Chapter 35: Change (3)
There was an easier way to pass the spirit of mana.
The complex process could be simplified if Kang Min-hyuk paved the way for Klinssman. However, Kang Min-hyuk chose to communicate through writing. He was concerned that his attempt to do the right thing would negatively affect Klinssman, so he avoided anything too overt. As long as Klinssman progressed magically, the method didn’t matter too much.
A few days had passed. At the Academy, all of his focus was poured into learning the highest-tier third circle magic, and when he returned ‘home,’ he continued to develop the mana technique. His days were full. He was constantly aware that he was borrowing somebody else’s body…it occurred to him that the process could significantly alter Klinssman’s consciousness upon his return. How would this change him? No matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t find an answer.
Although his time as Klinssman had been brief, the world around the man whose body he inhabited had changed rapidly.
People approached Kang Min-hyuk in disbelief, asking if the rumors they’d heard were right. They were baffled to discover the truth:
“That’s amazing!”
“But how?! How could you defeat James and his gang alone?!”
“You’re a first circle wizard, aren’t you? I can’t believe it…you should have had no chance – you were outnumbered and less experienced!”
Students watched Kang Min-hyuk and whispered. They couldn’t touch him; the fight against the James Gang had a great impact. In a magical civilization of more than 2000, it was absurd to battle a wizard with physical ability alone. Usually, the mage would be destroyed before he’d even finished approaching the battle. Min-hyuk, in contrast, overpowered the James Gang with exquisite elegance. The students who were present at the event (for that’s what it had become) spread the news of what they’d seen, but many students doubted the authenticity of the rumor…even those who had seen it found it hard to believe their own eyes. That was a normal reaction to a bizarre situation. It wouldn’t be unusual for a fortified warrior to defeat three wizards in a sophisticated civilization, but this was quite different.
The fact that Klinssman was unpunished despite injuring Chester’s eldest son ignited the hypothesis that the rumors were untrue. Generally, though, his classmates stayed away, just in case. In the past, Klinssman was an inferior student with unclear origins, but now, people respected him – they dared not touch him. Because of this, Kang Min-hyuk could attend the Academy comfortably. He was glad of it. He’d been concerned that his actions would make Klinssman’s life more difficult, but it seemed to have reached an ideal conclusion.
“That’s the end of today’s class.”
The students gathered in groups of three, barely glancing at Kang Min-hyuk. He felt like a ghost, but there was no change there – Klinssman had always been disregarded.
That evening, Kang Min-hyuk didn’t return to his accommodation.
* * *
The fight had broken the box that imprisoned Kang Min-hyuk. Previously, he had only received knowledge from Klinssman, but now he had direct experience. He was intrigued by the techniques they had used. Some aspects of the fight were new to him – one of them had moved while casting, and their casting speed was unusually fast. Nobody seemed surprised by their skills, suggesting that it was normal for magic students to possess such prowess. It confirmed his suspicions that double-casting and mana fairy tales were common in this world.
Kang Min-hyuk headed straight to the library.
The magic library of the Royal Academy was only open to Academy students. It had a splendid reputation and more than enough high-quality materials to support it. Kang Min-hyuk quickly found the book he was looking for. It was placed on a low shelf, among basic books possessing little value.
[Transient Casting]
[Circle Correlation]
First, he checked the transient casting.
[The birth of the transient cast began with a question: Should a wizard always be standing to use magic? During casting, physical movement disrupts the flow of mana, rendering it unstable. Thus, a stereotype was formed, suggesting that the only way to cast was to be static. This situation changed with the Mana Control Method development – this is the basis for all transient casting. Instability is the main problem with moving while casting. Still, even in the event of instability, transient casting can be realized if the wizard can control the ever-changing mana. That way…]
The method was at once both simple and complex.
Usually, if you cast in method 1, you anticipate and respond to a system that changes to 2 according to movement. It is a basic skill, but one that a novice wouldn’t be able to master. However, transient casting is a fundamental piece of literacy for Royal Magic Academy students, which only accepted those with genuine talent. James’ pride was not unfounded – he was aware of his natural aptitude and tried to exclude Klinssman for not knowing the basics; he chose to ostracize him.
Next, he studied the correlation of circles.
