[You have successfully created a Circle.]
[Stat ‘Mana’ increased by +20.]
Along with that message, the power of the Circle could be felt vividly.
The ring of mana encircling my heart was now spinning vigorously, unlike when it first formed.
“Haha… I’m really going to die here.”
Lying sprawled on the floor, I let out a hollow, soulless laugh.
The floor was drenched in sweat.
I have no idea how many times I died and came back.
That’s just how excruciatingly painful it was.
Whenever I woke up, I’d catch my breath a few times and then start inscribing again.
Then, as the agony came crashing back, I’d thrash around until I fainted.
By the time I’d passed out like that about ten times, I couldn’t even remember why I was doing this anymore, but even so, I didn’t stop.
Maybe it’s because this is the fruit of enduring such pain.
It’s so sweet.
“It’s not just that my mana increased… This Circle thing is amazing.”
I could instinctively sense it.
This was the right path.
Magic utilizing this was exactly the proper way of magic that Berga and his master had dreamed of.
“…Old man, what was so urgent that you had to leave…”
If only you’d held on just a bit longer.
Then at least today, there would’ve been someone by my side to celebrate.
Still lying down, I raised an arm to cover my eyes.
Maybe it was the hardship of inscribing the Circle sixteen times.
I was feeling unusually sentimental.
Some time passed like that.
“Well, anyway, the problem now is how to use magic with this Circle…”
Shaking off those thoughts, I, Hio, sat up and shifted my focus.
I had succeeded in creating a Circle.
Now, the problem was how to use it.
“It’s definitely not the same as before.”
It wasn’t the old method of drawing out mana and instantly forming dozens of runes to cast magic.
Honestly, even the way the runes were used didn’t feel quite right.
“Hm… I don’t know.”
No matter how much I thought about it alone, there was no answer.
I’d only just created my first Circle.
“Come to think of it, wasn’t it said that if you master the Circle, a portal would open?”
A portal, huh.
If a portal really did open, then by the looks of things, that three-dimensional diamond in the center of the chamber must be it.
With that in mind, I went closer, but as expected, standing still didn’t suddenly make a portal appear.
“Master the Circle. The portal will open.”
I had done as the inscription said and mastered the Circle.
Then, it must mean I’m supposed to use this power to make some kind of gesture.
“For example… maybe if I infuse it with mana?”
I placed my hand on the smooth surface of the sculpture and drew mana from the spinning Circle to infuse it.
Unlike before, when the energy just scattered vaguely, this was compressed mana, tightly condensed by the power of the runes—the Circle itself.
That mana flowed through my hand into the sculpture, and as the sculpture received the pure mana, hidden runes began to shine brightly.
A pure white light filled the vast chamber.
Naturally, the brightness made my eyes shut, and when the light faded enough for me to open them again…
“…Wow.”
A white portal, large enough to nearly touch the ceiling, had opened wide in the center.
[The area connected to the portal is the Ancient City Tetradia – Mage’s Tower.]
[Would you like to enter the portal?]
As if drawn in, I walked toward the white portal.
[The portal is activating.]
[Moving to Ancient City Tetradia – Mage’s Tower.]
In no time, I vanished into the white light.
***
There are three areas on the continent strictly forbidden by imperial law.
One is the Gran Dina Mountains, marking the border with the Holy Kingdom to the east.
These tall, long mountains are swarming with monsters of every kind, so numerous that subjugation is virtually impossible.
So the area was recognized as monster territory, the path blocked, and it was designated as a Forbidden Land.
The second is the Ba’al Forest in the south of the continent.
This fog-shrouded forest was called the Cursed Forest before it was declared forbidden.
That’s because no one who entered the Ba’al Forest ever came back alive.
Some rumors claim the Abyss’ main base is in the Ba’al Forest, but that’s just a rumor.
The thick fog and bottomless swamps make even the highest-ranking knight orders hesitate to enter, which is why it was forbidden.
