episode_0168

A bleak rocky peak.

At the center, a tree that appears to be alive alone.

As Vivian walked toward the tree, she remembered Scarlett’s class.

‘What is mana? No one has been able to clearly answer this question. Then let’s think differently. ‘What can be called mana?’

‘This is also difficult. But it’s easier than the previous question. Mana is part of the power that makes up a life. Even non-superhumans have a very small amount of mana in their bodies.’

‘But then a question arises. Even in nature, which is not just any life, there is mana. In fact, there is much more mana spread throughout the natural world than life. Even so, can mana be called life? My answer is yes. Life ultimately comes from the natural world. Water, grass, wind, things like that.’

That tree that lives quietly or alone in this lifeless place.

Ian’s note said ‘Tree of Life’.

According to Scarlett’s theory, it could be called the ‘Tree of Mana’.

‘The human body also has mana, and when it is used up, it recovers. Strictly speaking, we fill our bodies by breathing mana from the natural world. It takes some time to be converted into usable mana, and the time varies slightly from person to person.’

A dramatic example is Kylie.

She can absorb a large amount of mana with a single breath and then instantly convert it into usable mana.

‘But converting and using mana puts a strain on the body. On the other hand, if you use the mana found in the natural world, you will be able to handle an infinite amount of mana without any burden on your body.’

The ultimate goal of Scarlett’s class.

Vivian will be able to freely manipulate natural mana.

And the tree in front of here is the object that will help with that.

According to Ian’s note, this tree reacts to the target’s mana.

The problem was that it only said to react.

Ian didn’t seem to know what happened after that.

However, as a result, it is said that the mana sensitivity of the target that communicates with the tree is greatly increased.

Vivian was born with mana sensitivity.

There is one reason to increase her sensitivity.

This is to help them better accept Scarlett’s lessons and reach a level where they can handle natural mana.

I decided that if I had a higher level of sensitivity than I have now, it would be an easier task.

‘Ian… . Thinking that you might die, thinking about other people until the end… .’

Vivian shook off the water that was clinging to her eyes.

The tree blooming green and alone in this barren place must be monopolizing the mana of the surrounding area.

In fact, the mana around the tree was flowing towards the tree.

Vivian felt it, as if the wind had been sucked out of her.

It was the result of Scarlett’s teaching.

“Phew.”

Vivian took a deep breath and slowly raised her body’s mana.

Unrefined mana spreads evenly throughout the body.

‘It’s a rapport… .’

Communicate with trees through mana.

It’s a fairly random and abstract statement.

However, mana is what embodies that abstraction, and magic is what organizes it into an academic discipline.

‘For proper communication, you must use unrefined mana.’

As mana changes its form, it becomes more distant from its essence.

Therefore, magic that converts into fire, water, ice, etc. is the furthest from the root of mana, and sword energy that releases it in the form of energy is closest.

Conversely, the closer you are to the root, the greater the backlash, and the farther away you are, the weaker it becomes.

So, Vivian had to endure quite a bit of backlash and send pure mana to the tree as is.

It’s something I’ve never done or heard of before.

‘But you have to do it. The reason Ian wanted to give me this is because I can do it.’

I had to do it, even if only because I thought of Ian.

*

Sylvia quietly watched Vivian.

They said they would protect her, but no monsters came to this peak.

So there was nothing for her to do.

I just worried about Ian, then observed Vivian, then worried about Ian again… .

After repeating this, I stopped worrying about Ian.

If you worry, your head will only hurt.

There is nothing you can do yourself.

So, watch Vivian.

‘They say it deals with natural mana… I guess it’s true.’

A pale blue light flickered from Vivian’s body.

This is the first time Sylvia has seen a wizard like that.

‘It was difficult.’

Sylvia also learned about mana in the natural world and attempted to manipulate it.

The result was a failure.

Part of the reason was because she didn’t have a teacher like Scarlett, but honestly, she was lazy.

I didn’t feel the need to grow that much.

At that time, Sylvia was already the pinnacle of human magicians.

‘I was lazy… . I should have become stronger… .’

It’s already too late to regret it.

So, I just protect Vivian from growing up.

Because it is no longer up to me to protect Ian.

‘You’re dealing with truly pure mana.’

