Chapter 21

I Became a Newbie Favored by the Transcendents Chapter 21

11.52kg.

The total weight of all the Mana Crystals I had gathered so far.

“Weight, okay. Freshness is... Hmm, this should be good enough.”

A blue haze rose from the surface of the Mana Crystals.

The presence of that haze meant the purity of the Mana Crystals was being maintained at its highest level.

Since they were Mana Crystals that were only a little over a day old, it was only natural for their freshness to be in peak condition.

Good.

“Access gallery.”

The moment I sat down on the edge of my bed, I entered the gallery.

Then, I sent a trade request to ‘IAmLegend.’

Me) Yo

IAmLegend)?

As expected.

True to a hardcore gallery user who treated the gallery like a diary, his response was quick.

Me) I collected all 10 Mana Crystals

IAmLegend) Already? That was fast;

Of course I had to gather them quickly, or they’d lose their freshness.

Even at this very moment, they were spoiling in real time.

I quickly registered ten Mana Crystals in the trade window.

Ah, and one more thing.

[Registering ‘Mint-Chocolate Ice Cream.’]

It wasn’t the convenience-store mint-chocolate ice cream I’d promised to give him last time.

This was proper mint-chocolate ice cream bought from an actual ice cream franchise.

IAmLegend)!!!! What the hell, out of nowhere

Me) Found it on the way here

IAmLegend) Found it on the way? Is the material world you live in some utopia where mint-chocolate ice cream falls from the sky?

That sounds more like a dystopia than a utopia.

IAmLegend) But weren’t we supposed to trade the ice cream after the Elixir was finished?

Me) Gonna give it to you anyway so I’m just giving it early

IAmLegend) Overwhelming gratitude...!

It was family size and took up way too much room in my freezer, so I decided to just give it to him now.

Anyway, ‘IAmLegend’ must have been extremely happy, because he sent me a message absolutely overflowing with reliability.

IAmLegend) Ha, you wicked bastard. Now that I’ve accepted something like this, I’ve got no choice but to give it my absolute best

Me) Does that mean you wouldn’t have done your best without the mint chocolate?

IAmLegend) Ah that’s not what I meant lol

IAmLegend) Anyway don’t worry about a thing. I’ll stake my soul on making you the best Elixir possible

Me) How long will it take?

IAmLegend) It’ll take some time. Give me five days

Five days.

It had been two years since my sister’s legs were ruined.

As if I couldn’t wait another five days now.

Me) K five days

IAmLegend) Good. Hmm, come to think of it, for the trade to go through I have to give you something too

Me) Just give me whatever

IAmLegend) Whatever, my ass. If I received mint chocolate, I need to give you something worthy of mint chocolate. That’s proper equivalent exchange

If anyone other than this guy had been speaking, I might have misunderstood that as him saying he was going to give me garbage.

The chat stopped briefly, perhaps because he was thinking about what to give me.

A moment later.

[‘IAmLegend’ registers ‘Titan Decoction.’]

He registered an item.

Before I could even ask what it was, he kindly explained it first.

IAmLegend) This is one of the top five things I’ve made recently. You can probably tell from the name, but drinking it makes you as strong as a Titan. Only downside is the effect lasts just 2 minutes

Me) How strong exactly is “as strong as a Titan”?

IAmLegend) Strong enough that even a weakling could crush Ronnie Coleman’s big three total. Ah maybe you don’t know who Ronnie Coleman is? lol

That effect was completely broken.

And to this guy, this had the same value as twenty-thousand-won ice cream?

Just how much did he love mint chocolate?

IAmLegend) Then I’ll send you a trade request first when the Elixir’s done. See you in five days

Me) Yep bye

And with that, the trade was cleanly completed.

The instant I closed the chat window, space tore open and a small gourd bottle dropped out.

It was the ‘Titan Decoction.’

