The Sword Genius of the Magic Empire - Chapter 32



Only Noblemtl

“A uniquely colored mana on that sword.”

The persona, whose luscious olive hair fell down to her waist, spoke softly with a faint smile.

“I see, you’re the guy he was talking about last time?”

Enoch immediately tried to move his body, but the persona was already close behind him.

When he looked back, he saw her slightly raised, provocative gaze looking at him with interest.

‘I didn’t even feel any movement just now.’

For a moment, a sharp tension flashed through Enoch’s mind.

You didn’t feel anything until you were right there.

Swish.

But she paid no attention to Enoch’s agitation and naturally took off the hood he was wearing from behind.

As the boy’s black hair and pitch-black eyes were revealed, the persona smiled faintly and said.

“… … I heard there was a rumor going around that you were successful in your mission in Leopolis last time.”

She pressed her body against mine from behind, as if embracing me. Through her thin blouse, I could clearly see the curves of a mature woman and her plump breasts on my back.

“I never expected it, but you, who were called Elseid’s failure, came all the way here. I’m surprised.”

Enoch took a quick breath, then raised his sword and concentrated mana into his forearm to fire.

Enoch’s body instantly spun around half a turn, and a quick swordsmanship was drawn towards the persona behind him.

WHEEK!

But the blade only cuts through the air in vain.

Her body had already disappeared, rippling like an intangible shadow.

“No matter how much we physically attack each other, it’s useless. This is my inner space built with my mana.”

Enoch put down his sword and glanced at the direction where she was standing, hearing Persona’s words from the side with a faint smile on her face.

Long, flowing olive-colored hair.

A white blouse that half-revealed her shoulders and plump chest, and her legs stretched out under a short skirt.

Persona’s sharp eyes were leisurely looking at me with a bewitching smile.

She spread her arms lightly and asked.

“How is it, do you like it here?”

Looking at it that way, this place is a space with olive-colored mana swirling around the surrounding area.

I had expected it to some extent, but I was not sure because it was so different from Enoch’s own inner world.

This inner world, unlike Enoch’s, was not as complete, and not only was there no clear sense of completion, but the surrounding environment also seemed relatively rough.

However, I have experienced going into the inner world several times, and when I focused on the feeling, it seemed like this was also an inner world.

Enoch first made his judgment.

‘… Then there’s no point in attacking here.’

Not only will it not hit the target like before, but even if it does, it probably won’t hit properly.

I had already learned from countless deaths from the Black Sword.

The fact that what happens in our inner world doesn’t really have much of an impact on our outer physical reality.

“Rumor has it that a despised direct descendant may have manifested magic.”

Meanwhile, she was looking this way as if she found it quite interesting.

“I don’t know what kind of magic it is, but you move pretty fast.”

A tone of speech that is close to pure admiration from the persona.

“If this wasn’t the inner space, I might have died from that one blow just now. Did you really manifest your own magic?”

But unlike her words, she looked extremely relaxed as she spoke, lightly brushing back her flowing hair.

“Anyway. Should I chat with you for a bit? I have something to ask you.”

Instead of answering, Enoch silently aimed his sword at her.

First of all, I had to buy time to find a way out of this situation. I have no intention of getting caught up in the pace they want.

“… How rude.”

The persona looked at the sword and clicked his tongue briefly.

“First of all, I need to change that attitude.”

And the next moment.

An elaborate flow of mana spread across all directions.

Enoch sensed the flow and took a step back without realizing it.

An overwhelming amount of mana visible through the sense of mana.

But it wasn’t like he had formed a magic circle with it. Enoch looked at the flow of mana for a moment with a puzzled look on his face.

‘Where on earth can I get that kind of mana…?’

However, Enoch’s eyes, which were following the flow of intense mana, suddenly discovered something.

The persona’s mana is directed to the upper part of the inner space, which is stuck together like rags.

And there, hanging, were dozens of wizards, wearing white masks with countless expressions.

Giggle.

They were suspended in midair, looking grotesque, like puppets being manipulated by magic.

At the same time, the words of Omen that he had heard last time flashed through Enoch’s mind.

[Persona has killed numerous wizards so far. Among them, it is said that he has killed not only those belonging to Elseid, but also many who were above level 10 in the past.]

He said with a dry smile.

[Despite being a member of the Vendetta in many ways, he is a guy with quite a bit of information. But there is one strange thing.]

He handed over the profiles of dead wizards.

[All those killed by the guy have disappeared. In particular, we have confirmed that some of them have lost their life signs through detection artifacts, but we have not yet determined the reason why their bodies have disappeared without a trace.]

‘Then what are their identities…?’

Enoch’s eyes wavered as he looked at them.

It wasn’t just that I was overwhelmed by the grotesque sight of these people being manipulated like puppets before my eyes.

What is truly terrifying is the identity of all the people whose faces are covered by those masks… … .

