[T/L: RevengerScans1]
[Read More Chapters Here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]
Of course, things were already set in motion towards Elric's exploration team.
"Just a little more patience, and the legacy of the prestigious magic family will fall into the hands of Professor Berex. Isn't that right? Hehehe!"
Professor Berex could finally suppress his excitement and burst into laughter.
As Elric and Sean arrived at their destination, the Karagul Cave, they couldn't help but frown upon the scene.
"Why are you all here?"
There were already guests present.
And it wasn't just a few; it was a sizable group, exceeding twenty individuals.
"Why are we here? Well, when we heard that two motivated individuals were going through hardship, we naturally decided to lend a helping hand, all stepping forward together."
At that moment, the leader of the group adjusted his glasses, stepped forward, and smirked.
With long, flowing red hair and sinisterly glowing green eyes, it was a face Elric knew all too well.
Rivern.
It was a brief encounter, but still, Rivern, the fellow Elric and Sean had befriended during their admission. However, once Rivern found out about Elric's blockage disease, he blatantly turned away.
Now, he was the senior researcher at the "Magic Astronomy Research Institute" led by Professor Berex.
And the other two individuals around were no different.
Once fellow students, they were now researchers under Professor Berex.
They either avoided making eye contact with Elric or greeted him with averted gazes, or a nod while looking down, seemingly hesitant.
Unless they were fools, it was easy to guess why they were here.
"You guys...!"
Sean glared at them with an irritated expression.
Rivern momentarily flinched. Even though he could appear confident in front of Elric, Sean was a formidable presence to contend with.
Background aside, there was a clear difference in rank.
Still, this mission was a special order from Professor Berex.
It had to be completed without fail.
'After all, that guy is also riding on Professor Berex's line, isn't he? I'm just trampling on the dignity of Melvinger. Let's not bother with Sean's side.'
Rivern squinted his eyes, twisting one corner of his lips.
"As you can see, not only us but also specialists have been separately invited to assist in the exploration. It means the dean trusts and supports you to that extent, so accept it with pleasure."
Elric observed the individuals Rivern brought as specialists.
The tools they carried were undoubtedly necessary for exploration – infrared binoculars, a pickaxe with various functions, a compass signaling monster appearances and guiding the way, and more.
However, Elric didn't miss the hint of unease in their expressions.
'Are they mercenaries specializing in such tasks? They emit a faint magical scent... If something comes out in the cave, they seem ready to seize it.'
Elric narrowed his eyes.
'Dean, if it continues like this until the end, I have no choice.'
Originally, he just planned to disrupt the headmaster election a bit, but... With them being so overt about it, he couldn't just stay quiet.
'But for now, let's focus on the exploration.'
Dealing with Them
Thinking about how to handle them won't be too late when the time comes.
'But I can't just let it slide easily....'
Elric momentarily curled one corner of his lips.
"Exactly. I never expected the dean to support us to this extent. And especially picking us as fellow students and sending us."
"Isn't that right? So, shall we all go up to the cave together..."
"Hold on, Rivern."
Elric cynically chuckled, gesturing towards the surrounding area with his chin.
"Before we start the exploration, it seems necessary to survey the ecosystem around the cave. Can you clear the herbs within a 1-kilometer radius?"
"Me, all of them...?"
"Yeah, all of them. Alone. Can you handle it?"
Before Rivern could react, his expression turned awkward.
It was an obvious request.
Before exploring Mana Spots, preliminary inspections and surveys of the surrounding area were crucial. Typically, it took several weeks to several months and required dozens of people.
But doing it alone?
In such rugged terrain, it would be a backbreaking task.
Rivern had no choice but to comply.
"Here, as the leader of the exploration team... Well, if you don't want to hear it, you can leave."
"..."
Elric's casually thrown words silenced Rivern.
The words of the exploration team leader were absolute. If you didn't listen, you'd be expelled.
'He really doesn't turn enemies into allies.'
Sean, even if for a brief moment, felt sympathy for Rivern.
Ever since they arrived here, Elric's temperament seemed to have changed drastically.
***
"【Mana's Providence】."
With Sean's incantation, a radiant burst of light erupted from the crystal orb he held, scattering across the entire mountainside.
'Who would have thought I'd have to use a Mana Detection Orb in a place like this...'
Sean chuckled as he spoke.
