Limit Breaking Genius Mage Chapter 318

Episode 318 Exchange Battle (1)

The original Ark meeting was held in four sessions.

The first one is closer to a one-sided situation report.

A watcher who stays on the Ark and is the only one among the captains who does not engage in outside activities.

Starting with her observation of the world as a watcher, she relays the peculiarities, and the five captains explain their actions over the past year.

Some are simple, some are complex.

It was a natural thing.

Watcher, explorer, punisher, regulator, watcher.

In this way, each person's role in the ark was completely different. I can say with certainty that none of them were unimportant.

From human to human.

It is a duty that has been passed down through the ages. The process and results of carrying it out must be clear without any doubt.

And the second topic is the ark.

A process that literally deals with various issues related to the ark, and is practically in a form suitable for being called a conference.

It focuses on and discusses internal issues including the Arc.

The third one is the exchange war.

A stage for proof made up of candidates for the ark.

This is a place to directly check the level of newly recruited candidates and the skills of other candidates.

The key is to understand the growth of the candidates and whether there are any new prospects among them.

Finally, the fourth is a discussion about the candidates.

What trials to give each of them, what rewards they need, and who to recruit newly discovered candidates for.

Because the number is not small and it requires very close insight, it is also the stage that takes up the most time in all meeting processes.

The usual order is as follows:

For this reason, the meeting progresses quite slowly.

In addition, the exterminator, who was covered in full body armor, had difficulty speaking, so he even had to resort to writing.

But today was an exception.

“The Ark meeting was interrupted before the first stage was even completed. Even though it is possible if all members agree unanimously, the reason is that they want to see the exchange quickly…….”

Ren Balhag, Locke's mentor and one of the three elders of the Ark.

A large, muscular old man wearing pitch-black attire and white cotton gloves sighed and wiped his face.

Even without asking, it was obvious who took the lead.

Regret.

That's the work of a brat.

“That stubborn personality just won’t change. It’s obvious that he has as much self-control as anyone else, but once he exceeds a certain standard, he takes action without any warning.”

“It’s your innate nature.”

The master of the ark, sitting opposite him, sipped his wine.

“Teaching is certainly meaningful, but there are some things that don’t change no matter what you do. To change even that nature, you need an experience that shakes your whole life up.”

Humans are beings who are always in conflict.

Reason and emotion, thoughts and heart are in conflict with each other, and we repeat contradictory choices. That is why change is possible.

In that sense, trials are like a catalyst.

What you gain by risking your life and overcoming it includes not only external but also internal growth.

“Of course, I don’t deny that Regrit belongs to a special category. As he went through repeated trials, his original nature became stronger as a result… Well, you could say that that was also growth.”

“But───”

“Never mind, Ren Balhag. You may have been a captain once, but you are now an elder. Interfering with the Ark Council they lead will not be tolerated.”

The owner of the ark was resolute.

“I’m sorry. I’m off topic.”

“I don’t care. And although he may seem reckless on the outside, Regrit is a careful and strong-willed boy. He has survived until now while burning his curiosity even more. I can say with certainty that he is the perfect person to succeed the explorer. And aren’t you curious about the new candidates this time, especially Asher?”

He placed the empty glass on the table.

“A man who was nothing more than an exceptional 5th-tier magician overcame the Tomb of the Demon King and achieved a level of achievement that was unparalleled by any other magician… He is the one who created results that no one, including me, could have predicted. And what is most noteworthy is not his overwhelming talent, but his past.”

“The past… are you talking about?”

“No matter how many times I thought about it, challenging the Tomb of the Demon King was close to suicide. Asher knew that well because we had warned him in advance. But he didn’t hesitate.”

Knock. Knock.

His fingertips tapped the armrest.

“What could be the reason? Was he just throwing away his life to satisfy the intellectual curiosity of a wizard? Was the man named Asher that you saw like that?”

Len Balhag had faced Asher before.

The Battle of Gluttony took place in the Duchy of Liviant.

Even though he was exhausted and injured inside Gluttony's stomach, he tried to tie the knot with his own hands.

As a result, Gluttony's fifth tooth was knocked out by Asher.

It was a will bordering on stubbornness.

It was a look of confidence that was underlying the odds of victory.

“I saw that I was not a moth that was dazzled by the light before my eyes and threw my whole body into the flames.”

“And yet you jumped into the fire. Then why? Was there perhaps another reason? A reason that was right, a reason that you had to throw away your life.”

The possibilities are endless.

“He is a man shrouded in mystery in many ways. He suddenly appeared on the Eastern Continent, and he has shown an unprecedented growth rate, and there is no way to find out his past.”

Maybe even the name Asher is an alias.

“So let’s watch together. It could be a great stimulus to the other candidates as well as the successors.”

The master of the ark smiled.

“And I was wondering about that too.”

* * *

A vast space located inside the Ark.

In the center, a stage reminiscent of a giant arena is erected, and above it, dozens of small islands slowly float in the air.

Whoa whoa whoa.

Verden and the wizard, who had moved through space, stepped foot on the ground.

Among the many islands, two people each took positions on two islands that were close to each other and looked around.

"and……."

The wizard let out an exclamation.

Verden also had similar feelings.

Not only is it spacious, but there is a certain magic engraved throughout this place.

It seems that a <suggestion> is hanging, as objects are clearly visible despite the fact that all four sides are blocked by dark walls and there is no other light.

