Chapter 105
Kshanoll is the swordsman ranked 23rd in the Hero Ranking.
He shows an extremely negative reaction towards those lacking talent, almost to the point of disgust.
Such a man.
Aside from Helion, the team leader of the Helion team, he is the highest-ranked and reportedly most talented.
Originally, he had about the same level of talent as Finn?
No matter how much I think about it, no matter how many times I replay it in my head, it’s hard to believe.
Talent isn’t something that just appears and disappears like an object; it’s something you’re born with.
Just like Vargan or Alicia.
It’s a gift that you have from the moment you reveal yourself in this world.
That’s why, to gauge his own situation objectively, the mediocre Finn had to strive hard.
He knew that without putting in this kind of effort, he could never reach the stage he desired, so he strained his trembling limbs and continued his training.
Watching such Finn were warm-hearted people who gave him encouraging words and believed in him.
Finn was always grateful and guilty towards them, making him cling even more desperately to his sword.
Because of his lack of talent, even more so.
…However, they say there’s a possibility of change if he goes to a place called the ‘Soul Forge Hall.’
Perhaps he might obtain the brilliant name of ‘Talent,’ brighter than the sun, which he had long desired and ultimately gave up on.
He had no intention of easily becoming a hero.
He knew better than anyone that the road ahead was filled with thorns.
He didn’t even have any expectations.
Even if there was only despair and continuous hardships, he thought it would be good enough if he could just reach there.
⎯But here’s something to keep in mind. While entering the Soul Forge Hall is merely tough, coming out of it leads to death.
Canthurman, who claimed he didn’t know much, provided quite a bit of information to Finn.
He told Finn that the condition to enter the Soul Forge Hall is to be talentless, and that the training undergone there is like walking a tightrope with death below.
For example, if 10,000 people pass the first obstacle and enter the Soul Forge Hall, only ten are said to come out alive.
And among those, the one who achieves the level of talent they initially set is one in ten.
It’s truly a gamble with one’s life.
Training that pursues personal limits to the extreme.
“……”
However… even so.
Finn couldn’t turn a blind eye to that tiny flicker of hope.
Even if he wanted to look away, his head wouldn’t turn.
He could be scolded for wanting to become strong so easily, for being weak and despicable.
He could be criticized for his vanity, believing that he alone is special and doesn’t know his own limitations.
You can accuse him of being vain and believing that only he is special.
Finn yearned for strength.
He had already made his resolve to dedicate his life for it.
If there was even the slightest glimmer of light, he wanted to rush towards it without hesitation…!
“Master Helion, I have something to say.”
That night, after hearing about the Soul Forge Hall.
The Helion team gathered at their lodging to discuss their future plans and wrapped up their meeting, finally having some personal maintenance time.
Seizing this little bit of time, Finn suddenly spoke up while learning from Helion.
Vargan, seemingly aware of Finn’s feelings, continued his training without even turning his head.
“Finn, what’s the matter?”
Finn clearly stated his intentions.
“I’m really sorry to say this, but…”
Contrary to his words, Finn’s determination was unwavering.
“I want to learn from Swordsman Kshanoll.”
This was something that could easily upset Helion. Even if Helion wasn’t a Swordsman, he was still a top-tier Hero.
Rejecting the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from someone like him to seek teachings from another could be considered an insult in some ways.
However, Helion’s mindset was a bit different from others.
Without a hint of displeasure, he immediately responded.
“Alright. It’s not a difficult thing, and if that’s what you’ve decided, it’s best to go with it. But, will it be possible?”
This wasn’t sarcasm.
It was a question of whether Kshanoll, who doesn’t think highly of Finn, would even teach him.
“I have confidence in not losing to anyone in three things: apologizing to others, making requests, and begging.”
Even if he’s a noble’s pawn, Finn has been belittled and compared throughout his life because he merely played that role.
For him, bowing his head might be pathetic, but it wasn’t shameful.
The truly shameful ones are those who don’t recognize their own flaws and refuse to learn from others.
Seeing such Finn, Helion smiled softly.
It was subtly different from his usual awkward smile. Helion said,
“You look eager, so go ahead. I won’t stop you from the path you’ve chosen.”
“Thank you.”
Finn bowed and immediately went to Kshanoll. He would surely face all kinds of insults and violence. Yet still, Finn ran off.
As if he was extremely happy.
After Finn left, in the space remaining with Vargan, Helion said,
“I think Finn will become a good Hero.”
“He’s bound to become a good Hero.”
“When you say it, it sounds like it’s missing some praise.”
“Even so, in the end, he must become a useful Hero, right?”
“That’s true.”
Helion did not deny Vargan’s opinion.
There was often a similar tendency in the thoughts of both Vargan and Helion.
“Well, since Finn has left, let’s continue with a one-on-one lesson with Vargan.”
Vargan immediately showcased a portion of summoning he had recently mastered – the right hand of the Ogre Familiar, Taesan.
It was a dark green color, and the skin was far thicker and tougher than that of a human.
Seeing that enormous hand, Helion nodded and continued speaking.
“It’s already useful enough to be employed in combat.”
Master Magician Helion also worked with Familiars.
If asked whether he primarily dealt with Familiars, he would say no, but he was sufficiently skilled not to fall far behind the pinnacle of existing Familiar magic.
I am highly skilled and advanced in the current pinnacle of Familiar magic, not falling far behind.
“Seeing is easier than saying, right?”
Helion created a summoning circle and summoned two Familiars. One resembled an iguana, and the other looked like a hedgehog.
