WETRIED TRANSLATIONS

Wizard of the Abyss

[Translator – Aren]

Chapter 11 - Adoption (2)

Practicing magic was actually a ridiculous concept if one thought about it more.

Let’s say you wanted to run faster, and for longer.

Then you would just run. Human muscles were designed to tear and heal, growing stronger in the process.

However, magic didn’t make use of one’s muscles.

If one only considered output, then sure, to cast stronger spells, one just needed to pour in more mana. And the total amount of mana one could use depended on how many mana circles you had.

So then, the most important question was how one could increase those circles.

That was where things got rather absurd.

"What the hell do they expect me to do…?”

I had dozens of open books, all borrowed from the library, spread out before me, and I cross-referenced every single one.

However, the answer always remained the same as what I had heard in class.

Do you wish to increase your Mana circles and walk the path of magic?

Then expand your enlightenment.

...?

Shouldn’t they at least explain what that so-called ‘enlightenment’ was first?

But yeah, it turned out that this ‘enlightenment’ was some kind of law that shaped one’s inner world, and it was apparently a wizard’s most guarded secret and weakness.

It seems like one should never reveal what one realized. Not even to one’s own family.

So there were no examples. I didn’t even know what my enlightenment was.

Since mana circles supposedly form from enlightenment I had to have realized something . I rubbed my chin, thinking hard.

'That all nobles were basically deformed freaks?’

Yeah, no, there was no way that this was what defined my abyssal sea.

'That I’m doomed to die early?’

It didn’t feel like any kind of inner world would form from that kind of realization either.

Then there was only one thing left.

"That this world lies beneath the sea…”

Yeah, that had to be it, right?

The very first thought that came to me when I was suffering from the Soul Fever, and the biggest problem that I had been trying to solve ever since then.

If this wasn’t the law that shaped the abyssal sea, then what was?

But now there were two more problems

First, what did it mean to “expand” that enlightenment?

And second, did Dercia exploit the fact that I didn’t know about these things and made me tell her about my enlightenment?

The second matter wasn’t really that important since I owed her anyway, but the first one was an issue.

If my so-called enlightenment simply was that this world was completely submerged, that literally was just common sense. If I didn’t come to that conclusion that would go far beyond mere ignorance.

I mean, if you grabbed anyone and broke their legs with a hammer, before throwing them into the deepest depth of the sea, they’d all reach the same conclusion. The fact that they were underwater and were going to die.

So how exactly was I supposed to expand on that?

...Well, it wasn’t like I had no idea at all.

I deliberately ignored the lanterns hanging around the storage room.

It was still too dangerous for now.

Someday, I’d definitely had to raise to two stars, but—

If I tried now, I would definitely get crushed to death. Even if I somehow managed to survive, without Dercia, I’d probably end up with some kind of magical decompression sickness.

I at the very least needed a way to withstand the pressure before even thinking about expanding my enlightenment.

Well, even if I didn’t do it, it would come to me eventually anyway.

"Hah..."

My current situation was so hopeless I couldn’t help but let out a laugh. Perhaps I should count myself fortunate that I at least knew what was coming.

For now, I had to focus on what I could do without more mana circles.

Splash! I put the books away and poured water over the dirt floor.

I didn’t use the currents this time. I took a deep breath, stared down, before taking a step back.

"Rise."

A faint breeze stirred in the cramped storage room.

The wet soil began to twitch. Then it started to bubble, like a pot filled with boiling water, until it thickened into sticky mud.

And then— it began to move.

Like a living thing, the mud floated upward, slowly forming a perfect sphere.

I had meant for my hand to stay still, but my fingers twitched. This feeling was just so strange and ticklish. Conjuring something without using my hands still felt really unnatural.

The wind slowly kneaded and sculpted the mud.

This was my first attempt at this, so I set myself a simple goal. Something like making a little puppy.

"Cut a little higher, no, not there, lower… Ah.”

I muttered like a lunatic.

There was nothing I could do about that. Magic proficiency was basically about how well one could paint your imagination onto reality.

They say one had to make use of one’s five senses in the process… though I wasn’t about to taste the mud, and touching it directly wouldn’t really help either.

That meant, it all came down to sight. The only other thing that could somewhat help was sound.

By muttering about what I wanted, I could slowly get a feel for it. There was a reason why wizards chanted things like ‘sever’ or ‘rise’.

The ultimate goal was to do it purely through sight without relying on those verbal crutches…

"Ah, godda–”

But it was really hard.

Sweat dripped down my face as chunks of the mud kept falling off.

Forget sculpting, just keeping it together was a struggle. The dog I was trying to make now looked more like some twisted Cerberus from the underworld.

"Ugh..."

Thud. The mud collapsed back into a puddle as my mana ran out.

It had lasted me three days, at least.

Sighing, I steeled myself and inhaled some seawater.

"...Krrk."

I stifled the urge to gag.

People say humans were beings that could adapt to anything, but surely not drowing…

And yeah, turns out, they can’t.

Still, I had gotten used to just suffering silently, prepared for the pain that would come over me.

"...Khk, khuk......"

Every time I recharged my mana, the same thought came to me.

Maybe I should just let it all go.

If I threw myself into a nearby lake, I’d only have to feel this agony once, instead of having to endure it over and over, every week just to survive.

Even after all this, it was still uncertain whether I’d survive. No, even that assessment was too generous. The only thing that certainly awaited me was hell.

"...Screw that."

I steadied my trembling legs and forced myself to stand up.

Staring back at the puddle, I made it rise again, sculpting it even faster than I did before.

Dercia once said that the world itself wished for my death… But honestly, it didn’t matter how one put it or something.