Imbuing space itself with magic was one of the pinnacles of modern magical technology.

'By the way, did we get here first?'

The rest of the islands are empty.

At that moment, magical power was detected nearby.

As I turned my head, Locke appeared with the light.

After wandering around for a while, he noticed Verden's presence, waved his hand, and approached with the island.

“Brother Asher! I’ll see you soon!”

“How does the island move?”

“Ah, that will become possible naturally after the exchange battle. It’s still difficult for you, as a new candidate. More importantly, the candidate who uses a new type of magic?”

The wizard who was receiving the gaze shrugged his shoulders.

“Oh, hello. So I…… I…….”

“If you want to keep it a secret, you don’t have to reveal your name. No one here cares about that. But why do you speak in such a strange way? You look younger than me.”

“What, what, what is that……!”

He stuttered as he was suddenly criticized.

It's not that I'm used to hiding my feelings or lying. It may be innate, but it was obvious that I lacked some experience.

Locke turned his head slightly.

“That guy’s reactions are really funny. I guess he has a flair for teasing like Theon. He seems really nervous. Is it stage fright or something? What about you, hyung?”

"at all."

Verden was still expressionless.

Nervousness didn't suit him at all.

“Hahaha, that’s true. I was shaking the first time I competed in an exchange match… It’s not easy to show off your skills in front of other candidates.”

“How many people attended that time?”

“Probably not even halfway through. The next time I attended, it was about halfway through.”

Locke supported the back of his head with both hands clasped together.

“As the listener said, this time, since it’s known about you and that funny guy, the attendance might be higher than usual. Let’s see, it’s about time to come───”

Before the words could be finished, a space shuttle appeared on the island on the other side.

The number began to increase one by one, and in the blink of an eye, most of the islands were covered in purple.

Immediately afterwards, countless sounds were felt.

Locke blinked.

“……Huh? Almost there?

* * *

All other candidates, except for the new recruits, have overcome at least one ordeal.

Of course, there were cases where they failed the trials and survived, but they overcame the pain and succeeded in moving forward by challenging other trials.

Those who failed to do so will never be able to rise again.

The borderline of life and death.

All of them are experienced.

Insight developed in life-threatening situations.

The will to not give up even when pushed to the brink of death.

It's not just a matter of talent and skill.

The inner self, which is solidly refined like hammering iron, is different from those who are not.

Their gazes were focused on one another.

“Is that man Gluttony’s rival? He’s quite young. I thought he’d look much more fierce.”

“I can’t feel any magical power, to the point where it’s almost insignificant. I guess that means that at that age, magical power manipulation has reached a high level. It’s even more extraordinary than I’ve heard.”

“Wow, that’s great. When I was that age, I graduated from the Academy and was wandering around. It was a good decision to come to Ark. This is the first time I’ve seen so many candidates.”

“The one wearing the robe over there is a wizard… Judging by his small stature compared to an adult, he looks to be in his mid-teens. He’s the youngest candidate after Locke. And he’s a wizard at that.”

“Not only are the new recruits who entered this time both wizards, but they’re also geniuses. As someone who handles energy, it’s a bit disappointing.”

“But why did the exchange start earlier than usual? Did something go wrong during the meeting?”

Dozens of candidates each expressed different feelings.

Some sat alone, lost in thought or muttering quietly, while others chatted with other candidates nearby.

The atmosphere, which had been quiet until just before, began to stir like waves.

“Wow, I didn’t know there would be this many people…… Oh, and there’s Sister Layla over there too. I guess she’s quite flustered because so many people have come.”

“…….”

Locke's eyes lit up with admiration.

The Academy wizard on the left stood there blankly, his body seemingly frozen by the countless, observant gazes directed at him.

Verden asked without caring.

“By the way, it seems like the exchange started earlier than I heard. Have you heard anything else?”

“Well, this is my first time in something like this… I have no idea what the captains are thinking when they hold a meeting on the ark. I’ve never even seen their faces before.”

“……Not even once?”

“Yes, not even once. Since the location is what it is, we don’t have to encounter each other along the way, and since there are people who work outside of Ark, they try not to reveal their identities as much as possible. It’s like mysticism, you know? Anyway, since the exchange has started, a guide will be here soon. Oh, I think he’s coming.”

Locke pointed to the exact center of the arena.

Like the other candidates, there was someone who came from beyond space.

White and grayish white hair and clear golden eyes.

In contrast, she was a woman with copper-colored skin.

Locke tilted his head as he looked at him.

“Huh? Different from last year’s host─── Ugh?!”

Phew!

Suddenly, the small islands moved all at once.

Soon, they were aligned in a circle at regular intervals and fixed in the air at the outer part of the arena.

A subdued atmosphere.

In the silence, the woman opened her mouth.

“After discussion among the captains, they have unanimously decided to suspend the ark’s meeting for a while and begin the exchange battle first. It may be sudden, but it won’t make a difference. There won’t be anyone here who can’t prove themselves by just moving the time forward.”

There was no objection, as if it were a given.

“We will give priority to new candidates as per existing practices.”

The beginning was sudden.

There is no need for a made-up greeting.

Because we weren't planning on holding a grand event like a competition or something.

This is the proof field.

The woman cast her gaze at Verden and the wizard.

“Either of you, come out first.”