Descent of the Legendary Archmage - Chapter 3

After Soonchan went back.

I was left alone in the room, blankly staring at the mysterious book.

‘What could this be?’

Ray Vell Bytenor.

The prank of someone who hated me alot.

… That was what I had thought this book was

‘Soonchan wasn’t able to open this book.’

At first, I had suspicions that magic was being used to only allow me to open it.

And lock magic is quite common.

It didn’t take my identification or anything like that, but I thought it was a possibility.

I searched for any magic that could’ve been used on the book.

However.

‘You’re telling me there’s no magic cast on this…”

There was absolutely no magic detectable in the book.

And it’s not like I was the only one who checked it.

Soonchan also checked a few times as well.

Nevertheless, I couldn’t detect even a single drop of mana on the book.

“Though if you use telepathic magic, and use it just once, it’s easy to leave no trace…”

It was impossible to completely conceal a lock spell. Continuously concealing the spell even till now?

It was absolutely impossible.

It was against the very principles of modern magic.

Though there was a one in a ten thousand possibility that someone managed to create such magic.

“Okay. Well, there’s no way that happened.”

This kind of ground-breaking and sensational magic was developed by some idiot who didn’t like me much?

There was not even the slightest chance that happened.

From the moment I realized that there was undetectable magic embedded in this book, I knew that it probably wasn’t someone’s prank.

“So this is actually the handwriting of Ray Vell Bytenor?”

When I think about it with a cool head, the chances aren’t great.

The probability that was previously 0.001% had only increased to about 1%.

“… Let’s check it out. ”

However, that 1% was important.

For an academic of magic, 1% is a sufficiently probable figure and should not be ignored.

The only problem is the method of verifying it.

“There’s just too much risk to experiment with it.”

Destroy your mana circles and circulate the mana around your brain.

If I do as is said in this text, not only would my life as a magician be certainly over, but I would also become brain dead and my life would end as well.

I couldn’t risk my life for the low possibility of 1%.

“Then for now I’ll just try to increase my chances.”

Seizing an opportunity that has come is not luck.

Thorough calculations and thorough analysis.

Return calculations based on risk.

Only after thinking about all that and acting methodically can you grasp the opportunity within your hands.

“I’ll start with a basic check. ”

I left the room immediately.

———-

The place I was headed to was the staff room.

I was pretty sure that the person on today’s watch was class 1’s home room teacher, instructor Ko Changsoo.

He should definitely be here.

“Student Shin Hayul. What brings you here?”

Found him.

Seeing as how he wasn’t at his post, I thought that perhaps he’d gone outside, but it seems that he’d just gone for some coffee.

“If it’s about the practical today…”

“Instructor.”

“What is it?”

Instructor Ko Changsoo.

One of the top three most famous people at this school.

An actual specialised mage who remained active in the field until he was 50 years old, and a teacher who was remarkable enough to be requested to lecture in the U.S.

“Would you be able to check over this book for me?”

I handed him the book [Ray Vell Bytenor].

Though neither Soonchan nor I was able to detect any magic from this book, if there was indeed any magic present, Instructor Ko Changsoo would be able to tell.

“Hmm. I can tell it’s an expensive book just from a glance.”

Ko Changsoo received the book from me.

“Is it in an ancient language? It’s not that I don’t use this writing system, but even still it’s too hard for me to read.”

It seems that the ancient language on the cover is difficult for the instructor to read.

Though that’s to be expected.

The instructor was, in the end, a mage who focused on modern magic.

If you’re not an archaeologist and have no need to practice the magic of the past, then there’s no reason to master the ancient language.

Even if by chance, you’ve become proficient with it, you probably won’t be at the stage of deciphering such poor handwriting.

“Indeed. What did you say was in this book? ”

“If you don’t mind, could you try opening it?”

“Opening it?”

The instructor briefly narrowed his eyes a little before opening the book with a look that said, “Well I suppose it’ll be fine.”

“… Hmm?”

I should say that he attempted to open the book.

“Did you glue every page together?”

It was the same as before.

It was exactly the same situation as when Soonchan tried to open the book.

Ba-bump!

My heartbeat started to accelerate.

‘What is this emotion?’

‘Is it joy or a sense of exaltation?’

Anyway, it was clear that this emotion stemmed from my hopes.

I calmed my heart that was vigorously shaking, tried to adopt a cool head and said.

“Maybe the book isn’t unfolding because of a magic seal… Could that be it? ”

“Seal?”

