The Return of the Genius Ranker’s Myth Warehouse - Chapter 166
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 166
Chapter 166
A sparring match with the Knight Commander.
Or rather, after that embarrassing moment where the Knight Commander simply deployed defensive magic and stood idle, hardly worthy of being called a sparring match.
The Knight Commander opened his mouth with a satisfied expression.
“You’ve mastered the application techniques I taught you remarkably well. At this point, it no longer looks like a technique I created, but rather your own unique skill.”
“That’s all thanks to you, Knight Commander.”
“Heh heh, I’m quite pleased. It was a technique that was practically impossible to use in actual combat, yet you’ve developed it so brilliantly. However.”
The Knight Commander’s expression suddenly turned serious.
“The problem is diversity.”
“Diversity… you say?”
“I’m not sure where you learned them, but the magic you’ve mastered seems to be nothing but old, formulaic spells from the past.”
I couldn’t help but wince at those words.
I had collected every magical tome that existed in First, but those tomes from First were merely ancient magic that had existed at least hundreds of years ago from Second’s perspective.
Hadn’t I already witnessed a diverse array of unfamiliar magic just from sparring with the knights?
“You seem to be overcoming this through applications like using Haste as Wind Walk, but there are limits to that approach.”
“I’m aware, but all the magical tomes I possess are old ones…”
“What are you talking about? Aren’t they right here?”
“Pardon?”
“From now on, you’ll master all the magical tomes in this place.”
“All the magical tomes in this place…?”
“Originally, I wanted to wait until you grew stronger and teach you up to 4-Circle magic at once. But it seems you’ll be able to properly utilize magic with just 3-Circle mastery.”
What the Knight Commander meant was that I should master all the magic that existed in this Grand Library.
Wouldn’t it be difficult to be forced to learn so many magical tomes?
Not at all.
If anything, I was so delighted I wondered if this was real.
The Blue Moon Grand Library, the Empire’s largest library, contained so many magical tomes that it seemed there wasn’t a single spell that didn’t exist there.
“Are you truly certain about this?”
“Of course. Higher-Circle magic would be somewhat difficult, but I can certainly show you everything up to 4-Circle without issue.”
Did he notice that my expression conveyed anticipation rather than concern?
The Knight Commander spread his arms with delight and spoke.
“Well, what are you waiting for? Start learning right away. Ah, I should tell you the locations first. From that bookshelf over there to that one contains 1-Circle magical tomes. The subsequent bookshelves hold the next Circle’s magical tomes in order.”
“Thank you so much!”
I immediately moved and pulled out magical tomes from the bookshelves.
In truth, a considerable number of them were already in my inventory.
[ Wind Walk ]
Type: Magical Tome
Grade: Heroic
Requirements: Level 200 or higher, Mage-class profession
Description: A wind-attribute magic tome that allows you to learn “Wind Walk,” an improved spell based on Haste magic, designed for instantaneous acceleration rather than sustained speed.
Among them were spellbooks I didn’t possess.
New grimoires added to Second also existed.
‘Not bad.’
The problem was that learning spellbooks worked differently from ordinary grimoires.
Typical spellbooks and skill tomes operated on the concept of item consumption.
Using a spellbook allowed me to learn the corresponding magic immediately, but in exchange, the spellbook would vanish after a single use.
But the spellbooks here?
They were far from such convenient items.
I had to read the formulas inscribed on the spellbook’s pages and deepen my comprehension of the corresponding magic—a tedious concept indeed.
However.
‘I’m accustomed to this.’
Hadn’t I experienced such things back in First?
Though I hadn’t sought to master spellbooks, I had researched formulas to utilize magical artifacts.
Beyond that, when employing skills like Enchantment, I occasionally needed to interpret formulas.
Even so, if the difficulty climbed too high, I’d feel somewhat anxious, but magic up to the third circle was child’s play.
The moment I rapidly solved the formulas in the Wind Walk spellbook and turned the page.
– You have acquired the ‘3rd Circle Wind Magic: Wind Walk’ spell by studying the ‘Wind Walk Spellbook’.
I could immediately learn the new magic.
The formulas weren’t difficult enough to require more than ten minutes of study.
Honestly, it took longer because I was rusty at solving formulas after so long, but once I grew accustomed, I could significantly reduce the time needed.
So.
‘Why not master all of them before meeting the Emperor?’
Before the Knight Commander’s disposition could shift.
To learn as many spells as possible, I began rapidly rifling through the shelves.
* * *
The Knight Commander of Blue Moon.
Raymond Mistborn gazed warmly at Mir, whose eyes sparkled as he surveyed the bookshelves.
‘I had such days once too.’
Days when I gazed upon first circle magic with gleaming eyes.
I couldn’t fathom how many decades had passed since then.
Occasionally, even when given such opportunities, some found them tedious and burdensome, refusing to engage. So seeing Mir take genuine interest in the spellbooks was heartwarming.
However.
‘Even for Mir, mastering all the new spellbooks in such a short span would be difficult.’
He estimated this undertaking would require at least a month or more.
The reasons were manifold.
I knew Mir possessed exceptional talent for magic, but fundamentally, Mir was an adventurer.
Adventurers learned magic by consuming spellbooks like potions, or so I’d heard.
In contrast, the spellbooks here couldn’t be used in such a manner.
Like the Empire’s mages, one had to solve formulas, comprehend them, and calculate to master magic.
Yet Mir likely hadn’t even grasped the concept of formulas yet.
It’s bound to be difficult to learn.
‘I suppose I should start teaching him about formulas.’
