Descent of the Legendary Archmage

It's currently 6:47 in the afternoon.

The match had ended just now at 6:30 and all the scheduled fights for the 30th of April had come to an end.

"3 matches 3 wins."

Today I fought in 3 matches and won all of them.

It was obvious I would win.

I even managed to win against Baek Sahyuk, who was a 3 circle mage, so there was no way I would lose to the other 2 circle mages.

"Hayul!"

All of a sudden, Soonchan urgently burst into my room.

His clothes were a mess as if he had just fought a battle.

"Did You Win?"

Soonchan had just finished his final match.

"What? Yeah. I won.”

I took out a sports drink for Soonchan.

“Ah, thank you.”

Soonchan downed the drink in one shot and let out an 'Ahh' sound.

"Seems like you've worked hard."

"Yeah. The last guy was a 3 circle user so... Wait a minute, more importantly!"

Soonchan grabbed my shoulders and with shining eyes asked,

“You, what was that magic?”

"What?"

"Don't play dumb with me. What was that magic you used today?”

He shook my shoulders as if he was curious to death.

"How did you make the Wind Spear fire twice like it was a Reverse Cutter?"

By the way, the Reverse Cutter is a 3-circle wind magic.

Its characteristic is in the name.

Once you've fired it, it reverses and fires again in the opposite direction.

“Changing the trajectory in whatever way you want and combining the magic. What the hell is that all about?"

"Hm, I wonder?"

“Oh, come on you!”

Soonchan stamped his feet like a puppy who needed to go to the toilet.

”Hehe.”

It was natural for Soonchan to show this kind of reaction.

My magic transcended all the principles of modern magic.

My wind cutter, which shouldn't ever change direction, changed direction.

My fireball was thrown way further than what was thought to be possible.

And my water, even after it had been created, moved around as freely as my limbs. By the standards of the modern study of magic, what I had done shouldn't have been possible and couldn't have been possible.

“And in the first place, what was that magic casting speed?”

"This?"

I nonchalantly formed a water droplet over my hand.

Of course, the casting time was zero seconds.

There was no lag whatsoever.

"Yeah! That! It takes me half a second to make water. What kind of magic is that fast?"

"I wonder."

I replied and cancelled my water.

"You didn't buy illegal artificial intelligence or anything right? Let me see."

Soonchan checked my neck.

He was checking for the barcode that had the AI number that should have been on my neck.

"...It's not here?"

“Why would I have that you dumbass.”

Of course, there's no AI number on my neck.

How can there be an AI code when there's no AI?

"...So you really used that kind of magic without any artificial intelligence? "

"That's right."

"You're saying that magic was all from just your own power? Without any illegal doping?"

"Illegal doping my ass."

"You're being serious right?"

"Just trust me, man."

He wouldn't believe my words.

‘‘I told you the other day. I realized something small.”

“Oh, that new ancient text that you got?”

"Mhm. That one. Using that I was able to accomplish a little something. This magic is thanks to that accomplishment."

“What did you accomplish?”

"Curious?"

"Yeah, I'm going insane from it."

“Then lend me your ear.”

I gestured to Soonchan with a serious expression.

Soonchan, who had also become increasingly serious, brought his ear close to me.

”So basically..."

Soonchan sat tight as if he was expecting something.

I paused for emphasis and said in a grave voice.

"It's a secret."

‘‘Hey, you!"

Soonchan shouted in an irritated tone and expression.

"Hehehe."

I laughed at him.

"I'm joking. I'll tell you.”

I sat down with my legs crossed and answered sensibly.

"Well in the first place, it's not that big of a deal."

Of course, I had no plan of telling him about the Bytenor style of magic.

I'm not stupid enough to reveal my vision magic to the public so casually.

In the future, I may do so, but at the very least now is not that time.

“I've woven a 4th circle.”

"...What?"

Soonchan rubbed his ear as if he had heard something wrong.

“What did you say?"

"I've gotten 4 circles."

"...For real?"

"Are you really going to keep saying 'Really? For real?' All day today?"

Is this guy a bot?

"No, hey. You're the one who’s making me say all that."

