The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 12

I had actually been feeling that my mind had reached its peak since yesterday.

But I was planning to activate this magic circle after I had become more proficient in magic.

As it’s written in the book, impatience is nothing but poison when learning magic.

I was thinking of activating the magic circle after my mind was a little more stable.

‘But now is not the time to be so relaxed.’

But now the situation has changed.

My goal is to get into the top 8.

Since my opponent in the round of 16 is Adela, I have to do my best right now.

I quickly opened to page 203.

A page with a magic circle I had never seen before was plastered there.

A rare magic circle that I didn’t even dare to analyze met my fingertips and emitted a strange glow.

“Let’s go.”

I pressed my entire palm against the magic circle and rotated the Infinity Circle.

And at that moment.

‘Ray Bell Vaitener, the formal successor. I wish you success in your achievements.’

Ray Bell Vaitener.

My teacher’s voice was directly embedded in my head.

And when I opened my eyes next.

“…Where is this?”

I was standing in a room I had never seen before.

A strange room that looked like an antique study and a training room at the same time.

“Welcome to the first trial page.”

A woman bowed to me from the center of the strange room.

“I am Alpha, the guide managing this first trial page.”

The woman who introduced herself as Alpha greeted me with a friendly smile.

“…The first trial page?”

“Yes. It is the first page of the trial pages that exist within the magic book, Idred.”

The magic book Idred?

So, the name of this book was Idred?

No, more than that.

“W-wait, this is inside the book?”

“Yes.”

“So, that page 203… you’re saying that this kind of space was created inside that one small page?”

“Yes.”

“You didn’t move to a distant room using space magic, but created a separate space inside the book?”

“Yes.”

“…Huh.”

I was so surprised that I couldn’t speak.

What kind of skill do you need to create such an absurd magic that creates a room inside a book?

“You don’t have to be so surprised. You will be able to do it later, successor.”

“…That’s even more surprising.”

Where exactly is the limit of Vaitener-style magic?

I can only let out a hollow laugh.

“What is this room for?”

I swallowed my surprise and decided to focus on figuring out the situation.

“It’s a room that exists for the trial, as the name suggests.”

“Ah, you said it was a trial page.”

Why did I ask such an obvious question?

I must still be out of it because I haven’t fully recovered from the shock.

“On the first trial page, we test whether the successor’s ‘mental fortitude’ is mature.”

Alpha explained with a smile.

“The details of the trial will be revealed at the start of the trial, and if you pass the trial, it will be judged that your mental fortitude is fully mastered. Pages 18-31, which contain information about 2nd circle magic, will be updated.”

“Ah. So, page updates have changed to this method.”

“Yes.”

No wonder.

There was a reason why the next page wasn’t updated no matter how much I trained my mental fortitude.

“That’s all for the explanation. Would you like to start the trial right away?”

Alpha asked with a smile.

“Yeah. If there’s nothing else to explain, start right away.”

“Yes. Then, the first trial begins.”

With Alpha’s declaration, Alpha’s body began to turn into mana and scatter into the sky.

“…I didn’t think it was possible, but it was really a magical persona?”

This is also magic that only exists in imagination.

Where is the limit of Vaitener-style magic?

The question I had barely swallowed earlier once again consumed my brain.

‘I will now announce the details of the first trial.’

And at that moment, my teacher’s voice was heard in my head again.

The scattered mind instantly calmed down.

‘The name of this jewel is Element Mana Light.’

Suddenly, a strangely shaped jewel floated in front of my eyes.

‘It is an incomplete chaos jewel with four attributes of mana mixed in a disorderly manner.’

It was a beautiful jewel emitting red, blue, green, and yellow auras.

‘There is only one way to refine the Element Mana Light. It is to accurately separate and fix the mana scattered inside in a disorderly manner.’

Just by looking at it, the mana inside is a mess.

To put it in a metaphor, it’s like sand, sugar, salt, and pepper are mixed together randomly.

No, it’s worse than that.

The four mana that collide with each other are rejecting each other while being entangled with each other, a physically impossible state.

‘The content of the trial is simple. Refine this jewel perfectly.’

I had a hunch, and it was as I expected.

Considering the context, I thought it might be like this.

‘If your mental fortitude is fully mastered, you will be able to do it.’

‘It won’t be easy, but I believe my disciple can do it.’

‘Then, I wish you good luck.’

With those words, my teacher’s voice was no longer heard.

