In the Soul World, there are skills that can evolve through traits.
First aid sets the foundation to evolve into Regeneration,' while Condensation becos a trait as its proficiency increases.
Just as first aid changes into the superior counterpart of Regeneration and the previous trait disappears, it isn't completely wiped out.
s
As I said earlier, it evolves' to a higher equivalent trait, not disappearing once existing.
You must go through one stage after another to acquire a higher equivalent trait.'
Take boxing and martial arts as examples. If I learn various techniques from Kara in the future, boxing would disappear and evolve into martial arts.
It ans that boxing would be included within martial arts, not that it has perished.
But my Condensation just went poofit disappeared. I'm not sure what's going on because it wasn't given then taken back.
I've searched my mory, but as far as I know, such a case is unheard of. Had nothing appeared to begin with, I would have ignored it.
The one thing that catches my attention is the red magic. Since it ntioned compatibility with red magic, perhaps it has a significant connection.
The abilities that Gloria will reveal in the future require exposing magic on the surface, so it's likely that everyone will be paying attention.
"Now that you've cald down, its ti for to teach."
Ti passed, whether I had mastered Condensation or not, and Gloria began her instruction.
She glanced at nervously, likely due to my recent antics.
Under the impression that I needed attention, she placed Kara right next to , so close that even the slightest movent caused our skins to touch.
I wasn't quite sure why she put Kara next to when Luna was around, but there must be a reason. All I had to do was learn.
"What Ill teach you is similar to Condensation; it's called Crafting.'"
"Crafting? Isn't that term usually used for refining gems?"
"Exactly. Let show you what I an."
Shing
It's better to show than tell a hundred tis. Gloria chose to draw her sword instead of explaining.
The sword she pulled out was slender, suited for thrusting, showcasing the style she pursued.
Whirr
Blue magic began to form around the slender sword, the scenario indicating magic filling a weapon.
"As students know, imbuing weapons with magic grants various effects. The most prominent are durability and cutting ability. You are aware of this, right?"
"Yes."
"So what happens when you push the magic to its max?"
"Wouldn't the power increase?"
Luna tilted her head as she answered. Truth be told, thats correct too.
The more magic you put into a weapon, the greater its power becos, as long as the weapon can withstand the magic.
Back when I was living in the forest, I only had things like stone axes or spears, which were basically single-use. Ragnarok, however, was more likely to hold up.
"You're right there. But unless it's an extraordinary weapon, infusing it with magic beyond a certain threshold is challenging. Here is the tricky part."
Gloria gently raised her pointer finger as she segued to her next point.
"What if two weapons filled with more magic than their limits collide?"
"Would they explode?"
Kara responded with almost a murmur. Her extensive real-world combat experience offered the imdiate answer.
"Exactly. They would both bang! blow up. If that happens, both users would suffer significant damage."
"Then why not just increase the limit with Condensation?"
This ti, Luna asked the question, having just learned Condensation from Kronos. It was a plausible query.
However, as Gloria initially explained, Condensation and Crafting, while similar, are different.
Gloria smiled faintly, evidently expecting such a question, and continued her explanation.
"That would work, but that's not what Crafting is about. It's about how finely you can hone the magic that appears on the surface. If Condensation increases storage space, Crafting is about refining the magic itself."
"Hmm"
Luna voiced her lack of understanding, showing a puzzled expression, clearly still not grasping it.
To simplify, let's use clay as an example. Condensation is molding the clay into its smallest possible form.
"It can be confusing. Condensation and Crafting actually have complentary properties. Hone your skills in Condensation and you'll get a feel for Crafting, and as you beco proficient in Crafting, you'll realize how Condensation operates."
Crafting is then about sculpting shapes from that clay, which is why they complent each other.
At first glance, one might think it's just better to only do Crafting, as the larger the clay, the easier it is to work with.
Yet, learning Condensation is vital since it maximizes the storage space for magic.
Also, while a larger piece of clay might make the sculpting seem easier, more volu ans more difficult adjustnts need to be made.
"Then, isn't it better to learn just one? I was taught to succeed by focusing on one thing"
Luna, still not quite clear, tilted her head perplexedly and asked the question. It seems the understanding still eluded her.
"That's correct too, but such cases are scarce. Have you ever heard the saying from the East, All Streams Flow into the Sea'?"
"Ah! Yes, I know it. Doesn't it an all tributaries eventually rge into one sea?"
Luna asked with a rare burst of energy, her eyes now sparkling with vigor.
