Genius Gamer Reborn into a Family of Heroes

Chapter 101: The Genius, Deis (5)

Harang had always enjoyed learning. Even in his past life, before he became a professional gamer, he was considered a top student. Due to being bedridden before he delved into virtual reality gaming, he read extensively.

Thanks to his excellent memory, he seldom forgot what he read, and his ability to apply learned concepts was outstanding. Even without receiving textbooks, he often scored high marks on mock exams.

That was how he fared without studying in an ideal environment. Now, in a setting designed solely for learning, it was as if he had been given wings.

Harang’s magic skills improved rapidly, and he soon surpassed the foundational level entirely.

Of course, he didn’t excel in every subject.

He performed well in mana control-related subjects, such as psychokinesis, but struggled in knowledge-heavy fields like pharmacology and alchemy.

However, this was not a significant weakness since pharmacology and alchemy were subfields, not main ones.

The most critical aspect in Arniel was pure magical ability:
– How powerful a spell one could cast.
– How precisely one could control magic.
– How quickly one could activate spells.

By those standards, after about two weeks, it became hard for anyone to call Deis a dullard.

Arniel, being a magic school focused on training combat mages commonly referred to as sorcerers placed heavy emphasis on dueling and practical battle exercises in its curriculum. Deis became one of the most prominent students, frequently selected for these practical sessions.

As a result, Deis participated in 23 duels and exercises over the past two weeks, achieving 19 victories and 4 defeats.

Even those 4 defeats occurred in non-combat subjects like alchemy and golem studies.

When it came to combat or battle-related magic, he had not lost even once.

However, the students didn’t attribute this success to Deis’ own skills.

“He must be using artifacts.”
“I heard he smuggled in magical tools crafted by Master Avon. You know, the thing on his left hand.”
“It’s confirmed.”
“He even handled the Agui Ogre with artifacts. Princess Citrinne credited Deis, but she must not have realized it was all because of artifacts.”

The rumors grew more exaggerated by the day.

This was why the students were particularly looking forward to today’s class.

The lesson was known as “Multi-layered Magic Circle,” a session where multiple mages worked together to cast a single spell. The consensus among the students was that artifacts would be entirely useless in this scenario.

“Today’s exercise will involve designing a multi-layered magic circle,” the professor announced. “When casting large-scale spells as a group, synchronizing with other mages is essential. You will pair up into teams of two for this activity. Find your partners.”

“……”

The students seated around Harang scattered like the parting of the Red Sea, leaving him momentarily stunned.

‘So this is what it feels like to be ostracized.’

Even the boldest of students would find this situation uncomfortable. They would scramble desperately to find a partner, but Harang wasn’t particularly concerned. Instead, he simply waited idly.

‘Panic is for amateurs.’

As he sat patiently, a large shadow suddenly loomed over him. It was Renches, a boy with a freshly shaved head who was infamous for constantly clamoring to use reversal magic and getting scolded by the professors.

“Nice to meet you, Deis! Looks like it’s just the two of us left, so let’s pair up! I look forward to working with you!”

“……”

Harang was at a loss for words.

***

Renches was as much of an anomaly among the first-year students as Deis.

His admission to Arniel raised eyebrows, as his magic skills and academic performance were both dismal.

Not only was he terrible at fundamental magic, but he also lacked any extraordinary talents.

If he had one redeeming quality, it was that he was obedient and didn’t cause trouble for the professors. However, that wasn’t particularly valued in Arniel.

Arniel selected students based on their unique talents.

Even if someone performed poorly in the entrance exams, they could still secure admission if they displayed something special that set them apart.

Considering how spectacularly Renches failed the exams, it was clear the admission committee must have seen some potential in him.

“…Well, fine. Let’s work together.”

Harang glanced around before nodding his head. Renches, like Harang, was an outcast, but for slightly different reasons. Being a commoner and not having good grades seemed to alienate him from his classmates.

“Oh, really?! Thanks so much! Haha, honestly, if I failed this class, I might have been expelled! But with someone as diligent and skilled as you in the same group, I feel reassured!”

“Expelled?”

When the seat next to him became vacant, Renches moved his bag and books over.

“They’ll give you one academic warning even if your grades are a mess for a semester.”

“Ah, well, the thing is, my grades weren’t originally passing!”

“…I see?”