The Mana Detection Orb was originally an expensive magical device used to detect hidden magicians during wars. Elric seemed to have pulled quite a bit of funds from Professor Berex for this.
'By now, he must be fuming with anger.'
As Sean's smirk deepened, a moment later,
Boom!
Sean felt a tremendous shock as if his head was splitting.
In the distance,
Around the middle of the mountainside, a towering golden pillar of immense size shot up.
"Sean!"
"No way, is this...?"
"Oh, oh, a massive Mana Field! No, no, it's a barrier!"
Eyes widened with shock, including Rivern, who was watching Sean.
Mana detection orbs display different colors based on the grade of mana. Among them, golden signifies the highest grade, indicating a Grand magician.
And if it's of such scale and size...!
"Is there really a dragon's nest over there...?"
"Everyone quiet! Let's go check it out."
Sean, clenching his teeth with a pale complexion, shouted.
Elric noticed that he had suffered some injuries, but he immediately led the exploration team towards the source of the extraordinary phenomenon.
"The exploration team moves to the destination before the pillar of light goes out."
Even if Elric wanted to check on Sean's condition, delaying here would undoubtedly lead to nagging later.
Pop-
Elric arrived at the destination, carried on the back of one of the exploration team members.
However, the place where the pillar of light formed was a flat plateau.
In contrast to the surrounding lush forest, it was a desolate wasteland where not even a single blade of grass grew. There wasn't even a common rock in sight.
"What is this...?"
Although the exploration team members were momentarily confused when they couldn't see the expected rift or cave, Elric quickly scanned the area and pointed to a specific spot.
【Flare】.
When Sean precisely unleashed a fireball on that spot, an enormous explosion occurred, and the ground sank as if a landslide had occurred.
Revealing a massive cave entrance.
"...!"
"...!"
"...!"
It seemed large and deep enough for dozens of people to enter at once.
Simultaneously, an overwhelming amount of magical energy, enough to make magicians dizzy, emanated.
While barely maintaining their balance, they couldn't help but gaze at Elric with astonished expressions.
'How can he pinpoint the exact location with just one glance?'
'Is he really the same failure I knew...?'
The magical detection orb could only provide a rough location, not an exact point.
That was no different for ordinary professors or assistants.
So, they needed the help of pre-survey and other specialized personnel... but all of that seemed futile now.
Even though Elric had been doing well in his studies, his classmates, who had only seen him as a disgrace to the magic noble family of Melvinger, now felt their hearts pounding.
Sean, seemingly conveying to those classmates, "Now you understand, right?" raised his nose as if it were his own affair.
"Entering."
Elric, seeming indifferent, stepped into the interior of the cave.
"To think... dragons roamed around here in ancient times?"
"It's deep. Incredibly deep."
"Yeah. It's eerily silent, too. Even when I channel my magic, the cold doesn't seem to recede."
The cave boasted an immense scale.
Much larger than it appeared from the outside.
The exploration team was completely overwhelmed by the grand scale as they moved through the cave.
Even though it had been more than a thousand years since the ancient dragon species had completely vanished without a trace, the deeply ingrained magical energy within the cave made it difficult for the magicians to breathe.
It felt as if the dragon had roamed these caves just the day before.
"Everyone here already suspects that this is the dragon's nest."
"It's deep. Incredibly."
"Yeah, and it's strangely chilly. Even when I channel my magic, the cold doesn't seem to recede."
The cave displayed an impressive size.
Much larger than it seemed from the outside.
As the exploration team moved through the cave, they were completely overwhelmed by its majestic scale.
Even though it had been more than a thousand years since the ancient dragon species vanished without a trace, the deeply ingrained magical energy within the cave made it difficult for the magicians to breathe.
It felt as if the dragon had roamed these caves just the day before.
'Everyone here already suspects that this is the dragon's nest.'
Sean, leading the way following Elric, walked the path and chuckled while glimpsing the reactions of the exploration team.
Clearly, they had received orders from Professor Berex to obstruct Elric, but they seemed to have lost that purpose altogether.
Sean thought it was inevitable.
'After all, they are also magicians.'
Exploring the unknown, seeking knowledge, and pursuing the truth—the pioneers.
If you were a magician, you couldn't help but be fascinated by the mystery that a dragon's existence presented. In its presence, even political stances became irrelevant.
'But seriously, it's too cold. How can the magical barrier spread throughout the nest be this strong? What kind of species lived here?'
