The Fluid Magic Circle
Dark magic operated under an entirely different mechanism from every other discipline. The most fundamental difference was that it did not draw upon raw mana like ordinary magic. Instead, it used the filtered, wasteful mana that had already passed through the stars within the body. Because of this, it produced phenomena that defied the laws of the world—phenomena steeped in the caster’s personal will rather than grounded in universal principles.
But it isn’t completely different, either.
If magic was water, then spirit magic was ice. It had lost the fluid freedom to change shape at will, yet in exchange it gained a fixed form that was easier to manipulate. So, within that same analogy, what would dark magic be?
If magic was water, then dark magic was fire. They were polar opposites—completely contrary in nature. From the energy they consumed to the phenomena they created and the direction they pursued, everything about them stood in direct opposition. Yet just as sunlight and rain together allow plants to grow, magic and dark magic, despite being opposites, could reach the same result through entirely different processes. The only difference lay in whether the spell formula or the will came first; dark mages also manipulated phenomena through spell formulas. That was precisely why dark magic was still called dark magic.
In fact, when Kain had studied other disciplines as supplements after his abilities and dark magic, the one he had found easiest to approach was ordinary magic. All paths lead to the same destination—an old saying of the Fan Empire, and at the same time one of the fundamental truths that ran through this world.
Not bad. This turned out pretty well.
Savage Frankhorn’s thesis on magic circle shape transformation. Kain had taken its source and grafted onto it a spell formula used exclusively in dark magic. The result was the thing now glowing above his palm. He nodded in satisfaction as he looked at it.
Should I call it… Fluid Magic Circle?
He had used the word “magic circle,” but strictly speaking, this was no longer something that could be called a magic circle. If he had to classify the technique that the Death King himself had modified, it would be a type of curse. That was only natural. The motif Kain had used when creating it was the River of the Underworld—a curse that had liquefied due to its extreme density.
I only borrowed the form, though.
Even though he had created it himself, it could never compare to the River of the Underworld, which had been formed from the accumulated grudges of the dead that had piled up since the beginning of creation. The reason Kain had made this was not for his own use, but as a gift of magic that Arina could wield. If it had been on the same level as the River of the Underworld, there was no way a mere three-star mage like Arina could use it.
But if she grows, that’s a different story.
Even so, its potential for development was more than sufficient. Perhaps one day she could raise it to a level where it could rival the River of the Underworld. That said, the entry difficulty is pretty high.
Unfortunately, even with Kain’s abilities, he could not create anything weaker than this. Well, the kid would manage somehow. The reason other people struggled to learn it did not apply to her at all.
The Magic Sovereign turned out to be more helpful than I expected.
Kain was not good at considering others. The fact that this magic, which he had named the Fluid Magic Circle, had reached a difficulty level appropriate for Arina was entirely thanks to the Magic Sovereign’s advice. Without him, it might have become a grand spell that even Kain himself could use without issue—let alone Arina.
“……”
There was nothing left to revise. Of course, Kain could still see plenty of shortcomings, but those were parts that the one who learned this magic would have to color with their own hue and complete over time. If he clumsily painted it in his own colors, it would only become poison to Arina.
With that thought, Kain clenched his hand tightly, where the flowing magic circle had been drawn. Under the pressure, the magic circle shattered into countless fragments that scattered through the dark room like fireflies.
Having good eyes isn’t always convenient.
Watching the fragments fade, Kain belatedly realized that night had already fallen. It was a side effect of his vision being so sharp that the darkness barely affected it. Checking his smartphone, he saw that it was already past eight in the evening.
Come to think of it, the kid said she’d be eating dinner outside tonight, didn’t she?
No wonder he hadn’t heard the usual sound of the door at the usual time. Without Arina around, he hadn’t noticed how much time had passed.
Should I just order pizza?
If the kid had been here, she would have nagged him about eating greasy food so late, but right now there was no one around to scold him. While he had his phone out, Kain opened the delivery app and ordered a pizza. Just as he stood up to turn on the living room lights while waiting for the delivery, he heard it.
Click.
The sound of the door lock opening came from beyond the entrance. Was the kid back? The timing was so perfect that Kain’s brow furrowed slightly without him realizing it.
Guess I’m in for some nagging.
She had walked in at the exact moment he was ordering pizza, as if she had been waiting for it. Neglecting his external surveillance because it was a hassle had come back to bite him.
“I’m home.”
Fortunately, Kain’s exasperated expression was hidden by the darkness and went unseen by Arina. She walked straight into the living room, turned on the lights, and tilted her head when she saw him standing there blankly.
“Why are you just standing there? And with the lights off?”
What’s going on? Had he gone out somewhere like yesterday? It was always hard to tell whether her uncle had left the house or not, since his clothes looked the same either way.
“Tsk.”
Ignoring her question, Kain clicked his tongue softly, turned around, and flopped down onto the sofa. Then he gestured for Arina—who was still standing there with a puzzled look—to come over.
