Chapter 325 - Reward (2)
The concept encompassed by spatial magic is vast beyond measure.
No matter how infinite the power of mana may be, or how mysterious magic itself is, directly interfering with space is never an easy task.
The same holds true even for those with the highest aptitude.
If it is only to cause the slightest of changes, perhaps, but the larger the scale becomes, the exponentially heavier the burden one must bear.
In the past, those who were not of the 7th tier, yet attempted long-distance spatial teleportation by force, without exception became crippled or met death.
'The only ones truly able to handle space are the Transcendents. Yet even they are not entirely free from the backlash.'
Even the Administrator, a fragment of the Demon King, had been so.
He restrained himself, unable to endure the recoil and mana consumption that came with spatial magic.
Had he been able to wield space more freely, the outcome of that battle would never have been overturned.
Even though, at the time, he had twice achieved Defying the Heavens and obtained temporary transcendence… such is the sheer power that spatial magic holds.
And now, that very knowledge lay before Verden's eyes.
The spatial magic tome, and the Mado of Space.
Both were within arm's reach.
Whichever he chose, their value was immeasurable.
'If I choose the tome, I can learn spatial magic.'
He could refine and add to the foundational concepts and theories, systematically building from the lower tiers, until at last he might reach the highest, erecting a tower of his own.
Of course, time would be required.
There would hardly be high-tier magic contained within a single book.
Still, if he were to employ the Way of Magic
But it was not a choice he could make lightly.
'On the other hand, if I choose the Mado of Space held by the Library Director… I might obtain a magic derived from the Mado of a Transcendent.'
Of course, that was only a possibility.
If his abilities fell even slightly short, he might gain nothing at all.
And there was but one chance.
Safety, or challenge.
The advantages and disadvantages of each were clear, the risks starkly divided.
Perhaps the Library Director—no, the Master of the Ark—was presenting these choices to test him.
But it did not matter.
From the beginning, there had never been any hesitation. The answer had already been decided.
"I will choose the Mado."
The greater the danger, the greater the gain.
That had always been Verden's path.
Elder Sheorn gave his assent.
"I respect your choice. Then, in what manner would you like me to show you the Mado?"
"I wish to know the mana circuits when the Mado is released, and the mana flow when its derivative magic is cast."
"So, you mean to replicate my mana flow, while replacing and supplementing any lacking elements such as mental imagery with your own Mado? At the risk of twisting your entire mana circuit… preposterous."
He let out a small, incredulous laugh.
It was, of course, no ridicule.
"Hard to believe, and yet… perhaps this is what it means that I am a Mage as well. It has been long since I've felt such uncontrollable curiosity. Very well, place your hand in mine."
The elder extended his left arm.
Verden placed his right hand upon the upturned palm.
"Let us begin at once."
His heart pounded violently.
The mana of a Transcendent surged forth, coursing furiously through his mana circuits.
…Such an overwhelming force.
As each individual's mana has its own nature, so too did this one possess a quality unlike any other Transcendent he had known—a wholly unprecedented dimension of power.
Yet, Verden was not crushed beneath it.
For within him now also dwelled transcendence.
'I can feel it.'
The elder's mana spread evenly throughout his entire body.
Chest, shoulders, abdomen, legs, arms, even the fingertips.
Disregarding every curve of the mana circuits, the density of mana spread through his body was uniform, without the slightest error.
Perfect balance.
And then, the change arrived.
───!
A resonant wave.
In an instant, the amplified mana concentrated upon a single point.
Elder Sheorn showed his right hand.
The space above his palm twisted violently.
"Well then, can you follow this?"
Verden gave no answer.
He closed his eyes, focusing his concentration to its utmost limit.
As Elder Sheorn had done, he spread the mana from his heart evenly throughout his body.
'...!!'
Mana control beyond manipulation—this was the mastery of a War Mage.
Even having only grasped a portion of it, the task was almost unbearable.
It was not simply handling mana, but precisely measuring the breadth of the circuits and calibrating them, something he had never before experienced.
Drip, drop.
Heavy beads of sweat gathered and fell from his chin.
His eyes and lips trembled faintly.
Fatigue pressed upon him, dizziness threatened, yet… at last he succeeded in achieving balance.
'But this is only the beginning.'
Next, he had to move all the mana at once.
A single mistake would be fatal.
For the backlash of a sudden imbalance would strike at his circuits.
It would not cause great harm, perhaps, but to end with nothing gained was unacceptable.