‘All of the 10th level or higher wizards were murdered!’

Swish.

The persona waved lightly at them.

At the Persona’s command, the dolls fell from the dark void at once.

Ugh.

A large number of wizards fell, surrounding Enoch.

Dozens of pairs of eyes covered by those masks glared eerily from the darkness surrounding me.

‘It’s burdensome even if I only get one level 10… … .’

Just as Enoch was about to point his sword forward.

The persona behind them gave a short command.

“Get on your knees.”

With just one word from the Persona, all the magic weapons they had used in their lifetimes were summoned in front of the wizards’ eyes.

They all grabbed the horse at once.

At the same time, Enoch reacted by deflecting his sword and immediately rushing forward.

They charge at one point to break through the siege.

Sling

Enoch’s sword blade, which had closed the distance in an instant, tore through the space precisely towards the opponent’s head.

But at that moment, the bastard’s head snapped back unnaturally, like a doll’s.

Chaang!

However, he was unable to completely dodge the blow, as the mask was ripped off by the impact of the sword hitting him.

The moment I saw the wizard with his mask removed.

Enoch’s eyes widened at the unbelievable sight.

The wizard’s face revealed behind the mask had no facial features.

It was just filled with darkness, as if a child had scribbled on it.

At the bizarre sight, Enoch unconsciously opened his eyes wide for a moment and his actions became stiff.

And by the time I realized that a moment of hesitation like that could be fatal in this situation, it was already too late.

Wheeing!

Several wizards placed their hands on the ground and instantly formed magic circles of their own colors.

With a metallic noise, powerful mana chains rose from beneath the ground like living snakes towards Enoch.

Charararak!

Before he could even react, Enoch was wrapped in chains.

Chains formed from translucent mana dragged him to the floor, leaving Enoch helpless with both arms planted on the ground.

Again.

The persona approached me calmly.

Then, he lifted Enoch’s chin slightly with his fingertips, who was subdued, while he knelt down and placed his hands on the ground.

So she looked at his face carefully and said with a smile.

“First of all, it looks like it’s my style. When you’re done with your work, I’ll make it like that and store it for you.”

“You have bad taste.”

“Should I just do the Empire and the House of Zhou?”

She sat down lightly on Enoch’s kneeling back.

Then, sitting on Enoch’s back, she looked down at him, slightly crossing her voluptuous legs revealed under her short skirt.

“Okay… … I think now is the time to talk.”

Her eyes, looking down at Enoch, shone clearly in the darkness.

“Answer me.”

She said, gently running her fingers down Enoch’s back.

“How interested is the Elseid family? If their direct descendants came to see me, they must have already finished investigating Tantalus.”

Enoch did not answer.

The persona looked down at me with a seductive smile and said in a mocking tone.

“What’s good? Even if I don’t answer, you’re going to talk anyway, right?”

Persona sat on Enoch’s back, lightly stroking his head and speaking softly.

“You can just ask your Mana directly.”

“… Mana?”

“Yes. After all, the mana you have is your record.”

Mana is a record.

Enoch felt a sense of awkwardness in her words for a moment.

The first thing I heard when I inherited Enoch’s original memories. That unforgettable voice from the past flashed through my mind.

[… But you are different. You have the potential to understand the sword techniques created by others, and the unique mana contained in those techniques.]

If mana is indeed a record as Persona says, does that mean the mana contained in Kensei’s swordsmanship contains memories from his lifetime?

Finally, she continued speaking with a look of joy on her face.

“The mana that exists in this world is not only the power source that manifests magic, but also a ‘type of record.’ Because it contains everything about the being that contains it. Even the past.”

As expected, it was a remark that had some predictable meaning.

‘So you were able to see Geomseong’s past memories.’

Because swordsmanship is said to be movements that are completed by projecting their mana onto the sword.

“But there is one thing that is quite interesting.”

The persona tilted its head slightly.

“Of all things in the world, only humans are born without their own unique mana. Everything else has its own unique mana.”

She looked at me with her olive eyes that glowed clearly in the darkness.

“Only humans wear masks.”

Swish.

She said, caressing the cheek of the wizard who stood there like a faithful doll wearing a mask.

“Relationships with others. Social status. Everyone wears a mask because they are afraid of being hated. They define their own identity through the mask they create. That is something only humans can do.”

Persona looked down at Enoch.

“So I thought, how great would it be if we could see the inner self hidden beneath that mask?”

She smiled faintly.

“I’ve always wondered if there are memories and feelings that the person has kept hidden away in there.”

Enoch, who had been listening up to that point, suddenly noticed a strange feeling that he had been feeling since a while ago.

Why?

Even if this person is currently restrained and incapacitated, there’s no reason for the persona to explain its own unique magic in such detail, right?

A conversation that is too irrational to be dismissed as simply the leisure of the strong.

“Did you hear that?”

And just then, as if reading my thoughts, the persona smiled and said.