“Haha. The examiners at Arniel were kind enough to give me an extra chance, and I barely squeaked in. But unlike the other students, if my grades fall below the minimum, I get expelled without any warnings!”

Hearing this for the first time, Harang frowned slightly.

‘He’s treated worse than I am…’

Discrimination.

That was the only thought that came to his mind.

While Harang’s noble status as a Kaladan, unmatched even by anyone at Arniel, made it irrelevant how others treated him, could the same be said for Renches?

The discrimination Renches endured would seep into his life, each instance becoming a scar.

Yet, despite it all, he seemed so cheerful. His actions were so recklessly optimistic that he didn’t even seem aware of the unfairness he faced.

“Hmm, I’m not great at designing multi-layered magic circles, but I’ll be counting on you.”

“Of course!”

Whatever the circumstances, Harang had no other immediate partner, so he decided to pair up with Renches.

Later.

Harang would come to think of this choice as the best decision he ever made at Arniel.

* * *

“When multiple mages collaborate on drawing a magic circle, it’s not always necessary to distribute mana meticulously. However, the sequence of constructing the circle must always align perfectly. If the arrangement of runes is even slightly out of order, a completely different spell might be executed or it could fail entirely.”

Crack, boom!

All around, failed magic circles exploded with bursts of mana.

“Ahhh!”

“Ugh!”

“Hey, hey! Why are you rushing it like that?!”

Pairs of students attempting to draw a magic circle were failing!

Fourteen-year-old mages, accustomed to working solo, found adapting to the rhythm of another person’s movements awkward and unfamiliar.

“Damn it… I’m good at magic on my own, so why do I have to learn this?” A noble boy in the top rankings grumbled.

Professor Adel, passing by behind him, responded.

“There will come a time in your life when you’ll hit a wall that you can’t overcome with your magic alone. To defend your territory, defeat a mighty beast impervious to magic, or break through an unbeatable labyrinth.”

“Urgh…”

Professor Adel, a seven-star mage and a seasoned veteran of countless real battles, silenced the students with her remark.

“Combining your strengths to create a powerful spell is a unique and formidable advantage of mages. This is why the five great magic families surpass the three great swordsmanship families in terms of combat power.”

“…”

Listening to this, Harang tilted his head.

‘Are the five great magic families really that impressive?’

Magic was undoubtedly exceptional in utility and devastating in destructive power, but its limitations in combat were significant.

In terms of sheer combat power, even the united five great magic families would struggle to invade the Kaladan territory.

Of course, the political influence of the five great magic families was unimaginably immense…

‘Ah, indoctrination through education.’

Realizing this, Harang pretended to listen with enthusiasm.

“The five great magic families, including Ainglass, have developed their magic to be highly effective for collaborative use. Nowadays, there are even prodigies emerging from their outstanding curriculums who can independently utilize multi-layered magic circles. However, this isn’t something that’s possible for everyone.”

The professor’s gaze shifted to Zelka Ainglass as she spoke.

When people think of the Ainglass family’s unique magic, they immediately think of “Finality.” But that’s a misconception.

The Ainglass family’s specialty was their overwhelming talent, skill, and mana capacity, enabling them to perform multi-layered magic circles, typically requiring multiple mages, single-handedly.

‘The Ainglass monsters can use this on their own?’

Harang couldn’t help but click his tongue in amazement.

The spell provided as part of their textbook was merely a 2-star spell, yet it was so intricate that even with his Eyes of Truth, he found it difficult to grasp in a single glance.

Since the spell was designed for two users to cast together, its formula was remarkably convoluted and lengthy, utilizing an excessive number of rune symbols.

If used effectively, a 2-star spell like this could easily produce 3-star level power… Wait, what’s this?

A thought struck him.

Isn’t this unnecessarily complicated?

During his previous sparring matches with Natalen, Harang had managed to cast 2-star spells with power almost equal to that of 3-star spells several times.

This was thanks to the unique magic circle she had taught him, which greatly amplified the spell’s strength.

…No, there must be a reason it’s taught like this.

There had to be a rationale behind the method. Harang convinced himself of this as he took his position opposite Renches.

“Ha! Let’s show those noble boys what two commoners working together can do!”

“Confidence is great, but have you fully grasped your spell?”

“Of course!”

Honestly, he wasn’t so sure.

