Chapter 58

Reincarnated as a Sword Emperor in the Sword Master's Family (58)

It's absurd.

The moment Leonard grasped the principle behind the source of magic, that was the thought that flashed through his mind.

It was arrogant to reduce the boundless flow of all things to mere formulas and use them to achieve omnipotence.

Even the Heavenly Horse Dan Muzhen, who harshly criticized this principle, found it impossible, yet magic had already established its possibilities from the starting point, not just as a goal.

"Well, it's not a topic for a mere 4th Rank Mage to discuss."

Whether she knew his thoughts or not, Esther extinguished the flame on her finger and continued speaking.

"The importance of formulas is indeed absolute, but the power of circles is also crucial. The types and levels of formulas a mage can use are determined by the extent to which they can interfere with the circle."

"Circle... (Circling)?"

Leonard asked, and Esther, realizing his confusion, said, "I forgot to explain the circles. Sorry, my mistake."

For a mage, a circle is akin to the levels a knight breaks through in mana cultivation.

Unlike mana cultivation, which is divided into major and minor levels, the distinction of circles is very simple. It's just the number of rings formed in the heart, from 1 to 10.

1st Circle, corresponding to beginners.

2nd Circle, corresponding to novices.

3rd Circle, corresponding to apprentices, and 4th Circle, where one starts to be treated as a proper mage.

From here, the external power and treatment of mana cultivation become similar, and the utilization as a force increases significantly. It's also a stage where the skill gap widens even with the same number of circles.

"And from 5th Circle onwards... the distinction between ranks and circles becomes blurred."

People who don't know often confuse ranks and circles, but in reality, there's a big difference.

A mage's rank refers to the level of their formulas, while a circle represents the ability to activate those formulas.

"The rank is a higher concept than the circle."

Leonard said.

"A high-rank mage would have completed the circle necessary to activate their magic, but having many circles doesn't guarantee a high rank."

"You understand well. Quick thinking, huh?"

Esther nodded in agreement and continued her explanation.

"Up to 4th Circle, anyone with enough money and time can reach. But from 5th Circle onwards, it becomes very difficult to form circles if the understanding of formulas and the world is low. 6th Circle is almost impossible, and 7th Circle is even more so."

"So, 5th Circle is almost equivalent to 5th Rank, then."

"Mercenary mages operating outside the mage tower or those who haven't received proper instruction might occasionally appear as 5th Circle mages who aren't 5th Rank. They've clumsily climbed to the next level through their own enlightenment."

Even if the achievements and skills of disciples from prestigious schools and wandering mages are the same, their accomplishments and abilities are not equal. Martial arts are not just methods to move the body and energy but also principles to explore the world based on one's body. Ignoring this and chasing only what's in front of you can lead to decades of stagnation.

While explaining, Esther placed her hand on the table.

"There's a more concrete way to understand this than just explaining it verbally. Direct experience is better than indirect experience."

"What is it?"

"Try entering the world of magic. Creating and using a single circle is quite easy."

Leonard looked hesitant upon receiving this suggestion.

He was still far from reaching the pinnacle with just martial arts, and it was difficult to step into a completely new field.

"I don't plan to become a sword mage."

"Why? Do you think it will interfere with your mana cultivation?"

Esther smiled, having anticipated his reaction.

"Don't worry. At 1st Circle, you can create and destroy it at any time. Just taste magic and then step out."

"Is entering the world of mages that easy?"

"It's like the 1st Stage of Body Strengthening. You can easily break through with a few Breath Stones, right? Mages also need a minimum level of physical strength, so breaking through to the 2nd or 3rd Stage of Body Strengthening is quite common."

"Indeed."

His stance was to gain benefits by practicing the basic stages of both fields rather than seriously pursuing the path of a sword mage.

Leonard himself had mastered all sorts of miscellaneous skills and knew how useful it was to have abilities in other fields, even at a superficial level.

"Then, Esther?"

"3rd Stage of Body Strengthening. It's hard to maintain a good figure when you're cooped up in a room studying spells all day."

