Chapter 172
Chapter 172
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 172
Chapter Title: Sphere of the Void
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“……”
Magda was utterly astonished.
This was a woman who hadn't batted an eye at the sight of colossal bones tearing through the earth and soaring into the sky.
She hadn't been surprised when the assembled bones formed shapes, their hollow insides filled with the bodies of the dead, friend and foe alike.
Even when she realized the sheer number of these monstrous beasts, she had merely shrugged.
To her, the size and number of the enemy were irrelevant.
As long as her mana held out, any obstacle could simply be destroyed.
The reason she now stood transfixed in the middle of the battlefield, staring up at the sky, was because of the mystical flow of the atmosphere, like an aurora.
‘Loan…’
She immediately recognized that Loan’s ultimate technique, his unique magic, had been manifested. She knew very well what it was.
But even though she understood, she couldn’t comprehend.
Not even after hearing the cry of Loan’s heart that had echoed across the world with the appearance of the monsters.
Not even after being moved by the reasons the fifteen-year-old boy, who had weathered so many storms, had laid bare for why he could be himself.
What conditions had been met, what process had been followed—
She simply couldn’t fathom how it had all culminated in the materialization of such an immense spell.
And for good reason. The edge of the sphere reached the very top of the Tower of Manifestation. Its diameter was well over two hundred meters.
The scale of the magic was too vast to comprehend.
‘How did he do it?’
She felt a mix of pride and worry.
This was not magic a human could handle. Had he overexerted himself? He was a child with a strong tendency to do so. The thoughts he had shared with the world were, after all, exquisitely beautiful.
‘Is he alright?’
Magda’s gaze lingered on the top of the Tower of Manifestation, where Loan likely was.
Here.
Loan, standing on the railing, was indeed pushing himself to his absolute limit, just as Magda feared.
Although he had resonated with it, the sphere had been created semi-forcibly, with the Tower’s Guardian ignorant of the concepts of circulation and Circles. This was the main problem.
The order was wrong.
The Guardian had questioned it after the manifestation, and Loan had to make it understand.
—What is a Circle?
—It is a power that endlessly draws in mana through circulation.
This was why the sphere would become more stable as time passed, or rather, because time was passing.
Conversely, the [Sphere of the Void], created not through complete unification but through a mere resonance of abilities, relied solely on the Guardian’s mana.
Its limits would be clear.
Its efficiency would be low.
To overcome this, the Tower needed to learn more. Fortunately, the Tower wished for the same.
—What is circulation?
—It is the way of the world. It continues through creation and destruction, repeating thesis, antithesis, and synthesis. The beginning is the end, and the end is a new beginning. All of creation is this way.
—Is that why it is a Circle? Is that why it manifests in the form of a sphere?
—It draws in mana, circulates it within the body, expels it, and draws it in again. It is a flow that embodies the principles of the world, the principles of nature…
Loan carefully retraced the foundations of his magic.
It was an unfamiliar concept, but not an impossible one to accept.
Fortunately, the Guardian of Manifestation was no fool.
Though the Tower couldn’t yet draw in mana on its own, it gradually solved the problem of mana depletion by amplifying, rather than obstructing, the power Loan was trying to pull in.
Convinced that the sphere would stabilize, Loan next reviewed how the principle of circulation applied to the [Sphere of the Void].
—Within the [Sphere of the Void], Domain, Narrow Path, and Convection coexist.
Domain was a net, or a vortex, of mana created to neutralize an opponent’s attack, or to increase the efficiency of evasion, defense, and offense.
Narrow Path was a straight, narrow road optimized to reach a target. It was also a line drawn to map out a channel for an attack.
Convection was the flow of mana circulating according to Loan’s will. And it was the most fundamental concept that formed both Domain and Narrow Path.
Even with its immense size, its essence did not change.
Ultimately, this was because the three fundamental magics that constituted the [Sphere of the Void] all targeted ‘mana’ itself.
—Magic that is drawn in, constructed, and exists of its own accord.
—That’s right.
—Mana is impartial to all things. You speak the obvious, yet it feels new to accept it.