Whether it was a club-wielding thug, a Knight who could beat me to a pulp with just one swing, or a king who commanded hundreds of such Knights–

Did they expect me to give them my neck willingly just because they wanted me dead?

I’d rather die fighting than do that.

Even if it would lead to a fate worse than death I would still struggle as hard as I could.

If my enlightenment is that this world was the abyssal sea, then the abyssal sea’s enlightenment will be that it picked the wrong damn enemy.

I would absolutely make sure of it.

-Splat!

"Phew…”

I brushed back my sweat-soaked hair.

This time, I had managed to make something that actually had some sort of form, four legs and a head.

Sure, no one would ever think that this was supposed to be a dog, but I still progress. A sensation somewhere between satisfaction and frustration spread out inside of me.

Precision was what mattered most now. My end goal was to circulate air through my own body. Even a small mistake could instantly kill me.

There had to be some way to improve that precision.

While I was thinking, the currents suddenly shifted slightly.

"...?"

It was subtle, but I definitely felt it.

Of course, I could always feel the general flow of the currents. They’d even caused me to fall over more than once.

But this– this was the first time I had felt these kinds of slight movements.

Having sensed it, I closed my eyes and tried to analyze them.

"Could it be… that someone’s coming?”

Scratching my head, I felt a faint wave heading my way. I had told Linmel to come to me earlier, but…

-Bang!

"Jern!! You called me, so I came!”

"...O-oh, yeah.”

She actually was there. I struggled to hide my surprise.

Wait, but how? This warehouse was a sealed space right? How did she manage to disturb the current for me to sense?

...Then again, if I could seal out the ocean like that, I’d just lock myself in some iron box and figure things out from there.

And come to think of it, last time when the sea pressure was crushing me it completely left my clothes alone, so it seemed like unless I made objects recognize that they are in the sea they are completely unaffected.

Which meant, the real question was why Linmel could even disturb the currents at all.

"Why’d you call me? Why? Why?”

"I got something to teach you.”

As I looked into Linmel’s bright eyes I finally realized something.

She hadn’t just started being able to disturb the currents. She had always been able to.

When Dercia demonstrated her magic, the surrounding currents had swirled around her. This would have been something that shouldn’t have happened either if I were the only one who could interact with them.

Now that I had grown used to the currents, I could now sense even the faintest ripples.

My mind was growing more attuned to the world I lived in.

… It could be seen as a good thing. If not for the fact that it also meant my time before the water pressure would come rushing in to crush me was running out.

"So what are you gonna teach me?”

Linmel, blissfully unaware of my growing anxiety, asked, wearing a bright expression on her face.

I held the book containing the Body Reinforcement technique.

"I skimmed through it so I could teach it to you. I heard a Knight gave it to you, right? You should make use of it.”

"...Ah."

At that, her usually sunny expression twisted slightly.

"I don’t wanna study…”

"It’s not studying. Just do what I tell you. I’ve already memorized everything.”

"Really? Then okay!”

"But it might hurt a little. Are you alright with that?”

"How much?”

"...Just a little.”

I lied. It was going to hurt a lot. I felt like I was dying when I tried it.

But there was no helping it. I had gotten hold of this technique thanks to her, so now it was my job to help Linmel awaken her talent further.

"Hmm~ fine! But you gotta come with me to the west woods after!”

"It’s the middle of the night.”

"That’s fine. I can beat everything in the back mountain!"

"There are bears there though…”

"Do you remember the bear-paw stew we had last time? I caught that bear!”

"...Alright."

I nodded calmly.

It seemed like I had to push her a bit harder. After that she wouldn’t be walking anywhere. That ought to make her forget about her little forest plans.

"Okay then, raise your hands above your head, interlock your fingers, don’t bend your elbows, and twist 90 degrees to the right.”

"Okay! Done!”

"...Doesn’t it hurt?”

"Huh?"

Linmel titled her head, still in that totally bizarre pose, as if wondering what I was talking about.

"Why would it hurt? Jern, did you get hurt from this?”

...Oho.

Was she actually taunting me right now with her freakish flexibility?

A wicked grin spread across my face as I flipped straight to the next section.

"Alright then. Next, from that position…”

"Done!”

"...Good. Nice work.”

Intermediate section.

"Now turn all the way around. Keep going until your elbows touch your waist—”

"Okay! Done!”

"G-great. Good job.”

Advanced section.

"Now, from there, stick your head between your legs and hold that position for ten minutes.”

"Why did you tell me to just hold it for that long?”

"You know, because it’s tough.”

"It isn’t though?”

...

You got to be kidding me.

I couldn’t believe my eyes, so I had her do the advanced exercises that I hadn’t managed to learn yet.

But she actually did every single one, while looking at me like. ‘So when does the real training start?’

Which meant that Linmel–

already awakened every muscle in her body.

In other words, she was already practicing the Body Reinforcement technique.

"Where did you learn this?”

If it had just been the kind of thing someone could pick up by normally exercising, I wouldn’t have been so shocked.

But Body Reinforcement couldn't be learned without a manual. The technique required specialized training.

Linmel just blinked before answering.

"Hmm, I never learned it."

"Then how are you so good at this?”

"Uhm..."

After pondering briefly, she replied.

"Erm, I think I picked it up while playing during gym class?”

"..."

Learning Body Reinforcement, which should be impossible without knowing the specific steps, by goofing around during gym class…

Could this even be called talent anymore?

"Anyway, when’s this over?”

"We’re done. Let’s go to the forest.”

"Huh, really??”

"Really. Let’s go.”

I smiled warmly at her as her face lit up with joy.

Scoring points with the future Knight Captain would surely help me survive one day.

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