“…Haha, that sounds grand. Then tell me, how can I use magic?”
At my question, she raised her arm and pointed upward.
“First, let’s head to the ninth floor. The answer lies there.”
“The ninth floor?”
“Yes, it is where the tower master’s private office is located. This way…”
As I followed Eia, I casually glanced around.
Even at a second look, the place felt incredibly unfamiliar and alien.
If I had to describe it, it was like a chemistry lab, but could a research facility be this extravagant?
Every surface, from the walls to the floor, gleamed with gold, and the central lobby was furnished with plush sofas and cushions.
Scattered about were random objects like cups, proof that people had once lived here.
“This place must have been inhabited in the past, right?”
“Of course. Though for the last ten years, I’ve been alone. This way.”
She led me to a magic circle installed on the floor. Its form was different from the one that had activated in my hand earlier.
“How do I use this?”
“Just step onto it.”
As I stepped onto the magic circle, it lit up brightly and activated.
An interface resembling an elevator’s buttons appeared before me, displaying floors from 1 to 9.
I was currently on the first floor of the mage tower.
The buttons for floors two and up were unlit, except for the ninth floor, which was glowing as if urging me to press it.
I pressed the button.
Vwoom!
A sudden sensation of floating overtook me, and in the blink of an eye, my surroundings changed.
The hovering elevator interface signaled our arrival at the ninth floor with a blue light.
Eia, who had followed me up, gracefully bowed.
“Welcome to the ninth floor, the tower master’s chamber.”
If the first floor felt like a lavish hotel lobby, the ninth floor resembled a tidy and refined private office.
I took a moment to look around.
What captured my attention the most was the night view of Seoul beyond the glass-like walls.
A gasp escaped my lips.
‘…Damn, the night view is insane. This is exactly the kind of place where CEOs in dramas stand with their hands behind their backs.’
As I admired the scenery, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the window—and I flinched in surprise.
My right eye was glowing blue, just like mana.
Even now, the colour was shifting in abstract patterns—sometimes like waves rippling, sometimes like a swirling typhoon.
“Eia, what’s happening to my eye?”
“That eye is the symbol of the tower master—the Eye of the Sage.”
I see. So this is the essence of my unique ability?
It was cool, but it stood out way too much. I made a mental note to buy some coloured lenses later.
After briefly surveying my office, I awkwardly sat down at the desk.
Despite its antique design, it felt as comfortable as a custom chair.
“Then, please rest well.”
Eia disappeared into thin air, seemingly to avoid disturbing me.
Left alone, I took a deep breath and organized my thoughts.
“…Hmm.”
Magic, huh.
Even after reaching the ninth floor, I still had no clue how to use it.
In modern times, players mainly used mana for activating their unique abilities or for mana-coating their weapons and clothes to enhance them.
But now, I was suddenly supposed to cast spells with mana? Anyone would be baffled.
Then, a thought struck me.
‘Maybe it works like in movies—just recite a magic spell, and boom?’
I began searching the ninth floor for a magic book.
Eventually, I found a promising one on a bookshelf in the corner.
The title read: Fundamentals of Magic.
The author: Ruin Kylas.
It reminded me of that high school math textbook that dominated the market for thirty years.
‘Is this what Eia was talking about?’
I opened the book.
The text was in an unfamiliar language, yet I could read it perfectly.
Must be thanks to the Eye of the Sage.
I looked at the author’s opening words.
“What is magic?”
Seated at the desk, I dived into the book.
It had an incredible pull.
Not that the content was particularly thrilling, but I felt like an explorer secretly uncovering knowledge of a new civilization.
After reading about a third of the book—
‘Holy crap, this might actually work!’
I was overcome with the urge to try magic immediately.
At first, I’d read out of mild curiosity, but the deeper I went, the more convinced I became that magic was not some vague, unattainable concept.
With a pounding heart, I flipped back to the first chapter.
“Let’s see… Magic is classified differently by different mages, but the author divides it into three types based on activation conditions: incantation magic, command magic, and magic circles…”
The author recommended focusing on mastering one of the three.
After some thought, I decided on magic circles.
The reason was simple—magic circles were the fastest.
No need to chant or recite anything.
With magic circles, drawing a specific sigil with mana would immediately cast a spell.