—I’m glad. You’re very smart.
—…
The Tower’s Guardian understood quickly. It was now on the verge of a breakthrough.
—Even if the agent of the magic’s manifestation has changed, and its size has increased, it does not mean that Domain, Narrow Path, and Convection have grown larger.
—No. But they must act individually. It is impartial to all, but it must be differentiated through intent.
—So it does not simply float and exist. It has its own distinct uses.
The tiny ant helplessly accepting the world’s end, the allies and enemies who had briefly forgotten their purpose in their confusion, and the ancient monsters that had suddenly appeared—all were fundamentally the same, so the effects applied to them would be identical.
But they had to act differently.
—To be honest, this is a bit difficult.
The Guardian of Manifestation, having only half-understood this, made a proposal to Loan.
—You do it yourself.
Just as the Guardian of Manifestation had resonated with Loan and understood his thoughts, Loan now surveyed the Guardian’s domain through its eyes.
He saw the phenomena of magic being applied within the sphere that filled the domain.
He observed those within the domain using the Guardian’s ability and naturally distinguished between friend and foe, manifesting the necessary magic for each.
“Aaaaargh!”
Some of the horde of Graves were swept up into the air, caught in the currents of Convection extending from the Tower, while others were ensnared by the vortexes of the Domain that climbed their bodies like nets.
“What’s wrong with them?”
The mages of the Tower were equally bewildered for a moment.
It was right after that when translucent lines appeared before their eyes.
Tilting their heads once more, the mages intuitively realized that the lines were showing them the optimal paths to efficiently attack the enemy.
Attacks perfectly suited for the defenseless enemies, as well as for those still free and unbound by the Convection, were unleashed.
Even the less skilled mages were able to dispatch their foes with incredible ease.
This was how Loan contributed to the battle of the small.
However, even if achieved through resonance, observing, attacking, and assisting countless entities simultaneously was nothing short of madness.
That was why Loan’s head felt like it was on fire and why his nose was bleeding.
‘Not yet.’
But he couldn’t stop at this level. The true purpose of creating the giant sphere did not lie here.
It was made to face the terrifying beings awakened by the Graves.
It was made to protect the Tower and the innocent from them.
Therefore, the sphere had to be, above all, exceptionally defensive. And just in time.
‘Here they come.’
The beings, risen from a massive, nation-spanning magic circle, conditioned by countless grudges and blood, had a single goal: to destroy the Tower.
The ones that had awakened nearby charged forward recklessly.
But they too were creatures of mana.
Breaking through the wall of mana, flowing relentlessly with immense pressure and incredible speed, was nigh impossible.
*Kwagwagwa-gwa-gwa!*
They lost their flimsy flesh and bone. Still, they did not stop their claws and horns from extending.
It was because they possessed will and purpose, but no reason.
Even as they watched others meet the same fate, they continued to charge. Those who lost a part of themselves soon lost their whole.
It was a cycle of futility.
*Kwagwagwagwa-gwa-gwa!*
They kept crashing into it, and were repeatedly annihilated.
That bizarre yet beautiful, and even majestic, spectacle filled the hearts of the onlookers with overwhelming emotion.
The mages of the Tower were deeply moved that Loan’s otherworldly power, which they had experienced and witnessed firsthand, had unfolded in a way that surpassed all imagination at the most crucial moment.
If the sphere had not been manifested in time, it was entirely possible that the Tower would have fallen to the giant beasts.
“To think that a young mage accomplished such a miracle…”
Those who knew the situation cheered, shouting Loan’s name.
The ordinary people, who didn’t know the details, simply felt a powerful will deep in their hearts—the will of someone unknown, declaring ‘I will not give up,’ ‘I will protect’—and were moved to their core.
Many mistook it for a miracle following the voice of a ‘god.’
But it was too early to be optimistic.
The space was limited, and the sphere’s mercy did not extend to everyone.
Its effect was confined to the vicinity of the Tower where the [Sphere of the Void] existed, and the chaos unfolding in the distance continued unabated.
