Tradition is forgotten under the name of convenience.
In truth, that's only natural.
As technology advances, old and inconvenient things are inevitably phased out little by little.
Just as mobile phones once heavy as bricks became smartphones, and steam locomotives became KTX high-speed trains.
What was once great eventually becomes outdated and disappears.
You could say it's simply the natural order of the world.
"Twenty-first century. Magic has undergone a revolutionary evolution. There's no student here who doesn't know that, right?"
Magic is no exception.
"Come on, Instructor. Is there anyone who got into this school without knowing that?"
The first Archmage who defined mana as a concept and established magic as an academic discipline.
The magic he created may have been revolutionary and groundbreaking in his time.
But not anymore.
"The development of artificial intelligence that supports magic was the turning point of magical engineering."
[Collection ― Heating ― Conversion ― Condensation ― Transmission ― Expansion ― Amplification ― Manifestation]
Until a hundred years ago, this was the standard sequence for casting magic.
What do you think? Doesn't it sound complicated just hearing it?
"Yes. That's right. In the 21st century, with technological progress and the development of artificial intelligence, magic has entered a new frontier."
Of course, that was merely common sense a hundred years ago.
"The advancement of AI shortened incantation formulas, refined magic equations, and made spells even more powerful. Not to mention much easier to use."
Modern magic is simply: Collection ― Manifestation.
Just two steps.
The caster only needs to gather mana.
The AI automatically adjusts all intermediate formulas and completes the spell.
After that, the caster simply releases the magic according to their will.
That is modern magic.
What do you think? Convenient, isn't it?
"Oh dear, I've gone on too long. Before introducing myself, let me say this first—congratulations. Congratulations. You are the elite among elites, the top 1% of the world's population."
Of course, just because the magic system has been simplified doesn't mean anyone can use magic.
Magic is still the exclusive domain of the chosen, those with talent.
You must have affinity with mana.
You must be able to absorb mana.
And you must be able to release that mana externally.
And various other conditions.
Only about 1% of the total population meets all the requirements to become a magician.
"Life's best when you can cruise through it easily."
"Born with a mana spoon in your mouth—so blessed."
"Hahaha!"
Laughter echoed throughout the classroom.
"Mana spoon."
A term derived from "gold spoon," referring to people born with the innate ability to sense mana.
"Once you graduate from this school, your lives will be smooth sailing, a straight path to success."
Naturally, magicians are highly skilled professionals in this world.
They are invaluable in combat and immensely useful in daily life as well.
That is what modern magicians are.
And the school we enrolled in is the highest tier among institutions that train such magicians.
A prestigious academy ranked among the top ten in the world.
As the instructor said, simply graduating from this school essentially means you've already won at life.
And I was one of those elites in the top 1%.
Yes.
I was one of them.
"Instructor! Are you sure you should be bragging like that?"
"Did you forget that Shin Hayul is in this class?"
Once again, laughter erupted from all directions.
But this laughter was different—mocking, scornful.
At the same time, everyone's gaze focused on me.
"Shin Ha-yul is really pitiful."
"How does someone with once-in-a-generation magical talent fall into the abyss in an instant like that?"
Eyes gleaming with a cheap sense of superiority—at least I'm better than him.
Eyes filled with pity and sympathy.
And eyes sparkling with joy at my downfall.
Those naked emotions, clearly visible in their pupils, pierced straight through me.
"Who could've imagined it? The rising star of the Shin Mage Family—Shin Hayul—being incompatible with AI."
"A magician who can't use artificial intelligence. Heh heh."
As I said earlier, magic in this world has achieved revolutionary progress.
But not everyone can benefit from revolutionary technology.
Just as only 1% of the population possesses mana—
There are exceptions even to AI, the pride of modern magic.
"Fate's really cruel. How does Shin Hayul end up in the 0.00002%?"
0.00002%.
I belong to that minuscule percentage—the incompatible.
"Wow, the more you think about it, the more pitiful he is."
Despite possessing once-in-a-generation talent, he was rejected by modern technology.
The only defective product of the Shin Magic Family.
That is how the world judged me—Shin Ha-yul.
