Chapter 49

In the Soul World, there are skills that can evolve into traits.

First Aid lays the groundwork to evolve into “Regeneration,” and Condensation transforms into traits as proficiency increases.

Just like how First Aid turns into Regeneration, if a higher-level trait appears, the previous one disappears. However, it doesn’t entirely vanish.

As I said earlier, it evolves into a superior trait, meaning it’s nearly impossible for it to vanish completely.

“One must step up one level at a time to obtain a superior trait.”

Take boxing and martial arts as an example. If I learn several techniques from Kara, boxing will disappear and evolve into martial arts.

This means boxing is included within martial arts; it doesn’t completely cease to exist.

But then, Condensation just poof—vanished. It didn’t just get taken away, and I have no clue what’s going on.

Even in my memory, I can’t recall such an instance. If nothing had appeared from the start, I could have let it go.

What I’m stuck on is the Red Magic. Since it’s said to be compatible with Red Magic, there might be a significant connection.

In the future, the powers that Gloria reveals will need to show magic on the surface, so everyone is likely to be very interested.

“I think things have calmed down a bit now, so it’s time for me to teach you.”

After some time that I wasn’t sure if I grasped Condensation, Gloria’s teachings began.

She glanced at me with a somewhat anxious expression, indicating that my earlier actions must have caused some concern.

I had plopped Kara right next to me because I thought she needed attention. We were so close that even the slightest move would result in skin contact.

Luna was there too, though I’m not quite sure why I stuck with Kara. There must be a reason. I just needed to learn and finish it.

“What I’m going to teach you is similar to Condensation. It’s ‘Sculpting.'”

“Sculpting? Isn’t that a term for polishing gems?”

“Exactly. Let me show you.”

Swish—

It’s said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and instead of explaining, Gloria pulled out her sword directly.

The type of sword she was wielding clearly indicated her preferred style—it was a thrusting sword.

*Vroom—*

Soon after, a blue aura began to form around the sword. This happens when magic is infused into a weapon.

“As students know, infusing magic into a weapon yields various effects. The most typical ones are durability and cutting power. You know this much, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then what happens if you increase the magic to its maximum?”

“Doesn’t the power increase?”

Luna tilted her head, responding. Technically, that’s correct too.

The more magic you infuse into a weapon, the stronger its power becomes. It’s just uncertain whether that weapon can withstand the magic.

Back when I lived in the forest, I only had weapons like stone axes or stone spears, so they were practically disposable. However, Ragnarok has a good chance of holding up well.

“That’s a valid point. But unless it’s an exceptional weapon, it’s hard to infuse more magic than a certain limit. Here lies the problem.”

While explaining in a friendly manner, Gloria raised her index finger and posed a question.

“What would happen if two weapons, each infused beyond their limit with magic, collided?”

“Wouldn’t they explode?”

Kara muttered the answer almost as if she were mumbling. With the experience from numerous battles, it was an obvious answer.

“Correct. They would go boom! Both would suffer great damage.”

“Then can’t we just increase the limit with Condensation?”

This time, it was Luna’s question. Since she learned Condensation from Kronos earlier, it was a reasonable question.

However, just as Gloria had first explained, Condensation and Sculpting are similar yet different.

Anticipating such a question, Gloria smiled and explained.

“That’s possible, but that’s not what’s essential in Sculpting. The key is how sharply you shape the magic that’s shown on the surface. If Condensation significantly increases the storage capacity, then Sculpting is about fine-tuning the magic itself.”

“Uh-huh…”

It seemed Luna was still confused, tilting her head and making a thinking sound. Her expression indicated she was struggling to understand.

To make it easier to grasp, let’s use clay as an example. Condensation is about kneading the clay until it becomes as small as possible.

“You all might find it quite confusing. In fact, Condensation and Sculpting have complementary properties. By mastering Condensation, you’ll grasp the feel of Sculpting, and vice versa—you’ll realize how Condensation works by mastering Sculpting.”

