# Chapter 40: The Old Tale and the Circle (2)
—
**Rainbow.**
Just hearing the three syllables, which defined the boy’s current objective, sent a jolt through his nerves.
“Are you saying Murcred owns part of a rainbow?”
“Yes, indeed. A story that might pique your interest.”
“But isn’t a rainbow just a band that appears in the sky?”
He had never actually seen a rainbow.
Yet through countless tales, he imagined it as something akin to natural phenomena like clouds, rain, or snow.
*”A natural phenomenon isn’t something humans can control.”*
The thought of humans owning such a phenomenon was difficult to grasp.
“Of course, the seven-colored band in the sky is the most dominant theory regarding rainbows. But just because one theory prevails doesn’t render all others meaningless. There are other compelling and intriguing hypotheses about rainbows.”
The old man used telekinesis to lift a ring into the air. Slowly rotating, the ring glittered brilliantly in the sunlight streaming through the window.
Fixing his gaze on the red jewel embedded in the ring, the old man spoke.
“One such hypothesis is that rainbows are gemstones.”
“Gemstones?”
“Yes. A single gem that breathes immense vitality into the world.”
A dry, ancient tale seeped out from his parched lips.
“Long ago, the world’s landscape was said to be drastically different from what it is now. The sky was always blue, and the earth abounded in riches.”
The reason was clear.
At the heart of the first city built by humans was a gemstone, dazzling and radiant like a prism.
The light emitted by the rainbow gemstone made the land fertile and healed the sick. It filled people with boundless strength. With no need to fight or go hungry, it was nothing short of paradise.
The boy posed a question.
“What’s a paradise?”
“A term you might not know. After all, it’s rarely used these days. A paradise is a world where everyone lives a rich and happy life.”
The explanation left the boy pondering a larger question.
*”A world where everyone is happy?”*
It was the most absurd thing he had ever heard.
Even if ten grandmothers like Viola worked together to craft a story, none could be more outlandish than the notion of paradise.
He couldn’t precisely define what happiness was.
But there was one thing he understood for certain:
*Happiness was an incredibly elusive emotion.*
*”And though I can’t be sure, it seemed like it could be taken from others.”*
He once witnessed a man, returning home with his wages, being mugged.
The happiness seemingly drained from the man and filled the mugger.
At that moment, the boy thought:
*”The total amount of happiness in the world must be fixed. People live by taking and losing it from one another.”*
*”Everyone can’t be happy at the same time.”*
The boy refused to accept the old man’s definition of happiness.
For a moment, he considered refuting it, but the old man’s next words made it unnecessary.
“But that happiness didn’t last forever. Many factions sought to monopolize the rainbow, and during prolonged wars, it shattered into seven fragments scattered across the world.”
Since then, the world’s prosperity rapidly declined.
The air became polluted, and the skies clouded over.
The once fertile land turned barren, incapable of growing anything.
Time has passed, and the world has become what it is now. The whereabouts of the parts of that rainbow gemstone remain unknown.
“But don’t take it as absolute truth. It’s just a story passed down through generations.”
“Still, among the theories about rainbows, it’s a relatively credible one, right?”
The old man smiled faintly.
“How about the tale of a city-sized turtle that lives beneath the Elton River and spews seven-colored streams from its mouth?”
“….”
“Or one of a creature flying through the skies, trailing seven-colored light from its—”
“No, no, that’s quite enough.”
He didn’t have the life experience to make hasty judgments about such matters.
Yet he instinctively felt that such creatures had no place in the world.
The boy’s serious demeanor drew a chuckle from the old man.
“Very well. Back to the main story—what do you think I’ll say next?”
“That Murcred has one of the rainbow’s fragments?”
“Correct. The red gemstones carried by their ordinary members are mere shards of that fragment.”
Murcred and the rainbow fragments.
Although unverified, the old man saw undeniable connections between the two.
“When I was researching rainbows, I once acquired a red jewel reportedly used by a Murcred member.”
He immediately realized it wasn’t a mass-produced item.
It was unlike anything seen in other sectors.
“Mana stones are merely auxiliary tools. They have limited capacity and inferior mana quality. They’re rarely used unless mana is scarce or of poor quality.”
But the red jewel was different.
Its quality far exceeded that of ordinary mana stones.
“Though still no match for the mana of a Circle, it was remarkably useful. I began to wonder how they could continually supply such items to their members and thought of the rainbow hypothesis.”
A gemstone radiating infinite light and mana, now divided into seven fragments scattered across the world.
“Thinking this way made the supply chain somewhat plausible. And I wasn’t the only one who thought so.”
However, there were conditions:
The red fragment of the rainbow had to be either large enough that chipping off pieces wouldn’t matter or capable of regenerating, allowing infinite duplication.
Only then could they sustain the supply of mana stones to their members.
“While it was a compelling hypothesis, I couldn’t delve further. Murcred was infamous even back then, and I wasn’t the risk-taking type, even in my youth.”
This unexpected story left the boy deep in thought.
Yet he wasn’t shocked. Instead, he calmly assessed his current situation.
The man in the basement.
Though his rank within Murcred was uncertain, his affiliation seemed almost definite.
*”And while the rainbow-as-gemstone theory is just a hypothesis…”*
The boy deemed it worth investigating and added “Murcred” to his list of inquiries.
