Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 140 (Part 2)

Karis gripped her spear tightly and focused. Mana gathered, forming the shape of an Aura Blade.

Paat!

Karis’s spear extended outward like a fan. The Aura Blade-shaped mana completely pierced through the wall, disappearing on the other side.

“It’s done.”

“Thanks.”

As Karis created an opening in the door, Jena reached in and pulled. The hinged door slowly began to open.

Fooshshsh!

“Cough!”

“Ugh, what is this?”

“It’s dust that’s been accumulating for ages.”

They stepped inside. A light spell pushed back the darkness little by little, revealing the interior.

It was a long passageway. Since it stretched in a straight line, the entire interior could be seen at a glance.

“It’s just a pathway.”

“Kind of anticlimactic.”

“I came to see the writing on the walls.”

The long passage was empty. They examined every inch of it, but it was filled with nothing but dust.

However, the walls were densely covered with writing, as if they had been carved into communal stone.

Rodin walked to the opposite side and began carefully reading the text.

“What does it say, Brother?”

“It talks about why Magic Stones were created, what purpose they were used for, and the problems that arose from them. It’s a warning written to keep anyone who enters here from recklessly using the Magic Stones.”

The warning inscriptions that covered the passage walls seemed a little too late. Rodin had already discovered the dangers of Magic Stones a few months earlier, when he had extracted magic from a troll’s body for study.

“Brother, is magic inherently dangerous? I still don’t really get it.”

“Magic itself isn’t dangerous. Both Bianca and I use magic, don’t we?”

“Then why is it considered a problem?”

“Because it’s not magic you’ve created yourself. You’ve tried the mana cultivation before, right? When mana flows into your body guided by runes, it circulates through your entire body.”

“Yes, the Aura cultivation process is the same in that respect.”

“That’s the process where mana becomes familiar with you. During that time, the mana is refined into a form that humans can control—it filters out impurities.”

The longer mana circulates throughout the body, the more it harmonizes with the person who is cultivating it. In doing so, unnecessary and coarse elements are filtered out.

The body essentially acts as a kind of purifier.

“But since a Mana Stone doesn’t go through that process, it’s unrefined mana clumped together. That’s why it’s considered dangerous.”

“Ah, so it’s mana that hasn’t gotten used to the body. It’s aggressive toward the body, and on top of that, it’s mixed with impurities and crude elements.”

“It’s like swallowing a mouthful of filthy muck.”

“Exactly. When you get a wound, the first step is to clean it properly. You need to prevent dirty things from entering your body. And you know the method to reattach a severed arm, don’t you? It’s easier to reattach your own arm, but if it’s someone else’s, there’s a problem.”

“Is it the same for magical beasts too?”

“Yeah. They can’t control the magic within them, so it moves however it pleases. It might enhance their size or give them strength, but it could just as easily snuff out their life.”

Power only has meaning when it’s manageable. Power beyond one’s control only leads to destruction.

That was the case with the colossal magical beast, and also with the being once called the Demon King. Both failed to control the sudden surge of power they gained, and in the end, they brought harm to both themselves and the world.

“What will you do with the Mana Stone?”

“For now, I’m just going to leave it alone. I don’t even want to think about finding a use for it at the moment.”

The Mana Stone was a mass of uncontrollable power. Handling it recklessly could lead to catastrophic consequences.

“Big Brother Rodin, what do you think is beyond this? Could it be a path to another country?”

Bianca’s imagination ran wild, but Rodin shook his head. It was an unlikely scenario.

“It’s probably just more underground.”

“Aw, come on.”

“Still, we should check. Let’s rest here for today. We’ll investigate it tomorrow.”

If they broke through what was originally a door, the entire area might collapse. So, breaking through was postponed until the next morning.

—

A day passed. Since they were in a sunless clearing, the group started the day later than usual.

After quickly finishing breakfast with some jerky and packing up the carriage, it was already 10 a.m.—two hours later than usual.

“Stay here. If it looks like this place is going to collapse, don’t even think about looking back—just run outside.”

“Got it, Brother.”

“Big Brother, I’m really fast.”

Rodin approached the blocked door alone.

If it was just a blocked underground space, it would be better to use magic to blow it open rather than relying on a sword. He had spent the entire night thinking about the best way to break through.

“Let’s give it a shot. Absolute Barrier.”

First, he cast a protective spell to shield himself. It was a shield that would safeguard him in the worst-case scenario.

Rodin hadn’t learned any 7th-circle spells from others. All the 7th-circle spells he had used so far, including this one, were ones he had created himself.

Fortunately, Rodin was well-versed in combat magic. He had trained in combat magic and his natural aptitude leaned toward being a combat mage.

While he occasionally crafted artifacts with ease, that was thanks to his heightened sensitivity to mana and magic—a skill he hadn’t been taught but naturally possessed.

“Will this work?”

Up until the 6th circle, he had combined spells to maximize explosive power.

At the 5th circle, he had combined Fire Storm and Wind Storm. At the 6th circle, he had combined Vacuum Explosion and Flame Strike to amplify destructive force.

But as a 7th-circle mage, he no longer needed such convoluted steps. With his increased circle, it was better to create a spell that inherently had amplified explosive power.

“Habia Satrio Vitque…”

Rodin chanted a long string of runes. Simultaneously, he visualized their structure and formed hand seals.

Both the incantation and hand seals were focused entirely on one spell. The goal was singular: to maximize power.

“…Estosa Divine Explosion!”

The lengthy spell was complete. It was a spell with a casting time so long that it would be almost impossible to use in the midst of battle.

“Go! Blink!”

Kwaaaaaaang!

The moment Rodin released the spell, he teleported outside using a short-range spatial spell, Blink. His body instantly crossed from the passageway to the open clearing.

“Wow, that’s powerful.”

The Divine Explosion Rodin had created could unleash a massive explosion over a wide area, but it could also focus that power into a narrow range for a more concentrated effect.

This time, he concentrated the force to match the size of the door. The narrower the range, the more devastating the force within it became.

A massive cloud of dust billowed up. The ground shook, and the entire clearing trembled.

Thankfully, the clearing didn’t collapse. While parts of the long passage caved in slightly, there was still a path wide enough for people to traverse.

“Brother!”

“Big brother Rodin!”

“I’m fine. Just a moment. Undine.”

Rodin summoned Undine, the intermediate water spirit, and sprayed water around the area. The swirling dust settled as it became damp and heavy.

Once the surroundings were clear, he reentered the passageway. Hopping over collapsed sections, he moved toward the area beyond the now-broken door.

“Aha!”

Hyung_Otaku2

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