Using only the water element to attack the enemy in an environment saturated with fire element?
It was an extremely difficult task, but in truth, it wasn’t all that hard for Jun.
Hadn’t Jun freely wielded the fire element even in a space filled with water element during his battle with Derman?
Of course, back then he had the fire element revolving around his circle and also possessed the unique attribute of “Flame Seeker”.
But even in a reversed situation like this, it wasn’t that much harder.
First, seize control over the local mana.
Then, forcibly imbue it with the water element.
Unlike in the battle with Derman, this process took a bit more time and consumed a lot more mana—
But Jun had [Mana Body].
To command mana to discard its inherent attribute and to imbue it with a new one—
For someone with the [Mana Body], known as the master of mana, this was nothing more than a simple repetitive task.
And that wasn’t all.
Even now, the fire-element orb revolving around Jun’s circle was strengthening his control over the fire element.
Paaaang—!
With that, Jun detonated the [Water Bomb] and took down the Red Lava.
Since the natural counter to a fire-element monster was the water element, and Jun was a sixth-circle mage, he could defeat the Red Lava in one strike with a fourth-circle spell like [Water Bomb].
“Fail.”
But Laness’s response was cold and dismissive.
Jun turned to face Laness calmly….not to protest, but simply out of curiosity.
“Did I fail?”
“Yes. That method you just used… I suppose you could call it creative. Incredibly unique. So unique that no other mage would dare try it. But that’s not the goal you’re meant to achieve here, is it?”
“Hmm…”
Jun listened to Laness’s words and fell into thought.
True. What I just did would be impossible for ordinary mages.
After all, Jun was someone who had become highly skilled at forcefully casting magic in these types of situations.
Up until now, that hadn’t really been a problem.
Jun had never really felt a lack of mana when casting spells.
And as for the time it took to cast them, his companions had always covered for him.
But if you ask whether I can keep growing this way… the answer’s probably no.
It was like having poor eating habits: they might not cause immediate discomfort, but over time, they could lead to serious health problems.
Up until now, Jun had been “picky” with his magic. He kept sticking only to what felt comfortable for him.
But it wasn’t entirely his fault.
He’d never had a mentor to point it out, and he’d never faced a situation where it truly became an issue.
In fact, that selective approach had arguably been the main reason he’d managed to survive this long.
And now I’m supposed to undo all of that?
A truly difficult task, wasn’t it?
But without challenge, there could be no growth.
“I’ll try to come up with a new method.”
“A good attitude.”
With that, Jun fell deep into thought, while Laness silently watched the two young mages.
***
There were roughly four months left until the season ended, and two months until the Mage Assembly.
And the struggles of the two young mages were far from being resolved in a day or two.
Since his failure on the first day, Jun had been hard at work. He kept refining new theories and integrating the insights he’d gained.
Velles, on the other hand, was doing everything she could to make the impossible possible, relying on the knowledge she already had.
Laness simply observed the two in silence, offering no advice so far.
It wasn’t because she couldn’t be bothered.
A mage must be someone who can face phenomena directly and think for themselves.
That was her belief.
Besides, both of them already had a solid foundation of magical knowledge, enough to overcome the challenge she had set.
Since they were still in the midst of the process, she decided to wait and watch a bit longer.
And before long, just as Laness had hoped, something changed in Jun’s eyes.
It happened on a day like any other while Velles was quietly focused on her own spellwork.
“This won’t do… Still not working.”
Velles let out a sigh at the spell that had just begun to manifest only to fizzle out.
Watching him, Jun suddenly felt a jolt in his head.
It was like being struck on the back of the skull with a blunt weapon.
The kind of moment where the words “Oh, crap” slip out on their own.
I was way too fixated on [Mana Body]!
When had it started?
Back when Aiden had just learned the [Charge] skill and kept crashing into rocks.
Jun had once explained to Aiden the importance of skill proficiency.
And that lesson applied to Jun himself as well.
He had once regretted neglecting his understanding of [Mana Body], and from that point on, he had poured effort into grasping its nature.
And what I discovered about [Mana Body] was that it’s fundamentally about compulsion.
And that same compulsion harmonized well with the ancient magic Jun had been using effectively.
Because of that, he had come to believe that forcing mana into action was simply the norm.
I’ve been mistaken this whole time.
He had assumed that, since he was the master of his mana, he had the right to wield it however he pleased.
But wasn’t that the kind of thinking a dictator might have?
The reason Jun had never noticed this mistake was simple.
Because I never felt any discomfort.
His mana had always responded to him so well.
And whenever he lifted the verbal restraints and unleashed the full potential of [Mana Body], that surge of omnipotence that flooded his mind—
It was something so dangerous it could sweep away even his own sense of self.
To maintain his consciousness within that overwhelming power, he’d had no choice but to handle his mana with force.
– I am your master.
– You cannot harm me.
– Do what you are meant to do.
That mindset had become a kind of habit, so even when he wasn’t lifting the restraints, Jun continued to wield his mana harshly.
In truth, it was a bit ridiculous.