Ko Changsoo frowned at me as if he were asking me what on earth I was talking about.

“Uhm. It’s nothing much. It’s just that between friends there were some strange rumors surrounding this book. I said that such rumors didn’t exist but…”

“Ugh. It’s like some school ghost story.”

“Yes. I thought it would be best if I were to get Instructor Ko Changsoo’s assurance to put an end to the suspicions.”

Instructor Ko Changsoo looked over the book with meaningful eyes.

“Okay, I get it. It’s not good for academics to be uselessly interested in ghost stories.”

As expected.

I thought that if I said this to Ko Changsoo, he would do as I asked.

“Please be quiet for a moment. I’m going to concentrate.”

“Yes.”

The instructor closed his eyes and put his right hand on the book.

A magic circle was drawn under the instructor’s palm. A special magic circle that looked like a modified version of a pentagram.

Probably Ko Changsoo’s very own vision magic.

The instructor focused on the magic circle for a long time.

And about a minute goes by.

Finally, I could hear the answer.

“It’s just some nonsense. I can assure you that no magic measures were used on this book. ”

“… Thank you very much.”

This was the answer that I had aggressively hoped for in my mind.

———

After thanking the instructor and leaving the office, I immediately headed for the library.

My objective was to do research on Ray Vell Bytenor.

The information on him was all pretty decent.

I collected every single piece of information that I thought was unusual.

From his hobbies to the food he liked to his personality.

There was a lot of information about him in the library.

I assimilated all the information as if I was possessed by something.

And finally after some time I succeeded in getting information that could be a hint.

[Ray Vell Bytenor’s magic is said to have shattered the sky, caused thunderous rain and transcended space and time.]

A thesis written in 2029, 20 years ago.

This was a thesis that analysed Ray Vell Bytenor’s myth from the perspective of the modern study of magic.

[But, as most myths are, this can be assumed to be fictional.]

[The limits of the magic of the past are clear. It’s impossible to display this sort of ability with that magic system.]

The old-fashioned magic that had died out 100 years ago had clear limitations.

This was because dealing with each stage of the 8-stage magic individually was too much for a human to handle.

The human brain couldn’t do 8 things perfectly at the same time.

Some geniuses were able to do it, but even still the limits were clear.

[There are some records that only Ray Vell Bytenor used a different magic system, but this is probably fiction as well.]

[If there had been such magic, there would have been no reason for it not to have been passed on.]

After reading up until that point, I quickly took out another book.

“Next…”

I was pretty sure that I had seen it in this book.

Thesis on brain science.

Found it.

[Mana is a very special substance. When it comes into contact with the human brain, the brain is overloaded and it results in a loss of brain function.]

[Though there are rare occasions of patients avoiding brain-death, these people end up becoming lunatics due to the destruction of their personality.]

[It’s quite unfortunate. Especially since if we are able to invoke the central nervous system, that is the brain, using magic, then modern magic would be able to be advanced by an additional level.]

My heart had been racing for some time now.

My breathing became ragged, and I started to smile.

It felt like every piece of evidence was screaming at me, saying that this book was genuine.

Though humans were said to only accept what they want to hear as fact, and disregard everything else.

I was starting to think that maybe this is what I was experiencing.

If that’s the case, perhaps linking what the doctor said on the day of the artificial intelligence awarding ceremony to this situation was in itself a form of self justification.

“Student Shin Hayul’s brain completely rejects all outside interference. Therefore, it’s impossible for him to acquire artificial intelligence. ”

That day when the sky seemed to have fallen.

The doctor said that my brain had a peculiar property of completely rejecting all outside interference.

If this peculiar property was actually the ‘exceptional brain’ written in the autobiography, then maybe my brain was completely immune to the poison called mana.

Perhaps the book was stating the truth in saying that I was the only one who was able to learn his magic.

My mouth was really dry.

My heart was also pulsating fiercely.

The trembling of joy combined with the trembling of fear.

The two conflicting emotions seemed to fuel my heart.

To be honest, I was scared.

There was no guarantee that what was written in this book was true.

No matter how much I investigated, the probability of success was just slightly over 10%.

The chance of it being fictional was overwhelmingly high. What’s worse is that it risked my magic circle as well as my life.

10% was too low of a chance to risk my life.

“Death…”

When I thought of death, my hands and feet started to tremble slightly.

Was my trembling an indication of my lack of courage?

If it had been someone else, would they have grabbed this opportunity without hesitation?

