The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 44

Five days remained until the day I promised Kim Kang-in.

[Sender: Kim Kang-in]

[The 5th Circle mage that Hayul will face has been decided.]

[I’ve attached their profile.]

[I look forward to a good match.]

Just now, I received a text saying that the 5th Circle mage I would be facing had been decided.

The profile included the opponent’s specialty magic, strengths, and weaknesses.

With this much information, there wouldn’t be a need for a separate analysis.

The profile Kim Kang-in sent was that perfect.

‘Huh? What’s this? They sent a profile that’s practically a strategy guide?’

Soonchan, who had peeked at the text from behind me, said, sounding surprised.

‘How did they send it?’

Adela, who was wiping sweat next to me, approached, looking curious.

‘Want to see?’

‘Yes.’

I turned on the hologram mode and rotated the screen towards Adela.

Adela quickly scanned through the profile.

‘……It really is a strategy guide.’

Then, she said the same thing as Soonchan.

‘You think so too?’

‘Yes. I’ve never seen such perfect analysis data before.’

Adela’s hobby is analysis.

If even Adela is this impressed, it must be truly amazing.

‘But what does this mean? Why would they send such a perfect profile?’

Soonchan tilted his head, looking puzzled.

He looked like he didn’t understand why they would send such detailed data to their opponent.

‘Isn’t it the Blue Magic Tower Lord’s way of showing consideration, telling us not to worry about data analysis and focus on improving our skills?’

‘That could be it, but it’s probably because I’m at such a disadvantage that they’re giving me an advantage.’

‘Ah, I see. That’s what it was.’

Soonchan seemed convinced.

‘Whatever it is, it’s a good thing, right? It means we can save time that would have been spent on analysis.’

‘I guess so.’

There was something that bothered me, but for now, it was a good thing.

I responded vaguely and got up from my seat.

‘Alright, let’s start training again.’

‘Ah, yes.’

As I got up, Adela also followed suit.

‘Hey, I haven’t caught my breath yet. Let’s rest for five more minutes.’

‘That’s exactly when you need to train to build stamina.’

‘……You devil.’

‘You were the one who readily accepted the devil’s joint training proposal, weren’t you? So, if you don’t want to die, get up.’

I smiled at Soonchan.

It was a smile that strongly conveyed my will to kill him if he didn’t get up.

‘Ah. My life……’

Soonchan got up from his seat with a resigned expression.

‘Alright. Let’s do it. What’s next? Sparring with you? Sparring with Adela? Or a 1:1:1?’

‘Even I’m not that cruel.’

If we were to spar in this exhausted state, I don’t know what kind of accident could happen.

‘Then what is it?’

‘It’s simple.’

I pointed to the training grounds.

‘Run. For the rest of the time.’

‘……There’s still over an hour left?’

‘Yeah. It’s the perfect time for a final cool-down exercise.’

‘……’

‘Oh, and if I catch you using mana, I’ll add 30 minutes.’

Soonchan’s face contorted.

‘……You’re a satanic bastard, worse than a devil.’

‘Hey, where else would you find a Satan who cares so much about his friends?’

‘Yeah. Your concern for your friend is so touching that it brings tears to my eyes. I’m so moved that I want to give you a screw punch to the forehead.’

Soonchan clenched his fist, with only his middle finger extended, and trembled.

‘I’ll accept that gift after you’ve run for an hour. Go run first.’

At that moment, Soonchan’s expression was filled with venom.

‘……I’m telling you clearly? Adela, you heard it too, right?’

‘Yes? Yes……’

‘Okay. Witness secured. You’re dead. Just wait. See you in an hour.’

With that, he immediately started running on the training grounds.

Even though Soonchan’s stamina is poor, his willpower is stronger than others, so he’ll somehow complete his quota.

‘……Are you really going to let him hit you?’

Adela, who had been listening quietly, approached me.

‘No? Why would I?’

‘Huh? You promised you’d let him hit you.’

‘I didn’t say I’d let him hit me? I said I’d ‘accept’ it.’

‘Ah?’

I just need to lightly catch Soonchan’s screw punch that’s flying towards my forehead.

‘……He’s going to be very agitated in an hour.’

‘It’s okay. He’ll forget about it by tomorrow anyway.’

Soonchan’s greatest strength is that he doesn’t hold grudges.

‘And even though he complains like that, he’s secretly grateful to me, right?’

‘……Is that so?’

Adela looked at Soonchan, who was running around the training grounds like a ghost.

His expression was so fierce that I could even feel his murderous intent.

‘No matter how I look at it, I don’t think that’s the case……’

‘No, he’s definitely very grateful inside.’

‘Hmm……’

Adela trailed off, looking at Soonchan. I could hear my name and curses in between.

Adela let out a sigh again with a strange expression.

She looked like she wanted to say something, but didn’t know what to say.

‘Then let’s start our training.’

‘Yes? Ah, yes.’

Adela quickly turned her attention away from Soonchan and focused on me.

‘As I said before, the final training will be a 1:1 spar between you and me.’

‘Yes.’

Adela stared at me with a serious expression.

‘As I said, this time I’ll use all the way up to 4th Circle magic.’

‘……Yes.’

I plan to use Resonance this time to spar with Adela.

I also plan to use not only Interference but also Adela’s magic like Moonbeam without hesitation.

In other words, I plan to unleash my full power.

‘I’m looking forward to it.’

Adela’s smile deepened.

Her eyes were shining with competitiveness and anticipation.

‘Then let’s start right away.’

‘Yes.’

And so, my spar with Adela began.

After a battle that lasted about three minutes, I achieved a complete victory.

