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Chapter 60

“I understand,” Leonard said.

She looked away sheepishly, but there was no longer a sense of distance despite the awkwardness. Thanks to Leonard, she’d become a Class 5 mage and even learned to access her willpower almost out of pure force. As an adult, it was too late for her to save face.

“Fireball,” Esther said, changing the topic by continuing Leonard’s magic lesson. “This is a fire-type spell that can be used by mages at Class 3 and above. It’s also one of the most popular offensive spells.”

Leonard was very familiar with Fireball. It was one of the spells in the magic scrolls he’d taken from the Thirtieth Shadow after defeating him on Galapagos Island. The spell launched a ball of fire at high speed, and once it made contact with a target or was blocked, it would immediately combust, causing an explosion of flames. It could be used when attacking large monsters or groups.

“But unlike Magic Missile, it’s very effective even when it’s cast at a low level,” Esther said, staring at the forming Fireball with piercing eyes.

Unlike Magic Missile, the Fireball spell couldn’t be configured in a few seconds. The principles it employed were more advanced, and because she wasn’t very proficient in the Qingming Cultivation Method yet, she couldn’t consciously channel much willpower.

However, after a few minutes of concentration, the fire gradually began to change shape.

“If I make it flat instead of spherical, it’ll fly a lot faster, don’t you think?” she remarked.

It now looked more like a disc than a ball. Moreover, it was beginning to spin faster. Esther became absorbed in the fun of manipulating the spell.

“Go!”

At her order, the disc-shaped Fireball shot out with a curved trajectory. It was clearly several times faster than a spherical projectile.

Fwoosh!

It blazed through the air and flew past the top of the target before exploding in midair. She’d missed because the flat shape needed to be aimed differently from the spherical one. Unlike Magic Missile, it required more than simply shooting it in a straight line.

“It was a lot faster, but my aim was off. I’ll need to do a lot more research,” she commented. Even though she’d missed, she was smiling.

After spending years sitting in the same place, just being able to run a single experiment knowing she would be able to improve it made her unfathomably happy. She played around with spells like a child playing with a new toy, using the excuse that she was teaching Leonard. From support magic to offensive magic and even defensive magic, she didn’t rest for even a moment until her mana ran out.

“Shield! This is a basic defensive spell. If you have more Circles, you can use more advanced techniques to make a stronger barrier. A Class 5 mage’s Shield should even be able to withstand a few blows from a Sword Aura. However, the bigger its surface, the weaker Shield becomes to attacks that target one spot.

“Lightning Bolt! This is a Class 3 lightning-type spell. Its firepower is weaker than Fireball, but it’s faster and more accurate, so it also comes in handy. But I’ll admit it’s a little too weak to break through the Aura Armor of External Force Tier knights.

“Haste! Strength! These support spells are—oh, you’re familiar with them? Then let me try Sharpness or Striking.”

Esther jumped with the excitement of becoming a Class 5 mage as she taught him, satisfying Leonard’s thirst for knowledge as well. Within a few hours, she thoroughly taught him dozens—no, hundreds—of spells and provided demonstrations and explanations of their benefits and drawbacks. Now, Leonard could identify the signs when someone was about to cast any spell below Class 5, and he even had some knowledge about Class 5 and higher spells.

The short-distance spatial spell Blink can be used by Class 5 mages, I think. Once a mage knows Blink, not even an External Force Tier martial artist can easily defeat them.

For knights who were below the Seventh Degree External Force Tier, their range of attack was equivalent to the range of their sword energy, and there were almost no knights who could launch long-distance attacks by shaping the energy into a sword itself once it was released outside of the body as Leonard could do with his Five Elements Sword Qi. Most knights used an almost primitive technique that involved emitting sword energy through the force of their swing.

But it’s understandable, considering how difficult it is to control the energy outside of your body in this world.

In murim, even Peak Realm experts could use complicated long-distance techniques such as Wind Fingershot, Wind Fist, and Wind Palm. The basic attacks of sound art experts were already long-distance, and even people who wielded sabers created thin, thread-like sword qis or whatever shape they personally preferred. Their martial arts employed qi in the most cost-effective ways to make up for their low physical abilities, which were far inferior to the residents of this world.

Whenever humans are limited by their physical capabilities, they overcome such obstacles with their wisdom.

Leonard had a hunch that the abundance of energy in this world and its inhabitants’ impressive physiques had slowed the development of technique.

Imagine trying to pour out exactly one cup of water from a full bucket. Not one drop more, not one drop left. If one were dextrous, it could take one try, but if one were clumsy, it could take several.

What if the water had to be poured out of a full-size bathtub, not a bucket? After failing dozens, or maybe hundreds, of times, one would complain that there was no point in the exercise and give up.

I suppose I must be the only one who can even use techniques that rely more on the manipulation of energy than the amount.

Point-Circling Willow required the user to draw a circle to aim for the back of their opponent’s head.

Hidden Palm attacked with no sound and no trace.

Beheading Phantom Sword used threads of sword qi to cut off the opponent’s head.

Leonard had been subject to such countless skills and had even learned some of them. He would be these mages’ worst nightmare.

And if they don’t know anything about concealed arts, they’ll just have to take the hit.

He could think of dozens of martial arts that he could reproduce, or at least imitate, in just an instant. In addition, though concealed arts could be blocked with an energy shield created with mana cultivation, mages had difficulty constantly maintaining a defensive spell.

His thoughts cut off as he looked down at Esther. She was sprawled across the ground in front of him, trying to catch her breath.