Gloria herself seed puzzled by her response, as if to say Oh?' There must be a reason she cherishes that saying so dearly.
Because it was taught by her master.'
In her narrative, Luna rembers it as sothing taught by her master. She probably didn't know that it was an Eastern saying.
Excited because it was a saying she knew, and even relating to her master.
"Thats an Eastern saying? I had no idea."
"Anyway! Both Condensation and Crafting essentially connect to the vast sea of magic. Ultimately, both are just processes, and the outco depends on the individual. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand."
"Rember, just because you can handle magic well doesn't an you're good at martial arts or magic. Please keep this in mind."
High mastery of magic doesnt enable you to slash through space like Rod.
In actuality, while my magic rank is Ex, my skill set is basically empty. My can is crazy strong but without contents.
Great hardware but the software is a ss.
"I've gone on a bit long. Let now show you what Crafting is."
Whirr
Gloria reinjected magic into her slender sword, which ford a soft blue band around the blade.
Up to this point, it looked quite typical. Adding magic would result in just that effect.
"But when you apply Crafting"
Whirr!
Gloria focused, causing the blue band on the sword to shine even brighter.
The change was so conspicuous that both Luna and Kara watched with looks of wonder.
Thump
Thats when Kronos silently dropped an axe onto the sword. It was the sa one that had struck his fist earlier.
Unlike the previous impact, the axe began descending from the edge slowly. Normally it would have just hit, but then
Schlick!
It split cleanly in half, a direct demonstration of Crafting's cutting capability.
Snap
The now worthless halves of the axe rolled forlornly on the ground, seemingly pitiable for so reason.
"As you can see, the cutting strength has drastically improved, right? Thats the power of Crafting. Unlike Condensation, it's more difficult to learn and master, but you all will certainly"
"Like this?"
During Gloria's explanation, Luna drew her sword. While not as clear as Gloria's, her blade was surrounded by a bright blue aura.
However, Gloria and Kronos's expressions were sothing to see. They clearly reflected a feeling of what-in-the-world-is-this.
Luna's genius, which seed to absorb just by watching, was obvious, and Kara asked in disbelief.
"Hey. What are you?"
"What do you an?"
"How did you do that?"
"It just worked when I focused? I just utilized the Condensation I learned earlier."
""
At Luna's answer, which sounded all too simple, Kara let out a dry chuckle, displaying Luna's genius in no uncertain terms.
By now, Gloria and Kronos were likely having serious second thoughts about taking Luna back to their holand.
In reality, there had been argunts over just this. But in the end, it was pointlesslike trying to cut water with a knife.
"But this seems complicated. I barely managed it by concentrating."
"Thats right? Normally it's a bit difficult to learn"
Gloria spoke with a hint of defeat in her voice. Indeed, Crafting is easier learned from soone else.
It's not that humanity lacks the wit to conceive sharpening magic; it's just difficult to self-learn. In other words, Luna is the anomaly.
What to do now? This complicates the plan.'
I don't know. I expected Condensation, but I didn't think theyd learn Crafting so fast.'
Their original plans must be perplexingly tangled with such unexpected proficiency, evident in their muttering.
I have excellent hearing, allowing to hear their entire conversation. The bewildernt reached all the way here.
They had planned to enjoy a sweet romance under the pretext of teaching Luna and . Now, that had been dramatically cut short.
It's okay. Sivar is still around, right? And Kara too.'
Yes, but what if they also learn quickly? What then?'
Then teach sothing else. Ive heard that Sivar is learning martial arts from Kara. You can help him out.'
All right, that'll work.'
The secretive couple murmured as they made a complete overhaul of their plan, displaying a keen ability to balance both work and love.
These quick-thinking skills must've kept them from being discovered over ti. They're truly impressive in more ways than one.
"Hmm, hmm. Luna, even if you learn quickly, mastery will be difficult. Especially Crafting since it varies greatly in proficiency based on your own capacity."
Gloria, having collected herself, spoke to Luna. As she said, Crafting is one of the harder skills to master.
Moreover, unlike Condensation, it doesn't evolve into a trait, so one might ask if Condensation seems at a disadvantage.
"So, does Condensation decrease in importance relatively?"
"Not at all. Because Crafting requires concentration, it significantly consus magic. Plus, you can't Craft if you lose focus."
Strength is like a hearty stew; agility is a delicate delicacy. Condensation suits strength, and Crafting suits agility.
