Chapter 71

The covenant for creating the 3rd Circle started similarly to the 1st and 2nd Circle, but its conclusion was quite different.

[Heaven. Earth. Wind. Stars. All things in the world and the record of all things. Behold me. A thousand eyes and ten thousand ears. I am here. Listen. See. I am the one who speaks to the world. The one who accomplishes what is spoken. Behold. I have a mouth, the mouth to which you shall listen. Behold. Here are lips, the lips to which you shall obey.]

[Now teeth have grown,]

[With them I divide the world.]

Does the covenant itself possess some kind of power?

The newly added covenant was just two lines, yet magical powers gathered eagerly as if drawn to something good. It was different from when I tried on my own without a covenant.

Wooong-

The third Circle, composed of eight saw-like teeth, settled into place. Now I needed to activate it.

-Activation is the process of imprinting upon the newly formed Circle’s magical powers, and upon this world, that I am worthy to wield this power.

I recalled the knowledge I learned from Fel and took a deep breath.

Up to the 2nd Circle, activation was easy.

All you had to do was manifest any basic elemental magic and attach an appropriate title to it.

Something like ‘I am the rightful successor. The mage of wind and water, Baek Jun-woo.’

But from the 3rd Circle onward, a proper title was necessary.

I needed to be careful, as the attention magical powers would give varied greatly depending on the title.

Fel had explained it like this:

-This is a moment that requires verbal finesse. Include in your title the most memorable of your past deeds, what you’re most confident in, or the truth you wish to pursue in the future, then add some flowery language. For example, I am the mage of the spear, the name that pierces through calamities.

I wrote down every name that came to mind and tested them using [Simulation].

That’s how I decided on my title.

I moved my Circle to activate <Saíl> and <Transportation>.

Meanwhile, I manipulated the wooden idol used in the descent ceremony.

As forgotten magic was recreated and old pain revived, all the magical powers in the vicinity focused their attention on me.

Before those lively yet cold gazes, I spoke without hesitation.

I showed them my achievements and made a promise.

[Therefore, I am now the divine mage, Baek Jun-woo. The one you have been searching for. The name that will sweep away the ashes of destruction and regenerate you.]

A title that reflected everything I had learned about the properties of magical powers.

If magical powers truly were the bodies of dead gods and demons, and they were yearning for the past, this was a covenant they could never ignore.

For now, I decided not to think about whether I was truly a mage worthy of the title ‘divine,’ whether I could really ‘regenerate’ magical powers (or what regeneration even meant). A mage speaks and accomplishes what is spoken. I must always believe in myself.

-First speak, then act as if you are that person. If you act long enough, you’ll eventually discover that you’ve truly become that person.

This is the golden rule of mages.

The result was a festival of magical powers… no, more like a frenzy.

They said that inside the Tower of Covenant, the mana density is so high that the aggro generated by a 3rd Circle covenant wouldn’t even be noticeable… but because of me, the Jack Caravan people struggled as they reinforced their protective barriers.

And so I became a 3rd Circle mage.

+ – + – +

No stars were visible here even at night. Feeling somewhat unsettled, I left the campsite alone.

The campsite had become quite decent.

It looked futuristic. Or should I say, ultra-ancient?

‘Field Shelters’ taken from my subspace storage were set up throughout the area. These were cave-like tents used by ancient warriors.

Tents shaped like sleeping bags enlarged tenfold. They inflated to comfortably accommodate two or three people. Their smooth exteriors naturally reflected the surrounding landscape, making them completely invisible from a distance. People lay on gel-like beds, recovering from the day’s fatigue. Food and drink were plentiful too.

It was a complete transformation from the wretched state we were in when I had just regained consciousness.

“Divine Mage.”

“Have a good night, Divine Mage.”

On my way out of the campsite, the Jack Caravan people I encountered bowed deeply to me.

Was it because I had solved their supply shortage?

Or because I had saved their lives?

People’s attitude toward me was excessively respectful.

Not just as a lifesaver, but almost like followers addressing the leader of some cult.

“Yes. Rest well.”

Even this simple response made them so honored they didn’t know how to react. Grown adults…

‘I guess it can’t be helped since they saw that?’

Saíl.

Magic that touches upon ancient myths.

Those who witnessed it directly seemed completely overwhelmed by the memory.

Ironically, I who had used the magic had collapsed immediately from exhaustion, so it didn’t feel quite real to me, but it clearly affected the minds of those who had watched.

I found a quiet spot outside the campsite and gazed up at the sky.

The dark blue sky stretched endlessly. It was magnificent in its way, but I still missed the stars.

I had always looked at the stars, dreaming of the day I would enter the Tower of Covenant, yet now that I was actually inside the Tower, there were no stars.

Ironic.

“It’s boring without stars, isn’t it?”

A familiar voice reached my ears.

Yuria slipped quietly onto the spot beside me.

We sat side by side among the collapsed stone piles and buried remains of some ancient city that had existed here in the Land of Iron-Eaters for who knows how long.

She said:

“It reminds me of the day we received the memory stones.”

The meteor shower that filled the night sky. Though it wasn’t even that many years ago, it felt like an eternity.

