Chapter 6

“Have you ever heard of the Philosopher’s Stone?”

Seeing no reaction, the tower master, no, the teacher continued.

“Then have you ever heard of the Book of Infinity, the Fountain of Knowledge, or the Light of Immortality?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“Hmm-. Is it natural that you haven’t heard of them since you are a foreigner? The Philosopher’s Stone is the map and key to reaching the three things I just mentioned.”

The Book of Infinity, the Fountain of Knowledge, the Light of Immortality.

Just hearing them sounds like something great.

“Do you know about the Magic Empire?”

Again, it’s an unfamiliar story.

“It seems you know nothing about the continent of Azelium.”

Sorry, but I also heard the term Azelium continent for the first time from you, teacher.

“The Magic Empire of Kraksha. The most powerful and prosperous nation in the history of the Azelium continent, the golden age of magic. But now it is an empire erased and vanished from history.”

“Why did such a powerful empire disappear?”

“That is because of the three things I mentioned earlier.”

“The Book of Infinity, the Fountain of Knowledge, the Light of Immortality? Is that it?”

The teacher nodded.

“The sages, the wizards, and the lords all sought to obtain those three things. Especially the craving of the Magic Empire of Kraksha was so intense that it could be called madness. The wizards of the Magic Empire used every possible means to obtain the three things that were forbidden to humans. Eventually, they even touched what should never be touched.”

A deep sigh escapes.

“The realm of the gods. In other words, they touched the realm of creation. The prosperous Magic Empire of Kraksha turned to ashes overnight. It was by the dragons, the agents of the gods. Even Admalin, the guardian dragon of the Magic Empire of Kraksha, contributed to turning the empire into ashes.”

Imagine someone incredibly powerful.

How would they react if a being they considered as insignificant as the dirt under their toenails invaded their domain?

Retribution.

It is a natural outcome.

Moreover, isn’t it a god?

When the child they raised with love and gifts started to go astray, they took up the rod.

“The dark age of magic began. The wizards could not settle anywhere. They had to hide in dark places to avoid the eyes of the dragons. After a long time, the anger of the gods subsided. The dragons were no longer hostile to the wizards. But the wizards still could not settle. None of the countries on the continent accepted the wizards who had incurred the wrath of the gods.”

I thought wizards were always treated well and lived happy lives wherever they went, but there was such a miserable history.

“The descendants of the Magic Empire of Kraksha eventually discovered a very mysterious place after a long journey. A place where all the mana in the world coexisted. It was like an ideal place for wizards. Fortunately, it was an abandoned land that the surrounding countries did not care about. The descendants of the Magic Empire settled there. That was the beginning of the Magic Kingdom of Kraksha, the successor of the Magic Empire of Kraksha.”

Feeling thirsty, he wets his lips with tea.

“This place where we are staying, the Magic Tower, is the mysterious place that the wizards discovered. Our ancestors found one thing here.”

“Is it the Philosopher’s Stone?”

“Yes. It is the map and the key to the three things that the wizards of the Magic Empire so desperately sought. The Philosopher’s Stone. It was only after the Magic Empire was destroyed that it was discovered. The Sage’s Room is where the Philosopher’s Stone is kept.”

A sudden question arises.

“Master, you found the Philosopher’s Stone…”

“Did you not become greedy again?”

“Yes.”

Aren’t they the descendants of the Magic Empire that perished because of their greed for the three things that humans cannot reach?

If they obtained the hint, the Philosopher’s Stone, to obtain those three things, wouldn’t they become greedy again?

“My disciple, wizards are very greedy beings. Greed for knowledge, greed for a higher realm. The greed of wizards is like an abyss that exists somewhere in the world. It is endless.”

“Does that mean…”

The master shakes his head. His eyes are filled with deep regret.

“We became greedy. So we tried to study the Philosopher’s Stone. But the Philosopher’s Stone did not allow it.”

“Did not allow it?”

“Yes. Just as runes do not allow themselves to those without talent for magic, the Philosopher’s Stone was the same. The only thing the Philosopher’s Stone allowed was for the descendants of the Magic Empire to settle here.”

As I was pondering the meaning of ‘did not allow,’

“You must have seen the top of the Magic Tower?”

“Yes, I saw it.”

“Wasn’t the sight of the four elements swirling magnificent?”

“Yes, it was.”

Rather than magnificent, I think the word ‘mysterious’ would be more accurate.

“There is the Sage’s Room there. It’s the forbidden area of the Magic Tower where no one can enter.”

“Didn’t you say you went in, Master?”

I recall the conversation between my master and the elders.

“I did go in. But I fled immediately. If I had been greedy and tried to stay there… you and I wouldn’t be sitting here having this conversation.”

“Can I go to such a place?”

“Does it matter if you go? The important thing is not whether you go there or not, but whether the Sage’s Room, the Sage’s Stone, permits you.”

