Chapter 30

Magic is broadly divided into three types.

Circle magic, Ki-blood magic, and Totem magic.

Among them, Circle magic has the greatest versatility, but Ki-blood magic offers better initial growth speed and combat power. Meanwhile, Totem magic is the discipline of creating magical devices (魔法器) essential for survival.

There are no restrictions on learning magic.

In theory, it’s possible to learn Circle magic, Ki-blood magic, and Totem magic all at once.

In particular, Totem magic is considered a basic literacy for mages, making it a required subject that both Circle mages and Ki-blood mages must undertake.

On the other hand, there are almost no mages who learn Circle magic and Ki-blood magic simultaneously. Unlike Totem magic, which uses magical power outside the body, both Circle magic and Ki-blood magic handle magical power within the body. Creating a Circle requires magical power, and maintaining blood channels also requires magical power. To achieve maximum effect with limited magical power, it’s better to focus on either blood channels or Circles.

From this perspective, it might seem that Circle magic and Ki-blood magic form the two main pillars of the magical world on equal footing. But the reality is quite different.

In terms of prominence in the magical world, Circle magic dominates Ki-blood magic by about 80 to 20. In the Star Continent where all kinds of calamities run rampant, while formidable combat power is beneficial, superior versatility is more preferred. Additionally, the outdated practice methods of Ki-blood magic, which rely more on subjective concepts and individual talent rather than theory, also serve as obstacles preventing its widespread adoption.

-Types of Magic

+ – + – +

[Simulation End]

My vision cleared. I could see Teacher Sena muttering something.

“I mean, how can someone not know what power they themselves used? Does that make any sense?”

Ah, it seems what she was saying wasn’t finished.

But… what was she talking about?

After battling the orc for over 30 minutes, I came back and can’t remember.

When I gave her a strange look, she seemed to sense something and asked awkwardly.

“…You’re back already?”

“…Yes.”

“Ugh… at least say something before you leave.”

As Teacher Sena grumbled, she suddenly lowered her upper body and asked meaningfully.

“So… how was it?”

The question sounds like… those bad older guys asking their younger brothers about dating.

It felt like I was being dragged into something, but there was one thing I could state with certainty.

How was it?

It was exhilarating. Probably even more exhilarating than that first kiss thing.

Wait, is that not right?

Anyway, I made a victory sign with my fingers while giving a satisfied smile.

“I won.”

Teacher Sena leaned back comfortably in her armchair with an “I told you so” look.

“See? You are a mage. No matter how exceptional a Mana User might be, how could they defeat an orc one-on-one?”

Come to think of it, that’s absolutely right.

‘I really have become a mage.’

I stared down at my two hands. It felt awkward but definitely good.

“How long did it take?”

“Just over thirty minutes. It was an intense battle. I almost lost, but barely managed to win.”

Come to think of it, my simulation has improved significantly too. Before, running a simulation with the orc and me would knock me out after twenty minutes, but this time I ran it for thirty minutes and felt fine.

‘At this rate… I could probably run it for an hour, no, maybe even two hours?’

Additionally, being able to use slow motion, zoom, and X-ray vision in simulations must also be benefits of becoming a mage.

Is this how that Earth science geek felt when using macros in games?

Going to sleep and waking up to find your level has skyrocketed.

This feeling of satisfaction is indescribable.

But Teacher Sena reacted somewhat coldly to my achievement.

“What? Thirty minutes? And you just barely won? A Ki-blood mage against an orc?”

I was so taken aback by her response that I stuttered.

“Why, why?”

“That’s too slow. What kind of Ki-blood mage are you? I haven’t seen it firsthand, but books say that at lower levels, Ki-blood mages are much stronger than Circle mages. Usually, a 1-Star Ki-blood mage can handle an orc in 10 to 15 minutes, I’ve heard.”

“That fast?”

I opened my eyes wide. While I felt good about defeating the orc, learning that my speed was much slower than others immediately soured my mood. How fickle the human heart is.

Though I wanted to quickly understand what was going on, there was still another question that needed resolution first.

I straightened my posture and asked Teacher Sena.

“Teacher.”

Wrapped in a blanket, she lifted only her head to look at me.