“Kid. Come here.”
“Yes?”
Though confused, Arina walked over and carefully sat down beside him after setting her bag on the table.
“Your bag looks heavier.”
It seemed heavier than when she had left in the morning. Kain asked after roughly gauging it with his eyes, and Arina answered casually.
“Oh, I went out to eat with my friends tonight, and the food was really good. I thought you might like it if I made it for you on the weekend, so I got some of the sauce.”
“You’re already busy enough splitting your time to solve problems. Why go through the trouble of doing something like that?”
Still, he found it endearing that she had thought of him. Kain let out a small chuckle.
“Well, never mind that. How far did you get with your review?”
“There’s no end to studying. You just keep doing it.”
“That’s a very mage-like thing to say.”
“But why do you ask?”
Was it strange that Kain was beating around the bush instead of being direct? And standing alone in a dark room earlier, too. Today, her uncle felt oddly unfamiliar.
“It’s nothing, really.”
Kain’s eyes flicked sideways. In the direction he was looking, his smartphone screen was on. Linked to his Inner World, it was moving on its own according to his will, writing something.
“Hm?”
The moment it finished, an email was sent to Arina’s phone. As she took out her smartphone, Kain finally opened his mouth, which had been tightly shut until now.
“What that professor said had some truth to it.”
Kain possessed the wisdom to fully understand anything once the necessary knowledge was provided. It was a talent so overwhelming that even the Nether King had said there would never be another like it in this world. That was why he could not understand in the slightest why reviewing or looking back was necessary.
“The only advice I can give you is how to move forward.”
So he simply helped Arina in the way he could—just as he always had.
“There was an interesting thesis a while back. I roughly made something based on it, so use it if you can.”
If she showed it to the alchemy professor who taught her, he would probably explain it kindly. It would be impossible for her to grasp the entire magic system just from an explanation like the Magic Sovereign had, but a professor capable of teaching alchemy at Benedict Academy should have enough understanding to teach Arina using the theories and formulas Kain had organized. Though his mastery of this magic system itself would obviously be inferior to its creator, his ability to teach someone would far surpass Kain’s.
“……”
Having said that, Kain turned his head away as if he had lost interest. Arina looked up at him with a startled expression. How did her uncle know what Professor Magnus had said? She didn’t even have the presence of mind to wonder about that. She was simply overjoyed by the fact that Kain had prepared a gift for her.
Amazing.
Was it because she had been solving Professor Magnus’s problems nonstop? Thanks to the professor’s relentless focus on her weaknesses when setting questions, Arina’s understanding of spell formulas had improved dramatically—enough to surprise even Professor Karlsen. That was why she could roughly grasp just how difficult and complex the magic system Kain had given her was.
“If you want to see how it actually manifests while you’re studying, just say so. That professor or whoever probably won’t be able to use it in real combat right away even if he understands the theory.”
Kain’s next words confirmed what Arina had already suspected—the level of this magic was by no means low.
She was grateful. And at the same time, sorry. She already knew her uncle was a dark mage, so she could indirectly understand how much effort he must have put into creating this magic. A gift he had made for her, thinking through every detail himself. Holding her smartphone gently with both hands, Arina smiled brightly at Kain.
“Thank you. I’ll use it well.”
“……”
That single smile made the trouble of going all the way to the Magic Tower to attend the thesis presentation worth it. Kain raised his right hand and lightly pressed down on the top of Arina’s head, roughly ruffling her hair.
“You’re thanking me now, but you’ll probably resent me a lot tomorrow.”
She would complain about him giving her something this difficult when she was already so busy. It wouldn’t be surprising if tomorrow’s dinner consisted of nothing but a single piece of dried seaweed in soy sauce.
“That won’t happen, you know?”
At Kain’s teasing remark, she turned her head with a huff and responded playfully. Just as a warm atmosphere settled between them—
Ding-dong.
The doorbell rang late at night, shattering the mood. A pizza had arrived, delivered at the perfect moment to interrupt them.
“Did you order pizza?”
After a quick payment, the delivery person left, and Arina immediately asked the question. But her voice was much lower than before.
“Yeah.”
Kain answered nonchalantly. What was done was done. If he was going to get scolded anyway, he figured it was better to just brazen it out. Apologizing now wouldn’t change the outcome much anyway.
“Eating pizza so late at night isn’t good for your health……”
“Delivery pizza was never healthy to begin with. You eat it for the taste.”
“……”
Arina glared sharply at Kain’s back as he sat at the table, as if to say that wasn’t what she meant. Enduring her gaze without flinching, Kain took a big bite of the hot pizza. The tangy tomato sauce seeped between the salty, chewy cheese, blending with the toppings to create a stimulating flavor. As he savored it, Kain quietly thought to himself.
It seemed Arina’s resentment was starting today, not tomorrow……