[The higher the circle, the easier it will be for a high wizard to use lower circle magic. Usually, the level of magic used requires the corresponding number of circles. However, using two circles to cast a single circle spell will dramatically reduce the casting time. In this way…]
It was remarkably simple. It was common knowledge in Klinssman’s world. It did have the disadvantage of increasing mana consumption, but it was a skill well worth utilizing. His opponent had averted Kang Min-hyuk’s attack through this method and quickly accomplished a first circle cast using third circle power. Their battles were enhanced by what was deemed to be common knowledge.
“It’s revolutionary…”
Kang Min-hyuk whispered into the under-thumbed pages. A wizard’s weakness always lay in the fact that he had to be still while using magic – it increases their exposure to danger. The length of casting only prolonged that exposure, but the books he’d just read solved both of those problems as though they were nothing. If double casting and changing the shape of magic could maximize a wizard’s strength, his most recent discoveries complimented the wizard’s weakness.
An image formed in his mind. It would be possible to defeat a warrior if the correlation between transient casting and circle correlation was mastered. This was the knowledge that only he could use, though. There was a prerequisite to circle correlation: it must be a circle you had created yourself. An artificially formed circle would be weak – it could never withstand the mana’s flow. Likewise, for transient casting, which had been described as a simple skill, it could only be supported by a wizard’s talent. Even Kang Min-hyuk was unsure of his ability to use transient casting – he wouldn’t know for sure until he tried it in his world.
He re-read the book, carefully seeking anything he might have missed, and assimilated the information. A few days later, having learned all that he could, Kang Min-hyuk returned to his reality.
* * *
A familiar sensation swept through his body.
He was home. He opened his eyes – Kang Min-hyuk’s eyes and felt comfortable in his skin. He immediately ran to a magical training center to test his new knowledge. First, he attempted the correlation of circles.
When he used the top-level first circle magic with third circle strength, the cast was completed at a remarkable pace.
“Firebolt!”
Swoosh, tttsssss!
It seemed to take about five seconds. The speed was so fast as to be surprising.
“Revolutionary…” he muttered again.
“It’s a huge achievement…if I form the fourth circle, I can use first circle magic with almost no casting time! I could easily stop a fast approaching opponent.”
Usually, close-quarter combat is reserved for Archmage Masters who have achieved the fifth circle, but the correlation method changed everything. To apply transient casting to that scenario, as well…it was amazing.
It could be possible to create a War Mage who plays an active part on the battlefield.
Kang Min-hyuk immediately began experimenting with transient casting. According to the book, it was a complicated technique, so he had to check if it could be realized.
Swoosh, tssss!
Mana was scattered into the air.
According to the transient casting method, Kang Min-hyuk formed a system, his mana shaking, erratically, as he ran sideways. Mana eventually fluctuated. Kang Min-hyuk continued casting accordingly and spoke simultaneously,
“Let’s stabilize the mana with the Guardian Gate’s method!”
It was an improvised method.
Mana deception wasn’t an attack, just a means of control. It was helpful in the mana room, so he decided to try it.
“Whoah…!”
Min-hyuk’s eyes widened.
When mana was governed by the method of operation, the trembling mana regained stability. Thanks to this, it was easy enough to complete a system that changes with movement. It was called Manryu Gwijong. Mana psychology wasn’t built with magic in mind, but it reaped excellent results within this framework.
“Fire Bolt!”
Swooosh! Tssss.
Flames shot from his hands. Kang Min-hyuk stopped and stared at the flames, puzzled but pleased.
“Success…”
Alongside the pleasure of success, passion flooded through Min-hyuk. Could it be so easy? Could he be so powerful? With the Mana technique, he had achieved something that usually took several weeks of training to adapt to. It was an exceptional achievement. His warrior training lay the foundations for Kang Min-hyuk; this, combined with his magic abilities, produced incredible results.
He threw his head back and laughed. He had sacrificed his life as a warrior; nobody had ever believed he could excel as a wizard…the sense of success was unfamiliar, but it filled him up, and he felt great.
He indulged in a moment of reflection. Supreme magic. Third circle. Double casting, moving to cast, and other brilliant techniques…he was fulfilled as a wizard. In the world of Klinssman, there was more to achieve, but in his world, he had surely reached a level of greatness. Now things would be different. He had his talent, and through it, he grew in confidence. He thought ahead to the upcoming prospect of a joint class with the department of swordsmanship, set to occur in just a few days. Most students of magic rigorously avoid this class. However, Kang Min-hyuk was different. He was excited to test his strength against the elite department of swordsmanship. His experience with them would provide valuable insight and evaluation. He began to look forward to the upcoming class.
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