Climbing the Tower with Multidimensional Avatars - Chapter 97

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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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Chapter 97. The Sephiroth Mage – Astral Body (5)

I simply let his baseless conviction pass without comment.
I didn’t know why he possessed such certainty, but he was clearly regarding me as some sort of legendary genius.
“Now then, I shall teach you how to open the Astral Dimension. First, concentrate on the mana within your body.”
I sat down and habitually crossed my legs into a lotus position, focusing on my inner energy.
Inner energy and mana were fundamentally the same.
They were merely called by different names depending on the state, location, concept, or convention.
“From now on, I will knock on your inner world through mana. However, I cannot interfere with or intervene in your Astral Dimension. Therefore, all I can do is show you where the Astral Dimension is located. Recognizing and opening your microcosm is your responsibility.”
Andromallius explained the technique for opening the Astral Dimension, then placed a finger on my chest and released a thread-like stream of mana.
I concentrated to track the movement of that faint mana.
Soon, I discovered something small within me… or was it large?
Something whose size I couldn’t gauge.
Andromallius’s faint mana collided with that something and dissipated.
I realized that something was my microcosm.
Like a blind man feeling an elephant, I concentrated to find the entrance to my microcosm.
After some time had passed, I finally managed to locate the entrance.
Once I perceived the entrance, I moved my mana according to Andromallius’s instructions and slowly opened the Gate connected to the Astral Dimension.
But when I opened it, the entrance was remarkably small.
Was it acceptable to be this small?
With that thought, I slowly opened my eyes.
“Oh my, did I fail? Shall I try again?”
At Andromallius’s words, I was taken aback.
“No? I opened it.”
“What? But I didn’t feel anything at all.”
“That’s because the entrance is extremely small. How would you sense something so tiny from the outside?”
At my words, Andromallius’s eyes widened as if he’d been struck by a hammer, his expression one of shock.
Then he began muttering something to himself, as if organizing his thoughts with great seriousness.
After thinking alone for quite some time, his eyes gleamed as he spoke.
“This is actually excellent! Normally, according to proper procedure, one must first create an Astral Body and then resonate the Astral Dimension to match that body in order to open the Gate.”
That was what I’d heard earlier.
“If done that way, naturally you’d have no choice but to insert it at a certain size when it exists outside. The entrance would have to be proportionally larger as well. But then, high-ranking mages could discern the location of the entrance from outside to some degree.”
“Wait, so because I haven’t created an Astral Body yet, the entrance is this small?”
So no one from the outside could find my entrance.
That was… good?
“It’s extremely good! A small entrance means better preservation of fundamental essence and ensures the safety of your Astral Body! There was once a time when mages considered a small Astral Dimension entrance to be a measure of talent!”
The fact that I’d opened the Astral Dimension’s entrance while my Astral Body was still small meant my senses were exceptionally keen—his words weren’t wrong in that regard.
“What is the typical size of an entrance?”
“In my case, it would be faster to show you directly, given your sensitivity to mana, Credit.”
Andromallius concentrated his magical power within his body.
Then I distinctly felt an entrance opening, even from outside where I stood.
About the size of a newborn infant?
He quickly sealed the entrance again.
“Did you sense it?”
“Yes, I did. But isn’t this something you shouldn’t be showing people?”
Andromallius nodded at my question.
“It’s best not to reveal it whenever possible. However, the entrance’s location can be changed at any time, so there’s no major problem. I told you—attacking is extraordinarily difficult, but defending is remarkably easy.”
Indeed, that made sense in multiple ways.
If you conceal the attack route itself, the attacker has no choice but to be at a loss.
“That said, it’s quite impressive. My entrance is extremely small, so even high-ranking mages rarely detect it.”
“What? It wasn’t particularly small, was it?”
“That was extraordinarily small. Just how tiny is your entrance, Credit, that you called mine large?”
Well, if I had to compare it… sperm and egg size? Though perhaps slightly larger than that?
As I fell silent, Andromallius smiled with satisfaction.
“Well done. The correct answer to that question is silence. Or a lie.”
“Yet you showed your entrance to me without reservation, didn’t you?”
“That’s because you’re my benefactor. The ‘Andromallius’ I’ve contracted and serve is particular about such matters.”
Contracted and serve Andromallius?
Could Andromallius be not merely an alias or nickname, but a magical name?
“I’ll explain the details of magical servitude after you’ve created your Astral Body. For now, let’s focus on creating that Astral Body.”
Normally, mages create the Astral Body externally and then open the Astral Dimension, but since my entrance was already open, he suggested it would be better to create it directly inside the Astral Dimension through that entrance from the start.
Creating the Astral Body externally would cause the entrance to expand, after all.
Under his guidance, I slowly concentrated and began creating my Astral Body within the Astral Dimension.
