Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 97 (Part 1)

Over the past few months, I studied using the Frouval watch and focused on my magic training. Thanks to this, I reached the level of the 6th Circle.

However, in my spare time, I also crafted artifacts.

To earn money, I made and sold artifacts embedded with spells like ‘Healing,’ ‘Magic Shield,’ and ‘Wind Spear.’

For Rodin, artifacts were the most profitable way to make money compared to the time invested.

It usually took between 30 minutes to an hour to create a single artifact. The cost of materials ranged from 50 gold for cheaper ones to under 100 gold for more expensive ones.

Yet, every time I sold one, I earned over 1,000 gold. Even making just one a month was enough to live comfortably and still save money.

In the remaining time, I also researched artifacts that contained space-expansion and weight-reduction magic.

“Here we go.”

The bag slung over my shoulder was the result of that effort. It was an artifact in the shape of a bag, with four times the space and a fifth of the weight.

Not everything went smoothly, though.

A few times, I misengraved the magic circle and had to redo it, and once I failed to combine the materials properly, which meant wasting even the materials I had used.

After nearly 15 days of intense research, I finally completed the space-expansion artifact.

Aside from the bag on my shoulder, I also expanded the space of my home’s storage room. It was twice as large. Since it wasn’t something I needed to carry around, I didn’t apply weight-reduction magic to it.

“I’m heading out.”

I quietly whispered to Bianca, who was still sleeping, and left the house.

Margaret and Matthew, who had risen early, were waiting at the front gate.

“Why did you come out? I could have left quietly.”

“Just in case.”

“Please take good care of the house.”

“Don’t worry, sir.”

“Have a safe trip, sir.”

Matthew was as courteous as Margaret. He treated Rodin like a benefactor.

* * *

I took a carriage to the city gates and, after passing through, ran directly towards the Moord Wastelands. When I felt physically drained, I used the Fly spell to soar through the air in an instant.

“As expected, it’s fast.”

The power of magic as a 6th Circle mage was worlds apart from when I was a 5th Circle mage. The speed of the Fly spell had doubled, and changing directions was much smoother.

“There’s a bit more dust, but nothing else has changed.”

Thanks to the increased speed, I arrived at the entrance to the tunnel well before sunrise. The entrance remained in the collapsed state I had left it in months ago.

“It doesn’t look like anyone’s been here. Sigh, I have to clear this out again.”

I hadn’t completely collapsed it. Though it appeared thoroughly destroyed from the outside, I had prepared it so that clearing a few key spots would open up the path inside.

“Let’s get this out of the way. Magic Hand.”

Recalling how I had collapsed it before, I pulled out what needed to be pulled and pushed away what needed pushing.

After clearing a few spots, a narrow opening just big enough for a person to slip through appeared.

“Magic Hand.”

I created another Magic Hand to lift myself. Using the power of magic, I squeezed my body through the narrow gap.

The same process continued afterward. I pulled out debris bit by bit as I gradually made my way forward.

Three hours passed like this.

By the time dawn began to break at the tunnel entrance, I had reached the space where I had seen the door before.

“Let’s take a break.”

I pulled out the chef statue and summoned some cooking utensils. It was an item I had acquired from Elrov’s underground chamber.

It had proven very useful during camping trips. The best part was that there was no need to do the dishes.

However, during my time at home, there had been little reason to use it. I had even shown Margaret how to use it, but she preferred to buy cooking tools and dishes from the market instead.

“It sure was helpful.”

I had Undine create water in the summoned cooking pot and added some jerky and dried provisions. Then, I activated the heating function of the cooking tools.

Once the jerky and provisions were sufficiently softened, I seasoned the dish with salt and pepper.

“Not bad.”

Margaret was skilled at preparing both jerky and provisions. The taste was far superior to that of bulk-made food from a tavern.

After filling my stomach, I cleaned up the cooking tools.

“Let’s get started.”

The door was an artifact engraved with a magic circle made of mana rather than magical energy. Thus, using mana to unlock it was more effective than using magic.

I placed my hand on the door and gently gathered the surrounding mana. Guided by my will and the runic script, the mana slowly began to gather.

“First, I’ll create a fake circle.”

I gathered the mana into a spherical shape near my heart.

As expected, mana was slower to move than magic. Even after imbuing it with my will, it took a while before it slowly transformed into a circular shape.

Now, I was ready to act like a 7th Circle mage.

“Next, I need to trick the magic pattern…”

Over the past few months, I practiced adjusting the magical energy pattern to match what the magic circle required. With time, I improved.

At first, it took over 30 minutes, requiring me to close my eyes and focus intensely.

But now, it took less than 5 minutes.

I no longer needed to close my eyes. I could stand there calmly and quickly adjust the positions of the magical energy to match the pattern.

“Done.”

I infused the magic circle with mana, added a few more runes, twisted the orientation of the magic circle, and then gathered a large amount of surrounding mana to pour in.

Wooong!

A strange sound reverberated, and a faint light shone from the door. The light scanned Rodin’s entire body before fading away.

‘It worked.’

Rumble!

The door slid downward on its own, then lifted slightly, revealing a passage wide enough for a person to pass through.

“Hmm.”

At last, the door was open. I had successfully deceived the magic circle made of mana.

Rodin had pondered over the past few months why this door bore a magic circle made of mana rather than magical energy.

The most significant reason was likely for permanent use.

A magic circle created with mana remained stable indefinitely. Unless it was physically destroyed or deformed, the magic circle would never cease functioning.

The second reason was its concealability.

Unlike magical energy, mana couldn’t be detected by most people. Even if someone had an artifact created with mana right before them, they wouldn’t be able to recognize it as such.

“But if they made this door, then someone in the past must have been able to sense mana, right?”

To find answers, I stepped through the door. My foot touched a staircase.

“Light.”