[April 30, 11:28 a.m.]
Two minutes before the duel between Shin Ha-yul and Baek Sa-hyuk began.
"Wow, I didn't expect to meet Patriarch Shin In-hyuk here."
In the VIP showroom, Shin In-hyuk was conversing with a man.
"Tower Master of the Blue Magic Tower."
"It's been a while, hasn't it?"
The Blue Tower Master, Kim Kang-in —the greatest magician in Korea, the man who had succeeded in founding the nation's first magic tower.
A genius among geniuses, who reached the 8th Circle at the record age of fifty.
He smiled affably as he greeted Shin In-hyuk.
"Have you come to see Ha-yul as well, Patriarch?"
"…Yes."
Shin In-hyuk didn't particularly like this man.No, perhaps "disliked" was more accurate.
He didn't like that this man — more than ten years his junior — stood at the same level as him, both being 8th Circle magicians.
He didn't like that in the small land of Korea, there existed a magic tower that could rival the Mado Clan.
Above all, he disliked that this man constantly interfered in the affairs of the Mado Clan.
"Then you're here for the same reason as I am?"
Of course, Shin In-hyuk wasn't foolish enough to show such thoughts on his face.It wouldn't do him any harm to stay on good terms with such a powerful figure as the Blue Tower Master.
"The articles were too provocative for me to resist. Before I knew it, I'd tossed my work aside and rushed over! Hahaha!"
With that genial laugh, Kim Kang-in turned his gaze toward the arena outside the showroom.
Shin Ha-yul and Baek Sa-hyuk were standing in their respective positions, waiting for the match to begin.
"What's the truth of it, then?"
He asked while looking at Shin Ha-yul's back.
"The truth?"
"I mean the articles about Ha-yul. Are they true?"
Had Shin Ha-yul really overcome the penalty of being an "incompatible" and achieved rebirth?
If so, how had he done it?
Had he developed a new AI system that even worked for incompatibles?Or had he somehow corrected Shin Ha-yul's unique physiological condition?
"..."
Shin In-hyuk didn't answer.
No—he couldn't answer.Even he didn't fully understand the situation well enough to respond.
"Hmm. So that's a 'no comment,' I take it."
Kim Kang-in interpreted Shin In-hyuk's silence in his own way and accepted it.
"Well, no matter. The duel starts in less than a minute anyway. I'll see for myself soon enough."
He could tell just by watching.
There was no deceiving the eyes of an 8th Circle magician.
[We will now begin the second match of Group H.]
Just then, the announcement rang out to signal the start of the match.
Both men simultaneously focused their gaze on Shin Ha-yul through the showroom window.
[Match start!]
After a brief moment of stillness, the duel began.
And exactly three minutes later—
"...!"
"...!"
Kim Kang-in and Shin In-hyuk both leapt to their feet in shock.
"What in the world is that spell…?"
Their eyes shook violently as they stared at Shin Ha-yul.
Modern magic is fast.
What once required a human to calculate manually could now be processed by a computer program in 0.1 seconds.
The AI embedded at the base of the neck reacts instantly to the user's mana "collection,"and in a flash, computes and executes the output — the "manifestation" of magic.
Given such advancements, it was only natural that old-style magic would fade away.
However, even modern magic had one critical flaw.
It could not be used freely.
If that doesn't sound like a flaw, think of it like a game.
Boss monsters in games always follow a programmed process — repeating preset attack patterns.Even if they could reach farther or swing wider to kill you instantly, their code forbids it.
Modern magic is exactly the same.
For example, consider a spell called [Reverse Cutter]:
[Reverse Cutter][Maximum Range: 37.44 meters][Maximum Speed: 117 km/h][Note – Trajectory can be altered once per cast.]
Modern magic cannot go beyond these preset parameters.
If your opponent moves even one meter beyond the 38-meter limit, Reverse Cutter simply won't hit.
And since everyone knows it can only change trajectory once, they never even consider a second redirection.They dodge the first curve and immediately plan their counterattack — as if following a game's pattern manual.
Thus, modern magic is overly formulaic.
As a result, duels between modern magicians are akin to a game of Go:reading the opponent's moves and responding with flexibility.
That's the true artistry of modern mage battles.
BOOOOOOM!
"Ooh! He dodged again!"
"Shin Ha-yul's reading is insane!"
"That's five times already!"
And this kind of move-reading had always been my specialty since childhood.
"Beating me with just First-Circle magic? You dumb bastard, try it if you can!"
Baek Sa-hyuk shouted, moving his mana.