Soonchan, who was astonished, kept on repeating the same thing over and over.

“Achieving 4 circles right now is a record that could rival the records of the magic tower masters of old."

“I think I've heard that before somewhere.”

“You've heard that somewhere? Do you understand how impressive that is... Wow, you can't be serious. I literally can't speak because I'm in disbelief.”

Soonchan pretended to laugh and then exploded.

"No, but what does having a 4th-circle have anything to do with the magic you used? Your cast speed doesn't get faster just by gaining more circles.”

"It does get faster."

"...It does?"

"Mhm."

I replied nonchalantly.

“It's something that's been forgotten because of the use of artificial intelligence.

But basically, there's a 4th circle support spell called 'Memorize'.”

I recited the cover-up story that I had planned beforehand.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the staff room, the instructors had all gathered and were assessing the match that had taken place that day.

“The magic that Shin Hayul had used is a support magic called 'Memorize'."

This was said by the Blue Magic Tower master, who was beside them assessing Shin Hayul’s match, even though it should’ve only been the instructors.

Kim Kangin had said something strange.

‘‘Memorize?"

“Does such magic exist?”

The Blue Magic tower master, who had anticipated that it would be hard to grade student Shin Hayul, stayed true to his personality and nosily weaseled himself into the staff room.

"Yes. I suppose it's a type of memory magic. It's a spell that allows you to cast magic beforehand and store it."

"I've heard of it before. I've heard that it was a spell used by mages up till about 100 years ago, but now it's a spell that's been lost..."

The homeroom teacher of Shin Hayul.

Instructor Ko Changsoo seemed to have recalled information about Memorize.

'‘Yes that's right. Now in the present time, it has become a spell that no one uses.”

Unless you were interested in ancient books, like Ko Changsoo or Kim Kangin were, then it would be obvious to have never heard of it before.

“With this spell, it is possible to cast a spell immediately. It's one step faster than the triggering of magic through artificial intelligence. You can see it as immediate casting.”

"That kind of magic..."

“Isn't that magic something that we must all learn?”

The instructors spoke among themselves loudly.

"No, you're wrong. Memorize has clear limitations."

“What are they?”

"You can only use spells that are 3 circles below the number of circles you have."

"Oh, that kind of weakness..."

Even if a 7 Circle Wizard uses Memorize, they can only use 4 Circle Magic.

This is a critical disadvantage.

“If such conditions are required, then it's natural for it to have died out.”

“There's no point in me being able to cast 2 circle magic immediately.”

In the modern era of magic that uses AI, Memorize is only compatible with low-rank magic.

This is why Memorize is no longer ever used.

"W-Wait a minute."

Instructor Ko Changsoo raised his hand with an embarrassed expression.

“You said you could only memorize magic that was three circles lower than your own, right?”

‘‘ Yes. That's right.'’

“And you said that student Shin Hayul used Memorize.”

"Yes."

Shin Ha Yul only ever used 1-circle magic throughout all 3 of the matches today.

"Then are you saying that... Student Shin Ha-yul has become a 4-circle magic user?"

"Oh!"

"Oh my...! "

Exclamations burst out from all the teachers in the vicinity.

Kim Kangin replied with a grin.

‘‘Yes. It seems that student Shin Hayul has succeeded in weaving four circles.”

"My word..."

"No way."

The teachers occasionally expressed words of disbelief.

‘‘In the first place, Memorize is a 4-circle magic spell...”

Kim Kangin laughed as if he was having fun.

"During student Shin Hayul's match, I confirmed that the vibrations he emitted were of a 4-circle mage."

"No way..."

"If the Blue Magic tower master confirmed it, then I'm sure it's true."

The Blue Magic tower master is famous for many reasons.

And he is most famous for his very own 'vision magic', the 'Eyes of ruby'.

"...I'm impressed. Achieving 4-circles at age 18"

"I agree."

The instructors were tongue-tied.

“I've understood the secret behind the rapid casting speeds. But, what's the deal behind that extraordinary magic?"

What could the identity of that extraordinary magic that destroyed the very principles of modern magic be?

