A Talentless Mage Devours a Disaster-Class Future - Chapter 10

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 10

Aion asked, his expression bewildered.

“…Did you just hand me off a spell that some villain you killed in the future used?”

Flame’s ultimate consciousness let out a scoff.

【Flame: Magic has no sin, you fool. If the Heavenly Motion Art has any guilt, it’s only that when an unfortunate wretch grabbed hold of it, he had no mouth left to cry for mercy.】

You don’t send a sword to prison for stabbing someone. Aion paused to mull over those words, then nodded.

【Flame: In fact, the villain’s abuse proved its power. When mastered with that intensity, the destructive force is unparalleled. And since it operates on a different principle than ordinary Telekinesis, other mages can’t counter it easily.】

Aion stared at the azure Yggdrasil System Window floating before him.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
[!] A new Quest has been assigned.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
『Quest: Growing Close with the Heavenly Motion Art』

― 『Quest Summary: You have acquired a grimoire of the Heavenly Motion Art from the library in Arcanum. It is time to understand what manner of magic this is.』
― 『Objective: Cast the Heavenly Motion Art even once.』
― 『Assigned Reward: Heavenly Motion Art Lv. 2▲, Mana Manipulation Lv. 2▲』
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Aion’s eyes widened.

‘What? It raises my Proficiency Level just like that? And Mana Manipulation too, all at once?’

Mana Manipulation.

For someone like Aion, whose body had no natural affinity for Mana, it was a skill of tremendous value. And it was raising both that and the Heavenly Motion Art level in one stroke.

“That’s… extraordinary.”

But the joy was short-lived. A more fundamental doubt began to surface.

“Actually, wait.”

Aion’s face creased with confusion.

“What does it mean for Proficiency Level to go up one rank? By how much, exactly?”

【Flame: What are you talking about?】

“Yggdrasil visualizing my Proficiency Level for me is helpful and all… but I don’t have a feel for what actually changes when it goes up, or by how much.”

【Flame: …Don’t ask me. I never bothered with numbers like that. Sensation was always enough for me.】

Then a calm, measured voice emerged.

【Mado: Explaining it in terms of Tiers will help you grasp it faster.】

“Tiers?”

【Mado: That’s right. Do you know the average time it takes for a Tier 1 mage to become a Tier 2 mage?】

“…Five years? Students at Exion sometimes finish in one or two years, but I’m not sure of the exact details.”

【Mado : Without systematic instruction, it could take ten years. But in a premier environment like Exion here, it’s conceivable you might master it in less than a year.】

A year. And that’s only if someone truly talented received the best support available.

【Mado : Mages grow exponentially stronger as they ascend through the ranks. Mana efficiency, destructive power, versatility—everything expands. What they’re capable of increases dramatically. The Proficiency Level the system displays mirrors that same progression.】

Mado’s explanation was crisp and without flourish.

【Mado : If Lv.1 is like taking your first steps, Lv.2 is when you’re unsteady but can actually walk. The difference in efficiency between them is considerable.】

Aion’s eyes sparkled.

“So if I just keep raising my magic Proficiency Level like this…!”

【Mado : Of course, you can’t grow infinitely stronger. By the system’s structure, a mage’s ability stats and magic Proficiency Level must always remain proportional.】

It was like a cold dose of reality.

【Mado : With your current stats, even if you learn high-level spells, you’ll struggle to fully realize their power.】

“…So balance is what matters in the end.”

【Mado : Still, there’s no need to be discouraged. At your current level, simply reaching Lv.2 is a respectable achievement.】

Aion smacked his lips thoughtfully.
Well, if he’s going to grow stronger for free, there’s no reason to refuse. Though, in truth, perhaps it wasn’t entirely free.

【Mado : By the way, since you gained those increases to Wisdom and Intelligence from the last quest reward—have you noticed anything different?】

Mado was asking about the stat increases that had come from that previous quest. Aion paused to search his memory.

“Oh! Now that you mention it… something does feel different.”

【Mado : Be specific.】

Aion hesitated for a moment.

“…Getting out of bed in the morning feels a little easier?”

【Mado : ……That’s just your imagination. Sounds like you got a good night’s sleep.】

“…….”

Mado continued without waiting for Aion’s response.

【Mado : Let me make the concepts clear. Intelligence determines the potency of your magic, while Wisdom relates to your understanding and depth of magical comprehension.】

“What about the other stats?”

【Mado : Mana Power represents the total mana you can hold in your body. Endurance means your physical durability to withstand the recoil from casting. And Perception refers to your ability to manipulate mana and your bodily reflexes.】

Only then did understanding crystallize for Aion.

“Ah, I see it now. Makes sense.”

Aion rose from his seat and began preparing with quiet deliberation.

“So… shall I give it a try?”

***

The Dormitory room thrummed with palpable tension.

Aion sat before his desk, staring so hard at the space before him
that his eyes burned. Five silver cups filled with water lay in his sight line.

Four cups arranged in a square. One cup placed dead center.

‘Only the middle one… moves….’

Without disturbing any of the surrounding cups even slightly, he channeled mana into only the central cup to ripple its water. It was a training regimen that sharpened both delicate perception and concentration in equal measure.

“Ughh….”

Thick veins stood out at Aion’s temples. Cool sweat ran down his forehead and gathered in a bead at his chin—then fell.

…And yet.

“Hah… Damn it….”

The surface didn’t budge. Not even the slightest tremor. Every time he tried to extend his mana, it scattered as if hitting an invisible wall.

Watching this futile struggle, Flame’s point of consciousness burst out in a shout.

【Flame: That’s not how you do it, you idiot! You’re just pouring raw power into it! Do you think this is your bathroom?】

Aion’s shoulders flinched. Flame pressed on regardless.

