Report
Forced to move from the rural city of Oldor to the metropolis “Rootran.”
If I use up the savings from the orphanage, I might be able to afford a cheap inn room, but Elena would definitely get angry if I did that.
“She really liked it here.”
Although she tried to hide it, Elena’s acting skills were impressive, even when it came to empty words. No matter how much I thought about it, I would probably have to live under Elena’s roof for a while.
It’s not because of the clean bathroom and kitchen.
The first thing I need to check in this mansion is how much freedom is guaranteed.
Yuri quickly scanned the living room. He was cautious, wondering if there might be any surveillance magic or the like.
The flow of mana is being read. As Elena mentioned, this mansion has basic life magic, including security magic. While it’s challenging to determine what kind of magic it is by reading the flow of mana, it’s important to at least confirm the presence of “magic.”
Certainly, there are no CCTV cameras in this world, but there might be magic that serves as a replacement. The magic in this world is replacing modern technology.
“Wait.”
Yuri paused and turned his head. The first-floor study. There was security magic on the door there as well, but she had been given permission to enter.
Among the relatively few books on the spacious bookshelves in the study, there were many empty spaces. It was understandable. Elena hasn’t lived in this mansion for long, and the truly important books would be in the Magic Tower.
“She mentioned these are public magic books.”
From a handful of books, he pulled out 15 thick magical textbooks.
“Easy and Fast Learning Common Magic, Volume 1, by Arsen Lucionel.”
…
“Easy and Fast Learning Common Magic, Volume 15, by Arsen Lucionel.”
“So, this old man wrote these.”
Arsen Lucionel, the Tower Lord of Lucionel Tower. The Extreme Point, Arsen Lucionel.
This tower was distinct from others in that it didn’t delve into a single system of magic but pushed the limits of magic that could be considered “popular,” reconstructing it to the extreme.
Ironically, this made it more challenging to deal with in games than other tower lords. If a tower specialized in a certain system, you could prepare to counter it by focusing on that system. However, countering Arsen Lucionel was nearly impossible.
Tapping into the absence of remarkable features, this old man made it his strength. The zenith of ordinary magic. Among tower lords, Arsen Lucionel was the most versatile and lacked weaknesses.
Celestial Thunder Orca Dersia had a level of 81, while Arsen Lucionel, the Extreme Point, had a level of 87.
“Do you know how much I struggled to catch this old man…”
The total of 15 books established by this nuisance, Arsen Lucionel.
“Third Grade mages need to be proficient in most common magics,” he said.
Do I really need to memorize these monstrously thick books? Are all mages memory prodigies? I don’t know if they’ll be easy and quick to learn. Anyway, Yuri unfolded one of the books.
“Even if you consider yourself capable of being called a mage, you should aim to fully understand and utilize the magic described in this book.”
“As you all know, there is a difference between common magic, tower magic, and school-specific magic.”
“First, thoroughly memorize the incantations and guide the mana as required by the incantations…”
Yuri roughly skimmed through the preface. Luckily, the table of contents was organized right after it.
“Burglary… Vigilance… Guard…”
Yuri went through the table of contents while recalling similar words.
Only in the third book did he find the magic he was looking for.
“In this section, basic defence magic is covered. You are well aware of how important preparation is for a mage. Therefore, you must…”
“So many words.”
Even in games, there were verbose dialogues at times.
“Where is it… Ah, here it is.”
Intrusion-prevention magic placed in a home-like space. Alarms that sound when an unauthorized person trespasses, reconnaissance, traps, interception…
“Observation, surveillance.”
“There are various types of magic that observe intruders in a domain. While methods involving specialized familiars exist, this book focuses purely on common magic…”
“What a talker.”
“The ‘Easy and Fast Learning Common Magic’ might have 15 volumes just because this old Arsen likes to talk.”
“Wait a moment…”
Staring at the incantations, his head felt as if it was spinning.
“Could this be the brain overload I’ve never felt even during exams?”
No, it’s different. The complicated and perplexing incantations were being etched into his mind forcibly. His pupils felt like they were being seared, and his head throbbed.
“Understanding.”
Unique Blessing to the Possessors.
“It wasn’t just limited to mana, was it?”
It’s completely different from looking at a cooking book. My brain is accepting magical incantations on its own. After staring at the incantations for a while, Yuri’s legs lost strength, and he ended up sitting down.
“It’s not easy.”
The mental fatigue is no joke.
“Even the titles are a challenge.”
