Episode 86
“Try casting an Ice Bolt at me.”
Dale hesitated for a moment at Sepia’s request. He recalled the lethal incantations he infused into his Ice Bolt—or rather, his Ice Bullet.
Just as he was about to deliberately weaken the spell’s power—
“Don’t hold back. Use your full strength.”
Sepia reassured him with a calm smile.
”…Understood.”
Dale nodded and took a step back to create some distance.
“Ice Bullet.”
He concentrated the blue mana generated from his ‘four circles’ and launched the ice projectile.
Bang!
Even though Dale had toned it down ‘a bit’ by his standards, it was still far faster and more powerful than anything he could have managed at the three-circle level. It was a lethal force that even an elf’s keen eyesight would struggle to track. Or so it should have been.
”──!”
But just as the ice bullet was about to strike Sepia, the blue mana composing the Ice Bolt unraveled like a loose thread, dissipating into nothing.
”…!”
“I could sense the point where your blue mana condensed into a single focus.”
After neutralizing Dale’s Ice Bullet, Sepia continued.
“By observing the angle of the icy ‘arrowhead,’ I could predict the direction it would strike.”
She had nullified the spell by predicting its origin and trajectory before it even fully formed.
“Before the magic even materializes…”
Instead of focusing on the spell itself, she concentrated on its fundamental components. It was about preventing the problem from arising in the first place, rather than solving it after it occurred. This approach symbolized the philosophy pursued by the mages of the Blue Tower.
“Would you like to try something stronger?”
Sepia suggested.
”…You mean using the full power of a four-circle spell?”
“Show me the extent of your abilities.”
Sepia smiled, encouraging him to give it his all.
With that, Dale conjured a wall of ice.
“Triple Barrel · 12-Gauge Buckshot.”
Using the ice wall as a ‘barrel of frost,’ he added explosive incantations, scattering dozens of ice pellets from three barrels. Or at least, that was the plan.
”…!”
But nothing happened. The ice wall stood firm, unaffected. The incantations Dale had projected held no power.
“Think of mana as water.”
Sepia spoke, drawing from her expertise as a high-level water attribute mage.
“You fixed the mana structure to block the projection of the incantations?”
“You’re quick to understand.”
Sepia nodded, explaining the concept of dispel magic.
If mana is like ‘water molecules,’ then magic is the water they form. The incantations projected onto the magic are like adding sugar or salt to change the water’s flavor.
However, if you fix the mana itself, akin to freezing the water molecules, the water becomes ice—and no amount of sugar will affect ice.
‘No wonder mages dislike the Blue Tower.’
Despite being part of the Five Towers, the Blue Tower could be considered a mage’s worst enemy.
By focusing entirely on the opponent’s magic, they could completely nullify the opponent’s intentions. This was the Blue Tower’s specialty: Spell Counter.
“Now, I’ll show you the movement of mana.”
Sepia began her practical lesson. Blue mana swirled around her, generated from her circles.
“Focus on the blue currents and identify the points where the flow stagnates.”
The point where the blue currents stopped. The point where the mana flow halted and condensed. But focusing on the opponent’s magic rather than one’s own was easier said than done. To make it easier for Dale, Sepia exaggerated the movements of the blue currents.
Dale concentrated on that point, assuming the opponent’s mana as ‘water molecules’ and aiming to fix those molecules.
At that moment, Sepia’s mana surged and stagnated, and Dale launched his ‘blue particles’ at the target. It was a basic-level imitation of the 《Blue Dissonance》 Sepia had demonstrated.
‘Combining this with sniper magic might be worth considering.’
As Dale calmly contemplated the application of this magic—
”…!”
Sepia gasped in surprise at Dale’s performance.
‘It’s like hacking.’
He infiltrated the opponent’s mana structure just before it formed, disrupting it.
“Well done.”
Sepia’s mana flow became turbulent and tangled under Dale’s intervention.
Bang!
But as Dale’s 《Blue Dissonance》 targeted one spell, another mana vortex began to form.
’…!’
A Bolt spell was launched, and Dale focused again. If he couldn’t stop it at the formation level, he had to block the spell itself. Following Sepia’s teachings, Dale concentrated once more.
What she launched was a basic-level Ice Bolt.
By predicting the trajectory from the point of formation—the direction the arrowhead pointed—he set a ‘trap to disrupt the mana structure’ along the path of the Bolt spell.
By adding the otherworldly incantation—‘Dissolve.’
Bang!
Sepia’s Bolt was launched, and as expected, Dale’s dispel trap swallowed it. But simultaneously, another Bolt was fired.
”…!”
Two, three, a barrage of Bolts began to rain down, and Dale gritted his teeth. There were too many to handle individually.
“You lost the tempo.”
Sepia smiled knowingly at Dale’s struggle.
“The key to sealing your opponent is maintaining an advantage in tempo.”
