Chapter 33
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Trouble
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Tae-jin asked Richer with a slightly sullen expression.
"Why? Why did you suddenly get so serious?"
"First of all, Mana Cell is a technique passed down only among the Empire's War Mages. Even when they take disciples, they don't teach Mana Cell freely. They swear an oath upon becoming War Mages."
"If that gets found out, it'll be big trouble?"
"People who can recognize it are rare, but if it does get discovered, there'll be hell to pay. It wouldn't be strange for assassins to come after you. No—if assassins don't follow, that would be the weird part."
One thing was certain: a journey shadowed first by soldiers and now by assassins could hardly be pleasant or enjoyable.
"That thing... it's not even the real deal, just a half-baked imitation?"
"Even a half-baked imitation that succeeded means you could perfect it someday. It'd be far simpler to eliminate you before that happens."
One resolution solidified. He absolutely could not use Mana Cell after crossing the Empire's border.
"And? What's the second reason?"
"Mana Cell is a spell that's perfect for getting yourself killed if you screw it up."
"Killed?"
It meant the spell from yesterday could have been his last.
Things had been so desperate yesterday that he'd cast it with the mindset that even if it was his final act, so be it. Looking back now, it was utter madness.
"You felt it yesterday too, but that magic is like building a dam with your own body. More precisely, it creates a space around you where mana can't easily escape. Since you formed a Mana Cell yesterday, you should understand what I mean."
Richer was right. Visually, it was like immersing himself in a lake of dense mana, but the sensation was like plugging a leak with his own flesh to keep the mana from spilling out.
"Why is that so dangerous?"
"On a day with heavy rain, what happens if the dam can't drain the water properly?"
"It overflows?"
"What if the dam doesn't overflow?"
"It bursts."
Richer said nothing, just stared at Tae-jin with a loaded gaze.
"It bursts?"
"Exactly. Not figuratively—it really bursts. If you're lucky, maybe just a limb goes. If not, well..."
Richer made an oddly cute hand gesture to illustrate. The implications weren't cute at all.
Chills ran down his spine. Yesterday, desperate not to die captured by the werewolf, he'd nearly blown himself up instead. Not just keeling over dead, but exploding.
"That's a scarier spell than I thought..."
"No kidding. That's exactly why mages from other kingdoms don't dare imitate Mana Cell."
"The danger itself acts as a security measure. Clever."
"Anyway, can you show me Mana Cell right now?"
"Not right this second. Once I'm feeling better, I'll give it a shot. No guarantees it'll work, though."
"Fair enough. One last important question. What was that final spell you used yesterday? I've never taught you anything meant for killing. Yet the corpse was neatly bisected."
The elder hadn't taught him lethal magic, but he could still imitate it.
It'd be way less efficient, and no telling if he'd get the desired result.
He could carve ice into blades and launch them, or blast high-pressure air like a wind cutter. But it'd be crude at best, with no assurance of clean success.
Too much power might shatter the ice mid-carve from poor control. And there was no guarantee a strong wind blast would kill only the werewolf without hitting Pavilion.
"That one? I didn't learn it either—just went with what popped into my head."
"The werewolf's corpse didn't look like it was sliced by any kind of projectile."
"Spot on. I didn't create or launch anything. Just used raw force to tear it apart from both sides. With that much power, I figured I could do anything directly, no fancy methods needed."
Richer looked puzzled.
"Come here for a sec."
Tae-jin rose and followed. His body creaked all over, but it was much improved from when he'd first opened his eyes, so he could manage.
Richer stood beside the werewolf corpse split clean in two and splayed his fingers.
"This carcass is the result of what you did yesterday."
It wasn't a pretty sight. Torn in half, with raw, red cross-sections exposed.
Yet the cuts weren't ragged—it felt more like looking at a model than a corpse.
A wave of nausea rose in Tae-jin's throat, but he managed to keep a calm expression as he examined it.
Richer didn't stop at looking. He prodded the body bit by bit.
The gross tactile feedback from Richer's fingertips felt like it was transmitting to Tae-jin himself. The first spot Richer pointed to was a bone sliced perfectly clean.
"Doesn't the shape look a bit off?"
"In what way?"
"The cut is too clean. Clean enough that I'm sure nothing was flung to slice it. No magic blade honed to the absolute extreme leaves bone without even a single chip. But this bone fragment? Not a crack anywhere."
"Makes sense. I didn't fling anything."
"But it's still weird. Even tearing from both sides shouldn't make it this clean. The hide would shred raggedly as expected, and bone would twist and fracture somehow—spiral break, oblique, transverse. Highest odds are the joints ripping out."
As Richer said, the bone was impeccably clean. Even snapping a piece of chalk in two wouldn't break that neatly.
"Beats me. I don't really know how I did it. Unlike the Mana Cell, that was pure instinct."
