The Mage’s Nemesis Has Reincarnated - Chapter 37

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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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The Natural Enemy of Mages Has Been Reincarnated – Episode 37
‘Carbollearos, do you have a moment?’
-Why? Is this about the magic duel?
‘Yeah. You saw the note?’
-I am one who wandered the world in human form three thousand years ago. I am well versed in the common tongue of Pangea.
It seemed Carbollearos had read the note I’d intended for Gawen.
-So you’re planning to flatten that thundering fool’s nose in a duel?
‘Yeah. But I’ll need your help to beat him.’
-Why do you need my help? Wouldn’t blocking magic make this a simple matter?
I shook my head.
‘Magic blocking is a technique even Dragonians cannot perform. It must never be revealed to anyone.’
-Then how do you plan to conduct a magic duel? You don’t have a Circle, do you?
‘I don’t. But that doesn’t mean I can’t use magic, does it?’
I possessed a skill called Magic Absorption.
A broken ability that allowed me to absorb an opponent’s magic and return it at any timing I desired.
With this, it was possible to appear as a mage even without a Circle.
‘My current Magic Absorption proficiency is at 6-star. I can absorb up to seven spells.’
If I pre-absorbed seven spells with Carbollearos’s help and entered the duel, I could conduct a magic duel without issue against my opponent.
‘The problem is the time limit of ten minutes, so I’ll need to use them quickly.’
After ten minutes passed, all the stored spells would disappear.
For that reason, I needed to arrive late at the meeting place if possible.
If I arrived early and Gawen wasn’t there, I might waste those ten minutes.
‘Carbollearos, cast seven spells on me. I have enough mana stones.’
-You’re planning to learn magic now and use it in the duel?
‘Yeah. I’d like 6-Circle attack spells. Nothing that would kill my opponent—something moderate.’
-Understood.
‘Thanks.’
-Don’t mention it. You joined the Mage Tower at my request, so this is nothing. Don’t worry. I’ll pick efficient spells for you!
‘Then I’ll prepare.’
I removed the necklace and placed it before me, then arranged the mana stones I’d brought from the treasure vault beside it.
“Ready. Now cast your magic at me.”
Soon after, light flickered from the necklace, and magic channeled through the mana stones activated.
Boom, boom, boom, boom—!
Suddenly, a torrent of water materialized from thin air and crashed down upon me.
But the magic vanished the moment it touched my body, absorbed like water into a sponge.
[You have absorbed the cast spell ‘Water Wave’.]
[Skill proficiency has increased by 60.]
[Proficiency remaining until 7-star achievement: 2,730/30,000]
[Spell ‘Water Wave’ has been stored in the dimensional rift.]
[Stored spells: 1/7]
[You can release magic within the time limit.]
[Remaining time: 00:09:59]

* * *
Zeke finished reminiscing and let out a bitter smile.
‘He said to use this when the opponent casts fire magic, but it’s stronger than I expected?’
Zeke hadn’t just received magic from Carbollearos—he’d also attended a brief lecture.
Counter fire magic with water magic.
Counter water magic with earth magic, and earth magic with ice magic.
And counter ice magic with fire magic.
In other words, respond with magic that held a favorable matchup.
It was like a card game where you see your opponent’s card before playing yours.
‘But he said the opponent wouldn’t be ignorant of that fact either.’
Understanding which attributes were advantageous and disadvantageous was basic knowledge for any mage.
So unless they were a fool, everyone wanted to use magic that was favorable against their opponent’s attribute, or so I’d heard.
However, most mages apparently disregarded attributes entirely and used the magic they’d prepared from the start of the duel.
‘If you respond after seeing the opponent’s magic, it’s already too late. You’ll get hit by their spell before you even finish casting and die.’
That’s why what mattered was preparing magic as quickly as possible and striking first.
Before the opponent could respond.
‘But I don’t need to do that. I can respond even after seeing the opponent’s magic without being late.’
The time it took me to manifest stored magic was barely 0.1 seconds.
