Chapter 37
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Magic (2)
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The next morning, when Tae-jin opened his eyes, Richer was sitting up with bloodshot eyes wide open. His face was ashen, his eyes hollow—it didn't look like he was in great shape.
"Gramps. You didn't sleep?"
"Who do you think kept me up?"
There was a note of resignation in Richer's voice.
"Can't you just worry about it after some sleep?"
It was a casual remark, but it furrowed Richer's brow deeply.
It was unfamiliar to see the man, whose face usually only wrinkled at the corners from smiling, now creased between the eyes.
"You think it's that easy? Sleep gets shorter with age as it is, and now with worries on top of that—sleep just won't come."
Tae-jin scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"So, what'd you come up with after all that worrying?"
Richer sat on the bed and let out a sigh so deep it seemed like it might cave in the floor.
"Now I finally understand why my master sighed so heavily when he first taught me Lightning Magic."
He'd circled around it once, but it was clear: he was going to teach him the spell.
"Great. So we eat breakfast and then get started?"
"Nah, let's just head out. If you're really hungry, grab a glass of milk. An empty stomach's better—no risk of it churning up."
"Alright, then. Out we go."
The two left the inn and headed outside the city gates. The city was still vibrant, and at the gates, they were barely checking people—just waving them through. Being a tourist spot, they must've figured light inspections were fine.
The guards wore easy smiles instead of stern expressions; they seemed more like tour guides than sentries.
They passed through the gates to a secluded spot and Richer cast Alarm Magic.
He didn't want anyone seeing the Mana Cell lesson, and he was worried someone might wander by and get hurt.
First, Richer gave a brief explanation.
"You know what a Mana Cell is, but I'll show you once and explain."
Richer chanted the incantation and formed a Mana Cell. It took less than five seconds for the spell to complete.
"You should be able to sense it. What shape does it take?"
"It's a weird maze. Overall, kinda like a rectangular prism."
"Right. The key is that it's a maze. Why a maze shape?"
"Dunno? To keep the mana from escaping?"
"Partially correct. But if you just wanted to trap it, you'd seal it with flat walls. So why bother with a maze?"
It was a topic Tae-jin had never pondered. He'd only mimicked it vaguely once before.
"Beats me."
"At least pretend to think about it."
"To leave gaps for the mana to escape?"
Richer looked a bit annoyed. Tae-jin had guessed right on the first half-decent try.
"Yeah, that's it. If you make a space of infinitely high mana density, sure, the power would be immense in theory—but you'd blow up before finishing the cast. You need to punch holes to let excess mana vent."
Then Richer slowly drew in mana. An incredibly dense concentration gathered around him—thick enough that even non-mages might see it with the naked eye. The density built until it stabilized at just the right level.
"This density right here. That's about the limit for casting without permanent damage to your body."
Richer dispelled the Mana Cell and continued.
"Now you try making a Mana Cell. Like the one from before."
"Not the way you just showed?"
"Right. I've shown it once; you can recall it now."
Tae-jin dredged up his senses and memory, forming a cell similar to Richer's but a bit crude. The maze paths were unstable, with many dead ends.
"Your Mana Cell doesn't have enough outlets for mana to escape. You focused only on gathering and containing it, not on properly releasing it. Using that would put huge strain on your body."
"But it might pack more punch, right?"
"Maybe. But the odds of permanent injury skyrocket—tens or hundreds of times higher. Last time was a dire situation, yeah?"
"Yeah. Any delay and Pavilion would've been dead."
"Thank that werewolf. If you'd cranked the density even three seconds longer in that moment, you'd be in the afterlife—kaboom."
It sent a chill down his spine. No wonder the pain after using Mana Cell had been so brutal.
"Copy my Mana Cell as precisely as you can. Lots of repeating patterns; won't take long to memorize."
But contrary to Richer's words, it wasn't until evening that Tae-jin could replicate it perfectly.
Richer gazed at the sunset as he spoke.
"Your memory's worse than I thought."
It felt unfair.
"No, this is normal. How long did it take you to learn Mana Cell, Gramps?"
"Me? Like I said, memorizing the pattern didn't take long. Pretty much got it on sight."
