Chapter 84

It was apparent from its very appearance.

The 4th Circle possessed an incomparable majesty compared to the 3rd Circle.

One might say that the 3rd Circle resembled a mechanical watch without its cover.

A simple ring symbolizing the mouth (口), a spiral ring symbolizing the lips (脣), and a saw-toothed ring symbolizing the teeth (齒)—these three interlocking rings were beautiful, of course, but… still too exposed.

In contrast, the 4th Circle had two hemispheres encasing its inner Circles. These hemispheres, joining and separating as they rotated, occasionally revealed the beautiful internal structure.

A profound dignity completed by the elegant cover.

That’s why, among all Circles, the difference between the 3rd and 4th was particularly decisive.

3rd Circle and 4th Circle.

It was the difference between a prototype and a finished product.

<Circle Eulogy – The World of Circles as Seen Through Mana Sight>

A passage from his favorite book flashed through Lytol’s mind. The aesthetic and magical differences that spanned between the 3rd and 4th Circles. Even if the white-haired brat before him was not just a 3rd Circle mage but also a 3-star Ki-blood magic practitioner, he still held the overwhelming advantage.

Therefore,

‘There’s no way I can lose.’

Lytol thought.

‘I lost last time because I was careless.’

Today I’ll make him taste bitterness.

“I’ll show you the difference between us! Do you know that with 1st-level mana sight and four Circles, one can cause a mana catastrophe alone!”

Flop!

A leather pouch filled with colorful powders. Lytol grabbed two fistfuls and scattered them into the air. Well-mixed magical materials danced in the air. In response, the magical powers dissolved in the atmosphere began to stir.

“In the name of the sages inscribed in the Tower of Covenant, a thousand eyes and ten thousand hands. Remember that day. Remember that day. Reveal your true form!”

‘Mana Catastrophe’

An auxiliary spell widely used in the Tower of Covenant, generally cast after lengthy preparation with the help of many people, but Lytol activated it as casually as a memorized spell.

It wasn’t a talent just anyone could possess. Even among 4th Circle mages, only a genius with exceptional calculation abilities for reading magical power and tremendous control over magical power could perform such a feat.

Zzzring!

Mana fluctuated,

And magical powers began their abnormal behavior.

The beginning of the ‘Mana Catastrophe.’

+ – + – +

This was my first encounter with a ‘Mana Catastrophe.’

When Lytol scattered the colorful powders in the air, the magical powers were greatly agitated, and when the incantation “Remember that day” ended, the magical powers everywhere… how should I describe it? Yes. It felt like tens of thousands of people standing up in unison. Like soldiers snapping to attention, the magical powers rose abruptly and repeated memories from the past.

‘…Go!’

‘No…’

‘Go! Run away!’

‘…It’s already too late.’

The tragic one-act play of magical powers passed like a dream.

And amazingly,

Lytol caught the trailing edge of that tragedy.

“It’s already teeoo laayte!”

Teeoo laayte…? Could he have mispronounced “too late”?

…Wait? Just now… did that guy… hear the voice of magical power?

“This is what! A Mana Catastrophe is!”

Whoooong!

Magical power swirled around Lytol. Just as when I recited Saíl(射日), all the magical powers focused on Lytol. They obeyed his will promptly.

From now on, any spell Lytol cast would be at least three times more powerful.

Thump.

Suddenly my heart raced.

‘What will happen?’

Could Iron Blood pierce through Lytol’s defensive spells that would be several times stronger? Could it overcome the full power of a genius 4th Circle mage?

Somehow, I didn’t want to see it in [Simulation].

I wanted to clash with it directly, just once.

“If you behave well, I’ll let you drink blood.”

I whispered to my left hand. Iron Blood trembled.

Crunch! Crunch!

The veins in my left hand stood out bright red. The crimson Iron Blood firmly enveloped my fist, wrist, and elbow. Iron Blood couldn’t hide its excitement and emitted magical power. It radiated magical power nearly equivalent to the full strength of a 3-star Ki-blood magic practitioner.

