Episode 65
Chapter 22. Chenmi’s Magic (Part 2)
“Anyway, that Chenmi guy is something else…”
Murakan went on to explain more about Chenmi. It was quite a lengthy explanation, but to sum it up: he was a once-in-a-thousand-years kind of genius.
Throughout the story, Jin’s eyes sparkled with the enthusiasm of a true magic fanatic, while Gilly watched him with a gentle, knowing smile.
‘He still has that childlike side in moments like this,’ Gilly thought.
It was time to leave the countryside behind and head for the free city of Tikan.
Though no bounty had been placed on them yet, after all the chaos they’d caused, returning to the capital and using the travel gates was out of the question.
The three of them chose to travel by sea.
After half a day by carriage, they reached the docks and chartered the best ship available. The captain, upon receiving a treasure trove of jewels and precious metals—something unheard of in this backwater—immediately began preparations to set sail.
“I’ll make sure you travel in the utmost comfort!”
Even the sailors, roused from their sleep, fell silent at the sight of the gold.
“It’ll take at least a week to reach Tikan.”
About an hour later, the ship departed.
On the first day, Jin trained his spirit energy under the refreshing sea breeze. It was nothing special—he never skipped his daily practice unless absolutely necessary.
But the real excitement began the day after Chenmi’s spellbook was deciphered.
“I was wondering what kind of light magic Chenmi was using… Haha! I think this is exactly the kind of magic you need right now.”
“What is it? What is it?”
Jin, sitting properly in the cabin, hurried over to Murakan, barely able to contain his excitement.
The spells Murakan had described when explaining Chenmi were devastating—powerful enough to strike fear even into the dragons of their era.
There was magic that could instantly disintegrate an opponent into particles of light, spells that pierced through any shield to strike enemies, and summoning magic that called forth avatars of light.
Each one was extraordinary.
Seeing Jin’s eager anticipation, Murakan chuckled again before suddenly turning serious.
“Chenmi called this spell the ‘Flash Cannon.’”
“Flash Cannon! You don’t mean the one that disintegrates the opponent into light particles…?”
“No. It’s just a spell that momentarily blinds the enemy’s vision. It creates an intense burst of light.”
“Hm.”
Jin’s excitement quickly cooled as he nodded thoughtfully.
He spent about five seconds considering the usefulness of the Flash Cannon. It wasn’t quite as powerful as he’d hoped, but it still seemed pretty handy.
“Perfect for unconventional tactics in battle, or for making a quick escape.”
“Oh, kid, you don’t look disappointed at all.”
“Chenmi wouldn’t have bothered writing it down in his spellbook if it wasn’t useful. I won’t lie—it’s a bit of a letdown—but you’re right, it’s probably the most useful magic for me right now.”
“Exactly. And it’s easy to learn, too. I tried it out as soon as I finished decoding it… Hey, close the cabin door for a moment. Draw the curtains, too.”
Though it was still afternoon, the cabin grew dim enough.
“It’s not like you can only use it in the dark, but since it’s light magic… Watch closely.”
Ssshhh—
Murakan’s right hand began to gather magical energy. Jin’s eyes followed the gathering power, which suddenly darkened to pitch black.
‘Light magic, but why is it turning black…?’
Just as he thought that, the darkened orb of magic flared with a brilliant white light, like steel glowing just before melting. It lasted only a moment, but the instant it exploded, Jin instinctively groaned.
“Ugh!”
The sudden, blinding light was like staring directly at the noon sun with wide-open eyes. It felt as if a giant needle of light had pierced his pupils.
‘My eyes feel like they’re swollen shut.’
The Flash Cannon’s effect lasted barely a second, yet his eyes stung fiercely. When he opened them again, he even saw an oily, shimmering illusion floating in his vision.
Jin wanted to give Murakan a sharp jab for telling him to “watch with your eyes wide open,” but more than that, he was awestruck by the spell’s incredible power.
‘This is amazing…!’
If he could unleash this at will during battle, even the toughest opponents would be no match.
And it would be perfect for a quick getaway, too. A spell that’s useful both offensively and defensively—truly top-tier magic.
“As far as I know, this Flash Cannon was Chenmi’s most treasured spell. What do you think?”
“It’s incredible. And what you showed me is probably only about thirty percent of its true power, right?”
Jin didn’t even need an explanation—he just got it. Murakan nodded, clearly pleased.
This was just a rough imitation right after decoding the spellbook.
Since Murakan said it was easy to learn, Jin would probably master it before they even disembarked.
“With your talent, you could master it in two days. Spend the rest of the time absorbing the spellbook, and by the time we reach Tikan, you’ll have a brand-new weapon at your disposal.”
These “unique spells” only reveal their full potential once the spellbook itself is absorbed.
The absorption process was simple: the coded runes in the spellbook were transcribed onto the body as magical runes.