=====

<​Titan Decoction>

-A decoction concocted by combining the blood and body parts of the Titan race

-Upon consumption, the ‘Strength’ stat increases threefold for 2 minutes

=====

“...!”

Did I read that wrong?

Just drinking it would triple my ‘Strength’ stat?

“So that’s why he made that Ronnie Coleman joke.”

The fact that the effect only lasted two minutes could hardly even be called a downside.

If you looked at it the other way around, an effect that boosted a single stat to 300% lasted for a whole two minutes.

If a potion like this ever appeared on the Player Market, it would turn the entire world upside down.

It was another moment that made me realize just how incredible ‘IAmLegend’s’ skills were.

‘The Elixir should be fine.’

My confidence that an Elixir made with that bastard’s utmost effort would definitely be able to heal my sister’s legs rose by 200%.

Looks like I could wait comfortably for the next five days.

For reference, I gave the bastard ten Mana Crystals.

As for the one remaining, hmm, I could sell it on the Player Market later or something.

In many ways, all the trouble I went through inside the ‘Journey to the Path of Magic’ Gate had been worthwhile.

And among all the gains, this was probably the one that gave me the greatest sense of accomplishment.

Wooooong―

When I focused for a moment, spiral-shaped flames appeared around my upper body like a hula hoop.

The reward I obtained for achieving an S+ clear, the ‘Immortal Loop.’

Just as Helena had said, the moment I touched the flames, I felt four rings wrap around my heart.

And when I imagined drawing them outward...

Fwoosh!

Circular bands of flame wrapped themselves around my body like this.

‘I can’t believe I actually awakened magic.’

Circles could only be handled by Players whose awakened class was ‘Mage’ or belonged to a related branch.

But I ignored that common sense and obtained Circles.

And a full four Circles right from the start!

‘If I remember correctly, the average level of a Fourth Circle mage is at least somewhere in the sixties.’

The realm of the Fourth Circle, which you normally couldn’t reach until you were at least in the level-sixty range.

And I, still only level 20, had already reached it.

...Of course, forming Circles was meaningless if I couldn’t actually learn any magic.

For a Player to obtain a magic skill, they needed to acquire a Skill Stone.

There were generally two ways to obtain Skill Stones.

‘Either get sponsored by a Constellation, or buy one listed on the Player Market.’

The former wasn’t even worth considering, and the latter cost quite a lot of money.

Didn’t even a First Circle spell like ‘Magic Arrow’ start at a base price of 500 million won?

With things like that, Fourth Circle spells went without saying.

‘But I’ve got the gallery.’

It was a place where all kinds of Transcendents gathered, so there had to be plenty of masters of magic among them.

If I borrowed the power of those guys, Fourth Circle?

Wouldn’t I be able to learn magic far more profound than that too?

...And this was the post I wrote with that earnest hope in mind.

=====

[Title: Just formed Circles, recommend me some fucking insanely strong Fourth Circle magic]

Author: Anon (111.111)

(Photo of ring-shaped blue flames wrapped around my upper body)

Got four Circles all at once the instant I formed them. Fucking jackpot lololol

Now I just need to learn magic...

=====

Maybe the title itself had been effective bait, because quite a few comments appeared.

...Among them, it seemed like ‘SaviorOfTheEmpire’ had left a comment sounding betrayed, but I ignored that for now.

Most of the others were mentioning a username called ‘NinthCircleArchmage.’

‘I’ve seen that username around sometimes.’

I remembered them because they consistently used polite speech despite how unfitting that was for the gallery’s culture.

Even the username alone practically screamed veteran mage.

It was obvious why the gallery users unanimously mentioned this person.

‘The problem is NinthCircleArchmage has to show up―.’

Just as I was wondering whether I should stop waiting around and use the trade function to start a one-on-one conversation.

-NinthCircleArchmage) You, how are you able to manifest the Immortal Loop?

“!”

‘NinthCircleArchmage’ appeared.

...While leaving a comment that was extremely difficult to answer.