* * *

That night.

Adela, who had returned to her room, immediately jumped into bed.

‘Ugh……’

I’m tired.

I was so tired that I was confident I could fall asleep within three seconds if I just closed my eyes.

‘I should change my clothes before sleeping……’

If I fell asleep in my uniform, it would be wrinkled and I would have trouble going to school tomorrow.

At least I should change into my pajamas.

But I didn’t want to.

I didn’t want to move right now.

Today’s training with Shin Hayul and Ji Soonchan was more difficult than I had imagined, and I really didn’t have the strength to even lift a finger.

I wanted to close my eyes and relax.

‘Good night……’

Adela’s consciousness gradually faded as she buried her face in the pillow.

In the midst of her fading mind.

Adela recalled her spar with Shin Hayul an hour ago.

The sight of Shin Hayul overwhelming her with 4th Circle magic was like a god of war himself.

I was completely overwhelmed without being able to do anything.

‘That Moonbeam……’

The most impressive thing was the Moonbeam that Shin Hayul was wielding.

‘It was faster and more powerful than my Moonbeam.’

Moreover, unlike Adela’s Moonbeam, it even had a homing function.

I don’t know how much I struggled to shake it off as it relentlessly chased me with that power and speed.

‘How did he manipulate the magic formula of Moonbeam to make it move like that?’

At that moment, the sleepiness that had been dominating Adela’s mind disappeared in an instant.

Sleep was not important now. What was important was to look back on today’s spar and review it.

Adela, who had regained her clear eyes in an instant, got out of bed and sat down at her desk.

Then, she turned on her computer, plugged in the USB where she had recorded today’s training, and began analyzing the training videos.

‘If I put it at 0.1x speed from here and turn on the mana scanning function of the training grounds…… That’s it.’

Adela probably wouldn’t fall asleep until she went to school tomorrow.

* * *

The third test page.

The clearing in front of Elena’s log cabin in Greenwood Forest.

I was receiving training in the Divine Eye from Elena.

‘I didn’t expect you to not need the five senses seal after only two days.’

‘Hmm. It’s a bit disappointing. It was a unique experience.’

‘……You’re the only one who would be disappointed that the five senses seal is over.’

Elena laughed, sounding dumbfounded.

‘Anyway, it seems like you can see mana perfectly now.’

‘Yes. It still hurts like my head is going to break if I look at it for too long, but I can see it when I want to.’

I was still suffering from a headache in real-time.

‘Your progress is really fast.’

‘Isn’t it all because you’re such a great teacher?’

‘Thank you for the empty compliment.’

Elena smiled wryly.

She looked like she thought she hadn’t done anything.

‘It’s not an empty compliment, it’s the truth. If it weren’t for Elena’s five senses seal, I don’t know how long it would have taken me to open the Divine Eye……’

If it weren’t for the five senses seal, it would have taken me at least a few months to awaken the Divine Eye.

Awakening the sixth sense was not easy.

‘Thank you again. Thanks to you, I was able to master the Divine Eye.’

I expressed my gratitude sincerely.

‘……I’ve been thinking this since last time, but you have a talent for making people feel embarrassed.’

Elena replied awkwardly, her face slightly flushed.

It seemed like she wasn’t used to such direct expressions of gratitude.

‘More importantly, how are you? It seems like the headache should be subsiding soon.’

Elena returned to a serious expression.

‘Yes. It just cleared up a little while ago.’

The headache, a side effect of the Divine Eye, had completely subsided a little while ago.

‘Then we can move on to the next training right away.’

‘Yes. Please.’

I immediately cleared my mind of distractions.

Once training starts, I must focus only on training.

‘You already know what we’re going to do in the next training, right?’

‘Yes.’

Next, she said we would be training to see the essence of magic in earnest.

‘From now on, I will deploy a very simple form of magic circle. You will use the Divine Eye to observe my magic circle.’

A small magic circle appeared in front of Elena’s palm.

‘Then, at some point, you will see the essence of magic, the gap that can break the magic.’

‘A gap?’

‘Yes. Canceling magic by using that gap is called ‘Dispelling’.’ [Dispelling is a technique to nullify magic by exploiting its weaknesses.]

‘Canceling magic using a gap……’

It was something that didn’t quite resonate with me.

‘Just try it. If it’s you, you’ll be able to grasp it right away.’

‘Yes.’

I placed my hand on Elena’s magic circle and activated the Divine Eye.

Mana is visible.

Gentle and warm mana.

This magic circle was revealing Elena’s nature as it was.

‘If you have activated the Divine Eye, grasp the structure of the magic circle.’

‘Yes. I have.’

As Elena said, it was a very simple magic formula, so grasping the structure was not difficult.

‘Then focus from now on. From now on, I will convey Ray’s words.’

‘Yes.’

The mana connected between the magic circles was clearly visible.

‘In magic, there is no perfect formula.’

There is no such thing as perfection in magic.

There is only the best that is close to perfection.

It was a phrase written in the book about dispelling that I had read in Mimir’s library.

‘So that’s what it was.’

At that moment, the information about dispelling that I had read in Mimir’s library flashed through my mind like a panorama.

Everything that I couldn’t understand when I didn’t have the Divine Eye began to be understood in an instant.

‘Because it is not perfect, there are inevitably gaps in all magic formulas.’

Finding the slightest gap in the magic formula.

That is the first condition of dispelling.

‘Pierce through the essence of magic with the Divine Eye. Listen to the sound of mana. Capture the gap in the magic. Then……’

Something is visible.

A slight gap shining through the green magic circle.

‘From that moment on. Magic will no longer be magic.’

I poured mana into that gap.