“Of course, kid, you’re going to make me do the rune transcribing, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Someday, I’m going to make you pay back this debt.”
Jin immediately began learning the Flash Cannon. Murakan had said two days, but Jin grasped the theory in less than one.
‘What an incredible mage. To create such a powerful spell with such a precise yet simple formula.’
But the simplicity had its reasons. Even if the formula was shared with every mage in the world, not just anyone could use it.
The Flash Cannon required an extraordinary sensitivity to magical energy—something only the greatest geniuses possessed—and it consumed a tremendous amount of mana.
Flash!
Jin cast an incomplete version of the Flash Cannon as a test. The exhaustion and dizziness hit him hard, but he still smiled with satisfaction.
“The caster isn’t affected by the Flash Cannon’s light at all.”
That was the key.
Unlike natural light, this magic was fundamentally different. Even staring directly at the Flash Cannon’s burst with wide-open eyes caused no strain.
“But, kid…”
Four days later, after finishing the rune transcribing, Murakan spoke up.
“The spellbook from that magician, Shuziel Hister or whatever—there’s no way I can decode it. Honestly, it looks like worthless junk. Maybe we should just use it as kindling?”
“Kindling, really?”
“It’s frustrating. This code system is enough to annoy even me.”
Jin almost replied that it was a precious memory to him.
He smiled faintly.
“I was thinking of decoding it myself to use it right away, but… no matter how I look at it, it’s better to find a master for this one later.”
The magic master had spent his life trying to recover Hister’s lost spells. Though it was only a deep connection from a past life, Jin still felt indebted to his master.
“Someday, a good decoder will bring light to that magic. I have a good feeling about it. So don’t waste time on it now—just have Gilly keep it safe.”
“You said you’d burn my precious erotic art collection anytime…”
“Don’t compare apples to oranges, great Black Dragon. Now that the rune transcribing is done, carve the spellbook onto my body.”
“Hah! Strawberry Pie and Nana are nothing but slaves. Haven’t you ever heard of a cruel master getting stabbed to death by their slave?”
“Unfortunately, I grew up in Runkandel.”
Murakan began inscribing the spellbook onto Jin’s back. The magic appeared as glowing letters about two finger-widths tall.
Carefully pressing the runes against Jin’s left shoulder blade, the spellbook’s text seeped into his skin like ink. The letters emitted a soft glow, resembling a special tattoo.
“I wanted to carve it on your butt, or maybe your….”
“Enough with the lame jokes. Let’s try casting it.”
As soon as the spellbook was inscribed, Jin’s understanding of the Flash Cannon deepened significantly. The runes on his body stimulated his magic.
‘Flash Cannon.’
Whoosh!
As he chanted the incantation, the entire cabin was flooded with brilliant white light. The beams sliced through the curtains and spilled out onto the deck.
Thud-thud-thud! The startled captain rushed into the cabin.
“Sir, what’s going on? Where’s that sudden light coming from?!”
Jin and Murakan exchanged a glance and replied in unison:
“Light? What light?”
“Oh, it must have been my imagination.”
They didn’t want the captain to know they’d just used the long-lost “light magic” since that could only cause trouble.
The ship arrived at the free city of Tikan on July 2nd, 1795.
Jin paid the captain a generous bonus for the smooth voyage and used a forged ID to pass through the city gates immediately. Murakan briefly transformed into a cat as they passed through.
“Meow.”
Curled up in Gilly’s arms, Murakan looked around curiously.
“Tikan’s atmosphere is completely different from Akin, isn’t it, young master?”
“Yeah, everywhere’s buzzing with life.”
Compared to the stunning scenery, Akin saw only despair etched on the faces of the people in Tesing. But in Tikan, the open sea was visible from anywhere in the city.
It was because of Tikan’s unique structure. The entire island was shaped like a conical tower, rising ten stories high.
It was more of a ‘tower’ than a ‘free city,’ but the name carried the hopes of the old Viment power brokers who built it.
“Master, should we find a place to stay first?”
“You’re not going to insist on hunting down some shabby inn and roughing up the owner again like last time, are you?”
Bang!
Just as Murakan transformed and spoke, Jin nearly fainted.
“Murakan, how many eyes do you think are watching? Transforming right in the middle of the city.”
Though Tikan’s population was small, it was densely packed. Changing form in the middle of a main street was a perfect way to blow your cover.
Just as Gili was about to scold him further, Murakan shook his head.
“People don’t pay as much attention to others as you think. Haha, I’m sure no one saw a thing.”
Looking around, it really did seem that way. Everyone was busy rushing about, and no one seemed to notice the three newcomers.
“Yeah.”
At least, that’s how it seemed.
“The cat… turned into a person.”
Startled, Jin and the others turned toward the voice.
“How did it turn into a person?”
A girl clutching a dragon-shaped stuffed toy looked up at the three of them.