[Spatial Movement – Subspace Transfer]
[Spatial Movement – Portal Creation]
[Spatial Severing – Annihilation]
[Spatial Distortion – Separation]
[Spatial Compression]
[Spatial Expansion]
[Spatial Manipulation – Distance]
[Spatial Manipulation – Path]
[Spatial Manipulation – Size]
[Spatial Manipulation – Rotation]
[Space Creation]
Unexpectedly, the foundation for everything was ‘Space Creation.’
The starting point for all Spatial Magic begins with the act of creating space.
-Of course, it’s not the kind of Space Creation a Great Magician uses to create an entire world. This is the absolute basics of the basics. In fact, rather than creation, it’s more like searching for a subspace and summoning it here.
At Furnel’s explanation, Hio lifted the small pouch hanging at his waist and asked.
“By subspace, do you mean something like this pouch I have?”
It was an Artifact that felt like a memento from Berga. Even in the Point Shop, it was a high-grade Pocket Dimension Pouch that required a fairly high price, but Furnel shook his head.
-Strictly speaking, that is not a Pocket Dimension Pouch. Therefore, it is not a subspace either.
“It wasn’t a subspace?”
-It is merely a combination of various magics like spatial expansion and weight reduction. It wasn’t created using an actual subspace.
It meant that it only expanded existing space and did not utilize a different dimension altogether. To think that a Pocket Dimension Pouch wasn’t actually a subspace. This was practically deceptive advertising for consumers…
-Stop thinking nonsense and get ready. As you’ve guessed, Spatial Magic isn’t that easy.
“……I know. To think that subspace production, which one can barely attempt upon reaching the level of a Magician, is just the beginning… that says it all.”
-You especially won’t be able to attempt the spatial manipulation category yet. You won’t be able to touch the higher parts of Space Creation either. Focus on the rest.
Even just ‘the rest’ was impressive enough. Spatial compression, expansion, movement, distortion, and separation—it was truly the act of handling space itself.
“Let’s do this.”
Just as Hio was about to ignite his motivation.
-By the way…… You.
Furnel suddenly flew right in front of his eyes.
-‘Are you forgetting something?’
“Forgetting something?”
At Furnel’s words, Hio thought for a moment and then clapped his hands as he looked at him. He had felt like something was nagging at him, and now he remembered what it was.
“Airlights?”
-That’s right. You told her you’d teach her magic once you returned…… You really are quite thoughtless.
Teaching magic to Airlights. One more thing had been added to his to-do list.
***
Inside a room where a single lamp glowed softly.
“Mmm-hmm.”
Airlights was humming a tune while scribbling something on a piece of paper.
“My original traits and skills are about this much…….”
She had declared that she would grow further. Once she decided to do something, she would achieve it by any means necessary. That was Airlights.
“It’s hard to deduce new traits and skills.”
Airlights’ original traits and skills had been transferred intact to her current body. Even with Kreutzvalt-style spiritualism, it was nearly impossible for all abilities to be transferred perfectly, but Airlights had the system of a Bingija. Thanks to that, all her existing traits and skills could be transferred to her current body.
The problem was that the abilities currently in her body did not appear in the system window. Because of that, she had to find out, research, and develop them herself, just like the actual residents of this world.
“I feel like I’d find an answer if I met that Elf in Arilleia……..”
According to what she heard from Hio, her body was an Elf. Moreover, it was the body of the Most Noble Elf of the previous generation. She didn’t know exactly what that meant, but since the Most Noble Elf of the current era was in Arilleia, she felt she might get a clue if she met them.
“But it’s too far.”
It was way too far. Airlights did not have any abilities related to movement, so she would have to run or take a boat, and it was simply too distant for that. Well, in the first place, unless she accompanied Hio, there was no way the Ruler of the Western Sea would open the sea routes for her anyway.
“So in the end, the most important thing is…… Magic.”
The magic she decided to learn from Hio. If she had that, she could move to the place called the Wizard’s Tower with him and roam all over the Continent. She wouldn’t have to be separated like this anymore; they could truly be together every day.
“Hehehe.”
A bright and happy future was being drawn in Airlights’ mind. Roaming the Continent, eating delicious food, visiting famous local restaurants, debating which dish tasted better, and then falling asleep together when night came—a perfect daily life.