‘What am I supposed to say?’

Apparently they really were a veteran of magic, because they immediately saw through the verification photo and realized I possessed the ‘Immortal Loop.’

Hmm, I hadn’t expected them to suddenly ask something like that.

‘Even if I say I got it as a Gate reward, I doubt they’d understand.’

I racked my brain, but couldn’t think of a convincing lie.

And after staring blankly at the gallery window in thought for about three minutes.

‘NinthCircleArchmage’ left another comment.

-NinthCircleArchmage) Are you perhaps also from the Iris family?

“????”

Me?

______________

Helena Iris twirled her wavy blue hair around her index finger.

A habit that appeared whenever she felt anxious.

How could she not be anxious?

The newbie she occasionally saw in the gallery had manifested the ‘Immortal Loop,’ the great flame of the dimension where she had lived.

‘But that doesn’t make any sense.’

The fact that the newbie used the gallery meant they were also a resident of Pantheon.

However, the ‘Immortal Loop’ could only be awakened by visiting a particular temple in the dimension where she had once lived.

‘How could someone who has already departed the mortal world awaken the Immortal Loop?’

Pantheon consisted of ‘material worlds’ that imitated the worlds in which each Transcendent had once lived.

The continent where Helena was born, ‘Lacrimosa,’ had naturally been recreated as well.

Pantheon had even recreated the temple constructed in the snowy mountains of northern Lacrimosa.

But even Pantheon had been unable to recreate the ‘Immortal Loop’ inside the temple.

Of course it couldn’t.

How could one possibly recreate that great flame containing the infinite providence of the universe?

Even if one visited the temple, its interior was simply empty.

Helena had already confirmed that herself.

‘So there is no possibility that this newbie ascended to Pantheon and then went to the temple to obtain the Immortal Loop.’

Then how?

After wracking her brain.

There was one other possibility.

‘...Natural manifestation.’

In truth, there was one other way to awaken the ‘Immortal Loop’ besides touching the flame inside the temple.

And that was.

Being born to parents from the Iris family who were capable of wielding the ‘Immortal Loop.’

A case where someone was born with an ember of the ‘Immortal Loop’ innately dwelling within their body.

Of course, this was an exceedingly rare case that might occur only once every several hundred years.

‘If that person is one of those once-in-several-centuries cases... then it makes sense.’

No matter how much she thought about it, there was no other explanation.

A human who had only just formed Circles could not possibly manifest the ‘Immortal Loop’ from the very beginning.

‘I heard that even if someone is born with an ember of the Immortal Loop, no one knows when it will manifest.’

There had even been a few people who possessed the ember yet died without awakening the ‘Immortal Loop’ throughout their entire lives.

That newbie must have been one such case.

Ironically manifesting the ‘Immortal Loop’ only after death...

‘Then does that mean Iris family blood flows through that newbie’s body as well?!’

...Having reached that conclusion, Helena calmed her excitement for a moment.

She might have been barking up the wrong tree.

But.

No matter how much she thought and thought and thought again, she couldn’t come up with another hypothesis.

What if that newbie had obtained the ‘Immortal Loop’ by touching the flame in the temple?

Then that would mean he was currently alive.

But the living could never ascend to Pantheon.

Therefore, the chance of that hypothesis being correct was unequivocally 0%.

“Ah...!”

Helena nearly burst into tears.

There was someone else from the Iris family in Pantheon besides her!

It felt like meeting family... No, technically speaking, wasn’t he family?

‘Then that child must be a distant descendant of mine!’

Before she knew it, Helena had changed the way she referred to him to ‘child.’

Considering two hundred years had passed since she ascended to Pantheon, he really was a much younger and adorable descendant to her.

Helena poured all her delight into writing a comment.

-NinthCircleArchmage) Are you perhaps also from the Iris family?

And the answer that came back a moment later was.

└Anon (111.111)?

A question mark.

It must mean denial.

“Ah, is he not?”

