Chapter 20: You’re Such a Scrub.

What exactly is magic.

Is it merely a wondrous ability?

Or the power to manifest the laws of nature into reality?

Whatever it may be, the discipline called magic.

Is a profound pursuit where mages seek, realize, and advance towards their ideals.

The very essence of it all is mana.

‘Even if it’s modern magic.
The fundamental basis shouldn’t have changed.’

Having to use modern magic she had never encountered before.

Despite the risk.

Edelin wasn’t worried.

From her current standpoint, the issue wasn’t the difficulty of whether she could use it or not.

It hinged on whether she possessed the mana capacity for the 3rd Circle.

‘This staff will solve that problem.’

She felt the pulse of Circles as she gripped the staff.

The amount of mana contained within the staff was, at a rough estimate, at least 4th Circle or higher.

Amplification magic and refined, pure mana assisted the user.

A staff befitting a young master, clearly indicating some money had been spent.

“Will you be alright?
If you just say the word now, the branch will handle this.”

Feeling guilty for involving an ordinary person.

Seojun spoke quietly to her.

Edelin confidently tapped her chest and replied.

“It’s fine.
I’ve had an experience like this just recently.”

Of course, it was inside the game.

How could every junior she encountered be so insolent and arrogant?

Edelin stood before the shooting range-like space.

She slowly examined the 3rd Circle textbook placed there.

Magic Renewal: 3rd Circle Magic Test
Practical Exam: Hit the target using the provided magic.
Given Spell: Di · Orphena · Ra · Alute

The paper detailed everything from one to ten kindly.

It also described what phenomenon would occur.

Upon successful use of the given magic.

‘Isn’t this just Air Hammer?’

A simple magic that strikes the enemy with a translucent hammer made of air.

Only the incantation to memorize was different; the content perfectly matched the magic she knew.

“Wow… She really is pretty.”

“I want to make her my little sister.
Take her to a cafe and film her eating cake with those cheeks.”

“Are you really saying things like that in this situation?”

There were some staff members whispering, failing to grasp the situation.

Others held cameras, recording the event in real-time.

And some looked at her with worry.

While the onlookers, divided into three groups, all focused their attention.

Edelin finally moved.

“Di · Orphena · Ra · Alute.”

She lightly recited the activation words with precise pronunciation.

The reason she recited the given spell fully despite this.

Was to prove she had beaten him under equal conditions.

And also, conveniently, to leave evidence captured on video.

She focused the mana circulating within her body to the tip of the staff.

‘To think he can’t even use magic with such a fine staff, just how foolish must he be.’

That thought was fleeting.

Edelin had completely forgotten her own true Circle level.

‘Why do I only feel the mana of the 1st Circle…?’

Oops.

Even circulating the mana contained in her body, she only felt a single circle.

This body couldn’t use magic two levels higher.

Even receiving the staff’s power.

Internal damage would be unavoidable.

Accepting the bet in a fit of anger was the mistake itself.

‘I was the foolish one.
Forgetting that in reality, I’m only 1st Circle.’

The Archmage’s pride that hated losing clashed with the reality that it was impossible.

At that moment.

As if to resolve her dilemma.

The Nightmare energy dormant within her circle began to stir and move.

‘…!?’

The Nightmare energy squeezed out of the circle, flowed up her arm, and headed towards the staff.

‘Mana is filling up…?’

Edelin could feel it clearly.

The sensation of mana rapidly surging.

The Shadow Nightmare’s energy was sucking up all the mana residing in the staff.

‘This is dangerous.
If mana greater than my Circle enters, my body might explode.’

The man saw Edelin standing still, sweating profusely.

He looked at Edelin, snickering and mocking her.

“An ordinary person who can’t even use magic calling 3rd Circle trivial?
Kkekekek.
I won the bet, right?”

Judging by the aura she outwardly projected and her mana capacity.

The girl felt significantly weaker than him.

He didn’t think she was hiding her power.

“Do not touch her.
If you are a mage.
You should be able to see the flow of mana.”

“The flow of mana?”

“Haa….
Touching her now could cause internal injuries.”

How could a lower-ranked mage comprehend the grand intentions of a higher-ranked one?