She didn’t need to learn magic in depth, nor did she have any intention to. If she could just create a single Circle, just the basics, she could enter the Wizard’s Tower with Hio.
“It’ll be fun.”
The process of learning magic would surely be fun too. After all, she would be doing it with Hio. She would approach him closely to ask about things she didn’t know, feel extreme dizziness due to a sudden Magic Power abnormality, and then Hio would catch her as she stumbled, naturally leading them to move to the room together…….
“Heh!”
Covering her blushing cheeks and shaking her head, Airlights finally put down her pen and rested her chin on the desk.
“I wonder when he’ll come, Hio.”
This was a chance for them to spend a significant amount of time together. On the surface, it seemed like they lived in the same house, but in reality, she spent most of her time alone. Since Hio stayed only at the Wizard’s Tower and they only occasionally ate together, she figured she could stay stuck to him until the next raid by using magic lessons as an excuse.
Just as Airlights was spreading the wings of her imagination.
Thump, thump—
The sound of a presence came from below. If someone was suddenly making noise in the basement at this hour, there was only one person.
“Hio!”
Hio had returned. Airlights jumped up from her seat and left the room. It was a narrow house, only two floors above ground and four floors underground. It didn’t take long to face Hio.
“Oh, Airlights, you weren’t sleeping. That’s good.”
“G-good? Then Hio, does that mean you also…….?”
“Do you want to take this?”
Airlights reflexively caught the object he thrust toward her even before he said hello.
“This is……?”
What was in her hand was a book. To be precise, a book titled [You Can Do It! First Steps to Magic!].
“The title is a bit strange, but they say it’s the official basic magic textbook of Tetradia. So, try practicing step by step while reading that first.”
“Huh? No, but if Hio teaches me directly…….”
“I want to, but I have so much to do. Well, I’ll be going again!”
He left only those words and turned around immediately, as if he were in a great hurry.
“Wait, I…….”
Airlights reached out her hand to catch him, but she couldn’t think of anything specific to say. Hio had a lot of work, and wouldn’t she just be interfering with his work? There was a way to stay together. If she acted pitiful and lonely right now, he would surely stay at the house reluctantly. He would definitely split his time somehow to be there for her.
But what would be the point of that?
“Hmm? Why? Does it seem like it won’t work out?”
So, Airlights lowered her reaching hand and smiled brightly.
“No. It’s okay. I can do it alone.”
“Are you sure you’re okay? It won’t be as easy as you think.”
“Yeah. If I really don’t know something, I’ll ask then. Don’t worry about it.”
She didn’t want to be a stumbling block in front of him. She wanted him to achieve what he truly desired and smile happily. That was a wish that took priority over her own happiness. To put it simply, it was love.
“Okay. Then I’ll really be going.”
“Yeah. Be careful and don’t push yourself too hard.”
So she had no choice but to let him go like that. Even though she had a mountain of things she wanted, he was someone who had many things more important than her.
Well, it was the usual routine, but.
“Let’s definitely be together once I learn magic.”
For some reason, her heart ached a little today.
***
A month had passed since the raid on the 53rd floor, the Floor of Infinity. It had always been the case, but this month in particular was one of remarkable growth. Claire in her own way, and Airlights in hers.
Everyone—the Royal Knights, Antipus, Sirbert, and Daphne—was growing based on what they had seen and felt in the space of the Abyss. Of course, the same was true for Hio.
He had seen the fall of a kingdom that no one remembered or recorded. He had seen the desperate struggle of the final king.
Therefore, what he felt was that he had to become stronger. He had spent an entire month pouring himself into that thought.
The results were also quite impressive.
[Spatial Magic – ‘Creation – Generation’ has been successfully manifested.]
[Spatial Magic – ‘Distortion – Separation’ has been successfully manifested.]
[Spatial Magic – ‘Severing – Annihilation’ has been successfully manifested.]
[Spatial Magic – ‘Movement – Transfer’ has been successfully manifested.]
[Spatial Magic – ‘Compression’ has been successfully manifested.]
[Spatial Magic – ‘Expansion’ has been successfully manifested.]
The system of Spatial Magic was quite different from conventional magic. There was a reason it was called a special school.