In about one second, that mana would transform into a spell and fly toward me.
At that instant, my brain accelerated beyond describable limits.
'Current distance between me and Baek Sa-hyuk: roughly 25 meters.'
'My stance is broken after dodging the previous Fire Missile.'
'Having dodged five spells already — and declared First Circle before the start — Baek Sa-hyuk's temper must be boiling.'
'The crowd's starting to murmur in doubt about him.'
'To him, having to cast five spells against an "incompatible" opponent like me must be humiliating.'
My brain is special.
Not merely because I'm an incompatible — even as a child, my brain was exceptional.
The speed of information processing was simply different.
In the blink of an eye, I can process dozens of thoughts simultaneously.
No wonder reading battles is my forte.
'Given this situation, what spell could Baek Sa-hyuk use next…?'
My memory was also extraordinary.
Every "open-source spell" currently in existence is stored in my mind.
Analyzing Baek Sa-hyuk's personality and the current situation together leads me to two options:
'Third-Circle spell — either Explosion or Wind Tempest.'
But that's not enough.
Both Explosion and Wind Tempest are space-targeting, instant-cast Third-Circle spells.
If I can't identify which one, I can't perfectly counter it.
I needed one more hint.
I stared intently at the mana flowing around Baek Sa-hyuk's body.
'A flicker of red.'
And there it was.
[According to the Bytenor-style magic system, one can see mana as color proportional to achievement. At First Circle, one can perceive mana's hue for an instant.]
For a fleeting moment, I saw crimson mana.
'Conclusion: Explosion.'
The spell he was preparing was Explosion, a Third-Circle fire-element spell.
Once I reached that conclusion, I immediately moved my mana.
For the first time since the match began, I cast a spell.
'First-Circle spell — Water.'
Though my spell activated half a second later than his, it spread around me faster than Explosion.
"Die, Shin Ha-yul!"
Baek Sa-hyuk screamed, his bloodshot eyes wide.
His mana burst outward.
In an instant, it would ignite the air around me and explode.
But—
"…What?"
Pssshhhhhh—!
The Explosion failed to activate.
Only thin trails of smoke rose around me.
Explosion, a Third-Circle spatial ignition spell — fast and hard to evade, yes, but not without weakness.
'Explosion cannot activate in a space filled with water.'
As long as you know it's coming, blocking it isn't that difficult.
"…Water?"
Seeing the massive volume of water surrounding me, Baek Sa-hyuk frowned and muttered.
"With a measly First-Circle spell, you blocked my Explosion? No, wait—your casting speed just now…"
"What? Surprised my spell was faster?"
"..."
A heavy silence fell over the arena.
Everyone seemed stunned that an "incompatible" like me had used magic without any incantation or preparation.
Baek Sa-hyuk was no exception.
He looked utterly shaken.
And I didn't miss that moment of distraction.
"First-Circle spell. Wind Spear."
From my fingertips, the First-Circle wind-element attack spell, Wind Spear, formed — and in the same instant, it shot toward Baek Sa-hyuk.
"You bastard…! You really think you can beat me with a measly First-Circle spell!?"
Baek Sa-hyuk, quickly regaining his composure, raised a barrier to deflect the Wind Spear.
The spell bounced away, and he canceled his barrier, drawing up mana again as if it didn't matter where the spear had gone.
"Just because you can use a few spells now doesn't mean you can crawl back up, you defective trash—!"
Thunk!
At that moment, a vicious cracking sound came from Baek Sa-hyuk's shoulder.
"Gaaah!"
Thanks to the safety settings in the arena, no blood spilled — but the pain was certainly real enough.
"You bastard! What the hell did you just—!?"
He clearly had no idea what had happened.
"Don't get it? Then I'll show you again."
I cast Wind Spear once more and hurled it at him.
Clang!
Baek Sa-hyuk raised another barrier, blocking it again.
Apparently, he did have some learning ability — this time, he didn't dismiss the barrier.
His gaze followed the Wind Spear that had ricocheted away.
It rose slowly into the air, climbing higher and higher.
And then—
"W-What's that!?"
The Wind Spear stopped midair.
Then, spinning on its axis, its tip turned back toward Baek Sa-hyuk.
Shweeek!
And fired again.
KAANG!
This time, the Wind Spear struck his barrier once more and vanished.
"The Wind Spear… re-fired after bouncing away…?"
"Good eye."
Baek Sa-hyuk's eyes trembled with confusion.
"There's no way a Wind Spear could have a double-cast property…"
My Wind Spear was special.