Sean rubbed his arms with both hands, but the chill couldn't be shaken off. Breath after breath, vapor filled the air.
Other magicians also fervently circled their spells or tried unleashing fire-based magic, but the bone-chilling cold persisted, permeating to their very bones.
Diamond Dragon.
Jewel Dragon.
In the academic community, suspicions about its existence lingered for a long time, and only recently was its classification finalized.
In its lifetime, it undoubtedly possessed immense magical power.
'Maybe it can be compared to Gold, which manipulates light, or even Red, which has the largest physique.'
Sean decided to meticulously examine the visible things first.
Then...
'What's he doing again?'
Late to notice, Sean observed Elric busily scribbling something in his notebook, wearing a perplexed expression.
The content was entirely composed of runic characters.
Even magicians shy away from using them due to their complexity and difficulty—archaic language.
Some sort of structural formula...
"What's that?"
"Formula analysis. I was looking for a solution."
Sean, lowering his voice to a minimum, asked when he noticed Elric was working on something.
"Are you, by any chance, looking for the structural formula of the barrier?"
"Yeah."
"…!"
A straightforward answer that came back too easily.
However, Sean shivered involuntarily.
Analyzing the magical structure created by a dragon?
He wanted to scream, but in truth, what Elric was observing was a far more vast and expansive world.
'Here... it's the rich vein.'
Since entering the nest, he had been thinking that way.
Simply being here made his eyes widen.
A fractal structure constituting the barrier.
Elemental magic facilitates the circulation of air.
Jewel magic being invoked at various points on the rocky walls.
Various traps blocking intruders, mysterious shapes, and characters containing magical power.
Even a connection model that allows these diverse magics to interact organically...
Thanks to Elric's uniquely sensitive senses due to his family background, he could see, feel, and smell all of these things.
The way different magics with different origins interlocked like gears within this vast system...
It was enough to captivate him, like understanding the initial shape of the universe for the first time.
'This is the legendary dragon magic they talked about.'
Everything he had studied and learned before seemed to disassemble into pieces in the face of the vast worldview offered by dragon magic, only to be reassembled into a new form.
Ecstasy.
Or self-transcendence.
Without realizing it, he found himself in a moment of profound connection that any magician would yearn for.
[T/L: RevengerScans1]
[Read More Chapters Here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]
Of course, things were already set in motion towards Elric's exploration team.
"Just a little more patience, and the legacy of the prestigious magic family will fall into the hands of Professor Berex. Isn't that right? Hehehe!"
Professor Berex could finally suppress his excitement and burst into laughter.
As Elric and Sean arrived at their destination, the Karagul Cave, they couldn't help but frown upon the scene.
"Why are you all here?"
There were already guests present.
And it wasn't just a few; it was a sizable group, exceeding twenty individuals.
"Why are we here? Well, when we heard that two motivated individuals were going through hardship, we naturally decided to lend a helping hand, all stepping forward together."
At that moment, the leader of the group adjusted his glasses, stepped forward, and smirked.
With long, flowing red hair and sinisterly glowing green eyes, it was a face Elric knew all too well.
Rivern.
It was a brief encounter, but still, Rivern, the fellow Elric and Sean had befriended during their admission. However, once Rivern found out about Elric's blockage disease, he blatantly turned away.
Now, he was the senior researcher at the "Magic Astronomy Research Institute" led by Professor Berex.
And the other two individuals around were no different.
Once fellow students, they were now researchers under Professor Berex.
They either avoided making eye contact with Elric or greeted him with averted gazes, or a nod while looking down, seemingly hesitant.
Unless they were fools, it was easy to guess why they were here.
"You guys...!"
Sean glared at them with an irritated expression.
Rivern momentarily flinched. Even though he could appear confident in front of Elric, Sean was a formidable presence to contend with.
Background aside, there was a clear difference in rank.
Still, this mission was a special order from Professor Berex.
It had to be completed without fail.
'After all, that guy is also riding on Professor Berex's line, isn't he? I'm just trampling on the dignity of Melvinger. Let's not bother with Sean's side.'
Rivern squinted his eyes, twisting one corner of his lips.
"As you can see, not only us but also specialists have been separately invited to assist in the exploration. It means the dean trusts and supports you to that extent, so accept it with pleasure."
Elric observed the individuals Rivern brought as specialists.
The tools they carried were undoubtedly necessary for exploration – infrared binoculars, a pickaxe with various functions, a compass signaling monster appearances and guiding the way, and more.