Seojun, possessing a relatively high Circle himself, recognized the significance and stopped the man who was about to lay a hand on Edelin.

“Fine.
Still trying hard, are we?
Go on.
It won’t work anyway.”

The man reluctantly took a step back.

Edelin was too busy concentrating to even pay attention to the man.

‘Did the Nightmare have the power to absorb mana?’

The Nightmare energy greedily continued to suck the staff’s mana.

Edelin focused that mana into her opposite hand.

It was dangerous for more mana to accumulate in her body.

She decided the outlet would be.

The 3rd Circle magic she needed to cast, Air Hammer.

‘As it absorbs mana, the Nightmare energy is growing.’

As if never satisfied no matter how much it consumed, the Nightmare energy continuously craved the staff’s mana.

Edelin closed her eyes and focused.

Since things had come to this.

She would try to control the Nightmare using the staff’s mana.

A portion of her contaminated circle.

Using the absorbed mana, she began the process of making the Nightmare her own.

Without the Nightmare noticing.

So that the Nightmare wouldn’t react sensitively.

She performed the task of slowly infusing mana into the Nightmare to tame it.

‘Now.’

When that process was repeated.

She slowly guided the Nightmare back onto the path of mana.

Nightmare energy, in a way, was energy with properties similar to mana.

‘Couldn’t I create a new circle with Nightmare energy too?’

A statement that other mages might have smacked her hard on the back for, calling it crazy talk.

Edelin immediately put her thought into action.

Not pushing it into the place where the existing circle was.

But creating a small space for the Nightmare to reside.

She went through the process of creating another small circle at the very center of the original one, ensuring it didn’t interfere with the existing mana circle.

“Hoo….”

Without much difficulty, Edelin created a single circle composed solely of Nightmare energy.

With this, although she was 1st Circle.

An independent circle containing only Nightmare energy now existed as well.

‘Perhaps I should call myself 1.5 Circle now.’

As if pleased with its new home.

The Nightmare energy squirmed gently.

Using some of the mana she had absorbed, she once again purified her clouded circle, making it clean.

Two perfectly separated spaces.

As a result.

Edelin’s hair color slowly began to return to silver.

‘With this, I can now use Nightmare energy without damaging my circle.’

Thanks to the obnoxious rich kid, she had achieved her original goal.

She should probably be thanking him, but.

‘A mage’s pride is a separate matter.’

As punishment for his insolence, she drained all the mana remaining in the staff, concentrating it in her other hand.

She quietly muttered the activation words for Air Hammer.

Kwaang!

A translucent hammer made of air struck the training dummy.

The training dummy staggered, making a loud noise.

“My goodness.”

“Wow.
It’s my first time seeing magic activated right before my eyes.”

“No way.”

The trio reacted differently.

“Victory in this bet is mine.”

“Confirmed….
The incantation for the manifestation of 3rd Circle magic has been verified.”

The man, half-dazed, muttered.

“This…
A little kid is 3rd Circle?
A level even I couldn’t reach…?”

Although it was the manifestation of 3rd Circle magic through a trick.

Edelin gently placed the now drained staff on the floor, wearing a confident expression.

“Don’t make me laugh.
What trick did you pull?”

“You’re quite pathetic, man.
If you lose, you should know how to admit defeat.”

“You… you…!
You cheat!
Do you know who my father is?
Mages tremble at his name…”

At that moment, Kim Hyunah raised her hand and popped out from the crowd.

“Okay, okay!
That’s enough~ See this?
I don’t know who you are, but you’ll tarnish your father’s honor too~?”

Kim Hyunah grinned, holding up her smartphone.

A flashing red circle was visible on the smartphone screen.

In short, it meant if he continued his pathetic behavior, she would spread the recording everywhere.

The man, his face flushed red, took a business card from his pocket, practically threw it at Edelin, and said.

“Contact that number regarding the compensation for the bet.”

He tried to hastily leave the place.

“Oppa.
There’s something the winner of a bet says.”

“What is it?”

“Do it like this.”

Yeeun showed Edelin something on her smartphone.

Edelin looked at it with interest, then.

“You totally suck at magic.
Absolute scrub♥”

She taunted the man with the most irritating expression imaginable.

The man couldn’t say anything back.

He merely trembled and fled.