With that arm, I mimicked the structure of a crossbow.

Crack-crack,

The magical power wrapped around my shoulder bone acted like a pulley, wrapping around my elbow from behind. The muscle made of twisted magical power was pulled taut like a bowstring.

Click,

Loading complete.

<Bolt> enhanced with Iron Blood’s magical power had already surpassed what could be created with 3-star Ki-blood.

‘But if it’s just a punch at the level of a 4-star mage… I would lose.’

I whispered to my left hand, now stained red.

“You’re much greater than that, aren’t you?”

Iron Blood trembled in response. Trust me, it seemed to say.

Alright. Show me. I’m curious too.

“Well then… let’s see.”

Thud!

As soon as I lifted my foot heavily, Iron Blood pulled me forward. Struggling to maintain my posture, I smoothly blended my jumping power with Iron Blood’s pulling force. Without even using Spatial Leap, the distance between Lytol and me vanished instantly.

Boom!

The rapid charge ended as I planted my foot before Lytol.

Simultaneously, I activated the spell.

<Bolt!>

Whoom!

A fist that pierced through the fraction of a fraction of a moment. It extended at a speed I couldn’t even perceive. A moment so fleeting that even a magical device like a ‘Protection Necklace’ might struggle to react, but Lytol had prepared for it long beforehand.

[Time Acceleration]

In a world where everything slowed down, moving alone at high speed—a special attribute Gift.

Lytol’s movements left wave-like afterimages.

“The reason I am called the Flash Mage is…”

Lightning flashed in Lytol’s eyes.

“Because I’m the one who seizes the moment in the blink of an eye!”

Waaang! Waaang!

Four Circles howling like a swarm of bees.

“Lionel – mirror fallen on the cheek, Ramune – empty footprints boasted by blue, Siu – that which was always hunted though no one chased.”

An unfamiliar incantation. Whether someone’s name or an abstruse poem, I couldn’t understand at all.

But with each word that fell, corresponding mana flowed from Lytol’s Circle. Like assembling a puzzle or connecting blocks, mana jutting out at each syllable was woven before my fist.

Magic targeting the moment.

“This is! My strongest 4th Circle spell! Be shattered by your own power!”

Confidently, Lytol activated the spell.

“Return! Rainbow Shield!”

A rainbow-colored shield appeared before Lytol, and my fist crashed down upon it.

No collision sound was heard.

Only,

Splat!

A purple mist of blood hung in the air.

We both opened our eyes wide simultaneously.

A stinging pain. My left arm was covered in blood. Blood vessels were torn and ragged, spurting blood like a broken hose.

“That just now… was reflection? It returned my attack entirely… no, even amplified it several times?”

I was surprised by the ‘reflection’ magic.

“The arm… is still attached?”

Lytol was surprised that my arm hadn’t shattered to pieces.

Really now…

So he was trying to completely pulverize my arm? Of course, with Pan-Dalus’s power, he could probably restore even a lost limb… but this is too malicious, isn’t it?

I guess there’s no choice.

“…This might hurt a bit.”

Drip-drip.

Drops of blood burst from my arm and fell like rain.

The purple mist of blood was so thick it obscured vision. But most of it wasn’t my blood.

The impact that <Bolt> reflected onto my arm was mostly offset by Iron Blood vaporizing and spraying outward. Though there was a lot of blood, the actual damage wasn’t severe.

And even more, Iron Blood hadn’t given up the attack yet.

Kasha Boronin. Her iron blood magic, famous for its strength even among 4th Circle spells, originated from the ability of the ‘Iron Blood Sword’.

And the evolved Iron Blood naturally possessed the same abilities as the ‘Iron Blood Sword’.

Tock!

“Ow! What?”

A single drop of blood that fell from the air made a small wound on Lytol’s shoulder. An attack so subtle and trivial that the protective spells Lytol constantly maintained couldn’t react. But that one drop was enough.

Crash!

Having tasted Lytol’s blood, Iron Blood grew. It tore through his shoulder, crushed his collarbone, and drilled a hole in his elbow. It passed through his ribs and sternum to compress his heart.

