Chapter 40
What I asked of Adolf were eight low-grade mana stones and two mid-grade mana stones. Honestly, if it were up to me, I would want to call for at least five mid-grade mana stones.
However, considering that he was likely to refuse, I called for a quantity that I thought he would willingly provide.
I planned to study mana stones.
Of course, it wasn’t research aimed at directly injecting mana into the body. When I said it that way, Adolf nodded with a smile.
“Sure. Supporting you with that amount isn’t difficult. If it’s for research, I’ll naturally support you.”
“Thank you, brother.”
Soon after, he glanced at me and spoke lightly.
“I fully understand your position, Kyle. Given that you received a proposal from elder brother, it must be difficult to choose me right away. I would also have to ponder which option to choose between you and him. However… I want you to know that I regard your potential very highly.”
Well, whether he valued me or not didn’t really matter.
I nodded at him, letting it pass with a casual ear.
“Thank you. I will also try to think positively about it.”
“Right. It might be a tough decision, but I hope you make a wise choice.”
“Yes. I feel I have learned a lot about you through this conversation. I will continue to dedicate myself to magic and strive to improve my skills.”
It was a plain and standard answer.
After all, he said he would work hard.
“Good. Rest well. I will send the mana stones shortly.”
“Yes. Please take care.”
With that, Adolf left the room.
Huh.
From what I could gauge, he didn’t seem to have any urgent plans to win me over right away.
Even if he tried to entice me now, he likely wouldn’t think it would significantly help his strength.
Moreover, there might be some concerns.
His faction was currently quite stable.
He had been gradually winning over the people under him over a long period and had built loyalty to the extent that they would willingly support him when he drew his sword.
But if I were to suddenly join at this crucial moment, it could create an unforeseen variable.
As long as I didn’t stick solely to Abel, he might have thought this wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Thanks to that, I managed to obtain the mana stones quite easily.
After a brief wait, a knight arrived at the annex.
He came with the mana stones.
“Sir Adolf sent this item for you.”
“Please tell him I received it well.”
“Yes.”
Eight low-grade mana stones and two mid-grade mana stones.
Wow.
While they weren’t extremely expensive, they were items that were quite difficult to obtain.
Thanks to Adolf, I felt I could easily draw the magic circle now.
The reason he brought two mid-grade mana stones was simple.
They were also to be used for extracting mana.
Since the mana required for interpreting the original was tremendous, there was no need to block mana like when I achieved the second circle.
If I could absorb mana as I did earlier…
Using the mana stones to suck in mana profusely, my Heart Eye would likely vacuum up the mana in an instant.
Now that I think about it, this is quite dizzying.
Since I had just gone through the interpretation process in the library, my head felt pretty hot.
I thought I should take a brief nap before interpreting the original.
After closing my eyes, I opened them again, realizing that three hours had passed.
Thanks to the nap, my head had calmed down significantly.
After splashing my face with some cold water, I began preparing to interpret the original.
With this amount… I should be able to interpret it in one go, right?
Eight low-grade mana stones.
And up to two intermediate mana stones.
If I extracted mana from these ten mana stones, it would surely be enough to cover the mana needed for the interpretation of the original manuscript.
Typically, intermediate mana stones contained at least five times more mana than lower-grade ones. Additionally, the quality of the mana within was, of course, higher.
I still had quite a few catalysts I had purchased from the Magic Tower.
There was no reason to hesitate.
I quickly drew the magic circle I had created when making the second circle. Then, I placed the mana stones again.
Next,
I infused the magic circle with mana along with the catalyst to activate it.
Floof.
As the mana slowly approached me, I held up the original manuscript.
It was time to activate Heart Eye.
[Activating Heart Eye.]
[Interpreting the original manuscript.]
Soon after, the mana within the circle began to evaporate rapidly again.
One thing was different this time.
The mana that had come into my right hand gradually replenished the mana in the circle while Heart Eye continued to activate.
[Current interpretation ratio of the manuscript: 16%]
[18%]
[20%]
“Ugh.”
As the mana came in, it drained away like the ebbing tide, and the interpretation ratio gradually increased.
The color of the lower-grade mana stones around me faded in an instant, which happened simultaneously.
Was it truly a staggering amount of mana being consumed?
If such an investment was demanded, the return must be incredibly sweet.
?To raise the temperature of the flame, slight adjustments to the operation method are needed…
?The most efficient way is…
Knowledge flooded into my mind like a tidal wave.
[30%]
[40%]
[50%]
As the lower-grade mana stones turned completely white, my understanding began to deepen.
Perhaps it was due to the incessant influx of phrases?
My head was starting to spin.
It felt as if I were overloaded.
Ugh.
Naturally, I bit my lips tightly, struggling to concentrate.
This was a magic circle that utilized two intermediate mana stones.
If I lost consciousness here, these mana stones would evaporate without me even getting a chance to use them.