From the back of Vivian who was concentrating, blue mana rose like smoke and slowly flowed towards the tree.

It is a gentle movement like stroking.

In that way, the tree and Vivian were connected for quite a long time through that blue smoke-like mana.

How much time has passed?

“… Huh?”

The tree gradually began to wither.

The green leaves lost their color, turned yellow, dried out, and became brittle.

Vivian didn’t notice the change because she was concentrating with her eyes closed.

On the other hand, Sylvia, who was watching straight ahead, could see everything.

The once vibrant leaves suddenly turned yellow-brown and fell.

The leaves have fallen.

The branches and trunks dried out, crumbled, and cracked.

The tree used to emit a blue light alone in the center of this peak, but it was no longer there.

It became as dreary as the background.

Finally all the leaves fell.

– Push!

And, the middle of the stem was split vertically.

“Ugh… .”

Vivian groaned while wiping her sweat.

Sylvia approached cautiously.

“What happened?”

“Umm… . I’m not sure… .”

“Let’s check that first. That split.”

“Yes? Oh, really… . Huh? Why did the tree become like this?”

“I don’t know that either.”

Vivian was confused, but approached the tree.

There was a vertical split in the middle, and a small red light sparkled within it.

Vivian reached out her hand, then flinched and stopped.

“ won’t bite suddenly… ?”

“… Is the tree biting?”

“Well, that could happen! Something suddenly pops out… .”

“Take it out quickly before I bite it.”

“Yes… .”

Vivian carefully put her hand into the gap and pulled it out.

What I took out was a small gem.

A gem as red as her hair.

“This is… Ouch!”

There were no birds for Vivian to observe.

A vine grew from her wand and wrapped around the red gem.

“It’s mine… !”

“… That wand is yours too.”

Eventually, the vine firmly fixed the jewel to the tip of the staff.

A red gem wrapped in a vine with small green leaves sparkled at the tip of the wand.

Vivian quietly watched it.

“What’s wrong? Something different?”

“Yes… . I don’t know what to say… .”

“If it’s difficult to explain, you don’t have to. Magic is essentially that kind of study. Implementing abstraction.”

“… that’s right. abstract. Abstraction and implementation… .”

Vivian muttered those words over and over again, then spoke as if she realized something.

“I have to go to Scarlett.”

*

“Class?”

Vivian, who returned, checked on Ian and immediately asked Scarlett for a favor.

“Yes. You said last time that there was one last class left.”

Vivian did not finish all of Scarlett’s classes.

This is because the war started in the middle.

“I think I can understand whatever it is now.”

“Okay… . good. If not now, when will it be possible?”

“Silvia, would you like to listen too?”

Vivian asked Sylvia next to her.

Scarlett was startled by the suggestion.

“… me? To him?”

“Yes! You are a good teacher.”

“Hmm… .”

Sylvia looked up at Scarlett with sullen eyes.

I liked Vivian quite a bit, but there was absolutely nothing I liked about this woman named Scarlett.

“Are you that handsome?”

Scarlett couldn’t answer and was sweating profusely.

This girl named Sylvia is too fierce for her size.

Vivian wondered why Scarlett, who was usually playful and relaxed, was so upset.

“Okay, whatever. I don’t know what I can get from it, though. There’s nothing bad about hearing it.”

Just like that, Sylvia also took Scarlett’s class.

*

The class begins as usual with lying down comfortably and breathing.

When your entire body relaxes, Scarlett’s soft voice gently penetrates your ears.

“Magic is abstraction made concrete. To understand it as a discipline and theory, we need to go back to abstraction and deconstruct it.”

“What is magic? Although it is not yet recognized as an established theory, this is the conclusion I came to. Magic is a wish. And miracles are also a wish. Yes, they both have the same roots. ‘Sorcery’, the reality of which has now become ambiguous, is the root of magic and miracles.”

“And magic comes from a very powerful wish. From a curse to make someone suffer, to a wish for rain. The desire to revive a loved one who has died must also be a very strong wish. There are also vicious things that manipulate the dead or steal other people’s mana at will. Because of this, dangerous magic was created, but it is also true that it could be divided into modern magic and miracles. So, to summarize, mana is ultimately a medium that fulfills human wishes.”