Noble ladies also break through to the 1st or 2nd Stage of Body Strengthening, she explained, as if making an excuse.

Just like in the martial world, where there are martial arts aimed at beauty, such as the Beauty Cultivation Technique.

"...Then, let's just experience 1st Circle."

"Good decision!"

Ultimately, Leonard, convinced by Esther's persuasion, raised his hands.

* * *

Inside Esther's workshop, there was a space where mana was artificially concentrated to facilitate the manifestation of magic.

There were targets for experimenting with attack spells and tools of unknown origin. Pushing these aside, a stone was given to Leonard, who was sitting in the center of the room.

The stone, smaller than a finger joint, had a very small and intricate magic circle engraved on it.

"That's called a Circle Stone."

Esther explained, reading his puzzled expression.

"Traditionally, the first circle for a 1st Circle initiation is formed by the master directly interfering with the disciple's internal mana and weaving the first ring. However, since you've already broken through to the External Power Stage, even a 4th Rank Mage interfering directly could cause a disaster."

"If a backlash were to occur accidentally...?"

"Both of us could die or be seriously injured. It's not that I don't trust you, but I don't trust myself either. That's why we're using the Circle Stone."

Leonard looked at the stone in his palm.

"Will consuming this make me a 1st Circle mage?"

"Yes. If your internal mana is insufficient, you'll need to supplement it with a Spirit Stone, but breaking through to the 5th Stage of Body Strengthening should allow you to create it on your own."

Considering the amount of energy needed to break through the 1st Stage of Body Strengthening, the effort required to form a circle would be about the same.

So, Leonard swallowed the Circle Stone without much worry.

He then closed his eyes and sat in a lotus position.

"Huh? I've never seen this meditation technique before."

"I'm going to focus."

"Oh, sorry."

Esther's presence faded into the background, and Leonard soon immersed himself in his inner world.

The scene that unfolded in his vision was inside his own body.

The Circle Stone, which had passed through his throat, immediately decomposed into a mana mass shaped like a ring. Instead of descending into his stomach through the esophagus, it penetrated his blood vessels and moved directly towards his heart.

'This is about anchoring the ring-shaped mana in the heart and fixing it in the form of a circle. Simple yet well-made.'

The self-rotating magic technique (Magnetic Electric Magic Technique) from his past life came to mind.

It was a martial art that involved ingesting finely crushed magnetic iron stones from a young age to form a magnetic core inside the body. It was a powerful technique that allowed the manipulation of brain waves and iron, but the metal fragments circulating in the blood vessels would not allow for a long life.

Compared to that incomplete martial art, the Circle Stone was much simpler and several times more stable.

It was being naturally absorbed without any conflict or resistance, even with Leonard's 90 years of internal energy.

'The problem is likely the peculiarity of my heart.'

Such a case had never occurred in the hundreds of years of Cardenas' history.

Suffering a fatal injury and breaking through to the External Power Stage, his heart and five mana cores had fused. It was a result of the Great Five Elements Divine Technique, the secret hidden in his blood, and a large amount of spirit medicines.

The Five Elements True Dragon Ring.

Now, the five-colored sphere, which was no longer called a heart, approached the circle cautiously.

Hmmm?

The sphere, which had been leisurely circulating the master's power, approached the unknown intruder with curiosity.

However.

Crack.

The circle attached to the Five Elements True Dragon Ring shattered into pieces without leaving a single fragment.

It seemed to mock the difference in level from the beginning.

'So, it's not possible after all.'

Increasing the quality or quantity of the Circle Stone wouldn't change anything.

The great power of the Five Elements True Dragon Ring was so strong that it could repel a 4th Rank auxiliary spell in an instant. If it perceived the attempt to form a circle as direct interference, even a 7th Rank Mage wouldn't be able to create the first ring.

Just as Leonard, who had resigned himself to his situation, was about to open his eyes, it happened.

Whirrrrrr——!