“Guh! Gughk!”

Iron Blood slithered through his internal organs like a snake. Lytol clutched his chest and rolled on the ground. His face rapidly turned pale as Iron Blood sucked his blood dry.

“Kuhk! Ku… ku…”

Unable to speak, he could only flail his hands. He tried desperately to get up, but kept falling due to the surging Iron Blood.

“Hmm… better than expected.”

Iron Blood.

The reflexes to offset the force reflected by <Rainbow Shield>.

The cunning to immediately target the next attack.

The stealth and cruel internal attack that could overwhelm even a 4th Circle mage.

It was very encouraging as the first achievement in my ‘magical exoskeleton’ research.

“Grrr…”

As his heart and chest were severely compressed, Lytol began foaming at the mouth.

That seemed sufficient.

“Come back.”

[!!oo#@!]

Iron Blood screamed that it wanted to drink more blood, but,

“Quiet.”

I forcibly suppressed it and brought it back to my left arm.

Slither-

Upon returning to my left arm, Iron Blood suddenly became docile and began healing my mangled left arm.

Only after sealing all the torn flesh and blood vessels did it curl up in the center of my palm and fall asleep with a purr.

I marveled once more.

“Healing abilities too?”

It was truly a successful power test.

+ – + – +

Thanks to Iron Blood’s performance exceeding expectations, I gained some leeway.

The magical power consumed to evolve Iron Blood was about 60% of my residual magical power.

If my residual magical power before attempting ‘evolution’ was almost at its limit, on the verge of causing magical fever, now I had enough room to absorb new magical power.

This meant I could pursue growth alongside research.

In that sense, a few days after the power test, on the day of my 15th birthday, I held a very meaningful event.

The courtyard in front of the North Tower of Solas Magic School. This usually quiet place was unusually bustling with people.

I faced five mages standing before me. And behind them, the people of Jack Caravan who were prepared to depart also watched.

Fel stepped forward.

“A formal cooperation has been established between the Mage of Domestication and the Divine Mage. This means… that I, the heir to Lanciel City, can work for the Divine Mage without any issue. I hereby pledge.”

Fel bowed his head. Behind him, three men and one woman also bowed their heads. Of course, one of them was clearly reluctant.

“3rd Circle mage Fel Jack and,”

The others continued in succession.

“3rd Circle mage Del.”

“2nd Circle mage Hwarin.”

“2nd Circle mage Horatio.”

And Lytol, with a sullen expression, glared resentfully at his master Pan-Dalus before resigning himself and muttering.

“4th Circle mage Lytol Shaplink…”

“We, these five, entrust our lives to Baek Jun-woo, the leader of the nomad. We will go where he goes and do what he commands. We will use all our skills for the survival and benefit of the nomad. Until three years have passed, or until the leader releases us from the nomad, and as long as he does not harm our lives and dignity, this covenant shall endure.”

It was the nomad covenant.

I too solemnly responded to the covenant.

“From this moment forward, I declare that Fel Jack, Del, Hwarin, Horatio, and Lytol Shaplink, these five people, are under my protection. We will become one nomad, sharing joy and sorrow, and we will build strength to endure the great cataclysm. For the next three years, we shall wander in search of the world’s secrets and methods to save ourselves from extinction. This is the covenant of Baek Jun-woo, leader of this nomad.”

Of the Jack Caravan members who survived, there were 19 in total.

Among them, three mages with high potential joined our nomad along with Fel.

The remaining 15 would return to guard Lanciel City.

Today was their day of return and simultaneously our new departure date.

“And so… the new expedition of the Baek Jun-woo Research Nomad begins. We will escort Jack Caravan’s return and resume our exploration of the ‘demon’s relic site’ that we couldn’t complete last time.”

Wooaah-!

Some with longing to finally return home,

Some with excitement for a new beginning,

Some with expectations for the future that would unfold.

Each shouted their cheers for different reasons.

Yes.

Once again, it was time to go peek at the world’s secrets.

It would be a wonderful… birthday present.