“Huff! Huff! Huff! Huff!”

Esther had gotten carried away with the excitement of having become a Class 5 mage and had miscalculated how much mana she had. She didn’t have any useful techniques similar to Breath Circulation, and she didn’t want to use mana stones to recover her energy, just in case they strained her newly created Circle. So, she was letting her mana recover naturally.

Esther was puffing as if she’d just run several miles, but her face was unfalteringly bright. It only took her a few minutes to sit up.

“Phew.

She met his eyes as she said his name. It was the first time she’d uttered it. Her green eyes sparkled like emeralds.

“Thank you for teaching me. I was the one who was supposed to be teaching you, but the opposite happened,” she said.

Anyone could have taught Leonard about the basics of magic, though it might be a little inconvenient. On the other hand, what Leonard taught Esther was far more significant.

They were not equal at all.

Once she recovered from the depletion of her mana and put her thoughts in order, Esther realized she was being shameless. She made a decision.

“I will repay this debt—and with interest. I, Esther, swear this on my mana as a mage.”

“Both of us taught and learned from each other; you were simply lucky. You don’t have to go so—”

“Shut up!” she exclaimed, infuriated by Leonard’s ever-cool face. She took a step forward and brought her face close to his. “If you try to call it even like that, I’ll look like a bitch! I’ve already spent years drowning in guilt, but if you’re going to make me feel indebted on top of that, I can’t even imagine how many decades it’ll take me to recover!”

Leonard realized for the first time that Esther’s lingering thoughts and feelings could cause her to develop a subconscious block that would prevent her from reaching the next stage. If she insisted on repaying him, then it would likely be rude for him to continue to refuse.

He gave her a single nod, causing her to show a confident expression. She headed to the crystal ball installed in her apartment.

“Wait there for a second! I don’t know if he’s free right now, but he usually picks up when I contact him!”

Before Leonard could respond, she placed her hand on the crystal ball and imbued it with her magic energy to make a call. The ashy, opaque orb began to glow brightly.

—What is it?

A blunt voice came from the other side.

“Master, may I borrow a moment of your time?”

—I told you not to contact me over trivial things. I’m busy. I have no time for small talk.

“I became a Class 5 mage. Just now.”

—...

The voice cut off. It took a few seconds before the person spoke again.

—Come up. I’ll open the door for you.

“Yes, sir! I’ll be bringing a guest!”

—What? Who said you could—

Before the person on the other side could say anything else, the line disconnected. The crystal ball grew hazy again, as its energy source was cut off.

Esther turned to Leonard with a fresh smile on her face. “Let’s hurry! We have to get there before my master says anything more!”

“Your master...?”

“Oh, did I never tell you?” Based on his reaction, she knew she hadn’t, but she decided it would be more fun if he went without knowing anything. “Well, you’ll find out who it is once you get there, won’t you? Now, let’s go!”

Esther pulled her robe from its hanger and pulled it back on. She led the way while a confused Leonard followed behind her. As they’d done when they’d first arrived, Esther activated the magic array to open the door, and then they stepped onto the transportation platform. Even though they didn’t designate a destination, it immediately shot up to the highest floor of the Magic Tower—the place where only mages Class 6 and above lived. The platform led them to an area where only the Towermaster and the Elders were allowed to reside.

Creak.

As the platform came to a sudden stop, Esther stumbled forward and let out a squeak. Naturally, Leonard didn’t even react. He grabbed her.

“That bastard! Look at him throwing a fit just because I cut the line!” she complained.

“That was your fault, Esther.”

“Leonard! You too?!” she protested.

Listening to her grumble with one ear, Leonard faced a door that didn’t look much different from the one to Esther’s apartment. It hadn’t even opened yet, but the presence that spilled out from inside made him nervous.

It was the same feeling he’d had when he’d met Fabian and the Fifth Shadow.

Beyond this door is a powerful being in the Transcendence Tier.

—Come in.

As a low voice spoke, the door opened, and they stepped in. The mana inside was so dense that Leonard thought it smelled like fruit that had overripened and rotted. He stayed a step behind Esther as they entered the room.

This place looks bigger than Zephyros Hall.

Even Esther’s apartment had seemed huge to him, but compared to this one, hers seemed small and cozy.

Just how powerful is the mage living here?

It didn’t take long for Leonard to get his answer. They passed through a hall that was at least several hundred meters long and covered in dozens of tightly shut doors.

It’s that man.

There were dozens of books spread out across the desk alone, and hundreds of pages of paper were floating in the air. Each one was filled with extremely advanced magic principles. Those who understood what they were looking at would either go dizzy from the sight or be unable to look away. But Leonard could only wonder what it all was.

Most of all, his attention was drawn to the long-haired man who was sitting behind it all. His eyes were glinting.

“Interesting. My idiot of an apprentice not only became a Class 5 mage but also brought a guest without permission,” he observed.

The man rose. He was wearing thin-rimmed accessories called glasses and brown robes to match his dark brown hair. His face looked like a well-aged nobleman’s. The mage looked back and forth between Esther and Leonard, and then his eyes focused on Leonard.

“I am the Chief Elder of Atlantis’s Magic Tower, Jack Russell. I am starting to wonder what your relationship is with that idiot,” he stated.

“My name is Leonard,” Leonard said. Jack seemed to look at him as if to say “So what?”

Leonard continued, “I am a new member of the Aquamarine expedition team, and I am also the benefactor who raised Esther to Class 5.”

Jack Russell’s arid eyes began to fill with interest.