"Tore it apart..."
Richer pondered in silence, slowly circling the corpse a couple times.
Then he stopped and spoke in a low voice.
"Tae-jin. Good news and bad news. Which first?"
"Bad news first. Saves the best for last."
"Nah. Good news first. There's more than one bad."
Richer grinned like he was having the time of his life. The kind of grin that made Tae-jin want to throw hands, elder be damned.
"Good news: you might have aptitude for space magic. Not certain, but this looks like the corpse had its space straight-up severed."
That one line made it obvious why it was good news. Space magic. First thing that came to mind: the Gate. Wasn't a Gate just magic that moved people and objects across space?
"For real?"
"Yeah. As you probably guessed, if Gates tie to magic, space magic's the closest match. Not sure exactly, though."
What better news could there be? Whatever bad news came, he could laugh it off.
"So, bad news?"
"If it gets out you can use space magic, the Empire will try to recruit you. Other nations too, probably."
"Isn't that good?"
"Recruitment doesn't have to be gentlemanly. To them, the process doesn't matter—only the end result."
Not the cheeriest tale, but manageable.
With a lead on space magic in hand, that level of risk was totally worth it, right?
"Eh, fine."
"Yeah, that's manageable."
Richer's persistent grin was highly ominous. It implied 'the thing I just said was meant to be shared with a smile.'
"So, what's the next problem?"
"No known space mage has appeared in the last fifty years or so."
"Those fifty years—from when, exactly?"
"Continent standard. Earth time? Five times that."
It didn't click right away. A unique mage unseen in 250 Earth years? Sounded like good news. Rare genius mage. Pretty badass?
"Sounds even better. Rare and cool."
"It also means there's no mage who can teach you space magic."
His vision suddenly went blank.
"Wait, so I'd have to self-teach space magic? That possible?"
"Congrats! You're gonna be the world's rarest mage!"
Richer doubled over laughing. Infuriating enough that Tae-jin clenched his fist, ignoring the pain wracking his body.
Richer easily dodged the punch and smirked. No, smirked creepily. Too nasty to call a laugh.
"Don't lose all hope, though. Pre-50-year records should have something to reference."
"That long ago? The materials would've rotted to dust by now, damn it."
"Nah. Folks researching such rare magic would've slapped preservation spells on their notes. Just gotta find 'em."
"So they exist? Where?"
"That's for you to hunt down from here on out!"
Richer cackled gleefully. Tae-jin was too drained to even consider swinging again.
"Let's talk seriously. Within what you know, any likely spots for those materials?"
"Dunno. But Empire Grand Library or Central Tower probably highest odds."
He nearly nodded—then a thought struck.
"Didn't you say if space magic gets found out, the Empire snatches me?"
"Sneak in without getting caught, then. Good luck, disciple."
Of course. No way the story wrapped up that happily.
Now he had to infiltrate the Empire's Grand Library or Central Tower and swipe space magic materials without detection.
Lost in those grim thoughts, Pavilion approached, sweating buckets. Looked like the burials were wrapped up.
"Tae-jin, you're awake?"
His neighbors had been slaughtered en masse, a chunk of flesh torn from his hip causing agony. Yet Pavilion's face was serious, not darkened. Only one reason for that.
"Yeah, just woke up. Judging by your face, your daughter's safe?"
"Yep. House was tucked in a corner—lucky break."
"Silver lining. So, resettling the village now? Gonna be busy."
Pavilion shook his head.
"Nah, that's off the table. Too many dead. Villagers don't wanna stick around either—not with werewolves possibly raiding again."
"Then what'll you do?"
"Wander till we find a new home. Everyone's scattering."
Bitter news. An entire rabbit beastkin village disbanding.
"Rough road ahead. Best of luck."
"Actually, not splitting from your group. Thinking of tagging along with you and Richer. Better to travel with folks we know than alone, right?"
Tae-jin mulled it over. No reason to refuse—a proposal stacked with upsides. Reliable allies like Pavilion were rare.
He'd risked it all to save his smuggler pals, faced werewolves head-on knowing death loomed.
Plus, their shaky lineup—two mages and a shaman—desperately needed a frontline fighter.
Richer nodded, clearly on the same page.
"Suits us fine. Welcome aboard."
Pavilion beamed. From behind him bounced a tiny rabbit beastkin—his daughter.
Human years? Ten, maybe a tad more? Just like the portrait: fluffy-furred rabbit beastkin. Technically a rabbit-human hybrid.
For some reason, Tae-jin felt her gaze burning hot. Wait, no way?
He wagged a finger and said curtly,
"Purry, trouble."
Her face twisted. A tiny fist rocketed into Tae-jin's chin.
As consciousness faded, Tae-jin admired the strike. Now that's rabbit beastkin jump power.