“Element Mana Light…”

I held the jewel that was floating in the air, shining with four colors, in my hand.

“This is serious.”

I can tell better now that I’m touching it.

The inside of this jewel is chaos.

I wonder why it doesn’t explode even though the mana of four attributes is mixed up like this.

“You’re saying to completely separate this mana.”

It is impossible to completely separate the mana inside with ordinary control.

If you move one type of mana, the other three types of mana will move together, so a single mistake will lead to irreversible results.

“Certainly, the only person who can refine this is a user of Vaitener-style magic who has completely mastered ‘mental fortitude’.”

Considering the mana collisions and all the variables that will occur inside, modern magic cannot refine this jewel.

The only one who can refine this is me, a user of Vaitener-style magic.

“…This is going to be fun.”

A smile appeared on my lips.

I feel a surge of challenge.

“Okay. Let’s do it.”

With my will, the Infinity Circle rotated fiercely.

* * *

Meanwhile, at that time.

The Blue Magic Tower Master was on the phone with the Red Magic Tower Master.

“Sorry, James. It seems difficult to buy the Wind Spear modification magic formula.”

Kim Kang-in spoke fluent English.

-I see.

The Red Magic Tower Master smiled wryly.

The Red Magic Tower Master also did not think that Shin Ha-yul would reveal the secret of magic.

The Red Magic Tower Master knows better than anyone that secret magic is something that must be protected even if it costs a fortune.

-It’s no use trying to persuade him, right?

“Probably. It’s the only way out he found at the edge of hell, so there’s no way he’d reveal it.”

That strange Wind Spear is Shin Ha-yul’s hope.

The only hope that allowed him to overcome the penalty of being an unsuitable person.

There was no way he would easily reveal such magic.

“It seems to be a more outstanding secret magic than we thought.”

-Outstanding?

A strange light flashed in Kim Kang-in’s eyes.

“I talked to Ha-yul a little while ago. It seems that there are other modification magic besides Wind Spear.”

-What?

Shin Ha-yul answered YES to Kim Kang-in’s question about whether he would modify other magic as well.

“I guess. It seems that it’s not the modified Wind Spear that is the secret magic, but the act of modifying and remodeling any magic is Ha-yul’s secret magic.”

This was the answer.

-That’s impossible!

The Red Magic Tower Master, James Filler, shouted.

-There’s no way such magic can exist! You know how sensitive magic formulas are.

“Well. That’s true.”

Kim Kang-in tapped the table with his left index finger as he answered.

“You never know. There might be such magic among the ancient magic that has not yet been revealed.”

Ancient magic and secret magic are actually the same thing.

If a specific family obtains a magic formula for ancient magic and keeps it secret without revealing it to the outside world, making it their own magic, that is what becomes secret magic.

-Hmm. I’m sure Shin Ha-yul said that his hobby is collecting old books.

“That’s right.”

-If he obtained a special old book, it would make sense.

The Red Magic Tower Master sighed.

-If what you’re saying is true, it’s magic I’d want to buy even if I had to give all my money.

“I agree.”

The two smiled with subtle expressions.

“Well, we’ll know if my hypothesis is true or not when we watch the match tomorrow.”

-If he uses other magic besides Wind Spear that has been modified, it will be certain.

These two will probably be watching Shin Ha-yul’s match live tomorrow.

“Then, is that all for the business?”

-Ah. You said you were still in the middle of an experiment. Sorry for interrupting.

“No. It was just the right time for a break.”

-That’s a relief.

The Red Magic Tower Master chuckled.

-Lastly, this is a personal curiosity, but is your research going well?

“…No.”

Kim Kang-in smiled wryly and shook his head.

Then, he turned his gaze to a jewel placed on one side of the room.

“It’s not easy to perfectly control the four elements.”

-See? I told you it would be difficult.

A strangely shaped jewel emitting four colors in an irregular pattern.

The [Element Mana Light] emitted a brilliant light.

-Don’t focus too much on that research. Of course, if you refine it well, you can make it into an ‘All-Type Artifact’ but…

The Red Magic Tower Master didn’t bother to continue the next words.

* * *

May 2nd, 4:40 AM.

I let out a hollow laugh with a haggard face in the room.

“…Is it real that it took 8 hours and 40 minutes?”

In my hand was a jewel shining with four colors.

It was not a strange jewel that shone in an irregular pattern like before.