In fact, the largest of the monsters had not even approached the Tower yet. The whereabouts of those who had awakened and were controlling the beasts remained unknown.
In a way, the real crisis had not even begun.
The Tower Masters, reading the situation, encouraged the people. Their thoughts reached the populace in a flurry.
The message was clear, the call simple.
“Gather at the Tower!”
“Take shelter inside the sphere!”
“It is safe here!”
The mages of the Tower began guiding the people.
As Loan partially opened the sphere’s barrier, the Tower’s Guardians also deactivated the shield that had been cast over the lake.
They raised land from the water to accommodate the people.
“Is it really okay to go in there?”
The modernist mages were taken aback by the progressive attitude shown by the Tower’s mages—Stipe and Joseph, who had joined the group late, moved back and forth, persuading the people.
Thus, the great migration to the Tower gradually stabilized and picked up speed.
Now, only one problem remained.
Protecting those who were still far away from the giant beasts. Eliminating the remaining potential threats.
It was impossible to project mana outward from within the Sphere of the Void, so they had to go outside.
—If that is the reason, then we must go. Maintaining this sphere is no easy task.
The Guardian of Manifestation made its decision.
That decision was immediately relayed to the elders who had been observing the situation—the mages of Manifestation.
Since settling in the Tower of Manifestation, only two had ever ventured outside: Werner and Magda.
These individuals, who had anxiously understood their purpose and remained faithful to their role as the final bastion and last successors of magic, were like dogs let off their leashes.
They flung themselves out of the Tower all at once.
For Loan to resonate with the Tower was the same as resonating with the elders.
For a long time, they and the Tower had been like one body, so now their will was Loan’s will.
*Chwaaaaaaaat—*
Countless Narrow Paths were instantly drawn in the air.
They were the right paths leading out of the Tower and toward the giant beasts.
Thus, the old men who left the [Sphere of the Void] focused their intent on their targeted beasts.
A [Fire Storm] engulfed one beast, and a [Blizzard] froze another. A [Meteor] shower rained down, and a [Frozen Wind] tore the flesh from their bones.
Class-exceeding area-of-effect destruction spells were poured onto individual targets. Thus, they were no longer area-of-effect.
“Woooah!”
The mages were galvanized by the exhilarating, merciless attacks.
Now, even the five Tower Masters and Magda joined in, unleashing their full power upon the beasts.
But it wasn’t just the watching mages who reacted.
*Kwakwakwakwang—*
The earth trembled.
A change occurred among the giant beasts as well.
The ones that had been trampling the city on their way to the Tower picked up speed.
The beasts, which had been charging mindlessly and individually, unexpectedly formed a single file line, and the one at the front thrust its body forcefully into the sphere.
As the mana barrier began to steadily erase its existence, another beast pushed in right beside it, as if to disrupt the flow.
A somehow unsettling development.
“Stop them!”
The mages unleashed their ultimate techniques at the beasts.
They certainly landed hits, but they couldn’t stop the creatures’ coordinated assault.
The beasts that endured the attacks of fire, ice, wind, and earth thrust themselves into the sphere once more.
The gap in the sphere widened slightly. In tandem, a stream of blood trickled from Loan’s nose.
Even so, with the Guardian’s limited understanding, using the [Arc of the Void] or the [Pole of the Void] was impossible.
The intuition that this was dangerous was transmitted simultaneously to Loan, to the resonating Tower, and to everyone sharing thoughts within its domain, at that very moment.
Finally.
Even the largest of the beasts charged toward the Tower.
It did so while a gap was still open, before the other beasts had been annihilated.
At this rate, it might just break through. At that critical moment.
*Sweeeeeeek—*
Something shot down from the sky, piercing the air and passing through the [Sphere of the Void].
Like a pure white ray of light, it finally— *Kwaaaaaang!*
—detonated the air with a deafening roar, leaving a concentric ring of white in the sky, and then decapitated the beast that was just about to push its head into the sphere.
*Kooo-ooong!*
A silence descended immediately after the beast collapsed like a falling building.
Amidst everyone’s astonished gazes.
A man in a pure white suit landed lightly on the ground.