Had she been letting her imagination run wild all by herself? Helena became flustered.

Then that man wasn’t from Iris, wasn’t alive, and yet somehow possessed the ‘Immortal Loop’?

...

“Ah!”

A light bulb flashed on inside Helena’s head.

“He doesn’t want his identity exposed. Of course. Helena, you idiot! I was being so tactless.”

Helena lightly bonked herself on the head with her fist.

Maintaining anonymity was the most basic principle of gallery activity.

No lunatic would openly reveal their identity in a place crawling with countless Transcendents.

‘Pantheon isn’t some peaceful land where everyone gets along, laughs, and chats together.’

Pantheon had a term known as ‘race-hater.’

It was slang referring to those who hated particular races.

Carelessly revealing your identity in Pantheon meant there was a considerable risk of becoming a target for people like that.

Well, even aside from that reason.

It was also difficult to casually shitpost in the gallery after your identity had been revealed...

And yet she had gone and asked outright about the other person’s origins.

‘It would actually be stranger if he answered, “Yes, I’m from the Iris family.”’

She had committed quite a serious breach of etiquette.

└NinthCircleArchmage) If not, then never mind haha. Understood for now

└NinthCircleArchmage) Anyway, starting directly at the Fourth Circle is truly astonishing talent! I think I can help you ♡(⌒▽⌒)☆

└Author) Oh fr?

└HolyQueen) What the fuck is with the way you’re talking

Once Helena became convinced the other person was her descendant, affection began welling up endlessly.

As an ancestor, wasn’t it only natural to nurture a promising descendant?

-Why the hell did Archmage suddenly become so nice?

└Fr, normally when someone asks her to share some magic tips she starts playing mind games

-I asked her about one formula for Dark Arrow <​<​<​ last time and all she did was tell me to fuck off T_T

└CyberpunkMetalPoisonPatient) Dark Arrow is dark magic... Of course you got cursed at;;

└Dark magic isn’t magic?

└CyberpunkMetalPoisonPatient) Yep not magic

└Then dark elves aren’t elves either

└CyberpunkMetalPoisonPatient) Huh?;

└Race-hater caught

└HolyQueen) lololololol

└IMadeExcalibur) “Caught” lololol

The other Transcendents reacted with bewilderment at Helena suddenly becoming so kind.

The general mood was that her blatant favoritism toward the newbie was unfair.

Of course, Helena didn’t care.

‘What’s wrong with favoring my descendant?’

But there was exactly one comment.

One she couldn’t simply ignore.

-SaviorOfTheEmpire) Newbie. Do not forget that the path you must walk is, above all else, the path of the sword.

└SaviorOfTheEmpire) And Archmage. According to the gallery rules, excessive fraternization is prohibited. If you continue pestering him, the Administrator will send the blade of judgment upon you.

“Hmph, what nonsense.”

Suddenly, ‘SaviorOfTheEmpire’ alone slammed the accelerator.

Swordsmanship?

What bullshit.

“Our child needs to learn magic. Swordsmanship, my ass.”

Was it really that irritating for her to fraternize a little with her descendant?

Fine. Then instead of Pantheon, the two of them could simply have a cozy conversation through one-on-one chat.

But first, she’d give ‘SaviorOfTheEmpire’ a piece of her mind.

└NinthCircleArchmage) (Green ghoul emoticon giving the middle finger)

└SaviorOfTheEmpire) You bastard, where are you? Before the Administrator acts, I shall personally send the blade of judgment upon you.

“Phew.”

Helena felt refreshed.

_______________

“She suddenly got really friendly... Well, I guess it doesn’t matter.”

I had no idea why ‘NinthCircleArchmage’s’ attitude had suddenly become favorable.

But either way, it worked out well.

Thanks to that, I no longer needed to give some long-winded excuse about how I obtained the ‘Immortal Loop.’

‘But that question just now... Does that mean she’s from the same Iris family as Helena?’

