Ariel's words were right.
Regardless of my talent, Ariel was right next to me.
She was the one who had directly devised and created that unique magic from start to finish.
With someone like that beside me, ready to offer the explanation and breakdown of the ritual, what could possibly be overwhelming?
All I needed to do was store the explanation in my mind and slowly digest it.
From the next day,
With Ariel's encouragement, my resolve was restored, and I became more passionate about studying the unique magic.
"This time, it's the second phase of the 23rd left-hand ritual. It continues from the previous ritual..."
[Ughhh...]
Although I had the will, it wasn’t something that would happen immediately.
Even with the large interpretation volume spread out on the bookshelf, and Ariel’s detailed explanations, I still couldn’t understand much.
There was this terrible sensation of forcing something into my head, and I absentmindedly twirled the pen in my hand.
‘This is difficult... More than that, I can’t even understand the problem from the start.’
I now understood Ariel’s words:
"To learn unique magic, you need at least a basic understanding of the language, grammar, and writing system."
That was what I lacked.
How could I solve the problem when I didn’t even understand the question?
Everything I had studied up until now was meant to bring me to the level where I could at least recognize unique magic.
What was spread out on my desk wasn’t the raw ritual in its original form.
It was a kind and carefully laid-out interpretation, with all the security locks removed, arranged neatly to be easier to understand.
On top of that, I had Ariel, the creator herself, explaining it, almost like feeding me the information in the form of a baby bottle.
She wasn’t explaining everything at once.
She would break it down into three parts and explain it section by section.
Even in such a favorable situation, I struggled to understand... It would’ve been possible to memorize the ritual and cram it into my mind, but understanding and manifesting it would have been practically impossible without this level of assistance.
[Ughh...]
Still, at least I could recognize it now.
In theory, it wasn’t entirely impossible, and with the creator herself offering guidance, there was no reason to give up.
Foll𝑜w current novℯls on ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm.
‘More...’
I furrowed my brow.
I would memorize the entire ritual and the whispers from above, committing those to memory as well.
Thanks to the overload of information from the Observational Power, my enhanced memory absorbed everything without missing a detail.
Later, I would gather all the information and attempt to understand it.
Day by day, I continued to accumulate information.
I contrasted and connected the information, building my understanding bit by bit.
As I continued to comprehend more, my understanding of the magic deepened, and that understanding turned into an advancement in my magical realm.
[Ariel, is it okay if I step outside for a bit?]
"Yes, you don’t need to ask for my permission."
[Thank you.]
Even while focusing on unique magic, I didn’t neglect my other training.
Reluctantly leaving the soft, cozy embrace, I rented the practice room to work on my physical training.
Of course, I had to allocate a lot of time to magic studies, so I worked out in short but intense sessions.
Though I had reduced the time for physical training, I still reached out for other magic and knowledge that I needed.
The Knowledge Tower continuously filled up with various books in real-time.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t use my Observational Power to quickly skim through and memorize the content.
So, I mostly scanned the titles on the covers and took the books I thought would be useful for memorization.
At the moment, I couldn’t afford to focus on in-depth study, so I planned to go outside and study separately.
One notable subject was alchemy.
Since it was closely tied to magic, there were countless books on alchemy available.
Alchemists were classified as precious resources.
In this world, alchemy isn’t just about turning metals into gold.
It’s about processing various materials to change their properties and create the necessary materials for crafting.
Because of this, its potential is immense.
Alchemy is used to process magic stones, which are vital energy sources, and to handle materials used in creating elixirs.
In cases where special materials are needed for weapon performance, an alchemist’s skills are essential.
Among the notable weapons, one that absolutely requires an alchemist’s involvement is the Beacon Sword.
The main materials are magic stones from monsters above rank 3 with fire properties, combined with high-purity gemstones holding magic beyond their limits.
Both magic stones and gemstones cannot be used raw.
They must go through processing, including alchemy, and undergo painstaking work with a craftsman to create the final product.
‘......’
I scratched my head awkwardly.
The blueprint for the Beacon Sword was already etched in my mind.
A few months ago, during the family’s annual banquet,
When I held the Beacon Sword, a transparent blade of it devoured my fear, and in exchange, it transmitted information about the sword to me.
That blueprint had also transferred to my mind, and it was still there.
‘Hmm...’
The Beacon Sword, the symbol of the Gebhwa family.
The current head of the family already held the sword, but Hong Yeonhwa, the next head, did not yet.
Since the current head was still active, Hong Yeonhwa’s Beacon Sword was likely still in the planning stage.
‘......’
I set aside that thought and continued searching for the necessary books.
I didn’t find them myself, but Ariel had handed me some books, urging me to read them.
It seemed she was trying to bypass restrictions and provide me with information.
‘Ah.’
As I wandered among the bookshelves on the first floor,
I shuddered as the title of a book caught my attention from the corner of my observation field.
I blinked for a moment, then used magic to swiftly fly over to it.
