Chapter 138
Chapter 138
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: Duel of the Peaks
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“That bastard, right now…….”
“What did he just say……?”
The stunned gazes of the Imperial soldiers and adventurers focused intently. Bewildered murmurs spread through the ranks.
“He said he’s going to test the Magic Tower……!”
If an ordinary boy had said the same thing, everyone would have burst out laughing, clutching their stomachs. But the opponent standing before them now was……
‘Don’t use Bell Sidias or Bell Quirius unless it’s a real emergency. Same goes for Mental Barrier or Chains of Respect.’
I’ll win with the skills and experience I built up as Lin. I’ll use only the amount of mana that Lin had.
“You insolent brat, do you even realize what nonsense you’ve just spouted to whom?”
The captain of the Imperial Army’s Special Magic Unit, Willis Kepel, glared and started to charge forward, but Seigan raised a hand to stop him.
“His spirit’s impressive, at least.”
Seigan Wolf Blado narrowed his eyes, dismissing the boy’s provocation as trivial.
I can’t tell what type of mage he is…… Was there a school that forges weapons with fire magic?
If close combat is his specialty, I can probe him from afar, one step at a time. The adventurer’s life is a battle against the unknown, after all.
“But he picked the wrong opponent to show off to.”
A suffocatingly heavy silence fell. The moment Aki reached out toward Rain, her eyes brimming with tears.
“───!”
A tail of light began weaving, tangling, and dancing above Seigan’s palm.
Hah, Rain raised an eyebrow.
The magic formation is three layers of octagons with on (蘊; accumulation), ro (擄; capture), and jeon (轉; rotation)…… This is Ironwheel.
It was a brutal technique that surrounded the enemy with countless lumps of iron like a net, then shredded flesh with fiercely rotating saw blades from the gaps.
“If his opener is something as basic as Ironwheel, I’m a little disappointed…….”
That thought didn’t last even a second. Because of the chill creeping up his skull.
What is this……?
It’s different. Something’s off.
The Ironwheel I know doesn’t send saw blades flying first like this. And the iron lumps don’t rise up from the direction of the dodge.
“Did I misread the runes?!”
Saw blades joined to iron lumps that had already surrounded me sliced through skin and fur clothing in sharp arcs as they flew in.
“Did you think it was just an ordinary Ironwheel?”
As the walls of steel with madly spinning saw blades closed in from all sides, I briefly activated Bell Sidias to scan the magic’s structure, and a hollow laugh escaped me.
- Depending on how you solve the formula, the visual result of the magic can show subtle yet massive differences.
Memories from the finals for top rank in the entrance exam flooded back vividly. Something about how the visual outcome changes based on how you work the math.
But that wasn’t all—apparently, you could even alter the activation sequence entirely?
The standard formula for Ironwheel’s final coordinates uses the ‘complement of permutations,’ but he deliberately twisted it into three sequential formulas using ‘lexicographic ordering.’
“The time-honored northern battle spell, Ironwheel. Everyone knows how to counter it, but tweak it to fit the situation, and it’s no problem.”
Even the reincarnation of the great mage Lin couldn’t help but admire Seigan’s explanation.
He explained it so casually, but it was impossible without the absolute skill to perfectly modify and control every spell.
“But, uh──?!”
The moment the four iron walls of spinning saw blades overlapped, his flesh should have been shredded and crushed……
In that instant, a flash of lethal heat leaked through the gaps in the steel, followed by crimson flames erupting with a roar.
The steel constructed with 3-star magic melted into dingy green sludge, and a fierce heatwave swept through, evaporating every bit of moisture in the air.
“So, what’s next? That can’t be all, right?”
As everyone blinked in shock, Seigan’s lips twitched.
‘He blocked my magic?’
Just luck?
No, has there even been anyone recently who could block my magic, luck or not? At that moment, strands of light began weaving above the boy’s palm.
Is he trying to match my pride? The magic formation he brazenly built, the runes he inscribed—they were all identical to Seigan’s Ironwheel.
But……
They were different.
The form and activation principle were the same as standard Ironwheel, but something crucial was off. The magic’s attribute wasn’t steel—it was fire.
“What…… Fire-attribute Ironwheel?!”
“Lord Seigan!”
In an instant, walls of flame surged up around Seigan like a siege, and the countless spinning flame saw blades in the gaps would have charred his body to cinders.
If not for the 3.5-star ice walls that erupted around him in a flash.
Rain could only let out a naive, hollow laugh.
‘He activated the magic differently again.’
A spell that normally just raises ice walls, but he turned surrounding objects into ice walls…… No wonder the activation speed was several times faster.
Pssshhhh…… Seigan emerged from the thick steam of extinguishing flames so dense it clouded the mind.
His lips curved up just enough not to be seen by others.
‘The magic formation was octagonal—steel—yet he switched attributes midway? Intriguing. How did he do it?’
I’ll figure it out slowly from now on.
Once I unleash the spells I’ve researched and prepared my whole life without holding back, that kid will give me the answer.
Through magic, of course.
“……That’s the way us mages converse, isn’t it?”
Smiles invisible to each other and to onlookers crossed in the air the next instant.
“……!”
“……!”
Elegant melodies of light wove from both their palms, and miracles that warped providence scorched the sky and gouged the earth.
“The formation is two circles and one triangle, runes are jo (助), rong (瀧), on (榲).”
When the magic formation shattered above the boy’s palm, fire rained down from the sky like a shower.
“The formation is one octagon and two pentagons, runes are yu (蹂), jung (蚛), seong (晟).”
When the formation shattered above the heroine’s palm, steel, poison, ice, and lightning danced a slaughter.
