Humans didn't conquer the food chain because of claws or fangs.
We won because we have Big Brains and use Tools.
In a sense, magic circles are just tools.
So, why do we have to run the software on our own hardware (body)?
Why can't we use External Hard Drives?
Speaking of external drives, Magic Scrolls are a thing. Just like the one Horus gave him.
But scrolls have huge drawbacks:
Expensive AF. High-tier scrolls need rare mats.
Single-use. You cast it once, and it's gone. You have to re-record it.
What Karion wanted was an Integrated Device.
Something reusable. Something multipurpose.
Like the Azure Wind Sword Elder Allison lent Mia.
It has a guidance circle inscribed on it. You inject mana, and boom, spell cast.
But even that is just an "assist." The output still depends on the user's stats (Magic Level).
Karion's vision was different.
He wanted to build a device that Normies (ordinary people) could use.
Think Guns. Cannons. Gatling Guns.
Brrrrt.
With his God-tier Theory, his Scientific Mindset from Earth, and the Infinite Resources from the Teleport Bead...
He could totally pull this off!
Karion felt a fire burning in his chest. He wanted to rush to the lab and start crafting right now.
But first, he had to level up Mia.
He suppressed his excitement, saved the idea to his mental hard drive, and focused on the task at hand.
Fifteen minutes later.
Mia snapped her eyes open, beaming with excitement.
"Teacher! I unlocked the Dark Element Channel!"
Karion wasn't surprised.
Opening a channel is just the tutorial level. With the Pay-to-Win resources (Elemental Coin) he provided, it would be embarrassing if she failed.
"Good job. Now turn off the magic tool."
Karion didn't want to waste the coin.
In just 15 minutes, Mia had burned through half the charge.
On the back of every Elemental Coin is a spiral groove, like a mosquito coil. As mana is consumed, the groove burns away.
Battery Indicator: 50%.
"Oh, right, right!"
Mia quickly followed instructions and stopped the mana flow.
She knew this item was expensive, so she handed it back carefully, like it was a bomb.
Karion pocketed the coin and said:
"You have Wind and Dark channels now. But that's just the basics.
"To become a real Magister, you need to form an Elemental Vortex.
"Next step: Use the Wind Magic Crystal from Elder Allison to form your vortex."
Mia pulled out the crystal.
She didn't know what an Elemental Coin was, but she knew what this was.
Premium Loot. Only rich kids used these.
Seeing her hesitation, Karion smiled.
"Don't let Elder Allison down. Just go all out!"
Mia nodded firmly, gripped the crystal, and started channeling.
Compared to the coin, the crystal was a bit primitive. It didn't auto-release mana; you had to manually suck it out with Spirit.
But Mia had High Spirit, so she could multitask—drawing mana while cultivating.
However, forming a vortex is the Boss Level.
It's the filter that separates the Mages from the Apprentices.
30 minutes later.
The crystal turned grey and crumbled. Empty.
Mia opened her eyes, looking defeated.
"I'm sorry, Teacher. I wasted the crystal... and I still failed."
Karion wasn't surprised. "How far did you get? How long did it hold?"
"I tried four times. The longest lasted 20 minutes. I felt like I was so close, but the moment my focus wavered, the vortex collapsed."
Karion smiled.
"That means you've hit the threshold. A few more tries and you'll get it. Here, take this. Run it back!"
He handed her a Wind Elemental Coin.
Another magic tool?
Mia stared at the coin in shock. She looked up at Karion with suspicious eyes.
"Teacher... did you get a Sugar Momma?"
Karion froze. System Error.
"Where did you learn that slang?!"
"Uh... you said it yourself," Mia shrunk her neck.
"A few days ago, on the rooftop, I heard you muttering... something about 'I don't want to grind anymore, I just want a Sugar Momma'..."
"COUGH! COUGH!"
Karion nearly choked on his own spit. His face turned red.
"What nonsense! You definitely heard wrong! Do I look like that kind of person?!"
Mia scanned him up and down. Her lips moved, wanting to say "Yes."
But her survival instinct kicked in.
"No, no! Not at all!"
"Less talking!" Karion shouted to hide his embarrassment. "Focus on the training! Form that vortex! NOW!"
"Yes, Sir!"
Mia tried to look serious, but her dimples betrayed her. She was holding back a laugh.
Seeing Karion's dark expression, she quickly sat down, triggered the coin, and started meditating.
Once her eyes were closed, Karion facepalmed hard.
Cringe.
He was just ranting to himself on the roof the other day. He didn't think anyone heard him.
Teacher's Dignity: -1000.
While Mia was meditating...
Karion, standing nearby, quietly activated another Wind Elemental Coin.
Let's boost the mana density even more.
If you're gonna whale, whale hard.
Mia had been stuck at this bottleneck for years. One coin might not be enough.
So Karion decided to Overclock the environment.
He activated two more coins.
Total: 4 Wind Elemental Coins.
400x Mana Density.
This was basically recreating the environment of the Demon Mist Forest's core.
Wind mana was so dense it was practically visible, swirling around Mia like a storm.
20 minutes later.
Mia opened her eyes. She was glowing with excitement.
"Teacher! I did it! I formed the Wind Elemental Vortex!"
Karion quickly hid the extra coins behind his back and smiled calmly, like a wise master.
"Not bad. Not bad at all."