"It's simple. He's modified the magic formula."

He said this with a sharp gaze.

"M-modified?"

"Isn't that what the scholars of AI magic have been attempting to do?"

"Yes."

Modifying the algorithm of artificial intelligence was something that could push magic forwards in great strides or something that could go in the complete opposite direction.

“Student Shin Hayul has modified the magic formula to his own tastes.”

“D-does that make any sense?”

"Of course, it's something that's unbelievable."

What Shin Hayul has done is like saying that it would be nice if cars could fly and then giving one the ability to fly.

“And since he's done something so impossible in real life, even I'm in disbelief.”

Kim Kangin scoffed a little.

He had already known about Shin Hayul's exceptional mind, but he didn't think it would have been to this extent.

"If I told this to my friend who's recently been specializing in the study of AI magic, he'd probably come to fly all the way to Korea."

"Your friend you say..."

"James Piller."

‘‘Th-the Red magic tower master..."

The instructors took a gulp of air.

"Furthermore, his combat sense is also outstanding. Did you see how he countered Explosion before it was cast using water? He's truly a genius."

Kim Kangin's eyes shone while he had a touching expression on his face.

"He's really someone to be desired. It's to the point that if I wasn't shackled by the fact that he's affiliated with the Magic Shin Clan, I would make him my successor this very instant."

"...I-it's to that extent, hm."

‘‘Yes, that's right,"

Declared the Blue Magic Tower's master.

“So it's even more of a pity.”

“A pity?”

The Blue Mage Tower's master smiled bitterly.

“If only Shin Hayul was compatible with AI, just how much more would he have been able to achieve..."

Upon hearing those words, the instructors felt goosebumps.

For an instant when they thought of a non-incompatible Shin Hayul, they could feel goosebumps.

"...The status of Korea could have changed.”

Kim Kangin, who knew the importance of superstars more than anyone, regretted Shin Hayul's incompatibility so much more.

"Anyway, that's it for my input."

Kim Kangin returned to smiling brightly again.

“The magic of student Shin Hayul is not the result of illegal artificial intelligence, or from doping. It's the fruits of diligent hard work.”

Kim Kangin looks around at the instructors with fierce eyes.

"I, the Blue Magic tower master, Kim Kangin can guarantee it."

* * *

That night.

The news exploded once again.

That time it was not an article someone had deliberately spread, but an article that was genuinely spread.

[The resurrection of the genius has become a true story!]

[The master of the Blue magic tower. Makes it public that Shin Hayul has become a 4-circle mage.]

[What could the magic that Shin Hayul used, Memorize, be?]

[I will win using only 1-circle magic! The truth behind that declaration! Memorize magic!]

[The new, brilliant idea contained within the Wind Spear.]

[Shin Hayul vs. Baek Sahyuk. Replay of the highlights.]

They were all very satisfying articles.

"Just as I had expected."

I know a bit about the Master of the Blue Magic tower. I know about his eyes of ruby, I know about his nosy personality and I know that he still had some interest in me.

So I brought some attention to myself.

If I did that, I thought that the Master of the Blue Magic tower would come.

‘If he hadn't come, then I would have had to use a more annoying method.'

Fortunately, I didn't have to worry about that.

Thanks to the Blue Magic Tower's master, I received no suspicion at all and took my position as a 4-circle mage.

With this, it would be easier for me to use the Bytenor style of magic from here on out.

‘If I was questioned about my magic, I would have had to be placed under investigation and if that had happened, then everything about my infinity circle could have been revealed.'

But I don't have to worry about that anymore.

No one will have any suspicions about my magic.

This is the power of the Blue Magic tower master's guarantee.

With a lightened heart, I did some stretches.

‘All that's left now is to place in the top 10.'

If I win 1 more match tomorrow, I'll be through to the round of 16*.

*(Pr/n: “Round of 16” is the round before the quarter finals.)

As the name suggests, there'll only be 16 people left.

If I can just make it to the quarter-finals, then I can achieve my goal of being in the top 10.

"Two wins."

In other words, I only have to win 2 more to reclaim everything that I'd ever lost.