Baize wasn't the youngest, but he earned the title of a mage at a relatively young age.
Compared to other mages, the age gap between him and others could be as wide as the one between grandparents and grandchildren. That was how talented Baize was in magic.
“How did you manage to twist the spell like this?”
Baize, looking even more carefully at my spell, had a question mark hovering over his head.
His face was filled with confusion and disbelief as he examined the spell I had cast. Even after several attempts to analyze it, he kept blinking his eyes in disbelief.
‘Hmm...’
Surprisingly, Baize’s overall magical abilities were... below mine. He couldn’t even interpret parts of the spell I had constructed.
‘Well, he should have had more affinity for mana and should’ve activated his observation powers more thoroughly...’
His magical abilities were growing noticeably, though. His affinity for mana and the power of his observation were certainly showing excellent synergy. He was not quite at a satisfactory level, but among the students, he had certainly started to stand out.
What’s more, Baize had yet to fully unlock his potential.
“This is so tangled, it would be hard to even manifest it... And since you’ve lowered the stability so much, the probability of errors occurring during manifestation is quite high. If you’re lucky, it might fail, but if you're unlucky, a backlash could happen. Did you really go around using something like this?”
That was a rather complicated evaluation. While it was worded politely, it basically meant that the magic was useless garbage.
It wasn’t an incorrect statement. The magic was indeed risky.
In fact, I almost lost my arm when I messed up the adjustment of a strike against Aerus.
‘...But I had no choice but to adjust it...’
I never regretted learning magic.
Learning various kinds of magic had made life much easier. I used it in daily life, camping, and even in combat.
However, against truly powerful opponents, most magic didn’t work.
Of course, part of that was my lack of skill. Another factor was that the enemies I faced were simply too strong for my magic.
Common spells were useless against such foes, and I had no choice but to push the output to extreme levels.
[Yes, I used it quite a bit.]
“How...?”
[Uh...]
[Just manipulated the mana well?]
Baize gave me a look that seemed to suggest I was crazy. It was as though he were looking at a madman, and I hid my discomfort behind a forced smile.
‘At least I don’t want to get that kind of look from him...’
The fifth round had originally tried to follow the traditional mage path.
The starting ability was "Mana Manipulation," and both the hidden pieces and growth direction were set to align with that.
When I entered the tower in the first semester, the hidden piece I obtained from the egg of origin was perfectly aligned.
A consumable artifact—Reversal of Order.
Its grade was the same as the Proof of Protection I was currently wearing, a top-tier treasure designated as a key strategic asset by any faction.
Its effect was the modification of internal circuits. Though there were physical limits due to it being human anatomy, the sheer impact this effect had on a mage was beyond words.
‘Is it like the Transformation of the Bone from martial arts novels? Or maybe the Balmose-susu? Something like that, right?’
For any superhuman, circuits were as important as life itself, especially for mages.
No matter how pure or abundant the mana in the core, if the circuits, which act as the plumbing, are subpar, only a faint trickle of power will flow.
Even if someone has magical talent, if their circuits are flawed, their ability to manifest magic is limited.
Thus, the children of affluent families often spend a great deal of capital and effort from a young age to refine and form their core and circuits with the help of specialized mages.
And even after all that, there were many cases where the results were unsatisfactory.
In such a context, Reversal of Order was incredibly valuable.
Especially for the fifth round, who had chosen the mage path, this artifact was incredibly precious.
After a bit more development, the fifth round was planning to ask for help from certain mage characters to extensively modify their circuits.
I had definitely planned to go down the traditional mage route. The plan was set.
‘If only it weren’t for Baize Dietrich...’
But then, Baize Dietrich suggested a strange idea, throwing off my plans.
What? He suggested that if I could manipulate the circuits freely, I could use them as part of the spell?
So with a simple motion, with one punch, magic would be released at super speed?
By using body reinforcement magic, I could also release mana at high output, and if I used recoil, I could exponentially improve the efficiency of the body enhancement, making melee combat even more formidable?