"..."
But who could have known?
That being "incompatible" wasn't misfortune—
but fortune.
At that time, when I was too busy swallowing my anger, I didn't know.
One year later.
Until I encountered that book.
Truly.
I had no idea.
Not even in my dreams.
* * *
A distinguished Korean mage family famous for producing outstanding magicians one after another.
The Shin Magic Family.
I was born the youngest of three sons and two daughters.
I began playing with mana at the age of four and was hailed as a prodigy.
I used magic for the first time at seven.
Double casting at ten.
Triple casting at fifteen.
My fame only continued to grow.
"Now all that's left is synchronizing with AI at seventeen."
"As expected of my son. At last, a magician who will rule the world will emerge from our family."
Naturally, my family's expectations rose day by day.
Despite being the youngest, people openly said I would become the next head of the Shin Magic Family.
"I honestly want to synchronize with AI right now."
"Dear, restrain yourself. You know we don't know what side effects could occur if AI synchronization happens before proper personality formation at seventeen."
"I was just expressing my regret."
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say my seventeen years of life existed solely for magic.
Sometimes the expectations weighed heavily on me, but I didn't mind.
After all, I genuinely loved learning magic.
Doing what I loved while receiving praise from everyone around me.
What could be better than that?
I would continue down the path of magic and become the greatest magician in the world.
That was what I believed.
But
That hope was shattered the moment I entered high school at seventeen.
"Gaaaah! My head! Aaaaagh!"
" Ha, Hayul!"
Right after the entrance ceremony.
On the day of the AI bestowal ceremony.
I lost consciousness under a crushing headache.
"Student Shin Ha-yul is incompatible with AI synchronization."
"A unique constitution found in only 0.00002% of the global population… but to think it would be Shin Ha-yul…"
I learned that my body could not receive AI.
It felt as if my world had collapsed.
What had my life been until now? Were my seventeen years meaningless?
Countless negative thoughts devoured my mind.
"…Useless."
It didn't take long for my father's expectations to turn into disgust.
He was a man who valued the growth of the family above all else.
With my fall, ridicule poured onto the family from all sides—there was no way he could look kindly upon me.
"I knew you'd end up like this."
"As if the youngest had any right to aim for the position of family head."
Siblings who had secretly envied me poured their scorn onto me, delighted at my downfall.
"Look. That's Shin Ha-yul."
"The defective genius?"
"Hey, he'll hear you."
I had entered the magic school of my dreams.
But all that awaited me was despair.
Everyone pointed fingers behind my back, pitied me, and looked down on me.
And so, one year passed.
"You've worked hard for a year."
"Congratulations on advancing."
"Wow. Shin Ha-yul somehow managed to advance, huh?"
Even after a year, I was still looked down upon by everyone.
"Heh heh. Shin Ha-yul's up next."
"What score do you think he'll get?"
"Wanna bet? I'm betting he won't meet the minimum."
Of course.
It must be satisfying.
Watching the fall of someone once praised as a genius for over ten years.
Especially since families must have compared their children to me—it must be all the sweeter.
I understand.
I understand all of it.
"Man, that's an unfair first hit. Anyone can tell he won't meet the minimum."
"You should bet on how far below the minimum he'll be."
…Even if I understand, it still feels like crap.
"Next. Shin Ha-yul."
While suppressing my anger, the instructor called my name.
"Yes."
No.
This won't do.
This is a practical training session.
Focus!
I brushed away as much of the negative emotion as I could.
"You've seen how the others did, so I don't need to explain in detail, right?"
"Yes."
The instructor checked my information on a tablet PC.
"Second year. Shin Ha-yul. We will begin the practical training for provisional magic rank evaluation."
With the instructor's words, a countdown appeared at the center of the testing ground.
[10]
[9]
.
.
.
[Start!]
At the start signal, I moved my mana according to the eight-step magic activation process.
* * *
[Report Card]
[Second-year student Shin Ha-yul, Obelisk Academy for Mage Training, Korea]
After the practical training ended, I sat on my dorm bed, reviewing my report card.
[The power of the magic is acceptable, but the casting speed is close to the worst. It is over 27 times slower than the magic of a newly enrolled freshman.