I dodged the countless bridges leading to other bookshelves and rose upwards, reaching the edge of the shelf at the very top.
The Observational Records Area.
The five towers were all connected to the Tower of Coordination.
In particular, the Knowledge Tower served as a hub for gathering information.
For this reason, confidential information handled by the association and excess data collected by the Observational Tower were all stored in books here.
Before me, I found a collection of books about dungeons.
I pulled one out and checked the title.
‘Dungeon NE4-5659... Temporary name, Myunggyeong... Myunggyeong明鏡? This one.’
The association’s temporary name for the dungeon was Myunggyeong.
The temporary name for the dungeon housing the Sea King’s Jewel.
Suddenly, my fingertips trembled, as though I had been submerged in cold water.
I quickly opened the book and injected magic to absorb the information.
Various details infiltrated my mind.
‘The first observation date was three months ago... relatively recent. The interior of the dungeon... matches the original description almost exactly. Its rank is Class 1... here.’
Fortunately, it hadn’t been cleared yet.
A party had attempted to clear it before, but they had lost contact, which was certainly not a good thing.
Still, it remained uncaptured for now.
A Class 1 dungeon is large enough to make clearing difficult.
Even if external information is updated, it will likely remain uncaptured.
Since it hadn’t been cleared yet, I didn’t know the rewards, but according to the original...
The Observational Tower head had recorded that the reward for this dungeon is the Sea King’s Jewel.
‘I found it.’
I also had its location.
It wasn’t the vague location mentioned in the original text; it had the exact coordinates written down.
My heart began to race.
Of course, there was still an issue.
The dungeon’s rank was Class 1.
The monsters inside were ranked high, possibly up to 4th-tier.
If an Alpha creature appeared, it might even be a 3rd-tier monster.
Although Alpha creatures are rare, the worst-case scenario could involve fighting a 3rd-tier monster in a dungeon full of traps.
‘I found it...’
I had found its location.
Now, with my growth, I knew that challenging it was possible.
That realization made my heavy heart feel slightly lighter.
‘Now, if I can just clear it...’
I could obtain the Sea King’s Jewel.
And then, using it on myself, I could resolve the curse on my lifespan...
‘......’
I stood there, lost in thought for a while.
Even when Ariel came to fetch me, I couldn’t resolve the issue in my mind.
One of Ha-Yul’s many talents was imitation.
Magic is pure and can become anything, and homogeneity imitates the properties and qualities of magic, mimicking uniqueness.
Thanks to his versatility, Ha-Yul could master almost any technique, and with his many transformations, he could mimic the uniqueness of magical techniques.
The essence of magic is imitation.
Though it’s similar to creation when approaching the level of uniqueness,
once something has been created, it can be imitated.
He could do it.
It wasn’t impossible; with enough effort, it could be achieved.
He wasn’t lacking in talent, and he had the creator’s endorsement.
It was possible.
If he kept at it, the overwhelming doubts would eventually fade.
Ha-Yul continued his training with this thought in mind.
Everyone starts from somewhere.
Things that seem far away are often just out of reach, and things that are immersed in darkness can only be seen in black.
To face them head-on, one must move closer to them.
And...
"...You’ve succeeded."
After a brief moment of distraction, Ariel glanced around.
The magic particles, once freely swirling in the air, gradually settled down.
The white magical energy that had manifested dispersed like winter snow falling to the ground.
At the center of this magic, Ha-Yul, sitting on the floor, sighed deeply and absorbed the surrounding energy.
"I tried to lay the foundation for you to learn externally... but to see you succeed in manifesting it internally surpasses even my expectations."
Of course, it wasn’t perfect.
It had only just barely manifested.
It wasn’t yet fully formed, with the center and uniqueness all perfectly settled like Ariel’s own.
But even so, it was a remarkable achievement.
He had copied the framework.
That was enough.
The inner part could be filled with Ariel’s teachings, or later, as Ha-Yul grew, he could fill it with his own essence.
The next step was his to take. Whatever it was, Ha-Yul would be able to fill it and use it.
"...Ha-Yul?"
Ariel approached to congratulate him, but Ha-Yul’s expression didn’t seem happy at all.
Instead, he looked sullen.
This wasn’t the expression of someone who had just achieved something through so much effort.
For a moment, Ariel’s heart sank.
Had something happened to him?
"What’s wrong? Is there a reverse flow of magic...?"
[No...]
When Ariel quickly approached, Ha-Yul suddenly whimpered and came into her embrace.
Although Ariel was taken aback, she comforted him, gently pressing his face into her chest.
"Is there somewhere hurting...?"
[No...]
"Then...?"
[It’s just... soon...]
"Soon...? Ah..."
As she continued to check Ha-Yul’s condition, asking if something was wrong, Ha-Yul finally clicked the confession necklace.
In a voice filled with clear disappointment, Ariel couldn’t help but gasp.
Time had flown by quickly while training unique magic.
So, naturally, it was getting late.
"......"
Ariel's expression became complex.