Arsen Lucionel meticulously explained each complex incantation. His explanations combined with the Blessing. Yuri took a deep breath and stood up from his seat.
“Directly executing it right now is impossible.”
What he achieved just now is more akin to sensory memorization than complete understanding. To perform it directly, he needs to delve deeper and become more proficient.
Yuri placed the extracted magical books back on the bookshelf.
When he stepped back into the living room, the scenery appeared different. The vague incantations that he had tried to confirm earlier now had some semblance of understanding.
“If someone intrudes on the mansion without permission, the magic activates immediately.”
That means Yuri doesn’t need to be overly vigilant about surveillance and observation. Of course, that doesn’t mean he’ll engage in suspicious behaviour right in the middle of the living room.
He went upstairs to the second floor.
There was no magic on the doors to his assigned room and the storage room. Yuri quickly opened the storage room, but there wasn’t much clutter inside to call it a “storage room.” Unused furniture and various tools were neatly arranged on shelves.
“Obsessive-compulsive disorder, perhaps.”
The image of the pure white dress she wore when she visited Oldor came to mind. Yuri lightly shook his head and entered his room, closing the curtains. Only then did he finally slump down in the middle of the room.
His head was throbbing, and his eyes felt sore. In his heart, he wanted to lie down and rest. But he couldn’t.
The Deceptive Veil completely blocks the presence of internal energy to the outside. This is the same during the training.
Still, he hadn’t performed the training even once during the week of traveling with Elena in the carriage. It was frustrating to go a whole week without doing it after doing it diligently every day for the past month in Oldor.
“Okay, Deceptive Veil”
He gently manipulated the area around his throat, where he couldn’t feel any discomfort. The Deceptive Veil was still hidden within his throat.
Elena and Haryeong had no idea about his internal energy.
“Even in the game, this item is hard to come by.”
Without entering the later stages, it’s impossible to obtain it, and the drop rate is low as well. Seeing that they gifted him with such an item, it was clear thatLorelia and the Order Cult treated Yuri special.
Yuri regulated his breath and started his internal energy training. The internal energy in his Dantian started moving.
After a month of doing it once a day, his internal energy had grown considerably. Initially, it was only the size of a fingernail, but now it felt like it had become about the size of a clenched fist.
“Thank you, Soohyuk-nim. The Order had never taught anyone the Saint Flame Emission. This is the secret art of the Order.”
“Similar to most other techniques, just increasing your internal energy doesn’t necessarily elevate your cultivation level. So, diligently meditate and seek enlightenment instead of simply accumulating internal energy.”
What is enlightenment?
“If there’s anyone who can perfectly explain enlightenment, it’s the Martial God. Since Loreleia is not a Martial God, she cannot explain what enlightenment is!”
How can you pursue something you don’t even know about?
“I explained how to pursue enlightenment! Since enlightenment is something that comes to everyone, what you gain will be different for each person!”
Lorelia, the Order’s divine priestess who taught him theSaint Flame Emission, had learned many things beyond the technique. The reason for the possession, points to note after possession, how to fight…
“What rank is Lorelia?”
Judging by the way she talks, she’s definitely not a low-ranking individual. Yuri had asked before, but he never received a clear answer.
“My rank is a secret, but I will tell you this much. If Soohyuk-nim diligently masters the Saint Flame Emission and accumulates enlightenment step by step, you can reach a very high rank.”
Rank classification isn’t determined by someone else; it’s determined by oneself.
For mages, reaching 2nd Grade means being acknowledged as a mage.
Mastery of all common magic leads to 3rd Grade.
Synthesizing multiple magics and abbreviating incantations leads to 4th Grade.
For Martial Artists, accumulating internal energy through the Saint Flame Emission and transcending the limits of the body leads to 2nd Grade.
If you can release internal energy externally without confining it within your body, that’s 3rd Grade.
If you can imbue attributes to the released internal energy, it’s Fourth Grade.
“Am I barely at Second Grade?”
Having accumulated internal energy through the Saint Flame Emission and being able to enhance the body using that internal energy weren’t satisfying. More training was needed…
Amidst the complex thoughts, consciousness gradually faded. Lorelia’s urgent shout echoed from a distant place. Memories of being subjected to violence masked as education by Lorelia in the main hall before the possession intertwined with his thoughts.
-I opened my eyes.