“So… what you’re saying is that I have become a mage… but it seems I’ve become a Ki-blood mage?”

Teacher Sena nodded firmly.

“That’s right.”

I swallowed hard before asking cautiously.

“Then… what about Circle magic? Does this mean I can’t become a Circle mage now?”

When I dreamed of becoming a mage, it always meant becoming a Circle mage. It’s not that I don’t want to be a Ki-blood mage… but given the choice, I’d prefer to follow the path of a Circle mage.

In response to my question, Teacher Sena opened her eyes wide, then pulled her hand out from under the blanket to pat my head.

“Hahaha. No. There are all sorts of weird rumors floating around… but whether you’re a Ki-blood mage or a Circle mage, you can switch to the other side anytime. You’ve just become a 1-Star Ki-blood mage, but you can release your blood channels and switch to Circles whenever you want.”

“Then… conversely… could you become a Ki-blood mage too?”

“Well, my situation is a bit different since I’m not a mage right now… but yes. Even if I were a 2-Circle mage, I could switch to being a 2-Star Ki-blood mage anytime. As long as someone teaches me Ki-blood magic, it’s possible. However… switching specialties so frequently would make it difficult to really excel.”

Ah… that’s a relief. So I, having just awakened as a Ki-blood mage, can switch to being a Circle mage anytime without any penalties.

Teacher Sena met my gaze and spoke. She seemed to be in a good mood, even using formal speech that she hadn’t used in a while.

“Actually, this is for the best. Ki-blood mages have lower aggro levels than Circle mages. If you had awakened as a Circle mage in our current situation… ugh… I shudder just thinking about it.”

After speaking kindly, Teacher Sena suddenly shivered and pulled her blanket higher. The hand that had been patting my head disappeared back under the blanket.

Then she rummaged around inside and pulled out a wooden rod.

“Here, take it.”

It was 25cm long with a black body, its surface covered in tiny inscribed talismanic writing. The handle was finished with ivory, giving it an elegant feel.

“Is this… your protective talisman?”

“Yes. Take that and give me yours.”

I opened my eyes wide.

Protective talismans are asset number one. The mage-grade talisman Teacher Sena was offering would fetch at least 100 Mornings even second-hand. It’s an incredible luxury item. Though my talisman is also expensive… it’s not comparable.

This is like being offered a 100-million won Mercedes in exchange for a 20-million won Hyundai.

As I recalled the Earth science enthusiast’s memory of raging over a Mercedes, Teacher Sena flicked my forehead.

“I’m not giving it to you, idiot. Let’s just swap until we reach the Talon School Caravan. Even though a Ki-blood mage’s aggro level is lower, it’s still higher than mine, so you should use the better talisman for our nomad’s safety.”

Ah… so close yet so far.

Still, this was truly generous.

When I looked at Teacher Sena with grateful eyes, she turned away saying it was creepy. She seemed embarrassed.

“I was originally planning to learn Ki-blood magic from you and use it myself… but you seem to not know how either, so I’m giving it to you. I heard even with proper instruction, it takes weeks to learn. Learning from someone who doesn’t know the method would be pointless. So I’m giving up.”

Teacher Sena grumbled.

We exchanged protective talismans, and her hand quickly retreated back under the blanket. When our hands briefly touched during the exchange, hers felt ice cold.

“Hmm… anyway, I’ve been thinking.”

After a moment of silence since receiving the talisman, Teacher Sena spoke again.

“It seems to me that your sudden Ki-blood magic awakening, and why you’re weaker than other Ki-blood mages… all have the same reason.”

I opened my eyes and ears wide, hanging on Teacher Sena’s every word.

It was somewhat ironic.

During the past year of magical training, I had dismissed Teacher Sena’s words… but now I desperately needed her knowledge. I was thirsty for her magical wisdom that I didn’t possess.

When relationships change and situations shift.

When Teacher Sena merely dismissed me, ignoring her was the better approach for me too. Rather than forcibly following her methods, it was far more efficient to forge my own path.

But once she began to acknowledge me, and once my level increased to where I couldn’t figure everything out just by seeing magical power, her every piece of advice became crucial.

“That time… when you manifested Ki-blood magic, you said something strange.”