However, Elric didn't miss the hint of unease in their expressions.
'Are they mercenaries specializing in such tasks? They emit a faint magical scent... If something comes out in the cave, they seem ready to seize it.'
Elric narrowed his eyes.
'Dean, if it continues like this until the end, I have no choice.'
Originally, he just planned to disrupt the headmaster election a bit, but... With them being so overt about it, he couldn't just stay quiet.
'But for now, let's focus on the exploration.'
Dealing with Them
Thinking about how to handle them won't be too late when the time comes.
'But I can't just let it slide easily....'
Elric momentarily curled one corner of his lips.
"Exactly. I never expected the dean to support us to this extent. And especially picking us as fellow students and sending us."
"Isn't that right? So, shall we all go up to the cave together..."
"Hold on, Rivern."
Elric cynically chuckled, gesturing towards the surrounding area with his chin.
"Before we start the exploration, it seems necessary to survey the ecosystem around the cave. Can you clear the herbs within a 1-kilometer radius?"
"Me, all of them...?"
"Yeah, all of them. Alone. Can you handle it?"
Before Rivern could react, his expression turned awkward.
It was an obvious request.
Before exploring Mana Spots, preliminary inspections and surveys of the surrounding area were crucial. Typically, it took several weeks to several months and required dozens of people.
But doing it alone?
In such rugged terrain, it would be a backbreaking task.
Rivern had no choice but to comply.
"Here, as the leader of the exploration team... Well, if you don't want to hear it, you can leave."
"..."
Elric's casually thrown words silenced Rivern.
The words of the exploration team leader were absolute. If you didn't listen, you'd be expelled.
'He really doesn't turn enemies into allies.'
Sean, even if for a brief moment, felt sympathy for Rivern.
Ever since they arrived here, Elric's temperament seemed to have changed drastically.
***
"【Mana's Providence】."
With Sean's incantation, a radiant burst of light erupted from the crystal orb he held, scattering across the entire mountainside.
'Who would have thought I'd have to use a Mana Detection Orb in a place like this...'
Sean chuckled as he spoke.
The Mana Detection Orb was originally an expensive magical device used to detect hidden magicians during wars. Elric seemed to have pulled quite a bit of funds from Professor Berex for this.
'By now, he must be fuming with anger.'
As Sean's smirk deepened, a moment later,
Boom!
Sean felt a tremendous shock as if his head was splitting.
In the distance,
Around the middle of the mountainside, a towering golden pillar of immense size shot up.
"Sean!"
"No way, is this...?"
"Oh, oh, a massive Mana Field! No, no, it's a barrier!"
Eyes widened with shock, including Rivern, who was watching Sean.
Mana detection orbs display different colors based on the grade of mana. Among them, golden signifies the highest grade, indicating a Grand magician.
And if it's of such scale and size...!
"Is there really a dragon's nest over there...?"
"Everyone quiet! Let's go check it out."
Sean, clenching his teeth with a pale complexion, shouted.
Elric noticed that he had suffered some injuries, but he immediately led the exploration team towards the source of the extraordinary phenomenon.
"The exploration team moves to the destination before the pillar of light goes out."
Even if Elric wanted to check on Sean's condition, delaying here would undoubtedly lead to nagging later.
Pop-
Elric arrived at the destination, carried on the back of one of the exploration team members.
However, the place where the pillar of light formed was a flat plateau.
In contrast to the surrounding lush forest, it was a desolate wasteland where not even a single blade of grass grew. There wasn't even a common rock in sight.
"What is this...?"
Although the exploration team members were momentarily confused when they couldn't see the expected rift or cave, Elric quickly scanned the area and pointed to a specific spot.
【Flare】.
When Sean precisely unleashed a fireball on that spot, an enormous explosion occurred, and the ground sank as if a landslide had occurred.
Revealing a massive cave entrance.
"...!"
"...!"
"...!"
It seemed large and deep enough for dozens of people to enter at once.
Simultaneously, an overwhelming amount of magical energy, enough to make magicians dizzy, emanated.
While barely maintaining their balance, they couldn't help but gaze at Elric with astonished expressions.
'How can he pinpoint the exact location with just one glance?'
'Is he really the same failure I knew...?'
The magical detection orb could only provide a rough location, not an exact point.
That was no different for ordinary professors or assistants.