Startled, I pulled back the curtains to find that the sun was still up. Looking at the clock, two hours had passed. My head no longer throbbed, and my eyes weren’t sore either. Although I had spent two hours manipulating internal energy and meditating, my body felt refreshed as if I had slept deeply all day.
“Phew…”
That said there was a foul odor somewhere, and I realized my body was soaked in sweat. It wasn’t just ordinary sweat; it was dark yellow sweat, much like the first time I practiced the Saint Flame Emission in Oldor. It seemed like more turbid substances had been purged from my bloodstream.
“Damn it.”
The problem was, this wasn’t Oldor.
Fortunately, the floor wasn’t dirty. Yuri stood up abruptly and opened the window to let fresh air into the room. Then, he took out spare clothes from a corner of the room.
At first, he was shocked, but he wasn’t particularly surprised. Elena hadn’t returned yet. The dirty clothes could be washed, and his body could be cleaned. He had plenty of excuses.
“I must have spilled something while cooking.”
Elena would probably tease, wondering why he bothered washing clothes that were going to be discarded anyway. That would likely be the end of it.
“Ugh…”
Shhh…
When he pulled back the shower curtain, hot water was flowing out. For Yuri, who had to wash in icy well water for the past month, the sight of steam rising from the hot water was moving. Moreover, the bathroom was equipped with bath products other than soap, and the towels were soft and fluffy.
“Thank you.”
After expressing her gratitude to Elena, who must have arranged this while being at Toiwer, Yuri turned on the shower.
-Ding dong.
After washing his body, laundering his clothes, and hanging the wet clothes on the laundry line in the garden, the doorbell rang.
“What’s this?”
There was no reason for the landlord to ring the bell, so it couldn’t be Elena. Haryeong?
“She said she would come tomorrow morning.”
That realization halted Yuri’s steps toward the front door.
-Ding dong.
The doorbell rang again. Yuri didn’t respond, just stood there and stared at the front door.
“Who’s there?”
As Yuri remained silent, a voice came from the other side of the front door.
“I sense your presence. Who on earth are you that you’re just standing there without responding?”
It was a man’s voice. Ding dong. The doorbell rang once more.
“Could it be a thief? No, that can’t be. Could it be Haryeong, perhaps?”
If he continued to stay quiet, would they eventually leave? Ding dong. Another ring of the doorbell suggested they had no intention of leaving.
“Answer. Are you Haryeong? Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Ding dong, ding dong. The doorbell kept ringing.
“You are not coming despite standing there. I sense your presence. Why are you keeping your mouth shut if you have nothing to hide? It doesn’t seem like Haryeong. I may not know who you are, but if you continue like this, I won’t just stand by.”
“Who are you?”
Yuri didn’t quite understand what good it would do if he didn’t just stay silent, but he didn’t want to unnecessarily complicate matters.
“A man?”
The voice made him flinch.
“Who in the world are you? And why is there a man in there?”
“I’m a guest of the landlord.”
“A guest…? Call Elena. I want to talk to her directly.”
“Elena isn’t home right now.”
“She’s not? Then why are you inside?”
“She left me alone and went out.”
“Well… Well, at least open the door. We need to see each other and exchange formalities.”
The man’s words were hesitant. Yuri squinted at the door, and once again, ding dong, ding dong, the doorbell rang.
“What are you doing without opening the door?”
“I don’t know who you are, and this isn’t my house. Why on earth would I trust you and open the door?”
“I… I am Jin Namgung. I’m speaking with the honor of the Namgung family. I’m not a suspicious person. And this is the residence of Elena Hainderga, the favoured one, the Golden Chalice of Dersia Tower, right? If I were truly suspicious, I wouldn’t come here in broad daylight or introducing myself or asking you to open the door.”
With his continuing words, Yuri let out a deep sigh.
“I understand what you’re saying, but Elena isn’t here. Please come back another time.”
“No! There’s a possibility that you’ve subdued Elena and are lying, so I need to confirm it with my own eyes.”
“The favoured one of Dersia Tower, the Golden Chalice, will be subdued by me?”
“As you persist in not opening the door and being stubborn, you become even more suspicious.”
He didn’t seem likely to give up and leave. Yuri sighed deeply and turned hisbody away.
“Whenever someone comes looking for Elena when she’s not around, I tell them that there is no owner and don’t open the door. So, if you have important business, please wait there.”
“You dare…!”
As he was about to return to the mansion, the voice on the other side of the door boiled with anger.
“Hey, you!”
Yuri turned back to the back gate.
