Chapter 4

The Training Grounds, the place for testing magic, were located behind the Main Building of the Magic Academy.

It was a large domed structure, but once inside, the space felt far more expansive than it appeared from outside.

Apparently, it was a spatial magic personally devised by the great First Grand Master who founded the White Magic Academy eight hundred years ago.

​That was TMI I had no particular desire to remember.

The important thing was that here, I wouldn’t have to pay for punching holes in the walls.

“I will assess your skills here.”

Herman walked to the center of the Training Grounds.

As he swung his staff once, round targets appeared in midair.

One, two.

At first there were only a few, but the targets kept increasing.

Thirty black discs, each at different heights and angles, floated throughout the Training Grounds.

“Use the Homing Bullet.”

Herman held out a single sheet of paper.

On it, a complex Magic Formula was drawn with blue lines.

“What’s a Homing Bullet?”

Herman’s brow twitched.

“You don’t know that either?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Do you still intend to lie?”

“I really don’t.”

“……….”

Herman pointed at the targets with a displeased expression.

“It’s a basic magic where the caster controls the trajectory of a fired Mana Bullet. Pierce as many targets as possible with a single shot.”

In simple terms, it sounded like a homing missile.

“May I refer to the Magic Formula written on the paper?”

“Why else would I have handed it to you?”

“Understood.”

I unfolded the paper.

Blue lines were intertwined in circles.

Thanks to having tried casting a Fireball yesterday, it didn’t feel like a completely unfamiliar diagram.

Of course, even if I understood it, it was probably at the level of a kindergartner finding their own name on a signboard.

“AI. Analyze it.”

I spoke quietly enough that no one else could hear.

[Confirming the basic Homing Bullet Magic Formula.]

Semi-transparent lines floated up over the paper.

[Identified 19 redundant calculations.]

[Each Head change loses an average of 8.3% output.]

Lines marked in red blinked throughout the Magic Formula.

“That’s a lot of flaws.”

[Removing redundant calculations will increase Mana efficiency.]

[Individual Coordinate Formulas can be integrated into a single Continuous Trajectory Formula.]

“Do it.”

[Reconstructing the Magic Formula to suit the user’s Mana Engine.]

The blue lines before my eyes moved rapidly.

Several overlapping lines disappeared, and the disconnected Coordinate Formulas were joined into one.

Small circles that were scattered separately were also linked to the large ring at the center.

When I restored the Fireball, it took hours, but

[Reconstruction complete.]

‘That was fast.’

This time, since the Magic Formula remained largely intact, it didn’t take long.

Red lines were overlaid onto the paper.

The Coordinate Formulas scattered across multiple branches merged into a single flow, and the stabilization formulas surrounding the outside were reduced by nearly half.

[Displaying the modified Magic Formula.]

I compared the original and modified versions a few times.

Create the Propulsion Formula, attach a ring to maintain output, then connect the separate coordinates into one trajectory.

I don’t understand the calculations, but I understand the order.

That’s enough.

“I’ve seen it all.”

When I lowered the paper, Herman’s brow furrowed.

“Already?”

“Yes.”

“You’re saying you mastered a magic you’ve just encountered in that short time?”

“Trying it will tell.”

It wasn’t that I was entirely confident.

When I first made a Fireball, I burned my sleeve before the spark even caught.

As I headed to the center of the Training Grounds, Herman explained the test rules from behind.

“Only one Mana Bullet is permitted. The moment it misses or dissipates, the test is over.”

“Does the order matter?”

“No. Pierce as many as you can.”

As many as I can, huh.

Yesterday, I couldn’t even hit a Jar just a few steps away. There was no way I could hit discs while bending the direction multiple times.

I lowered my voice.

“Help me out, AI-mon.”

[Confirming coordinates for 30 targets.]

Red dots appeared among the discs.

A line connecting each point swept across the entire Training Grounds.

It was a path that started from the nearest one, went up to the ceiling, then came down along the opposite wall and ended behind my back.

[Applying the Continuous Trajectory Formula will allow piercing all targets.]

[Projected success rate: 92.4%.]

“There’s something I have to do too, right?”

[The user must maintain Mana Supply during casting.]

I expected that much.

I’d heard several times yesterday that physical Mana Supply wasn’t supported.

“Keep showing me the path.”

[Request acknowledged.]

I raised my right hand and drew up the warmth from below my stomach.

I pushed it slowly, making sure the flow didn’t break as it passed through my chest, to my shoulder, and then to my fingertips.

After a moment, a blue light flowed from my hand.

First, I drew a round outer outline, then inscribed a ring in the center to maintain the Mana Bullet’s form.

I placed the Propulsion Formula inside it, then connected the long Trajectory Formula along the coordinates AI had displayed.

[Formation array successfully constructed.]

It was far more concise than the original I’d seen on the paper, and the formation time was shorter too.

You could say it was my own original Homing Bullet.

[Negative. The user was only responsible for issuing commands.]

“……Let’s just say we made it together.”

Herman’s voice came from behind.

“That’s…….”

I didn’t have the luxury to turn my head.

While keeping the Mana gathered at my fingertips from scattering, I aimed at the first target.

“Homing Bullet.”

A white light the size of a finger joint formed at the center of the formation array.

[Output stabilized.]

“Go.”

Bang!

The Mana Bullet pierced the first disc.