Once a magic circle was activated, the mana stones placed within could never be used again.
Did the ancients not understand the virtue of recycling?
All eight lower-grade mana stones had completely lost their light when the interpretation reached 63%.
Now, only the two intermediate mana stones remained.
This was where I had to make my move.
Soon after, mana began to ooze out of the intermediate mana stones, flowing up my right hand toward the circle.
Much purer mana than what I had accepted before started to be consumed within the circle.
Thanks to that, the speed of interpretation increased significantly.
My head was spinning.
And there was cold sweat running down my forehead.
I poured all my strength into maintaining my focus to avoid losing consciousness.
How much time had passed?
Gradually, my mind began to clear.
The two intermediate mana stones.
The mana contained within had been entirely used for interpretation.
“Phew…”
Had the interpretation finished?
Just as I was about to confirm with Heart Eye, I noticed one phrase shimmering before my eyes.
“Wow.”
It was a phrase that naturally brought a smile to my face, so delightful that I couldn’t help it.
****
After interpreting the original manuscript.
The knowledge that had been floating around in my head now felt firmly attached.
After sitting on the bed for a moment to organize my thoughts, I headed outside immediately.
It was time to see just how powerful the magic interpreted from the original manuscript could be.
‘A quiet and secluded place.’
The magic I was about to use left me with no clear sense of its power.
Thus, I thought it would be better to cast the spell outside of my defenses.
Fire Arrow.
Being a fire magic, it was quite difficult to erase any traces of it.
‘The noise will also be significant.’
With the enhancement from the original text, that was an obvious expectation.
With that in mind, I left the outer castle with Leonhardt.
After moving to a nearly deserted area outside the outer castle, I gazed at the surrounding sand.
Since it was a fire magic, shooting it at wood could potentially cause a forest fire; I decided that this experiment needed to be conducted over the sand.
The differences between the original text and the copy were primarily twofold.
The method of colliding the rotating mana at intervals to enhance the power of the flames, and the way to shoot the Fire Arrow quickly like an arrow.
Other than that, the operational mechanism was the same as the typical Fire Arrow. It felt less like a completely new Fire Arrow spell and more like mixing my own flair into a conventional magic.
‘If I blend the mechanics from the game with Henderson’s secret…’
I could hardly imagine the power of the magic that would emerge when I activated it using those two combined elements.
I would know once I saw it.
Following the operational mechanics of the magic I knew, I began to channel the mana.
After pulling the mana taut like drawing a bowstring and colliding the rotating mana a few times as described in the original text, the processes began to blend seamlessly with the operational mechanism I already knew.
The knowledge gained from the game and the teachings from the original text.
Now was the time to showcase the results of having been taught by these two instructors. As I silently activated the incantation in my mind.
Whoosh!
A massive flame arrow formed above my right hand.
To the naked eye, it appeared as a fiery arrow emitting scorching heat, but it merely felt warm to my body.
Since it was activated using the mana that constituted my being, it was probably to be expected.
“…It’s done.”
“It’s indeed a Fire Arrow.”
“Yeah. I tried using it in the way described in the original text.”
“Surely, the heat is much hotter than ordinary magic. It’s quite intense…”
Smiling at his words, I added,
“Perhaps the only difference is the heat?”
Now it was time to see the power of the shot arrow.
The sand covering the ground.
Without hesitation, I threw the arrow towards it.
‘Swoosh!’
Just like the first time I used a Magic Missile, an overwhelming consumption of mana hit me, followed by a wave of dizziness.
The operational mechanism of magic in the game.
Each time I utilized it to its fullest, I felt that same sensation.
Zoom!
Soon after, a sharp piercing sound rang out as if a real arrow had been shot.
Boom!
The flaming arrow penetrated deep into the sand, sending it scattering in a dazzling display. The sand shot upwards like a wave, rising over seven meters high.
“Ugh… How is it?”
Holding my dizzy head, I asked him.
An expert-level knight.
If his evaluation came from someone of that caliber, I could definitely trust it.
After a brief moment of silence, he slowly responded.
“…It truly had the speed of an arrow. I doubt that anyone below the intermediate rank could evade it. The explosive force… is beyond comparison to a normal arrow.”
“So, would you say it’s acceptable?”
“…Well, it certainly exceeds the level of merely being acceptable.”
As the sand dispersed, a deep crater began to reveal itself.
The Fire Arrow.
Not only did my magic pierce through the sand-covered ground in an instant, but it had also created a hole approximately four meters deep.
“…”
Thus, Leonhardt and I began to inspect the inside of the hole. Not only had the surface been penetrated, but the rocks beneath had also been shattered.
I wondered what his impression would be.
As I naturally glanced at Leonhardt, I saw a knight quietly clicking his tongue.
Power evaluation.
I could say it was a perfect score.
—
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