Chapter 151. Teaching (3)
Multi-dimensional Continuity Theory.
The culmination of enlightenment that Verden gained from studying at the magic tower and teaching himself.
It was a creation that even its founder was brimming with pride in, and when the theory was revealed, it caused a great stir not only in the entire magic tower but across the whole world.
But the protagonist was not Verden.
Lucard Maniacs.
He was the mage who first proved Verden's theory, a thief who stole it and took all the glory that should have belonged to Verden, and a man who became the third disciple of the current tower master of Bohemirn.
It could be said that he was the starting point of Verden's misfortune.
The further Verden fell into the abyss, the higher Lucard climbed using the theory as a stepping stone.
The Verden of the past could do nothing but watch.
For a powerless weakling, even the chance to speak the truth was never given. That was what strength was.
'But now, things are different.'
For the current Verden, killing someone like Lucard was a simple matter. He was nothing more than a typical opportunistic mage.
Even if given the greatest of opportunities as a mage, Lucard had neither the talent nor the effort to seize it. At least, not by Verden's standards.
Lucard could never be Verden's rival.
The only value he had was being the disciple of Balrog Bessias. That was why, before facing the tower master of Bohemirn one day, Verden planned to deal with Lucard first.
No matter how insignificant the disciple, his death would easily wound the tower master's pride.
While Verden was lost in thought, Geltone pointed at the treatise and said.
"This Multi-dimensional Continuity Theory is said to be one that elemental mages must study. There was even a rare case where a mage who had aptitude in only one attribute came to handle as many as three attributes. However…"
Geltone spoke gloomily.
"But to me, the theory is too abstruse. What's more, I've heard that some mages fainted after great pain struck their mana circuits while attempting to practice it… It's baffling how such a theory could be made. They say the disciple of the Bohemirn tower master who founded it was only in his early thirties and had never shown any distinction before then, isn't that truly amazing?"
"Such trash…"
Verden immediately shut his mouth.
Hearing praise for that garbage made him blurt out the words reflexively.
Geltone blinked, as if wondering if he had misheard.
Verden quickly diverted the topic.
"So why have you come to me? There's a high chance I don't know much about that… theory."
"I heard that Sir Asher can handle at least four attributes. It may well be a matter of talent, but that's why I thought I might be able to obtain an answer I could not find or even imagine. Furthermore, I was told you freely control various elemental magics, so surely your learning is deep. I thought perhaps you might fully understand the Multi-dimensional Continuity Theory."
Geltone's lips curved up.
"And it seems my guess was correct. If you truly didn't know about the theory, you would have refused, not asked whether you might 'not know' it."
He was right.
No one in this world understood the Multi-dimensional Continuity Theory better than Verden.
Though, thanks to the new body he obtained by Defying the Heavens, and the mana circuits that allowed him to handle all elemental attributes, he had never needed to apply the theory to himself.
'Now then, what should I do?'
It was the first time a mage had come to him seeking instruction.
It meant he had long discarded his pride. Moreover, for someone from the magic tower to humble himself so much for the sake of his own growth was a rare thing in this field.
After a brief thought, Verden asked.
"If I accept your request, what will you give me?"
Tak.
Geltone drew out a small flask filled with blue liquid.
"A mana potion. As you know, this is something obtainable only in the magic tower, and it can be called the lifeline of a mage. I will give you eight mana potions of this same size."
Mana potions were incomparably rarer than the already-commercialized general potions.
Not only were they hard to obtain, they could save a mage cornered in desperation. Judging by their size and quality, they would be worth more than three times the highest-grade potion.
But.
"Is there nothing else?"
"E, else, you mean?"
One of Verden's strengths was his vast amount of magic power.
It had been so even in the past, but now that he had reached the 5th tier, even more so. The amount of magic power that could be recovered through a mana potion was barely a handful for him, and truthfully, he hardly ever had need of them.
"Umm…"
Flustered, Geltone groaned.
He had emptied his belongings with determination, only to be refused at once.
'Does that mean he's that wealthy? No, that would be natural.'
He was a mage handling high-level attributes.
He couldn't possibly lack money, so he could get as many mana potions as he wanted.
Verden was in fact tens of billions in debt, but there was no way Geltone could know that. His frown deepened as his worry dragged on.
'If something easily bought with money won't do… then the only thing left is a magic item.'
And as it happened, he had just the thing.
"Then how about this?"
Geltone put the potion away and took out something smaller from his bosom.
It was a jewel with a deep green glow. Verden's eyes widened slightly at the sight.
"That is…"
"Dexar's Jewel."
***
Dexar's Jewel.
As the name suggested, it was a jewel crafted by an artisan named Dexar with his own unique skill, a rare magical item into which a mage could imbue his magic for later use.
"Looks like a second-generation series, am I right?"
"Oh, you are quite knowledgeable about magic items. That's right. This is a jewel made by Dexar's second-generation disciples, and I obtained it back when I was at the Zeldern Magic Tower. I was fortunate… but I have consumed many of its uses, so its value is about equal to the potions I offered earlier."
A second-generation Dexar's Jewel could contain up to 5th-tier magic.
