#079. **The Vortex of Desire (5)**
—
“……!”
His chest burned.
Breathing became unbearable.
It was a far more intense pain than when he had constructed his first circle—so severe that he felt like he was losing consciousness.
Graham’s words flashed through his mind.
*”Anyone can create the first circle, depending on their effort. As long as they can perceive and manipulate mana, that is. But the second circle is different.”*
The method of constructing a circle was simple.
He had to draw in the mana from the atmosphere and rotate it around his heart.
That rotation would leave a trajectory behind.
A firm trajectory would then become a circle.
In other words, a set number of rotations would complete the circle.
That was true for the first circle.
But from the second one onward, things changed.
*”The number of revolutions required to solidify the trajectory increases astronomically. With conventional training, it would take a lifetime to construct the next circle. This is where enlightenment comes into play.”*
At the moment of enlightenment, the revolution speed increased exponentially for a brief period.
To the point where his usual training would seem pointless.
*”No academic study has yet determined when enlightenment occurs. That’s because the nature of enlightenment varies too much from person to person, making it impossible to establish a standard.”*
Enlightenment.
It could come with a deeper understanding of magical theory.
It could be triggered by a shift in one’s state of mind due to an event.
Or it could stem from the realization of a certain truth, or even religious insight.
Its form was so diverse that categorization was impossible.
However, there was one commonality.
*‘…They say that the moment of enlightenment is always related to mental activity.’*
Graham’s voice quickly passed through Ray’s mind.
*”Enlightenment. That’s why magic is sometimes called the study of self-exploration.”*
*”But for most mages, experiencing enlightenment even once in their lifetime is difficult.”*
*”Do you remember? Mana extends its hand only to those who are honest with themselves.”*
But not all mages were greeted by mana.
Understanding oneself was an incredibly difficult task.
The vast majority of mages lived their lives without even exploring their own inner selves, let alone establishing a true sense of identity.
No, it wasn’t just mages—it was all humans.
*‘I…’*
The overwhelming pain made Ray’s mind waver.
*‘I…’*
Who was he?
*‘I…’*
Why was he alive?
*‘I… am Ray…’*
How many people truly lived with a clear sense of self?
*‘I must find the Rainbow…’*
How many lived with a firm life goal?
A rare few, no doubt.
But those truths did not apply to the boy.
*‘…I can’t collapse here.’*
Because he had a more unshakable sense of self and purpose than anyone else in the world.
At the moment he was about to lose consciousness, his hand moved like lightning, pulling out a knife.
*Thunk!*
The knife plunged into his own thigh.
The pain dispersed for a moment, giving him a chance to breathe.
Ray seized that opportunity, anchoring his fading consciousness.
*‘I have to endure.’*
The agony in his chest only grew more intense.
What was in reality only a few seconds felt like an eternity.
Reviewing what he knew, he realized—this was the moment of enlightenment.
*Woooong—!*
Around his heart, the crimson mana spun violently.
As its revolution accelerated, the trajectory became clearer, and the outline of a new mana-circle began to form.
It wasn’t a complete circle yet.
About one-third of the way there.
If measured precisely, that was the current completion level.
But that was enough for a transformation to take place within the ring.
*Woooong—!*
The mana within the first circle recognized the new space.
The energy began to shift from the existing circle to the still-incomplete one.
As a result, the empty space in the first circle was instantly filled by mana surging in from the atmosphere.
Among the multicolored mana, the most dominant hue was a brilliant violet.
The external mana that filled the circle was purified at a rapid pace.
The mana that couldn’t enter adhered to the outside of the circle as a thin membrane.
As if it were being pulled by an irresistible force.
*‘…The speed at which my circle is filling with mana is much faster—several times faster than usual.’*
Normally, mana did not fill the circle at such a rapid rate.
But he knew instinctively—
This was due to the accelerated revolution.
The mana forming the new ring was spinning like a vortex, absorbing the surrounding mana.
*‘…The pain in my chest is subsiding.’*
The total amount of mana within his circle increased.
So did the variety of elements present.
His entire body filled with vitality.
His blood surged, and his heart pounded violently.
With this newfound power, he felt like he could do anything.
Or rather, he felt like he had to do something—otherwise, his body might explode.
“…….”
By the time the pain had subsided enough for him to move, his entire body was drenched in cold sweat.
Feeling the refreshing sensation spreading through him, he lifted his gaze slightly.
In the distance, he saw mercenaries preparing to fire their cannons.
He had sensed their presence even before entering the canyon.
His original plan was to have John and Skyle engage in battle while he moved alone to eliminate the remaining enemies at the entrance.
However, he hadn’t anticipated the Rockdeers’ rampage.
That had delayed his task of stealing the card from John, forcing him to remain here longer.
*‘They’re responding faster than I expected.’*
But he felt no sense of crisis.
If he boarded the vehicle and charged forward under Veronica’s protection, he could close the distance in an instant.
Veronica specialized in defensive magic—her barriers could withstand a few cannon blasts.
Once they got close enough, he could handle the rest on his own after disembarking.
However—
*Wooooong!*
Ray drew upon the violet mana within his circle.
Responding to his will, the mana surged up his arm and gathered into a sphere in his palm.
It was the size of a fist.
But it didn’t stop there.
As the violet mana was used, a vacuum formed within the circle.
The mana adhered outside the circle was instantly pulled in and purified.
The refined mana once again flowed through his arm and into his palm.
This process repeated at a rapid pace.
A perpetual cycle of mana.
