[You have acquired the Divine Authority ‘Drisella’s Breath of Origin’.]
A strange sensation seeps into every part of my body.
A feeling as if an omnipotent power is dwelling within.
It’s something I’ve felt each time I gained a Divine Authority, but this time, the depth is even greater.
“This is the way it is……”
When a Divine Authority is inscribed into one’s body and soul, one can roughly understand what kind of ability it is and how to use it.
Not with complete certainty, but enough to get a general feel.
Based on that, my guess was correct.
I chose correctly among the three options.
– “How is it? Do you get a feel for what the ability is?“
“Roughly…… Though I’ll have to try using it first, of course.”
“Naturally. Of course you need to experiment. But why are you looking at me?“
Furnel flinches back under Hio’s gaze.
– “Is it me again? Am I the one you need to experiment on?“
Looking at Furnel, who is hugging his own shoulders with both arms, Hio lets out a stifled chuckle.
“No. It doesn’t seem to be that kind of authority.”
It’s not an authority that targets someone.
Breath of Origin.
One must interpret the meaning of ‘origin’.
Origin means the beginning or source of something.
Here, the beginning refers to magic.
After all, it’s the Divine Authority of the God of Magic.
So then, what is the power contained in the word ‘origin’?
I’ll find out soon enough by casting it.
[The Divine Authority ‘Breath of Origin’ is activated.]
The omnipotent power spreads throughout my entire body.
Starting from the tips of my toes, a small storm of magic power.
[The origin of magic dwells within your body.]
The storm of purple magic power soon fills my body and surges up to my head.
Hio’s newly opened eyes are covered in a violet hue.
[You have acquired the ‘Source of Mana’.]
[While the authority is active, you hold dominion over magic power.]
The violet storm of magic power raging within.
The two eyes, covered in a violet radiance, seem to be emitting that light directly.
I stretch one hand toward the empty air and clench my fist.
Crackle-
Responding to that will, a mass of magic power gathers and compresses.
It wasn’t Hio’s magic power, but the magic power in the atmosphere.
Following Hio’s command, a visibly massive amount of it coalesces, distorting the very air.
Holding that, I twirl the staff in my other hand in place.
Then, the magic power on the opposite side begins to rotate in sync.
The meaningfully gathered magic power creates wind, and the gathered wind forms a vortex.
The origin of magic begins with freely manipulating magic power.
Gaining the source of magic power means one can now manipulate only the natural magic power in the atmosphere to create phenomena.
And once the source is acquired, the next stage opens.
[You have acquired ‘Understanding of Mana’.]
[While the authority is active, you possess comprehension of all phenomena caused by magic power.]
A vision in tumult.
The movement of magic power, the information it brings, pours into my mind.
Beyond just seeing the flow of magic power, I begin to understand it.
The immense power hidden within the seemingly simple flow of magic.
Countless colors and infinite possibilities.
I understood all of it.
If understanding is achieved, what naturally follows?
[You have understood ‘Drisella’s Breath’.]
[While the authority is active, you can use ‘Drisella’s Breath’.]
This was the true ability of the Divine Authority ‘Drisella’s Breath of Origin’.
Acquire the source of magic power.
Understand magic power.
Naturally, one learns Drisella’s Breath.
Only when that is also attained does the true authority of the Breath of Origin reveal itself.
“Hoo.”
Each exhaled breath becomes conscious.
‘What is being expelled with the exhale?’
‘What is entering with the inhale?’
I understood what part of magic power is discarded with each breath exhaled in daily life, each small, lightly disregarded sigh.
It was so immense that I felt reluctant to exhale, so I learned to hold onto the magic power and only release the unnecessary parts.
‘And how incredible is the magic power that enters with the next inhale?’
It would be fine to savor it slowly, but there seems to be no reason not to embrace this magic power, overflowing with diverse colors, all at once.
So, with a joyful heart, I take a deep breath, and the beautifully colored magic power is sucked in endlessly through my nose and mouth.
The abundant magic power fills my entire body, feeling like it might burst.
Overflowing omnipotence.
Infinity.
A feeling that I could do anything infinitely…… somehow, a slightly familiar feeling.
-“Wha, what is all this?!“
Of course, I also knew the phenomena that would result from this.
Because I had understood it from the very beginning.
-“Th, the magic power……!“
The magic power must be raging uncontrollably.
All magic power moves with Hio at its center.
Since it’s absorbing all nearby magic power, winds blow, and anyone who can sense magic power would be unable to hold back their astonishment at the overwhelming flow.
Just like Hio when he first met Kreutzvalt.
The Divine Authority Drisella’s Breath of Origin was truly the authority of the God of Magic.
An authority that allows one to manipulate atmospheric magic power as if it were one’s own, grants comprehension of everything arising from magic power, and through that, allows one to ‘breathe’.
The duration one could maintain it was just over five minutes.
If the level of body and soul increased further, the duration would also increase, but currently, five minutes was the limit.
That amount of time was sufficient to verify the effects.
Yet, it felt insufficient, likely due to the sense of exhaustion that would follow once the duration ended.
The omnipotent source of magic power disappears from my body, and the violet radiance fades.
The mind and vision that had opened up as if I could understand everything returned to the ordinary perspective of a 7th Circle Magician who had gained some insight.