'I will succeed.'
Possibility.
It was what had defined Verden's very life.
Ba-dump.
The beating heart. The mental image of infinity.
As the Mado and his mana resonated together with his circuits, power surged.
"Kh…!"
He suppressed the breath that threatened to burst forth.
The backlash was born from imperfection, yet—
'───It is enough.'
Grit.
Verden bit down hard on his molars.
An obstinate will that defied the natural flow, refusing to stop, he concentrated mana into his empty left hand.
Crackle… crack-crack…!
Tiny distortions of space, no bigger than grains of millet.
Compared to Elder Sheorn, it was not even at his toes, but still, a thrill ran through him.
Though he had once formed teleportation arrays with magic circles, this was his first time manifesting a spatial phenomenon directly.
Reproduction was a success.
Was he to be satisfied with this?
'Of course not.'
He remembered the flow.
Having experienced it once, this time he would be closer to perfection.
He carried the torrent forward.
Gathering even more mana, concentrating it, and at the same time, forcibly expanding his circuits.
Crack-crack-crackle…!
Space shattered like glass.
The faint violet light flared brighter.
Not yet.
Still not enough.
His mana was draining exponentially, yet he had reserves left.
The body reconstructed through Defying the Heavens, within its heart lay mana even greater than he now wielded.
The battle against the Demon King's fragment.
In achieving Defying the Heavens for the second time, he had opened the gates of transcendence for ten minutes, touching upon power not yet released even to his current Quasi-Transcendent state.
He threw all his strength upon strength.
If lacking, then he would forge more.
Instinct cried for him to stop.
He ignored it.
Now was the time to press forward.
Rumble…!
Space convulsed.
Furniture in the chamber shook violently from the shockwaves.
The chandelier fell from the ceiling, clocks and ornaments tumbled from the walls.
Amidst the chaos, Verden's consciousness wavered.
A raging inner storm.
A sea of mana, waves crashing with violent tempests.
Then, as the axis of the world tilted, a tidal wave soaring to the heavens surged forth, and the hidden depths were revealed.
The abyss of mana.
And within—
"───Stop!"
A voice that shook his very soul.
At that instant, Verden's mind snapped back into clarity.
Fwoooosh!
The mana, so tightly concentrated, burst forth.
Objects shattered into fragments by the sheer physical force. In the ruined chamber, only Verden and Elder Sheorn remained standing.
"...! Haa, haa…!"
His breath ragged.
His lungs heaved uncontrollably.
Verden collapsed to the floor, powerless.
Along with a draining weakness in every limb, his heart, head, and circuits throbbed in pain, as though being torn apart.
Seeing him, Elder Sheorn let out a sigh of relief.
"Whew, at last you stopped. Your concentration was truly admirable, to not hear me call you several times… but had you pressed on, disaster would have struck. Your circuits, your entire body, would have suffered grievous harm. Spatial affinity is not to be wielded by brute force."
It was the price for ignoring instinct.
Verden nodded faintly, with difficulty.
"…Thank you."
"No need for thanks. To think you would refuse to stop, even after gaining meaningful results… it was my mistake to underestimate that you may be even more stubborn than Legrit. In any case, it is astounding."
Shock glimmered in his violet eyes.
"To think it possible to reproduce magic derived from another's Mado. With no rejection, either… your aptitude for spatial affinity is remarkably high. I have no doubt you will achieve great mastery in spatial magic before long."
Elder Sheorn approached and patted his shoulder.
"It is not wrong to push yourself. It is human nature, after all, and in my youth I lived just as recklessly. Yet through such a life, I came to realize… one must not only chase forward, but also learn to look back."
The past of a Transcendent.
There, a trace of regret was contained.
"Well, that was my case. Perhaps yours will be different. Every man walks his own life. I simply say, push yourself, but within reason."
The elder raised his hand, and with a surge of mana drew to himself the spatial magic tome that had been cast aside.
He handed it to Verden.
"…Was I not to choose only one of the two?"
"I intended to give you both from the beginning, no matter which you picked. Ha ha, my apologies, if you misunderstood."
A mischievous laugh from the old man.
"In any case, with this I've given you all of your rewards, so my role here is finished. I shall return now. Ah, as for moving your chamber, just tell the Listener and it will be taken care of, so don't worry."
Elder Sheorn took his leave.
"Continue to train diligently, Asher. You are still young."
Space opened.
Leaving behind his advice, the Library Director disappeared beyond.
Silence fell.