And the last forbidden place drew far less attention compared to the other two.
Gran Dina Mountains and Ba’al Forest aren’t exactly remote, and their stories are often heard by adventurers and mercenaries traveling the continent, so they’re well-known.
But the last forbidden place was just the stuff of rumors.
Beyond the empire’s borders, in the north of the continent.
A land outside the northern imperial border, surrounded by towering, unbreakable walls.
A land declared forbidden long, long before even the Gran Dina Mountains and Ba’al Forest.
The Cursed Land, Tetradia.
Even back when Ventair was just a game, there were plenty of rumors about Tetradia, but no one knew any details.
All anyone knew was that it was a cursed land and one of the oldest Forbidden Lands.
No one had been there, no one had seen it.
Period.
The reason was simple.
‘The map wasn’t even open to begin with.’
The map to the empire’s north simply wasn’t open.
Whether it was a game limitation or something else, this cursed land was never revealed at all.
“A cursed land, huh…”
And there was someone standing right in the middle of that forbidden land.
“Hmm… Damn.”
Of course, it was Hio.
Soaring buildings.
Blackened earth visible between them.
And…
“That’s… an Abyss Monster.”
Hundreds of eyes staring straight at me from afar.
That’s an Abyss Monster—something that only appears in the mid-to-late stages of the game.
Looking closely, it wasn’t just that one.
Abyss Monsters that should never appear at this difficulty level were crawling all over the ground.
“…This place better be sturdy, right?”
The only relief was that, even though they were aware of my presence, they couldn’t attack—
Because I was inside the Mage’s Tower.
“I never imagined Tetradia would look like this…”
The original appearance of this cursed land was on par with any modern city.
No, maybe it was even more advanced than a modern city.
Now, after so many ages, it had crumbled and collapsed, but at least the Mage’s Tower where I stood was still intact.
“How many floors does this place have, anyway?”
I muttered as I stepped away from the glass wall.
It felt like I was over a hundred floors up, and yet this didn’t seem to be the top.
The ancient architecture was truly incredible.
Actually, the architecture was amazing, but what had caught my eye from earlier was something else.
The endless mana emanating from the Mage’s Tower.
Mana stretching out to the entire city, so vast yet so delicate.
Just feeling it made my skin tingle.
“Is the Mage’s Tower… holding back all those Abyss Monsters?”
That seemed to be the purpose of this overwhelming mana.
If those monsters were to break free now, there’d be a disaster like no other.
Just how many years had they been held back here… I couldn’t help but feel a newfound respect for the mages of the past.
“So, basically, the mages want me to learn magic here and then spread it to the world… Something like that?”
When I looked around, as if to confirm my guess, about a dozen books were lined up on the shelves.
A quick glance showed that they were all about 1st Circle magic.
“I don’t know how much I’ll manage to learn alone, without a master…”
Even if I had to squeeze my brain dry, I had to learn.
“But before that… can I go back?”
A spacious room, luxurious tiles covering the floor.
And in the center, the same three-dimensional diamond I’d seen on the fourth basement floor.
I approached it and infused mana from my Circle once again.
[The portal is activated.]
[There are a total of 241 connected areas.]
A long list appeared.
[List]
[Mage’s Tower 1st Floor – Lobby of Beginnings]
[Mage’s Tower 2nd Floor – Apprentice Mage Quarters]
[Mage’s Tower 3rd Floor – Apprentice Mage Quarters (2)]
[Mage’s Tower 89th Floor – Golem Researcher Relendis Arpe’s Room]
[Mage’s Tower 90th Floor – Spirit Authority Maserin Misen’s Room]
[Mage’s Tower 150th Floor – Tower Master Abellar Pavlenko’s Room]
Even at a glance, the names were extravagant.
Golem Researcher, Spirit Authority.
Just thinking about what I might find in those rooms made my mouth water.
[Detected mana is 1 Circle.]
[There are only two areas you can go to.]