The recoil from the breathing brought physical recoil as well.
In terms of aftereffects, it was several times more severe than the Divine Authority ‘Perseverance of Splendor’.
– “Are you alright? Is something wrong with your body?“
Furnel flies over, looking at Hio with concern as he slumps down on the spot.
Staring blankly at him, I suddenly realize something.
“Ah, I should have done magic experiments.”
While under the effect of Drisella’s Breath of Origin, one can instantly comprehend all magical phenomena.
‘What does that mean?’
It means that as long as the Circle Inscription is prepared, one can learn all 6th and 7th Circle magic spells they haven’t yet mastered.
There’s no need to struggle with grimoires.
Just by roughly attempting to unfold it once, I would immediately know what the problem is and how to correct it.
That’s what the Understanding of Mana ability was.
“Even now……”
As Hio tries to get up to activate the authority again, he wobbles and slumps back down.
His head was spinning.
I thought there would be nothing to exhaust my mind this much after awakening my Ideation, but apparently, an authority based on comprehension was indeed burdensome.
– “Don’t push yourself. What’s the hurry? You can do it again tomorrow.“
“……Right. This one really is unavoidable.”
I intended to try if possible, but attempting it twice was clearly too much, so Hio had no choice but to give up quickly.
“Starting tomorrow…… it’s going to be insanely busy.”
The magic learning utilizing the Breath of Origin began in earnest the next day.
***
The ability to comprehend everything related to magical phenomena is a terrifying power.
[Earth Attribute Magic – Successful manifestation of ‘Earth Bound Shackle’.]
[Earth Attribute Magic ‘Earth Bound Shackle’ is registered as a skill.]
I learned the magic ‘Earth Bound Shackle’, which drags the enemy into the ground and seals them under the immense weight of the earth.
[Flame Attribute Magic – Successful manifestation of ‘Immortal Flame’.]
[Flame Attribute Magic – ‘Immortal Flame’ is registered as a skill.]
I also learned ‘Immortal Flame’, which cloaks the body in flames, burns away all impure energy, and increases vitality.
[Celestial Magic – Successful manifestation of ‘Celestial Shield’.]
[Celestial Magic – ‘Celestial Shield’ is registered as a skill.]
‘The Celestial Shield’, which provides immense resistance to magic-based attacks with a barrier of the heavens, and…
[Chronomancy – Successful manifestation of ‘Temporal Rift’.]
[Chronomancy – ‘Temporal Rift’ is registered as a skill.]
…I was even able to learn ‘Temporal Rift’, one of the Chronomancy spells, which completely freezes the time around a target.
Considering it took two weeks to learn the first Chronomancy, ‘Manipulation’, this speed could be called miraculous.
As expected, it was the power of the Divine Authority, Drisella’s Breath of Origin.
The most encouraging thing was learning two Chronomancy spells.
Manipulation, which controls time to be slower or faster.
Temporal Rift, which completely freezes the time around a single target, excluding them from combat.
The problem, if any, is that the magic power required to maintain Temporal Rift is even greater than that for Manipulation.
Temporal Rift, with its horrific efficiency that consumes 30% of total magic power for a brief casting, is even more terrible than Manipulation.
However, I found a way to temporarily overcome that seemingly absurd drawback.
Again, a method using the authority.
When I activate Drisella’s Breath of Origin, doesn’t it allow me to use Drisella’s Breathing Technique?
For that moment, it could be called infinite magic power.
Because I can freely manipulate not only my own magic power but also the magic power in the atmosphere.
It’s similar to…… that time when I fought alongside Nkingki long ago.
A feeling similar to when I was in a state of no-self, wildly casting infinite magic.
‘Come to think of it……
No wonder Drisella’s Breathing Technique felt familiar.
It was because of Nkingki.
The Death God who, regardless of whether it was magic power or anything else, converted anything in the form of ki into magic power and stamina and delivered it to Hio.
Hmm.
Perhaps Nkingki’s perspective when looking at energy was not dissimilar to Hio’s perspective when looking at magic power while wielding the authority.
That’s why he could handle such vast energy, even converting it, and bestow it upon Hio, wasn’t it?
“Right.”
Nkingki might have been an even more incredible existence than Hio thought.
“Shall I summon him after so long to ask……”
I had completely forgotten about Nkingki.
‘To be honest, I thought of him from time to time, but I was just too busy, wasn’t I?’
Because of the risk of all skills being sealed, I couldn’t afford to pay him attention.
It’s been so long since the last summoning, he’s definitely going to be full of resentment.
“It can’t be helped. I’ll just have to temporarily seal my skills until the next raid and only do magic research with Nkingki.”
Since I planned to hole up in the Tower of Mages and only do magic research anyway, it should be fine.
Muttering to myself, I activate the skill.
[Skill ‘Death God Summon’ is activated.]
How he would appear was obvious.
He would press his scythe against my neck with a scary face.
A scythe that doesn’t even hurt when it touches.
Still, if I apologize and soothe him a little, he would quickly transform into his baby Nkingki form and sniffle.
Then I should treat him better from now on.
That’s what I thought.
But.
[Skill use has been canceled.]
It seems it was already too late.
[No summonable target exists.]