Verden stroked the tome with his fingertips.
The highest attribute, spatial magic.
'I've finally obtained it.'
And more than that, he had even experienced the Mado of a Transcendent.
Not merely grasped in the mind, but a true, bodily realization of what space was. In a body reforged through Defying the Heavens, there existed no limit.
Balrog Bessias.
With this, Verden felt he had drawn just a little closer to that being.
The Ark's exchange tournament.
Here in the Ark, he had gained much.
'But I cannot leave yet.'
Personal matters still remained.
One would be conveyed through the Listener… but the other, it was better to entrust to Legrit.
Not right away, however.
Thud.
Verden lay down flat upon the floor.
For now, he would rest.
***
Elder Sheorn returned to the Library.
Guarding the Ark's library was both his duty and his life. He seated himself in the place he had safeguarded for so long.
Rows upon rows of books filled with knowledge came into view.
Ordinarily, that sight alone would wash away all worries, yet now it did not.
'Asher.'
A being who might be the successor of the First Demon King.
As though to prove it, he had succeeded in reproducing a fragment of his own Mado, manifesting spatial magic in an instant.
He was delighted.
He was astonished.
Even if his Mado were mimicked, even if it were taken, it was fine.
What greater satisfaction could there be, than to nurture such a talent, as one of the great Elders of the Ark who had come for the sake of pitiful humanity.
And yet, there was something he could not comprehend.
The imbalance of youthful vitality and immense mana.
A body that brazenly defied magical common sense.
'And even something hidden within his mana.'
A conversation with the Listener surfaced in his mind.
───Even within that abyss of mana, something sleeps. Or rather, it would be truer to say it has not yet awakened.
───What do you mean…?
───Even I cannot know. It is too deep, even these eyes cannot pierce through. But how should I put it… if I were to describe it, it seems ambiguous compared to existing Magi. As though he has not yet pioneered a Mado of his own. And yet, undeniably, the presence he bears is that of a Magus.
At the time, he had been unable to see it.
But just now, he had glimpsed a fragment.
The ancient bloodline of the Kernoden family, the Ring of Origin.
To the eyes of Elder Sheorn, who could see the unseen, it was shown clearly.
Dark crimson, the abyss of mana.
What it truly was, he did not know.
But one truth he now understood.
'…Transcendence has already taken root in his body.'
A Magus, and yet not a Magus.
A Transcendent, and yet not a Transcendent.
'Yes, now I understand.'
Asher's body had already reached transcendence.
But for lack of mental realization, he had not "awakened". In other words, he had not yet fully mastered his own Mado.
Such a case had never been heard of before, and yet here it was, real.
'A half-Transcendent.'
It pointed to a single truth.
Sheorn, the Transcendent who governed space, was certain.
"In the not-too-distant future, a new Transcendent of magic shall be born."
When that would be, none could know.
For spiritual realization was at once simple, and at once difficult.
He could only hope earnestly.
That whatever Asher would realize… it would be for the sake of humanity.
***
The Ark's council had yet to reconvene.
Instead, the punishment for Legrit, who had caused trouble, was first discussed, and within a single day the outcome was conveyed to her.
Legrit whined as she sprawled across a sofa.
"No matter what mistake I made, to make me assist the Watcher and Adjuster in their duties… this is too much."
"Isn't that rather light?"
"Well, they do have a lot of work, but most of it is confined within the Ark. That's hardly fitting for an Explorer like me. Which, of course, is why they made it my punishment."
She glanced aside.
"So, what's the reason you wanted to see me?"
Opposite her sat Verden, reclining against the chair's back.
"I came because I have something to give you."
"Oh? A gift? How forward of you."
Legrit snickered.
Verden brushed aside the jest without comment, opening his Subspace.
"Well then, what is it you're trying to gi—oh…."
Her words froze mid-laugh.
In Verden's hands were a staff and a rod.
Relics left behind by two of the three who had challenged the ancient trial.
The belongings of one candidate, and one captain.
Items entrusted to him by the Golem Alpha, at the request of the Demon King's laboratory's Administrator.
"..."
Legrit sat upright.
Without a word, she accepted the rod and staff, examining them closely.
"This is… Terence's rod, without a doubt. And the other, from a candidate who once challenged the Demon King's Tomb. Did you bring these from there?"
"Yes."
"And why are you giving them to me? They may not be of great use to you, but even as spares they'd serve, or if nothing else you could sell them for a fortune anywhere."