“Ah-!”

He speaks so casually about sending me to a place where I might die.

“I know what you’re worried about. But you don’t need to worry. No one who has tried to enter the Sage’s Room has died so far.”

*

“Let’s go to the Sage’s Room.”

My master leads me to the window of his office. No matter how I look, I can’t see any stairs going up.

“Hehe, this is the power of magic.”

I have no idea what he means by the power of magic.

“The Sage’s Stone is everything to our Magic Tower, no, to the entire Magic Kingdom of Craksha. We can’t let just anyone find the path to the Sage’s Room where the Sage’s Stone is kept.”

After finishing his words, my master leaps out of the window.

“Huh? Be careful…”

I thought he would surely fall, but my master is standing on the air. I rub my eyes and look outside the window, examining the air my master is standing on.

“Ah-!”

The air my master is standing on is slightly different from the surroundings.

“Ha. Can you see something?”

“The flow of mana beneath your feet seems a bit different from the surroundings. How should I explain it? Should I say the mana is condensed?”

“Incredible. A novice who has just manifested mana and hasn’t even formed a circle yet can see the Mirage, an 8th circle illusion magic?”

“Is that a great magic?”

“Mirage magic is a higher version of the 6th circle illusion magic. It was installed by the first master of the Magic Tower himself. It’s embarrassing to admit, but even though I’ve reached the 8th circle, I can’t use Mirage. It’s that high-level magic.”

My master shakes his head in disbelief.

“First, come outside. Since you can see the distortion of mana caused by magic, I don’t need to tell you where to step, right?”

I step out of the window and descend to the place where mana is concentrated. There was no falling.

“Let’s go.”

My master steps on the air and ascends first.

“This is the Sage’s Room.”

A door floating in an empty space.

The stone-carved door is embossed with the four elements of fire, wind, earth, and water.

“You can’t see this door from below.”

“I see.”

“Do you see the palm shape in the center of the door?”

“Yes, Master.”

In the center of the door, there is an engraved palm shape, surrounded by the four elements.

“You need to place your hand there. By the way, even if you place your hand, nothing might happen. That means the Philosopher’s Stone does not permit you, so don’t be too disappointed. In my case, the door opened, but it did not allow me to stay. Even that was a significant achievement.”

My master steps aside.

“Try placing your hand.”

I stand in front of the door and slowly raise my hand. I bring my hand to the palm mark.

I can feel my master’s gaze.

“I’m placing it.”

“Yes. Go ahead.”

I place my hand on the hollowed-out spot.

“Ha, haha. It seems I haven’t been permitted.”

After about 10 seconds, nothing changes. My master doesn’t say anything, but he seems disappointed. I can tell just by looking at his eyes.

“Don’t be disappointed. The Sage’s Room is just one of the many arrangements I have prepared.”

My master pats my shoulder.

It was when I was about to take my hand off the door.

– aaah –

My master flinches.

A sacred-sounding song is heard.

And then-.

Rumble-

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The stone door splits open from the center of the palm pattern.

– aaah –

A blinding light pours out from the open door.

“Uwaaah-!”

I hear the scream of my master right beside me. The light is so intense that I can’t see what has happened to him.

When I can see again, my master is no longer there.

And I am-.

“Where am I?”

I stood alone in an unfamiliar space.

*

Warm, cool, cold, soft, bright, dark, hard…

Every sensation a human can feel.

I can sense them all.

“Mana.”

It wasn’t hard to guess what these sensations, these energies were.

And I realized where I was standing.

“The Sage’s Room.”

A little distance away, or perhaps at an immeasurable distance, a round stone glowing with countless lights floated.

“The Sage’s Stone.”

Pure mana swirled around what I assumed to be the Sage’s Stone.

“Have I been granted permission?”

Fortunately, it seemed the Sage’s Stone had accepted me.

“What should I do now?”

My master hadn’t explained what I was supposed to do here.

Since my master couldn’t stay here either, perhaps he didn’t know what to do as well.

For now, I should try to get closer to the Sage’s Stone.

Since the Sage’s Stone is the master of this room, it should react, right?

Just as I was about to take a step.

– Long waiting… the extinguished souls…

I heard someone’s voice.

No, it seems like I heard it.

It sounds more like a sob than a voice.

As I listen closely, it becomes a bit clearer.

– …connected to…

“Who are you?”

– …

Just as I was about to shout again.

– The infinite record of a world with a beginning but no end.

“What do you mean by that?”

– The well that holds all the knowledge of the world.

“……”

I definitely heard those words.

– The light of eternal life that rejects mortality.

“Ah-!”

I let out an exclamation without realizing it.

– The infinite book, the well of knowledge, the light of eternal life.

Three things that humans cannot reach, that are not permitted to humans.

It seems like I am facing an incredible existence.

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