Chapter 55

Episode 55: The Wizard’s Way of Survival (6)

Upon leaving the head’s office, Kang Min-hyuk met an unexpected person. It was the red-haired wizard, Elisha.

“Follow me. I have something to say.”

She was an abrupt person. Arriving in a secluded place out of reach of people, she asked straightforward questions.

“How did you do it?”

“What are you talking about?”

“How could you defeat the Werewolves with only one sword? I’ve never seen such a technique in my life. The heterogeneous wave in your sword…was that what stimulated the Werewolves? Aren’t you afraid? There were so many Werewolves running; did you think you could stop them with your own strength?”

She spoke like a quick-spitting fire. Elisha was not generally interested in worldly affairs, but this time was an exception.

Kang Min-hyuk’s activity’s true nature couldn’t be fully understood through CCTV footage or Harry Wilson’s story. Harry Wilson was a 3rd circle wizard and knew less than her, so she didn’t know the extent of Klinssman’s power.

“Klinssman is a monster.”

She’d said during the battle. Elisha truly admired Kang Min-hyuk’s tenacity. The mana waves that focused the monsters’ attention were also different, but she couldn’t help but admire the work of Kang Min-hyuk, who endured through such a dangerous situation. And even though he didn’t use the ‘golem suit,’ his physical ability exceeded human limits. It seems to be the effect created by using mana, but Elisha couldn’t grasp the principle because it was the first time she had experienced it.

So, she sought out Kang Min-hyuk, filled with curiosity, needing to know the truth of the matter.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I have any obligation to explain it.”

“…Hmm. Was I too rude? Well, it’s your choice.”

Then, she suggested a different method.

“I’m not going to ask you to explain all of your skills, but can you just roughly explain how that is possible? I wouldn’t say I like curiosity. If you have any questions about me, I’ll gladly answer them.”

“Okay…”

Kang Min-hyuk looked at Elisha’s face, and she burst out laughing. He’d been great in battle, but he came across as a much simpler character than she’d expected.

‘This is a cost-effective transaction.’

He had just one question.

“The way you defeated the Werewolf with third circle magic…if you explain that, I’ll tell you a little about the principles of the technology I use. If you don’t like it, you don’t have a deal. What do you think?”

As Elisha admired Kang Min-hyuk, Kang Min-hyuk also admired Elisha.

Kang Min-hyuk couldn’t figure out how she had subdued the Werewolf with the third Circle magic fire burst. A B-class Werewolf’s outer shell couldn’t be penetrated, but the Werewolf, swept away by an explosion, crumpled to the floor with fire inside. It was impressive. That’s why Elisha’s existence remained vivid in his mind, but she came and offered Kang Min-hyuk a deal.

Elisha’s expression distorted. She, who was worried about Kang Min-hyuk’s request, said nervously.

“Do you know what that means?”

“I don’t know. It may be an important skill for you, but we’re sharing here; it’s no different for you than it is for me.”

Elisha fell into contemplation. It was her secret of prominence. She was reluctant to share techniques handed down as a one-man tradition, but the new world’s knowledge stimulated Elisha’s curiosity. As a sorcerer whose obsessive greed for knowledge would spawn development, she couldn’t look past the opportunity.

“Okay…it’s a deal.”

* * *

Kang Min-hyuk moved his seat closer to listen. Elisha, who had summoned an experimental monster at the magic training ground, explained what had happened.

“For the skills I used, I need prerequisites. When you accumulate mana on a circle through mana meditation, you need to create another circle formed only with fire properties. This is not just for the division of circles, but you can think of it as storage of fire mana required when using fire-based magic. I’ll explain how to do that first.”

It was a very peculiar theory. In accumulating mana, the fire attribute was separated, but this was an extremely dangerous method.

The nature of the flame symbolizes ruin. It is the most powerful energy among the elements, and if it is incorrectly separated, an explosion may occur within the body of the wizard. However, according to Elisha’s explanation, it was possible to separate the fire attribute without risk. Min-hyuk opened his mind to new knowledge.

“If you form a circle formed from fire properties alone, you can distribute it appropriately. You can spread fire mana like a fine powder so that the opponent inhales it. If you use fire magic on that target, the mana absorbed by the body is inflamed. It’s a fairly unconventional skill, so it’s a way to deal damage regardless of how tough the skin maybe, but if your opponent is good at dealing with mana, it’s actually a very simple means of defense. If you raise mana internally, the fire mana will quickly disappear.”

When the monster inhaled fire mana and used magic, the situation that occurred on the battlefield was reproduced.

“Simple, isn’t it?”

The formation of a single fire circle was secret, arcane knowledge, but Elisha found that she didn’t care much. The magic of prominence was recognized as a one-man tradition thanks to various techniques based on a circle of fire. Since forming a circle of these specific attributes wouldn’t have much effect, Elisha accepted the deal.

