Chapter 86

Chapter 86

Chapter 86

Chapter 86

“Try casting an Ice Bolt at me.”

Dale hesitated briefly at Sepia’s request. The lethal modifications he had imbued into his Ice Bolt, or more precisely, his Ice Bullet, came to mind.

Just as he was preparing to intentionally reduce the power of the spell…

“Don’t hold back. Use your full power.”

Sepia conveyed reassurance through a gentle smile.

“…Alright.”

Dale nodded and took a few steps back to gain some space.

“Ice Bullet.”

He focused the blue energy produced by his “four circles” and projected the frozen projectile.

Bang!

Even though Dale had softened it “a little” by his own criteria, it was still considerably faster and more destructive than any technique he had executed at the three-circle rank. It represented a devastating force that even the prodigious eyesight of an elf would struggle to register. Or at least, that should have been the result.

“──!”

However, at the precise instant the frozen projectile approached Sepia, the blue energy that structured the Ice Bolt frayed like a worn rope, vanishing into thin air.

“…!”

“I managed to perceive the exact instant your blue energy concentrated into a single core.”

After nullifying Dale’s Ice Bullet, Sepia continued with her explanation.

“By examining the tilt of the frozen ‘arrowhead,’ I managed to anticipate the trajectory in which it would impact.”

She had neutralized the spell by predicting its point of origin and its direction before it could fully manifest.

“Before the mysticism took shape…”

Instead of focusing on the final spell, she focused on its essential elements. It consisted of avoiding the appearance of the inconvenience rather than solving it once manifested. This perspective reflected the doctrine implemented by the sorcerers of the Blue Tower.

“Do you wish to try something of a higher caliber?”

Sepia posed.

“Do you mean using the full power of a four-circle spell?”

“Show me the magnitude of your conditions.”

Sepia offered a smile, urging him to give it his all.

At this, Dale materialized an ice barrier.

“Triple Cannon · 12 Gauge Pellets.”

Using the icy structure as a “frost cannon,” he incorporated detonating-type formulations, projecting dozens of ice fragments through three conduits. Or, at the very least, that was the intention.

“…!”

However, nothing happened. The ice barrier remained intact, unmoved. The modifications Dale had attempted to imprint lacked vitality.

“Contemplate magical energy as if it were water.”

Sepia mentioned, drawing on her experiences as a high-ranking sorceress linked to the aquatic element.

“Did you modify the arrangement of the energy to prevent the transmission of alterations?”

“You possess a fast assimilation.”

Sepia affirmed with a gesture and detailed the foundation behind magical neutralization.

If energy is equivalent to “water molecules,” mysticism is the resulting fluid. The modifications applied to said mysticism are equivalent to adding sugar or salt to alter the taste of the fluid.

However, if the energy itself is stabilized, similar to freezing water molecules, the fluid transforms into ice, and no additive will change the state of the ice.

“With good reason, sorcerers are wary of the Blue Tower.”

Even belonging to the Five Towers, the Blue Tower could well be classified as the greatest nemesis of magic practitioners.

By focusing entirely on the mystical manifestation of the adversary, they possessed the power to completely annul their purposes. This constituted the mastery of the Blue Tower: mystical counterattack.

“Next, I will teach you the behavior of energy.”

Sepia began her empirical demonstration. Blue energy began to orbit around her, emanating from her circles.

“Pay attention to the bluish currents and detect the sectors where the fluidity slows down.”

The exact spot where the bluish currents stopped. The point where the transit of energy paused and densified. But focusing on the opponent’s arts instead of one’s own proved more complex in practice than in theory. In order to simplify the process for Dale, Sepia highlighted the displacements of the bluish flows.

Dale fixed his attention on that sector, assuming that the rival’s energy operated like “water molecules” and attempting to immobilize said particles.

At that instant, Sepia’s energy rose and stagnated, the moment in which Dale projected his “blue particles” directly to the core. It supposed a rudimentary replica of the 《Blue Dissonance》 that Sepia had executed previously.

“Perhaps it will be useful to fuse this principle with long-range arts.”

While Dale internally evaluated the implementation of this mysticism…

“…!”

Sepia held her breath at Dale’s resolution.

“It is equivalent to an intrusion.”

He introduced himself into the architecture of the opponent’s energy just before its consolidation, sabotaging it.

“Excellent execution.”

Sepia’s mystical flow lost stability and tangled before Dale’s interference.

Bang!

However, while Dale’s 《Blue Dissonance》 sabotaged one spell, another whirlwind of energy began to structure itself.

“…!”

A Lightning spell was executed and Dale regained his focus. If it was not possible for him to contain it in its gestation phase, he needed to intercept the technique directly. Guided by Sepia’s directions, Dale focused again.

What she projected was an initial-category Ice Bolt.

By deducing the trajectory starting from the gestation core —the orientation indicated by the tip of the arrow— he arranged an “energy interruption trap” along the path of the Lightning spell.

Adding the mystical property “Dissolve.”

Bang!

Sepia’s Bolt activated and, as expected, Dale’s dissipation device neutralized it. However, in that same microsecond, a second Bolt was launched.

“…!”

Two, three… A barrage of discharges began to descend and Dale clenched his jaw. There were too many elements to counteract individually.

“You have broken your sequence.”

Sepia displayed a knowing smile at Dale’s complications.

“The determining factor for neutralizing your rival consists of preserving the command of the tempo.”

“In the same way you dismantled the 《Blue Dissonance》?”

“It represents a methodology for managing the tempo.”