“Then why did magic and miracles diverge? The two have different directions of understanding. Magical understanding is directed outwards. Why does the wind blow, why do trees grow, and why is fire hot? Things like this. But the miracle sinks inside. If you believe without a doubt that what you want to believe is reality, it will materialize and become a miracle.”

“Understanding mana is like understanding the world, and at the same time, understanding yourself. Because you are the center of the world, and the boundaries of the world are also you.”

Scarlett’s classes are abstract and academic like this.

There has never been a class where we actually used magic or studied schematics.

Vivian was skeptical at first.

Is this a class?

How can anything get better with something like this?

Scarlett said it was okay even if she fell asleep halfway through.

In fact, Sylvia fell asleep halfway through.

On the other hand, Vivian’s mind was clear.

It was clearer and more transparent than ever.

Even when I close my eyes, I feel like I can see the world.

understanding of the world.

own understanding.

Understanding what constitutes oneself.

Understanding what you want to achieve.

A sixth sense that goes beyond the five senses and is difficult to describe in words spreads out into the world, focusing on oneself.

Listening to Scarlett’s voice, Vivian felt the ‘mana’ of the world.

The energy of life that exists intact in the natural world.

And, even the energy of life distributed throughout each human body.

‘This is the source of the world… .’

Scarlett’s story finally ended, and Vivian slowly opened her eyes.

What you see is a familiar ceiling.

Cozy wood paneled ceiling.

“This is the end of my class.”

After finishing class, Scarlett was teasing Sylvia while she was sleeping by poking her cheek.

This is the anger I have suffered so far.

Vivian quietly woke up and slowly looked around.

Clearly, the perspective is no different from before.

But, something… .

Vivian walked to the window.

Far below the window, there is a forest.

It’s so far away that you can’t even see it clearly.

I only know that it is a forest by the color of the trees that have dried and twisted in winter.

It cannot be detected properly by sight.

Even if I use the sensory enhancement that Ian taught me, I can’t see it from this distance.

The top of the Magic Tower is the same height as the clouds.

but.

‘If you use mana.’

It’s not about strengthening your body with mana.

Use the mana spread around the world as it is, as if it were your own.

Vivian closed her eyes.

Above the black eyelids, the forest far below was drawn.

Very clear.

You can feel the wind blowing and the clouds flowing in the sky.

I even feel like I’m standing on the ground.

Even the height of the field of view is similar to when you stand on the ground.

In her vision through Mana, Vivian gazed at a tree.

Just as mana flows through all living things, the same goes for trees.

That tree also has mana.

You can see the grain flowing along the stem.

And, it seems like I can control it.

… Crispy!

The center of the tree broke and fell slowly.

Vivian opened her eyes again.

Far below, it’s hard to see, but you can clearly see a fallen tree.

This is the tree you just broke.

“Self? What are you looking at like that?”

Vivian turned around at Scarlett’s question.

“Scarlet. Is there anything I can break here?”

“… That sounds kind of scary. hmm. Oh, you can break the wooden plank in the corner over there. I recently repaired the floor and forgot to throw it away.”

Vivian quietly stared at the wooden plank.

OK.

-Pakak!

The wooden plank broke.

“… ?”

Scarlett blinked rapidly.

What did I see wrong?

Is it wind magic?

However, there was no movement in the air.

“Scarlet.”

Vivian called her and smiled brightly.

“I know everything now.”

“… … .”

What did you learn?

What kind of monster did he raise?

For the first time, Scarlett felt a little afraid of that strawberry.

*

Of the group that left, Vivian was the first to return.

Lucia returned next, and Helena was last.

The three fruits each told their journey.

“A pilgrim? Walking through the eastern no man’s land with my bare body… Is that also blind?”

“Yes. It’s hard for me to believe it too… . It was true.”

“And what you got was that yellow gem?”

“Yes. We still need to find out more about what kind of power it has.”

“Are you saying that the sword ran wild?”

“Yes. That’s really true. look. Like this.”

“Ugh! Well, what is that… ! I’m scared because I’m like a ghost… .”

“I’m controlling it, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Source of Mana… ? Sister, when did you become so smart?”

“Hehe… . Well, I mean, um… .”

