The Art of Flame Magic (1)
After receiving Hwayoung sunbae's devoted fellatio while finishing the dishes, she and I sat close together at the empty table where we'd eaten and began to talk. It wasn't light small talk about where to order dinner from—it was closer to a serious conversation. After all, it was a lecture on flame magic from a former S-rank hunter.
"Since I've decided to teach you, I won't go about it halfway."
"Yes, sunbae."
I nodded at her words, spoken across the corner of the table. The reason Hwayoung sunbae had suddenly started giving me magic lessons was simple. She'd been dissatisfied with settling the Black Slime material cost through sex, so she'd offered to pay me back in another way. She couldn't accept paying for the materials in such a favorable manner that it felt like she owed me money instead. I'd told her there was no need to go that far, but she'd insisted she couldn't tolerate a one-sided relationship. Refusing any further would have been rude to her, so I'd suggested she teach me flame magic in return.
"Come to think of it, we did mention something like that earlier."
"Yes. I already have a teacher who's deeply versed in swordsmanship, but when it comes to flame magic, there's no one better than you, sunbae."
"Well, I was pretty good in my active days."
Cha Yuri was an A-rank hunter too, so she had deep knowledge of magic among mage-type hunters, but since she was a wind mage, all I could learn from her was efficient mana manipulation. When it came to actually handling flame magic, Hwayoung sunbae, being a flame mage herself, would have far richer knowledge. A one-on-one magic lesson from a former S-rank hunter was an absolute gain no matter the affinity.
"Before we start the lesson, I'll check how much you already know."
"Yes."
"Let's begin with a simple question. How proficient do you think you are with flame magic?"
"I can roughly use 5th-circle flame magic. Things like Flame Tornado or Scorching Earth."
I'd thought she was asking about the level of spells I could use, so I'd immediately mentioned the highest-tier flame magic I knew. But at my confident answer, Hwayoung sunbae shook her head.
"...That wasn't the kind of proficiency I was asking about."
"Pardon?"
I'd answered boldly, thinking 5th-circle was a decent level, but she wanted something different from what I'd expected.
"I'm not asking how high a spell you can handle. I'm asking how deeply you understand the magic when you use it."
"...Is that different from using high-tier spells?"
"Of course it is... Haah. Right. I guess I have to explain from here anyway."
With that, Hwayoung sunbae began teaching me the basics of handling magic.
"Let's think from the very foundation. What do you consider the basic spell of flame magic, Seong-cheol hoobae?"
"Fireball... No, wait. Isn't it Flame Mass?"
"Simpler."
"...Simpler than that? Then... Heat Generation?"
"That's not simpler. It's just a change in the method of operation."
"......"
After having the two most fundamental spells— the root of most flame magic and the first things 1st-circle flame mages learn—denied, I listed off a few other 1st-circle spells that came to mind. Hwayoung sunbae simply shook her head at every single one.
"Your circle is at 5th level, but you really have no understanding of magic at all."
"...I'm sorry."
"No need to apologize. It's still much better than half-baked knowledge. At least I don't have to correct any wrong information."
With that, Hwayoung sunbae continued the basic lecture on flame magic.
"Most magic is the manifestation of a phenomenon. Wind magic is 'movement of air,' cold magic is 'drop in temperature.' Of course, at the application stage, some spells deviate from the basic phenomenon, but the concept of manifesting a phenomenon itself is important to remember."
"Magic is the manifestation of a phenomenon... Yes, I understand."
"Then, what do you think is the basic phenomenon of flame magic?"
"Hmm......"
After thinking for a moment, I carefully ventured a guess.
"A rise in temperature...?"
"That's just an additional effect that comes with the manifestation of the phenomenon. The most fundamental phenomenon is 'combustion of matter.'"
"Ah......!"
I felt a sudden wave of embarrassment at her answer, spoken as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. It was such a simple, natural response once I heard it—why hadn't I thought of it?
"No need to feel ashamed. Are you going to get embarrassed every time you don't know something while you're learning?"
"No, I shouldn't."
"Then here's another question. Based on the idea that the basic phenomenon of flame magic is 'combustion of matter,' try to recall what the fundamental flame spell is again."
"......Ignition."
"Good, you're quick to understand."
She took out her pipe filled with tobacco leaves, held it in front of my eyes, and flicked her finger to cast Ignition.
"This is the very foundation of flame magic. Flame Mass is one step further from here, and Heat Generation is just a spell that maximizes the additional effect that appears during the 'combustion of matter' process."