An infighting barrage between Yorhen-type mages, visible only to those at the absolute pinnacle of the elite—a spectacle that left even renowned magic festivals in the dust, robbing the audience of breath itself.
“What is it? Why do those two fighting for their lives look like they’re enjoying themselves to my eyes?”
Amid the explosive booms of clashing magic, Prince Raida Eijin muttered in confusion, and Bow Star Leoren replied.
“They say masters who’ve reached the peak of the Seven Star Sword can converse with their swords.”
“Converse with swords?”
“Everything communicates through a single blade. What does that mean? From just one sword technique the opponent shows, you can tell how many years they’ve honed it, how they trained, with what passion they researched.”
“What kind of wordplay is that…… How is that even possible?”
“The two of them are seeing that in each other right now. Your Highness will understand when you become an expert in some field yourself.”
In truth, the two were witnessing illusions that didn’t exist and couldn’t possibly form.
The illusion of sitting across a desk, showing off the magic formations they’d researched and explored, explaining strengths and weaknesses, exchanging feedback.
This was why Rain had sighed about his juniors gossiping so much after enrolling at Delaiten. Mages have their own way of talking.
“They’re using nothing but fire-attribute magic, amazingly. No, it feels like he’s turning every spell into fire-attribute.”
At Special Magic Unit Vice-Captain Isaka’s words, Captain Willis Kepel narrowed his eyes and replied.
“The strength of fire-attribute magic is commonly known as ‘flashiness,’ but precisely, it’s ‘power.’”
“Yes. It looks flashy because it’s so overwhelmingly powerful—in other words, ‘simple strength’ is fire magic’s greatest feature.”
But it had clear drawbacks too—like the price of that power, its mana consumption was monstrously higher than any other attribute.
“That’s why fire-attribute mages are vulgarly called ‘premature’ in slang.”
“Right. A slight mistake in mana distribution, and you’re instantly depleted.”
“But what the hell is this? He’s already cast over fifteen 3- and 4-star spells, and he’s still going strong. How?”
I’m wondering too. Unless he has infinite mana, how……?
He’s already picking only the strongest spells, and firing them as fire-attribute—it must be a nightmare to face.
If I were standing there instead of Lord Seigan, this match would already be……
‘A sorcerer who turns every spell into fire-attribute.’
Seigan naturally shared that question, but it was one of delight rather than dismay.
How long had it been since he’d poured out magic at full throttle and had the opponent counter as if it were natural?
‘Block this too? Then how about this? What about this one? And this?’
Seigan’s eyes gleamed as he unleashed countless ice spears glinting blue under the sun.
“Don’t collapse yet. We’re just getting started!”
He felt a sensation long forgotten—and thus sought for ages—stirring in his chest.
The thrill of a magic duel, impossible to feel since becoming the Magic Tower Lord.
Had he wanted a life of unconditional worship? A life where others knelt without a real fight?
‘No, I never wanted that crap for a second.’
This is what he wanted. He became a peak to fight peaks—not because peak was the goal.
The pleasure when his life’s research clashed with others’ lifetimes of work, the synergy when knowledge frontiers collided.
New horizons opened in such battles, expanding magic’s possibilities.
“Hmm, they say monsters birth monsters…… That monster Skalji must’ve unleashed an even bigger one on the world.”
Bow Star Leoren smirked as he watched the clash of peaks.
I’m probably the only one who’s figured out his identity…… Though I owe half of it to Serwebon.
But it’s strange. I heard he died during the Black Sun Incident. How?
‘Should I intervene? But if I stop the fight now to talk, would anyone even hear me?’
Even Prince Raida can’t tear his eyes away.
In that tightrope battle where one misstep ends it all, showcase only for those at the peak.
“A, ah-ba, ah-woo, ah-baaat!”
“Aba, aba, aba, aba.”
“It’s okay, it’s okay, ungh, it’s okay.”
Even Kasena, soothing and comforting the crying Aki, couldn’t tear her eyes from the scene.
‘That’s the pinnacle of magic…….’
So close, yet wide-area spells that could kill dozens flew wildly without touching her.
Proof of their terrifying mana control.
And above all, Rain wore an expression Kasena had never seen. One of pure, uncontainable joy……
‘He always looked bored at school.’
Of course he did. All his peers were several levels below him.
But the mage before him now…… The strongest battle mage of the generation.
She bit her lip in slight frustration. If she excelled in magic, she could make Rain show that face too……
‘After my death, 300 years of magical progress are all embodied in this Magic Tower’s spells.’
The boy marveled. Ideas unthinkable in Lin’s era, use of math formulas, rune combinations……
“Amazing. Truly splendid.”
And so the boy smiled.
If Shar’kas was the type to overwhelm with brute force…… The Magic Tower was a technical masterclass, perfectly synthesizing and harmonizing modern magic’s essence.
At this level, reaching Aquizard (5-star) was just a matter of time.
‘Now, the only attribute I can use here is fire…….’
No variability from mixing attributes, but absolute superiority in raw power contests.
‘It’s not risk-free, but I’ll dominate it perfectly. Every bit of this flame. Just like Alakish used.’
Amid the fierce battle, adventurers and soldiers gossiped in disbelief.
“The Magic Tower on equal footing?”
“What the hell is that guy?”
“The Magic Tower Lord’s going easy, right?”
Leoren, watching the fight with equal fascination, narrowed his eyes.
‘Sure, standard battle magic looks even…….’
But Seigan hasn’t tapped his real power yet. The power that placed him above all battle mages.
‘The Blado family’s bloodline limit.’
At that moment, Rain caught a blade springing from Seigan’s ring and burrowing deep into his palm—a chilling shiver raced through his mind.
“It’s been nine years. The last time I used my bloodline limit against a mage.”