Condensation is favorable for long-term battles, but lacks a crucial blow. Conversely, Crafting possesses a decisive strike but is at a disadvantage in long fights.
It's essential to skillfully balance the two, and crucially, enhance the magic stat as well. Everything is interdependent.
Playing an agility character feels like Dark Souls.'
To ease into the ga, a strength character fares better. An agility character fits the glass cannon' concept.
That's why veterans often just level up agility and go for speed runs. I've been there myself.
"Your decisions to invest in Condensation or Crafting will depend on your combat style, Luna. If you prefer long battles and brute force, choose Condensation; for powerful strikes and evasion, choose Crafting. It goes like this."
"What should I focus on then? I am a devotee of Gulak."
Then Kara posed a curious question. Different from the commonly separated professions, she was a faith character.
Even magicians gain multiple benefits from learning both Condensation and Crafting. Condensation enhances the power of spells, and Crafting increases accuracy, for instance.
But faith characters are a bit more ambiguous. Magic is important, but faith plays a more prominent role.
"For Kara it's a little tricky. I have encountered nurous clerics, but aside from one thing, they have all been very diverse."
"What aspect was the sa?"
"Devotion to the god they worship. Besides that, each one had their unique direction, so I hesitate to give you advice."
Faith greatly influences overall stats. Take Porori for example.
Hes much smaller than yet incredibly strong and fast. He's been that way but beca even faster after acquiring lightning.
Kara and Hector are the sa. The mont they are enveloped in lightning, their overall stats and abilities spike dramatically.
One might say, doesn't this make being a faith character a good thing? But if you raise one without knowing what you're doing, you'll get badly hurt.
They're crazily weak at first. And as much as they're multi-talented, they can beco good for nothing, making their training very intricate.
If they even get afflicted by Chaos'
Itd be an utter nightmare. In fact, one might as well abandon the faith route.
[You have insulted the gods. Your faith falls.]
is what I almost exclaid! Hail to Lord Chaos!
[Your faith increases.]
Phew'
I sighed internally, feeling as though I was swinging between heaven and hell.
I'm not even on a faith path, so why should I have to manage faith?
I didn't even want to co to this world in the first place. Thinking about it, it's really annoying.
"Sivar? Would you like to give it a try?"
While I was internally bemoaning my fate, Gloria called out to . Looks like I'm next after Kara.
It wouldn't be bad to get to know about red magic now. So I casually raised my hand in response to her summons.
Whirr!
Shortly afterward, my hand was wreathed in red magic, taking on a shape akin to a beasts claw.
Rod was in charge of Ragnarok, and I was afraid to use other weapons in case they exploded.
At this point, showing the magic in my hand was the only option.
"Red? Why is the magic red? Do you have al?"
"Ahem! Ahem!"
Gloria, flustered, almost made a blunder. Kronos' loud cough covered up her slip-up, but there remained room for doubt.
"The magics red? Is there such a thing as red magic?"
"Well, I'm not quite certain myself."
Kara, of course, denied any such knowledge. Luckily, the attention was now focused on my red magic.
It seems that everyone here is unfamiliar with red magic. That's sowhat disappointing.
"Gloria isn't human magic universally blue?"
"Generally speaking, yes. But sotis magic changes color. Those instances are mostly green or navy, though."
"What do both colors indicate?"
"Green signifies individuals with considerable ntal deficits. Strictly speaking, people with intellectual disabilities who struggle with logical thinking. Additionally, occasionally, a highly intelligent monster will use it. Such monsters can usually speak a bit."
I've said before that magic is closely tied to intelligence.' Hence, when there's a problem with that intelligence, the color of magic can change.
Humanity is ranked high enough to wield blue' magic, a testant to the great intellect that has built a massive civilization' divine aid notwithstanding.
"On the other hand, navy is for those who've grasped the heavens' principles, so only the likes of Lord Rod can use it. But red"
Therefore, red magic ans not just ntal deficiencies but an absence of intellect altogether.
That's, of course, assuming this follows the sa principle. But I am certainly no idiot.
"."
"Huh?"
"Not. Dumb."
So I protested. Its not intellect I am lacking it's just the magic thats weird.
The damned faith makes it hard to form words, but that doesnt an I cant understand whats being said.
"There, there. Did that upset you? Our Sivar got angry for being called dumb?"
Despite my protest, Kara pinched my cheek and teased . She seed to find it quite cute.
Further complaints seed futile, so I just stayed quiet, though my expression remained sullen.
"Just as I thought"
But why do you look so certain of yourself, Gloria? What did you see?