"You're exceptional, then."
"Dunno. Heard others didn't take forever either."
"If it's that easy, why's Mana Cell only for elite mages?"
"Others can't sense the mana array just by looking. That's why we have masters. The real challenges are precisely manipulating your magic power to form it error-free, and maintaining it stable while casting another spell. That takes time."
"Huh. Feels like I could do that now."
"Brat learns Mana Cell and his first move's to show off. Won't be easy, though."
"But it's true."
Richer grinned slyly.
"Fine, give it a shot. Make a simple Ring of Fire."
"Size doesn't matter?"
"Nope."
Tae-jin focused and envisioned the Ring of Fire. Big enough for a person to pass through, floating in midair.
But the instant he formed it in the air, the ring twisted and collapsed. An incomprehensible agony hit him—head throbbing, left side searing like it might burst. The pain was so intense that Tae-jin collapsed, dry-heaving on the spot. Good thing he'd fasted all day; only bile came up.
'That old coot... telling me to skip breakfast was for this?'
Seeing Richer smirking confirmed it.
"Know why that happened?"
Tae-jin could only groan in response, but Richer continued calmly, looking utterly at peace.
"Simple. The mana surged more than expected, crumbling the Ring of Fire. Your focus broke, warping the Mana Cell. Backlash hit you full force."
"..."
"And War Mages pull off far tougher casts—right in the thick of battle, without flinching."
"Urgh."
"That's some pronunciation for showing respect to your master. But I get the sentiment."
Old coot. He'd set him up on purpose. A lesson against arrogance, sure—but the pain was overkill.
It took over ten minutes of writhing before he could stand and ask.
"But last time... it worked."
"Pure luck. You used a super intuitive method that didn't split your attention."
Richer was right. Instead of creating fire and shaping it into a ring, he'd simply projected force like ripping outward from both sides—far simpler.
"True enough."
"Half-ass a spell like that, and it'd fizzle—we'd all be dead. You've only got one life. Always train plenty. Don't bank on luck next time."
"Hoo, got it."
"Nothing more to teach on Mana Cells. Now it's up to you—steady practice. Use every spell you know inside the cell."
"Got it."
One success had made him cocky, but Mana Cells were no joke.
"And one more thing to teach: attack magic."
"Right. Lightning or something. Teach me some powerful, flashy stuff."
Most of Tae-jin's spells were non-lethal. He could force lethal ones, but not efficiently like other mages.
Others cast "Fireball" seamlessly; he'd make fire in the air, then shove the blob forward.
"Stick to intuitive, simple ones first. Fire, ice. Or earth manipulation."
"Why? You know way more, Gramps."
"Can't teach 'em yet. You're not ready."
"Not ready?"
"I've noticed it for a while: you're too hung up on scientific knowledge."
"That's bad?"
"Not always. But if it's buried deep in your subconscious, it becomes a problem."
"How so?"
"How long did Translation Magic take?"
"Started in spring, got it in fall—nearly three years Earth time."
Three years to learn useful spells from Richer was due to some taking forever—like Weight Reduction, Invisibility, Telepathy, Translation. Translation had been the worst.
"What do you think caused that?"
"Dunno."
"My take: you're approaching magic too scientifically. Your easiest spells were water and ice magic. Why?"
"Dunno? Clearest imagery?"
"Yeah. Clear image, and somewhat scientifically graspable—like condensing moisture into water, then cooling it."
Tae-jin nodded. It matched his own thinking.
"But the hardest were the ones tough to rationalize scientifically—especially without clear imagery. Like reducing weight without altering an object's essence, or transmitting thoughts."
"True. I just accepted it back then."
"To become a great mage, embrace the mystery itself. Magic is stepping stones floating in the void—miraculous bridges linking scientific knowledge to phenomena via the impossible."
Tae-jin nodded quietly.
"You can't explain scientifically why those stones float. Yet they steadfastly support believers. Doubters fall through the instant they step on. If you're to keep learning magic, accept phenomena beyond science—with your heart."
Talent is crucial in magic—undeniably so.
But it's not everything. The path ahead was one of grueling toil.