Humanity hasn’t come far at all! I flipped through the books, documents, and reports that relate to magic. I despaired. They have hardly made any progress since I got sealed. I had my hands in my hair. How is this possible? The Misha are one thing but how is it that also the humans have hardly progressed in magic? There must be an explanation!
Sure, they have advanced in making life easier but that’s it! Why is nobody interested in improving magic? I can’t be the only one who has a love for magic.
It took more days of getting kicked out of the library to find something. A human researcher had attempted what I did but he got met with many barriers. His understanding of magic was limited and it didn’t seem to dawn on him to focus on mana runes and magic circles.
He had focused on returning to magic incantations but drastically shortening them to 3 or 4 words. That’s a great idea but that can only be used in conjunction with magic circles, defeating its purpose. The overall result will be stronger than what gets used today but that’s assuming the practitioner knows what he’s doing. Judging from this research, this person had no idea what he was doing. I sighed.
I didn’t expect to find something so depressing so shortly after I regained my freedom. Shortly? I managed to find the date. I had been freed in begin February and it was almost July! I did it again! Why is my sense of time so poor?!
Something awakened within me. I can’t accept this! I will resume my research in a reduced capacity. I haven’t seriously used magic in forever though… I need to get back into shape and gather materials. But where will I set up a workshop? I don’t want to go back to Witchaven.
The librarian looked at me in shock as I left the library before clsing time in the first time in months.
“Are you ill?! Do I need to send for a healer?”
“How rude! I’m fine. I have something to do. Thank you for looking out for me.” I gave the old librarian my best smile and left.
The sunlight stung my eyes. It has been months since I’ve been outside when the sun was up. This library takes things seriously and opens at 6:00 and closes at 23:00. I hope the librarian isn’t getting overworked.
I visited the shop that I’ve become a regular at but it doesn’t seem to be open during the day time. This city seems to have shops and places for almost anything. It took 2 hours but I found shops that sold magical catalysts, herbal mixes, potions, and anything a Misha could wish for.
There seems to be this place called the Adventurers Association that organizes adventurers to kill monsters, investigate remote places to look for resources, do escort quests, and more. It seems very popular and since this is Gittrian, it attracted a lot of races interested in adventuring. This shop seems to be catered to Misha who are interested in becoming adventurers.
I love this place! The assortment was incomplete but the environment here is vastly different than up north around Witchaven. It was satisfactory.
“A new face. Came here to become an adventurer?” The shopkeeper looked at my hat. “That’s the prettiest Misha hat I’ve seen in years.”
“Oh you call us Misha and not witches? And thank you! My hat means a lot to me!”
“Well my shop is catered to Misha so the least I can do is call them by their preferred term.”
“Oh that makes a lot of sense, do Misha visit here often?”
“Not as much. It seems Witchaven had become more strict in letting Misha leave so those that appear aren’t as well educated as those from Witchaven or Mildowa, the Misha capital. Those that are have more years behind them so they procure most of their materials themselves. That’s 14 silver and 90 bronze. Quite the big purchase.”
“Oh yes, I’ve been out of the loop for a while and ran out of almost anything.”
“Ahh the Misha and their research. At least you seem to take good care of yourself. Most Misha look tired.”
I spun around. “Well, I’m not immune to that so I have to make sure I stay sexy! Thank you for the compliment!” I smiled at the shopkeeper and left.
What a nice person! I also learned something. It seems Witchaven is stuck in their ways. That confirms that there’s no place for me there. Not that I wanted to return.
I stored my materials in my dimensional pocket and headed over to the Adventurers Association (AA). I had learned that they have spaces where magic can be practiced. It was also a space to hold duels and anything battle related.
Cool air met me as I stepped inside and I couldn’t believe my eyes. I looked outside and back inside. This building was enormous, I get that, but the inside looks like a city. A city inside a city? One thing is sure, modern Kaledon takes construction seriously.
I felt a bit lost as this place was enormous, and I couldn’t find out where to practice my magic. I had assumed that this should have been easy to find. I will have to interact with people now.
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“Excuse me, where can I find the arena?”
“Whoa a total babe! Uh, I mean I’m glad to show you! And maybe uhh we can form a party?”
“I’m not an adventurer sorry and I will be fine, I won’t take up your time, just show me and I’ll get to it myself.” This adventurer seemed quite weak. I might not have seriously practiced magic in millennia but I was confident that this guy would drag me down if I were to set out with him. He was also not my type.
The adventurer fumbled a lot but managed to send me toward the dueling space. I had to go through some corridors and doors.
The space was huge, it had various windows from which one could peer into the several arenas in this place. Adventurers were observing the battles inside. It looked like various stores next to each other as if the adventurers were window shopping. Is this how parties get formed? I don’t know how all this works these days.
All magic was unrefined. I didn’t want to sound arrogant but all these duels were boring. There was an option to get into one of these rooms alone and had the space simulate monsters to fight. That would be my choice. I don’t want to turn into a murderer.
It was a bit difficult to secure one as I wasn’t an adventurer but they let it slide. I have to admit. I abused my looks to get what I wanted. They wanted to give me a room with one of those windows so they could watch me but that wasn’t going to happen. I got a private room.