My questioning was short-lived as Gloria clapped her hands and spoke in her characteristically warm and friendly tone.
"What's important isn't the red magic. It's whether you can use Crafting or not. Shall we see if you can do it, Sivar?"
"Hmm"
Condensation might have been easy, but Crafting seems more challenging. It didn't look like I could instantly succeed like Luna.
Plus, with the inherent strength of red magic, caution was necessary in all things. Thus, I turned my body, not towards them but to an open space.
Let's try with the sense I got from Condensation'
I gathered the magic swirling around my hand to the tip of my index finger. It was not so much Condensation as it was closer to Crafting.
In the forest, the sheer force of raw magic was enough for butchering. I had no use for Condensation or Crafting back then.
If Condensation is just about making the clay smaller, Crafting is about refining it precisely.'
Whoever coined that explanation hit it right on the head. Keeping it in mind, I focused intently.
The red magic surrounding my hand gradually collected at the tip of my index finger, combining both Condensation and Crafting.
Such an ability that even Luna could only use when focusing demanded my full attention too. Given my abundant strength, control proved challenging.
Whizzing
Before long, red magic gathered at my fingertip. Smooth and rounded, not jagged, due to Crafting.
"Isn't that dangerous?"
"Don't worry. If Crafting fails, it only disperses, not shooting off anywhere."
"That might work for you, but Sivars magic is red. It feels ominous"
From behind, I heard the chatter of Luna and Gloria. Luna seed anxious about my actions.
Given my earlier excessive display with Condensation, her wariness was understandable. Nevertheless, I pressed on with my concentration.
Then my fingertip held a ball-shaped cluster of red magic.
[Ability: Crafting acquired!]
The notification announcing my acquisition of Crafting unfolded before my eyes.
Initially, my focus wavered right there.
[Wild Instinct activates!]
[Ability: Compatible with Red Magic!]
[Ability: Crafting has been removed!]
Another notification about the ability being deleted popped up, just like Condensation, fracturing my concentration further.
Normally, Crafting would disperse once focus was lost.
Perhaps because my magic stats were too high or so issue with the red magic itself
"Oh, uh?"
The cluster of red magic at my fingertips didn't disperse. Instead, it desperately tried to shoot out.
My instincts were shouting warnings. If things continued as they were, it would be a disaster. Action was needed.
Without any ti to panic, I hastily reached up. Sohow, I ended up with my finger pointing straight up to the sky.
Pew!
Suddenly, red magic burst forth from my index finger.
It shot up toward the ceiling like a laser, leaving a red trail in its wake.
"What"
People behind began to panic, gazing up at the ceiling, just like I was.
The personal training area, unlike the communal one, might be smaller, but the ceiling is just as high.
And that's significant because
Boom!
The red magic that shot up like a laser struck the ceiling and imdiately exploded.
The ceiling montarily flashed red before bursting open with a massive explosion.
Hissing
""
""
""
A huge hole was now gaping in the personal training area's ceiling. Debris fell, but everyone simply stared at the hole above.
Each person wore an expression that clearly read lost for words,' unable to comprehend the current situation.
"Phew."
anwhile, I looked up at the gaping ceiling and exhaled a sigh of relief. To be honest, it had been a close call.
Personal training areas are built to be sturdy in anticipation of such events. But despite that, the explosion had torn through the ceiling completely.
The output had been reduced to prevent an accident, yet this was the extent of the damageif I had intensified it a bit more, its chilling to consider what might've happened.
At least right now, only the ceiling was wrecked; more power could've been far worse. It gave a reason to learn to control my power.
And now I have a suppressive capability.'
I even gained a suppressive capability, coincidentally. Until now, I could only throw weapons for interception.
But today, I finally secured a legitimate suppression move. Using magic is a hurdle, but it's better than having nothing at all.
Now, what was this attack called again? I ruminated for a mont before softly exclaiming with recognition.
"Death! Beam!"
Today, I gained romance.
"I don't know what a Death Beam is, but I can tell The Principal will scold you a lot."
"How can soone cause such a commotion every single day"
I had once again lost the trust of those around .
And sohow, the situation was dealt with.
"Keep your arms straight up! Don't put them down until I tell you to!"
"Arms sore"
"Don't whine! I know you're fine!"
Rod made kneel and hold up both arms. It was the first ti I ever encountered corporal punishnt.
"Don't touch the wall with your hands! Are you trying to dodge the punishnt already?"
It really was tough.
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