A technique possible only when one’s revolution had been accelerated by enlightenment.
*Wooooooong—!*
The violet sphere began to expand.
Soon, it grew to the size of an adult’s head.
And it didn’t stop.
“Wh-what the…!”
Michael gasped.
He couldn’t see mana like Ray, but he could definitely feel it.
A pure elemental crystal growing infinitely in size upon the palm.
Michael had no choice but to be astonished.
It wasn’t just because it was an unprecedented phenomenon he had never seen before, even after dedicating half his life to magic.
The composition and combination of elements forming the crystal precisely followed the formula for summoning magic that he had once taught.
A chill ran down his spine.
‘N-No way. He’s replicating the summoning magic that took me nearly ten years to master… just by seeing and hearing it?’
「Tell me about the principles of servitude magic.」
When he heard those words—
He had considered the possibility, albeit skeptically.
Since Ray had copied concealment magic after seeing it only once, perhaps summoning magic could be replicated in the same manner.
But that was merely speculation.
Summoning magic was incomparably more complex than concealment magic, which was just a basic spell taught in introductory magic courses.
And to wield it at such a high output—
‘…Impossible.’
Increasing a spell’s output—
It wasn’t simply a matter of following the formula and injecting a greater quantity of elements.
Injecting more elements meant handling a larger volume of them at the same time.
In other words, it required exceptional elemental sensitivity.
Not something that could be achieved through effort alone, but the realm of pure talent.
Moreover, this was an element known for being notoriously difficult to control and manipulate.
Even Professor Reg Polter, the foremost expert in summoning magic, would not be able to reach this level of output even if he gave it his all.
As Michael stood there in shock—
The elemental crystal had now expanded to half the size of a human body.
And then—
**Wuuuuung—!**
Hundreds of mana strands extended from the crystal.
Each violet strand took the shape of a chain, piercing through the bodies of the Rockdeers that surrounded them.
**Kurruk!**
**Kururuk!**
The Rockdeers halted their charge at that moment, turning their bodies around.
Then, they began sprinting toward the mercenaries positioned outside the battlefield.
───!
────!
The startled mercenaries opened fire.
But their shells only struck the ground, kicking up clouds of dust, failing to hit the Rockdeers.
**Boom! Kwang—!**
It wasn’t because their aim was poor.
Rather, the Rockdeers moved as if they could anticipate every thought of the mercenaries.
The chains linking them were the reason.
Ray, who held the chains, was reading the movements of the turrets and controlling each of the hundred Rockdeers one by one.
Terror and dread spread across the mercenaries’ faces.
And those emotions were vividly apparent, even from a distance.
—
The blood-scented wind swirled through the desolate clearing.
The barrier had long since disappeared.
Yet, the Rockdeers no longer attacked.
**Kuruk.**
Some nudged their fallen kin with their snouts.
**Kururuk.**
Others wandered around, letting out mournful cries.
Though their precise meaning was unclear, sorrow was evident in their gestures.
Amidst the grieving Rockdeers—
Four humans stood together.
Ray and Veronica.
Michael, and John—who was taking his final breaths in Michael’s arms.
They were the only surviving humans in the depths of the canyon’s clearing.
“…I’m… sorry… Michael… I didn’t expect… things to end up like this… And in the end, I… showed such a disgraceful sight…”
From his aged lips, secrets he had long kept buried began to spill out.
The corruption he had committed while running Kernel Water.
His scheme to eliminate the mercenary corps and take the money for himself.
His attempt to poison Ray.
And the true reason he sought out the Rockdeer from his memories—
It was never to express gratitude.
“…I wanted… to capture it… for research… to rebuild… the company… *cough!*”
It had been both an obsession and a hope.
He had believed that capturing the blue Rockdeer would allow him to create unlimited water sources.
“But… in the end… it was a futile dream… Maybe… my memory was mistaken…”
John’s head turned with great effort.
At the end of his gaze were two Rockdeers with blue skin.
Fran and the one presumed to be his mother.
The two were nuzzling each other affectionately.
Everyone present now understood—
These two were not the mystical beings John had spoken of.
They were simply genetic anomalies, born with different skin color.
Michael, reading the emptiness in John’s eyes, spoke softly.
“…No. Your memory isn’t wrong. You’re not someone who would mistake what he saw.”
At Michael’s words, a faint smile appeared on John’s face.
Perhaps because he was at the brink of death, the golden greed that had once filled his heart had entirely disappeared.
As if it had been swept away by the wind.
“…Thank… you. And… sorry… for everything… I must now… leave…”
His voice grew weaker, his words increasingly fragmented.
“I have nowhere… else to go… Where would I leave to… but to stay by your side?”
But Michael understood every word and continued responding.
His face was calm.
But the way he tightly held onto John’s hand showed that he was forcing himself to remain composed.
“…Inside… my coat… *cough!*”
Following John’s weak instruction, Michael reached into his coat and pulled out an object.
“This is…”
It was a **Black Card** from *Bank Ignis*.
“It’s yours… I saved it… for you… The passcode is… the date… we first met… *cough!*”
Michael stared blankly at the card in his hand.
Meanwhile, the old man’s breathing grew fainter.
“…Thank you… for everything… You’ve worked… so hard…”
As if saying his final farewell, his grip tightened one last time.
As John’s eyes slowly shut, Michael’s breaths became unsteady.
And at that moment—
Ray, standing behind them, noticed something in the sky.
Far in the distance, beyond the void—
A brilliant blue light was approaching.