“Well, what is it! Suddenly the tree broke!”

“Everything in the world contains a small amount of mana. I can now sense it and deal with it.”

“Sister, that seems like a really scary ability… .”

Sylvia, who woke up late, also confirmed Vivian’s achievement.

And, I realized it right away.

‘… I guess you’ve surpassed me now?’

He has surpassed the No Casting talent of performing magic with just his thoughts, and has now reached the point where he can destroy the target with just his thoughts.

Hasn’t it already transcended the category of magic?

For several weeks, the fruit warriors trained and competed with the first warrior party, and occasionally were called to the battlefield.

In the meantime, they used their newly acquired abilities and honed them.

Ian Party, who appeared in just a few days, turned people’s perceptions upside down.

The sudden extreme growth was astounding, and someone decided that the first warrior party had already been pushed out.

The sun rose in the night sky, swords flew in the air and killed enemies, and a wizard appeared who killed opponents with just a glance, so it was worth it.

“Kathi.”

And, Katy was still sitting quietly by Ian’s bedside.

If Mercy or Beatrice hadn’t provided him with meals from time to time, Kati would have continued to starve.

Even when she was injecting Ian with elixir little by little for life-sustaining treatment, she remained still.

“Eat some of this.”

Today, Beatrice brought me a meal.

Kati didn’t respond.

Mercy, who was sitting next to her, took it for her and put a little bit into Katy’s mouth.

Then, you can eat metallurgy metallurgy.

Beatrice said as she sat down next to her.

“It will happen.”

“… … .”

“Don’t worry too much.”

“… … .”

“And, about the past, whether to you or to Ian… . I was very sorry.”

Beatrice often repeated her apologies.

Because I can’t tell if she’s listening or not.

“Kathi… .”

The fruit warriors who returned from the battlefield were also worried about Kati.

Since the day Ian collapsed, I haven’t left that position even once.

Kati didn’t even know how many days had passed.

I didn’t know how other people were doing.

Even if I wanted to know, it was impossible.

Already my consciousness was floating in the night sky, wandering among the countless stars.

I feel like Ian is there somewhere.

I chased after the elusive light.

I was afraid that if I missed it, it would disappear.

Without Ian, how would he live?

If he dies, all the light in the night sky will go out.

I would just have to crouch in the lightless darkness.

I can’t even think about how I lived without Ian.

I despised myself for not being able to do anything.

It’s always like this.

Even when I was insulted by the first party or when I was kicked out.

He is helpless.

It was Iris’s voice that awakened Katy’s consciousness.

“Successful.”

The first warrior party, the fruit warriors, and Grace, who were gathered in Ian’s bedroom at the time, listened.

“I improved the elixir.”

“Really?!”

“Yes. The recovery speed was slower than before and the overall recovery amount was increased. Toxicity was also removed as much as possible. In theory, anyone can be saved unless they are completely dead or whose body is dismembered.”

“Oh… !”

Emotion and emotion spread among the group.

Some people even had tears in their eyes.

“But, that… one thing… .”

Scarlett added cautiously.

“There is one side effect… .”

“Side effects… ?”

I was moved for a moment.

Everyone froze and looked at Scarlett.

But it was Iris who explained it.

“If you take it, your body will become younger for recovery.”

“You’re getting younger… ?”

“Yes. This is to use all available body energy for recovery… . anyway. As a result of clinical trials, a side effect was discovered that made the user’s physical age younger by around 7 years. Of course, as recovery progresses, you gradually return to your original age.”

“… … .”

Everyone knows I shouldn’t do this, but I was overcome with the urge to feed them right away.

Among them, Vivian.

“Whoop, whoop… . Huh… .”

My breathing became increasingly rough and hot.

In his delusion, a younger Ian was calling Vivian his sister.

Helena’s eyes trembled busily as she stood next to her.

Ian. 7 years old. What does it look like?

I was overflowing with curiosity and a mysterious, destructive impulse.

When I thought about Ian growing up, I wanted to break down the wall.

“Ah, anyway, come back, come back! Uh, let’s eat it now, shall we? Quickly!”

Lucia urged awkwardly.

“Then, I will administer the medication.”

Scarlett slowly poured an improved elixir into Ian’s mouth.

Everyone watched it.