“Words? What was it? My memory from then is a bit confused…”

“You know, that…”

Teacher Sena’s mouth twitched. Like someone trying to pronounce a difficult word.

“That… [Sae-in?] No, that’s not it. [Sae…nil?] No, no. [She-il?] Ah, why is my tongue getting twisted. Is it because only those who hear the word directly can use it?”

At first, I had no idea what she was talking about. But then a memory flashed through my mind.

One of the strange occurrences from yesterday.

The magical powers standing in a circle, muttering as if performing a play.

Ah… that wasn’t a dream either?

“Ah… could it be <Saíl (射日)>? You heard that? I thought it was just a dream…”

Just as I said that,

Whiiiirr!!

Magical power swirled from all directions.

The magical power flowing inside me bubbled up and condensed into needle-like form.

“…Huh?”

My skin tingled as if being pricked by thousands of needles.

The extremely condensed magical power… moved freely through my blood vessels according to my will.

Teacher Sena spoke with an astonished face.

“Yes. That’s it. That’s the one. The Primordial Incantation.”

+ – + – +

“So… you don’t actually have enough magical power to become a mage. Your magical resonance ability is also quite lacking. But… you’ve become a mage anyway, incomplete as you may be. Thanks to obtaining a Primordial Incantation that only top mages in the Tower of Covenant usually get. And when you activate the Primordial Incantation, you far surpass the average 1-Star mage. In terms of explosive power, even a 2-Star mage might have to acknowledge you. After all, you shattered a harpy’s wing with a single shot. And… becoming a Ki-blood mage… that also seems related to the Primordial Incantation, though I don’t know much about that field.”

Teacher Sena succinctly summarized my condition.

“Add to that seeing magical power, now seeing mana too, and having ‘Simulation’ as a Gift that’s never been heard of before… enough. That’s enough. Now we just need to reach the caravan alive.”

Looking at her self-satisfied face, I asked.

“What’s… enough?”

“What do you mean what? I’m saying your path ahead is bright. Even if you hide half your abilities, cities will be a piece of cake, and the Tower of Covenant will be open to you. We’re going! Toward a bright future!”

The teacher broke into a bright smile.

But… her face was deathly pale, beaded with cold sweat.

“Alright, I’m heading back now. I need some sleep.”

Despite her casual tone, Teacher Sena’s magical power was surging violently again. Magical overload, fever attack.

From what I’ve seen… this is already the third time today.

“…I’m fine, so you can go.”

Waving her hand casually to dismiss my concerned gaze, the teacher turned away.

Following her wishes, I quietly lifted the tent flap to leave when,

“Hnnngh…”

I heard a suppressed groan from behind.

I deliberately avoided turning back and quietly walked out.

Woong-woong-

Was it my imagination?

The mobile barrier at the center of our nomad seemed to resonate with Teacher Sena’s surging magical power.

The huge rock wearing a net-patterned auxiliary barrier made of woven willow branches.

The magical power of the mobile barrier harmonized with the auxiliary barrier’s power, creating a beautiful triangular pyramid shape.

Before, when it was crowned with a wreath pattern, instead of a sleek pyramid, it formed a bumpy triangular mass, but now it had a smooth pyramid shape.

However, due to the hole pierced in its side by the harpy, a small hole was visible in the center of the magical power pyramid that wasn’t there before.

Woong-woong-

The magical pyramid expanded and contracted repeatedly in response to Teacher Sena’s surging magical power.

<??ing request.>

<Cannot read ??’s ??. Rejected.>

<??ing demand.>

<??’s ??… error.>

<??ing plea.>

<??’s… error.>

Is it because I’ve become a mage? With my more sensitive perception, I could hear the magical powers muttering.

‘Not request but requesting. And not demand but demanding, right?’

Lately, the mutterings of magical powers have become harder to understand. Before, even if the words were unfamiliar, I could grasp their meaning… but now I can’t understand either the words or the context. They seem to make many strange verbal mistakes too.

Could this also be related to the Primordial Incantation? That would be good, but…

Woong-woong-

The muttering of magical powers in resonance with the mobile barrier somehow felt…

Incredibly ominous.