So much had happened. Yuria is sixteen. I’m fourteen. In Korea, where they count age differently, I would be in eighth grade and she would be in tenth grade? For our age, we already had too many memories weighing us down. Being frightened, screaming, struggling, getting angry, forgiving, enduring. We had learned too many emotions in such a short time.

“You received memories from a mage of another world, right?”

“Yes. Some magical knowledge from that world.”

“How was it? That place?”

“Completely different. They also categorized levels according to Circles similar to us, but… there, they gathered magical power through meditation.”

“That sounds convenient.”

“Yeah. Their calamities aren’t as terrifying as ours, and casting magic is easier too. I wonder why there’s such a difference?”

Indeed. Why are Earth and our Star Continent so different?

“Maybe they were created by different gods.”

“Then our gods must have been terrible. Oh, is that why they all died?”

I quietly observed Yuria’s profile as she giggled mockingly.

Suddenly, I recalled what Fel had told me after I created my 3rd Circle.

“Sis.”

“Hmm?”

“At this rate, I might die.”

Yuria’s eyes widened, and she abruptly stood up.

Seeing her more intense reaction than I expected, I waved my hands dismissively.

It wasn’t really that serious.

Just that if I continued raising my level at this pace, I might develop magical power addiction. Well, I could also die earlier by being discovered by an insurmountable calamity.

Anyway, the point was that my level was rising too quickly, which was the problem.

“How is that not serious! A lich came after you just recently!”

“True.”

“And you suffered more than usual during this magical fever.”

“Ah, that was because several factors coincided…”

“That’s ridiculous! Aren’t those all warning signs?”

Somehow, she seemed angry.

“So? What are you supposed to do?”

Yes. That’s the problem. I stared blankly at the sky.

“He said not to raise my level for a while. That I’m receiving too much attention from magical powers right now. Until their interest fades away. Until I’m fully matured and can withstand the harmful effects of magical power a little better.”

“And when will that be?”

“At least four years? Until I turn eighteen.”

“Then that’s what you should do.”

Yuria declared this as if there was nothing to think about, but I kept my mouth shut.

Stay quiet until the magical powers’ interest fades away? Would that really be appropriate behavior for someone with the title ‘Divine Mage’?

When Fel told me I could die, I nodded in front of him, but… I still didn’t feel like it was the right approach.

Yuria tried to persuade me for a while, but finally seemed to give up.

“Hah… you’re so stubborn. Do whatever you want!”

Then she added:

“Just don’t die.”

“You too.”

Don’t die.

We both understood the sincere concern behind those words.

“Still, I’ve learned something these past few days.”

“What’s that?”

“What we’re trying to accomplish. I don’t think I can achieve it alone. It seems like… I’ll need the help of many, many people.”

There are many enemies too difficult for me to handle alone, and much knowledge I still don’t have. And decisively… I am human. I have flaws and vulnerabilities. Just because I can see magical power or possess Earth’s knowledge doesn’t mean I can accomplish everything by myself.

“You little rascal.”

She messed up my hair affectionately, as if she were proud of me.

We fell silent for a while and just sat there. There are moments when simply being alive and spending time like this feels precious. That’s another fact I’ve learned recently.

Suddenly, Yuria began to sing.

Going around and around again.

Either don’t come or don’t go.

Her clear voice carried a deep longing.

A voice that tickled your scalp like the cool autumn breeze.

I found myself humming along without realizing it.

Round and round and round it goes.

Even after a thousand years, there.

A song everyone knew in the Saharan Plains.

The stars spin round and round with the Tower of Covenant at their center. The Tower of Covenant connecting all worlds. The lyrics suggested that at its top, we might meet all our cherished people again.

Singing this song in the actual Tower of Covenant… felt strange.

Round and round and round it goes.

Even after ten thousand years, round and round.

It seemed this wasn’t just our song. Yuria’s voice carried far, and people at the campsite began joining in one by one. People from the Saharan Plains, the Sand Plateau, the Floating Island, and Lanciel City. People raised in different environments became one through song.

Starting with Fel who had approached without our noticing, people gathered around us as if welcoming the stars.

One song, two songs, they exchanged melodies. We sang ‘Round and Round,’ ‘Star Cluster,’ and ‘Heart’s Resolve’ followed. We shared more songs than expected.

I saw magical powers resonating with our singing, especially with Yuria’s voice.

Some songs can move even magical powers?

I realized yet another new fact.

The world is filled with secrets to uncover, as numerous as the stars.

“I’m sorry for interrupting your pleasant time.”

Fel, who had turned our intimate moment into a festive atmosphere, smiled awkwardly. Then he added, as if making an excuse:

“But it’s been so long since we’ve had this kind of mood.”

I reassured him with a smile.

This was actually perfect timing.

He must be caught up in the atmosphere.

I decided to bring up what I had planned to discuss seriously the next day.

“Fel. I have a proposal.”

“Oh?”

I looked straight into his eyes, which were still immersed in sentiment.

With the same certainty and confidence I used when making covenants with magical powers, I proposed:

“Join the Baek Jun-woo Nomad. I want to welcome everyone here into my journey. Please lend me your strength.”

A flicker of bewilderment passed through Fel’s eyes.