I closed my eyes and sat in a comfortable position. Life is the C(choice) between B(Birth) and D(Death).

I think it was Jean-Paul Sartre who said that.

Because there are an unfathomable number of choices between life and death, you mustn’t miss that opportunity.

That’s the sort of thing it meant.

I was at the diverging road of my life’s biggest decision.

If you think about it with a cool-head, it’s best to just forget about it.

Because I couldn’t risk my life for a probability that low.

However.

[Then you will be able to become the best archmage in the world.]

I couldn’t quit now, because that sentence refused to leave my head.

Would I ever be satisfied with my normal life if I backed out here?

If I were to cast away this golden opportunity I couldn’t have even dreamed of, all in the name of fear, would I be able silently trudge along like I did up till now, knowing what I could’ve been?

“No way.”

That’s impossible.

My will would shatter just how my dreams had been.

To back out here would be the same as denying my very existence.

“Whew.”

I took a deep breath and opened my eyes.

In truth, my decision was fixed from the start.

“10%.”

It was enough of a probability to risk my already ruined life.

I got up from my seat.

“He who does not challenge can not gain anything.”

With that saying in mind.

I headed for my room.

————

That night.

I sat down in the center of the room and focused.

Tonight, I was going to destroy the mana circle in my heart.

“Taking one step back for the sake of two steps forward.”

Whilst continuing these thoughts, I focused my mana on the three circles that were coiled up in my heart.

I was very knowledgeable on the procedure of destroying mana circles.

How could I not be, when my family tried to persuade me into destroying them, sending me medicine and detailed instructions on how to do so.

I smiled bitterly and looked at the pill in my hand.

The fruits of disappointment that my father had sent me.

I cried all day when this arrived.

It was a bitter memory.

“I had no idea I was ever going to eat this.”

I held the pill in my hand and took a couple of deep breaths.

I’d already prepared my mind.

It was too late to show any hesitation now.

I immediately put the pill in my mouth.

Ba-bump!

My heart beat loudly.

It pulsated 2 to 3 times per second.

“Hmph!”

It hurt.

The three circles surrounding my heart started to push down on it.

The circuit through which my mana flowed was also trembling.

The heretical molecules that had been absorbed into my body were completely destroying its mana structure.

“… Ah.”

It hurt.

It hurt as if it wasn’t my heart that was torn to shreds but my mind.

A sense of despondency, as if my 18 years of life were coming to an end.

It felt like tears were unconsciously going to start flowing out of my eyes.

Gnaw.

I chewed on my lips.

Now was not the time to cry.

I could cry tears of joy later, and that’d be enough crying.

Wham! Wham! Wham!

Whilst the heart pain slowly started to stop, the three mana circles had completely lost their structure and were being reverted back to mana.

As a mage, Shin Hayul was as good as dead.

For now.

Yes. Right now, he was as good as dead.

“I’m going to start right away.”

I immediately circulated the mana.

Even without the circle, mana can still be circulated.

Following my will, the remains of my destroyed mana circles were circulated around my whole body.

Around my toes, to the end of my fingertips, and by riding up my spine, it entered my central nervous system.

The brain.

Circulating mana in the central nervous system was regarded by mages as an unconditional taboo.

I broke that taboo and circulated my mana around my brain.

I gritted my teeth and prepared for the impact.

The fear of becoming brain dead dominated the thoughts in my head.

“… What?”

However.

What I felt was not pain, but refreshment.

“Hehehe.”

Could I be hearing things?

It felt like I was hearing laughter.

I could hear the innocent laughter of children one after another.

The refreshment I felt was like being in the middle of a forest in midsummer, floating atop of a cool river.

It felt good.

I felt like even the slightest feelings of worry I had in my head were being washed away.

And in that moment, unknowingly tears started to flow down my face.

A continuous stream of tears.

Were these tears of relief?

“No.”

They were a little different.

My survival was no different than a testament to Ray Vell Bytenor’s biography, proof that its contents were actually true.

When I realised that, without me knowing, tears of joy started to flow down my face.

I opened the book titled [Ray Vell Bytenor], which I had left in such a state.

There had definitely been a gap of blank pages starting from the middle of page three.

But now they were filled to the brim with familiar, poor handwriting.

[Congratulations. My successor. No, I suppose I should start calling you this from now on.]

Could it be an illusion?

“Congrats.”

It felt as if even the mana that had completely filled my head were congratulating me.

[My disciple.]

It was at that moment, that my time, which had been stopped, started to flow again.