Chapter 21

EP.21 Ant Nest - Interlude

[Status]

Name: Isaac

Level: 50

Gender: Male

Grade: 1

Title: Freshman

Mana: 605 / 650

- Mana Recovery Speed (C-)

- Health (C)

- Strength (C)

- Intelligence (C-)

- Spirit (B+)

Potential <<Details>>

[Combat Abilities]

Element Type 1: Ice

- Elemental Damage (C+)

- Elemental Efficiency (C+)

- Elemental Synergy (C+)

Element Type 2 (Locked)

[Skills]

Active

- (★1) Ice Creation (C) / (★5) Black Ice (C)

- (★2) Ice Barrier (C+)

- (★1) Cold Emission (C+)

- (★1) Basic Protection Magic (D)

- (★4) Frost Flower (D)

- (★4) Ice Wall (D)

Passive

- (★7) Mind Reading

Skill Tree <<Details>>

[Unique Traits]

- Evil Slayer

Level increased by 14 at once.

In "Märchen's Magic Knight," the rate of mana increase becomes more rapid at every 50 levels. I'm right at that point now.

Just one more level, and my mana will start to increase significantly.

I'm also about to learn [Freezing Explosion].

I didn't expect it to be this sweet.

On a sunny afternoon, I was in the garden as usual.

Sitting on the lawn, I looked down at the sheath of the Sword of Calamity in my right hand. I was maintaining a gentle [Frost Flower] in my left hand, not wanting to waste a single second.

If I engrave a magic array on the sheath of the Sword of Calamity and infuse it with mana, I can use that magic once at any time.

After that, I need to recharge it once more to use it again.

The maximum level of magic that can be engraved is 5 stars. The power of the magic will be the same as my current level.

If the [Evil Slayer] trait activates, I will need to infuse more mana to use it.

'I want to try it out soon.'

But I shouldn't test the sheath of the Sword of Calamity now. Once I engrave a magic array on it, the sheath will be attuned to that magic, and I won't be able to change it.

The most efficient thing to engrave on the sheath of the Sword of Calamity is [Freezing Explosion]. So, I plan to use this item only after I learn [Freezing Explosion].

'For now, I'll hold off.'

I put the sheath of the Sword of Calamity in my pocket.

Next, it's time to allocate stats.

I stood up and entered the status window [Potential <<Details>>].

[Potential]

Available Stats: 38

◆ Growth Rate

- Physical Training Efficiency (C): 26/100 [UP]

- Magic Training Efficiency (B+): 55/100 [UP]

- Learning Efficiency (D): 12/100 [UP]

◆ Elemental Resistance

- Fire Elemental Resistance (E): 0/100 [UP]

- Water Elemental Resistance (D): 6/100 [UP]

- Ice Elemental Resistance (C-): 24/100 [UP]

- Lightning Elemental Resistance (C): 29/100 [UP]

- Rock Elemental Resistance (E): 2/100 [UP]

- Wind Elemental Resistance (D): 13/100 [UP]

- Neutral Elemental Resistance (D): 8/100 [UP]

◆ Racial Combat Power

- Human Combat Power (E): 4/100 [UP]

- Beast Combat Power (E): 1/100 [UP]

- Celestial Combat Power (E): 0/100 [UP]

- Demon Combat Power (S): 100/100 [MAX]

I have a whopping 38 available stats.

[Magic Training Efficiency] is almost at its maximum.

No matter how bad Isaac's innate potential is, [Magic Training Efficiency] at 100 is considered a genius level. My growth rate will become incredibly fast.

However, the higher the level, the steeper the time required to reach the next level.

Even if I max out [Magic Training Efficiency] at 100, it will take a long time to improve beyond B+ level. Otherwise, the hell difficulty of "Märchen's Magic Knight" would be too easy.

To obtain Hilda's Frost Scythe, I need to max out [Ice Elemental Resistance] to at least 60, but I can deal with that gradually.

I'll also max out [Physical Training Efficiency]. The stronger my physical abilities, the more advantages I'll have in battle.

Without the athletic skills of Ian, I might find myself in difficult situations. Moreover, good physical abilities are essential for the future. They will help me handle legendary weapons.

Since I have some stats to spare, I should also increase [Learning Efficiency]. The higher [Learning Efficiency] is, the faster the growth rate of individual magic proficiency.

[Learning Efficiency] is different from [Magic Training Efficiency], which is specialized in improving elemental combat abilities like [Elemental Damage], [Elemental Efficiency], and [Elemental Synergy].

It also helps with studies.

'I've decided.'

I allocated the remaining 13 stats to [Physical Training Efficiency],

16 stats to [Magic Training Efficiency],

and 9 stats to [Learning Efficiency].

[Potential [Physical Training Efficiency] has improved from C to B-!]

[Potential [Magic Training Efficiency] has improved from B+ to A!]

[Potential [Learning Efficiency] has improved from D to C-!]

No matter how messed up Isaac is, with this level of potential, he won't be outdone anywhere.

From now on, it's back to training, and more training.

"Huff."

I took a deep breath and summoned [Frost Flower] in both hands.

* * *

Grung.

The mysterious monster that appeared during the class assignment evaluation.

Luce Eltania, the top student of the first year at Märchen Academy's Magic Department, repeatedly tried to identify the monster but found no significant leads.

There was no way to determine which elemental attributes the students possessed, and Grung had completely disappeared after the class assignment evaluation.

Just in case, she searched the Delphin Forest and examined mana traces, but she couldn't find any traces of Grung.

'I should have paid more attention during the mana measurement.'

If I had, I would have known which elemental attributes each student had.

It was the first time she regretted not paying attention to others in the past.

While walking through the academy garden, basking in the sunlight, with a troubled expression.