“Both of them belong to the weakest tier of Monsters. In terms of combat power, even an average person who cannot use Aura could take them down.”
Even with a casual glance, Vargan agreed.
Despite being Helion’s Familiars, they exuded no sense of pressure; in fact, they appeared rather pitiful.
Helion placed a magic tool in front of the two Familiars.
This was a crystal ball that measures magic power, changing color according to the output of the caster’s mana.
Immediately, the two Familiars followed command and unleashed mana in order, causing the crystal ball to glow red.
This indicated the lowest level, akin to someone just starting out with mana.
Next, they simultaneously released mana, which revealed the next color: orange.
Without even using the magic tool, Vargan could sense a slight increase in power, though not significantly different.
“By the way, what is your rank in Familiar magic, Vargan? Have you already reached Comprehension?”
“No, my Familiar field is still at High Rank.”
“In that case, you must be at a relatively high level among the High Ranks. That’s perfect! During this Mentoring, you could reach the rank of Comprehension.”
Which meant.
They would quickly accumulate experience, indicating that this training would be extremely challenging.
Hearing this, instead of worrying, Vargan smiled with satisfaction.
“That would be great.”
Helion reached out to the two summoned Familiars.
He released his mana and formed a spell to reconstruct the summoning circle. The spell, initially glowing a faint blue, turned red as soon as it was restructured.
The same went for the Familiars.
The shapes of the two Familiars wriggled and appeared to change like clay, and as the spell’s light shifted, they fused seamlessly, astonishingly becoming ‘one.’
“I’m glad to see that Vargan likes it.”
Vargan looked at the Familiar.
It could no longer be called ‘two.’
While both contained life, they were undoubtedly combined, and their bodies reflected this.
What had been an iguana and a hedgehog.
Now, it had become an iguana adorned with the spines of a hedgehog.
This was a fusion of two life forms.
A single Familiar.
“…I knew about it, but seeing it in person is quite astonishing.”
Helion made it look so easy, as if he were simply picking up a spoon to eat, it was easy to overlook.
However, the concept of two different creatures merging to manifest another form is a spell that is difficult to grasp even in theory.
Presumably, the wizard who first discovered this spell was one of the most outstanding figures of that era, undoubtedly spending tremendous time on it.
I, who could catch a glimpse of the principles of magic, was honestly moved by its mystery.
What a beautiful and profound formation! No wonder Craine was so captivated!
“Can you see that the mana held by the Familiar has increased?”
“Yes. The total amount of mana has doubled. No… 2.4 times.”
“The output has increased even more.”
“Something’s changed.”
Just like before, the Familiar emitted magical energy. Although they merged from two into one, its might actually increased.
The color of the crystal shifts.
Red, orange, and then it blinks before reaching yellow. This was output equivalent to someone who had learned magic for four years.
The Familiar, fused like a chimera, achieved a record even higher than when two Familiars were simultaneously emitting magic.
Helion referred to this as “Dual Fusion.”
When you merge Familiars, the existing powers like Mana don’t just add up; they multiply. Each entity retains its traits.
For example, it said you could enhance the quills of a hedgehog or the appearance of an iguana into a strengthened form.
In other words, it meant that the unique characteristics of the original Familiars, which formed the basis for the fusion, would not be lost but rather magnified.
“There’s someone among the heroes I know who can perform Triple Fusion by combining three monsters, but I’m not at that level. Instead, I’ll teach you something else.”
Helion unraveled the Dual Fusion and returned the Familiars to their original forms. The two hurriedly tended to their appearances, as if it was the most natural thing to do.
“I will focus.”
Helion’s words were enough to draw Vargan’s interest.
On the outside, he appeared indifferent, but inside he was quite excited.
Knowing someone through knowledge and seeing them in person are worlds apart.
Isn’t it different from seeing a dinosaur in an encyclopedia and witnessing one right before your eyes?
“Hmm… I think it’d be better to show this later. For now, it’s best if you fully master the spell I just demonstrated.”
“…Is there a special reason for that?”
“Vargan’s reaction is fresh, and I want to see a bit more.”
“……”
“I’m joking. It’s a spell that Familiars can only comprehend through their mastery.”
“You can joke too.”
Yeah, it’s super boring though.
To be honest, I was looking forward to what kind of magic it might be, and now this is what I get?
High-tier magic related to Familiars… hmm. What could it be?
I have lots of ideas, but since it’s Helion’s magic, it must be related to combat.
Vargan set aside his wandering thoughts and spoke up.
“Understood. I will refrain from robbing my master of his joy.”
“Am I your master, then?”
“It’s only right to honor someone for their character and achievements, and if I find their teachings worthwhile, I would consider them my master.”
“How many masters has Vargan had?”
“You are the first.”
Paula, who taught me magic at the Schugenhartz Family, felt more like a teacher than a master…? Ah… I called her that, but formally acknowledging it felt a bit off.
Just Paula.
“Well, that’s an honorable position.”
“I plan to descend as soon as I’ve learned everything I can gain.”
“Honestly, I like your straightforwardness.”
That night was spent wholeheartedly devoted to the Familiars.
Even after Helion left, I analyzed and executed the Dual Fusion spell.
Craine’s chimera. I’d already spent quite a bit of time taming this fellow, and it still refused to listen to me.
If I had a personal wish, it would be for it to follow me by the time we reach the Central Church.
…As I indulged in this long-awaited training time, dawn broke. The day felt too short.
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