The five-colored sphere began to rotate.

Not just circulating Leonard's internal energy, it was generating its own power. It seemed to have learned the principle of motion from the circle it had touched.

Once per second.

Three times per second.

Ten times per second.

As the rotation speed tripled in an instant, the centrifugal force emitted by the Five Elements True Dragon Ring began to dominate the surrounding world. Sensing the unusual momentum, Leonard desperately tried to suppress it.

And then.

'—It was dangerous.'

Leonard felt cold sweat trickling down his spine.

It couldn't be helped.

The overwhelming force that momentarily escaped his control not only engulfed the entire mana concentration room but also threatened to erode beyond Esther's workshop and into the mage tower itself.

If the mage tower's defense system had detected it and sounded the alarm, Leonard's actions would have been exposed.

'This is a region not protected by Cardenas. I could have been captured by high-ranking officials of the mage tower and used as an experimental subject.'

What he had done in a light-hearted manner could have led to a more fatal situation than [Mass Teleport].

Unaware of Leonard's turmoil, Esther, seeing him open his eyes wide, spoke.

"You created a 1st Circle? A bit faster than I expected."

"...Yes, it was successful."

While he failed to form the circle itself, he gained the essential power of magic: the power to dominate, the force to alter the world through the rotation of the circle.

The power to dominate, the force to alter the world through the rotation of the circle!

While mage battles rarely occur at close range, when they do, the battle often comes down to the power of domination. The side that is dominated cannot use magic, making it a one-sided affair.

Esther herself might not have realized it, but within the range of Leonard's domination, she couldn't use magic. This meant that the domination power manifested by the Five Elements True Dragon Ring was even stronger than that of a 4th Rank Mage.

'Now I have a weapon to use against mages, but...if it's revealed, I must eliminate it. It has surpassed the level that can be publicly disclosed.'

Leonard's eyes momentarily turned cold upon realizing this peculiarity, but they quickly calmed as he turned to Esther.

"Alright, I'll teach you the formula for the 1st Rank spell [Magic Missile]. Try to activate it. With your mana, you won't run out even if you fail dozens of times."

1st Circle is the beginner stage.

There are no great formulas that can be used with just one circle. Most formulas are simple and of low value because anyone can use them.

A projectile spell that gathers unattributed mana into a snowball, sets a direction, and launches it at a slow speed.

"Although it's classified as an attack spell, no one thinks it can be used in actual combat. The power and speed of [Magic Missile] are the same regardless of the user's circle, and it's weaker than a stone throw."

Esther, extending her finger, muttered, "[Magic Missile]."

A mana projectile shot out with a "Pang!" and hit a target.

Despite the target being reinforced with a spell, it didn't even scratch it and dispersed without delivering any impact.

It wasn't called a 1st Circle test spell for nothing.

"I'll recite the formula. It's okay if you can't remember it all at once. Ask as many times as you need."

"Understood."

But despite Esther's consideration, Leonard was accustomed to the long and complex martial arts formulas.

Leonard, who remembered the formula for [Magic Missile] at once, tried to guide the power using his domination.

Or rather, he tried to guide it.

'...What is this?'

Using his domination to peel back the surface of the world and guide mana into the formula was very successful.

The problem started after that.

Moreover, the optimized [Magic Missile] activated immediately.

Pang! Pang! Pang! Pang! Pang!

Five mana projectiles, more densely packed than Esther's, appeared simultaneously.

Seeing this, Leonard subconsciously thought that the spherical shape was inefficient. If it were shaped like a thin, sharp dagger, like a hidden weapon used in the martial world, it would fly faster and be more lethal.

Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!

The five [Magic Missiles] transformed into sleek daggers and flew at arrow-like speeds, piercing the target. Unlike Esther's [Magic Missile], which dispersed with a "Pang!", these were completely different.

Leonard, puzzled by the result, asked Esther.

"Is this the correct way to do it?"

"......"

Receiving no answer, Leonard turned around to see Esther with a look as if she had seen a ghost.