And Sculpting involves shaping that clay into a form. That’s why they complement each other.

Looking at it this way, one might argue that we could just focus on Sculpting without Condensation. The bigger the clay, the easier the Sculpting would be.

That’s fine, but Condensation is a necessary skill since it immensely boosts the storage capacity.

Moreover, though a larger piece of clay makes the shaping easier, the volume that needs to be handled also increases, making it just as tough.

“So, shouldn’t we just learn one? They say focusing on one well leads to great success…”

Luna, still not quite understanding, asked while tilting her head. She seemed to be struggling.

“That’s a valid point. But such cases are quite rare. Have you ever heard of the saying ‘万流归宗’? It’s something from the Eastern Empire.”

“Oh! I’ve heard that! It means all streams flow together to become the ocean. Isn’t that right?”

Luna answered with an oddly lively tone, her once-dull eyes now sparkling with energy.

So much so that even Gloria seemed taken aback, caught off guard. The reason for her excitement was clear.

‘It’s a saying taught by her mentor.’

According to the setting, Luna remembers it as a saying passed on by her mentor. She probably had no idea it came from the Eastern Empire.

Recognizing a familiar saying and connecting it to her mentor excited her.

“That’s interesting. I had no idea it came from the Eastern Empire.”

“Anyway! Both Condensation and Sculpting ultimately lead to the vast ocean of magic. In the end, both are merely processes—it’s up to the individual to determine the outcome. Got it?”

“Yes. I understand.”

“What you must remember is that just because you handle magic well, it doesn’t mean you’re proficient in martial arts or magic. Keep this in mind.”

Just because someone has high magic understanding doesn’t mean they can cut through space like Rod.

In fact, while my magic level is Ex, my skills have been empty. Just a powerful shell.

The hardware is beefy, but the software is a disaster.

“A bit of a lengthy explanation there. I’ll show you what Sculpting looks like.”

*Vroom—*

Gloria again infused magic into her thrusting sword. It radiated a faint blue aura.

At this point, everything appears to be perfectly normal. As long as magic is infused, it would be like that.

“Now, using Sculpting…”

*Vroom!*

As Gloria focused, the blue aura brightened even more.

The change was so striking that both Luna and Kara looked on in awe.

*Thud—*

At that moment, Kronos silently dropped his axe onto her sword. The very axe that just hit his fist.

This time the axe fell slowly from the blade instead of just crashing. Normally, it would crash and stop there, but…

*Swish!*

It split perfectly in half. An immediate display of Sculpting’s cutting power.

*Thunk—*

The once whole axe clattered uselessly on the ground. For some reason, it felt unbearably pitiful.

“As you can see, the cutting power has increased dramatically, right? This is the essence of Sculpting. Unlike Condensation, learning and mastering it aren’t easy, but I believe you all…”

“Like this?”

During Gloria’s explanation, Luna pulled out her own sword. A clear blue aura surrounded her sword, although not as bright as Gloria’s.

However, the expressions on Gloria and Kronos were priceless. They were clearly shocked by what they were witnessing.

Luna’s innate genius for absorbing new skills at a glance was evident. This left Kara staring in disbelief.

“Hey, what the heck are you?”

“What do you mean?”

“How did you do that?”

“I just focused, and it worked. I used the Condensation I learned earlier.”

“…..”

Kara let out a half-laugh at Luna’s irritating answer. It was a clear reflection of Luna’s extraordinary talent.

At this point, Gloria and Kronos were likely pondering seriously about bringing Luna back to their country.

This argument has sparked some earlier disputes. Though they all ended up patching things up with laughter.

“And this is a bit tricky. I had to focus really hard to barely manage it.”

“Y-yeah? Generally, it’s a bit…. tough to learn…”

Gloria responded with less confidence, her voice wavering. In reality, Sculpting is one of the skills that must be taught by someone.