“Like when you scattered the 《Blue Dissonance》?”
“That’s one way to control the tempo.”
Controlling the tempo meant having the upper hand in the speed of actions during a mage’s duel.
“So, what do you think is the basic principle of controlling the tempo?”
“I’m not sure.”
“In interactions with your opponent, always aim for a favorable exchange rate.”
Sepia explained.
“I launched Bolt spells quickly, using low-cost magic to maintain the offensive.”
Low cost. Quick and easy-to-cast lower-level spells. Dale didn’t have the capacity to nullify each one.
“For instance, if a dispel spell costs 5, a Bolt only costs 1.”
The most basic and common spells.
“If this 5:1 exchange continues, which side will gain the advantage?”
The answer was obvious.
“Your 《Blue Dissonance》 was impressive.”
Sepia acknowledged.
“But it’s too valuable to waste on a mere Bolt spell.”
“Indeed…”
Understanding the value of each spell and the advantage of acting proactively in magical interactions. As Sepia explained the method of ‘controlling the tempo,’ Dale couldn’t help but be in awe of the profound insight.
“Maintain a proactive stance from start to finish, always staying ahead of your opponent.”
Sepia’s continued explanation embodied the essence of a ‘pure mage.’ Unlike Dale, who pursued a more unconventional path, Sepia walked the straight and narrow of magical understanding.
“Now then.”
Sepia began.
“From the simplest nullification spells to countering high-level mage incantations.”
The approach of a high-level Blue Mage in battle was straightforward.
“Let’s explore it together, slowly.”
“Yes, Sepia-sensei!”
Firmly grasping the tempo of the battle, never succumbing to the enemy’s pace. Block, block, block, and block again until the opponent’s frustration boiled over into curses.
‘In a way, it’s quite ruthless.’
But when used correctly, it was the perfect counter to mages. Understanding Blue Magic was akin to learning how to counter Blue Mages. For Dale, it was an invaluable lesson.
“I’m already looking forward to seeing the results of your learning.”
Sepia smiled, as if there was still a mountain of knowledge left to explore.
The essence of magic built by the Blue Tower. It wasn’t something a young mage at the three or four-circle level could easily replicate. Beyond talent, truly understanding ‘nullification magic’ required a deeper insight.
Yet, Dale had managed to copy and internalize this advanced magic just by observing.
“You truly are my student.”
“With a teacher like you, how could I not be?”
Dale replied with a nonchalant smile. Achieving the level of a four-circle mage held special significance.
Just as Dale had never been an ordinary three-circle mage, advancing to the next level required more than ‘ordinary insight.’
Beyond talent or skill, it was a realm that demanded a profound understanding of the magical path.
Even though Dale pursued an unconventional path, the four-circle insight he gained was anything but ordinary.
Having reached the level of a 4th Circle mage, Dale finally unlocked the secrets of the Blue Tower. This was a realm so mysterious that even someone as renowned as Dale couldn’t comprehend it before reaching this stage.
What new heights would Dale achieve with this newfound understanding? The sheer brilliance of his talent reignited a passion within Sepia, who watched him with renewed interest.
Sepia hoped that Dale wouldn’t just dabble in blue magic as a secondary skill to his dark magic, but that he would truly grasp its essence.
No longer just a tutor for a novice, Sepia saw in Dale a rightful successor, much like the Black Lord had once accepted him as his heir. Dale was now poised to inherit the spirit of the Blue Tower’s elder.
Clang!
Swords clashed. Not the shadowy blades of magic, but the pure, unadulterated skill of a swordsman.
Dale’s knightly sword met the blade of a man known as one of the Continent’s Seven Swords.
Though he wasn’t using aura, and was only enhancing his body with spells like Haste, it was still no match for the aura-infused strikes of the Seven Swords.
“My lord! Perhaps it’s time to surrender!”
Each swing was absurdly heavy and swift. For knights of a certain caliber, speed and weight were not mutually exclusive. Yet with every clash, Dale was steadily imbuing his sword with his own “ideals.”
The sword of the hero, Peacemaker. He was channeling the “memory of the sword.”
Even if he couldn’t project the sword’s form directly, its essence wasn’t just in its appearance. The material of the blade, the magic within, the history embedded in its steel—all of it was being quietly reflected in Dale’s sword as he recalled the memories of the hero.
And with that, Dale’s sword intercepted Sir Helmut’s next strike.
’…!’
It wasn’t a trick or a deflection. He had blocked the vertical slash of the Continent’s Seven Swords head-on, without even using aura.
‘Now I understand a bit more.’
Even if it wasn’t a full-force strike, the weight behind it was undeniable.
“How is this possible…!”
Sir Helmut couldn’t hide his shock, swallowing hard.
“I did mention, Sir Helmut,” Dale said, stepping back with a confident grin as he adjusted his grip on the hilt.
“──You shouldn’t underestimate a ‘wizard’s sword.’”