Of course, it was not permanent, but a consumable with limited uses. Judging from the quality of the jewel Geltone had, the remaining uses were about five.
Even so, it was more than enough to play a decisive role in a life-or-death situation.
But that was not what Verden focused on.
'Dexar's Jewel can have a magic circle engraved into it.'
The infamy of a magic circle lay precisely in its difficulty.
Not only in the accumulation of knowledge, but also in the fact that writing a magic circle took so long that it was extremely difficult to use in actual combat.
With Dexar's Jewel, that time could be skipped.
'But two drawbacks exist.'
First, once the magic circle was completed, it could not be altered.
Since it was engraved directly into the jewel itself, not even Dexar himself could restore it. Meaning its use was limited.
Second, when the magic circle was used, the jewel was destroyed.
It was unrelated to the number of remaining uses.
The moment a magic circle was inscribed, it became a single-use consumable.
'Of course, one could wait until only a single use remained before engraving the magic circle…'
But that made no sense.
If you delayed engraving the circle because of saving it, then you would not be able to use it immediately when you truly needed it. It was the same as reviving the original flaw of a magic circle.
And jewels had a common flaw.
Only the mage who imbued the magic or engraved the magic circle could use it. Because it was deeply tied to mana, interference by another was impossible.
If that had been possible, mages would have turned their magic or circles into commodities for sale.
And the world would have become even more chaotic.
"Hm…"
Verden weighed the pros and cons.
Whether Dexar's Jewel could truly be of use to him.
His decision was reached quickly.
'Not bad.'
The more powerful the effect of a magic circle, the longer it took to write.
Being able to eliminate that time altogether was a huge merit. For Verden, whose knowledge of magic circles was nearly at its peak, Dexar's Jewel was far more attractive than any mana potion.
In other words, it was a fitting payment.
There was another reason.
'The conditions of the request are perfect.'
Unlike other commissions, he did not have to devote himself fully.
While staying in Asern, he only needed to take a little time each day to teach Geltone. It meant Verden's training in gravity magic would not be hindered at all.
And then.
'To think I would actually witness someone wracking his brains to grasp the theory I created.'
It was a feeling hard to describe… but not unpleasant. In the end, Verden was still a mage.
He would accept Geltone's request.
Verden had already decided as much.
But first, he needed a promise.
"Geltone Rodni, if I accept your request, will you be able to do anything?"
Geltone's silence did not last long.
"I will do anything!"
"Very well. Then I shall teach you."
A special lecture from none other than the founder of the theory.
Verden smiled. Geltone smiled in turn.
It did not take long for Geltone to realize just how grueling the process would be.
***
A mage grows stronger with age.
It was natural, as he comes to understand and study the knowledge accumulated over a lifetime in greater depth.
But in return, his mind slowly stiffens.
A mage who has conviction in his learning finds it exceedingly difficult to accept new things. More often, he insists the new thing is wrong.
Against such a mage, no logic works.
Geltone was no exception, though he was comparatively better.
He did not reject things different from his own learning. He merely had a stiff mind that made it difficult to accept other theories.
To overcome this alone was by no means easy.
The moment he began to doubt the knowledge he had trusted, he would inevitably come to doubt the rest of his knowledge as well.
Some mages broke at this point, and a few even took their own lives. For a mage, knowledge was life, or even more than that.
But there was a solution.
To place under himself a guide, a mage far superior to himself.
Of course, that process could never be smooth.
It stirred the very foundations of a mage's life, so naturally emotions would run high.
"Ghh… Grrr…!"
Trembling, Geltone shouted.
"No, how can that possibly be! I have never heard of such a theory! Not in the academy, nor in the magic tower!"
As befitting one from the magic tower, Geltone had much knowledge, and as a Platinum Rank adventurer, he had abundant experience.
Within the mithril-ranked adventurer party Manha, his importance could never be ignored. In short, he was competent.
Though his obsession and impulse toward magic were strong, that was not unusual for a mage.
On the contrary, his willingness to strive for a theory he did not understand was admirable enough to serve as a model for other mages.
Yet he was enraged.
To a degree his companions, with whom he had adventured for years, had never once seen.
Verden paid it no heed and said.
"Are you saying I am wrong?"
"That… that makes no sense…"
"Refer to entry 385 of 'Origin of Elements,' entry 229 of 'Balba's Balance,' and entry 63 of 'Innate Mana Circuits.' From that perspective, you will see differently."
Every one of the theories Verden cited was abstruse.
Geltone had studied all three. Even if he had not fully mastered them, he was not so ignorant as to be embarrassed.
He even carried books on those theories among his belongings.
Geltone immediately pulled out the thick tomes.
He rapidly flipped the pages, skimmed the entries Verden mentioned, then reread the passages of Multi-dimensional Continuity Theory he had argued over.
"Uh…"
He understood.
He could not yet put it into words, but it was clearly different from the concepts that had been in his head.
Geltone blinked blankly.
Verden pointed at him with a finger and said.
"You are wrong, Geltone Rodni."
Geltone's coming to Verden had been close to chance.
But without doubt, it was a path leading to the best outcome.
Shattering hardened notions.
Verden, who had achieved Defying the Heavens on his own, was the very best suited for it.