Humans can’t simply think about honing the sharpness of their magic on their own.

It’s challenging to learn, so raw magic must be relentlessly infused. In other words, Luna is abnormal.

‘What should I do? This messes up my plans!’

‘I don’t know! Condensation was one thing, but I didn’t expect her to learn Sculpting so fast.’

They must have thought that their original planned schedule was thoroughly disrupted because of the current situation. You could tell by the way they were huddled together whispering.

With my excellent hearing, I could catch every part of their conversation. Their unease was palpable.

I meant to use the excuse of teaching Luna and have a sweet romance, but that just got shortened significantly.

‘It’s alright. There’s still Sivar and Kara.’

‘That’s true, but… what if they learn as well? What then?’

‘We can just teach them other things. I’ve heard that Sivar is going to learn martial arts from Kara. He’s going to help her out.’

‘Got it. That works out fine.’

As the secret couple hustled to overhaul their plans, they were very adept at juggling both work and love.

Such adaptability was likely the reason they hadn’t been discovered by others up until now. They were exceptional in many ways.

“Hmm. Hmm. Luna? While learning is swift, mastering it is tough. Especially Sculpting, as it varies greatly depending on one’s capability.”

After gathering her scattered thoughts, Gloria spoke to Luna. Just as she mentioned, Sculpting is one of the challenging skills to master.

Even more, unlike Condensation, it does not evolve into a trait. One might wonder if this makes Condensation less important.

“Doesn’t that mean Condensation’s importance becomes relatively lesser?”

“Absolutely not. Since Sculpting requires concentration, magic expenditure is quite high. Additionally, if you lose your focus, you can’t perform Sculpting.”

Strength corresponds to the durability, while agility corresponds to precision. Condensation complements strength, while Sculpting suits agility.

Condensation is better for prolonged engagements, but it lacks a decisive impact. On the other hand, Sculpting has a powerful single hit but is disadvantageous in drawn-out scenarios.

It’s essential to balance all of this and also steadily raise the magic’s attributes. Everything is intricately connected.

‘Playing as an agility character felt like playing Dark Souls.’

To make the game easier, strength characters are generally better. Agile characters fit the concept of being ‘glass cannons.’

As a result, established players often just pump agility and do speed runs. I’ve had my share of such experiences.

“Depending on your combat style, whether to invest in Condensation or Sculpting is up to you, Luna. Consider long battles and wrestles for Condensation, while for powerful attacks and evasions, choose Sculpting.”

“What should I focus on then? I’m a priest who worships Gulrak.”

At that moment, Kara raised her hand, curious to ask. Unlike the typical classes, she is a faith-based character.

Even a mage can gain various effects by learning Condensation and Sculpting. For example, Condensation boosts spell power, and Sculpting could enhance accuracy.

In contrast, faith characters are somewhat ambiguous in this regard. While magic is essential, faith plays an even more vital role.

“Kara, it’s… a bit ambiguous. I’ve met countless priests up until now, but aside from one aspect, they’ve all been different.”

“What aspect was common?”

“Their devotion to the deity they worship. Other than that, their directions vary widely, making it hard to provide advice.”

Faith has significant influences on overall stats. Just think of Porori.

That guy is much smaller than me, yet he possesses immense strength and speed. He’s always been that way, but his power skyrocketed after gaining lightning.

Kara and Hector are similar. The moment they imbued themselves with lightning, their overall stats and abilities surged greatly.

Doesn’t that sound like faith characters are great? One could argue that. However, if you’re unaware of what you’re doing, it can lead to significant trouble.

At first, they’re maddeningly weak. Not to mention, their versatility can lead them down the path of being a jack of all trades but master of none, making them challenging to nurture.

‘What if I end up attracting Chaos’s attention…’

That would be genuinely terrifying. The faith route is practically a no-go.

[You have offended the deity. Your faith decreases.]

…That almost happened! Long live Chaos!

[Your faith increases.]