I watched to gauge his reaction, but if things continued at this pace, it would take far too long for him to master all the grimoires.
Since Mir is wise, he should be able to pick up magical formulas quickly if I teach him properly.
Thinking this, the Knight Commander stepped forward.
Whoosh!
Light burst forth from the grimoire at that very moment.
Whirrr—
Wind swirled around Mir’s legs.
It was proof that he had successfully learned the Wind Walk spell.
“How is this possible…!?”
The Knight Commander froze momentarily, unable to comprehend the situation.
To master that grimoire, one would need to understand magical formulas.
In other words, Mir must have already known the formulas?
He wondered if perhaps he had misunderstood something.
Whoosh!
The next grimoire proved identical.
Barely moments after Mir opened it, brilliant light erupted, demonstrating his mastery of another spell.
It was now certain that Mir truly understood the formulas.
Moreover—
“How is he progressing so rapidly…?”
His speed was extraordinary.
The grimoires Mir was currently reading were mostly new spellbooks created by twisting formulas to refine existing magic or craft entirely novel spells.
As such, the formulas themselves were considerably more complex than those in ordinary grimoires.
Yet he was advancing through these grimoires at an astounding pace.
‘Among our knights, I doubt even a handful could calculate formulas with such speed.’
It was simply unbelievable.
Meanwhile, Mir was already working through most of the First Circle new spellbooks.
Observing him thus,
‘Good grief, nothing he does ever falls within my expectations.’
The Knight Commander could only marvel at Mir’s performance.
* * *
The Baltika Empire is the greatest empire of Second, controlling most of the continent that comprises Second.
And within the Baltika Empire stands its most colossal Grand Library.
As such, nearly every grimoire in existence throughout Second could be found within these walls.
‘Should I have reached level 300 before coming here?’
Had I achieved level 300, I could have learned Fourth Circle spells as well.
The grimoires here were magnificent enough to inspire such regret.
Of course, not all new spellbooks were exceptional—some seemed utterly impractical—but
‘there are just as many spells that prove genuinely useful.’
The opposite was far more often the case.
[ Create Oil ]
Create Oil—an earth magic that didn’t exist in First.
It was magic that generated oil, and when used, it could reduce friction to slip enemies, and I could even ignite the generated oil with flames.
Using dual casting to employ ‘Create Oil’ and ‘Fire Burst’ simultaneously would allow me to amplify the firepower of the flames even further.
[ Shout ]
This could amplify not just voices but various sounds, and it seemed capable of being used in diverse ways beyond simply transmitting sound.
Beyond that, there was Smoke Breath, which could be used like a smoke screen, and Hot Steam, which expelled scorching vapor at enemies.
Depending on how they were used, the spells seemed brimming with potential for efficient application.
And I.
– Used the ‘Create Oil Grimoire’ to acquire the ‘2nd Circle Earth Magic: Create Oil’ spell.
– Used the ‘Shout Grimoire’ to acquire the ‘1st Circle Wind Magic: Shout’ spell.
– Used the ‘Smoke Breath Grimoire’ to acquire the ‘2nd Circle Fire Magic: Smoke Breath’ spell.
….
I pulled out every visible grimoire and read through them.
So absorbed in reading that I lost all sense of time, a new Achievement message—one I’d never seen before—suddenly appeared before me instead of another spell acquisition notification.
[ Achievement Unlocked: Living Grimoire ]
Condition: Acquire 100 or more spells through grimoires
Reward: Spell casting speed +20%, mana consumption –20%
Bonus Reward: Intelligence +10
It was an Achievement I hadn’t seen in First.
It seemed this was a newly added Achievement in Second.
While unlocking a new Achievement was gratifying, this wasn’t the time to admire it.
There was always the chance the Knight Commander might change his mind, so I learned the spells as rapidly as possible.
How much time had passed?
Between logging out and devouring grimoires to my absolute limit.
– Used the ‘Bolt Spire Grimoire’ to acquire the ‘3rd Circle Lightning Magic: Bolt Spire’ spell.
I had managed to master every grimoire available in this place.
Exhausted as I was, I couldn’t have felt more satisfied.
And yet.
‘If only my level were higher.’
I regretted not being able to learn higher-circle spells.
If my level had been sufficient, I would have mastered all the 4th and 5th Circle spells as well.
Perhaps sensing my disappointment.
“Hehehehe, there’s no need to feel so regretful. Should you ask, I’m prepared to open this place to you whenever you wish.”
“Truly, sir?”
“Of course, naturally. What good is hoarding precious knowledge away? Knowledge shines brightest when wielded by the wise.”
The Knight Commander offered words of encouragement.
Excellent.
From now on, whenever I reached level 300 or 400 and could learn the next circle of spells, I would make time to visit this place.
While there were many spells in total, the number I could actually use in practice seemed far fewer.
And though it would be difficult to utilize all these spells during combat, the mere fact that I could master every new spell added to Second filled me with profound satisfaction.
The mere fact that I could master every new spell added to Second filled me with profound satisfaction.
“Well then, since you’ve mastered all the spells.”
The Knight Commander drew out his staff toward me.
When I first entered the Grand Library, he hadn’t even held a staff, blocking my attacks solely with silent-cast defensive magic.
Now it seemed he had decided to face me properly.
“Shouldn’t you test the spells you’ve learned?”
At his words, I found myself smiling without thinking.
Even without the Knight Commander saying so.
“I’ll come at once.”
“Come!”
– Activating Third Circle wind magic ‘Wind Walk’.
Whoosh!
My body was already itching to put these spells to direct use immediately.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————