“My magic is, ‘taking advantage of that very point.’”

Enoch’s eyes widened for a moment at her words.

The meaning of her words finally dawned on me.

‘… “Explicit Amplification”… !’

The ability of ‘a very small number of unique magic users’ among the Atlas Empire’s level 10 or higher magicians.

Manifest Amplification is a rather rare concept that corresponds to a character’s ‘trait’, like Enoch’s .

So at first I didn’t notice why she was explaining it so kindly.

Even in the original work, where there are numerous powerful wizards, there are only a handful of wizards with this trait. Furthermore, Persona is a 10th-grade wizard who does not even appear in the original work.

I never thought she would have such a rare trait.

“Manifest Amplification” refers to deliberately revealing the concept of one’s own unique magic to the target of the magic, thereby strengthening the power of the magic limited to those who understand the effect of the magic cast on them.

While general magic is a specific skill that can be studied and passed down through generations, there are some special exceptions.

One of them is the ‘unique magic’ that can only be used by a small number of magicians who have reached level 10 or higher.

Since the effects and methods of operation of unique magic vary greatly from wizard to wizard, it is often difficult for anyone other than the creator to easily understand it.

Even the person who is affected by the spell is not clearly aware of what is happening.

‘So, this is a method to amplify the effect by making the target directly understand what kind of magic they are being subjected to.’

Even the wounds on your own body don’t hurt as much until you see them for yourself.

Of course, I also remember the related settings clearly.

“Depending on the type of unique magic, there are cases where the effect can be multiplied dozens of times and the power can be amplified if the target of the magic is directly taught the concept and operating principles of the magic.”

In other words, it is a kind of self-buff that allows your magic to have a stronger effect.

Woohoo.

As if to prove that Enoch’s prediction was correct.

Before he knew it, the effects of the Manifest Amplification had caused the Persona’s mana to become thicker around Enoch.

Enoch felt a cold sweat breaking out as he watched the sight.

Explicit Amplification is ridiculously powerful, but it also carries the risk of exposing your tactics to your opponent. As such, it is a rare trait with a fairly tricky utility.

‘But Persona is so confidently revealing the source of his own magic.’

That very point implied that her unique magic was a type that could not be countered even if known.

Even in the case of explicit amplification, there are no cases where such details are given to the enemy.

“As you may have already noticed, this is my inner world that I created through magic.”

She spoke quietly, looking up at the inner world she had built.

“Even though it’s a little imperfect, it’s enough as a place to catch a glimpse into other people’s inner worlds. And isn’t it pretty to look at?”

Persona glanced at Enoch, who was still unable to move, and smiled.

“Are you ready? I’m going to go through all your past memories here, figure out where to intervene, and then go into your inner world and change that part.”

She said, wrapping mana around her hand.

“Your current self ultimately exists as a continuation of memories you experienced in the past.”

That’s exactly how the unique magic used by Persona is deployed.

“In other words, through the laws of this inner world, it is possible to ‘edit’ your inner records… namely, your mana. Naturally, most people’s inner selves are quite defenseless.”

She smiled faintly, like an animal facing its prey.

Enoch had a gut feeling. The masked wizards who were now being manipulated like puppets were the very ones she had been ‘reforming’ with her magic.

If I were to fall for that magic like this, it was obvious what the ending would be like.

‘We have to find a way to respond.’

Enoch kept a poker face and calmly analyzed the situation.

Her magic is to directly interfere with the inner world of the opponent. So, in the end, she invades this inner world and…

‘Wait a minute. [Coming into this inner world]?’

As Enoch thought about that, a thought flashed through his mind: ‘The being he had seen so many times in his inner world.’

If my prediction is correct, rather than trying to resist Persona’s unique magic right now… … .

At that moment, Persona said something that seemed funny.

“Surprisingly, you don’t seem to be resisting. Usually, when you’re caught in those chains, you struggle.”

She looked down at Enoch and smiled faintly.

“Don’t worry too much. Your body, which has lost its ego, will soon rot away, but your spirit will remain forever in my inner world. As my faithful servant, just like them.”

That’s exactly why Persona was able to kill a 10th-grade battle mage like that.

Unlike battle magicians who project powerful firepower, this is a unique magic that touches people’s memories and subconscious.

Her unique fighting style that can incapacitate even the most powerful wizards and drive them to death.

The persona lightly extended one hand.

─Paaaat!

Above her hand, a magical sphere radiating dazzling light appeared.

Around the sphere, numerous rings of light were spinning in a chaotic manner.

It looks like a sophisticated astronomical observatory.

The persona smiled as she watched the complex forms of unique magic begin to rotate.

The magic circle that had already been cast toward Enoch began to work to project his inner world.

The inner world of the direct lineage of the Elseid family will soon unfold before her eyes.

The persona muttered softly, imagining that unknown world.

“You will soon find out what kind of world exists behind your mask.”