Chapter 77
Chapter 77
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: Anna is Red
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After cleaning the room with Dania, I sent her back home.
Despite going at it so hard last night and getting drained again after waking up, my body didn't feel heavy at all.
Must have slept pretty deeply.
Dania showered before heading out, but I hadn't yet, so I washed up right away and had breakfast.
Then, when I sat down on the living room sofa, there was nothing to do.
...I'd agreed to meet Dania in the evening.
That meant free time until then, but nothing was coming to mind.
Michelle probably wouldn't have any time this weekend.
She'd said her teacher duties had piled up enough to eat into her weekends.
Though she was called a teacher, she was basically a university professor, so beyond instructing students, she had a ton of other work on her plate.
...So what to do until evening?
Normally, I'd mindlessly watch TV or this world's version of YouTube, or maybe exercise or study for school.
I didn't play games much.
I'd become a programmer at a game company because I loved games, but at some point, the hellish work schedule made me hate even touching them outside the office.
"Ah."
Luckily, something came to mind.
I went into my room and pulled out a book tucked away in the deepest part of the bookshelf, spreading it open on my desk.
It was the Enchantment Magic book.
...I hadn't touched it in ages, so maybe it was time for a refresher.
Not that I'd been slacking off completely, of course.
I'd been diligently practicing Mana Manipulation Magic for the practical exam.
My mana-handling skills had improved since then, so it was bound to help with learning Enchantment Magic too.
"..."
I silently read through the open book.
If anyone asked what I was doing, obviously I was studying magic.
This world had a concept called magic circuits.
They were like formulas for activating spells—each one unique to its magic.
Once you perfectly deployed a specific spell's circuit using mana, your body would remember it, and you'd be able to cast the spell.
Magic circuits looked like peering down at a ridiculously complex maze.
Lines and patterns twisting and intertwining in every direction.
Of course, every single line and shape carried meaning, and you had to fully understand and deploy all of it to claim the magic for yourself.
That was why simple spells had straightforward circuits, while difficult ones formed intricate structures.
Enchantment Magic was among the highest in difficulty.
One reason I'd only mastered two so far.
...Things would've been way better without that damn All Stats Reduction debuff.
Anyway, to comprehend the convoluted circuit diagrammed in the book, I sat there like a statue, staring it down.
If you asked whether magic could be learned just by staring, obviously not.
Circuits were so complex that even if you failed, you had to repeatedly deploy them yourself to ingrain it into your body.
What I was doing now was like trying to master soccer by reading theory books without ever kicking a ball.
But my aptitude for Enchantment Magic was a whopping S-rank.
Sure, Anna's SS-rank in Mana Manipulation made it feel a bit less impressive, but S-rank was still elite—only a handful in the entire school.
That was why investing time like this and diligently studying with my eyes alone was enough to learn the circuit.
Not that it meant just staring blankly for hours, of course.
Even as I did this, complex calculations were churning in my head.
...Talent was scary—it let me conserve mana and learn comfortably without straining my body.
With that thought, what I was studying was the circuit for a spell called "Search Eyes."
Search Eyes let you gauge the level of an opponent's resistance to Enchantment Magic.
With it, I could tell who I could enchant and who I couldn't.
I'd spotted it late in the book and, figuring it'd be useful, had been studying it for a while.
...Somehow, it felt easier to grasp than last time?
Probably thanks to practicing Mana Manipulation—I'd grown more familiar with mana.
As I pored over the circuit diagram and the dense explanations beside it, my brain fatigue was definitely less than before.
"Ah, so that's what this was?"
The trickiest, most complex part finally clicked.
After another hour glued to it, I'd fully mastered the Search Eyes circuit.
Alright, let's give it a shot.
I extended my hand and focused my mana.
I scattered the gathered mana into the air, deploying the circuit.
Like ink diffusing in clear water, the mana flowed to their positions, etching a complex pattern into the empty space.
"..."
The room wasn't hot, but a bead of sweat trickled down beside my face.
Deploying a magic circuit demanded intense focus—not just the shape, but perfectly applying the meaning of every line and form.
Finally, the completed circuit emitted a brilliant glow and approached me, sinking into my body.
...Nice. It's properly added to the skill tab on my phone too.
But how do I test it?
I didn't feel any special change in my body, and the only confirmation was the text on my phone screen—it didn't feel real.
When I'd learned other spells, there was this indescribable sense that I'd acquired them, but with Search Eyes... nothing like that.
Maybe head out and check?
While I'm at it, time to try going out alone for once.
Back at the company, holidays were just for crashing from exhaustion—I'd never leisurely wandered by myself.
It was one of my small wishes to stroll carefree with no plans, but even in this world, freed from the company, I'd just holed up in the dorm when alone.
Yeah, it'll kill time till evening—might as well get some fresh air.
And since I'm going out, if I spot any clothes or stuff I like, I'll buy them.
Decision made, I got ready without hesitation.
I was standing in the bustling downtown area.
Skyscrapers piercing the sky, crowds filling the multi-laned streets.
Car horns mixed with music blaring from shops hawking their wares, all blending into the city's vibe.
The people packed everywhere were each going their own way.
Thanks to that indifference around me, even amid the throng, I could savor the cozy feeling of being alone.
A few women glanced my way now and then, but it wasn't annoying.
...Oh, it's definitely working.
I stood in the middle of the street, scanning my surroundings.
The moment I willed Search Eyes to activate, red or green glows appeared around the people entering my vision.
Red meant they had higher resistance to my Enchantment Magic than my level.
Green was the opposite.
In simple terms, I could only use Enchantment Magic on green ones.
Most people in the busy district were green.
Normals, unlike mages, had no mana in their bodies, so no Enchantment Magic resistance either.
The majority being green was probably because normals far outnumbered mages in this world.
Or maybe some mages with lower resistance than mine showing green.
But Search Eyes couldn't tell the difference.
...It'd be nice if it showed resistance ranks.
Whether that was the spell's limit or my proficiency was too low, it only indicated yes or no for whether Enchantment Magic would work.
With a resigned thought, I scanned the area again.
The sea of green lights before my eyes.
It felt strangely surreal that so many people were ones I could fool with Enchantment Magic.
For the record, I had no intention of using Enchantment Magic for anything shady.
I wouldn't chase money, power, or fame with it.
Sure, I'd used it a few times for naughty stuff—and might again—but its original purpose was as a safeguard against potential threats.
So I didn't want to harm innocent people.
My dream was to live as an ordinary citizen, upholding my conscience and enjoying simple happiness.
...There were mages mixed in too.
Amid the green-packed street, reds popped up occasionally, so eye-catching that once spotted, my gaze involuntarily followed them.
That's when a particular red caught my eye, freezing it in place.
The silhouette felt familiar, so I released Search Eyes and narrowed my eyes for a closer look.
...Anna?
She was walking alone, head down, heading somewhere.
Running into her outside school—let alone in a busy spot like this—felt like great luck.
Should I just run up and say hi? But a mischievous urge hit, so I pulled out my phone.
Hiding behind a wall out of her sight, I peeked out and hit the call button.
A moment later, Anna—who'd been walking far ahead—checked her phone, startled, stopped in her tracks, and answered.
-H-Hello...?
Her voice trembled faintly over the line.
We'd texted plenty, but this was our first call—she seemed nervous.
"Anna."
-Uh? W-what's up?
Oblivious to me watching her, she clutched her phone.
I held back a laugh and said,
"I'm right behind you now."