WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

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◈ The Inept Mage’s Infinite Regression

Chapter 40

Among mages, ancient magic was oft revered. It included some great spells that could not be reproduced even in the modern era, and this unreachable past was often idealized. Many mages had tried to bridge the gap between the unrecorded ancient times and the present to reach this ideal. Some mages even believed that fully reproducing ancient magic could restore the glory of the past. However, primordial magic was a slightly different field from mainstream ancient magic.

Ancient magic, though opinions varied among scholars, referred to magic created over a vast period of about 10,000 years. Primordial magic, on the other hand, was thought to have existed in the very early stages of ancient magic, or even before it.

Magic from that time wasn’t particularly noteworthy, as it was considered inferior to even physical actions. For example, if it was longer and harder to start a fire with magic than by rubbing two sticks together, then there was no reason to use magic. Thus, mages of the primordial era had often been seen as eccentrics or useless, but that made sense when everyone else was out hunting for the day’s meal while the mage stayed behind in a cave, obsessively drawing useless pictures.

Historically, however, primordial magic held great value. It was because of primordial magic that the study of magic had developed, ultimately elevating the status of modern mages. By the ancient era, mages had risen from eccentrics and useless individuals to rulers and kings, figures no one could ignore.

That said, reproducing primordial magic held little significance beyond academic value. As Professor Rydel had mentioned, it was like shaping clay into pots in an era where sand could be melted to blow glass. Of course, it was still magic, so it would work for passing Basic Magic Practice.

‘If I succeed, that is.’

The basic principles weren’t difficult. What set it apart was its lack of reliance on a "system." For all magic, the caster needed an understanding of the "system," or the ability to construct magic.

The “system” is the theory behind how magic is created. The most famous system, the Yurmus system, integrated multiple systems centered around the Mage Council. Understanding the Yurmus system was akin to understanding the concept of a system itself.

Take, for example, the element of fire, one of the components that made up the world. The Yurmus system's logic is that if spirit magic exists, then fire spirits must too, and if fire spirits exist, then they're a transformation of semi-existent desires because, in the end, magic is a manifestation of desires. Pure flame magic, on the other hand, saw fire as an essential property of matter.

The Yurmus system was a higher-order system that accommodated these kinds of subsystems. Thanks to its flexibility, many mages followed the Yurmus system, and about 80% of mages in Damarth Yumaha used magic within the Yurmus system.

In other words, the system was a matter of belief. It was about whether one held a certain belief about a fact. Ethan, having attended classes, understood and could explain the Yurmus system, but he didn’t truly believe it.

"After all, you can create fire without magic, right? Can such a system really be the foundation of fire?"

On the other hand, systemless magic—primordial magic—was simpler. To Ethan, primordial magic was closer to body magic. He understood now why Rydel had mentioned Ruure’s Breathing.

‘It’s not magi but qi. Not mana but internal energy.’

Introduction to Primordial Magic distinguished between magi and qi, and classified Ruure’s Breathing as a breathing technique that utilized qi. Magi, being turbid and heavy, was a powerful energy, while qi encompassed lighter and weaker energies. Conventional magic breathing techniques valued only magi, considering qi useless and something to be filtered out.

However, Ruure’s Breathing exhaled magi and focused on qi, particularly the lighter and weaker energies, and so it aided in the use of primordial magic. The author of Introduction to Primordial Magic wrote that primordial magic was weak in power due to its weak energy but could be used by anyone. Before the emergence of mage families, magical talent had been scattered, so such breathing techniques had likely been better respected in ancient times.

Primordial magic was based on the pure attributes of mana, such as "wind" or “fire.” For fire, it was about wishing for warmth to heat a wet body, to see even a little in the darkness of a cave, or to survive a cold, windy night in a snowy field. Such desires formed the system of primordial magic, and Ethan too had such desires. Primordial magic was a way for an individual to fervently wish for something from the world.

But since it was still magic, there was a sequence and method required to reach such desires.

Ethan took a deep breath. "All right, let’s begin."

After declaring this, Ethan pressed his palms together and slowly separated them, starting from the base. He then connected his pinky and thumb, ring and middle fingers, and finally focused on his index fingers. Introduction to Primordial Magic claimed that, as best they could tell from studying ancient mages, the old primordial magic training method simply required pouring mana into the tips of both index fingers.

As Ethan slowly separated his index fingers, they began to glow, and a thread-like white light appeared briefly before snapping and being sucked back into Ethan’s fingers.

Excited, Ethan looked at Boen. "Did you see that?"

Boen nodded. "That’s a magic thread. Very basic."

Magic thread was one of the minor spells needed to cast higher-level magic. To cast a spell, a magic circle was required. These circles could be drawn with charcoal or by digging into the ground with a stick, but such methods weren’t always feasible. Some spells required drawing a magic circle in the air.

Thus, to draw a magic circle at the right place and time, one had to be able to use a spell to draw a magic circle. This was generally called a magic thread, as it involved creating a line of mana. Some used water or blood manipulation to draw magic circles, while others, like Ethan, used pure mana to create the thread. However, mages of the Yurmus lineage could create them more easily based on their system.

"It broke too quickly, though," Boen said. "Can’t you maintain it longer?"

"Can’t you just compliment me?"