Mana was just mana.
It wasn’t a living being with emotions.
He had simply been using it for its intended purpose.
But how would that seem from the perspective of an eighth-circle archmage?
Would they see mana as just a tool? Nothing more than an object?
No, that’s not it… Even I, who possess [Mana Body], know this. Mana may not be a living creature, but it does have a will.
It didn’t clearly or explicitly express itself, but mana could move according to or even reject the will of the one controlling it.
And what Velles is doing right now is a kind of example of that.
Though Velles himself probably hadn’t realized it.
What Velles was doing now looked very much like “coaxing” and “persuading”.
Would it be too rude to call it groveling?
But that’s how it looked. Velles was doing everything he could to generate an ice attribute from within a fire attribute.
He wasn’t like Jun, who forced his mana to abandon the fire attribute through sheer power.
Instead, he was slowly generating mana, converting a part of it into an ice attribute, and gently “suggesting” that it might come over to his side.
That’s not the wrong approach. In fact, it might even be closer to the right answer than mine.
That was why Laness hadn’t offered Velles any advice.
So then, why had Velles failed to successfully cast his spell so far?
It’s simple. His appeal to the mana just isn’t strong enough.
It’s like this:
Imagine you go to someone living comfortably in an old house and offer to build them a better one if they’ll just give up the old one.
But if that person doesn’t like the look of the new house, would they sign the contract?
Mana was the same.
He’s trying to coax it into giving up its fire attribute and switching to ice but there’s no real incentive.
The important thing is to spark its curiosity.
And there are many ways to do that.
A precisely designed magic pattern, or the pull of pure, refined mana. Or maybe even…
A vivid and delicate, yet unmistakably clear mental image.
Jun’s choice was that mental image.
Coaxing mana just doesn’t suit me.
Rather than that, he’d lead it with strong leadership, guiding the mana to follow him of its own will.
Not by brute force, but by instilling the conviction that following him would lead to far better results.
“Ah…”
And so, he draws it. What he had seen….was the most terrifying aspect of the sea.
A dark and lonely ocean.
That heavy, fearful silence sinking deep below.
A space that devours even light.
In other words…the Abyss.
[Water Bomb]
[Attribute Enchantment: Abyss Absorption]
A dark-colored water orb exploded in front of the Red Lava and instantly engulfed it.
Faced with that ominous power, the Red Lava desperately tried to fight back, spewing molten lava.
But to everyone’s astonishment, the lava it spit out vanished the moment it touched the dark water droplets and was absorbed completely.
The water attribute devoured the fire attribute.
This wasn’t some simple concept of water extinguishing fire.
It had literally swallowed and absorbed it.
As a result, the water droplets split and began to multiply.
Brrrrrrr!!
Startled, the Red Lava spewed even more lava, but the result was no different from before.
And watching this scene unfold, Velles was at a loss for words. He could only stare.
It was… how should one describe it?
Horrifying.
Awe?
No, it wasn’t that.
It was like witnessing something that should never exist. Like a human trembling before an unknown phenomenon they cannot comprehend.
Velles shivered in fear, unable to make sense of what he was seeing.
Tap.
And then, someone’s hand gently rested on Velles’s shoulder.
It was Laness.
Startled, Velles turned to look at his master and once again, he was shocked by what he saw in his master’s eyes.
They were shining.
Like stars, her eyes sparkled.
The same master who always said a mage’s emotions must remain as calm as a still lake—
Her eyes were now shining, like a lake holding a star.
“Ah…”
And only then did Velles come to a realization.
It wasn’t magical insight.
It was about that first day his master met that mage.
The reason his master had, without hesitation, left her own student outside and spoken privately with Jun—
Now, he finally understood.
Master must have recognized Jun’s talent from the very beginning.
Realization comes to everyone, eventually.
Whether late or early, the heavens distribute opportunities fairly.
But whether one can seize them or not depends entirely on that person’s usual conduct.
It was obvious at a glance.
Jun, whose eyes never left the summoned droplet, hadn’t manifested that magic through a fleeting moment of insight alone.
He must have wrestled with his thoughts constantly, even in ordinary times.
Anywhere, anytime.
So that the moment came when he could use his knowledge, he would be ready to draw it out instantly.
Then Velles recalled how Jun usually behaved.
Jun was always thinking about something.
At first, he didn’t think much of it.
It was only natural for the leader of a mercenary group to have many things on his mind.
But that was a mistake.
He had been tirelessly contemplating his magic, constantly searching for ways to grow.
This… isn’t even something I can be jealous of.
A hardworking genius?
No.
That term doesn’t do him justice.
A beast.
The only word for him is a beast.
There was a time I envied you.
He envied Jun’s innate talent, the talent that even his Master couldn’t help but admire.
But now, that envy has turned to fear.
What is it that drives him so relentlessly?
What kind of life must one have lived to carry that kind of intensity through each day?
It’s terrifying.
At the very least, Velles didn’t want to live a life like that.
Because if he did, he felt he could never truly love the discipline of magic.
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