And it's not as though the power is exceptional either. Compared to the preparation time, the output is noticeably weak—like watching a broken faucet drip.
[Overall Comment: Hard to believe this is the magic ability of a second-year student—it's utterly disastrous.]
All I can do is sigh.
Every single line strikes straight at my bones.
It feels like someone forged a mace out of pure facts and smashed my skull with it.
[Comprehensive Evaluation: Below standard]
[Unable to evaluate]
[P.S.I We recommend that you look for a different path.]
"Below standard…"
The handwritten sentence at the end felt like an awl boring straight into my heart.
"I know it myself. I know I'm lacking…"
An AI-incompatible.
Because I can't compress spell formulas, my spell activation speed is inevitably far slower than others'.
And without AI backup, my spell formulas lack precision, so their power is inevitably weaker.
Receiving an evaluation like this is only natural.
Messages from home keep coming, telling me to give up and come back.
Stop disgracing the family and return quietly.
That's what my father said.
"…One year."
He even added that after wasting a whole year on this nonsense, wasn't I satisfied by now?
And it wasn't just my father.
Everyone urged me to give up.
What good is having talent for magic, they said,
when the most important thing is missing?
Why is a defective product that can't learn modern magic struggling so desperately?
You haven't improved at all in a year—what more are you expecting?
From their point of view, saying such things is only natural.
But—
"I haven't stagnated."
Whatever else may be true, I cannot accept the claim that I haven't improved.
I am definitely growing.
A year ago,
a spell that took ten seconds to activate now takes eight.
Along with that, my spell formulas have become more stable, and their power has increased.
Even while double-casting, my formulas no longer waver.
My magic has not stagnated.
To those who benefit from AI assistance, this may seem like a change that hardly matters.
But I am taking one step at a time, steadily moving forward.
"I won't give up."
I haven't stopped, so I can't give up.
I will become a magician no matter what.
To show those who looked down on me what I'm made of.
To fulfill my long-held dream—reaching the very pinnacle of magic.
I will never give up.
"…Hoo."
Steeling my resolve, I put the report card away.
After taking several deep breaths to calm my turbulent mind, I stood up.
Let's train.
There's no time to wallow in self-pity.
Instead of lamenting, I should refine my spell formulas, even if only a little.
If I'm lacking, then I just have to work that much harder.
And I did just buy new study materials.
All right.
Let's start fresh with a fresh mindset!
Cheering myself on internally, I took out the books I had newly purchased this time.
They were books I'd bought at an old bookshop.
The textbooks provided by the academy and popular reference books are useless to an incompatible like me.
So the only option was to buy books from places like old bookstores—books that record the magic systems of the past—and study on my own.
Which one should I start with?
I picked up the old tomes one by one, examining their covers.
Which would be the most useful?
"Hm?"
That was when it happened.
One book suddenly caught my eye.
"This book…"
Among volumes over a hundred years old, all thoroughly worn, there was one red book that alone looked pristine.
Maybe because it was hardcover—it looked extremely high-quality.
Did I buy a book like this?
I didn't remember doing so.
Could it have slipped in by mistake while I was gathering books?
As I turned it over in my hands, the title came into view.
Written in hurried cursive.
It was in an ancient language, and the handwriting was poor on top of that, making it quite hard to read—but not completely illegible.
"Ray Bell Baitener?"
Compared to its striking appearance, the title itself was rather ordinary.
The first great archmage of humanity, Ray Bell Baitener.
It's been a while since I've seen this.
This book is a kind of autobiography and myth that records the life of that hero.
There isn't a single aspiring mage who hasn't read it.
Of course, I had read it too—
though not in paper form, but as an e-book.
Could this be a first edition?
Thinking that, I casually opened the book.
Flash!
Light burst forth from its pages.
"Ugh!"
Suddenly, my head spun.
A sharp, stabbing pain, as if someone were directly probing my brain.
And then—
'To the descendant who can hear this voice, one who possesses the same constitution as me—I, Ray Bell Baitener, leave this book to you.'
A voice I had never heard in my life pierced directly into my mind.