It wasn’t as though these techniques hadn’t been attempted in Kang Min-hyuk’s world, but every time it was put to the test, the wizard in question inevitably perished. It was a mutually prosperous exchange of knowledge. If you use the fire circle, the power of fire magic is increased, and you have acquired a skill that can be used discreetly. At first, Elisha’s attitude was rude, but she showed a fairly good trading attitude.

Kang Min-hyuk said, “I’ll tell you about Guardian Swordsmanship, and I’ll explain how I showed Superhuman physical abilities. There is a place called Danjeon in the human body. When mana accumulates biologically in the same way as in mana meditation, it strengthens the physique by sending mana to the danjeon instead of the circle. In this way, I’ve become somewhat superior to the average human.”

There was no reason to hesitate to explain. The information essentially formed the foundations of fortified civilization. The information as a stand-alone aspect was useless; knowledge alone was not enough to bring the skill to fruition. The tremendously important information was the system of psychic law.

Kang Min-hyuk’s omissions did not cause any pangs of guilt – he was certain that Elisha hadn’t shared the full details of her method with him – they had both stuck to a polite minimum and divulged the kind of information that wouldn’t cause too much trouble. There was no reason to confide in the especially important stuff. However, Elisha’s reaction was intense:

“Oh, my God! Is that even possible?! How did you come up with that? Are you an actual genius or what?”

There was one fact that Kang Min-hyuk had overlooked. This world – which was entirely new and surprising to him – still had aspects that filled intelligent, curious minds with intrigue and wonder. Parts of this world were new to Elisha.

* * *

His daily life regained stability. The gate’s aftermath was cleared up, and the students returned to their positions and attended their classes again. It felt weird to them to return so quickly, memories still burnt fresh at the forefront of their minds, to life so deliberate and scheduled.

In Kang Min-hyuk’s world, the students were children who couldn’t yet enter the ‘Hunter Academy.’ However, Klinssman’s classmates’ aptitude in the face of peril expressed a rift of difference between the two dimensions. Is it because the weight of the years they’d lived through had been different? Unlike the wizards of Min-hyuk’s reality, who trembled during practical classes, Klinssman’s peers seemed more familiar with life and death.

Kang Min-hyuk watched CCTV footage from other areas to find that everybody could handle themselves in close combat. As in the C-1 area, some Werewolves had crossed the wall, and senior wizards overwhelmed them at once. They weren’t embarrassed when a Werewolf ran in front of their noses – they responded calmly, avoiding the opponent’s attack with a moving cast. In such a process, several techniques that Kang Min-hyuk did not know were used.

The possibilities of Kang Min-hyuk’s imagination seemed to have already been realized in this world.

“Today’s class…

The professor’s voice crept into his ears as though speaking from a distance.

Because it was a class with no reason to listen intently, Kang Min-hyuk looked down and saw a book called ‘The History of Gigantic’ on the desk.

[The first known invention of the Gigantic was Aleksei Remizov, who was of Russian descent. He, who lost his country due to monsters’ appearance, devoted his life to researching Gigantes solely to kill monsters. The Gigante thus produced became a tool for comparing current forces. A society that is recognized for its power was formed according to the powers Gigantes and Archmages possessed…The method of making Gigantes is treated as a deep secret. Gigante’s power varies greatly depending on mana stones’ arrangement, the kind of minerals, and the magic circle engraved on the surface, so the more advanced crafting technology, the higher its value.]

Gigante – the essence of magical civilization – had shocked Min-hyuk. It was treated as an advanced technology even in this world, which had made considerable progress. It was known that the general population did not have the skills to produce it, so it is not possible to dare, and the power of the royal magic academy has about 2-3 units. It is not known exactly how many Gigantes dwell there. What they did know, though, was that its power was real.

‘There is no way I can figure out how to make Gigantes on my own. Since I am only a freshman, there is no way that each organization will share such confidential information with me. Let’s stop thinking about Gigante. If it’s not something that Klinss wishes to tell me, it’s too much for me to take in right now.” n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

He gave his head a shake and organized his thoughts. From then on, the daily repetition continued. He went to the academy to learn Klinssman’s knowledge, and when he returned to the lodge, he recorded the knowledge to teach Klinssman. But one more thing was added to that schedule.

‘Let’s write about what I’ve been through.’

Many incidents and accidents took place around Kang Min-hyuk. He didn’t know the state of Klinssman’s soul, but he had to write about what he had experienced to be prepared for anything. If Klinssman’s soul went somewhere else while Kang Min-hyuk borrowed his body, or if he slept soundly in a pocket of his unconscious mind, wouldn’t a little update help him to adapt to his changing circumstances? So, he started recording his day-to-day life.

[A green dragon situation occurs during class… … .]

Kang Min-hyuk began to write

Those crazy days passed, and a few days later…

It was finally the day he’d made an appointment with Avid.