No—my magic itself was special.
"This time, there'll be four."
I cast Wind Spear again — four of them.
Four shimmering spears hovered above my head, then launched toward Baek Sa-hyuk.
He swiftly formed a barrier and blocked them.
However—
Puuuuuk—!
"Gaaah!"
He'd blocked only three.
The fourth Wind Spear, having curved around his barrier to strike from behind, found its mark.
"H-how… how did you curve just one spear's trajectory…!?"
"Good that you're curious."
I smirked at Baek Sa-hyuk, writhing in pain.
"But maybe you shouldn't zone out like that — I've still got three left."
"...!"
Baek Sa-hyuk immediately scanned his surroundings.
And sure enough, the deflected Wind Spears were turning again — their tips all pointed right at him.
He jumped aside in panic.
'In modern magic, a fired spell is like a bullet — once launched, its path can't be changed.'
A Wind Spear that had already been given its trajectory could not, by the laws of magic science, be redirected.
So his choice to flee was the logical one.
"Smart move… but…"
That's only by the standards of modern magic.
Such "logic" doesn't apply to Bytenor-style magic.
"What—!?"
At my will, the Wind Spears hovering in midair turned again.
Now they aimed directly at where Baek Sa-hyuk was moving.
'At that distance, the current mana inside those spears isn't enough to pierce him.'
So I decided to merge them.
'Combine.'
In an instant, the three Wind Spears fused into one.
And then—
Puuuuuk!
"Gaaaah!"
It struck Baek Sa-hyuk squarely in the abdomen.
"M-magic… fused in mid-flight? What the hell…?"
That was the true terror of Bytenor-style magic.
Freeform spellcasting that completely overturns the foundations of modern magic.
An opponent's "common sense" becomes their weakness against it.
Just like Baek Sa-hyuk, who had dropped his barrier the moment he thought Wind Spear had only one trajectory.
Wrong information is a deadly poison.
That's what makes Bytenor-style magic so fearsome.
Baek Sa-hyuk groaned and staggered to his feet.
"You bastard! That casting speed… What trick did you use to make a First-Circle spell that powerful—!?"
He shouted, face twisted in agony.
"'A mere First-Circle spell,' huh?"
I gave a short laugh.
"You're underestimating First-Circle magic."
Even a First-Circle spell can be deadly in the right hands.
"Sa-hyuk, you know something?"
I smiled faintly, gathering mana in my lower body.
"To kill someone, you don't need a grand sword."
And I kicked off the ground.
In an instant, I was right beside Baek Sa-hyuk.
I released the remaining mana of the Infinity Circle as I spoke:
"You can kill someone with just a pen."
"What nonsense are you—"
Baek Sa-hyuk tried to cast a spell.
But my casting speed was leagues beyond his.
'First-Circle spell. Water.'
The expelled mana instantly formed into a water orb the size of a human head.
"Urk! Guh—!"
Bubble—bubble—
It wrapped perfectly around Baek Sa-hyuk's face.
"Same goes for magic."
Unable to breathe, Baek Sa-hyuk clawed frantically at his mouth and nose.
"To kill someone, you don't need a grand spell."
I placed my hand on his trembling shoulder and forced him down to the ground.
"A safety zone? That so-called body-protection field means nothing."
I whispered into his ear as he convulsed in suffocating pain.
"You can kill someone easily… with just Water."
"Guh! Urgk! K-Khaaa—!"
Baek Sa-hyuk's body jerked violently as his airway sealed shut.
"Just like you, right now."
His strength was draining fast.
Barely thirty seconds had passed, but his complexion was already pale.
If I maintained Water any longer, he really might die.
So I released the spell and straightened up.
Facing the instructor, whose jaw hung open in disbelief, I spoke.
"Instructor, is there any reason to continue this match?"
"...Ah, hrm."
The instructor, who had been staring blankly, finally came to his senses.
"Duel over! Winner — Shin Ha-yul!"
At his declaration, a beat of stunned silence passed.
Then, three seconds later—
"Wooooaaahhhh!"
"Holy crap! Did you see that!?"
Cheers erupted.
"What was that Wind Spear!?"
"I thought it was Reverse Cutter for a second!"
"Gave me chills, seriously!"
"Damn! He really beat Baek Sa-hyuk with only First-Circle magic!?"
I smiled amid the roar of the crowd.
"…It's been a while since I felt this."
The taste of victory — and of cheers — after a year of silence.Sweet. No—intoxicatingly sweet.