“Alright then, input your algorithm spell into the programming runes first to derive the values.”

At Harang’s instruction, Renches puffed out his chest confidently and rolled up his sleeves. His muscles were unexpectedly formidable, almost like those of a martial artist.

Soon, Renches began forming hand signs and chanting his spell. Watching him, Harang’s expression turned incredulous.

“…What are you doing right now?”

“Coding.”

“No, I mean… Why are you doing it like never mind.”

Harang stopped himself, realizing this wasn’t the time to get into the issue.

What kind of magic is this?

Normally, one would first circulate mana, then implement the algorithm spell, and finally input the runes to manifest the magic.

Renches, however, skipped all those steps, directly activating the runes while simultaneously chanting the spell.

If his actions were likened to eating, it was as if instead of using chopsticks to pick up food, he was shoving his face into the plate.

While one might technically eat that way, it was certainly unstable and inefficient.

“Have you always cast magic like this?”

“Yeah, that’s right!”

“…It’s a miracle your spells even work.”

Harang was genuinely astonished that such a method worked at all. However, teaching Renches the basics from scratch wasn’t an option Harang himself wasn’t well-versed enough to be an instructor, and more importantly, he wasn’t inclined to spend the time on it.

“Phew, I know it’s a bad habit. Even the professors keep nagging me about it.”

“Well, at least you’re aware of it.”

Harang crossed his fists in front of his chest, extending his index and pinky fingers before gradually drawing them downward. As he did, light began to flow into the magic circle.

“Start your spell too.”

“Got it!”

Though uneasy, Harang decided to press forward, hoping things would somehow work out once they synchronized. The training material already had half the magic circle pre-drawn, so replicating it wasn’t particularly difficult.

At least, not until then.

Harang naturally assumed he would finish constructing the circle before Renches.

“Urgh…!”

Boom!

A burst of mana caused his spell to collapse. Something had gone wrong.

What happened?

Harang glanced at Renches in disbelief.

“Ah, my bad! I should have matched your pace, Deis.”

“….”

No, this wasn’t Renches’ fault.

I was too slow.

Renches had built his portion of the magic circle flawlessly and with great stability.

The problem was, he had done it so quickly that Harang couldn’t keep up.

How is this possible…?

His casting speed was incomparably fast. Harang had believed that among his peers, only prodigies like Zelka Ainglass or Ailka Willed could outpace him in magic casting.

Yet Renches had far exceeded his expectations perhaps even rivaling someone like Zelka.

He’s not just fast. His spells are as stable as mine.

Harang’s spells were slower than those of Zelka or Ailka, but they were far more stable, which was his key advantage.

Yet Renches combined Zelka’s speed with Harang’s stability.

It was just that his method was so unrefined and unconventional that no one had noticed.

Thanks to his Eyes of Truth, Harang could clearly see the immense potential hidden in Renches’ chaotic magic.

Could it be…? Did the judges at Arniel see this potential?

No, that couldn’t be.

If they had seen it, they wouldn’t have treated Renches so poorly.

Even the professors at Arniel haven’t fully grasped how his magic works.

Likely out of ignorance, they had accepted him into the academy but were unwilling to invest more than a semester in him until he proved himself.

“Hey, who taught you magic?” Harang asked, his heartbeat quickening.

If he could fully understand Renches’ method, he might finally be able to complete the unfinished spell Natalen had left him.

“Oh, just my dad taught me. Ahem! Don’t be too harsh, though. I know it’s wrong, and I’ll fix it soon…”

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

Harang firmly grabbed Renches’ hands.

“Your magic is amazing.”

“What? Hahaha! It’s nice to hear that from a genius like you, but no need to sugarcoat it.”

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

“….”

For the first time, Renches looked into Harang’s eyes. The calm determination in them was unmistakable he wasn’t lying.

Deis wasn’t the type to joke. He was a quiet and reserved person who spoke only when necessary.

Yet here he was, calling Renches’ clumsy magic amazing.

…My magic? Amazing?

It was a style of magic that had been mocked by Arniel’s professors, outside mages, and instructors alike.

A crude magic system his father had structured.

Could it really be amazing?

The idea was so unbelievable that Renches, for the first time since enrolling at Arniel, found himself speechless.

The two stood there silently, staring at each other in mutual astonishment.