Controlling the rhythm implied maintaining a favorable condition in the speed of execution during a confrontation between sorcerers.

“Under that logic, what do you estimate is the pillar for managing the rhythm?”

“I am not clear on it.”

“In your exchanges with your adversary, constantly pursue a transition that favors you.”

Sepia detailed.

“I executed Bolt spells successively, resorting to low-consumption arts to sustain the pressure.”

Low consumption. Spells of lower ranks, fast and simple to perform. Dale lacked the capacity to neutralize each of them individually.

“To give a case, if a neutralization spell demands 5 units, a Bolt only requires 1.”

The most essential and habitual arts.

“If this balance of 5 to 1 is prolonged, which faction will consolidate the domain?”

The conclusion was indisputable.

“Your 《Blue Dissonance》 was worthy of praise.”

Sepia expressed her validation.

“However, it carries too much value to waste it against a simple Bolt spell.”

“It is true…”

Assimilating the importance of each mystical manifestation and the benefit of proceeding in a forward-thinking manner in magical interactions. As Sepia broke down the “tempo control” methodology, Dale could not help but be moved by the maturity of her approaches.

“Maintain a proactive attitude from beginning to end, staying always one step ahead of your rival.”

Sepia’s detailed explanation reflected the identity of a “genuine sorceress.” Unlike Dale, who traveled along a less traditional path, Sepia advanced along the strict and refined path of mystical knowledge.

“Well, now.”

Sepia continued.

“From the most elementary cancellation mechanics to the containment of high-ranking sorcerer formulas.”

The combat strategy of a high-ranking blue mage was characterized by practicality.

“Let’s study it together, gradually.”

“Understood, Sepia-sensei!”

Clinging firmly to the cadence of the battle, without ever submitting to the speed imposed by the opponent. Contain, contain, contain, and contain again until managing to make the rival’s desperation derive into exclamations of frustration.

“Looking at it well, it results in a quite relentless technique.”

However, implemented in the ideal way, it constituted the definitive counterattack against magic practitioners. Unraveling Blue Magic was equivalent to learning how to subjugate Blue Mages. For Dale, it represented an invaluable lesson.

“It generates great expectation for me to contemplate the fruits of your instruction.”

Sepia smiled, suggesting that an immense amount of knowledge remained to be inspected.

The nature of the arts developed by the Blue Tower. It did not correspond to something that a tender third or fourth-rank sorcerer could manage to emulate without complications. Beyond natural gifts, truly assimilating “nullification magic” demanded superior introspection.

However, Dale had managed to replicate and integrate this sophisticated mysticism with only observation.

“You truly prove to be my disciple.”

“Counting on a guide of your category, what other alternative would exist?”

Dale replied with a disinterested gesture. Accessing the rank of four-circle sorcerer carried a particular relevance.

In the same way that Dale never behaved like an average three-circle sorcerer, promoting to the subsequent rank demanded qualities distant from an “average perception.”

Above gifts or skill, it constituted a dimension that required an absolute interpretation of the mystical path.

Despite Dale opting for an alternative path, the four-circle lucidity he consolidated was far from ordinary.

Upon consolidating in the rank of fourth-circle sorcerer, Dale finally deciphered the enigmas of the Blue Tower. It corresponded to an environment so enigmatic that not even a figure of Dale’s relevance managed to decipher prior to reaching this period.

What novel heights would Dale dominate backed by this recent understanding? The splendor of his conditions rekindled the enthusiasm of Sepia, who contemplated him with renewed mysticism.

Sepia maintained the expectation that Dale would not restrict himself to using blue magic as an accessory resource of his dark magic, but would faithfully assimilate its nature.

Sepia no longer exercised only the role of mentor for a beginner, but identified in Dale a worthy continuator of her legacy, in a similar way to how the Black Lord had adopted him at the time as his legitimate continuator. Dale was at this point in conditions to adopt the legacy of the dignitary of the Blue Tower.

Clang!

The steels collided. It was not about the gloomy mystical projections, but about the net and legitimate skill of a sword fighter.

Dale’s knightly sword collided against the steel of an individual classified as a member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Continent.

Even though he dispensed with the use of aura, limiting himself to reinforcing his organism through formulas like Acceleration, he continued to be at a disadvantage when confronting the impacts loaded with aura coming from the Seven Swords.

“My lord! It is probably the moment to lay down the weapons!”

Each onslaught possessed excessive force and speed. For fighters of a respectable rank, speed and mass did not cancel each other out. However, with each impact, Dale impregnated his steel with his own “principles.”

The paladin’s steel, Peacemaker. He was channeling the “memory of the sword.”

Even when it was impossible for him to manifest the silhouette of the steel directly, its nature did not reside solely in its external aspect. The component of the blade, the mysticism housed inside, the chronicle recorded in its metal… all that manifested itself subtly in Dale’s steel as he evoked the experiences of the paladin.

And through that resource, Dale’s steel neutralized the subsequent onslaught of Sir Helmut.

“…!”

It was not a stratagem or a diversion maneuver. He had contained the downward impact of one of the Seven Swords of the Continent directly, dispensing completely with his aura.

“At this moment I manage to understand it with greater clarity.”

Although it was not an impact executed with the totality of his power, the underlying mass was unquestionable.

“Under what logic is this feasible…!?”

Sir Helmut found himself unable to hide his bewilderment and held his breath with noticeable difficulty.

“I anticipated it, Sir Helmut,” Dale expressed, taking distance with a gesture of determination while correcting his grip on the hilt.

“It would not be prudent to underestimate the ‘sword of a sorcerer’.”

Chapter 86