The space that was once a dungeon recognized Rayrn as its master.
That was a fact he only learned while reading and understanding several books.
“This is a space made with real effort.
How the hell was this made?”
–He altered the very nature of Mana.
“Then that must be the ultimate state this place envisions.”
It was basic that meals would appear when the time came.
Many things were provided according to Rayrn’s needs, beginning with training tools and even magic books.
There was no need to search frantically.
Rayrn could make similar things.
All he had to do was hire craftsmen and apply recognition magic to each item.
He’d have to cast preservation magic on the food.
But.
*’At best, it’d last a few decades.
This is beyond imagination.’*
Making magic work for several hundred years, perhaps even longer, like this space, was impossible.
‘If I crammed Magic Stones into the Jinbeop, maybe, but that’s just not cost-effective.’
It wasn’t impossible.
If, as the spirit said, he changed the Mana of the space itself, it would be possible.
Rayrn took a hint from that.
“So it’s not just about fine-tuning magic—it’s about changing magic itself.”
This place wasn’t limited to calculating and linking magic according to spells.
It went deeper than that.
The core lesson from this dungeon’s memories was to use the very essence of magic and transform magic for the desired purpose.
“Let’s see. Fire!”
whoosh
He conjured flames, and the dancing fire obeyed his will.
whoosh
It took the shape of a dragon, then changed into a phoenix-like form, and even swelled up like a Fire Spirit, becoming enormous.
It looked like it would require a huge amount of Mana, but in reality, it didn’t.
He used only a very small amount of Mana.
“As expected…
Starting with attribute control is the key.
Fire is the easiest.”
-It’s probably because you made a contract with me.
“Maybe.”
Rayrn simply used the surrounding Mana to increase the size and wield the magic itself.
‘It’s similar to a kind of superpower… but it’s not innate; it requires a deep understanding of the attribute.’
His magic deepened.
There was no need to say it had become more refined.
It wasn’t just about mixing Jinbeop with magic anymore.
He could now coexist the two, or even merge them to create completely new magic.
What was once fusing magic and Jinbeop had now become a way to use already fused magic.
Just by applying the memories and books gained from this space, the level of his magic itself had advanced.
crackle
As if responding to his will, the flames Rayrn created endlessly spiraled around his body.
It seemed to have a Life Force, as if a Fire Spirit had been created.
-That looks delicious.
“Don’t be greedy for no reason.”
-Hmm… I’ll hold off for now.
The flames were so high-level that even the Fire Spirit coveted them.
They were far beyond a simple fire-class spell.
“How far did the one who made this go?”
-*He probably surpassed average human levels.
He might have even broken the mold.*
If Rayrn used Jinbeop and Mugong in magic, the one who made this place mixed the magic of this world with that of another.
In other words, he reached the extreme with magic alone.
“Mold…”
In the Central Plains, there is a story that those who reach the extreme of Mugong become immortals.
That’s breaking the mold as a human.
There were quite a few such beings in this world.
Just look at the Fire Spirit right in front of him, flickering and trying to eat the flames.
–I was in a similar state before.
“Then what were you before you were a spirit?”
-*That’s a secret.
‘Heh, want to know?’
The price is quite high.*
“No thanks.
I can see it clearly anyway.”
He wasn’t a spirit from the beginning.
Before being a spirit, he was something else.
When he first learned that fact,
‘It felt like common sense about spirits itself was shattered.’
Rayrn was quite surprised too.
Now that he’d adapted, he was instead investigating the Fire Spirit.
He didn’t say anything to the Fire Spirit, but once this investigation was over, his understanding of the Fire Spirit would increase considerably.
‘I’ve only got more homework.’
He had to understand the power of the one who created this space.
He had to manifest the things that guarded this place.
He had to investigate the spirit and raise his understanding.
And.
‘This isn’t the only place; there are others.’
He intended to find several other spaces connected to these memories.
‘Since he could gain new powers he never had before, wouldn’t it be a shame to miss out?’
He had to obtain them before they fell into someone else’s hands.
If someone else got them, that person would become a very strong powerhouse, and Rayrn wasn’t soft enough to be happy about doing someone else a favor.
If he gained unexpected powers, his understanding would deepen.
And then.
“My guess is that the person who made this place also created the last, fifth Magic Tower.”
–In human terms, is that something like ‘under’?
“You know it well.
That’s the most suspicious one.
In fact, the other Magic Towers might have been built that way too.
Isn’t that pretty interesting?”
-*Not really.
I just need to gain more power.*
“Then you’ll gain power along the way, right?”
-Hmm…
“Enough.
I’ll handle it myself.”
With stronger power, he would be able to achieve what he wanted more easily.
‘Judging by his actions, he seems to know something.’
From what the Fire Spirit was doing, it seemed to know something.
But on this matter, even without asking for a price, it kept its mouth firmly shut.
‘It’d be no fun if someone told me.’
Rayrn didn’t bother trying to force its mouth open.