"You tend to get cocky and overconfident when praised, Ethan. It hinders your academic progress. Don’t be satisfied, do it again quickly."

Ethan tried again. It was better than before, but only slightly noticeable.

"Keep going," said Boen.

"I feel kind of tired."

"That’s because it’s unfamiliar. Body magic is different, it aligns with your physical senses, so you can intuitively manipulate mana. But magic relies heavily on concentration, mental state, and mood. Follow the training method in the book: Empty your mind and focus on what you need to do. Don’t worry about me."

Ethan continued practicing the magic thread. There was no other way; most primordial magic used or adapted this thread, so until Ethan mastered it, he couldn’t use primordial magic. Additionally, while Ruure’s Breathing focused on lower circulation, primordial magic required upper circulation, so Ethan had to pay extra attention to the circulation of his internal energy.

Ethan kept practicing even after Boen said he was going to sleep, and he didn’t stop the next day when Boen insisted, "Go back to your room and practice there." He continued until Boen, who had gone to class, returned to Ethan’s room to sleep and then came back the next day to gather books for class.

Ethan showed Boen a magic thread he could maintain for a short while.

"How does it look?"

"It’s a bit better."

By the end of the second semester, Ethan had extended the thread to two segments. On his second reload, he extended it to a hand’s width, and on the third, to shoulder width.

"That should be enough to draw a magic circle without issue."

But now, a new challenge arose. Even when drawing a magic circle on the ground with the magic thread, the shape would collapse, and the thread would scatter.

Boen observed this and commented, "I don’t quite understand why you’re failing here. From this point on, it’s just drawing. It requires some concentration, but that’s it. I think there’s something missing in your ability to use magic."

"What do you mean?"

"I can’t explain it. Your lack of talent in magic seems to go beyond just lacking talent. It’s as if you can’t form magic at all."

Suddenly, Ethan recalled something he had heard before. "I think I’ve experienced something similar."

"Then we’ll need to investigate that."

"What should I do?"

After some thought, Boen said, "…If the magic circle collapses and scatters, it seems like you can’t use magic, but actually, a magic circle only needs to be maintained for a very short time for the spell to activate. Larger spells require maintaining the circle until the incantation or gesture is complete, but your goal is just a minor spell that needs a single point, so why not try drawing it very quickly?"

"How?"

"I’m not sure about. Maybe don’t let go of the thread?"

"Don’t let go of the thread?"

After some thought, he found the answer. That workaround was indeed appropriate advice for Ethan.

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Ethan’s magic became a minor topic among the first-year students. Ethan’s lack of talent was well known, so even if his level was pitiful, the fact that he had performed proper magic was enough to spark rumors.

Ethan used a primordial magic spell called "Fire Starting" to pass the Transformation section. Normally, one would need to draw a proper magic circle using a magic thread, but Ethan didn’t let go of the thread. He created the required patterns for the primordial magic circle through a cat’s cradle technique.

A flame sparked between his palms before disappearing. It was brief, but it was still magic. Immediately after passing, the system acknowledged Ethan with the skills [Primordial Magic (D)] and [Fire Starting (D)].

Rydel, on the other hand, seemed surprised. After the basic magic practice exam, Rydel called Ethan aside.

"I gave you the book, but I didn’t expect you to achieve this so quickly."

Even though Ethan hadn’t fully relived the entire second semester, the perceived time from reliving the second semester eight times felt longer than ever. Without his infinite regression, Ethan would have only just learned "Fire Starting" by the time he graduated, even if he had started learning primordial magic in his first year.

"I guess I have a talent for primordial magic if nothing else," Ethan said shamelessly.

"Everyone is born with their own talent after all."

Ethan briefly pondered what his talent might be before setting it aside to ask Rydel a question he had long been curious about: "By the way, Professor, do you know what kind of spell 'Lima’s Twilight' is?"

"That’s demon magic. Lima was a famous mentalist, and if I remember correctly, it puts people to sleep. Professor Bain could have explained it better… Why do you ask?"

"There’s no particular reason, I just came across it in a book, but there wasn’t much explanation." Ethan then asked about a term he had heard before: "What about a 'Dreamless One'?"

It was something Sirund Zen had mentioned when Lima’s Twilight had failed to work on Ethan. Ethan had asked Rivielton about it, but he’d received an unclear answer. Boen had seemed unfamiliar with the term as well.

Rydel’s reaction was different. She glanced at Ethan out of the corner of her eye and nodded.

"Hmm, I see."

"What?"

" ‘Dreamless One’ is what they call someone who can’t use magic in Yumaha. The people of Yumaha like to categorize people, and ‘Dreamless One’ refers to those furthest from magic. Not only can they not use magic, but also, most types of magic don’t work well on them. More precisely, they lack the ability to construct magic."

Rydel smiled and added, "But don’t worry. A true Dreamless One would take years to learn primordial magic, and higher-level magic might be impossible for them. Dreamless Ones can’t accept high-level systems, but you’ve learned it in just a few days, so you’re not one. You’re just on the less talented side, and now that you’ve learned primordial magic, you can do better."

"That’s a relief." Ethan forced a laugh in response. "Haha."

Demi chimed in, <Now you truly only have dark magic.>

<Quiet, you sinister mastermind.>

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