In one month, he had successfully mastered six types of Spatial Magic. Starting with ‘Creation,’ which is called the beginning of Spatial Magic, to ‘Separation,’ which distorts the created space.
Severing and annihilation, movement and transfer, and even compression and expansion. He had literally learned magic that allowed him to freely handle a single space.
As for how he could learn six types of Spatial Magic—which were expected to be difficult—in such a short time.
-It is fascinating. This is almost identical to the way skills work.
The system of Spatial Magic. It was because it was similar to the way skills evolved. Usually, magic is different at the First Circle and different at the 2nd Circle.
Even if they are of the same attribute, as you go up to the 3rd Circle and 4th Circle, the magic cast can be considered completely separate.
However, Spatial Magic was not like that. Whether it was the First Circle or the 2nd Circle, if one succeeded in ‘Space Creation – Generation,’ it was the same space and the same magic. Even if it was Space Creation performed at the 5th Circle, it was the same space. Only the size, range, and the degree of influence one could exert within it were different.
It was the same principle as evolving a lower-tier skill into a mid-tier or upper-tier one. The beginning was not very complicated, and the process of expanding influence and increasing power from there was difficult, but the start itself was fairly easy.
That’s why he was able to learn six types of Spatial Magic in a month.
“……Even so, this is a bit much.”
He had learned six types of Spatial Magic, but comparing them as skills, these were the absolute basics of the basics.
“Where am I supposed to use this…….”
Hio sighed as he looked at the subspace he had created through Spatial Magic. How should he put it…… it was very small and precious? That kind of subspace. Roughly comparing it, it looked about the size of Hio’s fist…… no, even a bit smaller than that.
That space alone was an absolute space that Hio dominated. He could do all sorts of things there—compressing, expanding, severing, annihilating, distorting, separating, moving, transferring, and so on.
Inside that tiny, cute space. This was the secret to how he could learn six types of Spatial Magic in just one month.
“It’s useless. I can’t even cover a place where an object exists with the subspace…… How on earth did those guys called spatial magicians live in the old days? They couldn’t even do surprise attacks.”
The nonsense about defeating an enemy by creating a subspace in their head would vanish the moment one saw the speed at which a subspace was generated.
‘In short, this tiny space was just for show. Pretty and fascinating trash?’ Something like that.
-Ho ho. You don’t know what you’re talking about. The portals of Tetradia, every single portal installed across the Continent, went through the hands of a spatial magician. They weren’t around in my time, but a spatial magician who reached the level of Great Magician was so strong that no countermeasures could be devised.
Thinking about it, that seemed likely. What if this small space grew large enough to take over an entire area? How could one possibly face a Magician who directly ruled that space? Unless one could cut through space itself, a Great Magician of Spatial Magic was practically invincible.
“……That’s a very distant story.”
Of course, in front of Hio’s eyes, there was only one cute little subspace wiggling around.
-Still, thanks to that, your studies were certainly productive, weren’t they? Think positively.
“That’s definitely not bad.”
Studying Spatial Magic. He had done it to a grueling degree. Thanks to that, there was a great harvest.
“The Ancient Grimoire: Book of Dragon Summoning I received from the god Liphyue. I’ve gotten the hang of it.”
The Ancient Grimoire: Book of Dragon Summoning, an ancient magic book that didn’t even exist in the Tower of Mages.
He had planned to set aside time to research it properly, but while learning Spatial Magic, he unexpectedly discovered many overlapping Circle Inscriptions.
Summoning magic and Spatial Magic were quite closely related.
And in truth, the really important part was just beginning.
-The power of Spatial Magic might be disappointing, but it’s not that important. Our goal wasn’t that to begin with.
“That’s true too. What’s important is ultimately the effect. How that turns out is the most important thing.”
The reason he decided to learn Spatial Magic was with the effect of his Hidden Trait in mind, so the most important thing was ultimately the skill’s effect. He had learned six types of Spatial Magic. Now it was time to check the effects of all those skills.
“Now then, let’s see…….”
Canceling the generated subspace, he activated the skill once again. When he activated the new skill registered in his skill window.
[Skill – ‘Space Creation – Generation’ is activated.]
Not only Hio’s, but even Furnel’s mouth fell wide open.