considerably this time, so no reason not to shine for her.
But...
"Still, I think you could pull it off."
"Pardon? What do you mean?"
"A mage of your caliber should present at the conference. Let's craft a proper paper."
"...?"
"I can already imagine the conference turning upside down. Haha, it's going to be fun."
Could a paper really be whipped up in a fortnight?
Living as the Hero Party's Mage Chapter 207