Whoosh!

The sound of ice magic being used came from somewhere.

Similar to fire, but the sound of ice crystals colliding and making a faint noise was distinguishable. It was definitely ice magic.

"......?"

The elemental attribute Grung used was ice.

Luce thought of Grung and headed towards the corner of the garden where the sound came from.

She passed tall flower beds and rows of trees.

Then, an open lawn spread out before her.

In the middle, a male student was sweating profusely and training the 4-star ice magic [Frost Flower].

His silver hair, slightly wavy, had a faint blue tinge, and his eyes were a cold blood-red.

He was intensely focused on his training, his eyes fixed coldly on the air.

Cold flames burned in both hands, and a pale mist of cold air and ice mana formed the shape of flames, with beautiful ice crystals floating around them.

"Ha!"

He exhaled deeply and emitted [Frost Flower].

Luce recognized who he was.

Thanks to her photographic memory, she could clearly recall him. He was the man who ran away in fear when he saw her during the class assignment evaluation.

"......"

He appeared from the direction Grung had fled.

And the ice attribute......

"......No, it can't be."

She briefly suspected it but immediately shook her head.

Grung was an overwhelming expert. He wouldn't be sweating profusely and struggling to train a 4-star magic alone. Moreover, the short range of [Frost Flower] indicated a low proficiency.

He was far from Grung.

"Ah, ugh......"

The silver-haired man started to bleed from his nose, the same color as his eyes. He groaned, bending over in pain.

He had overused his mana. Luce had never experienced it herself, but she knew that mages sometimes reached this state when they pushed themselves too hard.

When they reached this state, their bodies would reject magic, making it difficult to use.

Despite this, he wiped the blood from his nose with his sleeve and summoned cold flames in both hands again.

Once more.

Once more.

The man emitted [Frost Flower].

"......"

Luce silently watched him.

She didn't know why.

On the day she contracted with Galia, the 10-year-old girl felt deep skepticism about humans and turned her gaze away from others.

But now, Luce couldn't turn her gaze away from the silver-haired man.

Was it because of Grung? Did the monster awaken her curiosity about others?

"Ha, ha......"

The man stopped casting magic and caught his breath.

He slumped to the ground, bowing his head and repeating his breathing.

Was it over?

......No, he got up and repeated [Frost Flower].

Once more, once more. When it became difficult to use magic, he would do push-ups or squats, pushing himself to the limit.

Somehow, she just wanted to keep watching him.

Luce silently observed the man.

......

The silver-haired man went to the garden corner every day to train his magic.

From the rooftop of Charles Hall, the dormitory for top students, Luce watched him. She could see him training from here.

Under the moonlight, Luce leaned against the railing. Her rose-gold hair and nightgown fluttered in the wind.

With her eagle-like vision, she observed the man.

He mainly trained basic ice magic like [Cold Emission] and [Ice Creation], and he was also diligently casting [Ice Wall] and [Frost Flower].

Whenever he had a chance, he would bring his hands together and gather ice mana between them. Luce, who had basic knowledge of most elemental magic, easily understood the reason.

[Freezing Explosion]. The man was definitely planning to learn this 5-star magic.

"He's working hard."

The words slipped out unconsciously and were carried away by the night wind. Without realizing what she was thinking, Luce silently watched the man.

......No, if she thought about it, she could understand.

Lightning element magic. Luce had turned her gaze away from this elemental attribute.

She had been constantly infusing lightning element mana to suppress Galia, her 8-star familiar. Even now, at this moment.

Because of this, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't cast proper lightning magic.

That's why she had relied on water magic to survive.

She looked at her right hand. A crackle of electricity ran across her palm.

"Lightning Creation (Lightning Attribute, ★1)"

Effort, effort, effort.

What is effort?

As if her Gestalt had collapsed, the word 'effort' broke into pieces and swirled in Luce's mind.

"......"

Luce clenched her hand, which was tingling with electricity, and let out a low breath. Her chest ached.

The sight of the silver-haired man, who was struggling to train despite the pain.

It contrasted sharply with herself, who kept running away from lightning magic.

......

The next day, the day after that.

The silver-haired man trained his magic in the garden corner. He continued to use magic even when he bled from his nose and his body was exhausted.

Was it ambition? It wasn't entirely absent, but it seemed like a larger purpose was driving him. It felt like he had a secret he couldn't back down from.

The more she watched, the more thoughts crossed her mind. His efforts kept catching her eye.

......

A week later.

Last night, it seemed the silver-haired man was about to be able to use [Freezing Explosion].

Luce sat on a garden bench, watching the man from a distance.

He was still training his magic. He brought all his fingers together, creating a gap between his hands, and gathered ice mana.

When a pale blue magic array appeared in front of his gathered hands, his eyes widened.

"......!"

Luce unconsciously leaned forward.

The appearance of the magic array meant the conditions to use the magic were met.

Now...... can he do it?

The man extended his right arm. A condensed ball of ice mana was in front of his right hand, and the pale blue magic array quietly followed.

And.

The man released the condensed ice mana.

─────"Freezing Explosion (Ice Attribute, ★5)"

Kaboom───!!

The freezing explosion burst out powerfully.

In an instant, a thorny ice structure appeared in front of him.

It was about 10 meters long.

"Wow......!"

Luce exclaimed. She couldn't understand why she was clenching her fist and feeling excited.

Soon, surprise spread across the silver-haired man's face.

That emotion quickly turned into ecstasy.

"Ah......!"

The man closed his eyes tightly, clenched his fists, and trembled.

Then, he tilted his head back to the sky and let out a wild cheer.

In his excitement, he even started shadow boxing in the air.

"Ha ha."

Luce couldn't help but cover her mouth with her slightly clenched fist and chuckle.