Asking whether I was ‘also’ from the Iris family implied that she herself was from there too.

That was kind of shocking.

Wait, wasn’t all this Iris family stuff supposed to be a fictional story that only existed inside the Gate?

‘Was it not fictional...? Could it actually have been a real story from somewhere in another dimension?’

And part of that story had been recreated inside the Gate.

The prevailing theory nowadays was that the settings and characters appearing in ‘Saga-type Gates’ were fictional.

But ‘NinthCircleArchmage’s’ words had just proven otherwise.

‘Then Helena wasn’t a fictional character either. She was an actual person who existed somewhere in another dimension.’

What if ‘NinthCircleArchmage’ actually was Helena?

...

Nah, no way.

For starters, the way they talked was completely different.

Just as I was shaking my head to myself.

[‘NinthCircleArchmage’ requests a trade!]

Instead of leaving another comment, ‘NinthCircleArchmage’ sent me a trade request.

I had no idea what she was thinking.

But considering how warmly she had treated me.

I had a good feeling.

‘Is she going to teach me some fucking insanely strong Fourth Circle magic?’

My heart pounding with anticipation, I immediately accepted the request.

And then.

-NinthCircleArchmage) Take it

The instant the trade window activated, I looked at what ‘NinthCircleArchmage’ had abruptly registered.

And my brain temporarily started buffering.

[‘NinthCircleArchmage’ registers ‘Hair.’]

“...?”

What am I supposed to do with that?

________________

Meanwhile.

In Pantheon Material World No. 32, ‘Ernia Empire’...

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoooooosh―!!

The violent sound of a blade slicing through the air erupted repeatedly.

Every time it traced an arc, explosive sword winds left long sword marks in every direction and kicked up clouds of dust.

‘SaviorOfTheEmpire’― Daphne von Kain.

She had just received a massive middle finger from ‘NinthCircleArchmage.’

“Uaaaaaaaagh!!”

Daphne swung her sword again and again with enough force to overturn the entire field.

It was her personal method of relieving stress.

But this time, no matter how furiously she slashed at empty air, her anger refused to subside.

Eventually, her body exhausted itself first, and Daphne drove her sword into the ground while panting.

“To think Newbie would take an interest in magic...”

It was a variable she had never anticipated.

To make matters worse, even ‘NinthCircleArchmage,’ who was notorious for being extremely strict when it came to magic, had offered to help.

“NinthCircleArchmage, why did that bastard suddenly disappear? Don’t tell me...”

Seeing that ‘NinthCircleArchmage’ was no longer leaving comments, Daphne became certain.

That bastard was currently having a one-on-one conversation with Newbie!

‘She clearly intends to abduct that man onto the path of magic!’

A scheme to raise Newbie into a mage.

Wasn’t it obvious?

For Daphne, this was an absolutely terrible development.

‘The sword and magic cannot coexist.’

Just as the sun and moon could not rise simultaneously.

Newbie was the only man in Pantheon who had understood and mastered ‘Ernia Swordsmanship.’

Someone born with that much talent for the sword, getting distracted by something like magic?

As a Sword Master of the empire, it was a catastrophe she absolutely could not stand by and allow.

‘But, ngh...! Even I can tell that awakening directly at the Fourth Circle the moment his magic bloomed is incredible talent.’

Even Daphne, a complete outsider when it came to magic, could see how terrifyingly gifted he was. How much more so would ‘NinthCircleArchmage’?

She would desperately try to raise Newbie into a mage.

And Newbie himself probably wouldn’t want his own talent to go to waste.

At this rate, what if his heart started leaning more toward magic than swordsmanship...?

No, anything but that!

She had finally found a successor capable of inheriting ‘Ernia Swordsmanship’!

If she let this opportunity slip away, she would pound the ground in regret for ages!

‘I need drastic measures.’

Something so incredible that magic would seem trivial by comparison.

If she didn’t find something like that and give it to Newbie...!