WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Mordor

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Surviving the Frozen Dark Fantasy as a Genius Mage ◈

Chapter 14: Ah, This Is a Fundamental Spell, Right?

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The musty scent of paper and parchment hung thick in the air.

The library was as large as a decent manor. Both floors were packed with bookshelves, and while it was nowhere near as impressive as the Arcane Library I had once seen, it was still an amazing sight.

‘It was hard to find even a single book in the village we came from.’

“There are so many scraps of paper...”

The elf Elena stood beside me, staring blankly upward. When I asked why someone who could not even read had come along, she said she was bored.

‘There aren't many people here.’

Aside from the occasional mage or scholar like me, the library was mostly empty.

That made sense. This city had been built around the Labyrinth, the Expedition Party members who explored it, and the infrastructure supporting them.

Equipment repairs, a night with a prostitute, or drinking. To Expedition Party members, time was money.

I walked over to the librarian.

“Do you have any books related to magic?”

“If you're looking for Grimoires, you've come to the wrong place. There aren't any here.”

The intelligent-looking black-haired woman reading with a monocle shook her head. As if she had heard that question many times before, she looked at me like I was just another mediocre mage.

But would a veteran of this trash game come here without knowing that?

“No, anything containing information about magic will do.”

“Information about magic... Do you mean theoretical texts written by scholars studying the principles of magic?”

“Yes.”

Her look seemed to ask whether I wanted to become a mage. No, I was already a mage, so why was I reading those?

The librarian gave me that look for a moment, then nodded.

“I see.”

She checked a small booklet, then cast a spell.

Flash!

“You should be able to see them now. Please note that books cannot be borrowed.”

An odd light swirled around me, and some of the books on the shelves began to glow.

It was an Index Spell, an Arcane spell that searched memories for specific information.

It had plenty of uses, but ignorant Expedition Party members dismissed it because it was not an attack spell.

‘Lenia the Hermit.’

‘She really is a capable mage.’

After looking at the famous NPC from the game, I turned away.

“Thank you.”

“Don't mention it.”

Thanks to the librarian's help, I found the books I was looking for.

[Principles and Understanding of Arcane]

[Is Lightning God's Authority, or a Law of Nature?]

At a glance, they looked exactly like introductory academic books.

Some were genuine scholarly works, but others were written by scholars selling lectures by feeding people the empty hope that reading them and building knowledge and culture would let them awaken as mages.

“Why are you reading this crap? You're already a mage.”

Why was I reading them, as Elena asked?

“Hehe. Even among all the stones, there are jewels.”

To raise a spell's proficiency or learn a new spell, I had to pay a price to the Grimoire within me.

The most common way was to offer it things it liked or conduct research in an environment suited to its affinity.

For Arcane, an environment filled with many kinds of light. For Lightning, a place struck by lightning year-round.

‘Getting struck by lightning directly works even better.’

‘If you survive, that is.’

Surprisingly, this was a world where people really could awaken after being struck by lightning.

My proficiency with ice-related spells had risen quickly while crossing the snowfields. In less than a week, I had even learned a new spell called Frost Burst.

Yet after entering Labyrinth City, I had not been able to learn new spells or increase the proficiency of the ones I already had.

It was all because the environment had changed.

‘A cozy environment is practically regression for a mage.’

‘That's why they obsessively gather catalysts and research materials.’

Since I did not have money...

‘I could head back to the snowfields and train Frost spells again, but...’

‘I need other affinities too.’

‘I should make use of the advantages of being a Triple Master.’

“Yaaawn. So what does that have to do with reading these books?”

Elena yawned as though she were bored. Holding a book as thick as an encyclopedia, I did my best to enlighten this primitive barbarian.

“They're just the thoughts of scholars and mages with too much time on their hands, but reading them can raise your magic proficiency when you're a beginner.”

“Really?”

Catalysts made from various materials were good, and so was the right environment, but Grimoires also liked new knowledge.

I opened the book.

[Arcane is also connected to geometry and arithmetic. Unlike common elemental magic such as fire, water, wind, and earth, it is an independent substance unaffected by any environment. If one had to define it, perhaps it could be called light. Yet it differs from the light of faith claimed by priests. It has a more rational and logical structure. Here, the author...]

The book on Arcane approached the principles and methods of Arcane magic from a scholar's perspective, rather than treating it as spells bestowed by a Grimoire.

Most people in this primitive Medieval Land could not even read words and numbers, so they would have found it difficult to understand. As a proud modern man from the twenty-first century, I could understand what the book said.

‘Comparing Arcane forms to geometric shapes and approaching them mathematically... That's fresh.’

Had I detoxed from dopamine after living for years in a world without Netflix or YouTube?

It was even fun!

‘As expected, I'm a genius!’

Damn it, if I had studied with this brain in the twenty-first century...

[When mana in the atmosphere clashes and the resulting frictional energy exceeds a critical point, it seeks the path of least resistance and pours into the ground. This is the essence of lightning. Therefore, a wise Lightning mage should not simply unleash the spells within them, but calculate mana conductivity and guide its flow. Doing so improves a spell's accuracy...]

“Mmm... mmm...”

Elena had been yawning, but at some point, she fell asleep and began snoring.

I ignored her and kept reading one book after another. If I had studied this hard in the twenty-first century, I could have gotten into Seoul National University.

Grrrraaaak!

My reading was interrupted by Elena's snoring, which gradually grew louder until it sounded like a monstrous roar. She slept with drool running down her chin, her blond hair hanging loose.

