BXBX NOVEL Chapter 225: Mikhail (1)
Chapter 225: Mikhail (1)
“...No, far from it,” Mikhail replied with determination, clenching his fists. However, the dark circles under his eyes betrayed his exhaustion.
“We’ll rest here for today,” Kary said with a light smile, looking at Mikhail. After all, he was the one struggling the most at the moment.
The group was currently on their way to Tatur. Azor had a large teleportation magic circle that could have taken them straight to the Three Kingdoms of Istria, which wasn’t far from Tatur. It would have been the most efficient route.
Swish...
But instead, they found themselves in a dense coniferous forest, the towering pine trees obscuring the sky. The group was setting up camp, starting a fire to rest for the night.
“How long has it been?” asked Karyl.
“About three days now,” Mikhail answered quietly.
“Three days, and we”ve covered a little over half the distance... It’s about the same speed as riding on horseback.”
“Yeah, it seems so,” Serica chimed in, waiting for this moment. Despite having traveled the same distance, she seemed in better shape than Mikhail.
“Are you really a 5th Class sorcerer? How come you’re struggling more than a 4th Class like me? You seem even worse than before. Didn’t you train hard in Antihum?”
Instead of using the teleportation magic circle, Karyl had suggested that they travel to Tatur by foot to train their mana stamina, forbidding the use of horses or any other means of transportation.
It was indeed a grueling journey. Most sorcerers wouldn’t deplete their mana like this on purpose.
“...Yeah, you’re right.”
Mikhail couldn’t argue with Serica. After all, he was the reason they had covered merely half the distance in three days.
“Just think of it as an extension of your training. By completely draining your mana core and then refilling it, you’ll find it easier to circulate your mana.”
Indeed, teleportation magic was useful for short distances, but the amount of mana required increased exponentially for distances of tens or hundreds of kilometers. High-ranking sorcerers could cast both short-range spells like Blink and long-distance teleportation, but the mana consumption increased significantly with distance.
If a sorcerer who had just reached the 4th Class attempted to teleport between kingdoms without a magic circle, they would most likely end up bedridden for several days due to mana exhaustion.
“...I’ll keep that in mind,” Mikhail replied, still feeling dejected.
Karyl hadn’t chosen to travel like this simply because of his recent advancement to the 6th Class, but also because the group consisted entirely of sorcerers: Serica, Mikhail, and Israphil.
I can see the difference in their abilities now.
Another reason for traveling on foot was for Karyl to evaluate the group’s progress.
“Um... The food is ready,” Israphil cautiously spoke up, having merely observed the atmosphere until now.
Beside him, the small Dark Giant, now about waist-high, wobbled over with a bowl on its head.
Israphil is definitely the best in terms of mana control.
Unlike the other two, Israphil had trained with the Immortal Council and could maintain the Dark Giant while teleporting without showing significant fatigue.
The Dark Giant does borrow power from Duaat, but it doesn’t mean Israphil is not using his mana at all.
With Allen\'s guidance, Israphil was undoubtedly fit to be among the Chosen Ten.
Serica has also improved remarkably. Though still at the 4th Class, her mana is exceptionally pure. And thanks to her spear training, she’s the strongest physically, with excellent mana circulation.
While he hadn’t been worried about her, Serica’s skills had significantly improved since returning from Antihum. Her performance during the capture of the Void Speck proved her excellent combat instincts.
Hmm... Just as I expected, Mikhail is the concern.
[Is that what you think?]
It was then that Allen’s voice echoed in Karyl’s mind.
[Have you still not noticed?]
...What?
[Even Nain Darhon didn’t realize it. I had my suspicions about him before leaving Antihum, but seeing him struggle confirms it.]
Is there a problem? Karyl asked with a slight frown, not understanding what Allen was implying.
[What good is my knowledge repository if you’re just going to use it for yourself? You need to look after your people more closely.]
You sound like you’re speaking from experience.
[Always have to win, don’t you?]
Allen clicked his tongue, although he was aware that Karyl had chosen to travel like this in order to assess his companions.
If you know something, just tell me.
[Perhaps I will if you call me Master]
Master.
[...]
Allen was momentarily speechless at Karyl’s immediate compliance.
[You’re impossible...]
Allen shook his head in resignation.
[Hmm... There’s a decent monster nearby in this forest.]
Allen’s gaze swept over the dense pines.
[Let’s call a few over and have Mikhail fight. Do you remember what Nain Darhon said?]
Of course.
[But you’ve never seen him in a real fight, have you? It’s time to confirm it. I’m curious too.]
Can you even do that?
[That’s Duaat’s power. The darkness allows for freedom and stealth, perfect for this task.]
Allen smiled meaningfully and raised his hand. The rustling of his robe was followed by the sound of leaves brushing against each other.
Swish... swish...!
The distant sounds quickly got closer, and the trees shook wildly.
“Roooaaarr!!”
A roar echoed under the night sky.
“Is that... a War Bear?!” Mikhail, who had been receiving a bowl from Israphil with a spoon in hand, jumped up and shouted at the sudden appearance of the monster.
Serica and Israphil quickly turned around.
“...!!”
Serica instinctively reached for her spear lying beside her.
“...?!”
But then her face twisted in frustration as she noticed Karyl stepping on the spear’s shaft with his arms crossed, looking ahead as if nothing were happening.
Irritated, Serica yelled, “What are you do—!”