“You already seem to be making plans,” the old man remarked, breaking his silence.
Looking up, the boy met the old man’s gaze.
“It seems like you’re ready to dive into something dangerous. And there’s no point in trying to stop you, is there?”
The boy’s quiet nod drew a bitter smile from the old man.
Although their time together had been short, the old man understood much about the boy.
His candid words and actions.
The sharpness in his gaze and his precocious wit.
*”And just as much as his talent for magic, his resolve is unwavering.”*
No amount of advice or caution could sway him.
Stopping the boy would be a futile effort, the old man realized.
**”Trying to dissuade him would only be selfish.”**
The more the boy risked his life, the higher the chance that the magic the old man had painstakingly passed down would disappear from the world.
Though cautious and thorough, the boy would probably navigate his way well. Yet even so, the world was a place seething with malice and hostility.
**”How regretful.”**
In any case, bedridden and close to death, the old man had no means to intervene.
All he could do was teach the boy magic to protect himself and satisfy his curiosity about the world.
The old man retrieved the ring and handed it back to Ray, saying:
“Very well. I will respect your decision. I believe I’ve told you everything I know about Murcred. Do you have any other questions?”
Ray stared at the ring in his hand for a moment before looking back at the old man.
“Can the enhancement magic and extraction magic on this ring be dispelled?”
—
—
—
**Creak—**
The door opened, and Veronica entered, walking calmly to sit next to Ray.
“Since we have a new student today, I suppose we should go over the basics again. Veronica, are you okay with that?”
“I’m fine.”
The old man nodded and continued his explanation, now addressing Ray.
“All magic begins by forming a circle. While you can use mana from the atmosphere or stored in mana stones, doing so risks mana intoxication.”
A ring surrounding the heart.
A vessel for storing mana.
That was the definition of a circle.
“The atmospheric mana is refined as it flows into the circle. The type of element it carries depends on the individual’s nature. In other words, each person is limited in the types of magic they can use.”
For instance, the three rings possessed by the old man were primarily filled with the elements of earth and functions like sustain, block, and combine.
Other elements were present but in negligible amounts.
To Ray’s eyes, the rings appeared mostly tinged with gray and brown mana.
**”The man in the basement had predominantly red and yellow mana.”**
That man could generate fire and harden his limbs like metal.
Thus, the method of combat a mage specializes in ultimately depends on the mana contained within their rings.
Ray thought to himself,
**”I hope my rings will hold mana with colors most useful in battle.”**
“The process of creating a circle is simple. Veronica, can you explain it?”
“Yes. First, gather mana in your hand, preferably a type you’re familiar with and can easily control.”
**Woong—**
Veronica extracted a faint blue mana from the air and held it above her palm.
“Next, guide the mana down your arm to your chest.”
The small ball of mana slid down her arm and reached her chest.
“And then, make it revolve around your heart.”
The blue ball began orbiting her heart, like a moon revolving around a planet.
“Keep it moving and increase its speed.”
As the speed of its orbit increased, a blue trail formed, soon resembling a ring.
Beads of sweat appeared on Veronica’s forehead. Everyone held their breath as the sphere’s speed approached its limit.
**“Ah.”**
Veronica lost control of the mana, and it disintegrated into mist.
Momentarily speechless, her lips quivered before she managed to say in a voice that betrayed her exhaustion, “This means I failed to create the circle. I should have maintained control to the end.”
The strain on her mental strength was evident in her fatigued expression.
“Don’t be discouraged. You’re making steady progress. At this rate, success isn’t far off,” the old man reassured her.
“Yes, I think so too.”
Veronica could feel she was close to success.
But she was anxious.
What if her grandfather passed away before she completed her circle?
**”I want to show him that I’ve mastered magic before he’s gone.”**
Graham was her savior—the man who had taken her and her siblings from a hopeless orphanage.
Despite the rumors, there had been no abuse or trafficking. Instead, they were cared for with devotion and taught much about the world.
It was only natural that Veronica and her two siblings came to see Graham as a grandfather figure.
“Do you think you can try?”
“Yes.”
In response to the old man’s words, Ray closed his eyes and focused his mind.
He felt his senses awakening, as though every nerve in his body had come alive. He could distinctly feel the subtle touch of mana against his skin.
When he opened his eyes again, focusing intently—
**“…”**
Before him stretched a boundless sea of mana, shimmering in countless colors.
A world no one else could perceive.
A dimension accessible only to him.
“At first, you likely won’t know which elements you’re attuned to. For your first attempt, just proceed as you feel comfortable—”
The old man’s words were cut off.
Ray had already begun. He gathered mana and directed it toward his chest.
Familiar, easy-to-handle mana.
For Ray, that meant nearly all types of mana, save for a few exceptions. Thus, the choice made little difference.
**Woong—**
The mana reached his chest almost instantly and started forming a circle around his heart.
In mere seconds—
**Woo-woo-woooong—!!**
The mana spun at an uncontrollable speed, several times faster than Veronica’s attempt.
“G-Grandfather, what is this?” Veronica exclaimed, alarmed.
The old man said nothing, merely observing Ray’s circle with a composed yet intense gaze.
**“Grandfather must have anticipated this.”**
Veronica felt reassured, regaining her composure as she trusted in her grandfather’s wisdom.
But in truth, the old man was panicking.
**”What… is this?”**
Sweat trickled down his back.