I looked at the magical control panel. Only with these things do the humans seem to be uselessly skilled in. How is this going to save them from threats? It’s not necessarily progressing their race but their society. Does that count? I have never thought about that.
What do people fight nowadays? Wild boars? Boring… Ohh! Wyverns! 100-year-old wyverns? Do the humans enjoy fighting infants? Let's crank up the age! Let's go for a 3000-year-old wyvern! A boring warning popped up stating that a 3000-year-old wyvern is a big S-rank threat and that they would not be responsible for any injuries incurred in this fight.
If they think a 3000-year-old wyvern is this big of a threat they should work on their magic to the point that this isn’t the case. Wyverns around this age should be common.
I got ready as the wyvern spawned. Let’s find out how rusty I’ve truly become!
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So something strange is going on. The wyvern died quite easily. I was rusty but my base power seems to have increased. It might be the result of absorbing that well-made pink clone from Boshi town. It was an imitation of me so I should be stronger than ever was before but I didn’t expect this.
My [Azure Spear] is strong but it shouldn’t one-shot a 3000-year-old wyvern. I sat on the floor thinking about what just happened. Fighting humans in my current state is a bad idea. I don’t know how to hold back.
The rest of the day got spent to tune my firepower. It was partly successful. It now took 5 hits to kill a 3000 year old wyvern. Most humans or humanoid oppenents would still die to a simple [Waterblast]. Complicated feelings swirled through my chest. It feels good that I’m not weakened. But humans and other races being this weak left a bitter after taste.
The simulation summoned an S-rank adventurer. His name seems to be ‘Silent Night’. What a strange name.
There were adventurers that had higher ranks but challengers seemed to have the lowest winrate against this guy. Rank tells me nothing. I suppose that rank is only an indicator of strength. But the winrate clearly shows that this Silent Night guy is the strongest the simulation has to offer for now.
“I see I get to fight a woman. This should be easy.”
“Wow his personality is terrible! And why are you all dressed in black?” I did not expect that the simulations were also able to hold conversations. I think the humans are putting their efforts in the wrong fields.
“My black attire makes me blend in better with the shadows.” He took out a dagger and licked it. This guy gave me the creeps. He had a familiar look on his face but this one looked… more dangerous. It was the look as if someone was undressing you with his eyes but he seemed to also want to undress me of my skin.
“Show me what your insides look like!”
“I knew it!”
The man disappeared. Stealth? I used [Flood]. It did knock him out of stealth but after I felt something on my back. It stung.
“What the? You’re supposed to be a bloody mess on the ground!”
“I’m sorry but you have to try harder if you want to get through my [Azure Aura]!” Petals flew around as I had used [Azure Flower]. He deflected the petals with his daggers and sent a [Shadow Grasp] at me.
I covered myself with ice. The [Shadow Grasp] shattered the ice and got canceled out. My heart is safe. It was hard to hit this man. He loved to sneak around and go for my blind spot. He might be an assassin. I don’t have experience fighting these.
[Blizzard] knocked him out of stealth yet again and I could see the annoyance out of his face. He got a lot of hits in but none hurt me. I landed one slap with my hat. It messed him up good! He took out a vial with a bright yellow substance and drank it.
“I will enjoy turning you into a useless pile of meat!” Strange yellow horns grew out of his head and it started to discharge lightning.
“Huh what is this strange magic?” It looked like magic but it wasn’t. what did this guy drink? His body had strange bright yellow lightning going through him. This isn’t magic. Fascinating! So, this is what the humans have come up with!
“Die!” Something fast and yellow shot at me. My [Ice Wall] was just in time but it melted into yellow goop.
“Ewww gross! What’s that!”
“Your fate!”
There is no time to be fascinated! His yellow attacks turn mana into strange yellow goop! I’m sure I’ll still be hot with yellow in my color palette but that changes if I turn into goop! I don’t want that!
“You can’t escape the inevitability that’s death! Come and embrace your demise!”
“Stop talking so strange!” I had hopped on my catalyst and was flying away from this creep. I can see why the win rate against him is so low. Everyone loses because his creepiness is too overwhelming! It almost got me too! Humans are scary!
The azure petals turned into yellow goop as he kept shooting his yellow attacks at me and my counterattacks. Is this some form of poison?
I rained down [Azure Spears] but he nimbly avoided them. He also turned some into [Yellow Goop Spears]. It looked disgusting and I don’t want to turn into that! I don’t want to rename myself to Topazza Goop or something! “Screw it! Let's try this! An indoor [Meteor]!”
The room brightened and fire filled the whole duel area, incinerating everything.
I found myself slightly singed into a completely molten room. The instructor told me that the walls were indestructible and that I could go loose but this doesn’t look indestructible to me. I had won the fight but at what cost? I stank as his yellow goop smelled yucky and the smell had gotten stuck in my clothes. I also smelt burnt flesh and what I assume was burnt yellow goop.
The door wouldn’t open as it was molten and had merged with the wall. “Let me out!”
I got released after pounding on the half-molten door for 20 minutes. I looked like a mess as I had also called down that [Meteor] on myself.