I only needed to search my mind for the incantation and retrieve it—there was no casting time at all.
In other words, I could use chantless casting, something only 9th Circle Grand Mages could do.
Therefore, I could respond even after seeing the opponent’s magic without being late.
‘Since I see the opponent’s card first and respond, I can’t lose.’
It was all thanks to the system’s ability, but it didn’t appear that way to the spectators.
Everyone’s mouths fell open in astonishment.
“Ch-chantless casting?”
“Isn’t that a technique only Grand Mages can use?”
“A 4th Circle mage using chantless casting? Is that even theoretically possible?”
“This is insane, absolutely insane!”
The crowd erupted in excitement, but Gawen, my opponent, was equally astonished.
‘Im-impossible. Did that bastard really just use chantless casting…?’
There had been no time to spare.
With firepower intense enough to roast me alive pouring down, I hadn’t responded at all.
It was a situation that seemed already decided.
Yet in an instant, he reversed the situation by countering with water attribute magic.
Despite having no time to do so.
‘And the magic he used was Water Wave.’
Water Wave was a 6th Circle spell.
The 4th Circle is dead—even if I awakened, I couldn’t use it.
‘This bastard deliberately lied about being 4th Circle!’
It was clearly a ploy to lower his own Circle and make me underestimate him, drawing out my carelessness.
Why else would he deceive about his Circle?
‘But Wordless Casting? How could a 6th Circle possibly….’
He was employing a technique that even Gerard, the Mage Tower Master, couldn’t execute.
If anyone in Decan could do it, it would only be Dalpred Bigsland—the sole 9th Circle.
‘Could he really be 9th Circle at fifteen? That’s absurd.’
He must have prepared the spell beforehand and pulled off some trick to make it look like Wordless Casting.
There was no other explanation that made sense.
‘I’ll know for certain if I face him once more.’
Gawen Baldor drew mana through his staff once again.
He circulated it through the six mana rings within his body, then layered his magical power according to his calculated formula, gathering it at the staff’s tip.
“Icicles of rain!”
As he chanted the incantation, a magic circle materialized beneath where Zeke stood, and countless shards of ice rained down from above.
A 6th Circle spell—one that would skewer him like a kebab unless he deployed a shield of equivalent magical power.
But.
Zeke observed the spell and responded with indifferent ease.
By merely sweeping his hand through the air.
A torrent of flame erupted from his gesture, spreading like an umbrella above his head.
The rain of ice, which had been falling with enough force to pierce through him, melted and vanished from the heat before it could even touch the umbrella of fire.
The icy rain that fell with such force as to pierce through the skull melted away in the heat and disappeared before even touching the umbrella.
“I saw it! It’s definitely Wordless Casting!”
“Wow! I never thought I’d actually witness Wordless Casting!”
….
Frustrated as he was, Gawen Baldor couldn’t help but agree with the spectators.
His lips hadn’t moved at all—he hadn’t uttered a single incantation.
It was undoubtedly Wordless Casting.
‘Insane… How can a 6th Circle use Wordless Casting….’
Given that he’d countered with Fire Barrier, a 6th Circle spell, it was certain he was at least that level or higher.
But how could a fifteen-year-old possibly use Wordless Casting?
‘No matter how I think about it, it doesn’t make sense. I’ll try again. Again!’
Unable to accept reality, Gawen Baldor unleashed spells in rapid succession.
Yet each time, Zeke effortlessly countered with magically advantageous spells, defending with ease.
‘My spells are being blocked so pathetically.’
It was hollow.
He felt like a fool.
‘And despite being able to attack first, he’s just playing around with defense?’
The advantage of Wordless Casting wasn’t limited to defense alone.
Naturally, it granted the ability to attack faster than one’s opponent.
Yet the fact that he merely blocked every attack made it clear that Zeke intended to toy with him.
It was only natural that Gawen’s face flushed crimson with rage.
‘I’ll kill him. I’m really going to kill him.’
It was humiliating—the first time in his life he’d suffered such an insult.