So, they needed the help of pre-survey and other specialized personnel... but all of that seemed futile now.
Even though Elric had been doing well in his studies, his classmates, who had only seen him as a disgrace to the magic noble family of Melvinger, now felt their hearts pounding.
Sean, seemingly conveying to those classmates, "Now you understand, right?" raised his nose as if it were his own affair.
"Entering."
Elric, seeming indifferent, stepped into the interior of the cave.
"To think... dragons roamed around here in ancient times?"
"It's deep. Incredibly deep."
"Yeah. It's eerily silent, too. Even when I channel my magic, the cold doesn't seem to recede."
The cave boasted an immense scale.
Much larger than it appeared from the outside.
The exploration team was completely overwhelmed by the grand scale as they moved through the cave.
Even though it had been more than a thousand years since the ancient dragon species had completely vanished without a trace, the deeply ingrained magical energy within the cave made it difficult for the magicians to breathe.
It felt as if the dragon had roamed these caves just the day before.
"Everyone here already suspects that this is the dragon's nest."
"It's deep. Incredibly."
"Yeah, and it's strangely chilly. Even when I channel my magic, the cold doesn't seem to recede."
The cave displayed an impressive size.
Much larger than it seemed from the outside.
As the exploration team moved through the cave, they were completely overwhelmed by its majestic scale.
Even though it had been more than a thousand years since the ancient dragon species vanished without a trace, the deeply ingrained magical energy within the cave made it difficult for the magicians to breathe.
It felt as if the dragon had roamed these caves just the day before.
'Everyone here already suspects that this is the dragon's nest.'
Sean, leading the way following Elric, walked the path and chuckled while glimpsing the reactions of the exploration team.
Clearly, they had received orders from Professor Berex to obstruct Elric, but they seemed to have lost that purpose altogether.
Sean thought it was inevitable.
'After all, they are also magicians.'
Exploring the unknown, seeking knowledge, and pursuing the truth—the pioneers.
If you were a magician, you couldn't help but be fascinated by the mystery that a dragon's existence presented. In its presence, even political stances became irrelevant.
'But seriously, it's too cold. How can the magical barrier spread throughout the nest be this strong? What kind of species lived here?'
Sean rubbed his arms with both hands, but the chill couldn't be shaken off. Breath after breath, vapor filled the air.
Other magicians also fervently circled their spells or tried unleashing fire-based magic, but the bone-chilling cold persisted, permeating to their very bones.
Diamond Dragon.
Jewel Dragon.
In the academic community, suspicions about its existence lingered for a long time, and only recently was its classification finalized.
In its lifetime, it undoubtedly possessed immense magical power.
'Maybe it can be compared to Gold, which manipulates light, or even Red, which has the largest physique.'
Sean decided to meticulously examine the visible things first.
Then...
'What's he doing again?'
Late to notice, Sean observed Elric busily scribbling something in his notebook, wearing a perplexed expression.
The content was entirely composed of runic characters.
Even magicians shy away from using them due to their complexity and difficulty—archaic language.
Some sort of structural formula...
"What's that?"
"Formula analysis. I was looking for a solution."
Sean, lowering his voice to a minimum, asked when he noticed Elric was working on something.
"Are you, by any chance, looking for the structural formula of the barrier?"
"Yeah."
"…!"
A straightforward answer that came back too easily.
However, Sean shivered involuntarily.
Analyzing the magical structure created by a dragon?
He wanted to scream, but in truth, what Elric was observing was a far more vast and expansive world.
'Here... it's the rich vein.'
Since entering the nest, he had been thinking that way.
Simply being here made his eyes widen.
A fractal structure constituting the barrier.
Elemental magic facilitates the circulation of air.
Jewel magic being invoked at various points on the rocky walls.
Various traps blocking intruders, mysterious shapes, and characters containing magical power.
Even a connection model that allows these diverse magics to interact organically...
Thanks to Elric's uniquely sensitive senses due to his family background, he could see, feel, and smell all of these things.
The way different magics with different origins interlocked like gears within this vast system...
It was enough to captivate him, like understanding the initial shape of the universe for the first time.
'This is the legendary dragon magic they talked about.'
Everything he had studied and learned before seemed to disassemble into pieces in the face of the vast worldview offered by dragon magic, only to be reassembled into a new form.
Ecstasy.
Or self-transcendence.
Without realizing it, he found himself in a moment of profound connection that any magician would yearn for.