Crack—!
But she was interrupted by the sound of a massive tree snapping.
Crack... crack...!
But it wasn’t just one tree. The forest suddenly opened up as though a waterway had been created. The night sky, previously obscured by the dense group of towering trees, was now clearly visible.
“This is...” Serica was stunned by the unfolding scene, her mouth agape.
The fir trees on either side had been neatly cut down, seemingly by something razor sharp. Not just one or two, but hundreds of them.
[What do you think?]
In front of the fallen trees lay the War Bear that had charged at Mikhail, now lying on the ground with its head severed.
Whoosh...
“Uh...”
Mikhail sat down with a blank expression, utterly shocked. The residual wind mana from his arms swirled around him, stirring up dust. It wasn’t the appearance of the monster that had startled him, but the power of the spell he had cast.
[Hehe.]
Allen chuckled at Mikhail’s expression.
[Do you remember what I said when you first showed this kid to me?]
...?
Karyl tilted his head.
It had been several years since Allen first saw Mikhail, when Karyl won the Magic Tournament and visited the Gray Training Ground. Even with a sharp memory, recalling everything from that long ago was naturally difficult.
[Well, I didn’t take it seriously back then either.]
Allen laughed nonchalantly.
[This guy has shorter meridians connecting the mana veins to the mana points compared to others. He’s got an easier time learning magic thanks to his body. Also, his meridians are thicker, allowing for smoother mana circulation. It’s truly a blessed physique.]
Ah...!
Karyl finally remembered and nodded.
[Shorter meridians mean shorter activation times for mana. It allows him to concentrate his mana faster.]
Upon reflection, it made sense. Just moments ago, Mikhail had cast Wind Blade on the War Bear that attacked him. Typically, chantless magic meant casting spells only by uttering the spell’s name, skipping the incantations.
However, Mikhail had gone beyond that, not even uttering the name for the offensive spell.
[Thicker meridians allow for instant maximization of mana, but the trade-off is significantly higher mana consumption. Despite having the second largest mana pool here, after yours, he struggles with teleportation magic due to his higher mana consumption.]
I see.
[But the important part lies elsewhere.]
Allen walked over to Mikhail, who was sitting down, and placed his hand on his head.
[Now I understand why the Platinum Dragon regretted this kid’s talent in his previous life. I thought I knew magic well... Karyl, you’re undoubtedly the strangest person I’ve seen in my life, but this kid is something else.]
“...!”
Even though Allen’s body was formed by spirit power, Mikhail shuddered at the cold touch of his hand.
“Listen up, both of you.”
Now, Allen’s voice echoed out loud, and everyone turned to look at him.
“There’s something I misunderstood about this guy. His meridians aren’t just short. They’re so short that he shouldn’t be able to use magic at all.”
“But...”
“Despite that, he can use magic, and the reason lies in why his meridians are thicker. Or rather, why they seem thicker. It’s because he doesn’t have just one set of meridians.”
“Not just one?” Israphil asked, his eyes sparkling. He was always eager to uncover more about magic, and this caught his attention.
“Extremely short meridians are tied like knots, making them seem like a single meridian. But even then, the combined meridians are shorter than normal ones.”
Not even Allen had noticed at first.
“In simple terms, his meridians aren’t singular lines but dozens of lines connected. When he casts a spell, the same mana is used from each meridian, resulting in this effect.”
Allen pointed to the neatly cut trees.
“Does that look like a 3rd Class spell to you? Regardless of its level, the spell is banned for a reason.”
“...”
“The power far exceeds the 5th Class. This kid essentially casts dozens of Wind Blades simultaneously.”
“...!!”
Serica and Israphil gasped in amazement. As sorcerers, they knew well how difficult it was to cast multiple spells simultaneously. And Mikhail could cast not one or two, but dozens of spells—an incredibly advanced technique.
Although he could only do it with one spell, that alone meant Mikhail possessed an innate ability that not even a Great Sorcerer could replicate.
“When he casts a spell, the same spell is applied simultaneously from each of his mana veins. This doubles mana consumption, and for high-level magic like teleportation, he depletes his mana faster than others.”
“That’s... incredible. Isn’t this something really extraordinary?!” Israphil almost shouted.
“Then let me ask you this. Does anyone come to mind when you hear this?” Allen looked at Karyl.
“There’s someone who, using a different method, poured a tremendous amount of mana into lower-level spells to enhance them.”
“Oh, isn’t that what Lord Karyl used to win the tournament?” Mikhail said cautiously, recalling the event.
“No way...” Karyl’s expression hardened.
Allen smirked, seeming to enjoy everyone’s reactions.
“Kaye Aesir... This kid over here was born with the ability to use the magical theory established by that man.”
“...!!”
“...?!”
“In fact, this kid might set a new milestone in the magical world, something even Kaye Aesir couldn’t achieve.”
“M-Me?” Mikhail couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He had been insecure all this time, thinking he was holding back the talented Serica Lauren and Israphil.
“Let’s see... How about calling it...”
Allen’s voice drifted across the darkness.
“...Stacked Magic Technique.”
At that, a smile spread across Karyl’s lips. After his conversation with Aidan, he had become convinced of something—he couldn’t do it alone anymore. In order to alter the continent’s landscape faster, he needed to use the right people in the right places.
And now, it was Mikhail Roman’s turn. Karyl already knew where he ought to use him.