Instead.
“Since I’ve gotten everything I need here, shall I head out soon?”
-*That’s what I hoped.
I want to see my clones in that steel mill you mentioned.*
“…So they were clones.”
He was thinking of returning to the place where he once was.
He sealed the dungeon space itself with Jinbeop.
‘But I made sure to input the coordinates properly.’
He only hid the external entrance.
He input the coordinates so he could return anytime, and created his own gap.
“Take this.
This can stay for now.”
He stored the necessary magic books in a subspace he had prepared.
Now that this space recognized him as its master, it would welcome Rayrn whenever he came.
With that, the preparations ended in an instant.
It was remarkably short for preparing to leave a place he had spent quite a long time in.
“Anyway, sorry to the guy who made this.”
-For what?
“The owner of this place said to show the strength of magic.”
This was a space created by someone who mixed the magic of this world and the other world.
All he wanted was magic!
He had reached the end with magic and might now have surpassed human limits.
What the one who desired strength ultimately wanted was to prove the power of magic.
But Rayrn,
“I’m thinking of using Mugong, not just magic.”
-The one who made this probably didn’t expect that.
“Probably.
Well… Still, if I develop it further, he won’t complain.”
-That might be too much of your own way of thinking.
“Come on, what can I do? It ended up in my hands, so I’ll just use it my way. Heh heh.”
Doing a pseudo-rationalization, he raised his Mana.
The raised Mana imbued the flames still flickering around his body.
whoosh
The size and density of the flames grew instantly.
The flames became so massive that even the spirit coveted them.
‘Perfect!’
The new power added depth to his strength.
“Let’s go.”
CRASH
The moment he kicked off, the flames that had been moving around his entire body settled beneath his feet.
whoosh
As if giving him propulsion, the blazing fire—
“Oh…”
Every time Rayrn’s foot moved, it added speed.
‘As expected, this is fun.’
A new application of fire magic.
“Then… let’s add one more.
Wind!”
whoosh
The moment he added wind to the fire, his speed became even faster.
‘This is better than mixing Haste into a jump!’
Several times faster.
The speed increased even more.
“Whoa.”
This was with just applying a fraction of the enlightenment contained within the newly gained magic.
What would happen if he understood it all?
-You’ve become a monster on top of a monster.
It was impossible to know.
Rayrn, who would prove it, just kept flying southward without rest.
Every path he took became his training ground.
*’I have to grasp the essence of magic. Then my understanding will deepen.’*
He needed to understand magic to the point where it looked like an innate superpower.
Only then could he control magic itself and change its attributes, like the dungeon’s master.
” Hmm.”
Rayrn kept thinking even as he flew toward Machinery Castle.
Then suddenly, a thought struck him.
“To get to the essence, isn’t it just about getting friendly with it?”
-What do you mean?
“Just watch.
Fire!”
whoosh
Rayrn called the fire that had been riding under his feet into his hands.
Then.
“Wind. Water.”
He summoned wind and water.
-What are you trying to do?
“Huff.”
Instead of answering, Rayrn tried to understand the essence of magic.
‘If Mugong is about understanding and integrating the mind and body… magic can go the same way.’
To understand magic, isn’t the start treating it like your own body?
“…First, fire.”
whoosh
The thick flames obeyed Rayrn’s will.
The flames that seeped into his body did not harm him.
Instead, they merged like they were assimilating with his body temperature.
“Next, wind and water together…”
Then water into his bloodstream.
Wind seeped in like a force that helps the blood flow and moves it.
“…Done.”
It was only a moment, but Rayrn’s mental energy consumption was considerable.
In an instant, three attributes seeped into his power.
He could feel the heat, the flow of blood, and the Life Force of the water within it moving beneath his body.
Three magics coursed through his body.
The moment Rayrn willed it, the magic would rise through his body and move.
The flames would grow huge.
Water would add Life Force.
Wind would add vitality.
Even just having the power imbued in him would strengthen him.
At this very moment, the magic was in constant motion within him, endlessly reinforcing itself!
For something created from a fleeting thought, it produced an enormous result.
Only the outward appearance remained unchanged.
-*You really have become a monster. Hah… Even a spirit can’t handle this many at once.*
“That’s the limitation, I guess. The limitation of a spirit.”
The Fire Spirit he had a contract with felt his power directly.
“This is just the beginning.”
The Fire Spirit spat out words as if disgusted, but for Rayrn, it was just the start.
*’If I follow the Five Elements, the remaining ones are the power of Earth and Metal. I need to imbue these two as well.’*
He didn’t just want three attributes to dwell within him.
He wanted the very source of the Five Elements to settle inside.
Within that balance, ‘I’ll be able to not just strengthen my body, but make a leap to another dimension.’
He was pursuing a new kind of strength.
tap
His feet endlessly headed toward the castle, while his mind worked tirelessly.
By the time Merchant Castle was almost in sight.
‘Should I try it?’
A new possibility was budding.