How could I resist that temptation?
And now, the one who tempted me with that idea was giving me that kind of look. It was utterly absurd.
[Anyway,]
[How could I increase the output here?]
I hid my discomfort and asked.
Baize hesitated for a moment, reluctant to answer.
"...Increasing the output here is really dangerous. The risks are already high enough."
[I'm not planning to apply it right away.]
[Just thought I’d learn about it in case there’s a time I need it.]
[That’s what studying is for, right?]
"That’s true," Baize replied, nodding at my explanation.
I wondered why he hesitated, but since he easily accepted my reasoning, I was still baffled by his response.
I waved my hand reassuringly at Baize to ease his tension.
[It’s okay.]
[You won’t die.]
I had tried it myself before, and I didn’t die.
...
After the time limit expired, Professor Friedrich wasted no time and began the tests.
The test was simple.
First, Professor Friedrich would evaluate whether the magic formations were constructed properly and maintained smoothly. Then, paired students would each take turns handling attack and defense to test the performance of the formations.
"Now, let’s begin the test in order. Hannah Brown, Naiel Garcia."
"Yes."
"Yep."
"First, we’ll check the maintenance ability, then evaluate attack and defense abilities. Please activate your magic formations."
The two students faced each other and activated their formations.
Mana surged around them, forming the magical structures as the spells intertwined and completed, occupying the space.
"Maintenance check. First, Hannah Brown will handle the attack."
"Eh!"
The student immediately stretched out her hand.
"-"
With a short chant, a red fireball appeared before her hand.
It was a normal procedure, but under the support of the magic formation, the fireball appeared with more force than usual. It was launched forward.
The fireball flew fiercely and exploded upon hitting a barrier in mid-air.
R𝑒ad lat𝒆st chapt𝒆rs at free𝑤ebnovel.com Only.
The barrier shook like ripples on water. With a loud explosion, dark smoke rose.
Professor Friedrich, who stared without blinking, nodded indifferently.
"Hannah Brown, the maintenance and attack are excellent. However, there are some gaps in the configuration. These gaps could easily be exploited by counter-magic during an attack. Please take note of this for your next formation."
"Yes! Thank you!"
"Now, Naiel Garcia will handle the attack."
"...Naiel Garcia. The defense is excellent. You’ve built it very sturdily. However, the lack of a counterattack option is a major flaw in the formation. Please improve on this in the future."
"Yes! I’ll improve it!"
The evaluations were brief.
The paired students displayed their defensive and offensive magic, and the professor evaluated their formations.
While the feedback seemed brief, the way the professor pinpointed the issues with their formations immediately showed his experience.
Most of the students were given a lot of feedback.
Of course, this being the first lecture, it was to be expected. The students and the professor weren’t bothered by the critiques, knowing that it was part of the learning process.
Everyone here had enough talent to be accepted into Siyoram, so they were confident that they would improve over time.
"Hannah Arin, your maintenance, support, attack, and defense are all excellent. I was particularly impressed with how you incorporated Changhae’s mana into the barrier of your formation."
"Yes, thank you."
Some students were praised without much criticism.
Hannah Arin was one of them.
Her formation was certainly impressive.
She had already acquired knowledge related to the formation and constructed it skillfully and without flaw.
Her formation perfectly blocked her opponent’s attack, and with the subsequent counterattack, the formation of the opposing female student froze and malfunctioned.
While the opponent seemed disappointed, Hannah Arin turned towards us and made a victory gesture with her hand, spreading her index and middle fingers in a "V" shape. It reminded me of the time I did the same thing with Hong Yeon-hwa... a rather embarrassing memory.
"..."
She didn’t seem to care about the strange looks from the others. I clapped my hands, hiding my discomfort, and cheered her on.
"Iha-yul, Baize Dietrich."
[Yes.]
"Yes."
"Please activate your formations."
Finally, it was Baize and my turn.
We nodded at each other and activated our formations.