"Consider it the duty of a Mage."
To Verden, they were unnecessary.
From the start, he had intended to return them to the Ark.
"Duty… is that so. But, was there not another? Around the same time as Terence's challenge, there was another candidate who entered the Tomb."
"I have his relic as well."
The Mage Kalad, who had died trapped in the first power chamber.
The notes and belongings he left behind lay quietly in Subspace.
"That, I'll deliver directly to the Listener."
"Right… that candidate was under the Listener's charge, so that's only proper. Hah, this sobers me right up. Truly, I never expected this. Thank you, Asher. Sincerely."
She placed Terence's rod and the other staff beside the sofa, then fixed her gaze on Verden, eyes gleaming.
"As expected, nothing is wasted in your hands."
"What?"
"No, just speaking to myself. In any case, though it may not be much of a return gift… is there anything you need?"
Anything needed?
"Though I am an Explorer, one who illuminates the unknown, I do know quite a lot. If there's something you're curious about, you may ask. If it's within my power to answer, I shall."
"Now that you say it, nothing comes to mind."
"If not now, then next time. Should the chance arise, I'll answer whenever."
Hmm. Verden considered.
Even if he postponed, he did not know when he might next see Legrit, the captain.
"In that case, do you know where unopened magic tomes can be found?"
"For the [Tome of Multiple Dimensions] you received as a reward, I suppose. I do know, but… that would be difficult. I obtained that information through the Ark, so I cannot freely divulge it."
"Then I'd like to ask about methods of mana control."
"Ah, that, unfortunately, is a state secret of the Arnak Empire…"
"So nothing, then."
"Hahaha! Quite awkward, isn't it."
If she could not speak of any, there was no helping it.
As Verden was about to take his leave, an item in his Subspace came to mind.
The spoils taken from the black mages of the Estiria Kingdom, Glory of the Dead.
The very culprits who had devastated the diocese, and among them, the first black mage he had faced, Viola of the White Bones.
A golden femur, and an unreadable tome.
When Verden produced them, Legrit's interest was piqued, and she used Appraise.
"Hmm, 'To he who gathers three golden bones—the skull, rib, and femur—the golden path shall open', so it says. A golden bone, engraved with such grandiose words. Just from that, I can tell this is an ancient relic."
"Have you ever seen anything like it?"
"No, but I know of a merchant who specializes in such relics. He calls himself the 'Junk Dealer', active on the Central Continent. A vile swindler, tricking others and buying relics cheap, only to sell them at outrageous prices."
But the goods he handled, at least, were genuine.
Which made him all the more wicked.
"Until a few years ago, he wandered from place to place. I heard he finally settled in the 'Federated States of Iderat', on the Central Continent. At least, that's what I was told."
"The Federated States…"
"Yes, a nation of many races. On the Central Continent, not only humans but also elves and beastmen dwell. Occasionally, even dwarves can be seen."
Verden had met elves before, but not other races.
Beastmen, dwarves.
He had only read of them in books, or heard of them in rumors.
"The Junk Dealer wouldn't be difficult to find, if you chose to. He's quite flashy, so even a little asking around in the Federated States would uncover him. Well? Was that of any help?"
"Perhaps, somewhat."
When first obtained, the golden femur had been sealed by the aura of necromancy.
Through Archbishop Joseph, who dispelled it, Verden had heard that many such relics were little more than worthless trinkets, so he had no great expectation.
"Haha. That's usually the way of relics. The more you expect, the greater the disappointment. Though… once in a while, a true treasure does surface. Now then, moving on…"
Legrit picked up the tome.
It was filled with a language Verden did not recognize, but she seemed able to read it, glaring intently as she quickly flipped through the pages.
"This… now I recall. Hah, it's been ages since I've seen this script."
After a while, she closed the book.
"To begin with, its nature… this is a fairy tale."
"A fairy tale?"
"You know, the kind. A protagonist with a dream, endures countless trials, and in the end lives happily ever after. The same old story, nothing more. Nothing hidden, an utterly ordinary book."
"..."
The corners of Verden's eyes twitched.
A fairy tale written in an ancient tongue… its true nature was so unexpected he was left speechless.
The blood of a Mage ran cold.
"But it's too soon to be disappointed, Asher."
"…?"
"The story may be meaningless, but the script within is different. This is the language of a nation that was once, long ago, 'erased' from history."
"Erased?"
"Yes, erased."
Legrit continued.
"About 800 years ago, by the Luas Church."
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