‘Let’s see if you can block this!’
Gawen finally resorted to magic he should never have used.

* * *
‘The duel should be over by now, shouldn’t it?’
Jake Palmer, the training instructor, quietly slipped out of the Dormitory.
He’d been timing when to intervene, and now seemed like the right moment.
‘They said the duel was in the Plaza, right?’
As he made his leisurely way toward the Plaza, sure enough, members had gathered there.
Nearly two hundred of them—it seemed almost all the trainees had come out to watch the match.
‘I didn’t expect it to draw such a crowd. Though, come to think of it, Gawen hasn’t had a magical duel in quite some time.’
When you’re stuck in the monotony of Dormitory life, watching a fight is an irresistible draw.
And if the one fighting is Gawen, the ace, anyone would rush out without hesitation.
As Jake drew closer to the trainees, he began to adopt the stern demeanor of an instructor.
“What are you all doing here at this hour? What’s this gathering about?”
Though he scolded them, the trainees paid him no mind and kept their eyes fixed on the duel grounds.
“Come on now, the instructor is calling. You should at least pretend to listen….”
As Jake followed their gaze.
He too found himself with a dumbfounded expression, just like the rest.
Boom, boom, boom, boom—!
Whoosh—!
On the duel grounds, one side would cast magic, and the other would counter with the appropriate element in a continuous exchange.
It was like a clash between spear and shield.
But what truly astonished the onlookers was none other than Zeke.
‘This… this can’t be real. He’s using silent casting?’
If his eyes weren’t deceiving him, Zeke was casting spells rapidly without any incantation time.
And while doing so, he was visibly neutralizing Gawen’s magic and defending against it.
Rather than predicting the opponent’s moves, he was seeing them with his eyes and responding swiftly with silent casting.
‘Is this even possible? How can a fifteen-year-old child….’
Now Jake understood why the trainees couldn’t tear their eyes away from the duel grounds.
A fifteen-year-old using silent casting was a world-shaking event.
How could anyone listen to an instructor’s words in the face of this?
‘So the McLafflin Family has a genius like that….’
He was amazed, but on the other hand, he felt wronged by the Circle leader.
‘This is too much. He clearly introduced him to me as a 4th Circle mage….’
Zeke was absolutely not a 4th Circle mage.
Even now, doesn’t he flaunt his 6th Circle magic without restraint?
Moreover, he’s a prodigy among prodigies who can cast silent incantations at such a young age.
Perhaps he’s already reached the 6th Circle, or even beyond.
‘This is a battle he cannot win. Gawen can never defeat that child.’
How could Gawen possibly overcome an opponent who might be 6th Circle or higher?
When every spell he casts is being blocked, leaving him gasping for breath.
Everyone present already knew the outcome was decided.
But Gawen himself seemed unable to accept it.
Judging by the way he was unleashing his ultimate magic.
“Come on, try blocking this if you’re so confident!”
Gawen shouted as he squeezed out every ounce of magical power he possessed.
The instructor’s eyes widened as he recognized the nature of the magic Gawen was attempting.
‘That… that’s Storm Gust?’
The most powerful area-of-effect spell a 6th Circle mage could cast—one that could easily engulf the spectators if mishandled.
A dangerous situation with casualties expected.
“Everyone, evacuate! What are you standing around for!”
The incantation was already complete; it was too late to stop it.
As he hurried to evacuate the people, he saw Gawen’s staff begin to move.
‘It’s over.’
There’s no way to block that.
The moment the staff came down, a flesh-tearing gale would engulf not just me, but all the spectators watching.
“Shields! Deploy shields and defend!”
In the midst of desperate shouts, the moment the colossal storm of magical power was about to descend.
Thud!
With a dull sound, the gathered magical power rapidly dissipated.
Turning his head, Gawen—who had been about to swing his staff—suddenly had his face driven into the ground.
And above him.
“This bastard’s insane. You almost got people killed.”
Stood Zeke with his fist clenched.

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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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