■ Storm □
Magic is a discipline of enlightenment.
It’s not something where anyone can reach the higher echelons simply by studying for a long time. Those with insufficient talent may never break through the barriers of magehood, even if they study their whole lives.
And just like me, my master who was born with memories from a past life became an independent investigator in this world, combining martial arts and magic.
In other words, the union of martial (武) and academic (學) pursuits gave birth to a new form of martial learning (武學).
Unlike fraudulent schools that write vague things in magical texts, preach about the importance of mental cultivation to their disciples, and only fleece them for money, my master’s teachings were etched deeply into my body.
No, it wasn’t just etched—it was literally beaten into me. Every time I failed to properly mimic the techniques she taught, I’d get smacked all over by her ever-present training rod.
Perhaps the reason I became a master in my field at such a young age was all thanks to my master’s harsh training?
Looking back, it’s all nostalgia now, but even now as an older man, those memories occasionally resurface as nightmares, they were that terrifying.
If someone asked me to go through that again today, I’d undoubtedly choose death.
…But why am I reminiscing out of nowhere, you ask?
They say people see their lives flash before their eyes when they’re about to die.
Right now, I’m exactly in that state.
It feels like I’m tightrope walking on thin ice where one wrong step could mean death.
This is what it means when a mage fights in close combat against 100 Sword Experts.
[[#]]Crack!
As I broke Pelmond’s sword, the battle began.
“Die!”
One of the soldiers surrounding me swung his longsword at my neck. I easily dodged by tilting my head slightly, then used one hand to brace myself on the ground while delivering a summersault kick to Pelmond, who was still stunned by his broken blade.
“Ugh!”
Pelmond narrowly avoided the attack and tried to grab my leg, but I wrapped wind around my limbs.
KOOOOSH!
The Whirlwind Blade Bone technique essentially transforms the entire body into a blade. The blue whirlwind of offense and defense shreds anything it touches. If you’re not a mana user, even brushing against the winds can cause grievous injuries.
Naturally, Pelmond panicked and let go, and while he was recovering his stance, I casually flicked my palms at the surrounding soldiers in a taunting gesture.
With gritted teeth, Pelmond threw his broken sword to the ground and drew a new one from his waist, shouting,
“Don’t give him time to cast spells!”
“Yes sir!”
Following his command, the soldiers charged me en masse.
I clashed my wind-wrapped fists together and delivered a straight punch to the head of the soldier leading the charge.
CRACK!
An unpleasant sound like a drill turning accompanied the tearing of skin. Immediately afterward, I smashed the throat of another soldier attempting a sneak attack from behind with a backspin elbow strike, then generated wind pressure under my feet to leap high into the air.
The archers in the rear fired arrows at me mid-air, but unfortunately for them, I can move freely even in the air.
Twisting my body two or three times in mid-air, I slammed my heel down onto the head of a soldier directly below me.
“Khak!”
The soldier’s skull caved in as he died instantly. Landing smoothly, I simultaneously extended my arms sideways.
Wind Finger Snap
Ten bullets of wind shot from my fingertips, mercilessly piercing the bodies of the soldiers charging toward me.
Though I didn’t aim carefully, most soldiers ended up with holes in their armor. However, those unlucky enough to be hit in vital spots met their end without exception.
Blocking spears swinging from both sides by wedging them under my armpits, I snapped them with force.
Harmonic Wind
Immediately after, I swirled wind around my fists and unleashed a barrage of punches so fast they couldn’t be seen, sending shockwaves in all directions.
The front-line soldiers retreated, and the shield-bearers moved forward.
It seemed they calculated that shields imbued with mana would be difficult for my magic to penetrate.
But that was a grave miscalculation.
Using the shield in front of me as a stepping stone to escape the encirclement, I suddenly extended both hands.
A Gust of Fury
A massive blade of wind cut across the snowy field.
Though modest in range and power compared to fifth-tier magic, its cutting ability was unmatched. Soldiers unfortunate enough to be caught within the range of A Gust of Fury were cleanly bisected, their red entrails spilling onto the snow.
Huff… Huff… Huff… Huff…
I could feel my body rapidly tiring with each use of magic.
Even with proper breathing techniques, there’s always a limit to physical stamina. My lungs craved oxygen, and my leg muscles screamed in pain.
Still, I couldn’t stop here. Estimating the remaining number of soldiers by eye:
60? 70?
Considering they were all mana users, with Sword Experts occasionally mixed in, I had killed quite a few in a short period of time.
“That guy’s getting tired! Push harder!”
As my initial berserker-like momentum gradually waned, Pelmond, who had been holding back at the rear, confidently shouted.
Indeed, my endurance isn’t what it used to be.
Unlike casting spells from a stationary position, fighting directly with moving arms and legs consumes an extreme amount of energy.
If my master knew I was showing such weakness, she’d surely yell at me for becoming soft, but it couldn’t be helped. It had been about three years since my last serious physical training.
After calming my breath, I stealthily stepped into the battle stance.
White snowballs burst forth from all directions, momentarily obscuring the vision of all the soldiers.
I didn’t miss that brief opportunity.
Penta Spell of Wind—
“Shattered Winds!”
BOOM!!
Simultaneously driving my fist infused with a vortex into the ground, the resulting shockwave engulfed the area in a blizzard.
Caught off guard by the sudden diamond dust obscuring their vision, the elite troops and border guards frantically searched for me.
Taking advantage of the confusion, I ascended into the sky for an emergency escape, calculating my remaining mana.
Having used three Quadra Spells and two Penta Spells, I had enough mana left for two Hexa Spells.
I glanced upward briefly.
The clear sky showed the rare beauty of the Vulcan Mountains in perfect clarity.
‘Shall I try it?’
Success rate: about 70%.
Failure would leave no room for retreat, but success could instantly reverse the disadvantageous situation.
A literal do-or-die gamble.
There was little hesitation.
Before the border guards on the ground noticed my presence in the sky, I began forming the spell matrix.[[#]]It’s not easy for a single human to manipulate nature.
However, I know how to artificially achieve that effect.
In short, creating an environment where large amounts of rain clouds and thunderclouds can form using elemental magic.
When sufficiently advanced, magic becomes indistinguishable from science.
About three minutes after starting to pour all my remaining mana into the process, the soldiers on the ground were slowly regaining their sight and searching for me, seemingly unaware that I could be standing in the sky.
Soon, dark clouds began gathering in the heavens.
Even though the weather in the Vulcan Mountains is notoriously unpredictable, such rapid changes are rare.
Noticing something amiss, one of the soldiers on the ground looked up and spotted me.
Pointing wildly with a shocked expression, he alerted the others, who finally looked up to see me.
“But it’s already too late.”
Confirming that my preparations were complete, I took out the Magic Stone I carried like a backup battery.
Crackle!
The previously transparent Magic Stone instantly lost its luster.
Filling my body with the surging mana, I trembled and extended both hands.
“Roar, Gale.”
The virtual magic circuits within my body began rotating furiously, overheating as fierce winds swept across the snowy field.
“Spread, Lightning.”
The thunderclouds accompanying the rain clouds roared like beasts.
Like predators hunting prey, flashes of lightning began striking the ground indiscriminately.
Rumble! Rrrrrr!
Two Hexa Spells combined into one.
The once-clear sky was quickly obscured by black storm clouds and violent winds.
Looking down at the battlefield from above, I muttered to myself.
The fusion of the Hexa Spell Majestic Gust and the Hexa Spell Thunderclap.
Ultimate Technique—
“Dry Branch Explosion”
At that very moment, a dazzling storm swallowed the humans on the ground.