After that, it was almost a blur.

I moved my fingertips along the red path, pushing in Mana whenever the speed dropped.

Each time the white light changed direction, short bursts of impact echoed throughout the Training Grounds.

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

After passing ten, I gave up counting.

AI showed me the path, but keeping the Mana Bullet on it was my job.

With even slightly wrong force, it wobbled as if it would fly off course.

[Trajectory deviation detected.]

“Uh.”

[Adjust Mana Flow to the left.]

I twisted my wrist reflexively.

The Mana Bullet grazed the edge of the disc as it passed through.

Fortunately, that was the only close call.

The white light pierced the remaining targets one by one, then made a wide loop back behind me.

Thoom!

[All targets pierced.]

[Dispelling Homing Bullet.]

The Mana Bullet scattered in midair.

I lowered my arm and flexed my stiff fingers a few times.

“Whew. This is surprisingly tiring.”

There was no answer.

Celia was counting the perforated discs, and Herman was staring blankly at the spot where the formation array had vanished.

‘……Did I mess up?’

Nothing seemed missed.

Celia spoke first.

“Herman. What was my best record?”

“……Twenty-seven.”

She turned to look at me.

“Congratulations, Leon. You just broke that record.”

“What……?”

“That’s incredible. Your Mana control is better than mine.”

Herman was silent for a while.

His gaze swept over the perforated discs.

“……Are you truly telling me that yesterday was the first time you learned magic?”

“Yes.”

“And all you had was a Fireball?”

“I told you so…….”

For the first time, confusion appeared on Herman’s face.

Celia, meanwhile, was covering her mouth with her hand as if trying to suppress a laugh.

“Yet you pierced all thirty with a Homing Bullet?”

“I thought I had to hit them all to pass.”

“Who said that?”

“You did put up thirty of them.”

Herman pressed his brow.

“I told you to pierce as many as you could.”

“So I asked the AI if hitting all of them was possible, and it said yes, so…….”

Celia tilted her head.

“AI?”

“Oh, no, nothing. Just talking to myself.”

“……Talking to yourself?”

Twenty years without a single friend had made it a habit to keep talking out loud to the AI.

I’ll have to be more careful from now on.

…Not that habits change that easily.

Meanwhile, Herman was focused on something else entirely.

“The formation array you used just now was different from the one written here.”

He was holding the paper I’d returned, pointing at the original Magic Formula.

“I fixed it a bit.”

“A bit?”

His voice rose.

“This magic is designed to calculate new coordinates each time it changes direction. But you connected each calculation into a single Trajectory Formula. You even converted the output loss in between into the next propulsion.”

Sorry, but I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about.

AI must have done something along those lines.

“Well, you see…… I tweaked the calculations a bit. That’s all.”

“Is that what you call a bit?”

“I just reduced the overlapping parts.”

[Affirmative.]

Herman looked back and forth between the paper and me.

The suspicion from earlier was gone.

Instead, his eyes were shaking, like someone facing something they couldn’t explain.

“He instantly reconstructed a Homing Bullet he’d just encountered, then flawlessly cast it…….”

He muttered lowly.

“……A genius.”

Celia smiled with satisfaction.

“See?”

……I feel like I’m being seriously misunderstood here.

“I’m not a genius.”

“After hitting all thirty?”

“I had help.”

“From whom?”

“That’s…….”

The question circled back to the difficult spot again.

I kept my mouth shut.

Celia didn’t press further.

Instead, she narrowed her eyes with interest and stepped closer to me.

“Leon. Would you be interested in working at the White Magic Academy?”

“Working?”

“I’ll register you as an Climbers affiliated with our academy. The main job is investigating Magic Formulas and Magic Tools discovered in the Tower.”

Climber.

I’d heard that’s what they called people who hunted Monsters and retrieved Treasures inside the Tower.

Some were sponsored by Nobles or wealthy merchant guilds, but most were affiliated with Magic Academies or guilds.

I thought it was a job that would never have anything to do with me.

In fact, that was true up until yesterday.

“Do I get paid?”

“Basic salary plus climb allowances.”

“Lodging too?”

“I can give you a room in the dormitory.”

“Meals?”

The corner of Celia’s mouth twitched up.

“Three meals a day. Plus unlimited snacks.”

“Sure, let’s give it a shot.”

They pay me, house me, and feed me.

Even if there were a few suspicious clauses in the contract, it was worth signing first.

“Quick decision.”

“Food is at stake.”

Celia nodded with a laugh.

“So when do I enter the Tower?”

“Two days from now.”

Celia held up two fingers.

“An orientation is being held for newly registered Climber. The White Magic Academy’s new recruits will be going up to the 30th Floor as a group and coming back.”

“The 30th Floor?”

“It’s a section where beginners get used to the Tower’s structure and combat style. A guide will be assigned, and we’ll avoid dangerous floors, so you don’t need to worry.”

[Recommend observing new Magic Formulas.]

AI seemed to like the idea.

Well, I think it’s not bad either.

With a guide assigned, there’s also a designated person to run from.

“Let’s finish your Climber registration today. You’ll receive equipment and check out the dormitory.”

“When’s dinner?”

“About the time registration is done.”

“Then let’s hurry.”

Celia let out a small laugh and headed toward the Training Grounds exit.

I followed right behind her out the door.