"I see."
White smoke began to rise. As if it were the most natural thing, she dripped Black Slime fluid onto the pipe and brought the now-smoking pipe to her lips. Just before it touched, she gave me a subtle look.
"......What, why."
"Yes?"
"I-I'm just smoking because I feel like it. It's not like I forgot the promise to quit or anything..."
"I didn't say anything, sunbae."
"......Ah, right."
I wasn't shameless enough to nitpick even this, since it was the best example for demonstrating Ignition in this space. I hadn't expected her to quit such an addictive tar cigarette overnight anyway. If that were possible, all the cigarette companies should have gone bankrupt already. Even so, Hwayoung sunbae glanced at me while bringing the pipe to her lips and took a deep drag. She carefully exhaled the smoke in the opposite direction from me before continuing the lecture on flame magic.
"The fact that Ignition is the most basic flame spell means that all other flame magic, including Flame Mass, has something added to it."
"Since flame magic is the phenomenon of matter combusting, plain Ignition in empty air wouldn't have any matter to burn."
"Oh...?"
"So creating a fireball by burning mana to combust—that would be the 1st-circle flame spell 'Flame Mass,' right?"
Clap clap clap. Hwayoung sunbae set down her pipe and applauded softly.
"Teaching you is actually rewarding."
"I'm a fast learner by nature."
"Yeah. It'd be even better if you didn't climb on top every now and then."
After taking another drag from the tar cigarette with a look of exasperation, she moved on to the next part of the lesson.
"Let's take Fireball, a 2nd-circle spell, as an example. Since it's a tangible flame, 'Ignition' and 'Mana Release' are basic prerequisites. Add three more spells to make it into a Fireball."
"...Three?"
"Yeah, three."
"......"
For a moment, my mind went blank at how many steps her magic lesson seemed to have skipped. ...I shouldn't have shown off earlier.
"...Since it gains speed and flies, 'Acceleration' is necessary."
"Right. Two left."
"I need to designate the direction it flies in, so... I need to add 'Designation' too?"
"It's not 'Designation,' it's 'Aiming.' A Fireball that simply flies in a set direction is 'Aiming.' A Fire Arrow that locks onto a target and pursues it is 'Designation.' 'Designation' can be further divided into two stages: 'Aiming' and 'Detection.'"
"A-Aaah..."
Whether it was the backlash from using magic all this time without thinking deeply about it, or just the flood of new information, my head felt dizzy.
"Alright, one left."
"Hmm......"
"It's nothing once you know it. Not something worth agonizing over either."
"Is that so...?"
"Here's a hint: the name of the spell 'Fireball' itself is basically the hint. If you can't think of it, make a Flame Mass and compare it to a Fireball."
"The name Fireball itself is the hint..."
Following her advice, I created a Flame Mass small enough to fit in my hand and compared its shape to the Fireball I'd been using. The moment the suspicion formed in my mind, the amorphous mass of flame in my hand transformed into a spherical shape.
"Ah."
"Yeah, well done."
Hwayoung sunbae looked satisfied as she confirmed the Flame Mass had changed into a sphere under the influence of 'Coalescence.'
"Mana Release, Ignition, Coalescence, Aiming, Acceleration. Those five basic spells combined create Fireball."
"...Hearing it like that makes even Fireball feel like a really difficult spell."
"It is difficult. And until now, you've been recklessly using Fireball without even properly understanding its principles."
"......"
"You probably just memorized the entire magic formula and used it. That might not have caused problems so far, but magic used without understanding will eventually hit a wall."
"I have nothing to say..."
"The 5th-circle spells you mentioned—Flame Tornado or Scorching Earth—probably just imitate the appearance. If you actually check their substance, they won't show the power of true 5th-circle magic, will they?"
"...It does seem that way."
"It's like a child who's just started using chopsticks trying to eat by stabbing food with them like a fork. Right now it looks fine because you're getting results, but once you go a little deeper, problems will definitely arise."
Every single word struck right at my weak points, so I could only shrink smaller and smaller before her.
"After today's lesson, I'll at least bring you up to the level of a 'trainee mage.'"
"Thank you, Hwayoung sunbae."
"And using magic by memorizing the entire formula like you've been doing is absolutely forbidden. If I catch you even once, I won't teach you magic again. Keep that in mind."
"...Yes, I understand."
Just like Eun-young noona's swordsmanship lessons, another strict teacher had appeared.