The experience of gradually increasing the spirit of soul and the white of flesh was profoundly alien and awkward, but from a size no larger than a pinprick, it expanded gradually, like cellular division.
Andromallius demonstrated the process of creating an Astral Body with his own magical power as he spoke.
“Hmm… creating the Astral Body inside the Astral Dimension has the disadvantage of making the process imperceptible. Well, with your sensitivity and control, Credit, you should be able to follow along just fine.”
Even though he demonstrated the process, he wasn’t actually using real spirit and flesh—it was merely a simulation.
Children creating their first Astral Body couldn’t be shown a real one, so a magical construct was created instead.
Despite being artificial, it functions similarly to an Astral Body, so the one created now can be placed in a flask to create a sort of homunculus, or used as a pseudo-Astral Body serving as an external mana storage device.
Beyond that, it’s also used as a dummy Astral Body to take attacks in your stead or to create duplicates, he explained.
“Shouldn’t you save explanations for later while I’m concentrating?”
The applications of pseudo-Astral Bodies could be taught to me later anyway.
“Ah, my apologies. I wasn’t thinking.”
Andromallius apologized and fell silent to allow me to concentrate.
Soon, within my inner universe, within the Astral Dimension, another me—as small as a newborn infant—was created.
“The infant has been created.”
“Does it look like it might crumble if left alone, or are the eyes, nose, mouth, fingers, and toes all intact?”
“It doesn’t look like it will crumble, and the entire body is intact.”
Having another me inside my inner world felt more fascinating than I’d expected.
The inner energy I’d stored in my dantian with elixirs was consumed to create the Astral Body’s mana, but since the vessel already existed, I only needed to refill my dantian.
Does this make me a Mage Swordsman?
Andromallius applauded.
“Congratulations on entering 1st Class. Now Credit can confidently call himself a mage wherever he goes.”
According to his explanation, 1st Class was achieved when the Astral Body took the form of an infant, and mastery was reached when it became an adult identical to oneself.
2nd Class involved filling the Astral Body’s mana, and from 3rd Class onward, it was a process of increasing mana density.
From 4th Class onward, one hit a ceiling in increasing mana density, so it became a continuous process of expanding the Astral Body’s size, much like a lobster molting.
Classes rose from 4th to 5th, 6th, and 7th depending on that size and density.
Therefore, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Class mages were considered lower-tier mages.
From 4th Class onward, when one began seriously expanding the Astral Body, they were called high-tier mages.
Andromallius stood up and spoke.
“Well then, since my detoxification is complete, shall we head to the City together?”
“Together? I thought you’d just give me a 1st Class magic book and we’d part ways after I created the Astral Body.”
Andromallius smiled at my words.
“I can’t treat my lifesaver that way. Besides, you can’t enter the City without an ID.”
When I looked startled, he continued.
“You can enter with me, so don’t worry.”
I asked in response to his kindness.
“…It’s true that I’m your lifesaver, but why are you showing me such favor?”
Andromallius hesitated briefly before answering my question.
“I’ll be honest with you. I want you.”
I gasped and stepped back a couple of paces, and Andromallius looked flustered.
“No! No! I didn’t mean it that way! I meant it based on your talent. It’s a kind of scouting.”
“Ah, scouting. What organization do you belong to?”
Since he’d said he was one of the 72 strongest mages, excluding the Magic Tower Lords of the 33 Magic Towers, it wasn’t strange that he belonged to a specific faction.
“I operate a ‘Shadow’ called the Andromallius Family.”
After saying that, he added with a slight gesture of correction.
“You can think of Shadow as a kind of mercenary company. We mainly handle missions dealing with the mutated monsters you saw Outside the City.”
Why use such strange proper nouns like some game instead of just saying mercenary?
“Since you came from Outside the City, you understand well—this world is currently collapsing.”
The world is really falling apart?
“The City is currently the only sanctuary, one could say. But even as a sanctuary, the City is hardly a utopia.”
He spoke in a calm yet somber voice.
“The farther you move from the City Center, the lower the citizens’ ranks become, the wealth gap grows more extreme, and the residents of the City Outskirts live such precarious lives that each day is a struggle. Those in power wield their authority without hesitation, and the strong become faithful servants to those in power.”
It was truly a post-apocalyptic dystopia.
“In the City, those with low citizen ranks live lives like livestock, and no one cares if they’re killed.”
Andromallius looked at me.
“In such a world, you told me that it’s natural for people to save people.”
And he extended his hand toward me and spoke.
“I don’t desire you for your talent. I desire you because you understand that such things are merely inevitable—because you are someone who grasps this truth.”
He pleaded with me, his voice trembling with earnest longing.
“Please, walk this path with me.”

(To be continued in the next chapter)

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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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