【Flame: Did you burn through the Heavenly Motion Art Commentary already? What does it say in the opening line of Chapter One?!】

“The opening line…?”

Aion glanced at the parchment spread before him.

『The Heavenly Motion Art is not the pouring outward of inner vital energy. It is the extension of internal flow in harmony with space itself. This signifies circulation, and….』

His head ached every time he read it.

“…So in other words, what in the world is this supposed to mean?”

Concepts like vital energy and harmony sounded like grasping at clouds. Especially for Aion, who had grown accustomed to the intuitive, direct magical theory of the Labathie Empire.

【Flame: …Anyway! Just feel it! You can’t even manage this?】

Then a weighty chuckle cut in.

【Earth: Keuk keuk keuk….】

It was Earth’s point of consciousness.

【Earth: Why would that old geezer have abandoned it after just the first chapter? It’s obvious. It means the art is that difficult to master. And here he is, grumbling about it when he never even learned it himself.】

Flame bristled.

【Flame: What, what did you just say?!】

As Flame leaped to his feet, Earth interjected with measured calm.

【Earth: Hmm. The Yggdrasil System’s reward scheme seems quite fair this time around.】

“…Fair? What do you mean by that?”

【Earth: Even with the Commentary in hand, this doesn’t look easy. When a quest is difficult, the reward is excellent. Conversely, when the reward is decent, it means the quest itself is not simple either.】

Flame raised his voice.

【Flame: No! This kid’s just weak! …At least through the first section, raw sensitivity alone should be more than sufficient to master it!】

Earth’s reply came cold and cutting.

【Earth: Aion’s current Perception stat is substantially below the average for a typical mage.】

At that, Flame fell silent.

【Earth: It may require considerable time. He might not succeed even if he goes sleepless for days.】
【Flame: Ugh….】

Flame seethed quietly.
This was the magic he had boldly proposed. But seeing Aion stumble at the very first step made it hard to find words—there was nothing more to say.

Moreover, no matter how many explanations he offered, they didn’t seem to reach Aion at all.

‘This… won’t be easy, will it?’

Aion was about to sigh and return his focus to the cup when—

Knock, knock.

A knock broke through the silence.

“Student Aion Iskar, are you in your room?”

Aion’s brow arched.

“…?”

It was late. Aion rose from his seat and opened the door.

Creak.

Standing in the doorway was a staff member from the Academic Affairs Office. Their expression was rigid and formal.

“You’re being summoned to the Academic Affairs Office.”
“…For what reason?”

Aion’s heart sank.

Again?

He’d only just been admitted. Was he facing expulsion again already? Or was it because he’d used his reading privileges on the third floor of the Arcanum Library today?

‘Could there be something wrong with the Heavenly Motion Art grimoire…?’

A thousand thoughts raced through his mind.

“Check this for details. That’s all.”

The staff member handed over a rolled parchment, bowed curtly, and disappeared.

Aion broke the seal on the parchment.

Crinkle—

As Aion unrolled the parchment and scanned its contents, his eyes widened progressively, then froze in an expression of stunned disbelief.

“……What?”

***

The following morning, Aion made his way to the Academic Affairs Office on the first floor of the main building, his body still heavy with fatigue.
Inside, the only sounds were the rustle of turning papers and the scratch of quill pens—harsh and sterile.

Tap.

When Aion stepped up to the counter, the staff member buried beneath a mountain of documents looked up.
She regarded him with a businesslike gaze.

“You’re Aion Iscar, correct?”
“Yes. I received a summons and came immediately.”

The staff member set down her papers and asked,

“Have you read everything in the notice?”
“…Yes.”

He had read it. The hesitation in his answer stemmed only from his inability to accept what he’d read.
The staff member nodded without expression.

“Then you’re fully aware of the circumstances.”
“……Is my understanding correct?”

The staff member studied him for a moment before speaking.

“Yes. Professor Sabrina, who teaches Elemental Transformation and Fusion, has unfortunately been caught in an accident and cannot conduct lectures for the foreseeable future. The doctors say she’ll need quite a long period for treatment and recovery.”
“So then….”
“The course you were taking will be cancelled this semester. We can’t arrange a replacement instructor since the semester has already begun.”

Course Cancellation.

Aion felt the ground tilt beneath him.

‘Why would this happen….’

Aion posed a question.

“What happens to me? Do I need to register for a different course?”

The staff member shook her head.

“No. Since this cancellation is due to circumstances beyond the school’s control, remedial measures are in place.”

The staff member withdrew a document and slid it across the counter to Aion.

“You can immediately transfer into another lecture course that currently has available enrollment. Your credit will be recognized identically.”

Aion exhaled in relief.

“Well, that’s a relief. Which course would that be?”

The staff member peered at Aion over the rim of his spectacles.

“Hmm… most of the foundational courses are already at capacity. We’ve had an unusually large intake of new students this year.”

He’d likely be placed in an unpopular lecture.

“The course assigned to you first, Aion, would be….”

The staff member pointed with his quill to a line on the parchment.

“Advanced Telekinesis Study.”
“……”

Silence.

The staff member tilted his head in confusion.

“Is something the matter?”

A Telekinesis class.

Just when Aion was struggling with his training in the Heavenly Motion Art, fortune had arrived with impeccable timing.

【Flame: ……At this point, I can’t even tell if this fellow’s luck is good or bad.】

A Talentless Mage Swallows a Catastrophic Future — Chapter 10

Author
Wang Mozi
Publisher
Daon Creative
Planning / Editing / Production
Yeon
Cover Design
Dali

UCI
G720:N+A036-20260706063.0010

© 2026, Wang Mozi

※ This e-book is a work protected by the Republic of Korea’s copyright law.
No part of this work may be reprocessed in any form without the permission of the author and publisher.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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