She looked as barbaric as a beast, but beneath her arm was a book.

[Learning Basic Letters]

How cute.

I chuckled, patted Elena's head, then stretched.

“Ughhh!”

That was when I flinched. Lenia, the young librarian, was suddenly standing beside me.

“It's time to close. Please leave now.”

It looked as though closing time had only just arrived, but I knew better.

It had been dark outside for a long time. Though she spoke that way, she had waited until I finished reading.

‘She's so considerate.’

‘Just like she was in the game.’

“Ah, sorry.”

I nudged Elena awake.

“Mm. Are you done? Yaaawn.”

“Did you get any results?”

At Lenia's question, I grinned.

“I told you, I'm a genius mage.”

[Faint Light]

[Electric Spark]

First, the number of parchments for Faint Light and Electric Spark increased by one each.

And then...

[Magic Missile]

I learned a new spell.

‘Now this is a classic spell.’

“...That quickly?”

The mysterious young librarian widened her eyes in disbelief.

* * *

Wow, I got a new spell!

Magic Missile, too!

It was a basic Arcane attack spell, but depending on how it was used, its versatility was limitless.

At the same time, though, I had a new concern.

My spell slots.

‘My Engraving Slots are full.’

In addition to spell uses, classes that handled supernatural powers, such as priests and mages, had things called Engraving Slots.

Each slot could hold one type of spell.

‘Right now, I have five spell slots.’

Electric Spark, Faint Light, Ice Spike, Frost Burst, and the Magic Missile I had just learned filled them all.

‘It isn't a problem yet, but...’

If I could not increase my spell slots, then even after learning a new spell, I would have to choose what to engrave.

For a mage with only one affinity, this limit would only come much later. But because I had the genius talent of a Triple Master, I had hit this wall already.

Of course, there was a way to overcome it.

A mage's spell slots could increase with talent and experience. In other words, leveling up while exploring the Labyrinth could increase them.

‘I can look into that later.’

“Phew.”

‘Being filled with these spells feels refreshing.’

When I finished Memorize, the loud crowing of a rooster announced morning.

Cock-a-doodle-doo!

That was because our lodging was the stable attached to the inn.

The sleeping conditions were naturally terrible due to the foul smell of cow dung, chicken feathers, and mites, but we had no choice if we wanted to save money.

“Fuck, we need to make money fast and move somewhere else.”

“I'm itchy... Ugh.”

“Stop complaining and get up. Today's finally the day.”

Wearing my gambeson and helmet, I gripped my staff tightly and spoke to the others.

“Everyone ready?”

“Yeah.”

The three of them gathered their equipment and followed me out.

“Let's go.”

Rather than heading straight for the Labyrinth entrance, we went to the Expedition Party Guild.

The maximum party size allowed to enter the Labyrinth was five, so it would have been good to recruit one more party member.

“The party leader is Ian. You can handle five spells in total. You are recruiting one member, and the conditions will be decided after meeting them. Is that correct?”

“Yes.”

I even paid the fee and registered at the counter to recruit a first-floor explorer, but it had little effect.

Anyone capable did not want to join our mediocre party, and the people who wanted in did not meet my standards.

“Sorry.”

“What? Are you acting territorial when we're all rookies? Is being a mage that great?”

“Hey, want to die?”

“...Tch.”

They were just Dize or Daisy Mk. IIs.

‘Was that inevitable?’

Even the first floor had its own selection process. It was the lowest floor, so people might not be famous, but if they were at least familiar faces, they found parties more easily or got accepted into them.

There was no ally more dangerous or more likely to die quickly than a rookie entering the Labyrinth for the first time. It seemed there were no promising people willing to join our rookie party.

‘Some even made counteroffers, telling me to abandon the others and join their party.’

Then there was no helping it.

“Let's go by ourselves.”

It was better to go on our own than bring people we could not trust and who had no ability.

“Will we be okay...?”

Dize, who had had the Labyrinth's dangers drilled into him during class, was worried.

He was right. Even if it was only the first floor, a group of rookies entering the Labyrinth together for the first time was practically suicidal. The survival rate was below thirty percent.

But our party had me, a genius mage, and Elena, an elf.

On top of that, I had vast knowledge.

In short, there was no problem.

“Unless an area boss suddenly appears or we end up somewhere like a secret dungeon.”

“Yeah! I'll trust you, Ian!”

We headed for the Labyrinth entrance.

The Frozen Tower stood in the plaza at the center of the city.

The enormous, hazy, majestic tower we had only seen as a shadow while crossing the snowfields pierced the clouds and rose high above the heart of the city.

A portal stood open at the entrance, which was large enough for a giant to enter, and guards maintained a strict watch. Countless Expedition Party members waited in line to enter.

“Next!”

For their families, or for themselves.

To become rich, to survive another day.

For mysterious knowledge, or some other purpose.

Varied forms of greed and conviction gleamed in countless pairs of eyes.

“Next person!”

After waiting a while, it was soon our turn.

By the way, the method for making sure all party members arrived in the same place was simple.

They just had to hold hands and enter the portal together.

‘This is the real-life version of the Labyrinth.’

I was afraid.

Yet at the same time, my heart pounded.

On a small scale, I was about to explore an unknown world I had only seen on a monitor. On a larger scale, there was hope of returning home. I felt a complicated mix of emotions at the thought that my life would improve from here on.

“All right, let's go.”

The Orphan Gang and I stepped into the Labyrinth.

Footnotes:

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