The four colors were perfectly separated.

“Still, I succeeded.”

The refined Element Mana Light.

It was emitting a brilliant light in my hand.

I smiled brightly and opened [Ray Bell Vaitener].

No, the official name [Magic Book Idred].

[Congratulations on passing the trial.]

Page 18, which had been empty, was filled with my teacher’s handwriting.

[As a congratulatory gift, I will give you the Element Mana Light. It will be very efficient in making artifacts.]

I know.

I had a hunch from the first moment I saw it that this jewel was a top-grade material for making artifacts.

Even so, the reason I didn’t think much of it was because I thought I wouldn’t be able to take it out of the book.

“I didn’t think I’d be able to take it out.”

I can’t believe I can take this out of the book.

It’s a pleasant miscalculation.

‘I need to find a craftsman to entrust this to.’

I can’t entrust such a high-quality material to a mediocre craftsman.

I need to find a suitable craftsman worthy of this jewel.

‘No, that’s not what’s important right now.’

I put the Element Mana Light in a suitable box and put it in a drawer.

I can think about the Element Mana Light later.

Right now, I need to focus on the upcoming duel with Adela.

“There are about 7 hours left until the match.”

Then, after checking the time again, I held [Idred’s Book] in my hand.

“I wonder if I can grasp the clue to the 2nd circle within 7 hours…”

A strange light flashed in my eyes.

[I will now explain how to weave the second ring.]

* * *

All the way up to the 7th match of the round of 16 were over.

The match between Shin Ha-yul and Adela is the only one left.

The current time is 11:25 AM.

There is less than 5 minutes left until the start of the 8th match.

“Student Shin Ha-yul. We still can’t reach him.”

“I wonder if something happened to him…”

Nevertheless, Shin Ha-yul has not yet appeared.

“What, did Shin Ha-yul run away?”

“Looks like he ran away because he was scared of Adela?”

“I knew it.”

“Shin Ha-yul is a bubble.”

“He ran away because he didn’t want to be exposed as a bubble. Heh heh.”

Criticism born from ripe jealousy erupted from the audience seats.

“I wonder if something happened to him.”

“Soon-chan, call him.”

“…He’s not answering.”

Of course, not everyone was like that.

There were also many people who were genuinely worried about Shin Ha-yul.

“I think something really happened.”

“Shouldn’t we go to Ha-yul’s room?”

“I knocked earlier, but there was no response.”

Ji Soon-chan bit her lip with a serious expression.

“…”

In the center of the noisy colosseum, Adela was closing her eyes and concentrating her mind alone.

The voices of the audience were not heard in her ears.

Her mind was as calm as a quiet lake.

She didn’t seem to think about the possibility that Shin Ha-yul wouldn’t show up.

“1 minute left.”

And so, 4 minutes passed quickly.

“Should we really declare a default win?”

“I think we should.”

The instructors were starting to think about declaring a default win when, at that moment.

“…He’s here.”

Adela opened her eyes.

At the same time, a man appeared at the entrance of the colosseum.

Amidst his urgent expression, a hint of joy and happiness could be seen.

“Student Shin Ha-yul. Why are you so late?”

An instructor approached Shin Ha-yul and tapped his watch.

His expression seemed to ask if he knew what time it was.

“I’m sorry. My preparations were a bit delayed.”

Shin Ha-yul bowed his head slightly.

“What kind of preparations did you do to be this late…”

The instructor was about to say something more, but swallowed his words.

“Tsk. We’ll talk about it later.”

There was no time to nag.

The match had to start right now.

“There is no time to give you to gather your mind. You will have to bear the penalty.”

“Yes. I know.”

“Then, to your positions.”

The instructor left the colosseum with a signal.

In the colosseum where only two people were left, Adela asked in a voice as calm as a lake.

“Are your preparations all finished?”

It was a question asked out of concern, remembering Shin Ha-yul’s words that his preparations were delayed a little while ago.

“They’re done.”

Shin Ha-yul answered while stretching his body casually.

“May I ask what kind of preparations you were doing that made you late?”

This was also a casual question.

“Well, it’s nothing much.”

However.

“Just some preparations to defeat you.”

“Pardon?”

The answer that came back was quite significant.

The corners of Shin Ha-yul’s mouth were raised high.

“Look forward to it. It’s going to be a more interesting battle than you think.”

In Shin Ha-yul’s body, which was shining with his eyes, two clear circles were in place.