‘Phew…’

I exhaled inwardly, feeling like I was oscillating between heaven and hell.

I didn’t even choose the faith route, so why do I have to manage my faith?

Honestly, I didn’t even want to be in this world in the first place. Thinking about it makes me feel bitter.

“Sivar? How about you give it a shot too?”

While I was lamenting, Gloria called out to me. I seemed to be next after Kara.

It’s not a bad idea to find out about my Red Magic too. I slowly raised my hand in response to her call.

*Vroom!*

Soon, the red magic gathered in my hand, transforming into a shape reminiscent of a beast’s claw.

Since Rod took care of Ragnarok, I was hesitant to pick up any other weapon for fear of an explosion.

Right now, all I could do was showcase my magic in my hand.

“Is that… Red? Why is your magic red? You don’t know…”

“Ugh! Ahem!”

Gloria almost blurted out a mistake, clearly taken aback. Kronos cleared his throat loudly, averting any suspicions.

“Red, huh? Is there such a thing as red magic?”

“Well, I’m not really sure either.”

Of course, Kara didn’t have any knowledge of it. Fortunately, everyone else was distracted by my red magic.

It seemed that everyone present wasn’t familiar with Red Magic at all. That was slightly disappointing.

“Gloria… isn’t magic supposed to be blue for humans?”

“Mostly, yes. However, there are rare cases where the color of magic changes. But typically, it turns green or navy blue.”

“What do each of those mean?”

“Green indicates significant mental issues. Strictly speaking, it refers to people with intellectual disabilities. They struggle with normal thoughts. Sometimes, highly intelligent monsters also use it. Such monsters often possess some ability to communicate.”

Magic is said to have a strong connection to ‘intelligence.’ If there’s a problem with one’s intelligence, the color of their magic changes.

Humanity operates at a high enough tier that our magic reflects in blue among the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.

While divine assistance played a role, the fact that humanity built a grand ‘civilization’ proves its remarkable intelligence.

“On the flip side, navy blue is only wielded by those who comprehend the mysteries of the heavens—like Lord Rod. But then red…”

Which means that having red magic signifies not only a deviation but also a complete lack of intelligence.

At least when following that principle. Yet, I’m absolutely no fool.

“I am.”

“Huh?”

“Not a fool.”

And I protested. My magic might be unusual, but I wasn’t mentally challenged.

It was difficult to express myself due to the cursed faith, but that didn’t imply I couldn’t understand anything.

“Ooh, ooh. Is that so? Our Sivar got mad because we called him a fool?”

Regardless of my protests, Kara was preoccupied with pinching my cheek and playfully teasing me. She looked immensely delighted.

At this point, protesting would only become fodder for teasing, so I stayed silent. However, I wouldn’t erase my pouty expression.

“Indeed… my expectations were correct.”

But why does Gloria look so assured? What exactly is she seeing?

I questioned this for a moment, but then Gloria clapped her hands and said in her signature friendly tone.

“The important thing is not the red magic. What matters is whether you can use Sculpting. Why don’t you give it a try, Sivar?”

“Um…”

While Condensation felt easy, Sculpting seemed a bit more challenging. I felt it would be hard to match Luna’s instant execution.

Moreover, since the red magic’s power is inherently high, I’d need to exercise caution. So, I turned my body away from them and directed my hand into the empty space.

‘For now, let me gather the magic while focusing on…’

I began to gather the magic that had wrapped around my hand towards the tip of my index finger. The process leans more towards Sculpting rather than Condensation.

The magic used during forest slaughter was just raw magic. That alone dealt enough power, so there wasn’t much need for Condensation or Sculpting.

‘If Condensation is simply making the clay smaller, then Sculpting is about finely honing the clay.’

Whoever it was, they really hit the nail on the head there. Keeping that in mind, I settled down and focused.

I gathered the red magic encircling my hand gradually towards the tip of my index finger, while simultaneously implementing Sculpting.