Once mastered, I’d be able to draw them mid-air, enabling rapid activation even in battle.
It was flexible enough to be effective even in the fast-paced combat scenarios of modern monster encounters.
‘For my first spell, I should start with something simple, right?’
I decided to learn “Gauntlet,” one of the three fundamental magic circles.
The Fundamentals of Magic was structured so that beginners could follow along step by step, making it easy to replicate the process.
— First, select the location where you wish to draw the magic circle and spread your mana broadly, as if laying down a flat canvas.
It seemed that mages in this world referred to this as the “Base.”
I layered two bases over the desk and placed my fingertip on top of them.
As if holding a brush, a blue dot appeared where my finger touched. I concentrated my mana into my fingertip and turned to the next page.
— Now, to form the “Field,” draw a precise circle.
Ugh, I’m stuck already.
Drawing a perfect circle freehand is no easy task.
But despite my worries, my finger moved as if I were using a compass, creating an almost flawless circle.
I stared at my finger in disbelief for a moment before moving on to the next step.
Next was rune writing.
“Runes” were essentially letters imbued with magical power. By using mana to inscribe these characters, one could trigger magical effects.
Following the book’s instructions, I carefully inscribed a rune at the center of the circle.
“Ohh.”
Even though this was my first time attempting such a task, my finger moved with confidence, as if I had done it countless times before.
In the blink of an eye, I had replicated the rune almost perfectly.
— Now, write the activation formula along the circle’s perimeter.
Creating a magic circle was easier than I expected.
It felt similar to an electrical engineering student assembling a circuit board, inserting electronic components, and soldering connections during a lab exercise.
Ten minutes later—
“It looks pretty legit.”
I observed my first completed magic circle.
I had initially imagined something adorned with six-pointed stars and elaborate engravings, but in reality, it resembled a complex mathematical formula neatly arranged within a circle.
I wasn’t entirely convinced it would work, but I couldn’t deny my growing excitement.
Now for the final step.
I placed my finger on the central rune and infused it with a steady flow of mana.
Whoooom!
The mana I channeled into the rune spread out in all directions, activating various components as it followed the complex formulas.
The energy flowed smoothly, reaching the outer edges of the circle.
Like water finding its way through the crevices of the earth, the mana coursed through the magic circle with a structured, rhythmic motion.
At last, mana circulated evenly throughout the entire formation, causing its blue glow to intensify.
This was incredible.
I was overwhelmed with pride, feeling as though I had created a living, breathing system rather than a mere diagram.
Now, it was time to test whether the magic circle actually worked.
I carefully lifted the magic circle off the desk and released it.
It remained suspended in midair, as if anchored to an invisible coordinate.
Holding my breath, I reached out with my right hand and pushed it into the magic circle.
“Please work! Please…!”
Srrrng.
As my right hand entered the circle, I felt a sensation akin to slipping into a soft fur glove.
The once-flat formation reshaped itself into a three-dimensional structure, molding itself to fit my fingers.
Encouraged, I pushed my arm in further.
Swoosh!
At last, my hand emerged from the other side, now enveloped in a shimmering layer of mana.
[You have successfully completed your first Gauntlet magic circle.]
[Intelligence has increased by 1.]
[Concentration has increased by 1.]
“…It worked!”
At that moment, a flood of emotions surged through me.
A cursed compatibility trait. A unique ability that, despite my high mana reserves, had never made me stronger.
I had struggled endlessly to raise my stats, enduring countless hardships.
And now, all of that effort had finally paid off.
“I should test its power.”
According to The Fundamentals of Magic, Gauntlet was a strike-based magic spell.
Scanning my surroundings for an appropriate target, I settled on the wall.
Since the tower had withstood military bombardment, a simple punch shouldn’t cause much damage, right?
Bracing myself, I extended my leg and clenched my fist, now wrapped in shimmering blue mana.
Then, I threw a full-force punch straight at the wall.
KWOOM!
A thunderous impact echoed through the room as my fist rebounded from the collision.
The Gauntlet dispersed after delivering a massive shockwave, leaving a visible dent in the wall in the shape of my knuckles.
“This actually works!”
Gathering mana in my fist alone wouldn’t have generated this level of force.
This was undeniably magic.
“Heh… Heheheh.”
I couldn’t hold back my laughter.
The world’s first true mage had just been born.