Mana surged immediately, filling the space and forming intricate spellwork. The spells locked together like a puzzle and manifested in mid-air.
"Mm."
Professor Friedrich let out a sound of contemplation. His serious eyes scanned the formation I had set up.
"...The manifestation is quick, and the formation is flawless. Excellent."
[Thank you.]
The evaluation was brief, and there were no additional comments.
It seemed like I had built it properly, just as I had been trained to. I felt a sense of relief, but not particularly happy.
I had just followed the manual. Thanks to my observational abilities, the process had been quite easy.
"Maintenance check. First, Iha-yul will handle the attack."
It was my turn to go on the offensive.
"...Please take care of it."
Baize gulped, visibly nervous.
I could understand that. He had just seen my formation and given some advice.
He must have sensed my mana and the state of my magic, so he probably had an idea of the power I was about to unleash.
I could feel Professor Friedrich's gaze on me.
But it wasn’t just the professor. Hannah Arin, the students who had finished their evaluations, and even those who hadn’t yet been evaluated were all watching.
Under these eyes, I began preparing my magic.
The magic I prepared was a normal mana strike. Of course, it wasn’t the original version but the modified one I used.
‘Hmm...’
Suddenly, Baize’s advice popped back into my head.
His overall magical level was lower than mine, but he had still given me valuable advice.
Those who are truly exceptional stand out, no matter where they hide.
Even now, he was making a mark, even with magic that had fundamentally broken the rules. If I continued interacting with him and sought his advice, it would definitely help me a lot.
‘Using circuits as magic...’
Circuits and spells. Both are frameworks for channeling mana. If used well, circuits could be turned into spells.
That thought wasn’t unique to me. But still, everyone else had shaken their heads, dismissing it as madness.
It’s impossible to control.
Circuits always have mana flowing through them, but it’s nearly impossible to control the conversion of that mana into magic.
Even if it were possible, using circuits as magic would be a tedious workaround compared to simply manifesting magic in the traditional way.
‘Hmm...’
Mana manipulation.
For someone like me, with mana affinity, it’s as easy as breathing. Mana affinity is a unique ability that allows me to do things others can’t.
I manipulated the mana. With a stretch of my right arm, the mana flowed along my circuits to my fingertips.
...But I didn’t release it outside. It was a small experiment. If not now, when would I get the chance to try it? Such questions are meant to be tested through direct experience.
I felt the circuits twist as I wiggled my fingers.
‘Mana Strike.’
‘Ugh!’
The sharp slicing sound of wind cutting through the air sent a chill through my skin. My body trembled at the razor-sharp sensation.
The mana strike erupted. The crescent-shaped white strike was so large that its ends dug into both the ceiling and the floor.
"Ahh!"
Baize’s formation couldn’t hold the mana strike. The formation shattered, and as if predicting this, Baize immediately jumped to the side without hesitation.
In a reflex, I used the power of space to pull Baize out of the way.
The strike continued, slamming into the wall.
"......"
The mana strike disappeared, leaving deep gashes in the floor and ceiling. Behind the torn wall, several facilities had been destroyed.
I stared, wide-eyed.
I heard liquid splashing as the sound of liquid spraying reached my ears.
The surrounding students stared in horror.
[It hurts.]
And then a dreadful premonition... no, pain.
I swallowed nervously as I looked at my right arm.
The ‘two-pronged’ right arm shook, dangling loosely.
It had split neatly between the middle and ring fingers, all the way up to the elbow. The cut bones and muscles were exposed to the air.
Blood sprayed like a fountain, forming a puddle on the floor, while the torn arm sleeves soaked up the blood...
The surrounding students snapped out of it and rushed to me. Soon, Baize, who had been shocked, hurriedly poured Changhae’s mana treatment onto my right arm.
‘Ugh, ugh...’
In that moment, I trembled not from the pain, but from the fear of the anger that would soon be directed at me from everyone around me...
[The Tower of Knowledge Master is horrified.]
[What the—...]