A cold message shattered my daydreams.
[Mage’s Tower 101st Floor – Novice Mage Training Room (Temporary)]
[Imenia Southern Region Independent Base (3) – Magician’s House]
I was just a novice mage who had only recently completed my Circle.
The only places I could go were the Novice Mage Training Room and the Magician’s House I’d just come from.
“Well, you can’t fill your belly with the first spoonful.”
I would have to translate ancient books myself and learn magic from scratch with no one to ask for help, but that was doable.
Compared to the hopeless past two years, at least I could see a future now.
“Let’s see… Is this one titled Aqua?”
Starting with something familiar.
Aqua was one of the spells Berga had taught me.
Of course, the casting method and efficiency were completely different, so as a novice mage, taking that first step would not be easy.
“Draw out the power of the runes embedded in the Circle… Ugh, this is tough…”
Like that, several months passed.
***
The unusually cold winter passed, and spring arrived.
Well, for Hio, who’d been holed up in the Mage’s Tower all along, it didn’t matter whether it was spring or winter, but regardless, a crucial turning point had come.
I had mastered all the 1st Circle magic available in the Mage’s Tower.
No—more precisely, I had learned all the 1st Circle magic that was prepared for me.
It was as if the Novice Mage Training Room and the 1st Circle spellbooks had been waiting just for someone like Hio to show up.
‘I still don’t have enough mana to inscribe the 2nd Circle…’
So now, it was time to go out into the world.
[Hidden Trait: Violence is Not Allowed! (Endurance: 818 / 1000)]
I’d also nearly maxed out my Endurance, so it was the perfect time.
“I said I’d go, but it’s been months. Sirbert must be waiting impatiently.”
Of course, it would take several more months to get there.
Hio had no convenient skill to instantly travel from the edge of the empire to the capital.
It was going to be a long journey.
“…Shall I go?”
Getting up, I started packing my things from the storage cabinet.
First, I put on the roomy robe for mages.
[Magic Robe for Mage’s Tower Initiate (Unique)]
[A Magic Robe for Mage’s Tower Initiate with decent defense and some mana resistance. It comes with an automatic durability recovery function.]
[Provides optimal temperature for the wearer to focus on magic.]
[Stat ‘Mana’ +5]
Next, I put the comically pointy hat on my head.
[Magic Hat for Mage’s Tower Initiate (Unique)]
[Symbol of belonging to the Mage’s Tower. Once a symbol of glory, but nowadays, it’s questionable if anyone would recognize it. Comes with an automatic durability recovery function.]
[Permanently enchanted to boost the wearer’s concentration.]
[Magic casting speed +5%]
Finally, I grabbed a staff about a handspan taller than myself, and I was ready to go.
[Magic Staff for Mage’s Tower Initiate (Unique)]
[A staff given to novice mages of the Mage’s Tower. Being the lowest-grade staff, it is nonetheless perfectly crafted. Comes with an automatic durability recovery function.]
[Stat ‘Mana’ +10]
[Magic casting speed +5%]
Placing my hand on the central portal, I skillfully infused mana.
[Detected mana is 1 Circle.]
[There are only two areas you can go to.]
[You have selected Imenia Southern Region Independent Base (3) – ‘Magician’s House’.]
[The portal is activating.]
With a flash of light, I regained my senses in a familiar place. Berga’s house.
Climbing up the familiar basement stairs, I strapped my subspace pouch to my waist and left the house.
“Mm! The weather’s great!”
The warm, gentle spring breeze.
The sweet scent of flowers made my heart flutter.
“I’ll be back, old man.”
With a deep bow to the white flower bud peeking up beside the grave, I turned away, a contented smile on my lips.
“Let’s go.”
To spread magic to the world.
To save the world from the curse of the Abyss.
As I set out, the wind gently rustled behind me.
The pure white flower blooming beside the grave swayed lightly from side to side.
As if wishing me a safe journey.
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