Since it was a skill that Luna had to concentrate to use, I too were forced to keep my focus. Moreover, with overfilled energy, control also became a challenge.

*Wii-iiing—*

Before long, the red magic collected at the tip of my finger. Thanks to Sculpting, it had a nice rounded shape instead of being uneven.

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

“It’s fine. If Sculpting fails, it just scatters and doesn’t fly anywhere.”

“That only holds true for us; Sivar has red magic. That seems ominous…”

From behind, I heard Luna and Gloria chit-chatting away. Luna appeared uneasy while observing my actions.

Considering that I had shown misbehavior earlier during Condensation, I could understand her apprehensions. I chose to ignore their concerns and stay focused.

The moment the red magic gathered into a rounded sphere at the tip of my finger,

[Ability: You have learned Sculpting!]

An alert popped up in front of me, indicating I had acquired Sculpting.

At that instant, my concentration shattered momentarily.

[Wilderness Instinct activates!]

[Ability: Compatible with Red Magic!]

[Ability: Sculpting has been removed!]

Just like Condensation, the notification of ability deletion caused my focus to break again.

Under normal circumstances, Sculpting would typically vanish when concentration faltered.

However, perhaps because my magic stat was too high or due to the nature of Red Magic,

“Uh, uh?”

The red magic collected at my fingertip didn’t disperse. Instead, it seemed desperate to break free.

My instincts were screaming at me. If this went on, something terrible would happen. I needed to do something immediately.

Without a moment to lose, I frantically stretched my hand upwards. By sheer chance, I was now holding my finger skyward.

*Pew!*

Suddenly, a beam of red magic burst forth from the tip of my finger.

(Red lightning coursed as it shot up like a laser, leaving a crimson afterimage behind.)

“What…?”

People behind me gasped and, like me, looked up at the ceiling in shock.

The Personal Training Room, unlike the public training grounds, was smaller in size but had the same ceiling height.

So yes, that means the ceiling was quite high. Why do I mention that?

*Ka-boom!!!*

As the red magic shot up like a laser and collided with the ceiling, it exploded on impact.

The ceiling flickered red for a moment and, along with a thunderous blast, it blew apart.

*Crackle—*

A massive hole formed in the ceiling of the Personal Training Room. Everyone stared at the gaping hole as if in a trance, oblivious to the falling debris.

Each one bore expressions of utter astonishment, struggling to comprehend how to even react.

“Phew.”

I took a sigh of relief, gazing up at the wide-open ceiling. Frankly, that was pretty risky.

Personal Training Rooms are generally constructed to be sturdy to prevent such incidents. Yet I completely disregarded that and destroyed the ceiling.

I was worried about an accident happening, so I had limited my output, and even that led to this. I trembled at the thought of what could have happened if I had increased it even slightly.

Fortunately, right now, the only thing demolished was the ceiling, but had I raised it even a bit more, the ramifications could have been severe. I learned I needed to control my magic more effectively.

‘I’ve also gained a defensive skill.’

Now I possess a means of deterrence. Up until now, I could only hurl weapons as a means of rebuffing attacks.

But today, I’ve secured a clear method of deterring foes. While the downside is it consumes magic, it’s certainly better than nothing.

Now that I think of it, what do you call this attack? I reflected for a moment, and then exclaimed with a little “Aha!”

“Death! Beam!”

Today, I gained a sprinkle of romance, yet…

“I… I don’t know what this Death beam is, but I know the Principal will have a lot to say to you.”

“Seriously, how does this happen every day…”

I once more lost the trust of those around me.

After that mishap was dealt with,

“Hands straight up! Don’t lower them until I say so!”

“I’m tired…”

“Quit whining! You’re fine and you know it!”

Rod forced me to kneel and lift my arms. This was the very first moment I faced corporal punishment.

“Keep your hands off the wall! Are you already scheming something!”

“Hmph.”

This is genuinely exhausting.

---